Bracketology: Kentucky Projecting as No. 7 Seed on Selection Sunday

The Wildcats will likely be staring at a No. 7 next to their name when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Sunday evening.

Happy Selection Sunday, to all who celebrate. 

Kentucky basketball did itself no favors in the SEC Tournament, bowing out in the quarterfinals after a disappointing 80-73 loss to Vanderbilt on Friday night. While the Wildcats had ducked the bubble over the last couple weeks of the regular season, it still had plenty to play for in Nashville in regards to seeding for the NCAA Tournament. 

A second loss to the Commodores in the span of nine days has played in a factor in Bracketology projections, though it's a negative one. UK (21-11) entered the week hovering around the No. 6 seed line, while a solid showing inside Bridgestone Arena could've jumped it to the one of the four No. 5 slots. 

Instead, you'll find plenty of No. 7's from resident Bracketologists around the college basketball landscape: 

ESPN

With everyone and their mother now containing a bracket model and an idea as to how the Selection Committee lays things out, Joe Lunardi has become a polarizing figure. The reasoning may seem odd at times, but the man is still nicknamed Joey Brackets for a reason. 

Lunardi has had Kentucky moving all over the eight first weekend sites throughout his ever-changing projections, but he's now sending the Cats out west to Sacramento, placing them in the West Region alongside a heavy-hitter and team that has already defeated them this season:

Via ESPN

The Round of 64 matchup would pin UK against Boise State, one of the powers that be over in the Mountain West Conference. The teams have played each other just once, when Kentucky defeated the Broncos 70-55 thanks to 21 points from James Young and a double-double from Willie Cauley-Stein. 

Say the Cats win, a likely rematch against UCLA would await in the Round of 32. The Bruins defeated UK 63-53 in the CBS Sports Classic back on Dec. 17 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

Coach Mick Cronin's team lost to Arizona in the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament, but it will also enter March Madness down a key player. In UCLA's regular-season finale, starting forward Jaylen Clark suffered an achilles injury that will force him to miss the postseason. Clark scored 15 points and had eight rebounds against Kentucky and averaged 13.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG this season.

Looking at other fun matchups, Kentucky could avenge its Sweet 16 loss to Kansas State in 2018 if both teams reached that same point again in this projected bracket. K-State won 61-58 that night, with free throws being the end-all be-all for UK. 

(More on free throws here.)

CBS Sports

Unlike Lunardi, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has been dead set on the Wildcats heading to Sacramento for the first weekend. He stands by that in his updated bracket entering Sunday, also pitting UK against the Boise State Broncos:

Via CBS Sports

Very similar stuff. No. 7-seeded UK would have an opportunity to avenge a regular-season loss in the second round, only this time it would be against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

Mark Few's Zags got the better of John Calipari's Cats in Spokane on Nov. 20, winning 88-72 in what was a lopsided affair. Once again kings of the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga isn't carrying the same auora as normal this March, but it's still worthy of being labeled a top contender. 

Kentucky has previous success against Baylor, winning seven of its nine games against the Bears all-time. The two most recently squared off in the Big 12/SEC Challenge in 2013, which saw a 67-62 win for BU. UK vanquished the Bears en route to its National Championship in 2012, winning 82-70 in the Elite Eight. 

Also featured is fellow blue-blood Duke, which made a statement over the weekend, winning the ACC Tournament. Houston is the No. 1 seed in Lunardi's projection as well as Palm's. The Cats last win in the Big dance came over the Cougars in the Sweet 16 in 2019. 

The Athletic 

Here's something different for the Wildcats, courtesy of Brian Bennett's Sunday morning projections for The Athletic:

Via The Athletic

Bennett is keeping the Wildcats on the six line in what looks to be a much more favorable draw. Kentucky would get the winner of a First Four game in Dayton, meaning it would have the rest edge on its opponent. 

Des Moines is certainly not as westward as Sacramento, and the East Region would mean the second weekend games happening in MSG in New York City instead of Sacramento. 

The last time that Kentucky and Marquette squared off was in 2008, when the Cats lost 74-66 in the Round of 64. The all-time series between the two schools is 7-7.

Deuce2Sports

Now, you may be thinking, 'what the hell is Deuce2Sports?'

Fair question. If you head over to Bracket Matrix, which catalogues basically every Bracketology projection under the sun, you'll see that Deuce2Sports was actually the "winner" in terms of having the best projection in 2022. 

With that in mind, here's its bracket: 

Via Deuce2Sports

Kentucky would be a No. 7 seed, taking on Big East foe Providence and former Wildcat forward Bryce Hopkins. 

Hopkins averages 16.1 PPG and 8.5 RPG, a huge bump up from his time at UK. The Friars hold the same 21-11 record as the Cats and have gone through the ringer in one of the best conference's in the country. 

Kentucky has won all three prior meetings against Providence, with the most recent coming via a 58-38 win at Rupp Arena in 2014. 

A second round matchup against Texas would stir the pot like no other, as rumors floated around during the middle of the season that there was contact between the Longhorns and Calipari in regards to their coaching vacancy in Austin. 

Those talks were struck down rather quickly, but the game would still be tough for the Cats. Texas won the Big 12 Tournament, blasting by Kansas — a probable No. 1 seed — in the process. 

Wildcats Today will have updates as the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed. 

Kentucky needs to get healthy, fast. More HERE.

More on the loss to the Commodores HERE.

Everything Calipari said after the loss HERE.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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