I didn’t want to write about Kentucky basketball this season, just like last season. Last season I was unhappy with the team from day one until the K-State game, when I was actually embarrassed for the way my team played in the NCAA loss to a marginal Kansas State; especially after the bracket opened up like Moses parting the Red Sea, and we failed to take advantage of god’s benevolence.
I’ve liked this year’s team virtually all season, save for a pre-SEC Tournament tilt versus Tennessee when we were run out of the gym after demolishing them only 8 days before. We were humiliated and it wasn’t because of Reid Travis or PJ Washington being injured. Tennessee simply rocked our world, PERIOD. We got our chance of revenge in the SEC tourney and folded like a cheap suit, going from +8 to losing the game in less than three minutes left on the clock.
I honestly have no clue how Kentucky will fare in it’s remaining games, although (without bragging) I’m usually pretty spot on when I put my mind to assessing important games. Though I haven’t always been right, a betting man who followed my analysis would be EXTREMELY pleased had he/she followed my observations, to the point one pundit (vegas handicapper) once nicknamed me “Nostrathomas”. I enjoyed that nickname and chose to adopt it as cocky as it may sound.
If you’ve read any of my stuff you know that I’m a Kentucky fan who abhors North Carolina for reasons other than basketball (since I admire their program). It’s their obnoxious, and to my thinking ignorant of all things college basketball fans that I despise (some I consider friends so it’s their b-ball IQ that I have a problem with). Trust me when I say I know that many Kentucky fans are of the same ilk, but they’re not usually my friends). So… here you might keep that in mind as you factor my attempt at an. honest objective analysis. It’s a .03 slant.
NORTH CAROLINA IS HOT, KENTUCKY IS COLD
All I read this season of late is how HOT the Heels have been since December (14th to be exact). That’s the same day Kentucky handled North Carolina rather easily on a neutral court by 8 in a game that wasn’t that close.
OUTLIERS
December 14- That’s a great place to start though, as it throws out outliers like an opening season blowout of Kentucky by a formidable Duke squad. As bad as the Tennessee game was the Duke game was even worse. At least we were without a star player against Tennessee, which is still no excuse for that margin.
As for Carolina, no one could argue that a 23 point drubbing by Louisville in the friendly confines of the Dome as their outlier loss this season, oddly enough it was only three games after Louisville took a drubbing from Kentucky @ Louisville by 13.
REST OF SEASON
So… let’s see how HOT Carolina has been the last half of the season versus how COLD Kentucky has been. I mean, every pundit worth his (well, that’s a short list) overpaid salary as far as prognostication goes has Kentucky slipping in their Fantasy re-ranking the sweet sixteen while Carolina enjoys more and more platitudes each time some blowhard takes brain to paper. Fantasy can sometimes be uh… fantastical.
VERSUS SWEET SIXTEEN
Let’s see: Counting Kentucky beating Carolina head-to-head (sure anything can happen), since then Carolina has played 7 games versus sweet 16 teams, beating Duke (sans Zion) twice, and Virginia Tech and Florida State for a record of 4-3. They lost to Kentucky, Duke (with Zion) at home and Virginia at home.
Kentucky on the other hand beat Carolina (neutral) Auburn twice, Tennessee once for a 4-3 record. They lost to LSU at home, Tennessee twice. Of course, it would be unfair to mention that Kentucky has played without one of their two best players in 7 of their last games.
Like I said I don’t know if Carolina can stop Auburn like Kentucky has twice this season ( I know we guarded them like they were Wofford on Steroids). Or, if anyone can stop the juggernaut that is Houston. We’ll just have to wait and see. But, especially if you’re a betting man… I hope you glean just a little insight from the above. My guess is, whichever team you’re rooting for you’ll take this with a grain of salt. Like you probably should. Even Nostrathomas has bad days.
Advice: If you took Houston -2 think again. At least don’t mortgage the farm on it.
If you took Carolina +5 think again. It could be 20… either way.
-30——— then again, I could be wrong.
Sagaciously...Pugnacious 
So… how’d I do? Looks like Nostrathomas knows a little it about college basketball, if nothing else. Can’t count the number of times when I’ve put my mind to it (which is only once or twice a season) I’ve nailed it. To be fair, I hedged a little in this post because of… well, uncertainty? Check out other b-ball posts on here and at Sea of Blue, when “uncertainty” barely existed.
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