College basketball has gone past the halfway point of the conference season. Now every game takes on greater importance for the teams that are trying to make the NCAA Tournament. FanHouse will take a look at the teams that find themselves somewhere between the NCAA and NIT.Team: Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 19-8 (8-4 SEC)
Good Wins: At Tennessee, Tennessee, Florida, Kansas State (neutral site) and West Virginia (neutral site)
Bad Losses: VMI and at Vanderbilt
Comments: The Wildcats, have only one absolutely inexplicable loss this season. For the most part, they have beaten the teams below them, lost to the teams above them and split with the teams somewhere in the same vicinity as them.
Their good wins are against teams that are slightly above them and balanced by losses to teams that are slightly below or equal. Teams like Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Miami. Kentucky has been a distinctly average team in a major conference.
Other Views: Kentucky comes in at 62nd in RPI, the Basketball State has them 53d, while the Sagarin Ratings have them at 41st.
Verdict: Aside from winning the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats' season comes down to their final four games. They have to go to South Carolina and end the season at Florida. In between, they have home games with LSU and Georgia. A split would not be particularly impressive, much like their performance all season. But it would probably be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.
