Yes, Kentucky demolished South Carolina on Saturday, as John Calipari asked for — and received — a blowout in Rupp Arena, something his team had not been doing with relentless regularity this season. However, while some of Big Blue Nation may have been sweating recent close wins against LSU and Florida (not to mention wins in prior weeks against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M so far this season), there is nothing bad about playing these thrillers in the conference schedule.
We all heard John Calipari’s quotes after the LSU game about Karl-Anthony Towns that led to the photobomb on live TV. While amusing, Calipari was also 100 percent correct.
This team is young and has seen very little adversity, outside of Alex Poythress’s knee injury. Making a mistake, like Towns hanging on the rim in Baton Rouge and letting LSU in the game, did just that. Towns rebounded just as a coach would like him to, and the ‘Cats bounced back to escape.
Some have the notion that a loss would relieve the pressure which currently rests on the Wildcats, and it may. However, a loss is not the only way to prepare Kentucky for the grind it will see in March. This team is special — there is no doubt about that. Close games down the stretch before the Big Dance can serve a similar purpose to a loss, while keeping history going.
Even in high school, these talented Kentucky freshmen did not encounter much adversity. Towns lost two games his senior year. Trey Lyles also lost two. Devin Booker scored 1,021 points in his senior year in high school. Tyler Ulis went 29-4 as a junior and drew Calipari’s eye. All the members of the group were easy McDonald’s All-Americans.
Moreover, the Wildcats did not get pushed too much in the non-conference portion of the schedule. While they struggled and beat Columbia by 10, the only three other games under 20 points were Louisville by 8 on the road, Texas by 12, and North Carolina by 14.
In March, games are won in the grind. Neutral floors reduce the advantage a partisan crowd can provide, though no college basketball fan base travels better to neutral sites than kentucky’s. The teams are more evenly matched as they progress through the bracket. This makes for close, competitive games. If Kentucky did not get a taste of this in the predictably weak SEC, the Wildcats would be at a severe disadvantage in the NCAA tournament. This is because many conferences provide close games on a nightly basis. If the ‘Cats were blowing everyone out, they would not get a taste of any serious competition until the Big Dance.
While seeing Kentucky seemingly playing down to some of its competition, three of the five close SEC games were on the road. The other two were the SEC opener and a contest sandwiched in between the blowout in Tuscaloosa and a road win over South Carolina. Those performances can be explained away for different reasons.
Ultimately, if Kentucky runs the table and wins the national title, some of the thanks will be due to the same games that have elevated the blood pressure of Big Blue Nation. The South Carolina blowout relieved it, but if you see another close game against Tennessee in a few days, expect Kentucky to pull through… and to grow from the experience as well.
