It’s still early but what a roller coaster it has been for Kentucky basketball so far this season. Yes, there have been many ups but many downs as well, however, the last week has shown that just maybe, the big blue wave is beginning to steady. After Saturday’s win over Yale, the Wildcats are now sitting at 7-2 and seem to be starting to trend in the right direction.
The Bahamas exhibition set the bar high for John Calipari and his squad before the season began. The fall scrimmages did nothing to dampen those expectations as the team looked athletic, proficient from the perimeter, and seemed to really be gelling nicely. The exhibition games began and all these things still seemed to be trending in that same direction. Then came Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
Granted Kentucky fought valiantly in that contest which ended in a heartbreaker. Nonetheless, no one was deterred from the belief that this team could compete come March. Until Gonzaga came knocking. This is where the ship really started to sail in the wrong direction. The Wildcats were unprepared and overmatched against the Zags in a game that ended in disaster and this is when the doubt began to creep in.
Despite this, the team stayed the course and finally picked up a much-needed and valuable win over Michigan in London England. Even though the Wolverines don’t pack the same RPI punch as Gonzaga, respectfully, it was still a good win against a respectable program that may very well be punching its own ticket come March Madness. Now the question is, can the Wildcats hold the line as they move toward the end of non-conference play and closer to conference battle?
The answer will be coming soon as Kentucky prepares to face nationally-ranked UCLA next Saturday. This is another exponentially important game for the Wildcats, especially in terms of RPI implications. A win here could potentially go a long way for future tournament seeding. This will also be the last opportunity to pick up a quality win before conference play. A win over the Bruins could also give Kentucky some nice momentum heading into the SEC.
However, talking about picking up these wins is one thing. In order to do so requires execution on the court. That being said, the team does seem to be making strides in that department, maybe just not as consistent as it needs to be, right now. Against Yale the Wildcats had moments where they showcased fluidity on offense, playing good team basketball.
Reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe is starting to come back into form which is a much-needed sight for Kentucky if they want to be true contenders come March. Calipari is still trying to figure out the rest of his rotation with players like Chris Livingston and Ugonna Onyenso beginning to show their worth for extended minutes. As a roster, everyone is trying to figure out their role for this team.
As these things begin to fall into place the product on the floor begins to look better on the court. If the team can continue to build on its consistency as a unit, the sky is the limit for what they can accomplish this season. At the end of the day, the Wildcats are showing signs of taking the next step toward being real contenders. However, there is a lot of season left to go, and with that more opportunity to show they may have finally turned a corner.
