By Flint Wheeler
If you’ve watched even a little college basketball this year, or even just highlights from games, you know that Kentucky is good. Not just good, but really good. Like, scary good.
No, I mean it. They’re that good.
Kentucky has the chance to go down in college hoops history as an undefeated team, and as one of the most dominant teams to ever take the hardwood. But many teams have had that chance, only to be tripped up along the way, usually unexpectedly.
Upsets are a part of sports. In fact, it’s one of the big reasons we love to watch sports. We love to see the underdog pull off the impossible dream.
When you talk about college hoops, it’s almost fun to root against teams like Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and others like them. The type of teams who seem to always be good, and always get all the attention.
Give us more Wichita States, by god! Hail to the Dusquenes of the world!
So who can be Kentucky’s pebble in the shoe? If you look down their conference schedule, it doesn’t look like anybody. In fact, according to ESPN, Kentucky is given better than an 80% chance of winning every remaining game on their schedule.
Does that mean it can’t happen? Absolutely not. Here are two remaining (not counting March Madness) teams who match up well with the Wildcats and stand a chance at upsetting the nation’s number one team. Moral of the story? Buy that undefeated ticket and get ready to cash.
No. 3 – Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are that team in the SEC that no one is talking about, but that even Jay Bilas says is very good, and improving. They sit at 8-3 as conference play gets ready to begin, and they’ve already pulled off a couple of big upset wins, including against Seton Hall and Kansas State.
Georgia’s style of play, crashing the boards hard and forcing the opposition to foul early and often, might be the best way to beat the Wildcats. The Bulldogs shoot a lot of free throws using this technique (only 11 teams in the nation take more free throws per game), and it keeps them in games.
Kentucky is a better team than Georgia, but the style of play may be the difference maker. Georgia plays tough defense, but has issues with a good low post game. Kentucky could put a lot of points up in the paint.
The Wildcats will meet the Bulldogs twice this year, once at home on Feb. 3, and then traveling to Athens on March 3. The away date, the second to last game of the regular season, could be where the Wildcats fall.
No. 2 – Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks are a team that matches up well with Kentucky. They score a lot of points (84.9 per game), are excellent on the boards and have a strong team concept, evidenced by their 19.6 assists per game.
Kentucky will only meet the Hogs once this season, and it’s at home. That’s the big advantage the Wildcats will have. However, it’s a very late-season game, falling on Feb. 28, and a lot of improvement (and injuries) can happen between now and then.
If the Razorbacks keep getting better as they have all season, and up their 47 percent shooting clip from the floor, then it could be an upset in the making.
Arkansas isn’t great defensively, allowing 71.3 points per game, so this end of year SEC battle could end up being a last-one-with-the-ball-wins-it shootout.
