This Week in Kentucky Basketball: March Madness

We’ve made it, folks. Two years ago the NCAA Tournament was cancelled. Last season, well, we know what happened last season. It is now time to put all of that in the rearview mirror because Kentucky Basketball is back and a normal March Madness is back. The Wildcats earned a #2 seed in the East Region during Sunday night’s selection show and will face Saint Peter’s in the opening round on Thursday night.

Now that the NCAA Tournament field has been revealed it is time for one of America’s favorite pastimes. Filling out brackets and trying to breakdown games between teams you have seen little to none of has become part of our culture. Big Blue Nation will be as invested as ever because we haven’t watched a team compete in the Big Dance since the Elite 8 loss to Auburn in 2019. It is time to survive and advance.

As we do each Monday here at Kentucky Sports Radio, we will take a look at the week ahead as it pertains to the Wildcats, the Southeastern Conference, and the college basketball landscape at-large. We will begin with the biggest storyline surround the Kentucky Basketball program and take a quick look at Saint Peter’s who the ‘Cats will face on Thursday evening in Indianapolis. Let’s dive on in to this week in Kentucky Basketball.

Top Kentucky Basketball Storyline: Win or Go Home

Every team in the country has the same goal during the month of March. You simply want to extend your season, get more time together as a group, and live to fight another day. The Wildcats are coming off a SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Tennessee. There are rumblings of concern, especially on the offensive end, from Big Blue Nation but those are mostly overdone. While it is true that Kentucky hasn’t been at their best over the last couple of weeks, this team hasn’t forgotten how to play. They still are a Top 5 offensive unit, per KenPom, and have the same talent that they did all season long.

Unfortunately, life can come at you fast in March Madness. Every team is one poor shooting night away from having their season end. The Kentucky Basketball team is not unique in that regard. However, it is fair to say it isn’t the best time for Kellan Grady to be in a shooting slump. The Wildcats sharp-shooter is just 5-22 from deep since his 7-9 performance against Alabama. Grady will need to get back to his 40% or better shooting on three makes per game if the ‘Cats want to advance beyond the Sweet 16.

Coach Calipari is known for having his teams playing their best basketball at the end of the season. The injury bug has kept this group from having much continuity throughout the season making it a little harder to get hot going into March. It has only been two weeks since Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington returned from their respective injuries. After several games of being back in the swing of things hopefully everyone has settled into their roles and is ready for one last push.

Six games stand between the Wildcats and the ninth NCAA Championship in Kentucky Basketball history. It is called March Madness for a reason. We all know there will be shocking upsets, surprise Sweet 16 teams, and a Cinderella story or two. However, Coach Calipari and company have a group that can compete with anyone. That is really all that you can ask for at this point in the season. Give yourself a chance to win and hope you can string together six straight. Survive and advance. Win or go home. It is great to be back in The Big Dance. This is March!

This Week in Kentucky Basketball: Saint Peter’s Peacocks

Hopefully the Peacocks will be the first of two opponents in Indianapolis, but it is one game at a time. We can worry about Murray State or San Francisco after their game late Thursday night. So, what do we know about Saint Peter’s? For starters, they have won seven straight games, including three in the MAAC Tournament to secure the league’s automatic bid. Rick Pitino’s Iona Gaels were the season-long favorite to represent the MAAC, but lost to Rider in the opening round of the tournament. The Peacocks beat Fairfield, Quinnipiac, and Monmouth to finish 3-0 on the season against each team. They had lost to Iona twice during the regular season.

Saint Peter’s, led by head coach Shaheen Holloway, is ranked 34th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. They absolutely hang their hat on that end of the floor. However, for as good as they can be defensively, they are equally as bad offensively. The Peacocks are just 259th in the country on offense and turn the ball over on 20.8% of their possessions which is 319th most in college basketball. They are going to slow it down, grind it out, and try to win in the 60’s.

The defense is legitimately good. On film, it appears they are a half-court man-to-man team that is going to try and stay between you and the basket. They will be handsy in the driving lanes and help aggressively inside, but they want to stay one-on-one on the perimeter as much as possible. They will switch a lot of actions 1-4 if not 1-5 to keep a guy on a guy at all times. Saint Peter’s is a Top 15 team in both three-point defense (29.4%) and two-point defense (44%). Inside they feature an elite shot blocker in KC Ndefo who is just 6’7″ but an incredible athlete. The Peacocks defense could test the ‘Cats at times, but they haven’t faced an offense even remotely resembling Kentucky’s all season long.

Around the Southeastern Conference

The SEC has gotten some attention since the bracket was revealed on Sunday. Texas A&M being snubbed has been one of the top storylines of Selection Sunday. Without the Aggies, the Southeastern Conference still got six teams into the field. Auburn and Kentucky are two seeds, Tennessee got a three, Arkansas is a four, and Alabama and LSU each got six seeds. Along with the Aggies not making the field after their run to the SEC Tournament title game, Tennessee fans had a legitimate grip about not moving above the three seed line after cutting down the nets. Several analysts felt that the Vols should have passed both Auburn and Kentucky on the two-seed line.

Seeding would tell you that the SEC should have four teams in the Sweet 16 next weekend. Obviously, the NCAA Tournament rarely works out that way but both Alabama and LSU can be dangerous as well. The Volunteers are playing as well as anyone in the country right now and have to be considered a legitimate Final Four contender. Both Auburn and Kentucky enter with Final Four aspirations as well. Other leagues have more total teams in the bracket, but the SEC has a chance to have the most standing as the tournament goes on. It just means more!

National Games to Watch

Everyone should know the drill here. The “First Four” games begin in Dayton on Tuesday night. There will be two more on Wednesday evening as well. Additionally, the NIT will tipoff on Tuesday with a full slate of first round games. For those so inclined, you can even watch the CBI this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. You won’t have to wait long to get your basketball fix. If you love hoops, this is the best time of the year. Here are the brackets for the three major postseason tournaments. Starting Tuesday evening you won’t be able to help but see college basketball when you turn on your television.

NCAA Tournament

NIT

CBI