Kentucky road game success typically leads to a deep March run
John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats did it again on Saturday. For the fourth time in SEC play, UK went on the road and won outright as a betting underdog. Calipari will now take his team to Nashville for another SEC Tournament with a 7-3 true road record. Kentucky has covered 60 percent of their road games this year. The Cats played their best basketball away from home.
That is a good trend to own if you are trying to project March success.
Under Calipari, regular-season road game success has ultimately led to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have now won at least seven road games in a season seven times under the Hall of Fame head coach. Five of those teams made the Elite Eight with two advancing to the Final Four. Another did not get to play in the postseason due to COVID-19.
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- 2010: 7-2 in road games (won SEC Tournament, lost in Elite Eight)
- 2012: 8-1 in road games (lost in SEC Tournament final, won National Championship)
- 2015: 10-0 in road games (won SEC Tournament, lost in Final Four)
- 2017: 7-3 in road games (won SEC Tournament, lost in Elite Eight)
- 2019: 8-2 in road games (lost in SEC Tournament semifinal, lost in Elite Eight)
- 2020: 8-2 in road games (postseason canceled due to COVID-19)
- 2024: 7-3 in road games (to be determined)
Kentucky finished with a losing record on the road four times under Calipari — 2011 (3-7), 2013 (4-7), 2018 (4-6), and 2021 (4-7). Twice the Wildcats made it to the second weekend and twice they did not receive a bid to the Big Dance. The 2014 team (6-4 in road games) also made a deep run with a winning record away from Rupp Arena. Road game success has typically been a good indicator of what could come in the postseason.
There has been much talk about Kentucky and Calipari needing a big March run. The Wildcats hit an important checkpoint during the regular season capped off with a huge win at Tennessee. Will this trend continue for the Big Blue and bring on some good times in March?
Only time will tell.
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