:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48953289/usa-today-9133010.0.jpg)
The Kentucky Wildcats are now losers of two out of three games as they fell yesterday to the Vanderbilt Commodores 74-62 in Nashville.
The biggest shame, other than the loss, is that Jamal Murray continues to play great basketball but it was all for naught. Murray scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds as his February tear continues. But the rest of his team failed to help him out as the rest of the team scored a COMBINED 29 points.
The Wildcats have been a great offensive team, but they were stifled yesterday by cold shooting. They shot 41.8% from the field, 27.3% from the three, and a putrid 43.5% from the free throw line. That's really bad if you didn't know.
The 'Cats got nothing from the bench as there were zero points scored from the bench players. The big men were awful, combining for nine points and eleven rebounds. Yikes.
Tyler Ulis was not his self as he was 5-20 from the field and 0-7 from three.
Ulis and Murray may have off games and the troubling red flag to me is that no other player stepped up to be a third option. Alex Poythress was a no-show. Isaiah Briscoe was settling for jumpers which he didn't hit. Marcus Lee did pitch in nine points, but that wasn't near enough.
So where do the 21-8 Wildcats stand for the rest of the season? Well, let's tackle that in the Quickies.
Tweet(s) of the Day
Vandy students rush the court.
— John Clay (@johnclayiv) February 27, 2016
BARF
I've been told by someone sitting courtside that Pitino did get into it with a fan earlier. Told fan to "shut the f*** up and sit down."
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) February 27, 2016
Apparently it was a UK fan in Miami. RIck has some major issues.
Snitches get stitches.. Don't worry bout what's said in locker room. That's the teams business.
— Patrick Patterson (@pdpatt) February 28, 2016
Patrick Patterson had an issue with Lisa Salters reporting that Warriors forward Draymond Green lost his cool at halftime in the locker room. Very un-Patrick like here.
Kentucky Wildcats Quickies
The Kentucky front court was again the demise for this time as they were a collective no-show at Vanderbilt. John Calipari was disgusted with their play and rightfully so:
Calipari was told that Marcus Lee, his junior forward, said the story of the game was that the Kentucky frontcourt did contribute enough to assist Jamal Murray, Tyler Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe. "I don't think that's true", Calipari said crisply, I don't think they contributed anything."
Yikes.
Jamal Murray tried to remain diplomatic when asked what most frustrated John Calipari in the loss. Marcus Lee answered for him, "Bigs not contributing."
Photo gallery of the Vanderbilt game from Coachcal.com.
Entire transcript and video of Cal's comments after the loss. Here are some, ummmm, interesting quotes:
On how much missing Derek Willis hurt them …
"Probably hurt us. But, again, if he’s not fighting and rebounding and doing stuff. If you watch the game against them last time, he was not a factor. He was not a factor in that game. He made one jump shot."
On why Alex Poythress struggled …
"You’d have to ask him. Next question."
On whether Vandy adjusted on Jamal Murray …
"No, he scored 33 points. They didn’t adjust—yeah, he scored 33. He scored 33 points. He still scored in the second half. He got grabbed a bunch; there weren’t calls. He did fine. What do you think, he should get 50?"
On saying he has a young team but Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress being veterans …
"I have a young team."
Malik Monk is very much looking forward to being a Wildcat.
The #14 UK Hoops team is riding a five-game winning streak into College Station for a huge showdown with the #11 Texas A&M Aggies.The game is at 4:00 PM. Check out this wonderful website for outstanding, awe-inspiring coverage.
Sports Quickies
Mark Story looks at the scandals surrounding Louisville, Tennessee, and UNC.This is a fascinating read by Story.
#25 Texas explodes in the second half and take down the #3 Oklahoma Sooners. Shaka Smart is doing a helluva job at Texas and the Longhorns are going to be a tough out in the tournament. Ranked team goes down on the road.
These ranked teams also lost on the road:
Peyton Manning's announcement about his future is expected at the end of the week. Don't be surprised if he retires.
The shot. https://t.co/D6c12YjTus
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 28, 2016
This is how Stephan Curry defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road 121-118 in overtime. He's unreal. Best player on the planet,
Now go outside and enjoy this gorgeous day.