As the final seconds ticked off Kentucky's 88-54 win over Brown to usher in the New Year, thoughts immediately turned to what could be an unprecedented gauntlet looming in SEC play.
The No. 10 Wildcats will open the league schedule on Saturday at Rupp Arena against a 13-0 Florida squad. The Gators are one of 10 SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll this week.
Only one of the conference's 16 teams has more than two losses entering January, while No. 1 Tennessee, No. 6 Florida, and No. 13 Oklahoma remain undefeated.
First-year Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has labeled the approaching league schedule as a "bloodbath" but also an exciting time for those who want to compete at the highest level of the college game.
"Every game, you're going to walk in, and it's going to feel like a toss-up," Pope said of the looming 18-game SEC slate.
In preparing the Cats for the gauntlet, he is stressing three things: execution, communication, and resolve.
"What does your team's execution look like? How capable are you (of) communicating on the floor? Executing on the floor? I think it's going to come a lot down to resolve. Like, how much frustration are you capable of enduring? Where is your emotional reservoir at? I know that sounds like soft skills, but that's actually defining features of great games," the UK boss said.
He compared the required approach to league play to the mindset NBA players need on a night-to-night basis.
"You can't get too high or too low because you don't have time to emotionally rehab from letting yourself be devastated or elated," Pope said. "You play the No. 3 team in the country, and two days later you go on the road to play the No. 1 team in the country, and then you are playing the No. 10 team in the country."
The Cats, who have tested themselves in the non-conference schedule against the likes of No. 4 Duke, No. 19 Gonzaga, and P4 opponents like Clemson, Louisville, and Ohio State, say they are ready to take on the challenge.
“The league is super-talented," said grad senior forward Andrew Carr, who has previously experienced competition in a deep league as a player at Wake Forest. "For us to be as prepared as we possibly can to go out there and win a national championship, which is what this league will prepare us to do, I think."
Freshman guard Travis Perry, who is starting to take on more minutes at point guard to keep starter Lamont Butler fresh, has always looked forward to these upcoming games.
"You know, I've watched SEC basketball for forever, so to be able to be a part of it is something that I'm excited for, and I'm excited for our team to go face that challenge," said the Bluegrass State's reigning "Mr. Basketball" and state champion from Lyon County.
Carr added that one of the big keys to SEC play is finding a way to summon high intensity for every game, even against the teams at the bottom of the league standings.
Fellow grad senior big man Amari Williams agreed.
"There's no team that you can take a game off," he said.
