Kentucky Wildcats must not only defeat Florida Gators but Thursday/Saturday scheduling

March 2, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Kentucky Wildcats assistant coach John Robic holds up a clip board during a time out at a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Kentucky 73-60. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

Even John Robic knows that it does not matter how much you write on the clip board, the message is painfully clear. This Kentucky Wildcats basketball team HAS to beat Florida on Saturday at Rupp Arena to keep their NCAA hopes alive. And it’s a tall task. Florida is ranked either #9 or #11 depending on what poll you look at and is 24-5 on the season. They handled Kentucky easily in Ganesville on 2/12 and for most of that game, Kentucky had Nerlens Noel. The Gators were without Will Yeguete, arguably their best defensive player in that game and they are at full strength.

Aside from the Gators, the next big hurdle is getting over the Thursday/Saturday scheduling. UK has been dreadful in the Thursday/Saturday games so far this year:

11/29 – @ Notre Dame L – 64-50
12/1 – vs Baylor L – 64-55

1/10 – @ Vanderbilt W 60-58
1/12 – vs Texas A&M L 83-71

3/7 – @ Georgia L 72-62
3/9 – vs Florida ???

The only glimmer of hope is that Florida is 1-3 in their last four road games and all five of their losses have been on the road or on a nuetral court. So they are not the same team away from O’Connell. Both of Kentucky’s home losses have been on the backend of this Thursday/Saturday grind, a scheduling scenario designed to mimic life in the NCAA Tournament and the quick turnaround. Something has to give though. Hopefully the magic of Senior Day can prevail.

Mar 7, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts to the play against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Kentucky 72-62. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

All of which brings us to ESPN’s favorite topic: Will Kentucky make the NCAA Tournament? As of now, it is looking more and more likely that nothing short of a SEC Tournament title will get Kentucky in. Even the most optimistic pundit says a win over Florida and two wins in the SEC Tournament may be enough. But judging from some post game comments, this team has the feel of a team that has given up on the season already and Calipari seems to sense that:

"Center Willie Cauley-Stein shrugged his shoulders when he was asked what Kentucky could do to turn things around. “Have faith?” he said. “Go to church? Maybe that’s what we need to — go to church as a team and pray for each other.” Even divine intervention might not be enough to help the Wildcats at this point. If Kentucky can’t beat Arkansas and Georgia, there is no reason to believe it can get past a Florida squad many pundits have tagged as a Final Four contender. The Gators defeated Calipari’s team 69-52 in Gainesville on Feb. 12. Nerlens Noel, Kentucky’s best player, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in that contest and UK hasn’t been the same since. Granted, even before Noel’s injury, the Wildcats weren’t very good. Kentucky’s résumé includes very few quality wins — and a bunch of bad losses. “I’m mad,” guard Archie Goodwin told reporters after Thursday’s loss. “There’s no way we should lose to Georgia. There’s no way we should lose to Arkansas. “When we play like we’re supposed to, there’s not anyone in the country we can’t beat. When we play like this, when we play soft as a team, anyone can beat us.” Calipari, to his credit, said he is to blame for his squad’s collapse. “I’m so disappointed in the job I’ve done with this team,” he said Thursday night. “I’ve never had a team not cohesive at this time of year. Every one of my teams … cohesive. Every one of them had a will to win. Every one of them had a fight. “If this team doesn’t have that, that’s on me.”"

Feb 27, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari coaches his team against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Regardless, this season only has another month left and the talk will go to the future.  A part of that future will be in Rupp Arena on Saturday as current commit James Young will be visiting.  Also, former Indiana commit and the #4 player in the 2014 class, Trey Lyles will be taking the game in.  Lyles is down to a final list of Kentucky, Butler, Duke, Florida,  Louisville and UCLA.  Lyles is familiar with Lexington as this will be his fourth visit since September.

It’s just important for Calipari to get too touchy feely with Lyles.  As we recall, Lyles decommitted from Indiana shortly after the infamous wayward Tom Crean “I’ve been thinking about you a lot.  A whole lot” tweet that was supposedly meant as a text for a recruit.  Draw your own conclusions.