NCAA Resume Watch: Kentucky has no room for error entering final stretch

Last week provided Kentucky the perfect opportunity to rebound from the losses to Florida and Tennessee. The Cats aced the first part of the test, dominating a bad Vanderbilt team in Nashville. Unfortunately, the feel-good vibes didn’t last long. On Saturday, Kentucky lost to an unranked Gonzaga team, marking the first time in program history the Cats have lost three straight in Rupp Arena.

You don’t need me to tell you how bad Saturday was. What damage did it do to Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament resume? Because Gonzaga is in the Top 30 of the NET Rankings (No. 24 today, one spot ahead of Kentucky), the game is in Quad 1, where losses don’t hurt you as much; however, it is an opportunity missed. Of the Quad 1 games left on the schedule, Saturday’s was the easiest. Three of the four remaining Quad 1 games are on the road and the other is vs. Alabama, the No. 5 team in the NET. If the Cats want a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament, they not only can’t afford any more slipups, but they’re also going to have to pull off some upsets. Keep stumbling and the bubble enters the conversation. No pressure!

As we’ll do each Monday until Selection Sunday, let’s look at Kentucky’s team sheet, which the Selection Committee will use as it determines the Cats’ seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• Quad 1: 2-5 (4 games remaining)
• Quad 2: 3-1 (2 games remaining)
• Quad 3: 5-1 (1 game remaining)
• Quad 4: 6-0 (1 game remaining)

Quad 1: 2-5

Home: 1-30 | Neutral: 1-50 | Away: 1-75

NET	Date	Opponent	Result
5	2/24/2024	Alabama
6	3/9/2024	at Tennessee
6	02/03/2024	Tennessee	L 92-103
7	2/17/2024	at Auburn
10	12/16/2023	North Carolina (CBS Sports Classic)	W 87-83
12	11/14/2023	Kansas (Champions Classic)	L 84-89
24	02/10/2024	Gonzaga	L 85-89
31	01/06/2024	at Florida	W 87-85
36	2/27/2024	at Mississippi State
37	01/13/2024	at Texas A&M	L 92-97 (1 OT)
45	01/23/2024	at South Carolina	L 62-79

Quad 2: 3-1

Home: 31-75 | Neutral: 51-100 | Away: 76-135

NET	Date	Opponent	Result
31	1/31/2024	Florida	L 91-94 (1 OT)
36	1/17/2024	Mississippi State	W 90-77
58	2/13/2024	Ole Miss
69	11/28/2023	Miami (FL)	W 95-73
94	2/21/2024	at LSU
128	1/27/2024	at Arkansas	W 63-57

Quad 3: 5-1

Home: 76-160 | Neutral: 101-200 | Away: 136-240

NET	Date	Opponent	Result
95	1/20/2024	Georgia	W 105-96
96	11/20/2023	Saint Joseph’s	W 96-88 (1 OT)
101	12/2/2023	UNC Wilmington	L 73-80
128	3/2/2024	Arkansas
153	1/9/2024	Missouri	W 90-77
176	12/21/2023	at Louisville	W 95-76
238	02/06/2024	at Vanderbilt	W 109-77

Quad 4: 6-0

Home: 161-362 | Neutral: 201-362 | Away: 241-362

NET	Date	Opponent	Result
209	12/9/2023	Penn (Neutral)	W 81-66
215	12/29/2023	Illinois State	W 96-70
216	11/24/2023	Marshall	W 118-82
238	3/6/2024	Vanderbilt
267	11/6/2023	New Mexico State	W 86-46
327	11/10/2023	Texas A&M-Commerce	W 81-61
358	11/17/2023	Stonehill	W 101-67

Team Sheet Notes

— Best way to improve the resume? Win one (or both!) of the toughest games left on the schedule: at Auburn (Feb. 17) or at Tennesseee (March 9). The Tigers lost at Florida by double digits on Saturday; tomorrow, they host No. 15 South Carolina. College Gameday is coming to Auburn for Saturday’s game. If the Cats can pull off an upset, it would truly be impressive.

— Mississippi State is up eight spots in the NET since last Monday after wins over Georgia and Missouri. Kentucky’s trip to Starkville on Feb. 27 will be difficult. Six days prior, the Cats go to Baton Rouge to play LSU. Kentucky’s road record this season is not good, but that trip could be especially tricky. The Tigers have lost five of their last six but stayed with Alabama on Saturday until the Crimson Tide cracked the game open in the final minutes.

— In a testament to just how bad Vanderbilt is, the Commodores are now No. 238 in the NET. If they fall below 240, last Tuesday’s win will move to Quad 4. Because it’s a win, that doesn’t really matter, but it’s further proof that the 32-point drubbing of the Dores was essentially meaningless.

The Road Ahead

Here is where each remaining game sits on the team sheet according to the current NET rankings. Tomorrow night, Kentucky hosts an Ole Miss team that had a week off following a loss at No. 15 South Carolina. The Cats have to regroup to avoid another loss, which would be their fourth straight in Rupp and second in Quad 2. As mentioned, Saturday’s game at Auburn is huge, right up there with the season finale in Knoxville as the biggest in terms of resume left on the Cats’ schedule.

Date	Opponent	NET	Quad
2/13/2024	Ole Miss	58	Quad 2
2/17/2024	at Auburn	7	Quad 1
2/21/2024	at LSU	94	Quad 2
2/24/2024	Alabama	5	Quad 1
2/27/2024	at Mississippi St.	36	Quad 1
3/2/2024	Arkansas	128	Quad 3
3/6/2024	Vanderbilt	238	Quad 4
3/9/2024	at Tennessee	6	Quad 1