Expert says UK’s ‘glimmer’ dim for NCAA

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What was once a high -profile Southeastern Conference matchup has less appeal after UK lost to Georgia on Wednesday. The Cats will face Florida on Saturday in Gainesville, Fla., in what was once hailed as an “NCAA tournament play-in game.”

Rivals.com’s basketball editor, Michael Huguenin, who also does NCAA bracket projections, said neither UK or Florida (21-9, 8-7 SEC) have a shot to make the NCAA tournament if they don’t win the SEC tournament.

“UK fans will have one more chance to see their team play at Rupp Arena,” Huguenin said. “They’ll just have to see them play in the NIT.”

Playing in the National Invitational Tournament is one thing the Cats don’t want to prepare for, nor are they used to doing so. UK (19-11, 8-7 SEC) has not missed the NCAA tournament since 1991, when they were coming off a probation period.

However, UK head coach Billy Gillispie said during a Thursday teleconference that the Cats aren’t looking to any postseason play just yet.

“We’re trying to make the NCAA tournament just like everyone else,” Gillispie said. “If it gets to that point then we’ll talk about it at that time, but right now we’re trying to do everything we can to get into the NCAA tournament, the tournament everybody wants to play in.”

UK head coach Billy Gillispie looks on during the Cats’ 90-85 loss to Georgia on Wednesday. The Cats are in danger of missing their first NCAA tournament since 1991. Photo by Kristin Sherrard | Staff

While Gillispie is staying positive about the situation, Huguenin said a lot needs to happen for the Cats to even be considered as a tournament team. Unlike previous years when bubble teams were more worried about what happens in the mid-major conference tournaments, Huguenin said the Cats need to worry more about the major conferences.

He said teams like Butler and Gonzaga, which are mid-major programs, are locks for the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens in their conference tournaments, but a lot of the bubble teams reside in the SEC, the Big East, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 12 and the Big 10.

“If you’re a power conference school, you are worried more about the other power conferences,” Huguenin said.

Huguenin said another thing that is hurting the Cats’ chances of dancing is their RPI ranking. The Cats currently sit in the No. 78 spot in the RPI according to www.realtimerpi.com. The lowest-ranked RPI to ever receive an at-large NCAA bid was New Mexico in 1999 at No. 74.

With many experts such as Huguenin saying the SEC is down this year, and with the way the Cats have closed out the season, they are hanging by the smallest of threads to even be considered for March Madness.

“The SEC isn’t very good this year,” Huguenin said. “With UK’s recent losses, they need to win the SEC tournament or at least get to the SEC championship game to even have a glimmer of hope of being mentioned for the tournament.”