Biggest game of the season so far?

[GOCAT15]

I know the UCLA game and the UNC game were big, and the KU game will be huge, but as of now won't the South Carolina game be the biggest of the season as of today?

South Carolina is a good team, but the SEC is still a weak conference and any home court loss will be detrimental to our 1 seed hopes.

They are 12-0 on the season when Thornwell is in the line-up.

[KevinHall]

I think it is. It is for the conference lead. A game UK needs if they expect a one seed in March. It would also be a win against a quality opponent. UK needs some more of those. I think UK will win this one. USC didn't appear to have a lot of firepower in their offense. Looks like Thornwell and and Dozier are their main offensive players. Shut either one of those two down and UK could win handily. This game will be either really close down to wire, low scoring game or UK will just blow the doors off of them. Last year was similar. USC, I don't think, had lost a game all season. UK totally blew them out in Columbia. It was also the game Cal was tossed in the first few minutes. If that is what it takes again, then do it, Cal!

[KevinHall]

Here's a link to the Game****************s stats and schedule.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/scar/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/stats/season_stats.pdf

[KCKUKFan]

The South Carolina that played Florida last night loses to Kentucky in Rupp by 25.

Of course, they'll look like world-beaters Saturday, but the SEC sucks and our season doesn't hinge on a win or loss on Saturday. USC will drop plenty of games between now and the end of the year, and so will Florida.

The only way Kentucky doesn't run away with the SEC crown is if we have a devastating injury. Bottom line.

[Joneslab]

^ OTOH, if the team we saw in the second half against Mississippi St. and Auburn and Vandy shows up, South Carolina could beat us.

Sindarius Thornwell can play. I think this is a pretty good team, but they do it differently than most other teams. Their MO is mostly about grit and toughness. Similar to Louisville but they're not quite the defensive team.

[GOCAT15]

Curious who the refs will be?

[KevinHall]

Curious who the refs will be?

It really doesn't matter. This will be another slugfest of a game. A rock fight as WIll calls it. I would place the over/under number of fouls between both teams at 60.

[BobS]

Our margin for error to get a 1 seed is extremely low, so every game is huge, IMO.

The SEC is awful but we have not been good enough to brush anyone off. Playing against UK is unlike playing against anyone else for these programs. While Cal is usually full of BS, he is right...we get their best and we are their Super Bowl.

I still think the Kansas game is the biggest game. We have failed to beat UCLA and UL and have only UNC on our list of big wins. Lose to KU at Rupp, like we did UCLA and any shot at the 1 seed is likely gone.

[George]

Our margin for error to get a 1 seed is extremely low, so every game is huge, IMO.

The SEC is awful but we have not been good enough to brush anyone off. Playing against UK is unlike playing against anyone else for these programs. While Cal is usually full of BS, he is right...we get their best and we are their Super Bowl.

I still think the Kansas game is the biggest game. We have failed to beat UCLA and UL and have only UNC on our list of big wins. Lose to KU at Rupp, like we did UCLA and any shot at the 1 seed is likely gone.

Without question. A regular-season matchup between UK and KU is the very definition of "big game."

If I'm being honest, I don't love our chances in that one. Our defense of late will get us killed.

[BobS]

Without question. A regular-season matchup between UK and KU is the very definition of "big game."

If I'm being honest, I don't love our chances in that one. Our defense of late will get us killed.

Totally agree. We are regressing on defense. And they have GREAT guards that can penetrate, which is a huge problem for us. Will have to play our best to win. The good news is that the crowd should definitely be in it. But they were for the UCLA game, so.....

[GOCAT15]

Without question. A regular-season matchup between UK and KU is the very definition of "big game."

If I'm being honest, I don't love our chances in that one. Our defense of late will get us killed.

We cannot get in foul trouble that game, Bam will have to be at his best, along with everyone else. I was really hoping KU would come into Rupp as the #1 team in the country, just for more motivation but Nova probably won't lose before then.

[Joneslab]

Efficiency-wise Kansas is a worse defensive team than Kentucky. Their fans have been fretting about their D since game one.

[Blue Heaven]

Saw today where USC has the #1 defense in the nation.

[Joneslab]

Saw today where USC has the #1 defense in the nation.

Yep.

#1 defense, #172nd offense.

That's crazy. I'm not sure if there's ever been a split like that in the history of those Pomeroy rankings.

[GOCAT15]

And we have the #2 offense per Pomeroy if I am not mistaken...should be a good one!