By Kevin Erpenbeck

kerpenbeck@kykernel.com

A month before the start of the NCAA Tournament, UK Hoops’ goal of hosting postseason games at Memorial Coliseum seemed in doubt. The Cats had just lost to Ole Miss, a solid bubble team for the tournament, as part of their three-game losing streak.

Then, a switch flipped. UK won its final two games of the regular season, including an upset over then-No. 2 South Carolina.

But the Cats weren’t done there. Needing at least one more solid win to secure a hosting 4-seed, they did one better, beating then-No. 11 Mississippi State after downing Vanderbilt to make it to the program’s sixth straight SEC semifinals appearance.

Now less than a week away from Selection Monday, UK is virtually a lock for hosting, which is quite a leap from the low point of the season.

“We’re ready for the NCAA Tournament,” sophomore guard Makayla Epps said. Epps was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.3 points and four assists during the conference tournament.

So is head coach Matthew Mitchell. After UK’s loss to Tennessee in the semifinals, Mitchell said he believes that his team is no worse than a 3-seed, given what it accomplished in the last few games.

Epps agreed.

“We accomplished a lot. Everybody thought Kentucky was down and out when we took those three losses in a row, but then we upset the No. 2 team,” she added. “We shouldn’t be above a 4 (seed) at the most and have certainly earned a 3 (seed).”

UK has some losses stacked against it, though. At 23-9, the Cats may be on the outside looking in for a 3-seed when compared to other teams that have four to six losses, and even undefeated Princeton (30-0).

But the Cats aren’t without significant wins either. In the second game of the season, UK topped Baylor, a team that is in the conversation for a 2-seed in the tournament. The Cats also beat Louisville, another potential 2-seed, Top 15- ranked Mississippi St. twice and aforementioned South Carolina. According to ESPN’s Charlie Creme’s latest Bracketology post, UK has beaten a total eight tournament teams.

Sophomore guard Linnae Harper said that no matter the seed the team receives on Monday, the SEC Tournament prepared the team for the grind and insanity of the NCAAs.

“Every game was tough, and it tested us mentally, physically and emotionally,” Harper said. “That’s what makes it different than any other conference. But all those games were needed, and the results are really going to help us for the NCAA Tournament.”

Epps would prefer if people focused more on the three-straight losses the team endured rather than the comeback, though. It gives her the extra motivation to prove the critics wrong.

“A lot of people might be sleeping on us,” Epps said. “I hope it stays that way. We can make some upsets in the tournament and turn some heads.”