Kentucky's hole has gotten deeper after two straight losses. The 'Cats are running out of time to get things in order, so Wednesday's game against UGA looms large.
Cats Illustrated writers offer their thoughts and predictions.
What are you most interested in seeing in the UK-UGA game?
Jeff Drummond: I'm interested to see what kind of different lineup combinations (if any) John Calipari comes up with for this game after spending a lot of time talking Tuesday about analytics. The UK boss hasn't mentioned those a lot during his tenure with the Cats, but it seems like someone has urged him to reconsider the data. Perhaps Joel Justus, who has a background in such matters. Bottom line is that UK has to find a way to get the ball in the hoop more consistently, and the data is showing us that guys like Dontaie Allen and Jacob Toppin need to be playing more minutes.
David Sisk: I have no idea what to look for or expect tonight. It would be a positive if there are no great controversies after the game, and of course a win is the ultimate goal. The Cats are almost at the halfway point of the season, so I don’t think there are going to be any shining lights or epiphanies. It’s a game by game basis now. Even in a dismal season Kentucky should be better on paper, but this is on the road and will probably be another grinder.
Travis Graf: Will John Calipari actually follow through with his hints of tweaking things and jumbling up the lineups? That will be the story of this game to me. Can Kentucky put together stretches with one lineup that sticks out from the rest, then ride that the entire game? At this point, there’s not nearly as much to look into in regards to to Kentucky’s opponent, as the ‘Cats have to get things under control on their end of things. Georgia is an opponent that gives Kentucky more wiggle room to make changes than recent opponents Auburn and Alabama did.
What's your prediction for the game?
Drummond: This is one of those games when I usually pick the Cats because they typically play pretty well whenever the fan base gets as down as Big Blue Nation is now. This one feels kinda similar to the Auburn game in style. I think UK finds a way to sneak out of Athens with a win.
Kentucky 70, Georgia 63
Sisk: As bad as things have been I just don’t think Kentucky will lose on the road in an empty gym in Athens. I may be naive, but this may be one of their best chances to win for awhile. If Kentucky loses we haven’t seen the floor yet with them being underdogs in the next five games according to KenPom.
Kentucky 67 Georgia 65
Graf: Kentucky 67, Georgia 64. This game will be a rock fight, but at this point, Kentucky isn’t built to run with anyone so it might be for the best. Dontaie Allen has a career game from the outside and Kentucky has a lineup that sticks out and allows them to re-examine things moving forward.
