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Bracketology: Kentucky basketball is moving up the ranks

By Drew Koch

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Georgia Bulldogs during the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Georgia Bulldogs during the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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After two straight victories, the Kentucky basketball team is moving up the ranks of the latest NCAA Tournament projections.

With back-to-back wins in SEC play, the Kentucky basketball team is moving up the ranks of the NCAA Tournament projections. After defeating Alabama at home and Arkansas on the road, the Wildcats have found themselves with some pretty enviable match ups in the the latest bracketology.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, also referred to a Joey Brackets, has Kentucky seeded 5th in the Midwest Region. The current projection has the Cats set to face the winner of the play-in game between USC and Syracuse.

Andy Enfield’s Trojans are led by a lot of upperclassmen that can put the ball in the bucket. USC has size and have 4 players averaging double figures in scoring. Syracuse is always a difficult match up because of Jim Boeheim’s zone defense. The Orange are similar to the Wildcats in that they don’t shoot well from the perimeter, averaging only 32% from downtown.

CBS’s Jerry Palm also has UK as a No. 5 seed. His projection has the Kentucky basketball team taking on No. 12 New Mexico State in Round 1. Both Palm and Lunardi have Kentucky playing on the West coast in San Diego for their first round match ups. Big Blue Nation travels well, but with Nashville playing host site for Round 1 and 2 of the NCAA Tournament, they’d much prefer their beloved Wildcats to be playing closer to home.

New Mexico State has only 5 losses on the season, but they do play in the Western Athletic Conference. Neither Lunardi or Palm have another team from the WAC in their projections, meaning the level of play is not that good. The Aggies do have a lot of upperclassmen on their team and crash the offensive boards hard.

Projections are just that, but it is nice to see the Kentucky basketball team trending up. If the Cats close conference play on a 5-game winning streak, they’ll continue to climb in the rankings.

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