Kentucky head coach John Calipari is no stranger to the national spotlight. From his days at UMass, where he led the Minutemen to a Final Four appearance, to Memphis where his team was one free throw away from a national championship, to Kentucky, where he is now running what has effectively become a feeder program for NBA Lottery teams, coach Cal is the epitome of success in college basketball.

This year, Kentucky is sitting atop the college hoops world, and Calipari’s crew of experienced veterans mixed with uber talented freshmen is primed for an undefeated championship season.

At least that is what Big Blue Nation is expecting come April 6 in Indianapolis, conveniently located a scant 189 miles from Lexington.

To be sure, the Cats have all of the ingredients of a net-cutting squad. If defense wins championships, Kentucky has what it takes with the second ranked defensive team in the country, giving up just 51.9 points per game (just behind Virginia’s 50.8). The Cats’ size is imposing as their NBA-sized front line blocks an average of seven shots per game and alters countless others.

What’s more, Kentucky makes just over 46% of its shots, and those that are missed are gobbled up on the offensive boards by the likes of Willie Cauley-Stein (7-0), Dakari Johnson (7-0), Karl Towns (6-11), Trey Lyles (6-10), and Marcus Lee (6-9). Not to mention the guard line of 6-6 twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison that brings in about 5 rebounds every night out. Oftentimes the Cats' best strategy is to simply launch the ball at the goal and allow their size to eventually finish the play.

And of course, there is the panache - the swagger - the indefatigable presence - of Calipari and his ability to coach yet another group of future NBA lottery picks to an otherworldly season. From the very beginning - trace this group’s jumpstart back to last season’s NCAA Tournament run that saw them lose a close title game to UConn - these Wildcats were seemingly bred for a national championship in 2015.

Calipari took his young team to the Bahamas this summer for an offseason schedule that included games against former college and professional players. The Cats won five of their six matchups in the Caribbean against what Calipari at the time called much-needed competition. It is well known that Kentucky spent vast sums of money to pull off the summer series of games all in the hopes it would pay off this season.

"I needed professional-level teams," Calipari said when asked to reflect on the trip. "I needed men. I needed experienced, physical guys that knew how to play. That's what this team needed, which is different. That's why most teams don't do what we've just done."

So now, six months later, here they are - undefeated and the obvious top choice to celebrate under the confetti storm in Indy.

But will they ultimately deliver?

Indeed, Kentucky could very well win the title, and honestly, they probably will. But nothing in NCAA life is certain. With that, here are three reasons that Big Blue Nation should have reason for concern as the 2015 campaign unwinds:

#1) An overall weak schedule:

Up to this point, Kentucky has played only four ranked teams. In November the Cats routed a young and inexperienced Kansas team that, while playing better now, was not ready for the Cats in just the second week of the season. The other three wins over ranked opponents came against Texas (no longer in the top 25), Louisville (struggling of late), and North Carolina (losers of 4 of their last 5 games). While still quality wins, there are certainly less “sexy” than they first appeared.

And aside from those non-conference victories, Kentucky has very little braggadocio to show for its SEC schedule. The Cats have been able to feast on conference cellar-dwellars Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida (UK plays each of them twice) who have a combined 28 losses in SEC play. Add in games versus Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, et. al. and quite honestly, they should be rolling through such a weak conference line-up.

Conversely, by season’s end, Kentucky will have had to play only one game each against the top tier SEC teams. Consider this - in back-to-back games in January, the Cats needed overtime to escape #4 Ole Miss (89-86 in OT) and #3 Texas A&M (70-64 in 2OT). And just a few days ago, UK needed a big defensive stop to keep #5 LSU at bay, 71-69. (Incidentally, the last regular season obstacle the Cats will face is a visit from #18 (#2 in SEC play) Arkansas on February 28.)

The question becomes, will Kentucky’s pseudo-gauntlet be enough to stave off the likes of Virginia, Duke, Arizona, and Wisconsin who are facing tougher competition in their respective conferences?

#2) Poor shooting performances

The recipe for success against the Wildcats has been to make their guards shoot the ball from the perimeter and keep the Cats towers from getting to the offensive glass. Easier said than done, to be sure, but a team with length and size (read: LSU) can certainly frustrate Kentucky, especially if their shots are not falling from outside.

For as big a reputation as the Harrison twins have, neither of them a particularly good shooter. Andrew and Aaron each shoot around 36% from the field this season, and the numbers get worse the further back they go. Backup point guard Tyler Ulis (a diminutive 5-9 sprig amongst the Wildcat Redwoods) hovers around 41% on a team with no consistent deep threat. As a group Kentucky makes only 34% of their shots from behind the arc.

While NCAA Tournament play is not necessarily built on perimeter shooting, anemic performances from three-point land are typically a harbinger of doom in March. Kentucky survived twice in a row in their championship game run last season on deep shots by Aaron Harrison, so the Cats well-know the importance of having a deep threat.

Thus far, the Wildcats have survived poor shooting nights due largely to their ability to grab missed shots. However, will this current UK team with its subpar outside shooting be able to withstand 6 straight loser-out scenarios?

#3) Pressure

Unequivocally there are two characteristics that most championship teams have - talent and experience. Kentucky has a truckload of talent and they are gaining valuable experience with every game they play.

However, high pressure moments can often render talent useless and experience a non-factor. There will come a game - sooner AND later, perhaps - where the young Cats will feel the pressure of either a) an undefeated season or b) a chance to win a championship.

How will the Wildcats respond?

The last team to run the table in college basketball was the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers who won the title with a 32-0 record. Since then only UNLV (1991) and Wichita State (2014) have entered March Madness with an unblemished mark, and neither of them survived to claim the crown.

Winning a championship is difficult enough, but winning it without losing a single game has turned college basketball gods into mere trophy less mortals.

When Arkansas comes to Lexington on February 28, many Wildcats fans may secretly wish for their chosen heroes to fall - just to alleviate the pressure of perfection.

After all, what Big Blue Nation fan would not trade a loss or two for the school's ninth national championship?

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