Had a great line while at Arkansas… "if you cut off the head, the body will fall"
Of course, he was talking about the point guard.. I’m not near as articulate as TRU or many other bloggers, but I will say that Nolan is correct!!! The problem is, Kentucky does not have a "head" to cut off, and that is very disheartening…

time in 81 years. In 1976 we ended up winning the NIT, but the NIT was a little more prestigious than it is now. Then in 2001, the CATS ended up with a #2 seed in the NCAA. So all is not lost, unless Billy Clyde decides to keep poor Michael Porter in the starting lineup. I live in Ashland, KY, about 10 minutes from Huntington, WV, which is the home of Marshall University. The Thundering Herd have a great young coach by the name of Donnie Jones, who was an assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida. He’s brought in a great group of transfers, juco’s, and freshmen. Anyways, my point is that Michael Porter could not play for Marshall. But yet he is the starting point guard for the best basketball program in the country. What at country we live in, huh?

I was gonna’ send him a “that was easy” button. Maybe that would help..??

OK, that’s over, so as the soup Nazi would say.. “NEXT”

Tru you are such a great writer but your emotions are getting the best of you right now. Yes terrible performance tonight but at times I saw some glitches of promise. I don’t think we are dire and in no way do I think that we are as bad as last year. Everyone is saying oh we are 0-2 for only the third time but how many times have we played the number one team in the nation this early. Whoever scheduled and accepted that was stupid. New team………..playing NC! Don’t think that was smart at all.

With all that said………..BG better realize that BBN will not put up with this every year. I watch Tennessee football with Hubby and all I have to say is Phillip Fulmer. Patience runs thin with programs like this and BG doesn’t have Fulmer’s resume. If the unforseen happens and UK has another eleven plus losses this season then Billy’s contract won’t be signed.

1. Meeks needs to shoot less…
2. Patterson needs to shoot more…
3. Porter needs to come off the bench…
4. Billy needs to, (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), slow the game down…
5. The offense must, I mean MUST, go through Patterson…

those 5 things happen, we will be ok… IMHO…

Tough game. Decent number of Kentucky fans at the game who all stayed the entire 40 from what I could tell.

Turnovers are a huge problem. Porter is not good enough to play PG at a top level school. I don’t hate on the guy as much as most fans do though since he’s a natural 2 guard. I think our best bet is to put Liggins in for some “on the job training.”

Patterson played great…that is, the few times he got the ball. Our offense needs to run through his hands. He should touch the ball on every possession. He was basically double-teamed all night, but he is good enough to where that should not matter.

We desperately need a third option on offense. Perry Stevenson could be it if he gets the ball closer to the free throw line instead of 3 feet outside the arc. He should never, ever be handling it out there.

All in all, many of us expected to lose to Carolina. Not quite in this fashion, but still a loss. So, we’re only one game worse than we originally thought. There were bright spots in this game:
-The defense was much better I thought.
-Meeks can almost score at will.
-We never gave up. This game could have gotten really ugly like many do in early November in Chapel Hill. We seemed like we were always very close to making a run, it just never happened.

Luckily, Kentucky makes the best whiskey in the world. Don’t get depressed, things will get better.

critical of his post? I don’t think so. Just don’t think its dire right now.

I think ,Porter = Saul Smith , is closer to the truth.

should only get in the game for small spurts to rest Liggins. Liggins is a freshman, everyone knows that, but he needs to start NOW. This team will get better, I just didn’t think they would be this bad right now.

I whole heartedly agree that Porter is not an SEC level point guard, But the whole blame cannot be placed on his shoulders. This TEAM is a mess. (right now). I do believe that given time and minutes, that our freshmen will come through for us. But Billy has got to let them mature, and stop wasting minutes on Porter.

Blogging your team may be painful right now, but at least you haven’t been this guy.

;-)

Phil Jackson oftentimes refuses to make in game adjustments or call timeouts. He expects his players to play through it and figure it out. I am not defending Billy G’s coaching but I am throwing that little thought out there for all those who are griping.

IMO our team’s problem is simply decision making. The defense looks like it’s improving and the offense in the second half looked a little better but jeez if we dont have some of the least thinking players I have ever seen. To me the turnovers are the sole reason we arent in this game. Some of the things these guys do with the ball are just plain stupid. I contribute a lot of it to our woes at point guard. Porter just doesnt have the ability and Liggins is still learning the game. I am most disapointed in our returning players however who imo have not helped these two out by coming to meet the ball. To me it all comes down to decision making. I think we have the personnel to have a good season we just need smarter play and I expect to see that as the season progresses.

Congratulations the Tar-heels (assholes) for playing a tremendous game (refs). My hat goes off the their head coach Roy Williams (metro) and those hard nosed UNC players (NBA) for playing their tails off (jogging). And how about those UNC fans (rednecks) letting Ashley Judd (hooker) sit with them. It was fun (excruciating) watching the ESPN crew (transvestites) laugh and laugh at Kentucky (mid-major). Heck even Billy G. (poser) did a great job with these young (un-coached) players, and how about the effort of Meeks (rifleman) and Porter (Forest Gump). I can’t say enough about Galloway (invisible). All in all, I had a great (nails in my eye) time watching Dick Vitale (cross dresser) and I feel really good (hangover) this morning!

We are the suck right now.

Folks who’ve been here long enough know I’m about as eternally optimistic as they get, but I can’t deal very long with getting embarrassed repeatedly.

It’s early, sure. And it was the number one team in the land.

But there comes a time when you stop saying “well, it’s this…or it’s that” and start to expect that, at the very least, folks on the court seem prepared to play the game. You get beat, you get beat. That’s basketball. But must we open every game as if we never even saw the other team on tape?

It has become abundently clear that we have fallen behind in the race for blue chip players. When UNC’s second string can beat us, theres a problem. Kansas and UCLA have gotten there recruting on track why cant we. This team will win some games and bring some joy but last night was a stinging reality that we have become a second class opponent.

Gillispie needs to get some guys in there and start playing them with some consistency. It was cute last year, but this year needs to get settled in quickly.

Starting Guards
Liggins
Meeks

Porter should come off the bench at the two. With occaisional emergency use at the point. He was the second leading percentage shooter from 3 point range last year. He can’t be worse than Cameron Mills in that role, can he?

We should not have situations where both Liggins and Meeks are out of the game.

Starting Forwards
Harris
Patterson
Stevenson

Miller should be the first off the bench to provide relief to Harris and also potentially at the two guard for Meeks. Harrelson should come in to give different looks and allow Patterson and Perry to rest briefly. If AJ Stewart can get out of the doghouse, he can provide some extra minutes as well.

I’m not entirely sure what to do with the other 13 guys on the team. Why did Gillispie even bother bringing Galloway on board? If he’s not better than Porter and Liggins, that’s frightening that my tax dollars are paying for him to get an education at UK. I have similar thoughts on Donald Williams, but understand that he’s behind Meeks, Miller, and Harris for his natural positions.

I still love Gillispie’s attitude and think he’s a natural fit for the UK coaching position, but I am more frustrated than I can express that I’m having the same thoughts about him in November of 2008 that I had in December of 2007.

Patterson was getting dunked on by freshmen and meeks played like he was on somekind of methamphetamine

I’m going to say no uperclassmen on this team will ever make it in the nba

realy couldn’t agree more chirop1. Especially about the dec.07 to nov.08.

Unless in transition patterson should touch the ball everytime down the floor. we have to work inside out. And people have to move to the ball!!!!!!!!!! How many times last night did somebody get trapped and everybody just stand there. Alot of standing in halfcourt offense.

It did not look like Patterson was working hard to get open on every play…. I think there is something seriously wrong with the big man… He took possessions off, especially in the 2nd half… Anyone else see this..???

Patterson still hurt folks….

Well, I feel like crap today……. Didnt make it to work till around 10:00.

Meeks-6 T/O’s and 1 assist
Harris-6 T/O’s and 1 assist
Miller-5 T/O’s and no assist
Liggins-4 T/O’s and 7 assist
Porter-4 T/O’s and 4 assist
Stevenson-2 T/O’s and no assist
Harrelson-1 T/O and no assist

Meeks-6 T/O’s and 1 assist
Harris-6 T/O’s and 1 assist
Miller-5 T/O’s and no assist
Liggins-4 T/O’s and 7 assist
Porter-4 T/O’s and 4 assist
Stevenson-2 T/O’s and no assist
Harrelson-1 T/O and no assist

Liggins gets an assist every 2.5 minutes played
Porter gets an assist every 5.5 minutes played

think how fast we can start the game with Liggins in and not porter…

As fans and supporters of the program, we need to first step back and take an unbiased view of the recruiting. If we do that, we should all admit it has been WEAK at best. We actually get all worked up when we bring on JUCO players….

After that, look at the coaching and how the team responds from the get-go. Has the team executed against the competition (no, obviously)? What does that say about the pregame preparation? Is it there or has the team sold out on Billy already?

We have got issues that need to be addressed now for this season, but it looks like it is a longer term problem…whew.

Was she even at the game?

that the ASOB default aviator pic, looks a lot like Obama.. ..???

I mean, it’s dead on him…. lol

… leave the election for the poliblogs. We have more important things to discuss. :-)

thinking about leaving early

Those “shorts” are way too long. I sure hope this is not a precursor of what’s to come — it’s a bad look!

Grab a helmet and plug a hole on our leaking D before next Saturday.

SOOOO many of his colleagues, well all who know him for that matter, come to his defense when the subject is coaching ability…is this because its true, or out of sheer respect in the business??

Can’t speak for the experts. As for myself, I don’t have too much reason to doubt him yet. He seemed to put the right guys on the floor at A&M. I think he will here too, if my head doesn’t explode first. I wasn’t paying much attention to UTEP at the time. I did see several of his games at A&M, because I watch quite a few Big 12 games.

this year and Virginia somehow figured out how to hold them down to 97 points! I stayed up last night and watched the UAB/Arizona game cause Lord help me I like Davis. UAB won in a weird end of the game. Also heard San Diego is doing well and expected to do well,. I bring this up to say that the gimmie games I think are over with pretty much. Heck I am even noticing the talent level in my kids age group (elementary) is extremely more talented then when I was in school. Talent levels are becoming more and more level with Division 1 schools.

I do think we are seeing a group of kids frantically trying too hard. I think they understand “Kentucky” even if they were too young to have ever seen us REALLY in the national mix and in the F-4.

We are also seeing that our ranks were very depleted. BCG is not superman. He was faced with essentially a chicken or the egg questions and obviously, the majority of his energy has been directed to finding players.

What we are seeing is a small handful of guys who have been through a year with BCG. The rest are young and getting used to him and the play. Liggins, Miller, Josh and the rest experienced that dreaded “speed of the game” last night. I will still hang VMI on other worldly shooting just as many fell prey to ’90’s cats and the Bombinos. Out classed, over matched night in and night out and just drained 3’s. As much as I do not like an L to VMI in principle, using it as a fortune teller game is not wise. Last night is every bit reality however.

Yes, we will improve drastically. No BCG is not going anywhere for a while. Yes, BCG is taking a sword for a mess he did not create. The media, still stinging from “The Tubby….run off…no…firing…no….quitting….THING” are still at the ready to stick a knife in however and whenever possible. So, BCG, by just stepping into the mud does not have the “Elite Media” at his back to help us along and actually is in danger of out and out vilification. Hell, when Mat Doodooy sank UNC ESPN damn near held a telethon to take donations to help them buy Roy. Last night, Duckie V talked about how depleted we are in talent (after being the most critical of the “THING” and how dumb we were to even think about another coach) yet NEVER talked about BCG grabbing a top 10 class for next year. He called it “a good group coming in” but never the subtle yet VERY powerful statement to the nation that saying TOP 10 would have been. We did hear about UNC’s #1 class about 100 times.

Kentucky has a long hill to climb and going from stumbling on a loose rock at the Red River Gorge straight to Everest would only naturally yield failure. And it did last night. LAST NIGHT!

We WILL get better. BCG will get them playing better and together. If he sent the entire team out for ice cream while he kept P-Pat, Meeks and Liggins in the gym to dribble pass and shoot among the three of them, we would improve.