Scarbinsky: SEC Takes Care of UK with Basketball Schedule

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News says the Southeastern Conference "takes care of" Kentucky with its basketball schedule.

Scarbinsky says the Wildcats receive preferential treatment from the league.

Here is an excerpt:

The conference takes care of the Wildcats with its basketball schedule.

As for the Crimson Tide in football, not so much.

It's old news that Alabama football has to play a lot of opponents coming off bye weeks. The new news is that the SEC basketball schedule gives Kentucky more time to prepare for conference games than anyone else in the league, and the latest example came at Alabama's expense.

Last week, Kentucky played Arkansas at home Tuesday night, then had three full days to prepare for its Saturday noon tipoff, also at home, against Alabama.

The Crimson Tide had a slightly different itinerary.

Play Vanderbilt on Thursday night in Coleman Coliseum. Practice Friday in Tuscaloosa from 3-5 p.m. Fly out of Tuscaloosa by charter at 6 p.m. Get to the team hotel in Lexington at 8:30 local time.

Breakfast and film study Saturday at 8 a.m. Leave the team hotel at 10 a.m. Arrive at Rupp Arena a little more than 90 minutes before tipoff. Play one-loss, second-ranked Kentucky at noon local time.

The article adds that both Kevin Stallings and Billy Donovan have publicly complained about the Kentucky schedule this week:

Florida's Billy Donovan and Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings know it, and they've complained about it in the last two weeks. On Monday, Donovan cited the differences in the Alabama and Kentucky schedules from last week.

"If you're trying to get more teams into the NCAA Tournament, don't put the teams inside your league into a competitive disadvantage," Donovan said. That's not too much to ask, but that's exactly what the SEC schedule did last week to Alabama and will do to the Crimson Tide again next month.

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