Kentucky Basketball: 5 Most Important Games Remaining for Wildcats

One loss doesn't derail a team in college basketball like it can in football, but there are certainly some games over the course of the season that are important to win. The Kentucky Wildcats will figure that out as the year progresses.

Unlike last season, the squad will not be going through the year hoping to remain perfect. The dream of perfection ended early with a 10-point loss to UCLA. This is still an elite team, but there will be a lot of tough challenges along the way.

In order for Kentucky to reach its potential as a top national title contender, it will have to perform well in key matchups. Even when you don't win every tough game, the players will still have to compete at their best when it matters most.

The following games aren't all necessarily the most difficult on the schedule, but all of them are extremely important for the 2015-16 season. 

Dec. 26 vs. Louisville

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If you're a Kentucky fan, you never want to lose to Louisville. It doesn't matter how good each team is that particular season or where the game is being played, this battle will always be one of the most important on the schedule.

This year is no different, especially with a matchup that is much closer on paper than many expected at the start of the season. Louisville was unranked in the preseason coaches poll, while Kentucky was tied for first. With both teams now having one loss, the polls have put them closer together with the Cardinals currently sitting at No. 16 and the Wildcats at No. 4.

Louisville has benefited from an easy schedule to this point of the year, blowing out weaker opponents while losing its only real challenge against Michigan State. Damion Lee and company have proven to be a formidable squad that will win some games, although it is unclear how good this team can be.

Kentucky has a great chance to add another quality nonconference win to its resume while also hurting Louisville's perception around the country in a single game.

Jan. 5 at LSU

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LSU has certainly be a disappointment this season, starting the year with just a 4-4 record despite being ranked in the preseason polls. Ben Simmons might be the best overall player in the nation with a lot of guard talent around him, but this hasn't helped the Tigers pull out wins.

Despite the struggles, this is an important game for Kentucky because it is the next true road game for the Wildcats.

The first part of the season featured just one game in another team's home arena, and that resulted in a loss to UCLA. While this isn't necessarily reason to be concerned, the fact remains this is a young team with numerous players who have no experience winning in a hostile arena at this level. These players still have to prove themselves in this area before you can trust Kentucky as a title contender.

LSU obviously still has a lot of talent, and the team remains undefeated at Maravich Assembly Center, which could make this conference battle a tough one. If the Wildcats cannot pull out a win, it will create a lot more question marks going forward.

Jan. 23 vs. Vanderbilt

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Few SEC teams will be able to challenge Kentucky this season, but Vanderbilt is a squad that can actually challenge for conference supremacy. Although the Commodores have struggled at times this year, this is still an extremely talented squad that can beat anyone in the nation when the shots are falling.

Most importantly, this could be a tough matchup for the Wildcats, thanks to a strong interior defense. Damian Jones is one of the top big men in the nation, while Luke Kornet remains a versatile option who knows how to block shots. As long as he is able to return from his knee injury by this point, Vanderbilt will be difficult to score against inside.

Considering Kentucky is only able to score inside this season, this could create a serious problem offensively.

Winning on the road against the Commodores will certainly be tougher, but a loss in that case can be overlooked. A loss at home could shift the SEC's balance of power across state lines. Kentucky has to win this game to prove itself to the rest of the conference while also showing it can beat a team with a tough interior defense.

Jan. 30 at Kansas

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There isn't a tougher game on the 2015-16 schedule for Kentucky than a road trip to Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas.

Aside from an early loss to Michigan State where they controlled most of the game, the Jayhawks have been dominant this year, thanks to one of the nation's deepest lineups. With Cheick Diallo cleared to play and Brannen Greene back in the lineup, you could see as many as 11 players come into the game as part of the regular rotation.

Kansas can also match up with Kentucky's three-guard lineup with Frank Mason, Wayne Selden and Devonte' Graham, something few other teams can do.

This buildup shows how impressive a win on the road would be for Kentucky. At this later stage of the year, a high-profile victory like this could give the team plenty of confidence to go on a run and potentially move into the driver's seat for a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

A lot can happen between now and then, but the Wildcats would love to take advantage of a rare chance to win as an underdog in this UK-KU battle.

March 1 at Florida

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Florida isn't quite the team it was a few years ago, but it still has plenty of ability and should remain a top SEC contender throughout the season. Dorian Finney-Smith remains one of the nation's more versatile players, while Kasey Hill is slowly coming along in new coach Michael White's system.

As the players start getting more comfortable in the newer approach offensively, this could be a tough team to beat toward the end of the year.

This obviously makes the late-season battle against Kentucky a tough one. It could also be a meaningful game as the regular season's second-to-last contest. The Wildcats could be looking to secure a regular-season SEC title at this point with the Gators being the final step in the way of glory.

Additionally, this road game comes on the heels of another battle at Vanderbilt, which could be even tougher. Win or lose, another daunting matchup against Florida three days later could be difficult to prepare for mentally.

A lot of scenarios could make this March contest one of the more important games of the entire year for Kentucky.

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