UK Basketball: The Good, the Bad, and the Hilarious
by Ken Howlett on Nov 20, 2009 2:00 PM EST
in Commentary
30 comments
Nobody ever said defense optional basketball isn't fun to watch. Well, wait, allow me to amend that statement -- UK does play pretty good post defense, allowing opponents to make only 19 of 61 two-point shots (31.3%) through their first three games. But when opponents make a combined 33 of 69 three-point attempts (47.8%), as did Miami and Sam Houston State, their abysmal two-point average is rendered a little less meaningful.
As the numbers shout to us, the perimeter "defense" ain't pretty, but isn't it good enough (for now) that these 'Cats are capable of illuminating the scoreboard at a blissful rate, especially if teams choose to run and gun. Of course, some of UK's future opponents will opt for the Morehead blueprint of slowing the game down by using up as much of the 35-second shot clock as possible. What's encouraging, though, is that these youthful 'Cats have been tested by both offensive philosophies, and have thrice come out the winner. But, as sure as Nicholas Cage will drop a cool two-million on a Cessna, UK's competition level will be increasing in the very near future. For a look at where the 'Cats need to improve, and where they are thriving, follow me after the jump.
30 comments | 0 recs |
Kentucky 102, Sam Houston 92 -- Postmortem
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 20, 2009 12:10 AM EST
in Basketball
81 comments
Well, that was all kinds of fun.
Great game by the Sam Houston State Bearkats. They really came in and gave it all they had, and it was almost enough. This team can really shoot when they want to. If they could bottle tonight and dole it out in doses throughout the year, they might win their league and make the NCAA tournament easily.
I have been watching college basketball a very long time, more years than some members of this blog have been drawing breath. But I am sure that I have never seen two opposing teams back to back hit so many three point shots. For both Miami and Sam Houston, they made the three look like a layup, or a free-throw. In fact, I've seen lots of teams shoot a worse percentage from the free throw line than Sam Houston did from 20'9" -- 18-38.
I really don't know what to make of it, this amazing three-point shooting. It's as if teams come into Rupp Arena, look at the basket, decide that it looks as big around as Jared Fogle before his Subway diet, and start filling it up like it fire hydrant unleashed on a blow-up backyard pool.
Kentucky's perimeter defense was pretty weak, okay? I get that. But I don't know very many people who could stand at 25 feet and shoot 50% unopposed, let alone with other players running at them. At least half of those threes were two to four feet behind the line. Amazing.
Perhaps it's all the pre-season publicity that is driving this ridiculous opposition shooting. Perhaps they just hate Kentucky. Who knows? Whatever it its, UK needs an antidote, and that antidote is better and sharper defense. A big part of SHS' outstanding night was confusion and failure to communicate. That has to get better. But even all that does not explain the otherworldly, Hand of God shooting that UK has faced in the last two games.
But there is one really big positive -- both games were victories, and even historic three-point shooting was not enough to upset Kentucky. I think that's important, don't you? Can you imagine what would have happened last year?
More after the jump.
81 comments | 0 recs |
Sam Houston St. Bearkats @ Kentucky Wildcats -- Pre-Game and Open Game Thread
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 19, 2009 6:15 PM EST
in Open Thread
481 comments
This is the official A Sea of Blue Open Game Thread for the Sam Houston St. Bearkats @ Kentucky Wildcats in this first round game of the Cancun Challenge tournament.
I have decided to merge the pre-game and Open Game Threads into one for this game, because there is so little real data available on the Bearkats. First, the game particulars, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:
Date & Time Thursday, Nov. 19 7:00 p.m
Coverage TV: Live on FS South; delayed BBSN (coverage details) Radio: BBSN
GameTracker 
Online Audio 
Online Video via ESPN360
Location Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.
More after the jump.
481 comments | 0 recs |
The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Sam Houston State Edition
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 19, 2009 8:15 AM EST
in News
23 comments
Tonight, the Wildcats take on the Bearkats of Sam Houston State, a team I know absolutely nothing about, as their opening round game in the Cancun Challenge. Rumors have been swirling about the availability of Darnell Dodson and John Wall, but I have heard nothing definite. The closest I can come is:
- Calipari is very unhappy with Darnell Dodson at the moment (that could explain why it took him so long to get into the game on Monday).
- Calipari is getting happier with DeAndre Liggins. Happy enough to play him?
- John Wall's uncle passed away earlier this week. Our sympathy goes out to his family. I have no idea if he will play or not, but I suspect he will.
In other news worth highlighting, UK just secured another football recruit, Avery Williamson, a Rivals 3* linebacker out of Milan, Tennessee. Willimson impressed at Lane Kiffin's Tennessee Camp and is one of the very best in the Volunteer state. Even though UT was not heavily recruiting Williamson, UK has had great success with the overlooked players from Tennessee and Georgia.
And finally there is this item about one of my favorite players, Chuck Hayes. I somehow missed this when it come out (I'm sure somebody linked it, though) but I think it deserves special attention. I love Chuck Hayes, and when he gets accolades, I like to put it on the front page.
The news follows the jump.
23 comments | 0 recs |
SEC Power Poll Ballot: Week 11
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 18, 2009 6:08 PM EST
in Football
42 comments
It's time for the SEC Power Poll for Week 11, and Alabama once again rises to the top both on my ballot, and in the aggregated totals, which are found at Team Speed Kills, as always.
For my part, I obviously think a little more of the 'Cats and a little less of Tennessee than other voters, but other than that, there isn't a whole lot of difference. Alabama has pretty much cemented itself as the best team in the league with more or less consistent domination of everyone, while the Gators seem to be running into more difficulty of late. The Tide takes on an FCS school this week (Wait--didn't we get heat for doing that from TSK?) in UT-Chattanooga, then finishes the season at detested in-state rival Auburn for the Iron Bowl, which is the Tide's biggest danger of a loss in a while.
Florida, on the other hand, gets two schools from in-state to finish off the season -- Florida International and hated rival, Florida State. As with Alabama and Auburn, the possibility of an upset looms somewhat larger with the Seminoles.
My ballot follows the jump.
42 comments | 0 recs |
A Lesson for Kentucky Basketball
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 18, 2009 11:45 AM EST
in Basketball
29 comments
Last night's game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Memphis Tigers is a great lesson for the Jayhawks that they get to learn without much cost, much like Kentucky's game versus the Miami RedHawks the other night. It isn't exactly free -- both teams took a hit to their pre-season hype and credibility -- but its value is far beyond that ephemeral penalty.
Take a look at what Yahoo's Jason King said about Kansas last night:
Kansas’ players seemed arrogant and, as a team, the Jayhawks lacked cohesion. Memphis, meanwhile, used pesky defense and hustle plays to stay in the game. The Tigers forced 21 turnovers while fighting back from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half.
Remember the article about swagger the other day? This is the danger of having swagger -- the possibility that it can run over into arrogance. Arrogance in a college basketball team, particularly early in the season, leads to defeat. The Jayhawks dodged a bullet, the 'Cats dodged a bullet, the Tar Heels dodged a bullet, and the Spartans dodged a bullet. There is a lesson to be learned here, I think.
The lesson is that unless you adopt a professional attitude about the work before you, swagger just looks arrogant and classless. It inspires other teams not to fear you, but to want to kick your butt all over the arena, and sometimes, a little inspiration is all you need -- right, Nick Winbush?
The early season is for learning lessons, and right now, the lesson is don't crown yourself king until you have won a few battles. That lesson should be burning into the brain of every player on UK, KU, Michigan State and UNC. That crown doesn't fit any of these teams yet -- it's much too small to fit on swelled heads. Those heads will shrink as the season goes on and young players learn, but the learning needs to start right now.
Lesson #1 -- respect your opponent, and don't take him for granted. Otherwise, he might rise up and smite you.
More after the jump.
29 comments | 0 recs |
UK Basketball: Wall and Cousins to the Rescue
by Ken Howlett on Nov 17, 2009 7:37 PM EST
in Basketball
23 comments
The Kentucky Wildcats' 72-70 victory over the Miami (OH) Redhawks might not have been the bunny rabbit victory the fans clad in blue expected, but the play of freshmen point guard John Wall and power forward DeMarcus Cousins illuminated brightly why the two future NBA stars were so hotly courted by the nations basketball elite. Sure, both players made mistakes -- Wall had 5 turnovers and a missed free throw late in the game, and Cousins was a no-show in the first half -- but when it came time for Kentucky to assert its second half authority, Wall and Cousins were the leaders of the 'Cat pack.
Although UK allowed an embarrassing 57.7% of Redhawk three-pointers (15-26) to tickle the twine, as well as making only 58.3% of their own charity attempts (14-24), the 'Cats' play over the final 11:00 minutes of the second half propelled a sure and shocking loss into the win it should have been.
23 comments | 0 recs |
The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Close Call Edition
by Truzenzuzex on Nov 17, 2009 5:54 PM EST
in News
20 comments
I don't know about you, but I think winning on a last-second jumper qualifies as a close call.
John Wall's shot has been the talk of college basketball all day long. Here in Louisville, WHAS radio host Terry Meiners was cracking jokes about how the name "John" had become synonymous with great things. It was a great play by a great young player, but it can't erase all the questionable and downright ugly things UK did on the court last night.
John Calipari told us it would be this way, and he wasn't wrong. The question is, how soon can the 'Cats figure out how to right the ship? We'll know in a couple of days versus Sam Houston State.
Moving on to football, Kentucky is gearing up for a meeting with the Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges this weekend. This is a huge game for Kentucky, as right now, Georgia looks to be the most beatable of UK's remaining two foes. If the 'Cats can get a win against the Dawgs, it would not only remove any long-shot doubts of not getting invited to a bowl game, but it would actually put UK in a position to win second place in the SEC East if they were to beat both Georgia and Tennessee. Who would have imagined that?
Just a programming note about Saturday -- I will once again be at the racetrack, and I don't know if I will make it back by kickoff, but I should be there by halftime at the outside.
The news follows the jump.
20 comments | 0 recs |
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Wildcats Football Schedule
| @ Miami (Ohio) | Sat 09/05 | W 42 - 0 |
Louisville
|
Sat 09/19 | W 31 - 27 |
|
Florida
|
Sat 09/26 | L 7 - 41 |
|
Alabama
|
Sat 10/03 | L 20 - 38 |
|
@
South Carolina
|
Sat 10/10 | L 26 - 28 |
|
@
Auburn
|
Sat 10/17 | W 21 - 14 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Sat 10/24 | W 36 - 13 |
|
Mississippi St.
|
Sat 10/31 | L 24 - 31 |
| Eastern Kentucky | Sat 11/07 | W 37 - 12 |
| @ Vanderbilt | Sat 11/14 | W 24 - 13 |
|
@
Georgia
|
Sat 11/21 | 7:45 PM EST |
|
Tennessee
|
Sat 11/28 | 7:00 PM EST |
Next Game
Southeastern Conference Standings
(updated 11.15.2009 at 4:20 AM EST)
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
Florida Gators
|
8 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
|
Georgia Bulldogs
|
4 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
|
South Carolina Gamecocks
|
3 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
|
Kentucky Wildcats
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
|
Tennessee Volunteers
|
2 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
|
LSU Tigers
|
4 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
|
Mississippi Rebels
|
3 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
|
Auburn Tigers
|
3 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
|
Arkansas Razorbacks
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
|
Mississippi St. Bulldogs
|
2 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
SBNation.com Recent Stories
Next Game
Rider Broncs
@
Kentucky Wildcats
Saturday, Nov 21, 2009, 1:00 PM EST
Cancun Challenge - Rupp Arena
Southeastern Conference Standings
(updated 11.20.2009 at 4:06 AM EST)
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
South Carolina Gamecocks
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
Kentucky Wildcats
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
|
Florida Gators
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
| Mississippi Rebels | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
LSU Tigers
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
Auburn Tigers
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Arkansas Razorbacks
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mississippi St. Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wildcats Basketball Schedule
Next 5 Games
| Rider | Sat 11/21 | 1:00 PM EST |
| @ Cleveland St. | Tue 11/24 | 4:30 PM EST |
| UNC-Asheville | Mon 11/30 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
North Carolina
|
Sat 12/05 | 12:30 PM EST |
| @ Connecticut | Wed 12/09 | 9:30 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
| Sam Houston St. | Thu 11/19 | W 102 - 92 |
| Miami (Ohio) | Mon 11/16 | W 72 - 70 |
| Morehead St. | Fri 11/13 | W 75 - 59 |
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