KENTUCKY FINAL UNBEATEN TEAM AFTER TEXAS LOSES AT K-STATE

KENTUCKY FINAL UNBEATEN TEAM AFTER TEXAS LOSES AT K-STATE
jeff goodman
http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2010/01/18/kentucky_final_unbeaten_team_after_texas_loses_at_k-state
Kentucky is the last one standing.

After Texas' loss to Kansas State in a hostile Bramlage Coliseum Monday night, the Wildcats are the lone Division I team without a blemish on their record.

But does that mean that Kentucky is the top team in the nation?

Not necessarily.

Kentucky won at Auburn and Florida this past week, but the Wildcats have yet to play against a team of Kansas State's caliber on the road. In fact, the only other true road contest that John Calipari's team has played was in Bloomington against a mediocre Indiana club.

That's not to say that Kentucky doesn't deserve to be ranked No. 1 if the Wildcats can get past Arkansas at home on Saturday.

They do.

But the SEC isn't the Big 12, especially at the top.

Wins on the road in the Big 12 have been difficult to come by. In fact, home teams are 119-6 in league contests thus far, so this loss by Texas wasn't all that surprising.

There's still no dominant team in the country. Not Kentucky, not a Kansas team that lost at Tennessee and not the Longhorns, who nearly lost at home to Texas A&M and were finally beaten by Frank Martin's kids.

Damion James didn't exactly play like the National Player of the Year candidate he has been touted as – and Rick Barnes' team finally paid the price for their dismal free throw shooting.

The Longhorns, who entered shooting 63 percent from the free throw line, were just 9-of-22 from the charity stripe.

With the victory, Kansas State showed it might belong in the conversation as a legitimate Final Four contender.

"It's big. We beat the No. 1 team in the country," Kansas State big man Curtis Kelly told FOXSports.com following the win. "People dream about that."

The Wildcats have good balance with veteran guards Jake Pullen and Denis Clemente and a plethora of big guys. It was the program's first victory over a top-ranked team since 1994 – when Kansas State knocked off Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kelly, who transferred from UConn and sat out last season, said he knew the Wildcats had a chance this season in Puerto Rico when they responded from a loss to Ole Miss by beating Dayton.

"That was when I thought we could do something special," he said.

Kansas State certainly did that against the No. 1 Longhorns, but Kelly still wants more – like a win against Kansas on Jan. 30.

"That one could certify it," Kelly said.

It certainly would.