LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Kentucky coach John Calipari makes no secret that the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship is mere prelude, at best, to the NCAA Tournament.
So, when asked Friday what it will mean should UK clinch the program's 49th SEC title by beating Auburn on Saturday, Calipari said, 'It means we win the league, I guess."
Calipari immediately turned the attention to the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
"Our whole thing is how do we get the best seed we can get," he said. "If that means win games, then just keep winning."
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Kentucky as a three-seed in the bracket he updated Friday. He also had Auburn as a four-seed. The only other SEC teams in Lunardi's bracket were LSU and Florida as eight-seeds.
Lunardi had Mississippi State among the first four teams out of the field, and Arkansas among the next four failing to qualify.
As he has done in several previous years, Calipari dismissed the importance of the SEC Tournament.
"I know people get mad and our fans go there," he said of the SEC Tournament, which will be March 11-15 in Nashville, Tenn. "It's almost an obligation because so many (UK fans) go to the tournament."
As he has done previously, Calipari questioned the benefit of potentially playing three games in three days in the SEC Tournament.
"The reality of it is our season is about building toward March," Calipari said. "Being prepared for every kind of team we could play (and) building every player on your team because you don't know who must step up in a game."
