Florida at Kentucky -- Open Game Thread
by Glenn Logan on Mar 9, 2008 10:21 AM EDT
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This is the official Open Game Thread for Florida at Kentucky.
It's Senior Day at Kentucky, and in celebration of the last day of the regular season, we are going to do a few things different today here at A Sea of Blue.
First of all, I am combining an abbreviated version of our normal analysis post into the open thread, and the open thread will be going up early. That's to get the conversation started. Then, around 11:30, we will begin a pre-game liveblog section which will continue on through the game. It should be fun, and it's time to get excited about finally stopping this ridiculous run that Florida has managed against us.
Personnel
What we'll do next is look at a comparison of the Florida Gators major personnel versus that of the Wildcats. Thanks to Statsheet.com:
| Florida Player Stats |
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| N. Calathes | 30/30 | 33.1 | 15.9 | 42.9% | 36.0% | 73.4% | 5.1 | 6.1 | 3 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| W. Hodge | 30/30 | 30.7 | 10.5 | 48.4% | 36.7% | 77.1% | 2.2 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0 |
| J. Lucas | 30/30 | 30.6 | 8.7 | 47.7% | 44.3% | 73.3% | 1.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0 |
| D. Werner | 30/29 | 26.6 | 9.2 | 43.5% | 30.6% | 75.8% | 6.6 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| M. Speights | 30/30 | 24 | 14.2 | 62.0% | 0.0% | 68.2% | 7.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| C. Parsons | 30/0 | 20 | 8.1 | 46.6% | 31.1% | 67.6% | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| A. Tyus | 30/0 | 12.8 | 4.5 | 57.3% | 0.0% | 54.8% | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| J. Mitchell | 29/1 | 11.9 | 3.2 | 51.4% | 38.7% | 80.0% | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Kentucky Player Stats |
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| R. Bradley | 27/25 | 34.4 | 16 | 43.4% | 39.1% | 84.2% | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| J. Crawford | 27/19 | 32.9 | 17.1 | 46.6% | 35.6% | 78.9% | 3.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| P. Stevenson | 28/1 | 23.2 | 5.4 | 55.2% | 0.0% | 76.1% | 4.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| R. Harris | 24/22 | 21.5 | 4 | 50.0% | 30.4% | 59.0% | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| D. Jasper | 17/3 | 27.8 | 3.6 | 39.2% | 44.4% | 45.0% | 5.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| M. Porter | 22/9 | 15.8 | 2.2 | 31.3% | 43.3% | 83.3% | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0 |
| M. Coury | 28/27 | 11.4 | 2.2 | 44.1% | 0.0% | 52.9% | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Note: Patrick Patterson is excluded because he won't be available.
Key matchups and notes:
- Crawford vs. Calathes -- I think Ramon Harris will be guarding Calathes, but how these two guys perform will probably tell the tale about who wins.
- Speights vs. Stevenson -- Perry must frustrate the bigger Speights with his quickness and athleticism.
- Bradley vs. Hodge -- Two cagey veterans facing off again. Who will come out ahead?
- Derrick Jasper is a huge matchup problem for Florida. They simply have nobody who can guard him. He is also a defensive problem for the Gators, as he is much too long and athletic for Werner.
Points to note:
- Florida has the 14th most efficient offense in America. Kentucky has the 37th most efficient defense.
- Florida's defense is ranked 98th in efficiency. Kentucky's offense is ranked 96th.
- Florida has a high correlation between OR% and offensive efficiency. Kentucky can really help its cause by keeping the Gators off the offensive boards.
- One way to beat Florida is to have a positive turnover ratio. If UK can force Florida to give the ball away more than usual, it bodes well for the Wildcats.
- Florida is 1-4 in games in the 60's this year.
- Kentucky is 3-8 this year in games in which it has allowed the opponent an eFG% of 50% or greater.
- Florida is 2-7 this year when their offensive efficiency was lower than 110.
Injuries and intangibles:
- Senior day for the Wildcats. That usually bodes well, but as South Carolina and Duke found out, not always.
- Florida has better depth, but it is young and inconsistent. The Cats have dealt with major injuries all year, and it is now second nature to them.
- Kentucky's seniors have been huge. Florida has no such leadership on their team.
- Rupp Arena will be out for blood with a historical UF win streak on the line.
Keys to the game:
- Ballhandling -- Kentucky didn't do too well against the Gamecocks. They need to really improve in this stat against the Gators.
- Senior Leadership -- This is the swan song for Crawford and Bradley, and they have been dynamite this season. If they bring it, the Gators are hurtin' for certain.
- Execution -- Kentucky has executed very well, but the Gators out-execute everybody. Kentucky needs to disrupt the efficient Gator offense.
- Calathes -- The surest way to beat Florida is to hold down the Gators' outstanding do-everything guard.
- Offensive Rebounding -- Kentucky must keep the Gators off the offensive glass, as offensive rebounds really help the Florida offense.
I love games like this, because it is a huge test of Kentucky's defensive statistics. If the Cats are as good as advertised defensively, the Gators will have a huge hill to overcome. If Kentucky is to go into the NCAA tournament and have a chance to advance anywhere, they must be able to stop powerful offenses from scoring, because Kentucky's offense is not capable of keeping up. This game is a perfect test for both the Cats and the Gators, and a lot of emotion is on the line for the Wildcats.
Leave your comments below if you have them. Liveblog to begin 30 minutes before the game.
GO, CATS!
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Comments
Today's game
It should be ...
A great way to end the regular season. I am listening to the countdown to tipoff right now.
75-70
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 9, 2008 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Wahoo
UK Clobbered Florida (Twice) In 2005
3 years is not quite my defintion of a long LONG time.
Relative to UK's longstanding SEC supremacy....
I Goofed
Gators were NCAA champs in 2006 and 2007.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 9, 2008 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Whew
Vandy In Early 1970's
Vandy beat the Cats both games in 1973 and 74. UK beat them in 1972 and 75.
1/27/1975 (#11) Kentucky at Vanderbilt W 91 - 90 -
3/2/1974 Kentucky at (#6) Vanderbilt L 69 - 71 -
1/28/1974 (#7) Vanderbilt at Kentucky L 65 - 82 -
2/3/1973 Vanderbilt at Kentucky L 76 - 83 -
1/22/1973 Kentucky at (#18) Vanderbilt L 75 - 76 -
2/5/1972 Kentucky at Vanderbilt W 85 - 80 OT -
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 9, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Tennessee In Late 1970's
3/3/1979 Kentucky vs. Tennessee L 69 - 75 OT SEC Tournament Championship (at Birmingham, AL)
2/17/1979 Kentucky at Tennessee L 84 - 101 -
1/20/1979 Tennessee at Kentucky L 55 - 66 -
2/25/1978 (#2) Kentucky at Tennessee W 68 - 57 -
2/15/1978 Tennessee at (#3) Kentucky W 90 - 77 Rescheduled from 1/28 due to ice
3/5/1977 (#2) Kentucky at (#11) Tennessee L 79 - 81 -
1/12/1977 Tennessee at (#2) Kentucky L 67 - 71 OT -
2/7/1976 Kentucky at (#8) Tennessee L 85 - 92 -
1/10/1976 (#9) Tennessee at Kentucky L 88 - 90 OT -
2/15/1975 (#4) Kentucky at Tennessee L 98 - 103 -
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 9, 2008 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Remember
Understand That
UK went SEVERAL YEARS with losing to SEC team in late 1940's. ANY SEC team.
But UK history occasionally shows a 2 or 3 year streak of L to the same opponent, even in SEC.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 9, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Congratulations
The difference making contributions on this Senior Day, belong to Stevenson, Harris, Jasper, Porter, and Stewart. They lifted the seniors on their shoulders and carried them to a big, no huge, no, tremendous, no, colossal, yeah, a colossal win. (Having trouble finding adjectives to describe this team, and what this win means)
Go 'Cats! Be the real deal in Catlanta!
This team...
P.S.-
Not to look ahead or anything, but we will be a BEAST next year!!! :)
by goinss1 on Mar 9, 2008 3:02 PM EDT reply actions
My How Things Have Changed
by Chuck Alexinis on Mar 9, 2008 3:52 PM EDT reply actions
12-4
Gillispie on the post-game show
Paraphrasing answers closely here. Asked about the slow start to the game: "Well, I let Coach Cox coach the team for the start of the game and when I saw them start so hot, I told him to sit down and I'd handle it from there." He got lots of laughs from the crowd.
Asked about the hot streak in the middle of the second half: "At every level I've coached JV, High School, JUCO, or wherever you have those games where everything you throw up goes in. I just told the team to run the clock down to about three seconds and not care about a good shot, just throw it up 'cause you know its going in." I literally laughed out loud in the car on that one.
Asked about the close to the game: "Oh you mean the clinic on press offense we put on..." (crowd is silent) "That was a joke people." (crowd laughs) "I think some of you pay attention enough to be members of the team." (crowd laughs)
I found myself really enjoying the post-game interview. I know that its obviously the end of the regular season and things have been going well, but to hear him relax with the media and fans like that at last was very rewarding for me. I (like a lot of folks) had a lot of doubts about what was going on in November/December and I think it was justifiable, but I'm confident that he is finally growing into the chair and will be much more comfortable in his "statesman" roll going forward.
Fist Pump
Much More Relaxed
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