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Saturday showdown with Kansas can predict Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament fortunes

ByCody Williams|
Kentucky's Davion Mintz, left, Sahvir Wheeler, center, and Kellan Grady watch Oscar Tshiebwe shoot a free throw as they stand with coach John Calipari during the game against Mississippi State. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022Kentucky Vs Mississippi State Jan 25 2022
Kentucky's Davion Mintz, left, Sahvir Wheeler, center, and Kellan Grady watch Oscar Tshiebwe shoot a free throw as they stand with coach John Calipari during the game against Mississippi State. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022Kentucky Vs Mississippi State Jan 25 2022

Though Kentucky basketball has played Auburn and Duke already this season, their matchup with Kansas on Saturday could be telling for the NCAA Tournament.

As per usual, John Calipari and Kentucky basketball haven’t been void of top-tier competition this season. The Wildcats have already faced off against Auburn and Duke, two of the best teams in the country. On Saturday, though, they’ll do it again as part of the SEC/Big12 Challenge as they head to Lawrence for a date with the Kansas Jayhawks.

Ranked No. 5 in the country, Bill Self’s team projects as one of the most dangerous in the country. Their combination of experience, depth and talent are nearly unmatched in the college hoops landscape and, on top of that, the program has long been a stalwart when playing in Allen Fieldhouse.

It will be an interesting matchup in a vacuum for Kentucky given their improvement throughout the season (and with the injury status of leading scorer Tyty Washington). But it could also be a revealing contest for the Wildcats as it pertains to their NCAA Tournament prospects.

Kentucky basketball: Kansas showdown will be telling for March Madness

As noted by John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Ledger, Kentucky basketball has amassed a dubious 1-3 record so far this season when facing ranked opponents.

This isn’t to say that the Wildcats haven’t been competitive — that’s far from the truth, especially after keeping pace with Auburn and holding an early lead over the Tigers last weekend. At the same time, though, this team has to come through in tough environments against the best teams in college basketball if they want to make a deep March Madness run.

Subsequently, going up against a team with vast experience, multiple ways to attack and find success, and top-end potential in their own right is going to let Calipari, fans and the hoops world at large in on just where Kentucky is right now. That doesn’t mean it is a must-win game, but a victory would certainly raise both optimism and confidence moving forward.

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