Kentucky basketball’s first season under Mark Pope has been a roller coaster to say the least, but a fun one at that. The Cats have gotten battered and bruised in the SEC thus far, and currently sit at 8th in the conference at 4-3.
While the Cats have had some bad losses, they lead the country in top ten wins with three. Injuries and defensive struggles have hurt the cats this season but they’ve found a way to win on many occasions.
Kentucky basketball makes no sense this year, but I love it. It is paramount to Kentucky’s success in the postseason that they finish well in conference play. Kentucky has a brutal stretch of games to finish out their postseason but they are more than capable of winning all of them.
Kentucky at Alabama
Kentucky is 0-3 at Alabama in the last six years. Nate Oats has truly transformed what used to be a dumpster fire of a program and I have immense respect for him for that. Kentucky already lost to Bama this year at home, and I’m not confident they’ll beat them on the road. I think Bama wins this matchup and loses to Kentucky later in the year in the conference tournament.
Kentucky at Oklahoma
This game will mean a lot to guard Otega Oweh who transferred to Kentucky from Oklahoma this season. He will likely be welcomed with boos, but he is fully capable of blocking it out. Oweh will go for a career high in his homecoming game. Kentucky will need to contain Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears in order to win. I think Kentucky wins by ten or more.
Auburn at Kentucky
Kentucky will suffer another home loss when auburn comes to town. This is the best Auburn team I’ve ever seen and Bruce Pearl is a coach of the year candidate for a reason. As much as it pains me to say it, Kentucky doesn’t have the talent or depth to compete with Auburn. Amari Williams will get BULLIED by Johni Broome. Auburn wins by double digits.
LSU at Kentucky
I’d like to think Kentucky gets back in the home win column against LSU, but it’s tough to say. LSU is a big athletic team, and UK doesn’t match up well with them on paper. The Cats will also have their hands full with Trey’Dez Green, LSUs newest addition who is also a tight end on the football team.
Kentucky at Missouri
The last game of the conference season is a tricky one to predict. Missouri has been great as of lately and have impressive wins against Florida and Ole Miss. Kentucky and Missouri are very similar in their length and athleticism. I think Kentucky wins this game by five points or less, putting the icing on the cake for what’s been a long and competitive season in the Southeastern conference.
