Tomorrow, two coaches named Billy face each other with more on the line than being the best coach named Billy in the Southeastern Conference. Yes, more than that even. Today’s match-up between Bubble teams Florida and Kentucky has implications beyond reckoning.

Billy Donovan is in trouble. His Florida Gators, despite 21 wins, are on the cusp of not receiving an NCAA Tournament bid and instead going to the NIT after losing six of their last nine, which for the two-time national championship coach would be like being 20 years old and being barred from the adult table at Thanksgiving dinner. I sympathize because I fear this will be my fate come November.

Billy Gillispie is in good shape. After a start to his Kentucky regime comparable to the Bay of Pigs, the Wildcats are 11-4 in the SEC and could very well go to the Dance after all. But Kentucky has just 18 wins and a lot of sad losses. I was there to see Vanderbilt crush the Wildcats a few weeks ago; it was such a rout that I started to feel uncomfortable, like I was watching a gang beat up kindergartners. But since then Kentucky’s been very good, winning five of six.

Both coaches put a lot on the line to coach these two programs this year, so not getting to the Big Dance would be tantamount to failure. Not to mention they’d lose conference Billy bragging rights.