Open Shot: Billy Gillispie call-in show 6:00 pm tonight

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 5:55 PM EST in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

I'm putting up an open thread here for those who are planning to listen to the Billy Gillispie call in show tonight.

I'm also thinking that back in 2003, it was against Vanderbilt (although in Nashville) where the lights came on for Kentucky and what looked like a mediocre season became special. Maybe there is some karma that will manifest itself Saturday.

Post your comments below, and vote in the poll.

Poll

How will Kentucky do against Vanderbilt?

The Cats will show the 'Dores the door.

7 votes

Tough, hard fought victory.

17 votes

Tough, hard fought loss.

20 votes

'Dores cream the hapless Cats.

29 votes

73 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Gillispie ...

not there in the early part of the show. Not sure why.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:11 PM EST reply actions

Apparently ...

a traffic issue. He is there now.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:14 PM EST reply actions

Jodie meeks ...

Crawford, and Jasper are injured and couldn't practice today. Crawford plantar faciaitis, Derrick Jasper a toe problem, not sure about Meeks.

Exasperation.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:16 PM EST reply actions

plantar fasciitis

I never heard of this condition so I looked it up. This could be a long term thing lasting anywhere from 6 to 18 months, and the more you use the foot during rehab the longer it can take.

Don't want to see a kid miss his senior season for any reason, so hopefully Joe and the trainers come up with a solution that lets him keep playing.

Orange & Blue Hue http://www.orangeandbluehue.com

by Gatorpilot on Jan 10, 2008 10:00 AM EST up reply actions

Says the team ...

is developing a little bit of toughness, and able to use main guys more.

Very frustrated about injuries, never ending stream. Says the absence of best players hurt practice.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:19 PM EST reply actions

I am gonna call and ask

"Hello, Billy? This Jim Bob from Clay City, and I just wanted to ask you, do you think if we had covered the out of bounds guy in that '92 Duke game, do you think we maybe coulda won that game?"

by olddoc on Jan 9, 2008 6:23 PM EST reply actions

Ha Ha! I like it!

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:24 PM EST up reply actions

Good Question

Great question... but you forgot the most important part of any call: "Now I'll hang up and listen to you guys talk."

by chirop1 on Jan 9, 2008 7:04 PM EST up reply actions

Crawford ...

got progressively worse today with plantar faciitis. Very painful, just takes time to get better.

I would think he is now doubtful for Saturday.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:24 PM EST reply actions

Everybody keeps ...

telling Gillispie "We're behind you -- keep the faith?"

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:25 PM EST reply actions

Says ...

we have a long way to go to have a complete roster. Says it will be hard to replace Ramel and Joe. Says we will try to get back to the elite level as soon as possible.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:29 PM EST reply actions

Derek Jasper ...

talked about his rebounding. Jasper has a toenail that is coming off, and is giving him some pain.

Says he can play anything but center, and is totally selfless. Says he is "perfect intangible guy for me."

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:31 PM EST reply actions

How do you balance ...

pressure and containing penetration?

Pressure hasn't been good enough, and you have to learn to play angles and learn to help to stop penetration by quicker players.

Play way too much "after the catch." Need to keep people from catching it where they want to catch it.

Cutting with a purpose? Says we have gotten tired late, and give up a bit when teams are beating us.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:37 PM EST reply actions

As far as who starts ...

Gillispie says he'd rather have finishers than starters, but he chooses to start who he wants, and he starts the people who earn it.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:38 PM EST reply actions

makes sense

Finishers vs Starters......BCG chooses starters and starters earn it. So the starters earn to start and play the first 5 minutes and the finishers play 35 minutes but didn't earn it. The finishers are more important than the starters..........so the most important people are not the ones BCG chooses? That makes perfect sense...............IN BELLEVIEW!!!!!!!!!!

by modcpa on Jan 10, 2008 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

Says ...

he practices hard on game days, but shorter. Says it develops toughness. When get a full compliment of players, who starts it gets it, but without, sometimes its hard.

Tries to be fair to team. Trying to teach the team to do things the right way. Says players understand why they are not starting.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:40 PM EST reply actions

Practices ...

says he likes to go full speed for a short time on game day. Thinks it's best.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:55 PM EST reply actions

Impressed ..

with whole Vandy team. Doesn't understand how Stallings manages to stay under the radar.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 9, 2008 6:58 PM EST reply actions

Stallings

That's a great question.

Stallings revived a moribund Illinois St. program, and has done a great job at Vandy. His teams are always prepared, play hard, are fundamentally sound, and have kicked UK's ass the last few years.

He lucked into Ogilvy though.

Ray Giacomo (former Utah coach) is evidently friends with Stallings. Giacomo was in Australia to talk Andrew Bogut into coming back to Utah for another year. He happened upon Ogilvy on that visit. Utah fires him, and he gets a job in the northwest somewhere, as an assistant. The team he is currently with didn't have any schollies available, so Giacomo call Stallings, and tells him he has a player Stallings might be interested in. So I would say he guided the kid to Vandy.

Why can't the UK coaches have friends like that :)

by Ken Howlett on Jan 11, 2008 2:25 AM EST up reply actions

Make that Giacoletti. Giacomo is a race horse.

by Ken Howlett on Jan 11, 2008 8:13 PM EST up reply actions

the one thing

that stood out to me also, that most everyone has realized, is when he more or less said he would rather lose a game today, and not go against his principles. win a few extra games this year, and not make it past the second round next year, or keep to what has made him succeed in the past and be in contention for a championship sooner than later. that's my take.
i really do feel that this is the coach we need. he will get the job done. i think the team will be vastly improved and top 15 caliber next year.

by joeyandemily on Jan 9, 2008 10:54 PM EST reply actions

Irrational Exuberence?

I admire the last poster's optimism, but wonder where the points are going to come from next season after Bradley and Crawford depart. Patterson can score and, when healthy, Meeks can score as well. However, Jasper has NEVER been a scorer, Stevenson and Coury certainly are not scorers, and the rest of the roster seems populated with one-dimensional role players. I agree that, when they finally buy into BG's system, next year's team will play harder and tougher. However, I see a lot of low scoring, grind-it-out games in our immediate future.

by tooblue on Jan 10, 2008 10:03 AM EST reply actions

Darius Miller...

...will be a major contributor next year.

Who knows what else Clyde has up his sleave.

by Ken Howlett on Jan 10, 2008 11:02 AM EST up reply actions

Scoring

If Patterson and Meeks both average 18, Miller averages 12, and Liggins averages 8 and Jasper (who WILL shoot more) averages 6, that's 62 ppg right there. If Harris, Stevenson and Stewart can get 12 a game (they're averaging 12.5 ppg this season), that's 74 a game (which would be better than any season since since 02-03). Figure the rest of the team with a measly 4 ppg, that's 78 ppg, not equalled since 00-01.

by senowen on Jan 10, 2008 12:26 PM EST up reply actions

Travis Ford on ESPN First Take

I usually don't watch this show, but the TV was still of ESPN2 when I turned it on today and before the picture crystalized I started hearing a question about "your days at Kentucky." They were talking to him primarily about UMass naturally. He had a few interesting points, he talked about how their goal is to score in the 90's every game. Said the problem is that they sometimes score in the 90's but the opponent scores 100... so they need to work on defense.

They of course asked him about his thoughts on Kentucky. He said that Gillispie is a proven winner and will win at Kentucky. He did say that "no one loves Kentucky more than me" and that as an alum it does hurt to see them struggle. They also asked him about the cancelled game this year and he reiterated that he was disappointed and that he hoped they could work on something for the future.

by chirop1 on Jan 10, 2008 12:35 PM EST reply actions

reply

well i was just sort of thinking about how bcg's first year at his last two schools were losing seasons, only to do a complete 180 the very next season and have outstanding records. even though our talent level isn't what it once was, surely we have more talent, and will have with next year's class, than bcg's other teams. call it irrational if you'd like, but i have faith, which i have not had in a long time for this program. let me just also add, that for the last 5-6 seasons i watched fewer games each year. last year i never watched one full game. why? because i had no faith. well, since the coaching change, i went to my very first live game at rupp (central arkansas), and have done something i never did before this year, and that is keep up, daily, on recruiting. at least for the short term i am very energized, even though this season has sucked so far. we will get there, and sooner than later.

by joeyandemily on Jan 10, 2008 12:53 PM EST reply actions

Clyde's Record

Gillispie was 21-10 in his first year at A&M.

by Ken Howlett on Jan 10, 2008 3:10 PM EST up reply actions

yep

that's right, it was the year before that, that they had a losing season. sorry

by joeyandemily on Jan 10, 2008 3:48 PM EST reply actions

You don't have to be sorry :)

It was the 10 years or so before that, that they had losing seasons. What he did their is nothing short of miraculous.

by Ken Howlett on Jan 10, 2008 3:56 PM EST up reply actions

What he did THERE is nothing short of miraculous.

by Ken Howlett on Jan 11, 2008 2:15 AM EST up reply actions

Plantar

I had Plantar for about 6months last yearand just kept playing on it although I dont play nearly as much as college players. Basically Plantar is a really deep bruise in the bottom of your heal and it hurts likes hell to walk on. It sucks BUT if he keeps off of it in practice he will be fine for games. He should be able to spend plenty of time on a stationary bike to keep up his conditioning without hurting his foot.

Tim duncan and Chris bosh both played an entire season with it two years ago.

DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!

by davw83 on Jan 11, 2008 4:30 PM EST reply actions

Yeah ...

it's not the end of the world, but it can slow you down. Usually it is caused by insufficient support from your shoes. Some people call it a "stone bruise" where if feels like you stepped on a rock with the heel of your foot and bruised it.

Having some supports put in his shoes will help him play through the pain. It is a repetitive strain injury, so it does take time to heal, but most people can play through it.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 11, 2008 4:48 PM EST up reply actions