With March less than two weeks away, it’s an important time for college basketball teams. Some are trying for a signature win to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble. Others are trying to improve their seeding in the Big Dance.
Kentucky finds itself with five games remaining on the schedule, beginning with a contest at Auburn on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). UK head coach Mark Pope knows that the next few weeks will determine the success of his team’s season.
“It’s just a matter of who is going to raise up and win. We have five games left. It’s winning time,” Pope said. “This is the best part of the season. It’s the best part of the year. This last stretch in conference (play) and in the conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament is what you live your whole life for.”
Pope knows that this is when great teams can dig deep and focus on the task at hand.
“It’s when the other stuff fades away,” he said. “The distractions of numbers and playing time and stats and money and all the noise, it goes away and you’re judged and defined on winning. So this is the best time.”
Auburn poses a tough task for the Cats on Saturday. The Tigers are 14-12 this season, but have proven that they can beat just about anyone.
“They knocked off the best teams in our league,” Pope said of Auburn. “Florida on the road, beat Arkansas. So, they’re one of those teams that’s really, really good when they’re at their best, and then they’ve had some struggles. They’re talented, they’re skilled. (Tahaad) Pettiford, obviously, has been a problem in this league. He’s really good.”
Winning time is here and Pope is working to make sure his team is ready for the important weeks ahead.
