Kentucky Basketball has likely secured an NCAA Tournament spot
· Yahoo Sports
After months of ups and downs with injuries and momentum swings, Kentucky Basketball has likely locked up its spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
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The Wildcats’ 72-63 road win over South Carolina on Tuesday night pushed them to 18-10 overall and 9-6 in SEC play, providing them with stability as Selection Sunday is now less than three weeks away.
Kentucky’s path to this point has been anything but smooth. The Wildcats entered SEC play at 9–4, having slipped out of the AP Top 25 while battling injuries throughout. That lack of continuity carried into the start of conference play, where Kentucky stumbled to an 0-2 start.
From there, the turnaround was dramatic. The Wildcats ripped off an 8-1 stretch, their only setback coming against Vanderbilt. The run included two remarkable comeback victories: a road rally at LSU capped by a buzzer-beating winner, and a stunning turn of events at Tennessee that featured a late steal and go-ahead bucket to silence the Knoxville crowd.
With how well Kentucky played, it put them back into the rankings at No. 25, but the momentum didn’t last. A three-game losing streak happened, with road losses at Florida and Auburn and a home loss against Georgia, and it knocked Kentucky out of the poll and raised questions about their March outlook.
Tuesday night’s response in Columbia answered them. South Carolina kept it close throughout the game, but Kentucky was able to close strong to snap the skid, effectively cementing itself on the right side of the bubble. It also means the Wildcats avoid a Quad II defeat, which could have catapulted them from the 8-seed range they’re currently in to being on the bubble.
And with three straight Quad I games to end the season vs. Vanderbilt, at Texas A&M, and vs. Florida, there would have been a real path for Kentucky not making the Big Dance with a loss in Columbia.
With three regular-season games remaining, Kentucky has weathered the storm. Now, the Wildcats can shift their focus toward seeding and preparing for another run in March.