Kentucky Wildcats Set Up Rematch With Florida Gators in SEC Championship

At this point in the season, we know what to expect from most teams in the college basketball world, but the Kentucky Wildcats continue to baffle everyone around the country including their own fans. Since coach John Calipari arrived on campus, Kentucky has become the one-and-done factory consistently siphoning players through to the NBA, then getting a new crop of talented freshman the following year and for years the system seemed to work, but this year’s class of freshman have not performed up to the lofty standards set by past classes leaving Kentucky vulnerable and confused. Kentucky continues to try to live up to previous years, but at this point, that might not be possible.

The Wildcats may not be able to play up to the standards teams of past years have set, but this Kentucky team has one thing in common with previous teams, and that being the fact that both played for SEC championships. Kentucky defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 70-58 in the semifinals of the SEC tournament on Saturday, and despite all the struggles the team has gone through this season, the Wildcats still have a chance at going into the NCAA tournament as conference champions. The defeat of Georgia was made possible by a strong showing from the Wildcats starters who scored 66 of the team’s 70 points. While Aaron Harrison led the team with 22 points, Julius Randle recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The difference between this Kentucky team and the ones in years past appears to be not the lack of playmakers, but the group’s lack of cohesiveness. This team has talented players at every position on the floor, but instead of playing like a team, the Wildcats seem to take turns going at the defense with one goal in mind, score.

It is way too late in the season for this team to harness any sense of unity heading into the tournament making the Wildcats vulnerable to an upset in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Greg Douglas is a College Basketball writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @thegpd93 or add him to your Google Network.