Kentucky Basketball: Ranking Remaining Regular-Season Games by Difficulty

A perfect regular season isn't the ultimate goal for Kentucky, but it's a feat close to being achieved. And with only five games left on the schedule, the concept of making it through 31 games without a loss is becoming likely.

Kentucky has taken on all comers to this point. While some games have been close, most have been free of stress. That won't be the case over the final five, though, as the enhanced media scrutiny and increasing frequency of questions about perfection is apt to raise the blood pressure of even the most healthy Wildcats players.

There is plenty that still needs to be answered.

Is losing a game before the postseason something that will help? Will running the table provide the momentum necessary to keep it going in the SEC and NCAA tournaments? Most importantly, is there anyone left on the schedule who has what it takes to knock Kentucky off?

To answer this, we've ranked the Wildcats' remaining regular-season games in order of difficulty, basing this on locale, quality of opponent and point on the schedule.

5. Feb. 25 at Mississippi State

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Record: 12-13, 5-7

Last meeting: Kentucky won 69-59 at Mississippi State on Feb. 8, 2014

Kentucky has only two road trips left, and the next one is to Starkville. While any road atmosphere can be difficult, this game figures to provide little challenge considering the Bulldogs are 8-5 at Humphrey Coliseum and have losses there to Arkansas State and McNeese State.

MSU is one of the lowest scoring teams in the country, averaging just 62 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent. The Bulldogs tend to keep it close, though, and in their last 10 SEC games, nine have been decided by nine or fewer points.

None of those opponents have had the quality of players that Kentucky has, and if the Wildcats don't discount MSU, it will be a blowout early.

4. Feb. 21 vs. Auburn

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Record: 12-14, 4-9

Last meeting: Kentucky won 64-56 at Auburn on Feb. 12, 2014

Auburn is in a familiar spot in the SEC standings (near the bottom), but the excitement associated with this program is far greater than in recent years. That's because of the Tigers' coach, Bruce Pearl, the former Tennessee head honcho who returned to the sidelines this year and hopes to turn around one of the league's worst programs.

It hasn't happened immediately, as Auburn has lost seven of nine and five straight at home despite far greater crowds than Tony Barbee's teams had come to watch losses. Pearl put together a piecemeal team made up of transfers (from junior college and other Division I programs) and some late high school prospects, and he's already landed some big names for next season.

The promise is there, but it's just not happening now. But that doesn't mean Pearl couldn't pull off a shocker, especially given his coaching acumen.

When at Tennessee, Pearl was 4-9 against Kentucky but had a 74-65 victory over the second-ranked Wildcats in February 2010.

3. March 7 vs. Florida

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Record: 13-13, 6-7

Last meeting: Kentucky won 68-61 at Florida on Feb. 7

One of Kentucky's most recent scares came at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville when the Wildcats trailed by nine in the first half and were still down midway through the second half before coming alive. They helped their cause by making 21 of 22 free throws amid the raucous atmosphere.

It was one of many tough losses this season for the Gators, which after making the Elite Eight or Final Four each of the previous four seasons are going through their worst year under coach Billy Donovan since 1997-98. Suspensions, injuries, inexperience and bad luck have all contributed to this scenario, which will have Florida miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009 unless it can win the SEC tournament.

Being able to shock Kentucky at Rupp Arena would completely validate all the struggles. Florida has done it before, winning there last year en route to sweeping three games from the Wildcats.

This is also the regular-season finale, and if Kentucky is still unbeaten, the attention paid on this otherwise meaningless game will be immense. Such situations are when letdowns—and losses—often happen.

2. March 3 at Georgia

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Record: 16-9, 7-6

Last meeting: Kentucky won 69-58 vs. Georgia on Feb. 3

Since ESPN has to have its own advanced statistics and metrics to compete with other such formulas, it created the Basketball Power Index (BPI) to rival the RPI that's used to help the NCAA tournament selection committee rank teams and fill its bracket. The BPI is also used as a predictive model, and as of Feb. 6, it had Kentucky's final road game at Georgia as the toughest remaining matchup.

The Wildcats were still given an 85 percent chance to win in Athens, and that was before the Bulldogs suffered debilitating back-to-back home losses to Auburn and South Carolina to fall into a tie for fifth place in the SEC.

Still, this game will be the far tougher road contest, especially compared to playing at Mississippi State beforehand. Georgia might be struggling, but it has shown the ability to play hard. We saw that just over two weeks ago when it went to Kentucky and kept it close in the second half despite being without leading scorer Marcus Thornton.

Thornton, a 6'8" senior forward, averages 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds.

1. Feb. 28 vs. Arkansas

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Record: 21-5, 10-3

Last meeting: Kentucky lost 71-67 (in OT) vs. Arkansas on Feb. 27, 2014

In most years, facing Arkansas anywhere other than Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville wouldn't be cause for much concern. The Razorbacks were 8-31 in road and neutral-court games under Mike Anderson in his first three seasons, but this year, they've gone 5-4 and have wins at SMU, Georgia and Ole Miss.

Last year, the Hogs swept the Wildcats, and many of the best players from last season's team—including leading scorers Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls—are still around.

Arkansas is playing its best basketball right now, winning five straight and eight of nine (with the only loss coming by one point at Florida) to move into sole possession of second place in the SEC. The Razorbacks are still three games behind Kentucky, and assuming both teams win out, the Wildcats will clinch the outright regular-season conference title, which will add an element of intrigue to this game.

Anderson has been quickly rising Arkansas up the ranks, and with the ability to win on the road, he's got this program headed in the right direction. Being able to hand Kentucky its first loss in an historic season would solidify his success.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP. Records and statistics current through games of Wednesday, Feb. 18.