Name the teams that can beat us…

[kyjeff1]

Name the team(s) in your mind that can beat UK on a neutral court 6 out of 10 times.
For me it's Michigan State. They are a tenacious rebounding team, they are tougher all the way around, they play extremely hard and they are deadly from the outside.
I don't think Oklahoma could beat UK 6 out of 10 times, they are too reliant on threes to go in and they haven't seen a defense like UK's.
KU…. Nah
UNC…. LOL (Roy)
Virginia is a team that could give us fits but they seem to always fall short in the NCAAT. I know they were banged up last year but I still don't think they could defend uk well enough and they don't score enough to beat UK.
I'm not even going to consider X and Nova, we know why they are ranked so high.

 

[PhattyJ4UK]

Unfortunately no one has to beat us 6 out of 10 times, thus anything can happen, including cats winning all 6 tourney games

 

[kyjeff1]

Unfortunately no one has to beat us 6 out of 10 times, thus anything can happen, including cats winning all 6 tourney games

No I get that. It's a 1 game scenario in the tournament but what I am getting at is I would rather see us avoid the teams that can/should beat us 6 out of 10 times.
I want to stay the hell away from MSU.

 

[JFCats22]

There are a lot of teams that can beat UK one time. Don't need to win 6

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

The one I'm most afraid of is Kentucky beating ourselves....

 

[cats2010]

Can't agree with Oklahoma. We are just as dependant on the three as they are. Cousins also has a great mid rand game too. Our three are better getting to the rim but either team could take the other 6 of 10....toss up between the two IMO.

 

[The_Answer1313]

I agree with Michigan St.
Oklahoma
Kansas
UNC

Not saying for sure that ANY of them would win 6 of 10..........but just teams I feel are a notch ahead of the field

 

[EnglandWildcat]

Well, a healthy Kentucky, only a few. Right now, without Willis and Poy, loads of teams could beat us 6/10.

 

[kyjeff1]

There are a lot of teams that can beat UK one time. Don't need to win 6

I get that but the reason I asked the question is because if a team can beat UK 6 out of 10 times it will be much harder to win that one game.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Teams that can beat us: anyone with a pulse, if we play bad.

Teams we can beat: every single one of them.

It's that kind of year for everyone.

 

[The_Answer1313]

There are a lot of teams that can beat UK one time. Don't need to win 6

Reason being is a bunch of teams can win a 1 game series...........playing 10 times, the better team has a better chance of coming out on top

So essentially the question really is who do you feel is better than UK.

 

[kyjeff1]

Reason being is a bunch of teams can win a 1 game series...........playing 10 times, the better team has a better chance of coming out on top

So essentially the question really is who do you feel is better than UK.

It's more about who is a bad matchup for UK. I think Oklahoma is a better team but UK is a bad matchup for them when healthy .

 

[Untouchables22]

Teams with TWO scoring big men will really give us fits because Willis is still a poor individual defender. So that's:
UNC
Maryland
and I agree with the earlier poster that Virginia would be a tough matchup for us because of the level of defense they play. Those three are really it.

 

[kyjeff1]

Teams with TWO scoring big men will really give us fits because Willis is still a poor individual defender. So that's:
UNC
Maryland
and I agree with the earlier poster that Virginia would be a tough matchup for us because of the level of defense they play. Those three are really it.

I doubt we ever see Maryland. They have a good collection of players but they are poorly coached.
But if a team has 2 bigs that can score how will they defend us?

 

[Drcatfan]

The problem with this team is not the ceiling or potential, it is the floor. We have shown that we can play extremely poor in a one game situation. If one of those show up in the NCAA tourney we are done. Just hope we don't have one of those especially in the first round.

 

[L Butler]

Kansas, Ohio state, Auburn, Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, UCLA

 

[The_Answer1313]

The problem with this team is not the ceiling or potential, it is the floor. We have shown that we can play extremely poor in a one game situation. If one of those show up in the NCAA tourney we are done. Just hope we don't have one of those especially in the first round.

Outside of the UT game (and even in that one we were up 21), I don't think there's been a game where they played poorly since Auburn. Losing at Kansas and at Texas A&M in OT I don't think we played all that poorly in either one TBH. The rest of the games we've won by double digits. Actually 18 of our 20 wins have been by double digits.

This team has come a long way since the defeats to OSU, UCLA and LSU

 

[Boneheadblue]

Anyone out there.

 

[caneintally]

Maryland and UNC ( if they are shooting well) . We would blast Mich St if we are healthy .

 

[JFCats22]

It's more about who is a bad matchup for UK. I think Oklahoma is a better team but UK is a bad matchup for them when healthy .

Some teams I would rather not play (bad match ups). I am not saying UK cannot beat these teams, just that I would rather avoid them if possible.

Oklahoma
West Virginia
UNC
Michigan State
Iowa

 

[kyjeff1]

Some teams I would rather not play (bad match ups). I am not saying UK cannot beat these teams, just that I would rather avoid them if possible.

Oklahoma
West Virginia
UNC
Michigan State
Iowa

I like your list but I disagree with West Virginia. They play at 1 speed and they are not going to beat teams that can handle their press. I think UK would throttle them.
I also think Iowa is coming back down to earth. They peaked in January.

 

[The_Answer1313]

WV probably wouldn't hurt us with the press as we don't turn it over that often. They are really good on the offensive boards tho so that's strength for them going on a weakness for us.

I think we'd handle them tho

 

[Aike]

I'm not prepared to say anyone would beat us 6 out of 10. We would likely split with a few teams.

 

[TeoJ]

Top 25 on any given day.We could also beat top 25 any given day.

 

[Ben101er]

Unfortunately no one has to beat us 6 out of 10 times, thus anything can happen, including cats winning all 6 tourney games

I agree. Depending on our injury status, we can be beaten by probably 90% of the teams in the tournament. If we get healthy, and the matchups are right, we could win the thing. I suspect it will be somewhere in between, and at this point, I would settle for a final 4 and move on to next year. I guess we'll see.

 

[toonces11]

I like your list but I disagree with West Virginia. They play at 1 speed and they are not going to beat teams that can handle their press. I think UK would throttle them.
I also think Iowa is coming back down to earth. They peaked in January.

I don't think WVU would give you a whole lot of trouble. Having Ulis at the helm helps out a ton.

 

[JerseyCat84]

Refs

 

[BourbonBalz]

I don't want to play the Zebras. They have our damn number.

 

[kyjeff1]

We won't have SEC refs in the NCAAT right? Or is that false? I would love it if we had BIG10 refs, their whistles seem to be broken at times.

 

[CatPhight]

Ourselves if we don't rebound exponentially better and stop taking horrible shots with 2 or 3 seconds left on the shot clock.

 

[The_Answer1313]

We won't have SEC refs in the NCAAT right? Or is that false? I would love it if we had BIG10 refs, their whistles seem to be broken at times.

That's interesting you said that. I went and had a quick look at foul rates.
5 of the last 8 years that conference has called the second least amount of fouls. Ranked 31st outta 32 conferences. The other years all in the upper 20s.

Wonder how much of it is based on their teams not fouling and how much is based on the refs just not calling them as close.

Prob a bit of both.

Contrast that with the SEC who's last three years ranked 4th, 9th and 8th.