10 Thoughts

Couple of quick posts here as we wrap up what has been a very exciting and very intense SEC Tournament.

First, ten thoughts on the Tourney in general:

1. Kentucky is ready for March Madness. The poise and "refuse to lose" attitude on display when the Cats had their backs against the wall should give fans a lot to look forward to as we head into the NCAA Tournament.
2. Tennessee may be the UN-classiest team in the nation, let alone the conference. Constantly jawing with officials and opponents, maliciously elbowing an opponent in the groin, and a general "me first" attitude are all prime examples. And what's worse, it all stems from their coach.
3. The SEC West made a much better showing than anyone, especially me, expected. Miss. State made it to the finals by knocking off Florida and Vanderbilt and Tennessee was taken to the wire by an otherwise awful LSU squad. Or maybe the East just had a poor showing.
4. Great to see the Big Blue Nation swarm another SEC Tournament venue and absolutely dominate the crowd.
5. I don't think I've seen John Calipari as animated on the sidelines as he was this weekend. I know he's consistently said that the SEC titles mean nothing, but I think he's as happy as anybody to be crowned champion.
6. Can the Cats dance or what? Those pregame tunnel routines are a hell of a lot of fun to watch!
7. The shot selection in the tournament was a lot better than it had been down the stretch in the regular season. The Cats were focused on working the ball inside out and didn't force threes. As a result, Patterson and Cousins were really effective and the guards knocked down the outside shots when the team needed them most.
8. How great is it to beat UT by thirty? That team has been overrated all year and I think they'll be bounced from the big dance in the first round.
9. The Wildcats' conditioning seems to be a non-issue. Even as we went into the overtime against Mississippi State, nobody seemed especially tired and I think our depth really helps with that.
10. What a relief to be able to watch the Selection special without any worry about what seed we'll be or whether we make the field of 65 for that matter! Although according to Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology, the 8/9 game in Kentucky's bracket is Oklahoma St. and yes, you guessed it, Louisville.