Two games into their Southeastern Conference men's basketball schedule, the Kentucky Wildcats had needed overtime to topple Ole Miss and double overtime to escape Texas A&M.
Today they don't look so vulnerable.
John Calipari's top-ranked and undefeated Wildcats are the overwhelming favorites to stroll through this week's SEC tournament in Nashville, which tips off Wednesday night when 12th-seeded Mississippi State faces 13th-seeded Auburn and 11th-seeded South Carolina meets 14th-seeded Missouri. Kentucky completed a 31-0 regular season and an 18-0 run through SEC play this past Saturday with a 67-50 win over Florida.
"I thought they would get beat in the regular season after we played them, but I don't see anybody beating them in our league," Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said during Monday's league teleconference. "It will be very difficult to beat them if they keep playing like they've been playing. They don't beat themselves, so you would have to have some help from Kentucky.
"You would need them to play selfish and to have two or three guys injured. A lot of things would have to happen."
Painting it blue
SEC schools and the number of times each has won the league tournament (with most recent occurrence): * Kentucky 27 (2011) * Alabama 6 (1991) * Florida 4 (2014) * Tennessee 4 (1979) * Miss. State 3 (2009) * Georgia 2 (2008) * Ole Miss 2 (2013) * Vanderbilt 2 (2012) * Auburn 1 (1985) * Arkansas 1 (2000) * LSU 1 (1980) South Carolina, Missouri and Texas A&M have yet to win the SEC tournament.
The Wildcats open tournament play Friday afternoon, when they face the winner of Thursday's early game between eighth-seeded Florida and ninth-seeded Alabama.
Kentucky has won 27 SEC tournaments, including 10 of 13 from 1992 to 2004, but the Wildcats haven't cut down the nets at this event since winning consecutive crowns in 2010 and 2011. Bridgestone Arena is hosting the tournament a year after it was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and a sea of blue supporters is expected inside the 19,395-seat facility.
"It's postseason basketball, and anything can happen, but beating Kentucky is going to be difficult for anybody," South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. "I remember in 1985, when everybody said Georgetown had no chance of losing, and then Villanova shot better than 67 percent from the floor and beat them. It's a one-game deal with a different set of emotions."
Said Georgia's Mark Fox: "Kentucky has a great fan base, but I don't know if they've had a fan make a basket yet. You still have to worry about their team, and they've got a great team."
One Las Vegas website has given Kentucky a 78.4 percent chance of winning this week's tournament, with second seed Arkansas given just a 6.8 percent chance and third-seeded Georgia a 3.5 percent opportunity.
Calipari is no fan of conference tournaments, and this year's Wildcats will be the NCAA tournament's top overall seed regardless of what transpires in Nashville. This is, however, his first Kentucky team to enter the league event unblemished.
"I just want the kids focused on why we're doing this this week," Calipari said. "Next week will be about us. For us, our fans make an effort to get here, and it's not easy. They do it, and that's why I'm saying let's play for them."
Though he has the team to beat, Calipari said the SEC is not lacking for challengers. Joe Lunardi, the NCAA tournament bracket analyst for ESPN, has Kentucky projected as a 1 seed, Arkansas a 5 seed, Georgia a 9 seed, and LSU and Ole Miss each a 10 seed.
Texas A&M, which was upset at home Saturday by Alabama, is now listed by Lunardi among the first four teams out.
"There are so many storylines for our league," Calipari said. "Georgia is all beat up and injured, and Mark keeps them alive. Vanderbilt is younger than us, and they've won seven of eight, or whatever they've done, and are playing out of their minds. Mississippi gets dinged but still has a team that can win it, and LSU goes to Arkansas without (Jordan) Mickey and wins.
"We could go on and on. This is going to be crazy."
Odds and ends
Kentucky freshman forward Karl Anthony-Towns was named Monday as SEC player of the week, becoming the first Wildcats player this season to earn the honor. ... Fox isn't sure whether Kenny Gaines (sprained foot) will play this week but is "pretty confident" the junior guard will be ready by the NCAA tournament. ... Auburn senior guard Antoine Mason returned to practice Monday after missing both games last week following the death of his father, former NBA standout Anthony Mason. ... Florida's Billy Donovan said most coaches would be in favor of expanding the 68-team NCAA field but did not know what the appropriate amount of teams would be.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.