SEC's dominance in SEC/ACC Challenge another sign of Kentucky's tough road ahead

If you needed more proof that the SEC is a juggernaut this year, the SEC/ACC Challenge provided it. The league where “It Just Means More” dominated the ACC, once known as the best conference in the sport, by a final tally of 14-2. Of course, Kentucky being one of those losses isn’t ideal, but Auburn, the No. 2 team in the country, was the other, losing to No. 9 Duke 84-78 in Cameron Indoor Stadium last night. The SEC’s other top-ten teams won big, with No. 3 Tennessee decimating Syracuse 96-70 and No. 10 Alabama beating No. 20 North Carolina by 15 in Chapel Hill.

On Thursday, Mark Pope called the league’s success “beautiful,” and said the only thing surprising about the SEC/ACC Challenge was that Kentucky was one of the two teams that lost.

“No, just ours. Ours is the only one I’m surprised by. This league is really incredible. I don’t know if we’ve seen a 14-2 ever. You guys would know that better than me. That’s incredible. This league is insane right now, like the dominance of the SEC in college basketball right now is just beyond measure. That’s just crazy, and it’s awesome, it’s beautiful.”

Bragging rights are fun — especially vs. ACC foes — but the SEC’s dominance in the challenge should also serve as a reminder of how brutal conference play will be. There’s a reason ESPN’s Basketball Power Index ranks Kentucky’s remaining schedule the fifth hardest in Division I. Let’s take a look at Kentucky’s SEC slate and how each opponent has fared so far this season.

No. 13 Florida

Jan. 4 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 9-0
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 87-69 W vs. Virginia

The Todd Golden scandal still lingers over the Florida basketball program as the Title IX investigation continues, but on the basketball court, the Gators are undefeated and ranked in the top 15 in the AP Poll. They haven’t played anyone particularly good yet, but their offense continues to impress, ranking in the top five nationally in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency, which should make for a fun game against the Cats, a rare Saturday 11 a.m. tipoff at Rupp Arena in about a month.

Georgia

Jan. 7 (Stegemen Coliseum, Athens, GA)
Record: 8-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 69-48 W vs. Notre Dame

Georgia will be Kentucky’s first SEC road game, a 7 p.m. tip on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Mike White’s Bulldogs have only lost one game this season, to then-No. 15 Marquette in the Bahamas. On that same trip, they also upset St. John’s, their most impressive win of the season. On Tuesday, they beat Notre Dame by 21 at home. Georgia is a top-40 team in KenPom, so this could be a sneaky road game (on the Bulldogs’ new, very dark court) if the Cats aren’t fully locked in. Don’t forget that former Kentucky commit Somto Cyril now plays for Georgia.

Mississippi State

Jan. 11 (Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, MS)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 90-57 W vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh

Kentucky’s second SEC road game will be even tougher. Mississippi State fell out of the polls this week after losing to Butler but the Bulldogs should jump right back in after beating No. 18 Pitt by 33 last night. Chris Jans’ squad is now No. 12 in KenPom and the Hump will be rocking when Kentucky comes to town on Saturday, Jan. 11, an 8:30 p.m. tipoff. KenPom thinks the Cats will lose that one by four.

No. 22 Texas A&M

Jan. 14 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 7-2
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 56-44 W vs. Wake Forest

Texas A&M ousted Kentucky from the SEC Tournament and beat the Cats in overtime in College Station last season, but Buzz Williams still doesn’t have a win vs. Kentucky in Rupp Arena. It’s a good thing that’s where this season’s game will take place because I worry about the physical Aggies slowing down the pace. The Cats will need an answer for Henry Coleman III, who has looked very good in recent games.

No. 10 Alabama

Jan. 18 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY), Feb. 22 (Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL)
Record: 7-2
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 94-79 W at North Carolina

Alabama rebounded from its loss to Oregon in a big way, beating No. 20 North Carolina by 15 in Chapel Hill. The Crimson Tide lost Latrell Wrightsell Jr. for the season due to an Achilles injury, but last night’s win showed they’ve still got plenty of firepower. Although the Florida game on Jan. 4 is also on a Saturday, this will feel like the first marquee Saturday SEC home game of the season, and both matchups should entertain. Winning at least one of two would be huge.

Vanderbilt

Jan. 25 (Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, TN), Feb. 19 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 8-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 80-64 W at Virginia Tech

Don’t look now but Vanderbilt is 8-1. Mark Byington is in his first season with the Commodores, whose only loss of the season was to Drake in the Charleston Classic. Last night, they beat a bad Virginia Tech team by 16 on the road. I expect even more Kentucky fans than usual to make the trek to Nashville for a rare Saturday game against the ‘Dores in Memorial Gymnasium. Memorial is a weird place to play, but with the BBN behind them and a full week off after the game vs. Alabama (also rare), Kentucky should take care of business vs. a rebuilding, albeit promising Vanderbilt squad.

No. 3 Tennessee

Jan. 28 (Food City Arena, Knoxville, TN), Feb. 11 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 8-0
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 96-70 W vs. Syracuse

I’m officially worried about Tennessee. The Vols look very, very good and could be the new No. 1 team in the AP Poll after losses by Kansas and Auburn. They’ve won each of their games by at least 15 points and replaced one transfer portal star, Dalton Knecht, with another, Chaz Lanier. Lanier has been on fire, averaging 23.8 points over the last four games and shooting nearly 47% from three. Add in an elite defense and the games vs. Tennessee could be the toughest on the schedule — both home and away.

Arkansas

Feb. 1 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 6-2
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 76-73 W vs. Miami

John Calipari’s return to Rupp on Feb. 1 is the biggest game of the season for most Kentucky fans and will be one of the most watched in all of college basketball. So far, the Razorbacks haven’t looked great. They trailed a bad Miami team for most of the game Tuesday night before rallying for a three-point win. As we know all too well, February is when Cal’s teams usually turn it on and they’ll likely try to drag the Cats into a grudge match, but as long as the threes are falling, I feel good about a win in Rupp. For what it’s worth, KenPom does too, calling for a 9-point Kentucky victory, one of 13 projected losses for the Razorbacks.

No. 23 Ole Miss

Feb. 4 (Sandy and John Black Pavilion, Oxford, MS)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 86-63 W at Louisville

The Rebels stomped Louisville in the Yum Center on Tuesday night, shooting 63% in the second half. Their only loss of the season is to Purdue by two at a neutral site. This could be a tricky game for Kentucky on the road. You probably remember Matthew Murrell, who is in his fifth season with the Rebels, but Jaylen Murray is actually their leading scorer (14.0 PPG). Not-so-fun fact: he transferred in from Saint Peter’s, where he scored eight points vs. Kentucky in the Peacocks’ stunning 2022 NCAA Tournament first-round upset.

South Carolina

Feb. 8 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 5-3
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 73-51 W at Boston College

Lamont Paris’ squad is 5-3 this season, losing to North Florida, Indiana, and Xavier. That’s not impressive, but sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles is. Murray-Boyles is considered a first-round draft pick and the focus of South Carolina’s offense inside. He had a double-double in the Gamecocks’ big win at Boston College on Tuesday.

Texas

Feb. 15 (Moody Center, Austin, TX)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 63-59 W at NC State

Texas’ only loss of the season is vs. Ohio State. They’ve got one of the most talented freshmen in the country in Tre Johnson, a one-time Kentucky recruit who is projected to be a first-round draft pick. He’s averaging 20.8 points per game. The Longhorns have beaten a bunch of bad teams so it’s hard to know what to make of them outside Johnson, but we’ll find out more when they host UConn on Sunday.

No. 21 Oklahoma

Feb. 26 (Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK)
Record: 8-0
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 76-61 W vs. Georgia Tech

The Sooners are one of three undefeated teams left in the SEC (the others are Tennessee and Florida) thanks in part to freshman Jeremiah Fears, who has scored in double figures every game. After coming back to beat Louisville, they beat Georgia Tech by 15 at home. Kentucky’s trip to Norman on Feb. 26 could be a trap game, coming between the game vs. Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the matchup vs. Auburn at home.

No. 2 Auburn

Mar. 1 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 84-78 L at No. 9 Duke

Auburn took its first loss of the season last night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. There’s obviously no shame in that (Auburn led 13-2 early on), especially since it makes Kentucky’s win over Duke look even better. The Tigers are still one of the best teams in the country, with a variety of playmakers, including Johni Broome, the elder statesman of the SEC. This game will be wild. I’m just happy it’s at Rupp.

LSU

Mar. 4 (Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 85-75 W vs. Florida State

The Tigers are off to a 7-1 start, their only loss to No. 18 Pitt; however, they were dealt a big blow when Jalen Reed tore his ACL during the 85-75 win over Florida State Tuesday night. Reed, a team captain who was averaging 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, is out for the season. This will be Senior Night at Rupp, as the Cats say goodbye at least to seven players. I’m sure they’ll want to go out on a high note.

Missouri

Mar. 8 (Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO)
Record: 7-1
SEC/ACC Challenge result: 98-93 W vs. Cal

The regular season ends in CoMo. Dennis Gates’ Tigers improved to 7-1 with a comeback win vs. Cal on Tuesday. We’ll see what they’re really made of when they host No. 1 Kansas on Sunday. Kentucky should take care of business vs. the Tigers, but the Cats can’t afford to look ahead to what should be an extremely fun SEC Tournament.