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SEC Tournament: The Test of The Wildcats’ Will

By Frank Spencer

Feb 14, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) dribbles the ball around Tennessee Volunteers guard Jordan Bowden (23) in the second half at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats won 83-58. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) dribbles the ball around Tennessee Volunteers guard Jordan Bowden (23) in the second half at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats won 83-58. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a season of plenty of ups and downs, The Kentucky Basketball team will need to fight their way through the SEC Tournament.

Vegas Insider has Kentucky Basketball currently at 12-1 odds of winning the NCAA National Championship. There are six other teams with greater odds than the Wildcats. Gonzaga (8-1), Duke (10-1), Kansas (10-1), North Carolina(11-1), Villanova (11-1), and UCLA (11-1), all have a greater chance to win the Title according to Vegas Insider.

With the regular season coming to an end, the Kentucky Wildcats look to get hot at the right time. After a season of mishaps, young mistakes and inexperience, John Calipari looks to reboot his team to flip a switch before the NCAA Tournament.

With five contests remaining before the coveted SEC Tournament begins, the Wildcats need to use this time to correct any re-occuring problems. Kentucky currently has two loses in the SEC along with defeats against Kansas, UCLA and Louisville. Additionally, an overtime loss against Georgia could’ve went a different way if not for a final shot by Malik Monk to send the game into extra time. Showing a will to win once the calendar flips to march will be crucial to this team and program.

SEC Tournament Mentality

The SEC Tournament is essentially a home game for the Wildcats. No matter where the Cats play, blue gets in. Nashville, Tennessee hosts the SEC Tournament once again. The Bridgestone Arena, turns blue in March. The SEC Tournament tickets are currently Sold Out according to secticketoffice.com.

Kentucky is currently ties with Florida for the lead in the SEC. Both institutions boast a 21-5 record and an 11-2 record in the conference. Ironically, Florida is one of Kentucky’s two losses in blowout fashion down in Gainesville. The Cats are currently riding a three game winning streak headed into this weekend’s matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. John Calipari’s team needs to head into tournament time with a monster mentality.

Kentucky is the big bad wolf of the SEC. When the Cats come to town, its always free t-shirt night. Teams may not sell out their arenas all year, but tickets are hard to come by when their team plays Big Blue. This stretch of games concluding the season will be the test for these young Cats. With a rematch at Rupp against Florida, as well as tough matchup against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the final two games, Kentucky Basketball should be primed for a deep run in March.

Kentucky Owns The SEC Tournament

The Cats have won 30 SEC Tournament Championships in their rich history. The Wildcats look to make it three consecutive titles after taking the conference crown in 2015 and 2016. John Calipari has only won four SEC titles during his tenure in Lexington which proves that the Southeastern Conference tournament is a gauntlet of tough games.

Next: The Reboot: Cal's Teams Improve During the Regular Season

Kentucky Basketball must come out hot in these last few regular season games in order to ensure a great seed in the tournament. Once a teams enter the tournament, they are officially fighting for the chance to have their name called on Selection Sunday. In a conference like the SEC where there are not a lot of at-large bids, teams get desperate. There is not many things more dangerous in college basketball than a desperate team that can get hot at any moment. Kentucky must find a way to win the SEC Tournament to prove that they are a contender to bring home their ninth National Championship.

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