Kentucky Wildcats and the SEC find redemption in NCAA Tournament

Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky was just one of the big stories heading into the Sweet 16. The other is the resurgence of the SEC, which went 7-0 and have three teams that nobody wants to play in the field of sixteen.

"Was it really so long ago that Kentucky looked lost? Hint: It wasn’t. Nor was it so long ago that the Wildcats’ conference was widely, rightfully dismissed for having one great team, one good one and a bunch of dross. But after Sunday — when Kentucky finished its late-season transformation and Tennessee kept its overpowering momentum going — the SEC suddenly owns three spots in the Sweet 16. In many ways, Tennessee’s emergence has run parallel to the Wildcats’. Like Kentucky, the Volunteers were always obviously talented. Like Kentucky, Tennessee’s advanced analytics revealed a team far better than its record suggested. Like Kentucky, which beat Louisville on its own floor in December, the Vols’ 35-point win over Virginia gave fans a result to point to and say, see? Like Kentucky, UT spent most of the SEC season underwhelming — being swept by Texas A&M, losing to Vanderbilt, getting overrun on defense at Missouri — before flipping some kind of switch in the final weeks. The result for the SEC, combined with Florida’s wins, is a 7-0 SEC record in the NCAA tournament. It’s the first conference to go 7-0 or better in the NCAA tournament entering the Sweet 16 since the Big East went 8-0 in 2003, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The last time the SEC went 7-0 or better in the NCAA tournament entering the Sweet 16 was 1996, when Kentucky won the national title."

John Calipari has Louisville on his mind, but he can get a huge jump on the 2015 recruiting class.  Luke Kennard, one of his top targets for 2015 will be making his announcement around 7:45PM tonight and Kentucky is in the running.  A lot of the experts do think that he is a Duke lean because of a recent visit.  

"Kentucky has long been considered the favorite for Kennard, who grew up a UK fan and has taken several unofficial visits to Lexington over the past few months. But he took his only official visit — to Duke — earlier this month. Scout.com national analyst Evan Daniels is predicting Kennard will give his commitment to Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils. “The only official visit Kennard has taken is to Duke,” Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “I think Coach K and his staff did a tremendous job recruiting him and (they have) the edge in this one.” Kennard is also considering Ohio State, Michigan, Louisville, North Carolina and Florida."

For one, I think that the timing of this decision is pretty curious.  Kennard and his family are UK fans and this announcement came just hours after UK’s win over Wichita State.  Could the Kentucky win have finalized Kennard on Kentucky?  There is no doubt that Kennard watched the NCAA and watched Duke’s flameout as well.  Even though Kennard took the official to Duke, he has taken several unofficial to Lexington.  It’s just a hunch and not really going to call it a prediction, but I am hoping and guessing John Calipari’s good weekend continues.