Kentucky 91, Longwood 57: Post Mortem
by Glenn Logan on Nov 24, 2008 11:58 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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Thanks and best wishes to the Longwood Lancers for coming in and giving their all against the Kentucky Wildcats. Longwood came in undermanned but determined, and despite playing a torturous schedule recently, gave a game effort against the Kentucky Wildcats.
My feelings about this game are mixed, but decidedly positive in the aggregate. Kentucky came out very impressively in the first half on defense, and offensively, they demonstrated a commitment to getting the ball into the post and letting Patrick Patterson do what he is supposed to do -- score, pass and rebound. As a result, Patterson had by far the best game of his year so far, and although he still looks a bit less than 100% to me, 90% was more than enough for the Lancers.
I haven't looked at the stats yet, because they really don't mean much. Instead, I will trust my impressions of what I saw as to how people played. Here are some of my observations, and as you might expect, I can always find things to criticize, even in a game like tonight's. To wit:
- Michael Porter played a very decent ball game. He wasn't special, but he was consistent and predictable. However, he has yet to convince me that he will be any more than a back up contributor on this year's team.
- DeAndre Liggins continues to get more and more minutes. I don't know how many he had, but he had more than Porter, and rightly so. Liggins has within him a very special player struggling to break out. One minute, it is, "Oooh, ahhh!" and the next it is a high-school play that results in a turnover. But if he continues to improve, especially with his shooting and driving, he will be a starter very soon.
- Darius Miller didn't have as good a game as the last one, but he was still very steady and gave a good effort. Miller's passing is incredible for a freshman swing player, as is the maturity of his game. On the down side, his jumpshot is broken from beyond 15 feet, as he tends to shoot on the way down, which is why his shot is so flat and often short from 3-point range. The coaching staff needs to work on that.
- Perry Stevenson had his usual game. Lots of blocks, lots of rebounds, a few points. I think he needs to pick up his scoring in the post. He is capable, but disappoints too often. But he sure is becoming a good passer.
- Patrick Patterson -- What can I say? The big guy delivered in spades tonight, and not just with points, but with assists, blocks and rebounds. Good game for Pat, and I think he is working his way back to the beast we saw last year.
- Josh Harrellson did some really good things tonight, and despite the fact that his shot was off a bit from the perimeter, he really impressed me with his quickness and aggressiveness on defense, and his tough work on the boards. I wish we could bottle this game and put a drop of its essence on his tongue every game. Very solid.
- Razor Ramon Harris -- Despite not starting, Harris was impressive. He was, as usual, efficient and constantly scoring on easy shots, rebounding and generally being a defensive nightmare. This guy is one fine basketball player, and may only be a jump shot away from being a second-round draft pick. More likely, he will spend his time at the next level in Europe, but the guy has skills and obviously takes instruction well. Ramon plays the game to his strengths, and in college ball, that is a rare gift.
- Jodie Meeks was himself, just not as hot. I was really angry (and so was Coach) about that undefended three he allowed from the left corner in the first half despite being right in the guy's face. What was that? But he played pretty well, although I thought he took too many plays off on defense. Jodie needs a bit of a butt-kicking so he can get his mind right. He can do much better than this. On the plus side, he took better shots tonight.
- Kevin Galloway played some pretty good minutes, but Gillispie is still not happy with what he is doing, and I can see why now. Galloway has a lot of very bad habits he must break, and that will take some time.
Overall, this was another step forward for the 'Cats. They evened out their scoring load and kept the defensive intensity high. They let up a bit in the second half, which really annoys me because I understand that winning and playing to win is a habit, and doing what they did in the second half is counterproductive. Gillispie will no doubt remind them that they are not on the floor to entertain or lallygag, but to play the game to the best of their ability every single possession. Anything less is unacceptable.
But with all that said, I feel much better about where Kentucky is today than I did a week ago. UK may not be world beaters, but they are learning the right things and making progress game to game. That's all I can ask.
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Great Game for Jorts
I thought Harrellson looked very good in the game. He went in there and did the job you expect of him. He got rebounds, he caught passes under the basket and finished. He made some good passes as well. I was impressed. Granted, the competition wasn’t SEC quality, but he played good defense, never really got beat, and made some blocks/shot adjustments.
Galloway – no offense to him – showed why he is not getting a lot of minutes yet. But he will improve and be an asset to the team.
Jodie Meeks seems like he’s in that awkward Joe Crawford phase where he gets his mind on scoring and doesn’t look at the situation or his teammates. When he decides to score, it’s Score or Bust for him, and I think he decides too early. But being the perimeter playmaker is new to Jodie, he will improve. I’m glad Jodie has this time to ease into the role. I love Jodie’s play and I think he’s awesome, but there is some room for improvement here. Even though his percentage was horrible, I think his shooting is improving – he seemed a little more controlled but not yet relaxed enough to drain it like we know he can.
Patrick Patterson definitely was dominant. He looked awesome. Good things are always going to happen when you get him the ball. I’m glad we’re finally doing it!!
Porter was improved. He seemed to be the victim of his own success somewhat – he’d drive the lane (where normally he would get stopped or turn the ball over) and then have nothing to do with the ball. And defensively he did well, other than a handful of touch fouls that just made you scratch your head. I think once we had the lead, with Liggins in there, sometimes you felt like the game was getting out of control on offense – we quit running our sets and started going 1-on-1 with our defenders. But Porter exerted a stabilizing influence, and that was good. That said, when Liggins actually runs the offense, he looks good. And I don’t have a problem with him trying some moves to get past the defense – he really needs to get a feel for what he can and can’t do in the college game, and when we’re up by 30 to an inferior opponent is the time to do it.
I think overall we did a better job of running our offensive set. We still need some work when we get trapped on the sideline, but other than that we had good ball movement and recognition of the open man. And the shots were really falling in the first 8 minutes. We took a big lead on our opponent early in the game, like good teams are supposed to do. (See: UNC game)
I liked seeing those different full-court press looks. That got me excited.
I expected we’d get better after VMI and UNC, and we really are improving. But this team is far from hitting its peak – we still have a lot of getting better that we’re going to do.
Good observations.....
from both Tru and EE.
Our ’Cats have made improvements, which we expected/hoped for.
While we did see why BCG has a tight rein on Galloway, we also saw why he was brought to Kentucky. He really can work magic, with the ball in his hands. But he does get himself in trouble, and I think that he can overcome that. I was impressed by his focus on defense, when he was assigned to Bogan in the 1st half. He face guarded him well. He used his length and athleticism.
I was certainly glad that Patrick started making shots that he should make. I agree with Tru, in that I’m still not convinced that he is back to 100%. He is moving better, and showed that intensity in the post, and aggressiveness on the boards that seemed to be lacking, IMO.
Perry worked hard for his shot a couple of times, but they didn’t fall. It was as if he still wasn’t sure that he would be open until he went up, because the shots almost seemed tentative, after the aggressive post moves.
Ramon didn’t appear to allow Miller’s start to affect his game. But with his style of play, he really needs to work on his FT’s. As much as he drives to the basket, he will draw fouls. Some of it looks like a lack of concentration. One his first shot, he didn’t bend his knees, and the shot was flat. But that is just being picky, because he, as mentioned above, is a real ball player. Come tourney time, he’ll need to make those shots.
Despite, the 2nd half letup, an enjoyable experience. Go CATS!
Ankle Surgery
It takes 9-12 months for FULL recovery. He’ll be 100% by SEC play, just not yet.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 25, 2008 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
Good win
I went to the game tonight and was impressed by the passing and ball movement( at least what i could see from row V of the upper arena). Patterson looked dominant, hopefully he can carry that over against the better athletes we will face in Vegas. Still concerned about 3pt shooting and 3pt defense. All in all a nice performance against an overmatched oppenet.
The passing and ball movement
looked just as good from my seat in the lower arena! ;)
by kentuckygirl0724 on Nov 25, 2008 9:04 AM EST up reply actions
Three point shooting
Defending the 3 was a problem early, but Longwood hit their 8th and final 3 at the 15:40 mark of the second half. I think they were 8-17 or 8-18 at that point. Still, opponents’ three point shooting continues to be the most glaring deficiency in the defense.
All told though, a good performance all around with continued encouraging improvement on offense.
"That's not a Sherman tank, it's Frank Thomas!" - Monkeyball
Patterson
When Patterson turned his ankle last night and limped off the court, it was seriously like all the air in Rupp was let out. Everyone around me (myself included) just kept saying, “No, no, no!” It was very tense for a minute.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Nov 25, 2008 9:26 AM EST reply actions
I can just ...
imagine. It was scary for me, and I was a long way from Rupp Arena.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Nov 25, 2008 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
Obsevations from Sec. 16, row M, seat 10
What a great night..! 1st UK game I’ve attended this year…
Patterson looks better, but if you watch him without the ball, he still has a little clitch…
Meeks looked to pass the ball more last night, and that is exactly what he needs to do…
Porter was steady with the ball, shot well, but was too slow in man to man and picked up cheap fouls..
Harrellson played with a lot more confidence. He and Pat look for each other on the floor…
Miller had way too much adrenaline flowing last night. The rookie looked lost on offense and seemed always in a hurry. It may have been his 1st start that bit him.
Harris was as usual, steady on both ends. Tubby found a diamond in the rough when he went up to Alaska to get this kid!
Stevenson was even, IMO, but should have dominated a vastly undersized team, (like PP did). Still, he was strong on D, and often had his man take him off the dibble, but could not shake Perry. very quick for his size.
Galloway was the one I was asking for more playing time. He is flashy, that’s obvious with his passes, but was lost AGAIN. He does have speed and played D better. The flashiness, (Is that A word?), can be corrected and I think this kid will be a big plus late this season…
Liggins played even, and showed an outside touch with a couple of 3’s. he continues to improve. The thing that bothers me with Liggins is his style of dribbling, (straight up). I wish he would bend his body to protect the ball more. Quick SEC guards will pick his pocket often if he continues that style.
The Bench did not extend the lead like Billy wants, but they played really hard. Carter played hard and fought when down low, but still gets moved around easily by smaller players. Krebs may end up being our Cameron Mills. The kid can flat out shoot when left open…
Well, I had a great time and it was a “feel good” win for sure. The team played together, didn’t force many shoots, and appeared to have fun out there.
One more thing: Perry’s little brother, Dwight, I see why coach likes this kid. At every break in action, he is the 1st one up off the bench running to the players on the floor to congratulate and get them fired up… little things like that can’t be overlooked…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Liggins......
I’m not bothered too much by his upright style. That helps him see the floor, and make timely passes especially as he advances the ball. You lose the advantage of visibility, by bending down.There was another recent, successful, Chicago point guard that played that way, Derrick Rose.
I can see where, as you point out, it may be a problem with small, quicker guards, but with his length he should be able to compensate. If he is unable to do so, your prediction will prove to be correct, and he will be forced to adapt.
Good point ...
… and you have to remember that Liggin’s arms are very long, so he winds up with the ball too far away for a small player to get to it without fouling him. Yes, the little guys can sometimes run through the dribble, but Rondo had a rather upright style, and his long arms made it nearly impossible to get the ball from him.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Nov 25, 2008 12:46 PM EST up reply actions
How can ANYONE draw solid conclusions from a game such as this?
I really don’t get it….what is the upside from playing these last two teams? Nothing will translate against better teams….
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Again, you miss the point...
I made observations, not conclusions…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Well I observed...
…that they went 9-22 last year but had a huge overtime win against Virginia Intermont. Whoop-de-friggin-do.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
LOL
If you actually watch the game with an educated eye and don’t just look at the score, you can really learn a lot. For one, unlike against the other teams we’ve played, we actually ran the offense some. And we’re continuing to improve execution at several positions. As far as our execution goes, there really hasn’t been much fluctuation between VMI, UNC, DSU, Longwood. Instead, we have seen a steady improvement game-to-game. Now granted, the exhibition games were different, we just won off our athleticism. But still, that is something you can learn from watching.
Nice troll, BTW!
It's what we do
You don’t know that nothing will translate to future games any more than any of us know that it will. But as fans, we hope it might. Fans talk about their team, sometimes through blue-tinted glasses and sometimes not. It’s what we do.
There are many things ...
… that can be learned from a game like this. Mainly, about position, execution, defensive effort, rebounding effort, etc. Even bad teams expose flaws in a team that can be learned from.
Can we conclude that UK will play well against tougher comp? Not really, but we can come away with evidence that the team is addressing weaknesses previously identified, and that will translate into better play down the road. It’s easy to see that the team was concentrating on getting Patterson the ball, for instance, and working on a series of presses we have seen very little of so far. Execution was better not just because the competition was inferior, but because the team has obviously been working on it and is now seeing the benefit.
Anyone who pays attention to the game and what the players do on the floor rather than the score can learn much.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Nov 25, 2008 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Fair Enough...
…but would your logic hold true if UK played the women’s team, or an 8th grade team from Middlesboro, or how about a wheel chair team? There has to be a point where a top team like UK no longer ‘learns’ against inferior competition…in fact, it may be ‘damaging’. I mean did PPat learn any new post moves against a 6’5" center? Is Porter going to be a better point guard bringing the ball up against ‘zero’ pressure?
Maybe you will develop bad habits against a weak team that will hurt you against better teams and players.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
I am really getting po'd with your comments on this site
And your name just adds to my anger. We don’t need you here.
Every team in the country plays cupcakes in OOC schedule.
Every single team.
There isn’t a single person with an ounce of intelligence that would assert that playing weak teams would be damaging in the ways you are describing. Is Samardo Samuels going to suffer from playing against Morehead State? Give me a break. And comparing Longwood or any other division one basketball team to 8th grade or wheel chair teams is moronic.
I, for one, am a bit disappointed with the overall OOC schedule for Kentucky this year. Regardless, to state that there is NOTHING to be learned from these games is ridiculous, especially in the case of a team with so many new players who learn a lot by playing in games against other teams, regardless of their quality.
by BBallSophist on Nov 25, 2008 9:33 PM EST up reply actions
Get Used To It
Gillispie likes LOTS of cupcakes in OOC play based on his career so far.
Nothing wrong with that (per se). UConn plays cupcakes galore. So does Florida.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 25, 2008 11:47 PM EST up reply actions
We play at least 3 top 25 teams,hell 2 are top 5 teams pre SEC.Our schedule is fine.This year we play preconference we play 2 ACC,1 Big 12,1 Big Ten,and the winner of the WVU/Iowa game(another Big East or Big Ten).
Mid 1990's To Mid 2000's
UK played very tough schedules every year.
Tougher than now.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 26, 2008 7:20 AM EST up reply actions
Indeed.
And not all of them inured to our benefit.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
OOC schedule
North Carolina
Kansas State
West Virginia/Iowa
Miami
Indiana
Louisville
Just who exactly would you suggest we add to that schedule? Trade a few Southern Conference foes for a Sun Belt or a MAAC or a MAC? The overall schedule may be a little weaker than what we were accustomed to, but we have just as many “marquee” games as we ever did.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
I think really ...
… this schedule is fine, although it does contain about three more “easy” games (How did that “easy” game against VMI work out for ya?) than most seasons under Smith. Smith usually played about five “easy” games in the non-conference season, although there were times when he scheduled much tougher than that. Back in 1999-2000, I would estimate that only two OOC games could have been called “easy.” That’s just way too tough, and it showed in our record that year.
Different coaches have different philosophies. We’ll have to wait and see a few years to see how Gillispie’s philosophy works out.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I Wouldn't Overlook K-St (Looking Ahead to WVU)
I have a friend on K-St staff. I think they are prepared for UK. Either way, Wildcats win.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 26, 2008 9:33 AM EST up reply actions
Overlook them?
How can we overlook a team that is 5-0? :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Their Schedule Is Weak
But their team is pretty good.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 26, 2008 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
"Either way, Wildcats win"
…I think that’s very clever. : )
I, however, will be rooting for the blue-and-white clad Wildcats, NOT the purple-and-white clad ones.
; )
Easier Schedules For Younger Teams
Make sense. And easy OOC schedules work for Fla and UConn among others.
by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 26, 2008 9:35 AM EST up reply actions
That's ...
… what we call a strawman — substituting a non-argument for an argument and then trivializing it.
By your reasoning, if it is damaging to one team to play inferior competition, it is damaging to all in exactly the same way. So I see no reason for concern whatever and in fact, see reason for optimism. Every game a team plays against outside competition has benefit, and unlike many teams so far, UK has played the top team in the country at their place. That didn’t work out too well, but what we have seen in the past is that too tough a schedule can destroy a team’s confidence, just as too easy a schedule may not properly prepare them for the trials ahead.
Kentucky plays two major D-I schools in the next two games, both of whom were in the NCAA tournament last year. So it’s clear that this schedule is providing a nice mix of the easy and hard, and I can’t see why anyone would complain about that.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I concluded...
that we did not defend the 3 well. This is something that must be corrected. Billy may have concluded this also unless he feels as you do. In which case, he will not be coaching us as long as I had hoped.
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
Let's see ... confidence, real game experience for the freshman ... and if you think nothing 'translates against better teams'...
… well, I don’t know what to say.
It isn’t smart to play top-20 or 30 competition every night, especially in November, and even more especially with as young a team as Gillispie has this year. The youngsters need to experience success, along with failures. It reemphasizes the coaching they are receiving, and allows them to see, in a game, that what they are being taught, works.
But of course, some fans are never satisfied.
by Ken Howlett on Nov 25, 2008 11:15 PM EST up reply actions
Patterson may not be 100%
but I’m sure glad to see that he found that look-alike impostor that wore his uniform against Delaware State… and ate him! When you get 28 points, 12 boards, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals, something is going very right. If he’s not at 100% yet, imagine what a beast he’ll be when he gets there.
I know “It’s just one game”, “It was inferior competition”, etc., etc. Just allow me a little unfettered exuberance this morning, K? I’ve always liked Pat (how can you not?), but ever since I met him at the Ole Miss game last year, I’ve been an even bigger fan and want to see him do exceptionally well. He’s a nice guy, a class act, and someone who deserves to have a long, productive basketball career. He’ll be an excellent representative of the Big Blue for many years to come, I believe.
BTW
This was the first game this year where I didn’t show up for the liveblog. (Stupid piled-up laundry!) Coincidentally, it’s the best we’ve looked all year. Does this mean I’m bad luck? Am I now banned from the liveblog?
Ha! That’s cute…..
It’s funny; all the games I have actually been able to watch so far this season have been horror shows – VMI and UNC. I was beginning to think it was me watching the games that had an influence on our horrible play! But, then last night I was able to watch the game as well and the boys played pretty close to brilliant (or at least I thought so) and so now I know it’s certainly not me and boy do I feel better. Whew! I’m not quite sure what I would have done had we struggled again last night? Not watched another game this year? – How terrible that would have been! I’m incredibly superstitious and always pay attention to stuff like this. I suppose it’s a bit silly, but you just never know when you might be influencing the outcome by the little things you do. : ) — (btw, I am mostly kidding, of course)
Acdixon, give yourself at least one more live blog (Friday night perhaps) and then you can decide if it was you or not. I’m sure last night’s improved performance was due to Patrick’s afro – or lack of, that made all the difference!
Friday night
Is ESPNU the only network carrying that game? If so, I guess I’m out Friday night regardless. I don’t even think that’s available on Comcast where I am, even in the channels I don’t pay for.
Yes,
As far as I know (according to the UK game schedule) ESPNU will be the only channel showing the game on Friday night – that’s how I will be watching it. I don’t really like to listen to games on ESPN 360 or whatever, I prefer to watch and be able to see AND hear all the action. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but, I order about three packages every season just to make sure I get to see every UK game that is available. I like to have choices and be able to see what I want, when I want. Besides, I just have to know what everyone is talking about after the games, I really don’t think I could get that from just listening.
Oh, and I will most certainly be staying up to watch the game on Friday – but I’m lucky, it won’t be a midnight tip-off where I am! : )
I always check in on the ASoB basketball live blogs, but I’m usually so caught up in watching the game I don’t want to go downstairs to my computer (my office is downstairs by the laundry room and our play room) so I usually just check in on the live blog at halftime (it’s very entertaining to hear what you all have had to say) and of course at the end of the game. Maybe I’ll bring my husband’s lap-top upstairs on Friday night so I can comment and watch….hmmm? ; )
Oh, silly me....
….I guess you can listen AND watch on ESPN 360, can’t you? Maybe that is an option for Friday’s game for some people? I’m not super familiar with it, but maybe there are others who know the ESPN 360 schedule?
ESPN 360
I’ve never used this, but I wondered about it. I have the lowest speed DSL AT&T offers, so I don’t know what the performance will be like. Anyone have any experiences to share?
I have a basic cable modem service and 360 came through fine last night
It gets a little skippy now and again, and occasionally goes into some kind of “slo-mo”, but it’s fairly minor.
"That's not a Sherman tank, it's Frank Thomas!" - Monkeyball
Friday
So, who plans on being “night owls” and live blogging on Friday night?? I am in if there are others interested!
by kentuckygirl0724 on Nov 25, 2008 11:55 AM EST reply actions
Heh.
Well, I’ll be at the actual game, so even though I’ll be with you in spirit, I doubt you’ll hear from me until after it’s over, and most of you will be comfy in bed by that time. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Nov 25, 2008 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
I'll be here...
wishing Comcast would offer 360 in my area. I don’t get ESPN U either…
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
My favorite part
of the game last night was when Harrellson came out of the game and Coach was showing him something and using his whole body to do it. It was hilarious! He looked like he was imitating a big monster or something. It was apparently on tv as well, because one of my co-workers that was not at the game mentioned it. Good stuff. I LOVE me some BCG!
by kentuckygirl0724 on Nov 25, 2008 1:34 PM EST reply actions
Maybe...
I have to get up at 3am for work anyways..so i might just sleep until midnight and get up early and watch and chat with whoever is here :)
" I believe in pipedreams"
Friday's game
My plan is to eat dinner after work and then take a nap for a couple hours to prepare me for the late night session. My “Stay up until 2 AM” days are a thing of the past, this is new territory for me!
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Only 1:00 am for us in the western end Doc.......
in the unmentionable county. Not that it will be any easier for me to stay up that late either. :-O (big yawn!)
Trust me... I know
Hardin County sits right there on the edge of the time change… it always taunts me that folks 20 minutes west of me get the benefits of the earlier times.
When graduating from school, I seriously looked at establishing my practice somewhere in the Central Time Zone just because I liked being able to watch Conan O’Brien at 11:30! (Of course in retrospect… I don’t stay up that late anymore either.)
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
The Central time zone is brutal in the winter; dark at 4:45, it's the only thing I HATE about living where I do.
by Ken Howlett on Nov 25, 2008 11:17 PM EST up reply actions
Hear, hear
Dark when you get up, dark when you get home. But getting to watch everything an hour earlier is a nice consolation prize.
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