Seth Greenberg makes case for Kentucky as potential 2024 NCAA Tournament national champion
Despite Kentucky’s stunning 97-87 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, Seth Greenberg hasn’t lost faith in the Wildcats. On Sunday, the ESPN analyst named Kentucky as a team with the potential to win the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m going to throw a flier out and say Kentucky. Eventually, in the right bracket, that doesn’t have a guy that can break you down off the dribble and run a ton of high ball screens — Kentucky is the most talented team one through nine in the tournament. I think Kentucky can make a run,” Greenberg said.
Kentucky certainly showed off its upside in the final weeks of the regular season. The ‘Cats entered the SEC Tournament on a five-game win streak. The streak included wins over No. 13 Alabama and No. 4 Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena.
However, Kentucky’s potential wasn’t on display in its upset loss to the Aggies. In the defeat, UK couldn’t find a stop, allowing Texas A&M to shoot 46.4% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc. Texas A&M only scored 90 or more points twice this season. Both games were against Kentucky.
The ‘Cats have struggled against pick-and-roll reliant teams this season, lacking a big who can guard both the perimeter and paint. Additionally, Kentucky hasn’t handled physicality well, showing the drawbacks of their youth.
Kentucky hasn’t lost confidence in postseason potential
For Kentucky to make a run, Greenberg believes the conditions must be just right. Of course, there have been crazier things to happen in March. Kentucky head coach John Calipari certainly hasn’t lost faith in his team.
“We got some stuff to figure out,” Calipari said after his team’s loss in the SEC Tournament. “But this is an unbelievable group that I’m coaching. All I told ’em is they got to stick together now. We’ve been on a run, it’s all been fun, you win. All of a sudden you get dinged and now the real stuff starts next week. We got to be in the right frame of mind.”
In ESPN’s latest NCAA Tournament projections, Kentucky is a No. 4 seed. The top two teams in its region are Purdue and Iowa State; not ideal foes for a team who struggles against physical opponents. Nonetheless, nothing will be cemented until the selection committee’s official reveal on Sunday evening.
Kentucky forward Tre Mitchell is ready for whatever March Madness throws at his team.
“At the end of the day, we have a team full of hungry dudes that are going to stay in the gym,” Mitchell said. “This minor setback is going to motivate a lot of dudes to play that much harder come the tournament.”