From: jb118@prism.gatech.EDU (Jeffrey N. Burch)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college
Subject: Re: #1 Kentucky hits the road
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:34:27 GMT
Organization: Georgia Tech Research Institute -- EOL

In article <8499@news.duke.edu> rjm1@acpub.duke.edu (ROBERT MACKENNA) writes:
>In article <79786@hydra.gatech.EDU> jb118@prism.gatech.EDU (Jeffrey N. Burch) writes:
>>Anybody who thinks that it is "easy" to get a win over Vanderbilt or
>>Alabama on their home courts knows too little about basketball to be
>>allowed to post to this newsgroup.  Anyone who thinks it is "easy" for
>>a team to play 3 consecutive conference games on the road doesn't 
>>know anything about traveling.
>
>Gee, thanks Doc.  Please quote me the part where I said it would be
>"easy".  

Gladly:

>Article 20941 of rec.sport.basketball.college:
>In article <1ir712INNrem@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> as232@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Lerner) writes:
>>are the only unbeaten teams left.  UK faces 3 straight road games in the
>>SEC: Vandy, Alabama, and South Carolina, then they entertain LSU at home.  I
>>guess we'll know what the Cats are made of shortly!

><Sarcasm On.>

>Boy, THOSE should be a couple of toughies.

><Sarcasm Off.>

>- Rob Mac K

I rest my case.   (Do you have some other intended meaning for your
sarcasm?)

>I have to disagree with the original post that "this week we'll
>find out what the 'Cats are made of" -- if this is UK's toughest stretch
>of the season, I'll eat my hat.  It may not be easy, but the nation's #1

UK hasn't had a particularly tough stretch in its games so far, even
though they've been less than impressive in a couple of them (against
Eastern Kentucky and St John's, for instance).

Here's the remainder of the UK schedule:

Jan 13	Wed	at Vanderbilt		
Jan 19	Tues	at Alabama
Jan 23	Sat	at South Carolina	
Jan 26	Tues	Louisiana State		
Jan 30	Sat 	Florida		
Feb 3	Wed	Mississippi State
Feb 6	Sat	Vanderbilt	
Feb 10	Wed	at Arkansas	
Feb 13	Sat	at Notre Dame	
Feb 17	Wed	South Carolina	
Feb 20	Sat	Georgia	
Feb 24	Wed	at Tennessee	
Feb 27	Sat	Auburn		
Mar 3	Wed	at Ole Miss
Mar 7	Sat	at Florida 
Mar 11-14	SEC Tournament

The three game stretch against one traditional power within the 
East and one within the Western SEC is the toughest stretch within 
10 days that I see, especially considering UK's record at both
locations.  

The toughest single remaining game is at Arkansas, which Kentucky
very easily could lose, but the Vandy warmup at home beforehand
and the Notre Dame game afterwards shouldn't be too tough.  The
only other stressful week for them prior to the NCAAs would be
at the conference tournament (in Rupp this year), and those 
pairings won't be know until later.

>team (TM) should be able to beat all three of these guys.  I won't deign
>to address South Carolina, Alabama isn't half the team it used to be
>(although still a far cry from, say, Auburn) and IMH(but
>undistinguished)O Vandy isn't as good as advertised.  They may lose one
>of these games, but I'd be disappointed if I were you.

I imagine Kentucky fans would be disappointed at a loss to any of 
them, but we have to be realistic about our team's chances.  Although
not impossible, it is highly unlikely that UK will go undefeated this 
season.  The most probable losses almost certainly are in away games,
and Vandy, Bama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and perhaps Florida are all
candidates.

>I'd rather play this road swing than one game at Tech, but I guess we
>all knew that. :-) 

Maybe.  UK lost to Tech by 1 in the Omni last year, then beat them
by 9 in Rupp this year.  They'll get another chance at Tech next year
in the Georgia Dome at the Kuppenheimer.

It would be surprising if Pitino would rather play one game against
Tech rather than 3 conference games on the road.  

>>Extra clue:  Vanderbilt is still #23 in the CNN/USA Today poll for this
>>week.  Not exactly chopped liver.
>
>Below Georgetown, among other distinguished Top 20 wanna-bes.  Who had
>the bright idea of this Top 25 crap, anyway?

Well, I wouldn't put unreasoning faith in it, but it is voted on by
people who more or less make their living at the sports or covering it
in the press, and they certainly see more games than the average or even 
above average fan.

Georgetown is almost certainly getting its votes based on past
reputation or expectations for the future, rather than performance to 
date this season.  I rather doubt the same can be said for Vanderbilt.

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