Cats Rising Fast

Kentucky is rising fast

Chad Millman Blog, ESPN

Thursday, February 25, 2010

When I saw the Sweat Barometer that Sal from madduxsports.com sends me each week, my first thought was: It's time to talk about Kentucky. Or, at least it's time to join the conversation about Coach Cal's Cats.

The coach has been very good this season at acting surprised that his team full of phenoms is so good. And while he's slicker than a sidewalk in the middle of a Nor'easter, I tended to believe him this year. That's because Kentucky's against-the-spread record this season has been fair to middling -- it's still under .500 at home -- and its Sweat Barometer number has been so low that it has yet to crack the overall top 25. In my world, those are two indications that this is a team I don't really need to pay attention to.

But now, Cal's boys are over the .500 mark ATS. And they are knocking on the door of the SB Top 25. With a Sweat Barometer number of 2.32, Kentucky is separated from No. 25 Northwestern by just five teams. A good run this next week against the likes of South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia and, suddenly (or not so, depending on your perspective) the Cats are an all-around dominant team. At least in my world.

Now, for some housekeeping: This Sweat Barometer has been a grand social experiment so far. And I keep getting good ideas, many of which I am trying to incorporate. So keep 'em coming.

Anyway, here's the roundup of rankings.


ANYONE HAVE ESPN INSIDER FOR REMAINDER OF THIS?

Here you go.
BYU 5.84
Baylor 5.66
Princeton 4.68
Kansas State 4.52
Montana 4.00
Xavier 3.84
Syracuse 3.81
Ark. ST. 3.69
Appl. ST. 3.26
Wisconsin 3.26
Will and MAry 3.24
St Louis 3.23
Loyolla 3.13
Marshall 2.93
Georgia tech 2.90
Ohio st 2.80
Drake 2.72
Ball st 2.68
Oregon st 2.67
charleston 2.64
Fla. Atl. 2.61
South Fla. 2.60
Duke 2.52
UTEP 2.52
Northwestern 2.50
Kentucky 2.32

And just for fun dead last LSU -6.11 (North Carolina -5.04)

But but but...where's Kansas?

Kansasssss -0.29 (sorry)