Liggins refuses to re-enter Kentucky game

I know this was already posted under the post game commentary, but I thought I would put it in a FanShot so it can be discussed exclusive of everything else.

So is this another Joe Crawford moment, or an Alex Legion moment?

I expect we'll know when the team returns, but most likely nothing will be resolved here in Vegas.

Some people are comparing this fit of pique with Rashad Carruth's famous shooting strike, but I really doubt that is what it is. Carruth was a seriously disruptive influence on the team, and I have heard no such report about Liggins. I think we are potentially looking at a Joe Crawford moment. That worked out in the end. My guess is that this one will as well, but if Liggins becomes Legion II, then we will just have to move on.

We'll be following this story closely. Stay tuned, same 'Cat time, same 'Cat channel ...

7 months ago Truzenzuzex Comment 21 comments 0 recs |

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Dissension

Makes my stomach turn. I played for a high school coach who let one player determine when he went in, when he came out(if he ever did), miss practice and still start the next game….that was 25 years ago..but im not bitter….

" I believe in pipedreams"

by Magnoliacat on Nov 29, 2008 5:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm very surprised and more than a little disappointed in BCG's response to the tantrum.

He must be terrified that DL will bolt. He’s doing the same BS with DL that Pitino did with Caracter.

A scholarship player who refuses to obey a directive from the head coach on when to enter a game should be sent immediately to the locker room to remove the jersey, and should never be allowed to put it back on again without an apology to the team and an explicit understanding with the coach about what happens if it should occur again.

by Ken Pomeroy on Nov 30, 2008 11:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Caracter? Really?

How many chances did Pitino give Caracter? And how many is this for Liggins? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Listen, I wanted to puke as much as anyone when I heard this, but I’m willing to give the kid a second chance. I probably would have benched him for the next game. Coach G. didn’t. Guess which one of us is getting obscenely wealthy for our preference?

Furthermore, hasn’t there been some hand-wringing about Coach G. running players off and being so hard on them that they leave? Why push a guy away for one infraction, albeit a severe one? That only exacerbates the perception. If something like this happens again, I’d be the first one to say I hope Coach drops the hammer, but I’ll give a freshman a pass on this six games into his first season.

by Acdixon on Dec 2, 2008 11:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

chances

i agree with you that this isn’t anything like the pitino- caracter situation, but i thought i’d add one other point. coach g. may have wanted to bench him, but when he asked the team what they thought, they wanted him to play. coach also has made comments that liggins will have some making up to do this week for that mistake. wouldn’t want to be him right now! ;-)

GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!

by UKWildCatFanatic on Dec 2, 2008 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

caracter had

as many last chances as Steve Howe had in baseball.

by racercat98 on Dec 2, 2008 1:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

Now that’s funny right there….

Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.

by vinceuk1 on Dec 2, 2008 1:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Glad Liggins decided he wanted to play vs. West Virginia!

It was definitely good to have him available, especially during the 2nd half.

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 12:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe my opinion has been poisoned by DeAndre's tantrum, but

I didn’t see the great redeeming hero performance some others saw out of DeAndre in the WVU game. I saw no steals, no blocks, more Turnovers than Assists (as usual), and a hot dogger who missed three of the four shots he took.

If you’re going to sulk about not getting to play, you need to show that you can do better if coach puts you in.

Comparing Porter’s performance in the K-State game (supposedly mediocre) to Liggins’ performance in the WVU game (supposedly great), you will find that Porter had more rebounds, more assists, and more points on fewer shots. They had the same number of turnovers.

Where’s the beef?

by Ken Pomeroy on Nov 30, 2008 11:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Also, it was a Porter-led group that went on the 16-0 run that put the K-State game away.

by Ken Pomeroy on Nov 30, 2008 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Liggins

is good and has the potential to do so much at UK, but that type of behavior is unacceptable at this level. If this is a sign of things to come (ie; Legion), there are plenty of others that would love to wear the blue and white.

by kentuckygirl0724 on Nov 30, 2008 11:37 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nothing Like 2001-02

If you know anyone on that team, ask them to tell you what is really like.

Amazing, simply AMAZING that team was able to get 22 W and Sweet 16 despite all the turmoil.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

BG has show

Monday after the Rich Brooks show.We should get some answers.Dick Gabriel statewide show usually follows BG,should make for some good talk(or pitchforks).

by -Zoso- on Nov 30, 2008 5:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

BCG will slough the question off and refuse to answer it.

I hate how he decides which questions he’s going to ignore, and which ones he’s going to share some insight on.

by Ken Pomeroy on Nov 30, 2008 10:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Forgive me,

but I don’t really see a good reason for all the rush to judgment on this one. Like Tru mentioned in the fanpost, Liggins has no history of drama and to suggest that this current Liggins situation is another Legion situation is incredibly premature at this stage and I really don’t see a cause for people to "panic" and say "oh my god it’s another Legion drama".

I honestly feel that this was an isolated and one-time-only incident and I prefer to look at what Liggins did for what I think it was – an incredibly stupid mistake made by a young and quite obviously mentally immature freshman in college. Yes, I realize Liggins is 20, but evidently he isn’t all that mature on the emotional side of things and didn’t handle the fact that he wasn’t getting more playing time appropriately. We all make mistakes and now he has made his and he must deal with the consequences that Coach Gillispie has said will come this week.

For me, it’s actually quite obvious by his EXTREMELY competitive nature that he does in fact want to be a Kentucky Wildcat and most certainly should be a Kentucky Wildcat – he just didn’t handle this current situation very well. IMO, Liggins is the point guard of our future and I REALLY hope he does get his mental-whatever straightened out because no matter what the stats may say about Porter verses Liggins’ performances, when I am watching the actual game, I have a whole hell of a lot more confidence in Liggins and I am much more comfortable when he has the ball.

by BigSkyCat on Nov 30, 2008 11:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Dare I note that this tantrum comes from the same 20 year-old freshman ...

…who had to take the ACT entrance exam nine times in order to get the bare minimum necessary to qualify academically? That was a very bad sign to start with; now this.

I honestly just think the kid is not that bright, and we are only now seeing the tip of the iceberg of the problems we are going to have with him if he stays around.

Many of his on-court issues seem to be the result of mental errors, not errors caused by any physical limitations. Can those really be “fixed” by any coach?

I hope so, but I’m dubious. I’m trusting BCG to know whether the kid is worth the trouble.

by Ken Pomeroy on Nov 30, 2008 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He's Not At UK On Academic Scholarship

Liggins will be “punished” this week but I’m sure they settled their differences.

by FortyYearCatFan on Dec 1, 2008 6:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I understand that we didn't bring him for his brains.

And I’m not really concerned about personality issues between the coach and the player. We’ve certainly become experts at dealing with that drama over the past decade.

What I’m pointing out is this: if a guy is too stupid to know that the players can’t decide for themselves who is going to play, that is prima facie evidence that he does not possess the maturity to play the point for the University of Kentucky.

I don’t think being a great athlete is enough to make you a great point guard. How can you be the brains of the coach on the floor if you are at war with his game plan?

by Ken Pomeroy on Dec 1, 2008 10:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maturity Shouldn't Be A Problem

He turns 21 in March 2009.

He’s plenty “basketabll smart” based on what I have read.

I wish a $ for every UK player who wanted more PT. I’d be rich.

by FortyYearCatFan on Dec 1, 2008 11:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well,

Just because Liggins wants and is actually incredibly hungry for more playing time, that doesn’t mean he is "too stupid" (those are Ken P’s words NOT mine) to run the point at UK. I consider that hunger (though misguided in this current situation) to be quite a positive.

Liggins simply needs to learn how to earn his playing time instead of trying to play some sort of game (which will never work anyway) with Coach Gillispie.

by BigSkyCat on Dec 1, 2008 12:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs