The No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats welcome Vanderbilt on Wednesday night in a game Kentucky desperately needs.
In all the ups and downs of a season, teams find out what they are made of, and right now, Kentucky is a walking injured list. While it’s been a fun season full of wins, it’s also presented its fair share of challenges.
In late January, the Commodores achieved an impressive 74-69 victory over a top ten Kentucky team at Memorial Gymnasium! Now, the Wildcats are eager to bounce back and boost their confidence as they head to Rupp Arena, a place where they’ve enjoyed great success this season.
The Commodores were picked 11th in the SEC preseason, but they’ve shown that rankings don’t matter. Notching impressive wins over Tennessee and Kentucky, they have demonstrated that with a first-year coach and a new roster, anything is possible in college basketball.
Another win for Mark Byington in Rupp on Wednesday night, and some need to consider him for at least coach of the year. He’s had an outstanding season in Nashville for his first year as head coach.
With the schedule about to ramp up for the Wildcats, they really need a confidence-boosting game. Whether it’s a close win or a blowout, they need a game where everything clicks and they can figure things out.
In a season of firsts for Mark Pope, the wins over Duke, Louisville, Tennessee twice, Texas A&M, and Florida are impressive. Also, the losses have been quite baffling, including defeats to Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State. A win over Vanderbilt heading into the challenging game against Alabama might just be what the doctor ordered.
It’s all about March. Right now, Kentucky is sitting 9th in the conference with a record of 6-6. With more games on the horizon that could determine whether they earn a bye, this matchup is crucial for Kentucky if they want to avoid playing in the Wednesday game in Nashville during the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky needs Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler to get healthy. If it requires losing some games down the stretch for that to happen, sometimes sacrifices need to be made. They have to roll with what they have and hope for a run in the tournament.
Having their key players back is essential, and using them now could hinder their performance in March. Keeping them out to ensure they’re healthy when it matters most seems like the best option.
At the end of the day, Kentucky is at a crossroads, and a daunting schedule is standing in their way. Can the Cats figure it out? Can they upset a few teams and get some players to step up and find the answers they need? Only time will tell.
Right now, Kentucky needs all hands on deck, and they need others to step up in their absence. Players like Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, Amari Williams, and even freshmen Trent Noah and Travis Perry have contributed to the team.
The current focus is on Vanderbilt. A win here would boost their confidence and help them regain their edge with a victory over a solid team in Rupp. They need to get healthy and figure things out in the coming weeks, and ideally, they can get Robinson and Butler back in time to make a run in the SEC and NCAA tournaments and see what happens.
Just win the games that are winnable and figure out the rest later; it will take care of itself.
For more Kentucky basketball coverage, Click here. Kentucky Fighting Adversity In Critical Stretch – Stadium Rant
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