When asked what he thought about the caliber of the Kentucky Wildcats in Monday afternoon’s national press conference, UW head coach Bo Ryan couldn’t even sugarcoat his answer.

“I had a few nightmares last night after watching their game against Utah,” the second-year head coach responded. “They do a real good job of making sure that you do not get comfortable.”

Which is something that the Wildcats have simply done all season long. And which is undoubtedly the main reason why the team is 31-3 overall right now, riding the wave of a 25-game winning streak.

Allowing the opposition to get comfortable is just something that Kentucky doesn’t do very well. However, it’s just about the only thing Kentucky doesn’t do very well.

Simply put, there aren’t many flaws in the Wildcats’ attack. They come at the opposition from all angles, hit them in the mouth and don’t stop until the final horn sounds. They’re physical, aggressive, and they strut up and down the court with an attitude.

Head coach Tubby Smith is a solid candidate for national coach of the year, orchestrating one of the most tenacious defenses in the country.

Their explosive backcourt is lead by all-SEC player Keith Bogans, who is joined by an array of speedy guards who can penetrate the hoop as well as knock down outside jumpers.

The Wildcats’ frontcourt is anchored by 6-foot-9 junior Marquis Estill — considered by some to be the best big man in the tournament — and what the rest of the forwards lack in height they make up for in aggressiveness.

Carving through their interior defense is like trying to cut a steak with a butter knife — it doesn’t happen easily.

Play man-to-man defense against this team, and they’ll blow right by you. Switch to a zone, and they’re patient enough to wait for an open shot.

Focus on stopping their perimeter game, and they’ll flat-out kill you inside.

To say that Kentucky is a favorite to win this year’s national championship is an understatement.

Throughout the Wildcats’ 25-game win streak, they haven’t just beaten their opponents. They’ve pulverized them, winning by an average of nearly 20 points during their 16-0 SEC campaign. Tack on the postseason tournament title two weeks ago, and Kentucky brings to the tournament as polished a resume as any of the other 15 teams remaining in the Sweet Sixteen.

In comparison to the other No. 1 seeds in the tournament, Kentucky has looked near-flawless since its first-round game last Friday.

While Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona were all stretched to their limits in second-round matchups, the Wildcats embarrassed ninth-seeded Utah by 20 points in a game that has Utes coach Rick Majerus singing praises of the Kentucky squad.

“I thought maybe we could keep it close and steal it in the last few minutes,” Majerus said. “But I was living in fantasyland. They have that look to me of a Final Four team, if not a national-championship team.”

But Majerus isn’t the only one with the mindset of Kentucky heading to New Orleans for next weekend’s Final Four.

After being bounced out of the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last two seasons, Wildcat players and coaches alike are no longer just satisfied with surviving the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

“It’s not special yet,” UK forward Chuck Hayes said. “We’ve got another game to play, and we’ll treat it as just another game in our goal of getting back to New Orleans (for the Final Four).”

And if they can play the rest of their games like they have the first two, that trip to New Orleans is almost a guarantee.

Kentucky has not trailed at any point in either of its opening-round games — an extremely rare statistic considering the frenzied nature of the 64-team tournament.

Of course, stats and streaks mean absolutely nothing to Bo Ryan, a man who certainly respects the Kentucky program but is far from throwing in the towel.

He is well aware that this is March, and all it takes is one bad play to end a team’s season.

While he noted it would be nice to have some more size heading Thursday night’s matchup, Ryan remains confident that the thin Badger lineup, barring foul trouble, has the capability of keeping up with the ‘Cats.

Riding the enthusiasm of their thrilling come-from-behind win over Tulsa and possibly playing in front a Badger-dominated crowd in the nearby Metrodome, an upset win is far from out of reach.

Just three years ago, the eighth-seeded Badgers knocked off top-seeded Arizona in a game with features starkly similar to Thursday night’s contest.

But it’s certainly not going to be easy. And Ryan and the Badgers are well aware of the fact that Kentucky is the team to beat.

“The players are running what Tubby wants them to run,” Ryan commented. “They seem to be enjoying it, playing together, and that’s what makes them so effective.”