Kentucky Wildcats vs. Dominican Republic National Team: Open Game Thread

Welcome to the final contest of the Big Blue Bahamas Tour, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you have your DVR’s ready, because this will be the last Kentucky basketball we’ll be able to see for two months. That seems like a lifetime to UK fans, so you’ll want to have these things on your DVR for when you start showing symptoms of Big Blue withdrawal.

Opponent: Dominican Republic National Team
Location: Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium, Bahamas
Radio: UK/IMG Radio
TV: SEC Network
Streaming: SECN/ESPN3

This will be the sixth game in eight days for the Kentucky Wildcats, and that is a lot no matter who you are. Even the NBA doesn’t play that rigorous a schedule, so this has been as much an exercise in endurance as anything else. But with all the fun and beauty surrounding them, I’m sure it has been fun for the young Wildcats.

Today’s game against the Dominican Republic is likely to be the toughest so far. This time, the Wildcats face a Domincan team that has had time to get themselves together and prepare for Kentucky. Just as we saw yesterday from Chalons-Reims, I expect a much better performance from the Dominicans. Kentucky will need to respond.

What we need to see today is:

• Fewer turnovers;
• Continued good shooting from range;
• More Alex Poythress;
• More Dakari Johnson;
• More Marcus Lee.

I also want to see this team get out better in transition on both sides of the floor. Kentucky needs to do a much better job with outlet passing, and remember John Wooden’s admonition to “Play fast, but don’t hurry.” Hurrying killed Kentucky yesterday and was responsible for a great many of their turnovers.

Enjoy the game.

Go, ‘Cats!