A win over UNC is always worth 3 or 4 wins psychologically for our fanbase.

[Son_Of_Saul]

It always seems like a victory over UNC appeases the competitive bloodlust of our fan base, at least for two weeks or so.

Cal is presently 7-4 against UNC as the UK head coach.

Gotta get this win. We're 17-25 all-time against UNC. Got to close that gap even more.

How much does a victory over UNC next week satisfy your competitive itch?

Conversely, how much does a loss to UNC dampen the excitement for this young Kentucky team?

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

It means EVERYTHING…..

……until the next bad loss.

 

[CBBCrazy]

We need a Miami type effort or we will 17-26 imo. Getting Bradshaw on the floor helps and O would be a good backup. We know this whistle will favor the light blue. I felt good and confident when we were playing loose, now that we have the screamer at it again I am a bit worried about this team.

 

[Wonky]

We need this win badly after the UNCW letdown. We were all flying high after Miami… need to beat another quality opponent to show we are back on track. UNC has been up and down but they have played a very tough schedule to date and will not be intimidated. They obviously have some experienced players. Not sure what our best strategy is in this game, but I feel like if we can continue to make the extra pass, knock down our threes, and limit turnovers we should come out with the W.

A loss in this game isn’t the end of the world, but it would be extremely disappointing, due in no small part to the fact that we have a HOF coach and they have, well… a clown.

 

[GoCats-GoHerd88]

Just my opinion but I think the importance of this game will not be fully talked about or thought of.

 

[know1]

Too bad it's not worth 3-4 wins for our seeding.

Personally, I'm not too worried about our fans' collective psychology.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

If we lose it will hsve a huge bearing on our seeding. Not sure I want to go before committee with Miami as our only major out of confetence win.

 

[UKortho]

I’ll say this, these two teams produce nearly identical stats- both offense and defense. However, our defensive stats excluded Mr Bradshaw and that’s a big deal. UK wins this game imo.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Gotta hold that Ingram kid in check. He’s tough.

 

[Fox2monk]

We need to come out and run, UNC runs and we play our early game and win. Shoot a lot of 3’s and let Bradshaw get lobs and rebounds. Protect the paint.

 

[JonathanW]

It means EVERYTHING…..

……until the next bad loss.

Yep.

I HATE UNCheat and Duke more than any other schools, and it’s (3rd) not even close.

(FWIW, I have lived 27 years only 30min away from UNC and Duke campuses.)

 

[JonathanW]

Davis is good, as he goes UNC goes.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Should be a really fun game, if it’s a track meet like I expect then Kentucky needs to be prepared to run Ingram and Ryan off the 3 point line. Bacot will be a tough matchup no matter who Kentucky had/has, Davis is solid for them but is prone to a bad shooting night.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

If we lose it will hsve a huge bearing on our seeding. Not sure I want to go before committee with Miami as our only major out of confetence win.

We still play Gonzaga at Rupp.

 

[Wildcats1st]

It’s a must win game. It’s that simple. You lose to UNCW well there isn’t much more room for error and you probably have to win 80% of the 50-50 games to make up for it or come close. I don’t think you can make up for it honestly unless you make a big tourney run. A loss and idk were probably a 6-7 seed in March.

 

[UkMccurdy]

Well said… they are one program that has an edge on us head to head.

We need to keep closing that gap!!!

 

[catben]

I can't stand the Heels!!! They are a bigger rival to me than Duke!!

This goes back to the 1977 Regional Finals when I was a kid and had to watch that JERK Dean Smith pull the ball out and use that HORRIBLE 4 Corners offense to keep UK from beating them. UNC had a dude that was a 38% FT shooter that DRAINED nearly every FT when we fouled him to get the ball back. What a Chicken Crap way to play!!!

Then fast forward to 1995 when Rasheed Wallace ran his mouth the whole game and Andre Riddick threatened to kill him. That game, after what happened in the Arkansas SEC Finals, was the END of Rod Rhodes UK career when Jerry Stackhouse(YES, Vandy's coach) outplayed him and Rod tried to do too much to keep up and the Heels once again beat us in the Regional Finals.

Throw in how the Heel fans ALWAYS thought they were ABOVE UK and when the academic CHEATING was exposed, they got NOTHING and EVERY time we got in trouble with the NCAA, we paid DEARLY!!

I DETEST THE HEELS!!!!

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I can't stand the Heels!!! They are a bigger rival to me than Duke!!

This goes back to the 1977 Regional Finals when I was a kid and had to watch that JERK Dean Smith pull the ball out and use that HORRIBLE 4 Corners offense to keep UK from beating them. UNC had a dude that was a 38% FT shooter that DRAINED nearly every FT when we fouled him to get the ball back. What a Chicken Crap way to play!!!

Then fast forward to 1995 when Rasheed Wallace ran his mouth the whole game and Andre Riddick threatened to kill him. That game, after what happened in the Arkansas SEC Finals, was the END of Rod Rhodes UK career when Jerry Stackhouse(YES, Vandy's coach) outplayed him and Rod tried to do too much to keep up and the Heels once again beat us in the Regional Finals.

Throw in how the Heel fans ALWAYS thought they were ABOVE UK and when the academic CHEATING was exposed, they got NOTHING and EVERY time we got in trouble with the NCAA, we paid DEARLY!!

I DETEST THE HEELS!!!!

Agreed. Let’s not forget the travesty of a game that was 2017 EE. 😡

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Agreed. Let’s not forget the travesty of a game that was 2017 EE. 😡

We had a title team that year. It's an absolute atrocity against ethics that one little man named Higgins decided a game that was supposed to be decided on the court.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

We had a title team that year. It's an absolute atrocity against ethics that one little man named Higgins decided a game that was supposed to be decided on the court.

I don’t wanna get fired up today! 🤣 You’re absolutely right, btw.

 

[Emarc]

Despised them since Phil Ford and Dean’s 4-corners.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

If we lose it will hsve a huge bearing on our seeding. Not sure I want to go before committee with Miami as our only major out of confetence win.

Still have gonzaga, but those idiots went and lost to washington last night. Who knows how much import a win over the zags will carry by February.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

We had a title team that year. It's an absolute atrocity against ethics that one little man named Higgins decided a game that was supposed to be decided on the court.

Prick cost us a title against uconn, too

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

A few reasons why you should all hate UNC just a little more than anyone else. Let's burn their village down Saturday, Cats.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Beat UNC and Gonzaga in February, we have a really, really great out-of-conference resume for the committee.

Lose to UNC, the narrative changes a bit.

With the SEC taking lump after lump in the non-conference (Texas A&M currently down 10 at home to Memphis), we need as many resume wins as possible.

 

[Fox2monk]

Beat UNC and Gonzaga in February, we have a really, really great out-of-conference resume for the committee.

Lose to UNC, the narrative changes a bit.

The the SEC taking lump after lump in the non-conference (Texas A&M currently down 10 at home to Memphis), we need as many resume wins as possible.

The end of this game is a little crazy but not enough time, SEC definitely not represented in OOC play outside our win at Miami. I hope they get it together. Sad thing is the Colorado game was an actual game with 10 minutes left in the second half and it’s like they got down 10 and stopped playing.

 

[Walt_McCartys_Attorney]

Of those 25 losses all time, I’d estimate twenty of them were homecookin’ screwjobs.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Beat UNC and Gonzaga in February, we have a really, really great out-of-conference resume for the committee.

Lose to UNC, the narrative changes a bit.

With the SEC taking lump after lump in the non-conference (Texas A&M currently down 10 at home to Memphis), we need as many resume wins as possible.

Think by the time the team plays at Tennessee they will be really good and have figured some things out, that orange hellhole is hard to play at even when they aren’t good. The road games in conference will give Kentucky some quad one opportunity’s

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Think by the time the team plays at Tennessee they will be really good and have figured some things out, that orange hellhole is hard to play at even when they aren’t good. The road games in conference will give Kentucky some quad one opportunity’s

We should have some good home Q1 opportunities also (Tennessee, A&M maybe, Arkansas maybe, Alabama, etc.), and yeah some nice road opportunities also.

Just can't help but think that Saturday's game is the difference between a 2 seed and a 3 seed, etc.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

We should have some good home Q1 opportunities also (Tennessee, A&M maybe, Arkansas maybe, Alabama, etc.), and yeah some nice road opportunities also.

Just can't help but think that Saturday's game is the difference between a 2 seed and a 3 seed, etc.

Saturdays game feels like a momentum swinging game for both. In the past Kentucky has won this game and then gotten momentum for the rest of the year

 

[Cawood86]

Always want to beat UNC. Dean Smith and his chicken basketball made me sick. 4 corner nonsense.

Williams at least played basketball there. When they played UK under him, it was basketball. Run and gun and shoot. No puke flopping. I at least respected them for thst.

 

[katwest]

Beating them is a big deal anytime. Bacot will have a little trouble rebounding and scoring over Bradshaw and Ugonna. He will get his, but it won't be easy, hopefully he gets frustrated and is not as effective as he usually is.

 

[YardCat]

I consider this game one of the biggest the other was Kansas loss. We need it for our fan base and we need to show America we are back and someone to fear!

 

[KYFOSSIL]

Too bad it's not worth 3-4 wins for our seeding.

Personally, I'm not too worried about our fans' collective psychology.

It would be huge for our seeding

 

[FinancialPlannerZac]

Like many have said, it's a huge game. I hate saying a game on December 16th is a must-win. But after the UNC-W loss, it's as close to a must-win as you can get if we want this team to be special. We win this game, and we should be 10-2 heading into SEC play and rolling a little bit. Tough games out of the gate in the SEC, so to me, this game is paramount for setting us up to be a top-10 team and an actual contender for the title this year.

 

[WeWant9]

It is an important game, and I expect it to be a fun one to watch. It’ll be the difference between entering the new year in the top 10 or be in that 15-20 range. We really need to be top 10 entering league play. This team will end up dropping one or two games they shouldn’t in the SEC, but winning this one (and the Zaga one) gives a little breathing room for a mistake.

What I don’t want is to lose this game, drop into that 15-20 range, then lose some SEC games, and drop out the the top 25. We do not need to be dropping out of the top 25 again. So lets kick some ass Saturday and have momentum rolling for league play.

 

[ukcatz12]

Still have gonzaga, but those idiots went and lost to washington last night. Who knows how much import a win over the zags will carry by February.

Washington is a fairly good team and that was at Washington. That really isn't a bad loss at all.

 

[true blue1]

We definitely need to win.

 

[BelfryKYCatFanatic]

So far, the SECas a whole looks weak. The ranked SEC teams have not fared too well so far. Kentucky needs this win in a big way because there not be many ranked SEC opponents by the time league play starts and gets going in January and February. We need this W and a W against Gonzaga.

If we get both and avoid bad losses to bad teams we should be a high 2 seed...perhaps a #1 seed, but we can't lose to teams like Vanderbilt and South Carolina.

 

[the stat man]

Agreed. Let’s not forget the travesty of a game that was 2017 EE. 😡

That game in my mind was stolen by a crooked official and there is no doubt