Beech Tree News Network

I've had a good sports writer week for a couple of reasons. First, my NFL picks went well, and I was beginning to wonder if I could correctly pick football games. So I needed it. Second, it seems I'm in touch with my readers, and we agree. In fact we agree famously.

Last week I asked a question of my readers. Is it realistic for the Kentucky basketball Wildcats to be shooting for a 40-0 season, or is running the board in this age of college hoops just a pipe dream?

I was pleased that I had quite a few answers, but I was shocked at the overwhelming response. Not a single person, not one, thought that the Wildcats can run the table and go 40-0. I don't think so either, and after watching a couple of scrimmage games I've got reasons.

First, nobody on this team seems ready to step-up and make it "his" team. When the Wildcats won the title in 2012 there were a couple of guys on the squad that took it on themselves to be leaders. Specifically, senior Darius Miller was always ready to jerk a knot in a teammate's tail when they needed it. This team doesn't have that. I have hopes that Jarrod Polson might be that player by tournament time, but we will have to wait and see.

Second, with all the talent Coach Cal has amassed in Lexington there might not be a true "go-to" guy on this team. In 2012 Terrence Jones started the year as the answer man, and by the tournament he had been joined by Anthony Davis, Doran Lamb, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the guys that would make a huge play when the Cats needed one. The super-loaded edition of the Cats we have this year doesn't have that guy yet, and might not develop one. With so much talent it's going to be an easy trap to fall into to find the guy that's hot on a given night and use them in clutch time. Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein are the returning players with the most experience, but not quality experience. And let's not forget that they didn't make a title run last year, they fell flat and lost to Robert Morris in the NIT opener.

Third, in 2012 everyone knew the Cats would be good, but nobody spent the better part of 18 months touting their greatness. Not so with this team. This squad has had a bullseye squarely planted on its back since before the start of last season. It was impossible to watch the 2013 UK team without hearing multiple mentions of how dominant and awesome the incoming class of recruits was going to be. Even on the night of Louisville's championship the talking heads were still talking about how great Kentucky was going to be this season. The result is hundreds of players and coaches across the NCAA landscape that would do anything to knock off Kentucky, and write their team into history by being the line blemish on the Cats' season.

Finally, the Cats have a tough early schedule. Kentucky will face North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Baylor on the road, Providence on the road, will host Louisville, and match up against #2 Michigan State all before the New Year. I honestly think the undefeated season will end in one of those games. If not they will have ample opportunity to lose on the road at Florida, Tennessee, and Vandy in the Southeastern Conference regular season. Then there's the conference tourney, which always seems to throw a game at top UK teams where they can stumble.

I don't think the 40-0 talk is bad. It gives the young Cats a lofty goal and could inspire them to great heights. However I do think the longer the run toward 40-0 gets, the harder it's going to be to get there. I don't mind the talk, but I don't want this team to set itself up for a fall in March or April. Personally I think the best thing would be to take an early loss, come back to earth, and focus on winning a championship.

One thing is for sure. It's going to be a lot of fun for UK fans, and basketball fans in general, to watch this team come together. And if they manage to go 40-0 I'm sure no UK fan will mind.

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I had a good week last week with my NFL picks. I was a solid 11-2 on the week to drive my season record to 77-42. That's not as good as I wanted to be at this point in the season, but it could be worse. I missed the Thursday night game thanks to Andy Dalton's 3 interceptions, so I'm one down going into the rest of the week.

My winners this week are; Chiefs, Cowboys, Titans, Saints, Chargers, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Packers.

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