Business time: No. 5 Kentucky men's tennis set to begin SEC Tournament

The Kentucky Wildcats will begin their SEC Tournament campaign Friday morning in Auburn, AL. The No. 5 ranked ‘Cats will put their 21-4 (9-3) record on the line as they enter the postseason fray. Kentucky received the third seed for the conference tournament and will play in the top half of the bracket.

Kentucky comes into the SEC Tournament with a mixture of consistency. The Wildcats won their last two matches of the regular season against Vanderbilt and Florida. However, before UK picked up those wins they were on a two-match skid at the hands of the SEC’s best. All the regular season results are abandoned now, as it’ll be win-or-go-home scenarios in Kentucky’s next two competitions. While the SEC Tournament proves important, the ‘Cats look to be in good shape for a top-eight seed once the NCAA Tournament gets underway.

Kentucky’s first opponent? Well, let’s say it wasn’t the likeliest of matchups. The ‘Cats will face the 11-seed Alabama, which began at 10 a.m. Anything can still happen, but let’s just say the good fortunes have already started for Kentucky.

What to expect from Kentucky

The Wildcats have seen the Crimson Tide once before during SEC play. The result was a 6-1 Kentucky win in Tuscaloosa. However, Alabama is coming off a large upset of Mississippi State which occurred earlier today. The Tide topped the Bulldogs in a 4-3 thriller this afternoon.

While Alabama shouldn’t be overlooked, I think Kentucky should be quite happy with the way things played out. If chalk would have fallen, UK would have had to match up against a pesky Mississippi State squad. A Mississippi State side ranked inside the top-15 and battled the ‘Cats hard in Lexington earlier this season, taking them to the final point. It’s the SEC though, chalk doesn’t just fall. It’s Kentucky-Bama this morning.

If the Wildcats progress past Friday, they’ll get the winner of Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, which will take place after Kentucky’s match on Saturday. The quarterfinals are set for Friday, the semifinals on Saturday, and the grand finale will take place Sunday afternoon on the SEC Network. Here’s how the complete bracket checks out.