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Cats fans could be excused for dozing off after seeing the schedule UK has faced over the first 14 games of the season. A road blowout loss to North Carolina and a home loss to Miami stand out from an otherwise snooze-worthy first two months of the schedule.

Directional schools and ambiguously titled schools like Mississippi Valley State, Lamar and Longwood made up most of the opening stretch of the season for the Cats. Sure, there were wins against lower-tier BCS-conference schools like Kansas State and West Virginia. There was even the pummeling of a wounded Indiana, a team that was a mere shadow of its school’s vaunted past. But those games were the exception to the rule.

UK disposed of its latest opponent in the two-month game of “I didn’t know they had a basketball team” Monday with its 84-52 victory over Central Michigan.

I’m here to tell the slumbering Big Blue Nation: It’s time to come out of your hibernation. The season starts now.

“It’s going to get very difficult as we go forward,” UK coach Billy Gillispie said.

The Cats’ first test comes Sunday with their annual intra-state rivalry matchup against Louisville. Yes, that Louisville, the one with the familiar coach and the pre-season accolades.

“It’s a big rivalry,” freshman walk-on guard, and Paintsville, Ky., native Landon Slone said. “I can’t wait. I’ve grown up being a big UK fan, so it’s been fun watching it.”

Sunday’s game will likely mark just the second time this season the Cats will enter as steep underdogs. Yes, UofL has two surprising losses on its resume: One to a slightly less prestigious basketball school from Kentucky, Western Kentucky University, and one to another coach who used to roam UK’s sideline, Tubby Smith-led Minnesota.

But the Cardinals are talented, likely more so than the Cats, and their over-confidence has likely been erased after the two previously mentioned losses.

After their showdown at Freedom Hall, the road doesn’t get much easier. The Cats will return home to open Southeastern Conference play on Jan. 10 against Vanderbilt before heading on a two-game road trip to Tennessee and Georgia.

When asked to compare the first 14 games with the upcoming schedule, Gillispie didn’t mince words.

“I would assume that it’s not anywhere close to what we’ll face over the next 17 games.”

Monday’s game marked the end of the cupcake portion of the Cats’ schedule. A sterling defensive performance, another inspired effort from Rupp Arena’s new favorite son, Landon Slone, and another impressive scoring performance from the Cats’ lethal Jodie Meeks left a favorable impression on the minds of fans considering the pre-conference schedule.

But all those positive vibes mean little starting Sunday. The schedule gets tougher, and the Cats will need to match their recent impressive performances with equally strong showings down the road.

“I think we still have work to do,” junior guard Michael Porter said. “But I think we have enough guys to go and play against those kinds of teams and beat those teams.”

The good news for Catsfans is they won’t have to wait long to find out. The real test starts now.