What is the highest possible seed for Kentucky basketball?
By Drew Koch
After two straight wins, the Kentucky basketball team has Big Blue Nation believing in their team again. What’s the highest possible seed the Wildcats could hope for in the NCAA Tournament.
The Kentucky basketball team has won back-to-back games, and Big Blue Nation is excited once more about the prospects of their beloved Wildcats. The Cats are currently 19-9 on the season and 8-7 in the SEC. What is the highest possible seed the Cats could attain, and where will the Wildcats likely be seeded on Selection Sunday?
All of BBN will be glued to their TVs on March 11th in anticipation of where and when the Kentucky basketball team will play in the NCAA Tournament. In 2015, there was no doubt that the Cats would be the No. overall seed. That ship has obviously sailed, and in my opinion so have their prospects of landing even a No. 2 seed.
Current Projections
Currently, Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Kentucky basketball team seeded No. 6 in the West Region. According to Lunardi, the Cats would go up against the play-in winner of St. Bonaventure and Baylor. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports also has Kentucky in the No. 6 spot. However, Palm has the Cats in the South Region going head-to-head with Southern California in the first round.
So, how can the Cats continue to add to their tournament resume` and increase their chances of a better seed. Well, obviously it starts with winning their remaining games. With upcoming contests against Missouri and Mississippi at home, the Wildcats close out their regular season on the road against Florida.
If UK wins their final three games in SEC play, I think they’re sitting solidly on the No. 5 seed line. Then the Cats get an additional opportunity in the SEC Tournament to further boost their resume`. Their opponents during the tournament, unlike previous years, could help Kentucky move up in the eyes of the committee.
If given the chance to avenge earlier losses to Tennessee and/ or Auburn, the Kentucky basketball team could see their seed line continue to trend upwards. At the end of the day, I don’t see the Cats getting anything higher than a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s only if they win out. Even that may be a stretch.