Kentucky Wildcats are even money to win NCAA Basketball Championship

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Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

So here we are. Six games from perfection from the Kentucky Wildcats. Over the next few days, we are going to see many experts still saying that 40-0 can’t happen, but I think this is a team of destiny. Here is one person’s path to the ninth National Championship.

"The Final Four will be basketball’s version of Groundhog Day, with Kentucky playing Wisconsin again. Frank Kaminsky will give Kentucky all it can handle. He’s got a center’s size and a guard’s touch, and he has humbled many a good team these last two years. But, just like last year, Kentucky comes out on top, putting the Wildcats on history’s doorstep. The pressure in the championship game is going to be immense. Virginia will give Kentucky its toughest test of the year. The Cavaliers are even better defensively than the Wildcats – statistically speaking, at least – and Kentucky hasn’t faced that kind of pressure yet. This is where Kentucky’s improved offense comes in. The Wildcats have a versatility they didn’t have earlier in the season, and even Virginia won’t be able to shut down the entire juggernaut. The game will be close and physical, but Kentucky will find a way to win. They’re simply too good to get beat. This year, at least."

Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

John Calipari seems relieved that Wisconsin was not in his Kentucky Wildcats bracket and I think that this would have been a great championship game. Here is Cal’s thoughts on his tourney draw, plus the reactions from him and his players following.

"On not being in the same region as Wisconsin … “I didn’t think they could. How could you do it and then get in front of cameras and explain yourself. In this era of social media and transparency you couldn’t go in there and say ‘Kentucky is going to play Wisconsin in a regional final.’ You couldn’t do it. And I didn’t think they would do it. There is no way unless they were ready to take the grief that’s going to follow it. Wisconsin is playing good. There are a lot of good teams. I mean Arizona is playing out of their minds right now. Villanova is playing great. Virginia, they’re a little bit beat up, but they’re still. I mean you’ve got eight teams. From that eight, in my opinion someone’s going to win the thing out of those eight. After that there are some teams that have a chance to advance and do some stuff, but those eight teams are really good. From those eight, and it’s not just us. Let me tell you it’s a one-game shot. Foul trouble, struggle, injury, have a bad game, someone else play out of their minds which we have seen happen with us. The kid from Texas AM had 40. We have seen it. Like who is this guy. It’s not the best of five. It’s one and done. I am telling you that my message will be and will not change. Let’s be the best version of each individual player. Let’s be at our best and if that’s not good enough I will live with the consequences. I will live with it. And I told them you would have to live with it. It’s not ‘okay, nine out of 10 they’d have beat them. But they didn’t beat them that time.’ I’ll live with it. I already lived with one in 2008. I did fine, I was good.”"

Next: My Journey through the SEC Tourney

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