Kentucky still barely hanging on in Bracketology projections

Feb 4, 2023 - 1:28 AM

The Kentucky Wildcats haven’t had the season many expected them to.

A home loss to South Carolina made an NCAA Tournament berth seem like a distant dream. However, a road win against top-five Tennessee to kick off a four-game winning streak certainly changed this team’s outlook.

They did snap that with a 77-68 home loss to Kansas and bounced back with a 75-66 road win over Ole Miss. The Wildcats now stand at 15-7 overall, tied with Texas A&M for the fifth-best record in the SEC.

That said, everyone knows the pinnacle of the college basketball season is the NCAA Tournament, and the Cats are still riding the bubble in several Bracketology projections.

ESPN bracket guru Joe Lunardi still has Kentucky in the ‘Last Four In’ line. That, of course, means the Cats would be playing in the First Four in Dayton.

Brian Bennett of The Athletic also has Kentucky in the ‘Last Four In.’

Bracket Matrix, which rounds up all bracketology projections across the interwebs, has Kentucky coming in an average spot of the second-to-last team in the Field of 68, with Wisconsin being the last team in. With potential bid stealers, Kentucky would obviously need to be positioned higher to feel good about making the Big Dance.

It’s safe to say the Wildcats need a rather strong finish to the regular season to ensure they make the Big Dance. That begins Saturday night against a Florida Gators team also squarely on the bubble, though as one of the last teams out of the field in most projections.

Kentucky also has two remaining games against Arkansas and one at home against Tennessee, all three of which could help boost their stock even further. With the SEC Tournament also giving them another chance at life, the Cats should be well-positioned to make a late-season push.