Teams Headed in Opposite Directions

The NCAA basketball regular season is winding to a close, with conference tournaments on the horizon and March Madness just weeks away.

As teams battle for higher seeds in their conference tournaments it is a good time to look at two teams moving up and two moving down as the postseason nears.

Moving Up

Arkansas is moving up and with its win on Thursday over SEC rival Kentucky; the Razorbacks are doing what other bubble teams in the SEC cannot do: win.

With their win last night over Kentucky to sweep their series with the Wildcats, the Razorbacks have won four straight and sit 4-5 against top 50 RPI’s. Arkansas is 3-1 over their past 4 games on the road.

Louisville has a number of new faces this season and that has taken time for the team to gel and build team chemistry. However, things have come together since the New Year. The Cardinals have lost just once since January 9, giving them 11 wins in their past 12 games overall. The Cardinals are peaking just when they need to, which is similar to last season when they won the National Championship.

Moving Down

The Kentucky Wildcats lost to Arkansas in overtime on Thursday. It was the second loss in overtime against Arkansas this season. However, there is still hope for this Wildcats team.

Kentucky has struggled this season without an upperclassmen leader to help the freshmen stars maintain their poise during tight games.

Nevertheless, the team might have three to four NBA first round picks and that gives them a chance to win in any game they take the court. The question is whether they can put everything together and maintain great play through the postseason.

The Wildcats have eight players, who were McDonald’s All-Americans, but thus far, things have not fully gelled and consistency is not a word in Kentucky’s vocabulary.

Winning 21 of 28 games for many programs would be a great season, but for a team that had one of the best or possibly the best recruiting classes every in NCAA basketball history that cannot even defeat opponents on a weak SEC, means something is out of whack. Let us hope that changes for Kentucky’s sake.

Iowa last season had many missed opportunities. However, the team reached the NIT championship. Players, coaches and fans believed the team this season could compete for the conference crown and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

However, at this time Iowa is heading south quickly. Iowa lost on Thursday to Indiana a Big Ten team that is below .500.

The Indiana game was one they were supposed to win. They have also lost to Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State and twice to Wisconsin, all by single digits.

The defense has given up 95 and 93 points in its past two losses. The Hawkeyes have lost three straight, but should still have their name called when Selection Sunday rolls around.

However, if they continue their free fall they could become a low seed and face an elite team to open the tournament.