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As we predicted Kentucky hit an iceberg with North Carolina losing 75-68.
Like the Tarheels' game a few days before the difference was at the charity stripe where North Carlina outshot the Wildcats 22-17, but unlike the Ohio State game, North Carolina outshot Kentucky 21-15 from beyond the arc, with Kentucky shooting an ice-cold 20 percent.
North Caroline is gaining a reputation as a mentally touch defensive team,, which if true will carry them all the way though the tournament, somewhere we expect Kentucky may not go this year.
A glaring problem in this game for Kentucky was turnovers. Kentucky turned over the ball 22-9 to the Tarheels. What we saw was just simple sloppy errors that should have been worked out months ago, such as double dribbles, fundamental mistakes, easily corrected or exacerbated by the quality of coaching.
With this last game Kentucky is 4-3 and not likely to improve much over the course of the next three weeks. We expect to see Kentucky in significant trouble by the time the Wildcats' SEC conference sked kicks in after the first of the year.
Kentucky's schedule is not terribly difficult and they are in the eastern division where their only ranked rival will be Florida, both games we expect Kentucky to lose.
A number of their conference games are with the western division and should give cause for concern, namely Alabama, who will give everyone in the SEC fits with their roster and LSU who is expected to be in the NCAA Mens Tournament this spring.
Alabama is a road game and LSU is a home game, but Arkansas which is currently at 7-1 must also be a major hurdle for the Wildcats when they go to Fayetteville in early February.
Before their conference slate Kentucky must also meet Indiana and Louisville, with Louisville being the tough road game.
A lot can happen between now and January in college basketball, and we hope for Tubby Smith's sake something positive happens, but Kentucky may well be facing another difficult year.
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