Teams losing before playing UK

[IL Wildcat]

It's becoming an epidemic... only Ole Miss has avoided thus far in conference play (and that's only because they play Austin Peay before playing UK) Every other SEC team has lost the game before playing UK. Looking ahead? You be the judge.

TX A&M got slaughtered at Alabama the game before taking UK to double OT
Missouri lost to a crappy Auburn team before playing UK
Alabama lost to South Carolina before hosting UK
Vanderbilt lost to a terrible Miss St team before coming to Rupp
Now South Carolina has lost to Tennessee in Columbia before hosting UK

Now, I'm sure some might say this is just a product of some of these teams losing a lot. But I've got to think in several cases here that it's just further evidence of just how important the UK game is to these teams. We already know this, of course. They circled this game on the calendar in November. They seem to all be looking ahead.

And this is the reason our conference is going to struggle getting more than about 3 team in the NCAA-T. They all keep losing the games they could win because they're all putting all their eggs in the "beat UK" basket. It's ridiculous.

 

[ukfan79]

I was actually thinking the same thing last night as I watched UT win in Columbia. A 'decent' team like SCjr wins that game at home.

Definitely looking ahead to their Super Bowl game Saturday. Too bad for them that half their arena will be BLUE. Can't wait to be there and engage in the Go Big Blue, Blue/White, C A T S, etc chants.

 

[Joneslab]

I think it might have something to do with Kentucky, but more than that I believe it's just that there's a lot of sameness in the league.

When you look at that middle group of eight teams, you see a lot of similar strengths and weakness. You see some questionable coaching. And you see gyms that offer very little homecourt advantage because no one's there.

Basically the league's worst nightmare is happening with everybody in the middle beating everybody else. Tennessee has been the one team so far in that group that's shown some cojones.

 

[Waterview Catfan]

Have been a UK fan and followed the cats for over 40 years, and nothing has changed, with the exception of Florida under Donavon, and Arkansas under Nolin Richardson. That tells me that the blame lies mostly with the coaches year in and year out. If you can only motivate your team to play their best once or twice a season, then you reap what you sow. The above mentioned were(are) able to look at the big picture( post season), as well as games against UK for the most part, and that's the main reason for their successes. All other sec teams, not so much.

 

[Bluegrass79]

guess what usually happens in the next game after a home loss? That home team plays above themselves in the next home game no matter who they play imo. I figure South Carolina to play well early. The cats going to need defensive intensity early.

 

[Jazzycat]

As Will Perdue said on the SEC network today, every SEC team circles two games on their schedules....UK and their chief rivalry game. Those are the games that they get up for, so UK can take no games off. The one exception I remember was the 1996 team. The other SEC schools looked defeated before the game started. They almost dreaded playing those guys because of all the experienced talent on the floor.

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

I wonder how often UT has gotten to play South Carolina the game before/after UK. UT hasn't lost to SC in 6 or 7 years which seems pretty unbelievable.

 

[mkasten25]

18 teams have also lost while playing UK

 

[Xception]

It's why playing in a conference that's not traditionally powerful in basketball does not hurt us in the post season , we get their very best effort . Opponents will probably not play as hard or be as motivated all year long against anyone else , that's above average play we deal with all season . When we get to the tournament we have witnessed that type of intensity and desire many times over , in fact I think the scenario we are in serves us better than playing in a traditionally strong bb conference .

 

[IL Wildcat]

Originally posted by Xception:
It's why playing in a conference that's not traditionally powerful in basketball does not hurt us in the post season , we get their very best effort . Opponents will probably not play as hard or be as motivated all year long against anyone else , that's above average play we deal with all season . When we get to the tournament we have witnessed that type of intensity and desire many times over , in fact I think the scenario we are in serves us better than playing in a traditionally strong bb conference .

You make a good point Xception. There is no question that UK benefits in the long run (assuming they can get through it winning enough games- which isn't an issue this year) from being every team's national title game. Truth be told, every conference game has the intensity of an NCAA-T game, even if every game doesn't have the same talent the Cats will see in the Dance. Taking every team's best shot and getting their best effort helps the Cats prepare for many different scenarios in the NCAA Tourney.

 

[wild mandu]

Originally posted by Jazzycat:
As Will Perdue said on the SEC network today, every SEC team circles two games on their schedules....UK and their chief rivalry game. Those are the games that they get up for, so UK can take no games off. The one exception I remember was the 1996 team. The other SEC schools looked defeated before the game started. They almost dreaded playing those guys because of all the experienced talent on the floor.

Pretty much. People forget how Miss State almost beat both the '10 and '12 teams. UT did beat the Wall team and the AD team struggled at their place. Same thing with Vanderbilt.

With the exception of one game at Georgia, the '96 team just ripped everybody's soul out.

 

[Huma1894]

A gambler could make some money with this information.