As Kentucky prepares to open Southeastern Conference play, the Cats will be facing a gauntlet that may have never been seen before. The SEC is by far the toughest league in the country so far this season. Consider this:

The conference has the top two teams in the NET rankings (Auburn, Tennessee);
The SEC has three of top four teams in the NET (Florida);
The league has four of top 10 (Alabama);
The SEC has seven of top 20 (Kentucky, Mississippi State, Texas A&M);
And eight of top 30 (Georgia);
The SEC has 12 of top 40 (Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas);
The league has 14 in the top 50, 15 in the top 53. Only South Carolina at 85 is further down the list.

On Thursday, UK head coach Mark Pope spoke about just how tough the conference is this season.

“This league is incredibly, incredibly special,” Pope said. “It’s where you want to be. If you don’t get to play in the SEC this year, I play bad for you. It’s where the best teams are and the best players are, so let’s go.”

Pope knows that his Cats will be dealing with a lot of ups and downs as conference play because every game will be difficult.

“We’re going to have all of the emotions,” Pope said. “We’re going to feel like the greatest team ever, we’re going to feel like the worst team ever. It’s just the nature of the deal. The trick is, when we have those emotional swings, how fast can we get back to constructive. Our guys are pretty good about taking frustration and turning it into fight.”

What is the most important thing that Pope wants his Kentucky team to focus on?

“Being able to get ourselves fresh, whether it’s after a win or a loss, when we roll in here every day and be focused on getting better,” Pope said. “That is the DNA of a team that has a chance to be great when it matters most.”

The SEC gauntlet begins on Saturday when Kentucky hosts No. 6 Florida in Rupp Arena. The Gators are 13-0 this season and have impressed Pope on both ends of the floor.

“Halfcourt defense, they’re in the top one percentile, they’re one of the top teams defensively in defense in the country, they’re the number two team on the glass in the country, they’ve got three veteran guard who just score in bunches,” Pope said. “Their bigs are voracious, they’re relentless and skilled and can shoot it. It’s another top 10 battle. It’s going to be a great test for us to see where we are right now and the lessons we have learned.”

The gauntlet that is SEC basketball in 2025 begins for both teams on Saturday at 11 a.m. (ESPN).