By LARRY VAUGHT
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook editor Chris Dortch thought going into the season that Kentucky would be a national championship contender.
He was in Nashville last week to watch Kentucky win the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship.
So what does he think about UK going into the start of NCAA play?
"I thought Cal would have more confidence in his frontcourt reserves and play them more, but other than that, this team is about where I would have expected it," Dortch said. "Everybody got bent out of shape when the Cats lost a couple conference games, but 16-2 in the regular season is pretty impressive. The SEC tournament was a good experience too, as a momentum builder."
Dortch also writes for www.nba.com and has been working on a story on Kentucky center Bam Adebayo, a player he feels is underrated nationally.
"I was surprised it took as long as it did for the Cats to make sure Adebayo got a consistent number of post touches game in and game out. He's really a weapon," Dortch said.
Could Kentucky make a deep NCAA run?
"Luck is always a big part of a deep NCAA run. You have to have good fortune not to suffer any key injuries. Calls have to go your way. The ball needs to bounce the right way," Dortch said.
"But I think if the Cats continue to play defense that disconcerts and disrupts what their opponents are trying to do, they'll have a chance to play deep into the tournament."
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