This was a trap game and UK got through it with a win - I'm very happy about that.

Only 4 turnovers in the second half is terrific.

9-9 overall, 3-2 SEC and UK played well in both losses, on the road, to two solid teams.  I'm excited to see (well, listen) to how the team plays the remainder of the way.  UK is going to have a lot to say about who wins the SEC this year, something I don't think a lot of us thought would be the case back in December.

On a personal note, UK is now 9-0 when I don't watch them play on TV and 0-9 when I do.  I'm not normally a superstitious person, but that's just too strange to ignore.

Very nice. Complete effort by everyone. Folks looks like are team may be coming around. I know all you BCG bashers are loving this lol. Bring on Georgia I believe this next 4 of 5 on the road will gel these guys. When you say your prayers at night dont forget to sneak in a please no more injuries.Everyone be safe. GO CATS

Check their numbers. You'll be surprised how close they are.

Bradley was "credited" with 5 turnovers as Tru notes, but one was on the behind the back pass, and another was palming. I realize a To is a TO, but considering the minutes he is playing, and the pace at which they played today, his performance was simply outstanding.

He shut down Frederick the last 16 minuts of the 2nd, after he was asked to guard the 3 point shooter.

Stevenson continues to impress. He is the key to this team beating good teams, I feel. His defense has been good, but his added scoring punch is what is most needed. That takes the pressure off of Bradley, Crawford, and Patterson. Couple Stevenson's offensive presence with Meeks getting closer to 100%, and Gillispie has the makings of a pretty good offensive basketball team.

Jasper looks to be very close to 100%.

Crawford has a week before the next game. Let's hope his foot is feeling better. Georgia is extrememtly well coached, if shorthanded.

Congrats on a good win.

Who woulda thunk it only 3 weeks ago?

Oh by the way, Patterson is good.

very, very good. What did he get, 5 off boards? His presence makes the rest of this team look good. Kudo's to Bradley for an outstanding game as he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. He only played 7 players but BCG has found a way to win the last couple of games. I take back everything bad I ever said about him...until the cats lose a game...

A few quick thoughts of my own:

-PPat is an absolute beast.  If we are lucky enough to have him for 3 yrs, my lord.

-Bradely has finally realized how to play his best game.

-Jasper is good.  He is so versatile, I'm curious to see how good he might be by his senior year.  And holy cow, does he have an outside shot now, or what?  

-Downey is really good.

-It seems to me Meeks is still a step slow.

-Perry is currently a fantastic compliment to PPat.

Overall, it is so nice to enjoy watching when my Cats play again, which is a great contrast from the beginning of the year.  My confidence that BCG will acheive great things is growing daily.  Solid win.  

I didn't get to see the game today because I was at work. Seems like I missed a real spectacle, huh? I'm so glad to hear things went our way today. This is the team we expected from the beginning. Wouldn't it be something if we either won out, including the SEC tourney, and bought ourselves a bid into the NCAA tourney? Somewhat of a long-shot right now, but I would love to see the reactions of all the nay-sayers. It truly would be something :D  

It's hard to believe the progress this team has made since the beginning of SEC play.

There are several areas of bemoanment (is that a word?) which have been either corrected or coached up. Along with the return of Meeks and Jasper to more substantial roles, this team shows signs of being pretty good.

Some of the issues that were of major concern to many here at ASoB, including me:

Lack of leadership- I am so pleased with Bradley. He has certainly responded to Gillispie's admonitions to him regarding "leaderless possessions". He has risen to the level of his confidence, which has never been lacking.

Lack of help for Patterson in the paint- The most welcome improvement, because it takes the team to another level. The improved play of Stevenson has made a huge difference is how efficiently the offense runs. Having the ability to run the high- low helps to get open looks on the perimenter. And we know these guys are capable of hitting their threes consistently. Stevenson has even stepped up his defense. He's not committing fouls every 45 seconds. That fact alone is a huge improvement. Especially when considering how UK was out-shot from the free throw line by a wide margin every game. Not anymore.

Will UK ever score against a zone again?- After the Houston and UAB games that was the question. UK seemed as if they had never seen a zone before. They looked totally lost, and disorganized. My how times have changed. They are spreading and attacking the zone, getting penetration, and just generally creating all kinds of problems for the opponents.

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, my gawd the turnovers!- Not a drastic improvement at this point, but certainly they are valuing the ball more than before. Today, they took excellent care of the ball. Of the 15 turnovers, three were 3 second calls (insert clearing of throat) and a palming. So that leaves only 11 ball-handling or passing errors. Not bad considering the pace. Only 4 turnovers in the second half. Hopefully they will continue to improve in that area.

Why all the injuries?- I don't have an answer for that one, but they're nearer healthy than they have been all year. Keeping fingers crossed.

Does Clyde know what he's doing?- If you were holding your breath, you can now exhale. The improvement I've seen since Nov. 7th is astounding. Gillispie deserves the overwhelming credit for this, in my opinion. Some may argue that we have our players back. That's true, but the execution of the offense and defense has gotten better by leaps and bounds. Sticking with his plan, not wavering in his philosphy, but bending a bit on a few issues, shows to me that Clyde knows exactly what he is doing. The players have certainly responded.

Alex Legion- Who?

Gutsy grinding comeback for a team that once wore that reputation. I love the growing confidence of the younger Cats, especially with Joe on the bench. In fact, throughout the game I kept thinking I was seeing both flashbacks from Cats gone by as well as glimpses of the future.
Bradley is truly growing into the floor general we lacked in some ways since the glory days of one sir Chuck Hayes. Azuibuke was getting there, but left early. Rondo could've been all that, but he thought he already was and was virtually uncoachable. With Smooth and Joe slow to show, Bobby Perry became a man but couldn't drag the rest of the team up. Now it looks like Smooth has decided to be that man, and it is a joy to behold.
With Patrick getting a better feel for the college game, Perry has decided to kick it up a notch - and watching the two of them play off each other, feeding each other in the post, getting open as a safety valve when the other gets jammed, and going hard after each other's rebounds - I began to see visions of the skyline near Commonwealth: Could these two be the return of the Twin Towers? What fun it will be over the next two seasons watching this tandem wreak havoc on opposing defenses!
Meanwhile, it looks like Jodie and DJ are both working their butts off to assume the floor general's mantle when Smooth departs, and also finding each other for feeds and open looks.
While I am already lamenting the not-too-distant-future loss of Smooth and Joe, I see a solid core emerging that can write their own ticket over the next few seasons, if they will only continue to work hard and play together. All they need is one more Cat to step up to play the fifth man, and a couple of reliable subs to spell them when they need it.
With Patrick and Perry policing the paint, and Jodie and DJ driving the lanes when open and draining 3s when closed, and another Cat-to-emerge playing cleanup - we are in for some more fun this year and the next and the next ... and if Patrick stays four years, the last one, according to the Vietnamese calendar, will once again be The Year Of The Cat ...

alex who? do you think seeing how bcg apparently has a way with transforming guards that alex is wondering "what if". oh well. i think stevenson and patterson are really working well together. however, i think the key to this turn around is definetly bradley. what else can you say about his play of late that hasn't already been said. i agree that the healthier we become and the more games we play, the better we will become. hopefully it's not too little too late. i still don't think we'll reach the ncaa tourney, but the possibility is getting a little more realistic. and if not, look out next year.

I loved to watch them play.

Patterson is better playing the post with Perry helping out.  I think they compliment each other.  They certainly look for each other.

The guard play is becoming much better.  I liked the line up for most of the evening against SC.

What about the 3 point shooting of Jasper?  He needs to shoot more.

I am pumped up over this team.

I want to thank the person who told Perry midway through the season that when he is within 5 ft of the basket to never even consider doing anything but dunk.  I want to buy that man a beer.

I am excited to see him contribute but I am not yet convinced he is capable of being a difference maker.  I think Stevenson will become a very effective role player at UK.  If he can learn to create his own shot he could be become even more.  Stevenson is enjoying the spoils of PP being doubled and tripled; with PP being such a good passer and drawing so much attention, Stevenson is going to have opportunities to post good #s.  

Just keep dunking Perry.. just keep dunking!

BeatUL...when you find that person, please tell him or her to give the same instruction to Patterson. It drives me crazy when he constantly eschews a dunk to lay the ball off the glass instead. A beast like that should dunk every chance he gets. I'm sure this lesson will come as his experience grows, and I am thankful that we, as Cat fans, will get to see this evolution.

Tru, please dip into your bottomless well-spring of knowledge and let us know when, if ever, UK had a true freshman average close to 18 points (or more) a game.

Thanks.

Dwight Anderson had a drug problem in college.

Perhaps THE most talented Wildcat of my adult lifetime. (Cotton Nash in my younger days)

http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Players/Anderson_Dwightgbg.html Especially ND game his frosh year = A Star Is Born (quoth Al McGuire).

Many years later, the Cincy (or Dayton) newspaper did a story on him when he was down on his luck.

Last I knew, he still is. Hope he's still alive?

I also considered Anderson to be one of the best players I had ever seen at UK. He resurfaced about 8 years later in some monir league (like the USBL.) I took one of my sons to a Tampa Bay Thrillers (or were they the Thunder Dogs) game and there, on the opposing team's bench, sat a heavier, much older looking Dwight Anderson. He hardly played, but it brought back some pretty good memories.

When I think of UK and transfers, I usually think first of Kyle Macy.