Kentucky basketball: Could UK play UofL in the NCAA tournament
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team is looking locked in to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Coincidentally, the Louisville Cardinals are projected as a No. 12 seed. Could we see a first round clash between the Cats and Cards?
The Kentucky basketball team is most likely going to draw a No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament. A deep run in the SEC Tournament could change that, but I think the Wildcats have to win it all in St. Louis in order to move up. The Louisville Cardinals are squarely on the bubble and could wind up in the opening round in Dayton. Could UofL play UK in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Now, we always hear that the NCAA Selection Committee just pairs up teams without considering the match up. That’s a load of bull. I’m not mad about it, in fact, I would encourage the selection committee to consider potential match ups when placing teams in specific regions. I mean, c’mon, who wouldn’t want to see Duke versus North Carolina in a Regional Final? Why would anyone object to game between Xavier and Cincinnati with a trip to the Final Four on the line?
Rivalries are some of the best aspects of sports, especially college sports. Which would you rather watch, Florida versus Florida State or Florida versus Creighton? Exactly, college sports fans want rivalry games on the biggest stage. So, if the NCAA Selection Committee has the opportunity to pit the Kentucky basketball team against the Louisville Cardinals in the first round, why would they avoid doing so? The answer is, they wouldn’t.
Now, in saying all this, I’m not advocating that the NCAA Selection Committee should seed the Cardinals higher or the Wildcats lower in order to setup a potential game. However, if the committee decides to seed the Cats as a No. 5 and the Cards as a No. 12, there should be no hesitation placing them in the same bracket.
Big Blue Nation should have no problem with this match up either. The Kentucky Wildcats throttled UofL earlier this season. The Cardinals have lost 7 of their 10 games, and aside from their late game blunder against Virginia, they haven’t looked good. I for one would welcome a rematch with the Cardinals.
A lot can happen between now and Selection Sunday. If the Wildcats go on a run and win the SEC Tournament, I think this question is null and void because the Cats should get a No. 4 seed if that’s the case. If the Cardinals lose to Florida State on Wednesday, there’s a good chance Louisville is out of the tournament all together. So, while I honestly don’t expect to see this match up, for several reasons, it would be a fun game to see.