Show Me My Opponent, 2023-24: Kentucky, Part One
AHHHHHHHHHHH (breathes in) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I have a lot of problems with the AP Poll, one of which is that it blows and the people who vote for it seem to have some of the silliest voting logic in sports history. But, hey, poll of record and all. And sue me, I think that a rivalry that had three games ever where both teams were in the top 10 prior to 2018 now has had five games of top 10 vs. top 10 in the last six seasons alone.
The poll of record states, or stated, that Kentucky is the 10th-best team in college basketball. I’ve gone on record a few times with my statement that I’m not a believer in this viewpoint whatsoever. But, hey, whatever. I’ve been wrong 500 million times before and will be many times again.
The point is this: Tennessee travels north to Lexington to play the best-shooting Kentucky offense since Jamal Murray was on campus. They also get to play the worst Kentucky defense of John Calipari’s entire tenure. That’s how you get a relatively strange season for Kentucky, one in which they defeated North Carolina on a neutral two weeks after losing at home to UNC Wilmington. Even in SEC play the weirdness hasn’t stopped; a 13-point win over a very good Mississippi State team turned into a 17-point loss to South Carolina a week later, then an overtime loss at home to a Florida team previously without a Quad 1 win.
I would argue that Kentucky is probably a pretty good basketball team but feel like I also am unsure of how good they are. Tennessee is just the third top 25 KenPom opponent Kentucky has played this year and the first since December 16. It’s a Kentucky team that has scored 105 and 63 points in 40-minute games in the last two weeks. They’ve given up 97; they have given up 46. They washed out Tennessee’s Tuesday home loss with one of their own.
What do we know? Probably all we really need to, because against the schedule they’ve been dealt, they’ve looked awesome offensively and horrific defensively. You’re Blue Iowa (in both sports, tbh) until I see otherwise.
BEHIND THE WALL ($): points points points