Poythress with 13 rebounds. Let me step on my soap box again - he is the key to any success UK has the rest of the way. He has to play 24+ minutes per game no matter what.

Cats score the last 11 points of the game. I believe Florida scored zero the last 5 minutes. Cats should be in the NCAA with that one. I believe that secures a bye in the SEC tourney also. Win one in the SEC tourney and there is no doubt the Cats are in.

 

I think the gators didn't score like the last 9 minutes of the game. That has to be disheartening for Donovan. Lots of heart by the Cats today, they really love playing at Rupp. That 4th foul on Cauley-Stein away from the ball at the 13 minute mark was almost the nail in the coffin. The fact that he didn't foul out and that the Gators couldn't score down the stretch is a testament to how hard the rest of the team was trying to play on defense.

 

Awesome win.

I feel like I'm always optimistic with UK and I gave up after Georgia. What a win. Win one in the SEC tourney and I will feel comfortable.

Florida was disinterested today...

I to think the Cats are probably in but I think they need to win at least 1 game in the SEC tournament to remove any doubt in the case there are some tournament winners that would not be getting bids. Two wins would be a lock I think no matter what. But I think if they win 1 game in the SEC and still not get in it will be because of the NCAA disdain with Cal!

I feel like I'm always optimistic with UK and I gave up after Georgia. What a win. Win one in the SEC tourney and I will feel comfortable.

 

I tried to tell you. :lol2:

I want to give a shout out to the person who made a rare post in an UK prediction thread, and said UK would play one of its best games of the year and win by 4. Great call on that one!

 

I havent posted much in these prediction threads because I honestly have not been able to understand this team at all, so very hard to tell what team will show up. However I do think they come out and play one of their best games of the year against Florida and win by 4 which will get them in the NCAA tournament.

If I read this right, now that UK beat Florida, it will be the #2 seed as long as Ole Miss wins (they lead LSU by 13 at the half as of this post). If Ole Miss somehow lost, they'd need 'Bama to lose or else they'd be the 3 seed.

Great game by the Cats today. The team did a good job getting the game tied still at half even when WCS was out, because when he was on the floor they played great. Then also great job by WCS by not picking up that 5th foul. Just great effort by the whole team today. Which just makes things more frustrating because this is the effort we should have seen from the players all year long.

 

I do think the Cats are in the tournament now, and probably will be even if they lose their first game in the SEC tournament. However it would be nice to win at least one in the SEC tournament to be sure.

I can't recall the exact stat I recently saw. It was something like the highest RPI of any major conference team with 10 conference wins who did not make the tournament is 65. UK should be in the top 50 in RPI after this win.

I can't recall the exact stat I recently saw. It was something like the highest RPI of any major conference team with 10 conference wins who did not make the tournament is 65. UK should be in the top 50 in RPI after this win.

 

I mentioned a week or so ago that I didn't think UK was as close to being out as people thought. Because I had seen this same statistic you just talked about, and how the best RPI in history not to make it was 65. Now with today's win it should basically lock it up, but just to be sure they need to still try to win at least one in the SEC tournament.

I mentioned a week or so ago that I didn't think UK was as close to being out as people thought. Because I had seen this same statistic you just talked about, and how the best RPI in history not to make it was 65. Now with today's win it should basically lock it up, but just to be sure they need to still try to win at least one in the SEC tournament.

 

I agree. The wold card in this is Noel and the injury factor. The committee will look more closely at UK without Noel and discount the record with Noel a little. The good news is their two best wins have come with Noel out - Missouri and Florida. The bad news is they not won a game away from Rupp without Noel (0-3). That is where winning at Georgia would have likely sealed the deal for UK. Now, I agree with you that they need a win in round 1 of the SEC to remove all doubt. I still think they are likely in even if they lose in round 1 but I would not be totally shocked if they did not get in if that happens - surprised but not shocked.

Lunardi now has UK as the 2nd to last team in....AHEAD of Tennessee.

A great game by the Cats today, I certainly admit that I did not think that this team had what it took inside to get the win when they had to have it. WCS was imo the key to this win, he went out early in the 2nd half with four fouls and the Gators immediately go inside every time down and built an eight point (I think) lead. Cal had to put him back in earlier than he probably wanted to then WCS goes the rest of the way without fouling out. That was huge, had he fouled out U.K. loses this game, period. WCS also pulled down a huge rebound at a very critical time late. Poythress did pull down some rebounds but him and Goodwin scared me to death plenty of times as well.

As for the NCAA.....No, I don't think that we are necessarily in just with this win. That loss at UGA hurt bad. A win, maybe two in the SEC tourney more than likely puts the Cats in the tourney.

As Jimmy V. used to say......"Survive and Advance"!

 

GO BIG BLUE !!!

How about the great coaching move by Cal today to put WCS back in with 11 minutes to go even with 4 fouls. Most coaches would not take a chance to do that, but he knew Florida was on a run and the only hope UK had to still pull off the game was to put him in and hope he didn't get that 5th foul. It was a gutsy decision but a decision that definitely ended up being the right decision today.