FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As a rule, John Calipari downplays the annual SEC men’s basketball tournament. Deems it unnecessary. Claims it rarely changes seeding for the Big Dance. Says it’s primarily for the fans. The Kentucky coach always says his team will try to bring home the trophy, of course, but if it loses, no big deal. The important stuff comes next.
This year might be a bit different, however. This year, as the No. 3 seed in this week’s gathering at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., the Cats might have something to prove, not just to the NCAA Tournament selection committee, or the public at large, but to themselves.
We know what this team is capable of doing. We saw it again Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Playing without a traditional point guard in a hostile environment against a team in the top 20 in the NCAA NET rankings, Kentucky took apart the Arkansas Razorbacks in impressive fashion 88-79.
