Matthew Mitchell and the Kentucky Wildcats Hoops Deserves Some Respect

It’s no secret that the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team, under the guidance of John Calipari, has done some remarkable things this season. They’re currently sitting at 30-0, looking for their 31st win and an undefeated regular season today. I’m not here to take anything away from them at all. However, there is another team on this campus here in Lexington, KY that is beginning to peak and deserves some respect. That is the Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball team under the guidance of Matthew Mitchell. And while on the whole, this season has been a rough one for the hoops team, it is still going and turning into something special.

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On the season, Matthew Mitchell and the Kentucky Wildcats hoops team has suffered eight losses. Three of those came back-to-back-to-back toward the end of the season. It was then that fate intervened and the seniors held a team meeting. In it, they called out their head coach, Matthew Mitchell, and told him he had gotten soft. That the younger players were getting away with stuff that they would have never been allowed to. That this team wasn’t disciplined. And that was when something amazing happened. A switch was flipped and Matthew Mitchell knew exactly what he needed to do. The team became instantly more disciplined and the Kentucky Wildcats hoops team started winning.

It wasn’t just small wins either. They won their last two regular season games, capping it all of with a win over then #2 South Carolina, who’s only loss was to the UConn Huskies. Then began the SEC Tournament. After receiving the #6 seed, the Kentucky Wildcats were given a matchup with the Vanderbilt Commodores. They would win their first round matchup 67-61 with a lot of grit and determination. The second round saw a much more difficult matchup, as Matthew Mitchell had to prepare them for the #11 Mississippi State Bulldogs. The end result would be a win, overcoming a 15-point deficit to win 76-67. That was their second top-11 win in three games.

Today marks the third round of the SEC Tournament, which happens to be the semifinals. The opponent? The #5 Tennessee Volunteers. It’s going to be a great game, a rivalry game in the SEC Tournament Semifinals. But I’m here to tell you that regardless of the outcome, Matthew Mitchell and this Kentucky Wildcats hoops team should not be overlooked. Despite the given success with the men’s team, give this team the credit and respect they deserve. While they’re far from the favorites to win it all, they’ve overcome a lot to get to where they are today. And if they can continue their grit and determination style of basketball, then there is no doubt in my mind they can make it past the #5 Tennessee Volunteers and land a spot in the SEC Tournament Finals.

Next: Should the Kentucky Wildcats Seniors Start on Senior Day?

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