The Kentucky Wildcats are bigger than every NBA team except the Portland Trail Blazers. If you’re going to beat them, you’re going to have to do it on the perimeter. No one, even on their best day, can match UK inside. Simply put, no one has the depth and size to bang bodies with them on the block. Kentucky is just too dominant in the low post.
However, they can be beaten, and the #7 Texas Longhorns showed us how last Friday night. UT certainly came the closest of anyone this young season (but still lost by 12), and they did it by forcing John Calipari’s team to make their threes and their free throws, which they don’t do very well.
We’ve highlighted the Kentucky Wildcats weaknesses in a previous article; foul shooting and three-point shoot shooting are the most glaring. Versus Texas, Kentucky shot 8% from three, 62% at the charity stripe. That’s not going to happen very often for the Kentucky Wildcats this season, so the right team has to also get it done on the offensive end while forcing UK into ugly numbers like that.
at #4 Louisville December 27th
The likeliness of a loss here is higher than the other four games combined. If Kentucky wins this won, they could easily be undefeated heading into the SEC tournament. The Cardinals might have an advantage in this game being early in the season. Pitino’s bunch is older and more experienced than KY, so having this game later in the season would help out Coach Cal. Also, weird things happen in rivalry games so if the Cats fall it won’t be as monumental an upset as you think.
#21 North Carolina December 13th
Are Roy’s Boys finally going to get it together this season? Only Kentucky themselves and Duke have more McDonald’s All-Americans than the Tar Heels. Yet they’ve been unimpressive thus far. They undoubtedly have the talent to challenge the Wildcats, but I can’t imagine John Calipari’s team losing at Rupp Arena this season.
Arkansas February 28th
The SEC just can’t compete with the Kentucky Wildcats this season. We’re really straining ourselves to find conference games that could pose a challenge. The Hogs might be the second best team in the league.
at Florida February 7th
The Gators are definitely not what they used to be. It’s a down year in Gainesville, but again weird things happen in rivalry games.
UCLA at the United Center December 20th
I’ll be honest, this one is only on the list because 5 is a nice round number, and we couldn’t actually find a legitimate fifth chance for a loss.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2