The Kentucky WBB Christmas List

Kenny Brooks has already brought joy to the Big Blue Nation this year, but in order to make this Christmas all the merrier, here’s a Christmas list of things that Kentucky fans hope can come true this season.

No more injuries

This is an important one to go ahead and jot down on the list. Of course, you wish for the best as far as the players’ health goes, but you also don’t want to lose any more depth considering that Brooks doesn’t want to dive too deep into his bench.

A win over WKU

Kentucky takes on WKU on Saturday, and a loss like that heading into SEC play would be horrible for momentum moving forward. Plus, it would be an ugly mark on the NCAA Tournament resume come March. Kentucky is 2-0 against in-state competition so far this season. Let’s make it 3-0.

End January with just 2-3 losses max

The start of the new year means SEC play begins, and ultimately, that means that the level of competition is about to take a massive jump. The last month of the regular season is very difficult, and it would be ideal if Kentucky had no more than three losses heading into February.

The Cats open SEC play against Mississippi State, and that game is a dangerous one. They also host Alabama on January 30th. The games in between aren’t quite as daunting, though no game will be a “gimme” from here on out. So, it would be super helpful if Kentucky only drops one or two games next month. No games, and we’re feeling extra, extra good.

Go .500 in the last month of the regular season

From February 2nd to March 2nd, Kentucky plays in eight total games, and if you’re a betting man, the Cats would probably be favored in two, maybe three of them:

• Feb. 2 – No. 9 Oklahoma (A)
• Feb. 10 – No. 25 Ole Miss (A)
• Feb. 13 – No. 5 Texas (H)
• Feb. 16 – Georgia (H)
• Feb. 20 – Missouri (A)
• Feb. 23 – No. 6 LSU (H)
• Feb. 27 – No. 15 Tennessee (H)
• Mar. 2 – No. 2 South Carolina (A)

If Kentucky could manage to go 4-4 in that stretch, then you’re probably looking at a record in the 20-8 to 22-6 range — a really good record in year one of the Kenny Brooks era. That would also put Kentucky at roughly 10-6 in the SEC, and that would very likely get them a top five or six seed in the SEC Tournament.

A win over LSU

That being said, if there’s one win that we could just pick outright, it would be the LSU game. Kentucky could realistically win that one too considering it’s in Historic Memorial Coliseum. In a perfect world, you’d probably ask for a win at South Carolina, but the Gamecocks don’t lose at home.

Additionally, a massive win like that both at home and on ESPN for everyone to see would be huge for the program, the fanbase, excitement and overall momentum heading into the postseason.

Some fun in March!

And speaking of, let’s get some big wins in March!

A win over South Carolina to end the regular season would be big, but let’s think bigger. Kentucky could make a run at their third-ever SEC Tournament Championship and second in four years this season — what a statement that would be.

Then, you get to the NCAA Tournament, and although Kenny Brooks has been to a Final Four, Kentucky never has. It would be so incredibly awesome to see the Cats play for a spot in the National Championship game. But, if that’s too much to ask, let’s just ask for a multi-game run. Then, we could see where the Madness takes us from there.