Kentucky 85, Vanderbilt 72: Postmortem
by Truzenzuzex on Jan 30, 2010 7:32 PM EST
in Basketball
288 comments
For the most part, the Kentucky Wildcats dominated the Vanderbilt Commodores today in Rupp Arena. For the most part.
I think Vanderbilt deserves a lot of credit for refusing to give up and making a decent run in the second half that put the game back to within the fringes of doubt, at least. Fortunately for Kentucky and unfortunately for the Commodores, Vandy missed a critical dunk attempt that might well have inspired a serious comeback. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing through the last five minutes of the game for Kentucky. But Vanderbilt gave a game effort, and when UK travels down to Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville next month, a lot more will likely be on the line.
Kentucky did what they had to do today after taking the national #1 ranking for a drive Tuesday night against the South Carolina Gamecocks and running it off a cliff. A two-game losing streak would have seriously debilitated the Wildcat's confidence, and the confidence of the fans. But solid double-digit win has restored all that with just a few caveats.
More on that after the jump.
Here are my observations:
- Game ball: Darnell Dodson. He not only made threes, he defended his man very well, and even got rebounds. I was very pleased with the performance of Dodson today. It is clear that Coach Cal's efforts at coaching have resonated with him, and we need him to be productive.
- Darius Miller still hasn't gotten out of his sophomore funk. That's okay for today since we didn't need him.
- DeAndre Liggins just keeps getting better and better. He is leading the league in floorburns, and today he added some solid scoring and made several wonderful slashes to the basket.
- The only person who can stop DeMarcus Cousins is himself. But as Coach Cal said, if you look up "Beast" in the dictionary, you'll find a photo of Demarcus Cousins staring back at you through his glasses.
- Great game by Eric Bledsoe. Don't know why he didn't start. Don't care. He played very well.
- Patrick Patterson was good today, and he made 3 of 4 three-point shots, but I have a question -- why is he playing so much 20 feet from the basket? Only Coach Cal knows, I guess.
- John Wall has been looking more and more human, and he looked human today. But that's okay, he is young. It's hard to keep that in mind, but he is.
- LeBron James at Rupp Arena is a good thing, I think. Maybe we should bring him with us all the time.
- I like what Perry Stevenson did today. He really worked hard when extended minutes were demanded of him.
- The officiating was loathsome for both teams. Nobody benefited, I think, but they made the game unpleasant to watch.
- I really liked the work we did on John Jenkins. He is just a freshman, but he is a player to be feared. UK did a good job on him today.
- A.J. Ogilvy was completely outmatched by DeMarcus Cousins today. It was, in fact, a mismatch.
- Daniel Orton was within an inch or two of putting the game away earlier. He missed a couple of tip-dunks that would have brought the house down. That double foul that ended his participation was absurd.
- The Rupp Arena crowd was incredibly surly today. I liked it. I was surly too, yelling at the flat screen, cursing and pounding. This was a big game. It mattered. And we won it convincingly.
0 recs |
288 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
No ...
… just taking some time away from the computer.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Jan 31, 2010 10:29 AM EST up reply actions
I'm thinking the latter.
Vanderbilt played hard, but UK just dominated them today.
Vandy had no answer for Cousins, and Kentucky played very good defense today in addition to shooting the ball very well from the perimeter.
When Kentucky makes 3-point shots and guards well, there are very few teams in college basketball that can beat them.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Jan 31, 2010 10:28 AM EST up reply actions
Is Cousins marked?
Does anyone think that moving forward, he will never get another break from the refs?
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
At this point I don't think HE cares
His rep will make him millions in years to come. A Charles Barkley who can make babies laugh.
No matter where you're at, there you are
He is
a 18 year old kid that needs to learn to control his temper. I have been there done that myself. He will grow up. I am sure of it.
I don't think he is a "mean" guy
I just think he stands for his guys, and gets a little too excited
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
I think he has great passion for the game ....
if we squeezed him and say, Darius Miller together …. maybe that would help them both some …. J/K …. I hope he keeps up his intense play .. Calipari says he challenged Demarcus to get 40 points and 20 reboounds … clearly Demarcus is a man on a mission.
He coulda had the 40 and 20 today
if he could just stay in the game
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
not at all
it’s our haters who are charachterising him that way sp:)
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
I have a fanpost
on this very subject. He has to control himself!
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
Blue
He was close today. A couple of inches lower and He was gone. And so would have been the win
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
It looked to me as if
Demarcus was turning to set a pick or block out and the guy was further away from him than he thought and Demarcus had to reach a little to to make contact. I think if he had thrown an intentional elbow he would have been gone.
Looked intentional to me when it happened live - I could see it on the top of the screen
On reply, still thought it could have been intentional. One thing is clear – the ref that called it was looking right on it and he thought it was just a foul. The reputation will not help him though going forward (of course, the rep may have contributed to the T today).
Was the goal tending call as ridiculous as I thought? The TV never showed it on replay (I didn’t feel like going back on DVR), but I thought the shot had gone over the goal as an airball and Cuz just swatted it put he floor and the ref called a GT.
Cal said Cuz deserved the T. Word is that Cuz started to use the F word...
something along the line: What the F#$%? . Going to get T every time and
as you wrote building a negative reputation with officials.
Agreed
I was just wondering how bad the call was (if at all).
I remember the O-GT call in S.C. and the reply showed it was very bad call. The announcers said “that was close” after watching the reply showed the ball 4 inches outside the rim. That call really took the wind out of our comeback.
I don’t blame losses on refs, and I understand that block/charge and contact calls are largely judgment. But some things either are or aren’t (like O-GT), and I hate it when the announcers refuse to call a bad call what it is, or like the GT call on Cuz, refuse to even look at the reply to see what happened.
Intentional is pretty easy to spot, especially
on video which the refs do look at in those instances.
I don't
see how that wasn’t intentional……..I played that position in high school and if I had done that…….tech and thrown out……guarentee ……….
Nobody thinks He
is bad. He has to control himself.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
What can you do to get him to control himself??
Benching him won’t work for long because we need him on the floor … I think Cal is doing a good job with him … he has him on a leash – it’s just a real long one ….
as
bad as it may sound……..sit his butt down and if we lose we lose…….I think it would be a valuable lesson.
I don't see
“Cal is doing a good jof with Cuz” He stood toe to toe today arguing with him!
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
Honestly
I think you and I come from the same “old school”……coach is boss. Not so much with these days.
You sit him for the rest of the game??
That’s cutting your nose off to spite your face … and it carries over to subsequent games … you want him to play tough and physical – he’s passionate about the game – for me, you take the good with the bad. I Cuz to be a WILDcat not a PUSSYcat!!!
It would not take
“the rest of the game” He don’t want that pine time.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
"In the end times, people will be of a reprobate mind, what was good will be evil, what was evil will be good"
A little “Old Regular Baptist” style apocalytica
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
Its
hard for former ball players like myself to sit and watch another player argue with his/her coach. I would have been sent to the lockerroom for it and matter of fact one of my team mates was sent to the lockerroom. You just don’t do that. You must command the respect of your whole team…….otherwise the whole team chemistry gets awry. You just don’t do it………period. Its better to lose a game and teach him that he cannto get away with it then to just allow him to get away with this kind of stuff…………BUT I STILL SAY I LOVE HIM!
I don't think Cal has lost respect of the team ...
and he did sit Cuz for a while to cool him down – I agree with you – you just don’t argue with the coach and I don’t think Cal would allow that either … I don’t think Demarcus was questioning Cal’s authority so much as he was answering Cal’s questions. Seldom do we see a player of this size, skill and intense passion for the game. It’s a unique situation and I think Cal will address it on his own terms.
by ukcris on Jan 30, 2010 8:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I elbowed hundreds of guys
and was never thrown out
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
as dirty as I could get away with; I stank.
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
lol
me too!!!!!! That is why I was vicious with my opponets but never flagrant elbows. I just had no fear.
There are ways to get away with stuff when it is not on tv!
How about taking your free arm while posting your guy, and holing his Jersey? Everyones eyes are on the hand calling for the ball, and the other guys body is in-between you and 2 of the refs
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
It wasn't flagrant, the refs looked at the video
and they decided it wasn’t. It didn’t look flagrant to me and I watched a few times.
We
are just going to have to disagree on that……..believe me I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think to be 100 percent sure…….just as I didn’t think the Uof L incident was worthy of him being thrown out.
Using the monitor
I think you should use reply for all questionable plays in the game, or none at all. There are certain things they can’t go to the monitors for, and it would undoubtedly add to the length of the game, thus the flow of the game is broken. But UL got hosed on the last call of the game on a ball out of bounds, which changed the potential outcome.
It is just the law of averages that CUZ will get tossed before the end of the season...
wether it is intentional or incidental…not to mention the bad PR…just saying. We need this guy on the floor to get to the dance.
what I noticed today
was that the team was completely focused today, didnt see any of the JW and company smiles like we usually see, all business !
But we like the smiles too
I was glad to see focus though. :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Well we all knew that UK had to win today, and that's done. Honestly, I was a
nervous wreck. Now, I’m Kansas State’s biggest fan! BTW, what does that Abe Lincoln beard mean in Mahattan, Kansas?
Their player with the beard....can't think of his name right now
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Cal said on his post game show that he will play Orton and CUZ at the same time...
what will that look like. Move PPat to a #3? Maybe that is why Coach Cal has been “grooming” PPat to play so far away from the basket? Otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Didn't Cal say that PPat needed to learn to play like a guard
to up his options for the NBA?
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Hey it rained twice in Eugene in 2009...
one time for 6 months and the other time for 6 months :) Nah, it does rain lot’s in the valley (buy a decent rain jacket…I ride my bike 12 miles to and from work everyday) but the summers will knock your eyes out and everything is a beautiful green… unlike our neighbors to the south in sunny but dry (brown) Cali.
It won't be the "twin Towers"
The sets we run now have him as the 3rd, or 4th option
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
I remember the twin towers but...plug in our two 6' 11" studs into the Dribble Drive and...
explain what that formation looks like. Two guys on either block? That wouldn’t be the Dribble Drive would it?
Not seeing a lot of dribble drive this season
Cal has adapted somewhat.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Look at the play that Gootlieb described before the game
In that play, one of the two big-men in a 3 guard-double low-post offense clears out for the other, and heads to the high post.;when PPat is in the game,that set kills his numbers/or he shoots the 3
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
If I remember that play. The two bigs are just outside the key ...
setting a screen to release Cuz on the opposite side of the key (rather than 5 players near the 3 point line).
Patterson headed to the top of the key after he set his screen and everyone else(and him)cleared out
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
for Cousins on the block
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
we could do it
very easily,unlike Syracuse and their zone, Cal has proven very adaptable in his career. It seems like when it is about our guards, we are in trouble; when it is about our big-mne, we slide.
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
blue oregon
they’ve very rarely run the DDMO. I think I spotted it once or twice today, which is on par for the rest of the year.
We pantsed 'em
We made it look routine, even easy. UK SHOULD (provided KU loses) retain it’s number 1 ranking. I mean, who else is there, realistically?
We're all just a banana peel away from eternity.
ICQ: 591535544
Yahoo IM: jacksbrain
Syracuse is the PC pick
UK can only be no 1 on ESPN when it is in-controvertible
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
No one
does…….I emailed Mike Dec the other day, just kindly telling him not to get onto us for celebrating a number one……he said “kentucky is back regardless of your ranking” He also basicaly said that polls are useless right now…..there is no rhyme or reason to them and I agree.
don't be tellin folks that polls are useless!!
you’ll start a ruckus! :)
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
For most of the season
I have been 100% convinced that John Wall is the best “basketball player” on the court, any time he steps foot on it.
But as of now, I am only 100% convinced that John Wall is the best “backcourt basketball player” on the court any time he steps foot on it.
DeMarcus Cousins is turning incredible. And unstoppable.
To be honest, I am not sure that I saw that one coming. Remember the days when there was a possibility of Cousins maybe needing to stay another year? Seems like an eternity ago.
by Sonic on Jan 30, 2010 8:01 PM EST reply actions
someone predicted on this blog
that before the season was over he would be a POTY candidate; now I see why.
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
we have the # 1 draft pick
but its not John Wall
It is definitely going to be interesting to watch
what happens in the draft.
It is really hard to pass on a “can’t miss” PG to lead your franchise for years. But DeMarcus is simply overwhelming people right now. That is hard to get out of your mind.
My gut says PG. But whoever gets DC is going to be very, very, very happy.
Another winner in all of this? DirecTV. I know their “NBA Pass” is going to be pretty popular in the Bluegrass in the coming years. :-)
by Sonic on Jan 30, 2010 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
Big men usually pan out at a higher PCT.
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
#1 pick
My husband just said that same thing the other day. Cousins IS looking a lot more impressive than Wall lately. I happen to think his “passion” will only make him more attractive to the NBA.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jan 31, 2010 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
I disagree Sonic.
John Wall right now is probably only the 3rd best guard in the SEC. He is certainly not the best in the country right now and his stock is sliding. Seven TO’s a game is getting old, especially when you shoot about 30% from the field.
more than 1 #1 pick IMO
prob #1/Cousins, #2/Wall tho, #7/PPat, and #15/Bledsoe…
"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as much as you please."...Mark Twain.
I am downright biased when it comes to the Cats too!
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
The ESPN Kentucky Conspiracy Continues ...
Watched the half time ESPN highlights of today’s games. They went through Texas, Georgetown, Mi State, etc. No Kentucky mention whatsovever! WTF? We’re currently #1?
It was a good game
Both us and the Commodores outlasted the refs.
Lexington, We have a problem.
We have to get EVERYONE on this team pulling in the same direction. And I am not talking egos here either. Our freshmen have now played half a season, and they are doing a lot of things really great. But they now have to get really smart really fast. DeMarcus learned another valuable lesson today, and avoided major trouble. But Wall and Bledsoe need to get back to being able to control the tempd of the game better. They really hustled on defense today, the whole team did. And that helps overcome a lot of mistakes. But Liggins was our best penetrator today, and that shouldnt be the case.
Now, the bench stepped up bigtime today, and that was really wonderful to see. But to win it all, we must control the game for 30 minutes….we did better today, because we controlled it for about 30……but no more slip-ups. Drive, defend, distract, and demolish……that has to become our motto……
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
I'm not sure why Liggins shouldn't be
as good a penetrator as the other two, ABC. He has an incredibly quick first step and great speed. Last year, he tried to use it too much, but I like the way he’s working into the role and gaining confidence in doing it. His ball-handling is improving, although he still dribbles a little high on the penetration, but what’s wrong with having a guy who’s gonna be back next year who’s able to penetrate.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
I guess what I meant to say is that the other two have to learn to do it more consistently
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Now, I won't argue with that. Liggins appears to be
on his way to becoming a good swingman who can play out front or on the wing. I really wish he’d take his open shots, though. We’ll need his confidence next year.
I think Miller is kinda doing like PPat has been somewhat. With all the ball-handlers doing OK, he kinda sits in the background. He took the first three of the game, and it rattled around and almost stayed in, then he took another as a whistle blew and made it, but it didn’t count. I’m not giving up on him.
I know you didn’t say anything about Miller, but he came to mind.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Liggins does his penetration from the baseline...
What, 4, 5 times today?? JW & Eric could take some notes on that. They try to penetrate from the top of the key where it is easy for the defense to collapse/help on them. Liggins goes to the hole from the baseline and if the drive isn’t there he’ll kick to wing/far baseline as he moves underneath the basket. Instead of facing 2-3 guys, Liggins only has to face 1 or 2.
Since he’s come out of the doghouse, he’s really showed some heart! His D has gone up 50% or so from last year, ’course having to guard JW and Eric every day in practice will do that! Agreed, DeAndre needs to take that open shot, I think he passed up 3 (maybe 4) open ones today!
If your wings don't sweep....
Liggins was allegedly
a recruit of Cal’s at one time. Forgot what happened. Guess Cal saw something there.
His first step IS good. His defender vision is getting better. I don’t know if defenses aren’t expecting it from him and concentrate more on Eric and Wall or what, but HE and Eric have made more driving attempts at the goal than anyone else on the team not named Cuz.
Wall seems to thrive in transition which causes opposing teams attempt to make us play a halfcourt game. Best way to create transition is with a TO. Active defense will increase TO’s. With the shell of a DDMO held together by strings of multiple pro sets it is amazing that we score at all. That is a testament to the talent for sure but mainly to the coaching acumen of this staff. As the players become more comfortable and the system is finally rooted (just planted this year!) we will see a more cohesive DDMO run. Give it another two seasons max.
Once these kids develop better defender vision they’ll get the idea of spreading out the defense and sending waves of drivers until one of them gets a clean look or a big will get antsy and leave his man wide open for a dunk. Kudos to Liggins for trying it more often and for the multiple floor burns. :)
Ole Miss kills us by 20.
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Ah, another glass-half-empty guy like myself. :-))
Or maybe you just don’t like the disappointment of our infrequent loss(es) this year. Spreading the defenses except where you WANT them concentrated is the key to any ball-movement success. I agree with you 100%, blue.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Improvements from last game:
-Stuck in the middle-better, particularly when PPat got the ball low, and Beast was better, but still needs work. You can’t make a shot against double/triple teams every time.
-Move to the open spot-much better, except for once when PPat was doubled on the left, but foot movement was better and ball movement, as a result, was much better
-Take the open jumper-near perfect, both twos and threes. The two drive/pullup jumpers were SUPER
-Allow opposition to shoot when necessary-N/A except for one drive, and we let him have his two. Good. Sometimes it’s not smart to foul trying to get a block.
-Bring intensity on every play-much, much better. Still had a couple of stand-around possessions, but overall it was great.
The defense was awesome; the offense was pretty darned good; and GIMME SOME MORE DEANDRE LIGGINS. He’s still a little hesitant to shoot, even on a drive, but I felt like asking Coach Cal, “Who are you and what have you done with DeAndre Liggins?”
Tru was right. This is the best team we’ve played so far, and the best player on their team was stifled. Who’s next?
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Oldcat - I think you summarized this one good
I still want to see PPat demand the ball when it matters. But we made the ‘Dores big guy dissapear today. Liggins is coming on strong and stronger. If he keeps this up, Miller won’t be on the floor for the tip. Nice game today against a real determined team. It’s gonna be tough when we go to Nashville.
K-STATE HAS THE LEAD!!!!!!!
"Ignorance, I can fix, stupidity, well that's another matter!"-82nd Airborne NCO
We all need to go over and help them beat Kansas....that blog would love the support
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
On the net
http://www.justin.tv/sportsentertainment2#r=K3PEhp0
No matter where you're at, there you are
Great Moment from Kansas point guard. Collins!! Excellent spotsmanship!!
Collins not even in the play.
I do
want to say this was a great effort by the Cats……….if we hadn’t gotten into “foul trouble” we would have run off the court with them……but this is the first time that I have been not impressed by the bench……..not at all.
Gotta remember, both Bledsoe and Liggins
came off the bench today. Twenty-two points and a lot of hustle.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
How can you
possibly justify that comment?
Don't
get your panties in a wad! Let me rephrase…………I was not impressed with MOST of the bench today…….Liggins/Bledsoe being the exception.
wedgie removed, tenken :))
Now, how ‘bout Stevenson’s rebounds when we needed them? Just trying to start an argument so we won’t have Tru/UKlvr spatting again.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Not impressed with the bench?
You lost me on that one, I’m afraid. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Well
it just seemed that Vandy started cutting into the lead when our bendh was out there……..thatt is al I meant :)
They did, but we had almost all bench
at one time in the second half, and it was just time for a Vandy “run”, IMO. Good teams are gonna have them and you just have to weather them, which we did, but mostly when a couple of the starters got re-inserted.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
I
wasn’t trying to be harsh on them, just not as good as I have seen them in the past :). They still did well though :)
It was the bench that held the lead for the
for the last 4 to 5 minutes of the first half when the starters all had 2 fouls.
by Grasslands1 on Jan 31, 2010 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
Yep - we might still be #1
Even though everyone has called us “prior #1” all week
did any of ya"ll
see arkansas, and miss st the other nite……fortson sp* had 35 points, 33 in the 2nd half
Go Wildcats !! Purple ones now....Blue ones ALL the time :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I got one good glass left of the Bookers bourbon
I’m gonna hold off until K-state wins
Darn ESPN folks saying we WON't be #1 next week
Are they even watching the game they are calling?
looks blue to me too
course , I do have a touch of colorblindness too…lol
Okay....Kansas is wearing blue and K-St is wearing white trimmed in purple....LOL
And they are not faded to lilac. ;-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
You do remember the pink pants, don't you????? It was a joke :-D
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Ha.....now I've seen everything.
Everyone’s been talking about the blue koolaid or a drink…..check out the new add on the home page for UK Blue Wine. Gotta get some of that!!
You can't fix "stupid"!
think so......every UK fan should have 3 liters of blue wine!!!
talk about big blue madness
You can't fix "stupid"!
LOL.....if it is Elk Creek though, they are donating $ from every sale to Hoops for Haiti.
So another reason to buy blue.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
just keep hitting refresh on the page and it'll rotate to
it. The new one on t-shirts is great too.
You can't fix "stupid"!
I have a white wax MM
1996…..great year, I was at MM distillery awhile back, that place is niceee
Bottles of Wine are also blue...if the wine is Elk Creek. I was at the Elk Creek Vineyard store...
during Xmas 2009.
Well that concept
is taken but if you mean the 3 liter box, he is interested in doing that and has asked me to come up with a new blend.
OT
Darn – gotta go with the Bookers now (it worked for the ’Cats today). Maybe we should start a new open thread?
Tru, I agree with you
on the game ball going to Darnell. He was indeed fantastic today. Not only from the perimeter, but had some very big putbacks too.
As far as your question with regards to Patrick, one reason at least may simply be the fact that Demarcus is dominating the paint so well on his own that Cal figures he can let Patrick play around the perimeter a bit more.
Cant believe they didn't deny collins the ball ,,,
much less let him go all the way to rim without fouling him …
Kstate is going to make some noise in march …
UK v/s KU in April
the media will love that. Kansas looked good
No matter where you're at, there you are
They would kill us at small forward spot today
Ilike our bench potential
hope by April we are tournament ready ….
Yep - great game day overall
Snow is good for something. Sitting around and watching a ton of ball.
Have a great evening folks
I think Aldrich should have
fouled out with 10 minutes left in regulation time.
Nice W For UK
Cats totally dominated a Top 20 opponent today. This was NCAA caliber W.
by FortyYearCatFan on Jan 30, 2010 10:12 PM EST reply actions
Good bounce back win
The refs blew goats on both sides…….but the W is all that matters.
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
John Wall comments to Cutler
“To be honest, I really haven’t been having fun for the last two weeks. It’s just being frustrated and things like that so, I just got to figure it out before we go further in league play." Now i don’t think this is a real concern. He may just be hitting the notorious “freshman wall” (no pun intended) but how do you all see blending the explosive transition speed of wall with the interior dominance of cousins?
JW will be fine
Topping the list for most assists by a freshman. And to think, he was even considered as being a bit selfish with the ball at one point. I might add, he did it in 20 games too. The only other on on the entire list as low as 20 games is Eric Bledsoe.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Wall and Cousins
have recently been introduced to the “bad” sector of UK fans. Both had Facebook statuses about “love you when youre hot, hate you when youre not.” Wall even went as far as to say that the “only family he had here is his team.” I cant help but feel that has a little to do with those comments as well. I really hate those types of “fans.”
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jan 31, 2010 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Clearly the fans are at fault...
but the team needs to realize it is a very small minority that is being overly vocal. highlights that they are just kids as they are letting a few idiot fans color their opinion of the entire fan base….
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Jan 31, 2010 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, it is the unfortunate truth. Fan is an abbreviation for fanatic. Cats are just kids...
learning the ugly lessons of life in the spotlight of sports world. Those athletes that move
on to the NBA learn to insulate themselves from this crud.
Having written the above, fortunately not all fans are so fanatical or mean spirited.
by blue oregon on Jan 31, 2010 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Wall is also not going under the radar screen anymore...
i know he was never far under the radar screen, but starting with Florida, the game plan of most SEC teams has been to take away Wall and let the rest of the team beat them.
he is just getting a whole lot more attention from better athletes….
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Jan 31, 2010 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
Wall was upset by Cal's comments.
More from the Cutler piece:
Wall was called out by Cal after the Cats lost to South Carolina. Cal was trying to defend Patrick Patterson who was taking some heat for his play, and in the process, he was strong about Wall.
“I don’t know. He said I played awful,” says John Wall.
“I didn’t think I played that bad. I don’t know what to expect. He’s probably going to say I played bad today too so. I don’t know. I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win.”
You could hear it in Walls voice that he was down. Cal’s comments bothered him.
“Yeah, I think it’s going to bother any player when he tells you that.”
Man up, J-Wall. It’s tough being one of the best players in the country. Cal expects a lot from Wall as he should. Wall needs to listen to his coach and understand that he is only trying to make him better. “I just try not to listen to him,” is probably not the way to go on this.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jan 31, 2010 11:46 PM EST up reply actions
Eeks
I don’t like that at all! Wall did look really down the other night. I thought he was just upset that we lost but apparently there was more to it then that. I never thought of him as a premadonna but now I am not so sure. The one problem with these one and done phenoms may that they think they know more about the game then the coach does.
Looks like they worked it out.
Link from KSR:
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=43121
Sigh of relief. :)
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Feb 1, 2010 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah.
It did. Wall just really didn’t realize how he came across. Matt May has a great piece on it up on The Cats Pause.
Not a big deal, just normal, in-season growing pains.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
ESPN
I was so put off today with the chatter for Vandy during the game…and just added to that feeling by watching the ESPN nightly wrap up. Doug Gottleib, Jay williams and Andy Katz…the entire program was on all not Kentucky. The first eight minutes…Kansas and Texas…the next #1 Kansas on Monday, highlights from the games. Next Illinois/Indiana….then on to Geogetown and the Presidnet. Picked up a few other game scores along the way. No Kentucky. At the end of the program Syracuse and Kentucky won…focus on Syracuse. Quick overview of Ky win. Not a big deal since no Downey was on the Vandy team. Then discussion on the #2 on Monday…with consenus being Villanova or Syracuse. End the program with profiles of players who are leaders and team highlights. Guess what? No Kentucky mention again.
Tell me what the ESPN time spent on our game would have been if we had lost. This network and the staff just blow my mind.
As said here often….embrace the hate.
All commentary is annoying as hell
and drives you to the point of insanity, but ESPN is by far the worst.
I think
CBS gives them a run for their money.
i agree..and I was so thrilled when Billy Packer quit or whatever happened
But he was replaced by equally annoying talking heads…..sigh.
They (ESPN) know we are watching
it’s the fans of the other slobs that need their attention. If those poor bastards (other teams) weren’t talked about then no one but UK fans would watch em. I personally feel that they are afraid of us. We know more than they do and can call em on their BS. We encourage and praise them when they get it right but THE NUMBERS of us that tell em when they are wrong disturb them. :)
Embrace….go ahead. I am beginning to think I need to bring them a blanket to the embracing so their feelings don’t get hurt. Actually, all this embracing is bringing up some bile… okay that’s enough. Done. I may need sanitizer now. I hear it’s all the rage.
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Here's the deal if you watch ESPN much...
The games they televise get a lot less rehash then the games they did not have coverage of. That would make sense. Watch the next time UK is on the SEC or CBS network, ESPN will have a bigger clip, and comment, regardless whether they win or lose.
I'm telling you guys...
It’s a conspiracy!! LOL I’ve gotten kinda philosophical about it… Do I really need ESPN to tell me how good our Cats are?? Nahhhh, I’m smart enough to figure that out! :-)
If your wings don't sweep....
I will throw in a blanket too bluecrip,
But you touched on something very important. UK fans are very knowledgeable about the basketball game, UK’s history, and everything else. You want birthday dates? Just ask….LOL
I read a great article somewhere this season (wish I could remember where, but there are so many) talking about just that. It discussed our fans’ attendance at games and how smart those fans were about the game. Maybe they are afraid of our numbers. We are a rather intelligent bunch, I will agree. :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
It was a UNC fan/writer? that attended this year's game at Rupp.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
I only remembered it because:
1) It happened longer ago than five minutes, and
2) It was UNC, and my son, the pediatrician, went there to undergraduate school. (I’m so embarassed!)
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
To examine so closely
how much ESPN provides KY coverage is to imply that we care… they are corporate, sniveling, bandwagon-jumping, sadly neutral (or neutered) COMMON-tators, who have no investment in any one program (except Bilas who is lost when Duke fails, so he’s pretty lost right now..). Though he is obnoxious, the only ESPNer that gives us any time consistently is Vitale, but that of course is something that any hot team can claim as well. That last announcer to honestly show any KY love was Al McGuire, God rest his soul.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
While Coach McGuire "gave UK love"
while on TV, he refused to be on Coach Rupp’s TV program when I was in school. Not sure if it was a UKIT or an NCAA regional, but there were four teams in the event and the other two were on with Coach Rupp and McGuire refused. I always held that against him till I heard him realistically (complimentarily (a word?)) assess the Wildcats during his broadcasting career.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
What you do make of Wall's comments?
Cutler reports JW was hurt by Cal’s resent comments after the USC game, and that he hasn’t been “happy” the last couple of weeks. I think he has hit that spot in his freshman year where they all eventually feel the stress. Thoughts?
If
he wants to play in the NBA he better get ready and stop being sensitive. The press can crucify these players.
Yep, yep, yep. He ain't seen nothing yet, what with
all the Blue love that’s coming his way and the way the sporting press has fawned over him so far this year.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
I heard JW say not too long ago
he was a bit overwhelmed by the Blue love. He said he couldn’t buy deodorant without a crowd. I commented to him and the other 2 freshman that day that we didn’t mean to be overwhelming. I guess Blue love explains that very well. :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I bet he does draw a crowd
at wally world , I’d would imagine they all do
Wall is also attracting the attention of other teams.
as i said above, the game plan of SEC teams starting with Florida was to focus on Wall and make other players win the game. given SEC athletes are better than our out of conf foes, he is feeling it…Cousins will not start gathering the attention and it should free Wall up to get his…
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Jan 31, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
What one coach does well, others copy...
You hit the nail on the head Memphis… Billy D started guarding JW at the far foul line and everyone else has at least started picking him up at half court. That accomplishes two things: 1) Drives JW towards either sideline and that stops his momentum on the “full-speed-ahead” right up the gut drives. 2) By doing that, it also slows down the fast break and makes the Cats play a half-court game. Which, from what we’ve all seen in the past, is something that the Cats are still learning to play…
And I’m sure it’s frustrating to him, it would be to me. The way to get around that is let Eric bring the ball up the floor and have JW run the sidelines. It forces the defense to concentrate on both him and Eric, and that will certainly free someone up on the break or open up the skip pass across the floor…
If your wings don't sweep....
Dang, Eagle, you and Memphis sound like
you might have watched a basketball game or two. And that from UK fans, too. I thought all UK fans were in-bred cretins. Hmm. ;-)
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Well... Maybe watched one or two?? :-)
And coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment of the first order, Brother Cretin! LOL
If your wings don't sweep....
Tennessee is leading Florida by 5 with under 5 to play.
Is it blasphemous to pull for the orange? Better the old rival you’re familiar with than the upstart that thinks he’s cool.
McBee, the walk-on is playing pretty well. I love walk-ons. :))))
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Watching the game as well. Both UT and Gators have 2 SEC losses...I believe.
I guess it would not matter in relationship to UK standings. I don’t want the Vols to gain any steam or confidence before they come to Lex. However…it’s hard to root for the Gators as well.
I do agree with you the walk on player continues to make big contributions.
Yeah, he's got two threes (I think) today,
and a simply beautiful assist a couple of minutes ago. Plus, he made the three that was the nail in the coffin for another previous #1 team.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Yeah, nice shot. Probably a little
earlier than Pearl would have liked, but won the game, nonetheless.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Every team in the SEC East has beaten a top ten ranked team.......
except Vandy. UK beat #10 UNC, USC beat #1 UK, UT beat #1 KU, UGa beat #8 UT, UF beat #2 Michigan State, and poor Vandy has only managed to beat #14 UT. Rankings are at the time the games were played.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
[UPDATED 4/10/2010]
Related FanPosts on A Sea Of Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
