By Nick Gray

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The odds of escaping a difficult non-conference schedule unbeaten get tougher for UK basketball as a three-game stretch against some of the nation’s best talent approaches.

If UK escapes this two-week stretch unscathed, then given the strength of the SEC, the possibility of UK ending the season undefeated remains a realistic scenario.

The three-game non-conference stretch consists of three programs that have a total of 19 combined national championships.

The fun begins on Saturday when North Carolina heads up to Rupp Arena in a rematch of last season’s game in Chapel Hill, a 82-77 UNC victory.

No. 21 UNC (6-2) has had a more challenging schedule compared to UK at this point, with losses to two potential NCAA Tournament teams in Butler and Iowa, but have also collected wins in the Bahamas against UCLA and Florida. The Tar Heels, much like the Cats, have struggled shooting from outside. They have shot a disappointing 29.8 percent from behind the arc with the majority of the shots coming from junior point guard Marcus Paige. Paige is typically a more efficient passer and finisher in the paint, but of his 93 shots, 53 have come from the three-point line.

The Tar Heels will also struggle to compete with UK’s size in the paint. Sophomore forward Kennedy Meeks, a 6-foot-9, 270-pound beast, averages more than 10 rebounds a game but is UNC’s only paint player who can physically play with the seven footers of UK.

Surrounding Meeks is a supporting cast that includes 6-foot-9-inch junior forward Brice Johnson. Johnson is second on the team in rebounding but his size is an issue. He is a thin 228 pounds and doesn’t have the strength to fight off the blocks.

The second game of the three-game stretch includes a matchup against an underwhelming UCLA team in Chicago. The Bruins have not been able to regain their footing after they lost three underclassmen to the NBA last season.

Because of that and a lack of talent to replace the departed, UCLA has lost two non-conference games already this season against Oklahoma and North Carolina.

However, UCLA had four guys averaging 11.9 points per game or more and six players 6-foot-9 or taller. Of all the teams during the final non-conference stretch for UK, the Bruins will potentially have the size to bear the brunt of UK’s physical defense.

The first true road game of the season for the Cats will be on Dec. 27 against a tough Louisville team. The Cardinals have victories against Ohio State and Indiana, but have also pummeled their fair share of cupcakes at home.

For UK to escape this difficult slate and enter the New Year undefeated, the Cats will need to find an offensive rhythm and a solution to its first half struggles. The three teams all present different problems for a UK team that has yet to play back-to-back games against national prominent teams.

If UK somehow survives December unblemished, then let the talk about ending the season undefeated begin, because the road will only get smoother before the bump that is March arrives.