Ouachita Baptist @ Kentucky (Exhibition): Open Game Thread
by Glenn Logan on Nov 7, 2008 6:00 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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This is the official A Sea of Blue open game thread for the Ouachita Baptist Tigers vs. the Kentucky Wildcats. The game is at 7:00 Eastern time in Rupp Arena and is the second and final exhibition game of the 2008-09 UK basketball season.
Here are the particulars about Ouachita Baptist:
- Location -- Arkadelphia, Arkansas
- Enrollment -- 1600
- Mascot/Colors -- Tigers/Purple & Gold
- Affiliation -- NCAA Division II
- Conference -- Gulf South Conference
- Head coach -- Charlie Schaef
- Record last season -- 20-10 (NCAA D-II Tournament 2nd Round)
- Other conference members of note: Delta State, Southern Arkansas
Ouachita Baptist faced Texas A&M, coach Gillispie's old school, last year in an exhibition, so it's no surprise to find them on the UK schedule this year. Ouachita lost to TAMU last year 85-59, but went on to a 10-4 record in the Gulf South Conference and won the West Division of the GSC. OB lost it's second-round game in the NCAA Division II tournament to North Alabama in overtime.
Ouachita Baptist is a senior-dominated team, having no less than seven seniors and 3 juniors on its roster this year. They lose their leading scorer Memo Rodriguez, who averaged almost 13 points per contest, but return their next three leading scorers in Benjamin, Marks, Maddox and Ledbetter. The OB Tigers are deadly from the 3-point line, shooting .368 as a team last year and returning most of that shooting this year. The Tigers are a small team with no players taller than 6'7".
Unlike Missouri-St. Louis, this is not a rebuilding team. This is a battle-tested and thoroughly competent small-college basketball team that is fully capable of giving unprepared Division I teams one heck of a fight. They are well coached and have a winning tradition. They may be small, but they are used to winning and have tons of upperclassmen to lead the team.
This will be a nice step up from Kentucky's first exhibition game, and this team should be much more of a test than UMSL. We should get a much better idea how good UK's 3-point defense is facing a team like the OB Tigers, who can truly shoot the rock. We will also find out if the intensity we saw Monday against UMSL will be carried over game-to-game.
What I am looking for tonight is consistency of effort and a continuation of the very professional and workmanlike attitude we saw Monday. Of the small amount of things I could take away from Monday's game, the consistent and professional effort we saw from the players was the most encouraging. If they duplicate that again tonight, we should have little trouble with the Tigers. If the 'Cats trot out the disjointed, clueless kind of game we saw early in the season last year, this could become a real contest, very similar to what we saw with Gardener-Webb.
But I don't expect that. This is a different team, one that has clearly embraced the Gillispie basketball philosophy and has the depth to sustain that effort. More work will be required to put this experienced team away, but UK clearly out-talents and out-athletes the Tigers.
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Lets get it on!
WIth one good performance under their belt it will be interesting to see if they can continute the effort and discipline into this exhibition game. Anytime young players experience success early against inferior competition I worry that they might get overconfident and the fundamentals and discipline will suffer. I was very impressed with the play of Miller and Harrellson in the first game so it will be interesting to see if they can continue to produce. Effort and desire will be the key to their success. Give maximum effort and they should see good results. Go Blue!
Zoso
not sure where you are. I cannot get WKYT on my Sat server, but I do get the BBN on WYMO 58 on Dish.
So disappointed...
I live in Augusta, GA and have been looking forward to the Cats on FOX all week only to find out a few moments ago that they will not be on. Just yank my heart out and step all over it Fox. And I can’t get the BBN anywhere else on Comcast. Woe is me…
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
NBA is on the channel guide...
Atlanta Hawks versus Toronto. Doesn’t look good here in Georgia.
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
Got radio.
UK athletics has it for free, audio only. Sure miss Cawood though…
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
Got the intranet going
and I am here for the exciting first half!!! I look to see a dominant first half and a 25 point halftime lead. It would be encouraging to see them put their foot down early in the 2nd half and put the game out of reach by the 7 minute timeout on the floor.
With the height differences and an active and harrassing defense these guys should get a solid win. It’ll be good to see the experience of OBU challenging the decision making of our team. If they play “disjointed, clueless” basketball the Tigers will have a decent chance of success.
Soooo happy it’s a UK weekend!!! Fun tonight and fun tomorrow!!! Oh yeah, and NO WORK!!!!!!!
GO BIG BLUE!!!
Yeah Hoopchi
these guys are okay. They fit the definition of clueless and disjointed at times.
But you gotta love the ACDC!!!!!
THUNDER!!!!
That's exactly what they need to do
to finish them off!! Throw it OVER their defense!!!!! Hopefully the guards will help out! Patterson should have 30 points and Stevenson should have 25! Harrellson should have 25 also.
Mistakes ...
… mostly turnovers.
9 turnovers and a failure to guard the three.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Well ...
… UK is not taking this team seriously.
That’s a mistake. These guys are a first-class division II team.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
well I see ...
… the stats and hear the game, but just wonder why the carelessness? casualness?
by StillCatwoman on Nov 7, 2008 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
3's
OBU is 5-9 so far outside the arc (8-27 total)…cats need to guard the outside a little tighter, especially when they seem to be playing good interior D.
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 7:45 PM EST reply actions
Told you ...
… these guys could shoot the rock. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Starting to see ...
… some cohesion now. Patterson not being on the floor is a noticeable problem.
But Miller is playing very well on defense.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
The old turnover bug needs to go away. I hate a turnover more than anything.
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
I say ...
… let’s get it out of our system early. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
i have been waiting since March...
so excited to see them play this season, so why aren’t they just as excited to be out there playing?
WTF
This is the first game I have got to see since middle of last season. I was deployed all last season. Turnovers are horrible. I am not impressed. How many rebounds are we going to give them in a roll.
welcome back
where was your deployment?
by StillCatwoman on Nov 7, 2008 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
thank you
for going to protect the rest of us who were safely back home.
by StillCatwoman on Nov 7, 2008 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
It really ...
… isn’t laziness, but carelessness and lack of focus.
Relax, it’s early. I don’t think UK is in any particular danger here. We have simply not matched the intensity of OB, and that is why we are in a ball game rather than a blowout.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
This ...
… is the kind of thing you can expect early season after an easy victory.
It’s obvious these guys didn’t understand that there is no quit in OB. They are an NCAA division II tournament team with many, many seniors who know how to play this game. They are a genuine threat to challenge any unprepared team.
I think Gillispie will adjust their attitudes at half time. He has clearly allowed this game to get in this position so that he can find out more about his team. It’s obvious that there is work to do.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Amazing ...
… that UK has scored 43 points with all those turnovers and poor free throw shooting. Last year we were lucky to score 30 in a half, even in the exhibition season. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Patterson will make a difference in negating 2nd chance points
and Harris is a good on ball defender
they should make a huge difference in the 2nd half
I think so.
UK has to work harder and communicate better on defense. There is a serious lack of communication going on out there, and that needs to change right quick.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Games like this ...
… are hard on fans, but really good for the team. The earlier in the year we face some adversity, the better. Lots of opportunities for improvement in this first half of basketball.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
IMO the lack of a true experienced PG is a key
Porter is fine but not great and the others are just too inexperienced. A true PG would run the offense better and eliminate a lot of TO’s
He truly is.
He may get a triple double. He has six blocks to go along with double figure points and rebounds.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I dont want to sound like a broken record but
the Rupp crowd needs to learn that they can cheer for more than just a good play. the enrgy in the building is dead and the crowd could help energize the team at least some.
couldn't see this on extreme access before but now
it has suddenly come through. If you couldn’t get it before, try again.
where can you find the running score
I am in Atlanta and can’t seem to find it anywhere
Ha! He's been Hulking
throughout this game.Gonna need that type of production this year. Looking good!
even 20 now...
announcers think magloire might have been the last one to do that…anyone know for sure?
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
noticed it too
loved it!
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:17 PM EST up reply actions
haha
Coach just got T’d up!!
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:17 PM EST reply actions
bad first half but UK turned it around in the 2nd half
Once coach tightens up the rotation I think they will be better
wow
they’re not missing any 3’s late.
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:19 PM EST reply actions
OBU isn't missing
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:20 PM EST up reply actions
Stevenson
16 pts, 20 boards, and 7 blocks…great game.
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Nov 7, 2008 9:20 PM EST reply actions
Scotty Hopson
had 11 points tonight for the Vols against mighty Tusculum. UT won by 20 some, but Hopson couldn’t guard the water cooler. The announcers even kept commenting on it. He would have been another Alex Legion at UK, glad he went to a 2nd tier SEC program.
gobigbluecatsfan72
by gobigbluecatsfan72 on Nov 7, 2008 9:51 PM EST reply actions
Harrelson must have been
in Billy Clyde’s doghouse. Does anybody have the 411 on this issue? He reminds me so much of Scotty Padgett. Would love to see him contribute like he did on Monday, and Perry keep doing his thing.
gobigbluecatsfan72
by gobigbluecatsfan72 on Nov 7, 2008 9:54 PM EST reply actions
I think ...
… he laid a couple of eggs on defense. Gillispie has a very low tolerance for weak defensive play.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
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