The Cats Are (Almost) Back

Here's the schedule for your 2013-14 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team (home games in ALL CAPS).  I have to say that this strikes me as a brutal schedule, although I am happy we don't have to go to Knoxville.  I will be shocked if the Cats beat Michigan State (in only the third game of the year) or North Carolina (in Chapel Hill).  I will also be shocked if they get through their January road trip to Nashville and Fayetteville without a loss (Calipari is 0-2 in Fayetteville since coming to UK).  So even if they beat Baylor on the road and Louisville at home, I have the Cats at no better than 12-4 or 13-3 at that point.  I'm also pretty sure that they will lose at Missouri and Florida.  So to me, the best they can do is get through the year with five losses, and that will probably mean that they won't be a number-one seed.  On the other hand, if they come together toward the end of the season, they could still make a run in the tournament:

11/08/13:  UNC-ASHEVILLE
11/10/13:  NO. KENTUCKY
11/12/13:  Michigan St. (Chicago)
11/17/13:  ROBERT MORRIS
11/19/13:  TEX-ARLINGTON
11/25/13:  CLEVELAND ST.
11/27/13:  E. MICHIGAN
12/01/13:  Providence (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
12/06/13:  Baylor (Arlington, Tex.)
12/10/13:  BOISE ST.
12/14/13:  N. Carolina
12/21/13:  BELMONT
12/28/13:  LOUISVILLE
01/08/14:  MISSISSIPPI ST. (SEC)
01/11/14:  Vanderbilt (SEC)
01/14/14:  Arkansas (SEC)
01/18/14:  TENNESSEE (SEC)
01/21/14:  TEXAS A & M (SEC)
01/25/14:  GEORGIA (SEC)
01/28/14:  Louisiana St. (SEC)
02/01/14:  Missouri (SEC)
02/04/14:  MISSISSIPPI (SEC)
02/08/14:  Mississippi St. (SEC)
02/12/14:  Auburn (SEC)
02/15/14:  FLORIDA (SEC)
02/18/14:  Mississippi (SEC)
02/22/14:  LOUISIANA ST. (SEC)
02/27/14:  ARKANSAS (SEC)
03/01/14:  S. Carolina (SEC)
03/04/14:  ALABAMA (SEC)
03/08/14:  Florida (SEC)