A Sea Of Blue - Kentucky - Louisville 2014: The Undefeated Dream GameOnline Home of the Big Blue Nation: Kentucky Wildcats Sports for the Discerning Fanhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46621/aseaof-fav.png2014-12-31T11:49:18-05:00http://www.aseaofblue.com/rss/stream/72183822014-12-31T11:49:18-05:002014-12-31T11:49:18-05:00Kentucky Drives U of L Prof Around The Bend
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Sometimes, nominally sane, intelligent people just go all non compos mentis.</p> <p>I just had to comment on <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/12/29/readers-write-uku-game/20999603/" target="_blank">this letter</a> to the editor in the Courier-Journal from a — I kid you not — emeritus professor at the University of Louisville. Here’s some of his fascinating, but definitely unusual, opinion (Hat tip: <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/12/30/7468789/louisville-professor-thinks-kentucky-is-corrupting-college-basketball" target="_blank">SB Nation</a>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My belief is that Kentucky’s coach has planned, through recruitment and coaching tactics, to build a program that smothers and bullies opponents rather than play basketball the way it should be played.</p>
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<p>You don’t say! This may come as a surprise to you, professor, but every coach on every level recruits and coaches their team to win in a variety of ways, including smothering their opponents defensively. The late John Wooden did exactly that in his dynastic run at UCLA years ago. Nobody told him he was doing it wrong, because he wasn’t. Neither is Kentucky.</p>
<p>And exactly how should basketball be played, professor? With a peach basket? Where dunks are illegal? As far as I can tell, basketball is substantially the same game as it was when I was a kid with the exception of the 3-point shot, the shot clock, and other more minor variations. Tall, athletic guys are still coveted for basketball teams as they have always been since the first game. Defense has pretty much always been legal in the modern game. So I’m not quite sure what “the way it should be played” means in this context. </p>
<p>Even your fellow <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a> fans will no doubt be appalled at your suggestion that there is something wrong with “smothering” an opponent, a skill that Louisville under Rick Pitino has arguably done better and more consistently than any team in college basketball in recent years. So before calling the kettle black, perhaps you should locate a mirror somewhere, and take a peek.</p>
<p>As to the “bullying” charge, well, I have no idea what you mean by that, so I can’t address it except speculatively. If you mean that UK intimidates opponents with their size and skill, then guilty as charged and proudly so. Like every other college basketball program, we try to field the very best team we can — we’re just better at it than most.</p>
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<p>Inevitably, this corruption of college basketball will doom the sport at the college level. No team wants to play that kind of program. I don’t understand how Kentucky’s players tolerate the loss of athletic play in their present up-and-down routine where true competition is never achieved.</p>
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<p>With due respect to your esteemed title, it beggars belief that you actually know enough about the sport of college basketball to credibly pronounce its doom or judge it corrupt. While observers of the sport who understand the game marvel at the fact that Kentucky is able to function so well as a team playing so many players, your position is that the UK players should be upset about their individual lack of playing time. Has it never occurred to you that the objective of a basketball <strong>team</strong> is to win <strong>every game</strong>…as a team? Is it truly beyond your cognition that the proper functioning of a team requires sacrifice of individual players, and that the best teams are composed of players who allow their individual wants to be superseded by the needs of their teammates, and the group as a whole? </p>
<p>And how to respond to your notion of “true competition?” Are you saying Louisville was somehow <strong>uncompetitive</strong> against Kentucky? My dear sir, let me disabuse you of that notion — Louisville was quite competitive, and had they been better at the fundamental basketball technique of putting the ball in the basket, also known as “shooting” to us basketball purists, they might well have won that game. I think your own school’s coach, who got into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in no small part based on the strength of his performance at the University of Kentucky doing <strong>exactly</strong> what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Wildcats</a> are doing now, would be incensed at the notion the Cardinals were incapable of “true competition” with Kentucky.</p>
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<p>The NCAA should reject this corrupted play before other schools reject submitting their programs to participate.</p>
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<p>Ah, the true sportsman in you comes out at last. If the other team is too good, you just refuse to play them! Knute Rockne would be proud. Jim Valvano sings hosannas to you from his grave. I’m confident you have no idea who either one of those worthies were, bless your pea-pickin’ little heart.</p>
<p>I’m guessing the playground was a manifestly unfriendly place for you, professor. Trust me when I tell you teams can’t wait to test themselves against Kentucky regardless of the perceived gap in talent. True competitors do not quail at the sight of a superior foe. If that were so, Buster Douglas would never have challenged, let alone beaten Mike Tyson. Kentucky would’ve never upset Indiana to spoil their perfect season in 1975. Rocky would never have defeated Apollo Creed … Oops, never mind, you drew me into your reality for a second there.</p>
<p>I hope you have a happy, contented life, professor, but may I respectfully suggest you don’t watch college basketball. It’s much too primitive and uncultured for you. Perhaps chess, or croquet would suit you better. It’s just a thought.</p>
<p>Happy New Year.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/31/7474421/louisville-professor-thinks-the-kentucky-wildcats-are-a-corruption-ofGlenn Logan2014-12-30T08:49:00-05:002014-12-30T08:49:00-05:00Court Awareness And Transition Defense
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<figcaption>Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The biggest reason Kentucky struggles in transition defense is lack of court awareness.</p> <p>One of the things that Kentucky has really struggled to do over the last two years is defend well in transition. There have been many theories as to why this might be, but clearly it’s got a lot to do with the Harrison twins and where they are on the floor.</p>
<p>I examined several transition plays in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a> game, and let’s take a look at one that epitomizes where some of our problems lie. This sequence is a 3-point shot by <span>Aaron Harrison</span> from the right wing, and a subsequent long rebound where Louisville gets an advantage in transition. We start with Aaron taking the shot:</p>
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<img alt="UL transition 1" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LB_NWDcY8mjbgpAB6AEQvxruZzg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2888842/vlcsnap-2014-12-30-08h04m12s81.0.png">
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<p>Now, as the ball goes toward the rim, the Louisville player drops down to collect the rebound. After the shot caroms off, notice that Louisville’s wing, <span>Shaqquan Aaron</span>, is ready to go in transition, while Aaron Harrison is still watching the action underneath. At this point, nobody has accounted for the Louisville player.</p>
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<img alt="UL transition 2" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2ZCyXY0TW47TaVcaiiHt3JikI8k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2888844/vlcsnap-2014-12-30-08h08m33s85.0.png">
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<p>Transition happens, and Kentucky’s guards are out of position. Aaron’s responsibility is the left wing defense, and Andrew’s the right. Andrew is well-positioned, but because Aaron allowed the Louisville player to leak out while he ball-watched, he’s trailing the play. We see in this image the ball in flight headed toward the Louisville player on the left wing.</p>
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<img alt="UL transition 3" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-Wb4pIbAon0O2IV1jPpGbYqReY0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2888846/vlcsnap-2014-12-30-08h14m37s63.0.png">
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<p>In the final image, we see Louisville’s Aaron with an easy layup. He fumbles the play and the twins jointly defend it, but nobody is near <span>Chris Jones</span> on the right wing (secondary break), where Andrew should be — he’s helping his beaten brother near the basket. Jones gets a clean 3-point transition look in rhythm. Jones laid one of Louisville’s many bricks on that shot, so it didn’t hurt the team on that play, but what you see here is typical of Kentucky’s difficulty.</p>
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<img alt="UL Transition 4" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/574xh_SLaYKEl4JrVB9N7voHejA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2888848/vlcsnap-2014-12-30-08h16m24s131.0.png">
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<p>Some have thought that transition problems were caused by the twins’ lack of athleticism, but what it really boils down to is that they are still young and making young players’ mistakes. They watch the ball too much, and lose sight of their men. It’s natural to follow the ball after a jumper, but good defensive players are already thinking about possible transition. You don’t want to lose sight of the ball, but you also have to have an awareness of where everyone is on the floor.</p>
<p>The twins haven’t developed this awareness fully yet. They are still too invested in the outcome of the play, be it a drive by Andrew or a shot by Aaron. They have to get better at decision-making and being aware of where people are. You’ll notice that both of them were back behind the free throw line, which is good, but if you don’t see that guy leaking out on the break and account for him, good initial positioning is for naught — Aaron could’ve just as well crashed the boards.</p>
<p>Andrew did a good job preventing the primary break by helping his brother. If that had been a more experienced player instead of Shaqquan Aaron in his first big game, it would’ve resulted in a dunk, layup or and-1. Because Louisville’s Aaron paused to gather himself, Andrew was able to complete the double-team, but at the cost of an open three. Andrew made the best of a bad situation here, and he did the right thing. You’d always rather give up three than a layup — that’s basketball 101.</p>
<p>Overall, I thought Kentucky played reasonably well in transition defense on Saturday, but some of it was due to Louisville's lack of success shooting the ball. We tend to assume defense is okay when the result of the play isn't an easy basket, but sometimes that's deceptive.</p>
<p>Court awareness is a developed skill. The Harrisons need to work on it.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/30/7467681/kentucky-basketball-the-root-of-kentuckys-transition-defense-problemGlenn Logan2014-12-28T14:36:13-05:002014-12-28T14:36:13-05:00The Freshman Factor
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<figcaption>Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The freshman shone very bright yesterday for Kentucky.</p> <p>After sleeping on the game yesterday, I have been trying to sort through my impressions and feelings of the contest. In my excitement, I forgot to record the game, so I can’t yet go back and watch it again, but that doesn’t seem necessary at the moment. What I saw was a Kentucky basketball team doing very much the same things they have done all season — defending with remarkable intensity, rebounding furiously, and finding ways to manufacture points against one of the more impressive defenses I have seen.</p>
<p>There was nothing really remarkable about this game, because both teams did pretty much the same things they have done all season. Even the outcome was pretty much according to Hoyle, although I expected a higher-scoring game for some reason.</p>
<p>I guess you could say the most remarkable thing about this game was how in-character it was for both of these teams. Sometimes in the struggle against our arch-rival, we see players out of sorts and doing things they don’t normally do. What we saw yesterday was very little of that, although some guys had good games and others not so good. Both teams had players with down games, and players with good games. Both teams played true to their identity, and both played as hard as they could.</p>
<p>In the end, talent won, as it usually does. If there is a lesson from the Calipari era, it is the intuition that superior talent usually wins over superior experience. Not always, of course, and experience does matter. But in this game, and we’ve seen this before, the youngest of the players were actually the most productive, and Louisville’s lack of overall basketball talent was their undoing. They have plenty of fine athletes who are improving basketball players, but they have very few guys who could go to the NBA this season, perhaps only one. Kentucky has many more, perhaps as many as seven or eight. In the end, that mattered.</p>
<p>What I loved about this game was the physicality of Kentucky’s <span>Karl-Anthony Towns</span>. Usually, high-skill guys like him are contact-averse and don’t like getting into wrestling around in the post. But Towns is fine with it, and he has both the size and strength to do it very well. The best part is, he has no idea just how good he is yet. If he finds out this season, just enjoy it, because he won’t be here next year, nor should he be. He is showing himself to be quite ready, both physically and mentally, for the next level.</p>
<p>Towns has been playing a little below his expected level lately, particularly in the game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.tarheelblog.com/">North Carolina Tar Heels</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a>. In the game against the Cardinals, he was very much a force inside, and is becoming more comfortable taking shots away from the basket. But what was most notable about this effort was how comfortable he was in the post against a very physical basketball team.</p>
<p>I also loved the way <span>Tyler Ulis</span> played this game. Louisville does a great job of denying penetration opportunities with that amazing zone they play, and that put <span>Andrew Harrison</span> out of his comfort zone. Andrew needs to penetrate to be at his best, and Louisville, to their credit, made that very hard for him.</p>
<p>Ulis, on the other hand, doesn’t really create penetration. Instead, he focuses on ball movement, and what I really like about his game is that he makes the easy play. That’s one reason that he has so few turnovers when passing the ball — he doesn’t try to make the hard pass, like Andrew sometimes does. He’s also patient, an underrated quality in a point guard.</p>
<p><span>Trey Lyles</span> was also excellent yesterday. He’s cool under pressure and plays with a very even tempo. Lyles isn’t over-aggressive and tries to let the game come to him rather than trying to create shots for himself. he’s also a very good midrange shooter, and even if the midrange shot is a dying breed and is statistically the "worst" shot in basketball, those who can make a high percentage from 15 feet and in are very valuable players, as those shots get yielded by defenses designed to prevent threes and layups.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span>Devin Booker</span> had a fine game yesterday. He’s always an offensive threat, but that isn’t really the part of his game that impressed me. What impressed me is how well he defended, and how he has allowed himself to be influenced by the commitment of his teammates to defense, and is becoming an improving and willing defender. He was quite competent yesterday, and I think the Cardinals were surprised that he wasn’t as soft as he’s looked at times this season.</p>
<p>Overall, I think the quality of the freshman play was surprisingly good for their first road trip of the year. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that without their efforts, Kentucky does not succeed in this game. That’s easy to say, but it’s also fallaciously hypothetical. Still, it encapsulates the value of their effort, which was both splendid and a little surprising.</p>
<p>There was a lot of talk about Kentucky’s returning players, and no doubt they mostly played well. But the youth movement at Kentucky is still alive and well, and yesterday it asserted itself at exactly the right time, and in exactly the right place. So Kentucky’s magical undefeated run continues into the SEC season. We’ll be hearing a lot about that, and you’ll be hearing people say that they can’t find a UK loss in the remaining games. Don’t buy that.</p>
<p>But that’s a subject for another article.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/28/7457593/the-freshman-impact-kentucky-Wildcats-vs-louisville-Cardinals-contestGlenn Logan2014-12-27T20:40:09-05:002014-12-27T20:40:09-05:00Cats vs. Cards: Postmortem
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<figcaption>Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The game looked ugly and physical, but the outcome was beautiful.</p> <p>As I <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/27/7455231/kentucky-wildcats-58-louisville-cardinals-50-post-game-happy-dance" target="_blank">mentioned in an earlier article</a>, this was very much a typical game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a> — a lot of defense, a lot of fouls, a lot of contact and not much pretty basketball unless you are a fan (like I am) of defense. So for me, it was pretty sweet watching the Wildcats affect every shot, and unsurprising to see the Cardinals force Kentucky into a slog rather than their usual smooth run. It was a hard-fought game by both teams, and both teams gave everything they could muster. In a way, it was a very impressive thing to watch. It will take everybody a few days to get over the bruises and bumps from this one.</p>
<p>Louisville’s defense is frustratingly impenetrable, which is what we’ve all known for a long time. I’m not sure why it’s so tough, but it just gets into your head somehow, and looks like five guys with sticks out there swiping at you from five feet away and poking the ball loose. I have to give Rick Pitino credit — he may have developed the most formidable defense, as a system, of any coach in America. It puts Jim Boeheim’s zone to shame.</p>
<div target="_blank" class="read-more">
<strong>More</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cardchronicle.com/">Card Chronicle</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/122714aaa.html">UKAthletics.com post-game</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/12/27/7454999/kentucky-vs-louisville-final-score-recap">SBNation.com: 3 Things We Learned</a>
</div>
<p>But defense isn’t enough in basketball, and never has been. You have to put the ball into the basket, and the Cardinals manifestly could not do that whatsoever. They tried with astonishing futility to do so, and if they weren’t such a bitter rival, I might’ve managed a tiny bit of regret at seeing so much organic energy expended so fruitlessly. But rival they are, and I was as pleased to see them lay enough bricks to build a life-size replica of Barad-dûr.</p>
<p>Kentucky struggled to score, but it was nothing like the impotence of Louisville. The biggest problem the Wildcats had was treating the basketball as if it were a greased pig on fire rather than an object you desire to possess. The result was a gobsmacking number of turnovers that, quite honestly, would likely have derailed the Wildcats against a more offensively efficient team. Against Louisville today, it merely slowed down what looked, if tenuously at times, to be the inevitable.</p>
<h3 target="_blank" id="kentucky-box">Kentucky box</h3>
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<table border="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup width="132"></colgroup> <colgroup width="38"></colgroup> <colgroup width="46"></colgroup> <colgroup width="40" span="2"></colgroup> <colgroup width="56" span="3"></colgroup> <colgroup width="47" span="3"></colgroup> <colgroup width="54"></colgroup> <colgroup width="47" span="2"></colgroup> <colgroup width="32"></colgroup>
<tbody>
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<td align="left" height="17"><b>Name</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Min</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>ORtg</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>%Ps</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Pts</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>2PM-A</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>3PM-A</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>FTM-A</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>OR</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>DR</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>A</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>TO</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Blk</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Stl</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>PF</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Trey Lyles</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="30" align="right">30</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="112" align="right">112</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="16" align="right">16</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right">6</td>
<td align="right">3-6</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right">6</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Karl-Anthony Towns</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="26" align="right">26</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="90" align="right">90</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="28" align="right">28</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">3-7</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">4-5</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" align="right">5</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Aaron Harrison</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="26" align="right">26</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="90" align="right">90</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="19" align="right">19</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="7" align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">0-3</td>
<td align="right">2-7</td>
<td align="right">1-2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Willie Cauley-Stein</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="23" align="right">23</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="116" align="right">116</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="12" align="right">12</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" align="right">5</td>
<td align="right">2-5</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">1-2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Andrew Harrison</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="20" align="right">20</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="50" align="right">50</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="34" align="right">34</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">0-5</td>
<td align="right">1-1</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right">6</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Devin Booker</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="28" align="right">28</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="178" align="right">178</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="9" align="right">9</td>
<td align="right">2-3</td>
<td align="right">1-2</td>
<td align="right">2-2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Tyler Ulis</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="26" align="right">26</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="173" align="right">173</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="18" align="right">18</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="14" align="right">14</td>
<td align="right">3-4</td>
<td align="right">2-4</td>
<td align="right">2-3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Dakari Johnson</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="11" align="right">11</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="38" align="right">38</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="34" align="right">34</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">1-2</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="7" align="right">7</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Marcus Lee</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="95" align="right">95</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="13" align="right">13</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">1-1</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17">Team</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>TOTAL</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="200" align="right"><b>200</b></td>
<td align="left"><b><br></b></td>
<td align="left"><b><br></b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="58" align="right"><b>58</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>15-36</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>6-14</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>10-14</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="17" align="right"><b>17</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="29" align="right"><b>29</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="11" align="right"><b>11</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="18" align="right"><b>18</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right"><b>3</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right"><b>6</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="20" align="right"><b>20</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><i>Advanced stats</i></td>
<td align="left"><i><br></i></td>
<td align="left"><i><br></i></td>
<td align="left"><i><br></i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.98" align="right"><i>0.98</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.417" align="right"><i>0.417</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.429" align="right"><i>0.429</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.714" align="right"><i>0.714</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.531" align="right"><i>0.531</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.617" align="right"><i>0.617</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.524" align="right"><i>0.524</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.305" align="right"><i>0.305</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.068" align="right"><i>0.068</i></td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.102" align="right"><i>0.102</i></td>
<td align="left"><i><br></i></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://kenpom.com/">Courtesy of Kenpom.com</a></p>
<h3 target="_blank" id="louisville-box">Louisville box</h3>
<p> </p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup width="128"></colgroup> <colgroup width="36"></colgroup> <colgroup width="45"></colgroup> <colgroup width="43"></colgroup> <colgroup width="40"></colgroup> <colgroup width="56" span="2"></colgroup> <colgroup width="54"></colgroup> <colgroup width="47" span="6"></colgroup> <colgroup width="32"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Name</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Min</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>ORtg</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>%Ps</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Pts</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>2PM-A</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>3PM-A</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>FTM-A</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>OR</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>DR</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>A</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>TO</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Blk</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Stl</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>PF</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Montrezl Harrell</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="40" align="right">40</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="90" align="right">90</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="18" align="right">18</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="9" align="right">9</td>
<td align="right">4-8</td>
<td align="right">0-1</td>
<td align="right">1-3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right">6</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Terry Rozier</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="37" align="right">37</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="99" align="right">99</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="26" align="right">26</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="15" align="right">15</td>
<td align="right">4-13</td>
<td align="right">1-5</td>
<td align="right">4-4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" align="right">6</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Chris Jones</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="37" align="right">37</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="85" align="right">85</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="27" align="right">27</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="13" align="right">13</td>
<td align="right">2-10</td>
<td align="right">1-5</td>
<td align="right">6-8</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Wayne Blackshear</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="35" align="right">35</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="70" align="right">70</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="25" align="right">25</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">2-7</td>
<td align="right">0-2</td>
<td align="right">6-9</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Chinanu Onuaku</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="20" align="right">20</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="40" align="right">40</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="9" align="right">9</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0-2</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="4" align="right">4</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Mangok Mathiang</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="20" align="right">20</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="20" align="right">20</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="14" align="right">14</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0-3</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Shaqquan Aaron</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="179" align="right">179</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right">10</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">0-1</td>
<td align="right">1-1</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><span>Quentin Snider</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td align="right">0-0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17">Team</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td align="right"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right">2</td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" align="right">0</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>TOTAL</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="200" align="right"><b>200</b></td>
<td align="left"><b><br></b></td>
<td align="left"><b><br></b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="50" align="right"><b>50</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>12-44</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>3-14</b></td>
<td align="right"><b>17-24</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="18" align="right"><b>18</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="15" align="right"><b>15</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" align="right"><b>1</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="9" align="right"><b>9</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" align="right"><b>2</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" align="right"><b>10</b></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="16" align="right"><b>16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17">Advanced stats</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.85" align="right">0.85</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.273" align="right">0.273</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.214" align="right">0.214</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.708" align="right">0.708</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.383" align="right">0.383</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.469" align="right">0.469</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.067" align="right">0.067</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.153" align="right">0.153</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.056" align="right">0.056</td>
<td sdnum="1033;0;0.000" sdval="0.169" align="right">0.169</td>
<td align="left"><br></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://kenpom.com/">Courtesy of Kenpom.com</a></p>
<h3 target="_blank" id="four-factors">Four Factors</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Kentucky-Louisville four factors" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PYIoADURwfsOx2_mtZySc8OMUcM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2884200/Selection_060.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<h3 target="_blank" id="team-observations">Team observations</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>UK’s shooting wasn’t bad at all against the Cardinals’ tough defense. 48% is the second-highest Louisville has allowed all season from an opponent. Only Indiana’s 54% eFG in Bloomington was better.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Kentucky held the Cardinals to only 28% eFG. That’s by far their lowest output of the season.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I can’t be happy with the turnovers. I don’t really get why Kentucky had such a hard time holding on to the ball, and why they felt the need to try passes with a high degree of difficulty against one of the best defensive teams in the nation.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Rebounding was great. The offensive rebounding really helped offset the ridiculous number of turnovers, a fair number of which were unforced.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Kentucky fouled a lot. Overall, the officiating wasn’t bad, but I wish that UK had attacked the basket more efficiently in this game. I was really disappointed with the way we did it, which was mostly done in a brain-dead fashion riddled with turnovers.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Kentucky shared the ball well again. 54% assists.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Only 3 blocks for Kentucky? That’s just weak.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>10% steals is not bad. It’s been better, but anything 10% and above is okay.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I am very happy with the grit of this UK team, particularly the freshmen in this game. Honestly, they played like upperclassmen.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Kentucky finally got into Louisville’s legs with about 7 minutes to go. It took a long time. Louisville’s endurance was impressive, and Pitino did a good job stealing minutes here and there for his starters.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 target="_blank" id="individual-observations">Individual observations</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Tyler Ulis had a terrific game, and gets well-deserved game ball honors. He led the team in scoring, he passed the ball well, and he didn’t turn the ball over. The Cardinals could not figure him out. He was incredibly efficient at 6-8 shooting.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Trey Lyles gets honorable mention. He was a stat-stuffer, getting not only 6 points on 3-6 shooting, but 9 rebounds and 4 assists against only 2 turnovers, plus a steal.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Karl-Anthony Towns was a man out there, and he played with the kind of physicality you rarely see in a skill-type big man. I was honestly surprised at just how physical he was down low. He had four turnovers, but also 10 points and 9 rebounds, including a team-high 5 OR’s</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Wilie Cauley-Stein has had better games, although he played well. He had 6 rebounds and 3 steals to go along with his 5 points, but his minutes were limited by fouls. He still affected the game with his ridiculous athleticism, guarding perimeter players and using his length effectively. He also did a very good job on Montrezl Harrell.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Dakari Johnson didn’t score much, but he was a rebounding machine with 9 rebounds in only 11 minutes of play.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span>Marcus Lee</span> had all three Kentucky blocks, and an impressive put-back dunk. He was also a factor with his length defensively.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I was really happy with what we got from <span>Devin Booker</span>. Despite his really stupid foul on Wayne Blackshear that could’ve put the game back in doubt, he was extremely efficient from the field, made his free throws, and I though played really well defensively.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Andrew Harrison struggled all day, but he still led the team in assists… and turnovers. Six turnovers is just offensive from Andrew. He made the three that put the game to a the largest lead of the day for the Wildcats at 50-38.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Aaron Harrison was inefficient and didn’t have a great game, but once again he made the big shot that put the game out of reach — a 3 with 1:00 left that put Kentucky up ten.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 target="_blank" id="tying-it-all-up">Tying it all up</h3>
<p>This game may have looked messy, but to me, it was beautiful. Anytime you beat the Cardinals in the KFC YUM! Center, you have a worthwhile accomplishment on your hands. If you remember last season, this game was much, much more meaningful than it was this year, with Kentucky having dropped every one of their biggest early-season contests. The Louisville game was the one they needed to have a shot at a decent tournament seed. Indeed, had Kentucky lost that game, it’s possible they wouldn’t have made the NCAA Tournament at all after their weak finish in the SEC.</p>
<p>This year, it’s just another notch on the holster of this deep and talented Wildcats team. Contrary to a lot of the commentary I’ve heard, the SEC season is going to be plenty tough for Kentucky, even though other leagues are unquestionably tougher. There are a lot of things that can happen in a long season, and those penciling in Kentucky to be undefeated going into the NCAA Tournament should know better. It may happen, but it’s still not likely.</p>
<p>Finally, the biggest takeaway from this game is that there is nobody who is going to push this UK team around. Despite their relative youth, they took all the physical play that Louisville could deliver and did not quail. In fact, Kentucky delivered as much punishment inside as the Cardinals did, and that’s an accomplishment for a team playing their first road game in the most hostile environment they are likely to face all season.</p>
<p>So it’s on to the SEC season, and we’ll be waiting a while for the next game — a week from Tuesday against the Mississippi Rebels in Rupp Arena.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/27/7455689/kentucky-wildcats-at-louisville-cardinals-postmortemGlenn Logan2014-12-27T18:38:34-05:002014-12-27T18:38:34-05:00I Have Seen The Future
<figure>
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<p>Decades from now, after war, famine, and pestilence has whittled 6.5 billion humans down to emaciated, nomadic herds - with little vegetation growing in the hellish landscape, a husk of an atmosphere, and cannibal hordes preying upon the weak for nutrition and forced labor - I presumably will live in a radioactive crater-village along a remote spur of humanity that I'd call "Home" if I still retained the abilities of language and cognitive thought.</p>
<p>One night, while on watch for a raiding party from a rival clan, my brain synapses will randomly misfire, and unlock a part of my mind long dormant. I will be distracted from the immediate task at hand while my consciousness opens sections of my brain barely beyond reptilian instinct for the first time in many years. With a swollen tongue, and an empty belly, I'll mumble to no one in particular:</p>
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<p>I remember at the end of 2014, UK had beaten UofL basketball in 7 of the last 8 games in men's basketball; the women's team had won 4 straight too.</p>
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<p>That memory warms me in the frigid night as I contemplate it amid the gnarled ruins of civilization. Focusing on the more important comforts of a previous age will come in time, but at the moment my thoughts prioritize that period of hardwood domination. Lost in thought, I'm quickly impaled by a Rebar spear wielded by a ravenous, slack-jawed cannibal.</p>
<p>"...<i>but UK still dominated Louisville</i>..." will be my dying words, and I am incredibly happy regardless of my current circumstances.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/27/7455415/college-basketball-kentucky-wildcats-extend-winning-streak-over-louisville-cannibalswamarsh2014-12-27T16:48:39-05:002014-12-27T16:48:39-05:00Wildcats 58, Cardinals 50: Post Game Happy Dance
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<p>The Wildcats fight their way through a tough Louisville Cardinals squad in the KFC YUM! Center.</p> <p>Once again, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> defeat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a>, and this is the third straight success for the Wildcats against their arch rivals, this time on their home arena. With this victory, the Wildcats remove all doubt, if any still existed, that Kentucky is the best team in college basketball right now. Yes, Duke, Virginia, and a couple of others may feel they are just as good. That’s fine. See you in the tournament.</p>
<p>This was just a nasty defensive struggle. It was extremely physical by both teams, there wasn’t very much pretty basketball, and it was just downright brutal, even cringe-worthy at times. Having said that, we probably should’ve expected a physical grind like this. I’m pretty sure John Calipari is happy about this wrestling match, and the way his young men acquitted themselves.</p>
<p>Louisville deserves a lot of credit. They didn’t back down from Kentucky, they fought and scrapped and did everything they could to win, except put the ball in the basket. Most of that, but certainly not all, was due to Kentucky’s defense. But Louisville missed several easy shots including a dead-bang layup and free throws at the end by the normally reliable <span>Wayne Blackshear</span>. Overall, Louisville fans have to be pretty happy with the effort and defense, but they can’t be too happy with the shooting and overall inefficiency of the offense. They were a worthy opponent, no doubt, but the best team definitely won this game.</p>
<h3 id="final-stats" target="_blank">Final stats</h3>
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<p>Final in the KFC Yum! Center: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UK?src=hash" target="_blank">#UK</a> 58, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UofL?src=hash" target="_blank">#UofL</a> 50. Box <a href="http://t.co/CIhmDAEmLa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/CIhmDAEmLa</a></p>
— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) <a href="https://twitter.com/ericcrawford/status/548952532295241728" target="_blank">December 27, 2014</a>
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<h3 id="observations" target="_blank">Observations</h3>
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<p>Kentucky managed to shoot a decent percentage against an incredible defense — 42%. That’s a surprise considering the way the game looked.</p>
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<p>Kentucky did a good job on the glass, and that probably did more than anything else to help their cause.</p>
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<p>Offensive rebounds offset turnovers, and vice versa, and it’s a good thing the Wildcats rebounded so well, because they turned the ball over 18 times in what is likely to be a 57 possession game. That’s going to be an ugly number, likely over 30%.</p>
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<p>There was a lot of contact allowed to go. That’s all I’m going to say about the officiating. Kentucky has to learn to play through it, and I’m sure Coach Cal would like to buy them a beer.</p>
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<p>Kentucky had 11 assists on 21 made baskets. They have been consistently around 50% assists all season. Louisville had 1 assist. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.</p>
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<p>This was such a typical Kentucky-Louisville game, it really isn’t anything we haven’t seen time after time from these two since Pitino and Calipari have been coaches. It was a physical, low-possession scrum.</p>
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<p>The Wildcats made a very nice percentage from three, and when they do that, they are practically unbeatable.</p>
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<p>Kentucky sure made some dumb plays down the stretch. We are lucky they didn’t do more damage.</p>
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<p>How many balls did the young 'Cats drop, let slide, or fumble away? Too many to count.</p>
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<p>Tyler Terrific:</p>
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<p>Kentucky 58, Louisville 50. <span>Tyler Ulis</span> leads UK with 14. <a href="http://t.co/yJHXmgOk7v" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/yJHXmgOk7v</a></p>
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) <a href="https://twitter.com/rickbozich/status/548952783265615872" target="_blank">December 27, 2014</a>
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<p>Certainly his best game as a Wildcat, and he was needed. <span>Andrew Harrison</span> was really out of sorts today.</p>
<p>I know you’re all happy, and so am I. That’s 3 in a row over the Birds with Teeth, and I’m very happy that this game was ours, even if it wasn’t particularly memorable as the series goes. Sometimes, those are the ones that are worth the most. It’s hard to be favored on the road against a rival and deliver like that, but Kentucky did.</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/27/7455231/kentucky-wildcats-58-louisville-cardinals-50-post-game-happy-danceGlenn Logan2014-12-27T15:13:49-05:002014-12-27T15:13:49-05:00Cats 22, Cards 18: Second Half Game Thread
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<p>Well, that first half was ... interesting. Let's hope for a little better in the second half.</p> <p>Well, that was a messy half of basketball. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> seem to be scared to deal with the contact, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a> can’t throw the ball in the ocean from point-blank range. The best way to describe that half is, "Rivalry Game."</p>
<p>Kentucky has really struggled with turnovers, ten in the half, and honestly, I’m surprised the Wildcats aren’t down 10 points are more. Having said that, Kentucky and Louisville did what they do best — keep the other guy from scoring. There is a lot of aggression and a lot of energy from both squads, but not much pretty basketball.</p>
<h3 id="stats">Stats</h3>
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<p>HALFTIME BOX.... <a href="http://t.co/3N5YnOu1Fi">pic.twitter.com/3N5YnOu1Fi</a></p>
— Jeff Drummond (@JDrumUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDrumUK/status/548932692105256961">December 27, 2014</a>
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<p>If Kentucky can get out of a half where it turned the ball over ten times with a four point lead, it can surely improve on that in the second half. What we need to see is better care taken of the basketball, a cessation of the wild attempts at home-run passes (I’m looking at you, <span>Andrew Harrison</span>) and basketball players making the easy play.</p>
<p>If we get a little more of that and a little less of guys trying to get themselves on SportsCenter, I think we’ll be fine. Another thing that needs to happen is the big guys need to remember how tall they are and stop going for every shot fake.</p>
<p>Go, ‘Cats!</p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/12/27/7455003/kentucky-20-louisville-18-second-half-live-threadGlenn Logan