Kentucky Loss to Tennessee at Home is Unacceptable and Will Cost Wildcats in NCAA Tournament Seeding

The Kentucky Wildcats enjoyed a comfortable 42-31 halftime lead over Tennessee in a Tuesday night SEC clash in Lexington.

Then the wheels fell off in the second half and the Volunteers came away with an 81-73 victory. This is a disastrous loss for Kentucky that will likely drop the team to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 6 ranked Wildcats were hovering around being a No. 2 seed according to projections. The team was riding an eight-game win streak that just featured a victory over No. 17 Auburn. Kentucky even jumped out to a 17-point lead in the second half with under 17 minutes remaining. Tennessee then proceeded to finish the game on a 47-22 run.

Such a collapse at home against a lesser team at this point in the season does not bode well for the chances of getting a No. 2 seed. Winning the SEC Tournament, paired with losses from other top contenders, could see Kentucky climb back up to that projection, but for now it doesn't seem likely.

Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey combined for 36 points in the loss. The problem was the lack of production from the rest of the team. Kentucky only averaging around 75 points per game can be a problem with the lack of playmakers and a defense that allowed 81 points to Tennessee at home. That means a tougher path to the Final Four for the Wildcats after an inexcusable loss.