2009 Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball - 4th edition

[joshnky]

Morehead did not play one possession of man-to-man. Get used to it, kids.

It's certainly early and we still haven't seen Wall play against legit competition, but this is the reason that I look forward to the UofL-UK game this year. They play one of the best zones in D1 and they have the shot blockers (Samuels and Jennings) to back it up. If UK can't find the outside shooter and zone-killer to replace Meeks, they will struggle against good zone teams.

[joshnky]

Stacey Poole is a Cat.

Do you have any insight regarding Tobias Harris? He really seems to be key to both the Cats and the Cards (as well as other teams) plans for next season.

[TeamSelig]

I like Dodson. Somebody has to be a threat to shoot.


Somebody has shoot as soon as the ball is crossed half court or any time someone passes the ball to them.

How about that play where he immediately shoots the ball along the baseline with a defender in his face?

[WVRed]

- DUDson. Not a fan of this guy. He is a chucking machine.


We're going to need somebody to chuck it. Dodson impressed me a lot more than Darius Miller. We need consistent shooting in the worst kind of way. He is probably our best long range threat.

[WVRed]

On an non-UK note, some recruiting classes are starting to shape up:

UNC:
PG-Kendall Marshall
SG-Reggie Bullock
SF-Harrison Barnes

Memphis:
PG-Joe Jackson
SG-Will Barton
SF-Jelan Kendrick

Impressive. Just hope Cal can close on some other recruits besides Poole.

As for Tobias Harris, it is really anybody's guess. WVU has picked up recruiting him after they lost out on Payne, but there is also Georgia Tech and Syracuse in addition to UK and Louisville. I won't even make a prediction on that one.

[WMR]

I'm fine with Dodson. He'll learn soon enough which shots to take and which to eschew.

[TeamSelig]

With this team, we don't need ANYONE "chucking".... we need to take open and smart shots. I think it will be less of an issue with Wall playing, as he'll get quite a few shots.

[New Fever]

On an non-UK note, some recruiting classes are starting to shape up:

UNC:
PG-Kendall Marshall
SG-Reggie Bullock
SF-Harrison Barnes

Memphis:
PG-Joe Jackson
SG-Will Barton
SF-Jelan Kendrick

Impressive. Just hope Cal can close on some other recruits besides Poole.

As for Tobias Harris, it is really anybody's guess. WVU has picked up recruiting him after they lost out on Payne, but there is also Georgia Tech and Syracuse in addition to UK and Louisville. I won't even make a prediction on that one.

Wow, Memphis has the best recruiting class in the nation. Tarik Black (Top 50 prospect) may also be signing with Memphis next week.

[WVRed]

Wow, Memphis has the best recruiting class in the nation. Tarik Black (Top 50 prospect) may also be signing with Memphis next week.

I think the real issue with Memphis is how is Pastner going to do coaching the Tigers. His ability to sell ice to eskimos has been noted, but if he hits a bumpy ride in C-USA and the star power in Memphis falls, how many of his recruits will decide to jump ship?

Jackson and Kendrick may be locks. Don't know about Barton though. I still think he could open it back up.

[WVRed]

With this team, we don't need ANYONE "chucking".... we need to take open and smart shots. I think it will be less of an issue with Wall playing, as he'll get quite a few shots.

And as has been noted with Wall (and Bledsoe), they are not deep threats. I do think he will improve from this game, but Dodson is probably going to be our best shooter, like it or not. The way Morehead played Kentucky by playing zone is something we are going to have to be used to seeing all season, and if we have somebody who can bust the zone by shooting over it, then it makes us even better.

[George Foster]

And as has been noted with Wall (and Bledsoe), they are not deep threats. I do think he will improve from this game, but Dodson is probably going to be our best shooter, like it or not. The way Morehead played Kentucky by playing zone is something we are going to have to be used to seeing all season, and if we have somebody who can bust the zone by shooting over it, then it makes us even better.

I've said all summer that this team will miss Jodie Meeks more than if Patterson left for the NBA. When we lose games, and we will, it will be our shooting from outside. I just hope we can get it all together by March.

[cumberlandreds]

Eric Bledsoe wins Freshman of the Week honors. I will go out on the limb and say he won't be the only winner from UK to win this award this season.

[reds44]

Miami (OH) 36
Kentucky 18

[*BaseClogger*]

Miami (OH) 36
Kentucky 18

:laugh:

[reds44]

And it's 39-36 at the half lol

[Joseph]

Miami 39
Kentucky 36
halftime

Spurtability

[dabvu2498]

Miami (OH) 36 Kentucky 18 The old 16-3 run to finish the half took care of most of that. Nonetheless, I would not have expected Miami to have an 18 point lead anytime all year. Of course, I would not have expected Nick Winbush to have hit 6 threes all year either.

[dabvu2498]

I'll still take UK to cover.

[*BaseClogger*]

Nonetheless, I would not have expected Miami to have an 18 point lead anytime all year.

Say what?

[reds44]

50-44 Miami under 12

[reds44]

65-63 Miami with 2:58 to play

[Joseph]

Gonna be far too close

[Joseph]

John Wall is the man in the making.

[dabvu2498]

I'll still take UK to cover. Not so much, eh? Miami got a little hosed. Even Pratt thought the last play was a foul. Oh well. Lots of puckered butts in Ky tonight.

[dabvu2498]

Say what? They lost to Towson Friday. Towson. And the way they play there will be more than a few times they don't score 18 in a half.

[TeamSelig]

John Wall for the win! Nice.

He kinda reminds me of a more athletic TJ Ford

[WMR]

Looked like a young team tonight.

I'll take the win.

[*BaseClogger*]

They lost to Towson Friday. Towson. And the way they play there will be more than a few times they don't score 18 in a half.

It was just an interestingly broad and firm statement to make, me thoughts...

[dabvu2498]

It was just an interestingly broad and firm statement to make, me thoughts...

Of course, there was some exaggeration there, especially when the 2nd half of the statement I made is included. Winbush hitting 6 threes all year? He hit 19 last year in pretty limited duty.

But Miami won't have many big leads all year, particularly looking at their nonconference schedule. Of their 17 wins last year, 2 were by 20+ points.

[cumberlandreds]

You have to give Miami all the credit in the world. They played tough as nails and hit every shot they needed. I would have been rooting for them if they weren't playing UK. UK showed what a young team they are with Freshman playing the dominant role. When you have that much youth no matter the talent you are going to struggle to win games many times. But they showed a lot of heart and determination after being down 18 then surrendering a five point lead late and come back again. That bodes well for them later in the season. I doubt that last years team would have won that game. It was very similar to the VMI game. UK will be fine this season but there will be some bumps along the way just because this is such a young team.

[cumberlandreds]

Not so much, eh? Miami got a little hosed. Even Pratt thought the last play was a foul. Oh well. Lots of puckered butts in Ky tonight.

I watched the YouTube of the last seconds. You didn't get a good view but it look to me that the Miami player didn't attempt the shot in time. They only had a half second left and it looked to me like a full second + elasped before he shot. Miami did get hosed on that no call on a Stevenson block. That was an easy goal tend that wasn't called. You have to give Coles a lot of credit for not getting a technical over that. I know I would have done my Mike Davis impersonation over that one. :D

[dabvu2498]

I watched the YouTube of the last seconds. You didn't get a good view but it look to me that the Miami player didn't attempt the shot in time. They only had a half second left and it looked to me like a full second + elasped before he shot. Miami did get hosed on that no call on a Stevenson block. That was an easy goal tend that wasn't called. You have to give Coles a lot of credit for not getting a technical over that. I know I would have done my Mike Davis impersonation over that one. :D

I agree. After I saw it again, I think all the contact happened after time expired.

[TeamSelig]

On TBK, they are saying the reason Liggins is out is because of an issue last season. After he serves his "time" this year, he'll be back to playing for us. What did I miss last season?

[BEETTLEBUG]

When did this happen last year?

[WVRed]

On TBK, they are saying the reason Liggins is out is because of an issue last season. After he serves his "time" this year, he'll be back to playing for us. What did I miss last season?

Weird. You would think with a new coach it would be a new start.

Dodson is supposedly being suspended for something going on in practice.

I thought this was hilarious. If we didn't have Cal, I would start a petition to steal Charlie Coles from Miami.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnilJdwyPRs&feature=player_embedded

[TeamSelig]

http://www.justin.tv/funchester if you want to watch the game and don't have the channel...

[Redhook]

http://www.justin.tv/funchester if you want to watch the game and don't have the channel...

Thank you. You made my evening. I was looking all over for the game and couldn't find it.

[TeamSelig]

Someone just said in chat that Liggins is in trouble for missing classes. No idea how credible that is, but it makes sense.

[TeamSelig]

Sam Houston St ON FIRE from the 3PT line. Miami (OH) part 2. I think they have 12 threes already. Almond is 8-11 for 3.

Regardless, we're up by 11. Big Cuz has 18 pts 10 reb 2 stl 1 blk AT THE HALF.

[TeamSelig]

102-92. Big Cuz 27-18

No bench points. Then again, they rarely played [only 3 shots]. The starters were VERY tired towards the end.

[WVRed]

Corey Allmond had 11 3's. Defending the perimeter is going to be a problem. Here's hoping they get it straightened out before Saturday or even heading into playing Virginia or Stanford.

[WVRed]

On a recruiting note, Tobias Harris announced for Tennessee earlier. I was hoping if it wasn't UK it would be Syracuse.

[TeamSelig]

92-63 win over Rider.

PPatt 19 pts 18 reb
Big Cuz 18 pts 6 reb 5 blks (15 min; foul trouble?)
John Wall 21 pts 11 asts 6 reb 3 stl 2 blks

Stat of the day? Rider 4-17 from the 3pt line

[Revering4Blue]

Keep in mind that this Rider team beat a then-ranked Mississippi State on their home court November 13.

[George Foster]

John Wall is a human highlight reel...

[dsmith421]

Has anyone seen the photographs on KSR of the venue for this Cancun tournament? Good God.

[cumberlandreds]

Has anyone seen the photographs on KSR of the venue for this Cancun tournament? Good God.

Love the chandeliers. ;) It's basically a medium sized high school gym that is in a ballroom of a hotel. Going to be interesting to see the games.

[macro]

ESPN played ballroom music while showing the game highlights on SportsCenter.

Did anyone from UK see this facility before committing to playing down there?!

[TeamSelig]

Someone said they had an open bar down the hall from the "court" which would be why BCG booked it there, I'm sure ;)

[Javy Pornstache]

^ No. You can thank your boy Billy Clyde for this one too, mac. It was his parting shot :D

[WVRed]

Someone said they had an open bar down the hall from the "court" which would be why BCG booked it there, I'm sure ;)

Tucker Max has been posting on KSR and this was the post regarding the game and the gym.


OK, this update may be a bit sloppy because I am writing it in the bleachers while the crappy teams no one cares about take up time until UK plays. To the highlights:

-If you haven’t seen the pictures I am taking here, you really should. They are hilarious. My favorite is either the one with the open bar next to the entrance, or the one with the open bar behind the bleachers. Or maybe the one with the team warming up next to the open bar. So many Billy Clyde jokes to make:
Cancun pictures

— Why am I tired today? I blame Mr. Patterson. A bunch of us hung out at the hotel last night, with Mr. Patterson hanging out with us. He has a way of making people do what he wants. Ugh. I tried to explain to him that I was allergic to whiskey–which is true–but he just gave me one of his looks. I’d rather get hives than cross that man.

— The girl I was with can’t quite handle her liquor like a normal Kentucky fan should, and she threw up. ON THE BAR. You should have seen the look all the people gave me. It was that combination of revulsion and condescension that UK fans give to fans from lesser SEC teams when they try to talk about basketball. For a brief and awful second, I felt like a Vandy fan.

— And by the way–even though we are both adults and I know Patrick Patterson’s father has a first name, I won’t refer to him like that. He is huge and intimidating and a force of nature, so he’s Mr. Patterson to me. Screw you, sitting on your couch judging me about this–you’d call him that to his face also, I guarantee.

— At EVERY game today, the UK fans outnumbered the fans from the other two teams. Combined. I kept a running fan count. This is the actual number of fans at each game–I counted them:

Rider: 12 fans
FAMU: 5 fans
Stanford: 42 fans
Virginia: 25 fans
Oral Roberts: 24 fans
Sam Houston State: 6 fans
Cleveland State: 8 fans (they’re all staying at a different resort, hence no fan packages sold)
Kentucky: ~1000 (I didn’t actually count all of our fans, come on, but we filled every bleacher and there’s an open bar ten feet away from me)

— I wouldn’t have believed this if I hadn’t seen it myself: All the players on the other teams treat John Wall like he’s a celebrity. I don’t think they’d admit they do it, but when you watch them, they all break their necks staring at him when he walks by and the open practice was filled with players from the other teams–even the ones we aren’t playing–watching him. I keep expecting one of them to ask him for an autograph.

— At the end of the first half of the FAMU/Rider game, a FAMU player took a half court shot, and he came really close to hitting one of the chandeliers. I think he may have done that on purpose though. I wonder what the call would be if a player did that?

— The only good thing about the facilities being so crappy is that you really are RIGHT on top of the game. It’s much more intense that seeing the game on TV, or even at most arenas. It reminds me of when I played Dirt Bowl at Shillito Park growing up.

-There is a guy on Oral Roberts named “Beloved Rogers.” That’s his real name. And yeah, the Oral Roberts coach is Scott Sutton. Eddie’s son.

-I was talking to one of the players about the girls here, he says the same thing I do: “Yeah, there is NOTHING here. At the pool yesterday every girl we talked to turned out to be in high school. Cuz got so freaked out by it he went back to his room.” Good to know our boys have standards.

— When Cleveland State took the floor, I started laughing. Openly laughing at them. I don’t care what the press guide says, no one on that team is taller than 6′8″. They had no chance.

—- Cal is seriously intense on the sidelines. He is yelling all the time. But it’s not angry yell. It’s intense. There is a difference. You can tell, it’s never about being pissed, it’s just that he cares so much and is so focused. I don’t lknow if I am explaining it correctly. I’ve had a-hole screamers coaches, and teacher screamer coaches, and he is a teacher screamer.

— He took Bledsoe out in the first half because of all his turnovers, and told him to “go to the end of the bench.” You could tell Bledsoe was pouting; he pulled his jersey out and sat literally at the end of the bench. Then Cal yelled at him because he was sitting off the floor. It was pretty funny; like a dad dealing with a child almost.

— Darius Miller passed up an open shot, and Cal got upset, took him out and yelled at him, “Why wont you shoot?!?” Darius does seem very tentative about putting up shots. I don’t know why, but it’s clear he still has some mental growing to do to become a legit college player.

— Dodson sits at the end of the bench. Like, he sits literally at the very end, next to Delk and Padgett. I don’t know what he did, but it must have been pretty bad to put our best shooter not only on the bench, but at the END of it. Liggins sits right in the middle with everyone else.

— Except for Darius passing up shots, Cal subs for mistakes on defense only. He gets PISSED when guys screw up defensive rotations or effort. But again–it’s a loving angry, not a demeaning angry.

— With about 3 minutes left in the first half, that sick move John Wall made on the fast break and then missed the free throw. Yeah, Cal was pissed. His exact quote from the sideline to Wall, “NO MORE SHOW TIME JOHN!!”

— All in all, it was an awesome game and a good win. I felt like we played kinda slow and boring, but we still cruised to a 20+ point victory. It was almost like a practice at the end, Cal was coaching so much.

— I am totally and completely serious about this: I have been recognized in Cancun multiple times, but NOT because I wrote a best-selling book that has sold a million copies–because I wrote a post yesterday on THIS website. I swear to god, I would NOT say this if it weren’t true, because the last thing Matt Jones needs is more of an ego boost. I thought the only people who’d read this would be BTI, Beisner, and a few other scattered fools. But apparently A LOT of Kentucky fans actually read this site, even on vacation. Who knew?

— In that same vein, the boys from Crittenden County would like everyone in Big Blue Nation to know that they are here supporting our Cats. And they would also like everyone to know that they are trying to break the open bar.

— I just read through this post and I know it kinda sounds like I am name-dropping about getting to talk to the players or the families or whatever, but I’m really not. The thing is, I am not getting any special treatment–Matt Jones may be a star in Middlesboro, but he doesn’t even have enough pull to get me press credentials down here. My access to the players and other people is no different than anyone else. This thing is so different than any other sporting event I’ve ever been to. You really are this close to the coaches, players and events. If you ever get a chance to go to one of these things, as a fan, I would recommend it. You see a side of the game and the people you don’t see anywhere else.

[WMR]

Another Dookie.

Interesting read but how is he even a UK fan?

[Javy Pornstache]

^ He's a fellow Kentuckian, brah!

[WVRed]

Another Dookie.

Interesting read but how is he even a UK fan?

He is from Kentucky and is a UK fan. Then again by the same standards so is Matt Jones.

Tucker did a live blog on KSR and pretty much described the average Cameron Crazy as your stereotypical class nerd. You can't blame somebody for trying to better themself (Duke does have better academic credentials than UK), but I think the loyalty still lies with the Big Blue.

[WMR]

Did not know he was a Kentuckian. Thanks, guys.

[Scrap Irony]

Kentucky wins, 73-65. They're certainly not the fifth best team in the country right now. But they have the talent to be there.

If Cousins stops trying to be Rick Mahorn, that is.

[TeamSelig]

John Wall is CLUTCH

[joshnky]

Fanning the flames of the rivalry:


The Wildcats will take on North Carolina-Asheville on Monday night at Freedom Hall, but flames were fanned for UK's annual rivalry game against UofL, set for Jan.2 at Rupp Arena, when forwards Patrick Patterson, Josh Harrellson and DeMarcus Cousins stomped on the Cardinal logo.

When I saw the headline, I knew Cousins would be one of the players but I'm shocked at Patterson. I thought he had a little more class and respect.

[WMR]

Fanning the flames of the rivalry:



When I saw the headline, I knew Cousins would be one of the players but I'm shocked at Patterson. I thought he had a little more class and respect.

Oh Lord, please. Who has respect for Louisville anyway.

[dabvu2498]

Oh Lord, please. Who has respect for Louisville anyway. Patterson should. He has never beaten them.

[WMR]

Patterson should. He has never beaten them.

That's not what I was saying. But you knew that.

[dabvu2498]

That's not what I was saying. But you knew that. It's not what you were saying, but it is what you said.

[WMR]

It's not what you were saying, but it is what you said.

LOL no it wasn't. But you knew that as well. :lol:

[BRM]

You two are funny. We need more back and forths like this from you. Always good for a chuckle.

[dabvu2498]

LOL no it wasn't. But you knew that as well. :lol: What you said is not what you said? I was hoping not to have to hire a psychic to read this thread. But anyway, them stomping on anyone's midcourt logo would be inappropriate.

[WMR]

What you said is not what you said? I was hoping not to have to hire a psychic to read this thread. But anyway, them stomping on anyone's midcourt logo would be inappropriate.

:lol: You're worse than Louisville fans. You knew exactly what my post was attempting to convey but you wanted to interpret down a different tangent. Clear enough?

You understand it's all floor, correct? They stomped on the FLOOR.

Since Pat is winless versus UL, maybe showing them too much respect was his problem?

[dabvu2498]

:lol: You're worse than Louisville fans. You knew exactly what my post was attempting to convey but you wanted to interpret down a different tangent. Clear enough? You understand it's all floor, correct? They stomped on the FLOOR. Since Pat is winless versus UL, maybe showing them too much respect was his problem? You'd be going ape if the roles were reversed.

[WMR]

I'd laugh.

Seriously, 'OOH, YOU STOMPED ON THE 'UK' I'M SO MAD ARGHHH.'

Just silly, IMO.

[joshnky]

Just silly, IMO.

Just stupid, IMO (which I believe was Calipari's quote.)

[WMR]

Just stupid, IMO (which I believe was Calipari's quote.)

If we win this will be the reason why. :cool::p:

[dabvu2498]

Maybe they can shoot a bit. Then again, when you're by yourself and have time to check wind speed and barometric pressure... UNCA is awful. Worse than either of the two they exhibitioned against maybe.

[WVRed]

So who had UNCA as the game Wall recorded his first triple double?

12 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds.

Cousins with 24 and 12 and 8/10 from the free throw line. I guess shooting 500 over the course of two practices has helped.

[TeamSelig]

Man, I missed this game. :( Figures Wall drops a triple double.

[macro]

Man, I missed this game. :( Figures Wall drops a triple double.

Directv customers with FSN Cincinnati as their local have missed several UK games this year. I'll be glad when they get into the regular schedule of ESPN, CBS, and SEC Network games. These games against the likes of South Dakota Wesleyan aren't doing much for me.

[cumberlandreds]

Man, I missed this game. :( Figures Wall drops a triple double.

Wall did not have a triple double. He had 12 points, 14 assists and 4 rebounds. Boxscore from Yahoo is below. I did think he played his best game of the season. He was much more in control and not forcing things near as much. He really put on a show,even though it was against a poor team. He had just a sick left handed dunk late in the 2nd half. That should have made ESPN's top ten plays of the day.
The 14 assists was just one away from a UK record. Travis Ford had 15 back in 1993 against EKU.


http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=200911300292

[WMR]

His 14 assists set a UK Freshman record. Kid is sick.

[dabvu2498]

Is the Liggins situation strange to anyone else? Of course, they aren't really missing him. But it may have allowed Cal to get Wall out of the game with more than 2 minutes to go in the game. Then again, Patterson was still in there also.

[cumberlandreds]

Is the Liggins situation strange to anyone else? Of course, they aren't really missing him. But it may have allowed Cal to get Wall out of the game with more than 2 minutes to go in the game. Then again, Patterson was still in there also.

IMO,this is a defacto redshirt year for Liggins. If he does what is expected of him off the court Calipari will have him back next season. If not,good-bye.
Wall did set out a big chunk of the 2nd half. He went out around the 11 minute mark and came back around 3 minute mark. I was a little surprised he came back in but we wouldn't have seen that great left handed dunk if he hadn't. :D

[TeamSelig]

Wall did not have a triple double. He had 12 points, 14 assists and 4 rebounds. Boxscore from Yahoo is below. I did think he played his best game of the season. He was much more in control and not forcing things near as much. He really put on a show,even though it was against a poor team. He had just a sick left handed dunk late in the 2nd half. That should have made ESPN's top ten plays of the day.
The 14 assists was just one away from a UK record. Travis Ford had 15 back in 1993 against EKU.


http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=200911300292

Oops. Still an amazing game, though.

I've been watching all the UK games on Justintv or whatever (link I posted earlier)... I just forgot all about the game

[TeamSelig]

IMO,this is a defacto redshirt year for Liggins. If he does what is expected of him off the court Calipari will have him back next season. If not,good-bye.
Wall did set out a big chunk of the 2nd half. He went out around the 11 minute mark and came back around 3 minute mark. I was a little surprised he came back in but we wouldn't have seen that great left handed dunk if he hadn't. :D

I read somewhere that he is allowed to come back in January (2nd semester begins)

[cumberlandreds]

I read somewhere that he is allowed to come back in January (2nd semester begins)

That's one of many rumors floating around. I've heard about everything. Nothing said at all by Calipari or anyone else at UK.

[TeamSelig]

I think it sounds possible. If he wasn't allowed to come back at all, wouldn't he just be off the team all together?

[cumberlandreds]

Great story about John Wall. He seems like a very level headed kid who has things in the proper perspective. He won't be at UK long so all of us UK fans had better savor every moment he has at UK.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-wall120409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[TeamSelig]

Awesome article.

[RedRoser]

Great read! Thanks for sharing the link! :)

[jimbo]

Not a UK basketball fan so today's game is the first time I've watched them.

I've been hearing the Wall hype, and just from watching the first half all I can say is......WOW. This kid is going to be special.

[Scrap Irony]

Kentucky showing why it's great, then why it's overrated in the same game. Youth may be served, but it's usually only served after a heaping helping of experience mashes it in the face.

[macro]

Today's game with UNC looked like a bunch of talented, inexperienced freshmen playing against another bunch of talented, inexperienced freshmen.

[Joseph]

todays game looked to me like it exposed UK quite a lot. It's John Wall and some solid players who don't know how to do a lot without their leader, yes their freshman leader.

Don't take that as a slam on UK, I'm a fan no doubt, its just what I saw.

[joshnky]

Today's game with UNC looked like a bunch of talented, inexperienced freshmen playing against another bunch of talented, inexperienced freshmen.

The UConn game in MSG should tell you something about this UK team.

Stanley Robinson and John Wall should put on quite a show on the big stage.

[WMR]

Who did Louisville lose to? :lol:

[WMR]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091205/capt.34e7812debcf49f0a4ab621626357bbc.ncarolina_ke ntucky_basketball_kyer101.jpg

[WMR]

todays game looked to me like it exposed UK quite a lot. It's John Wall and some solid players who don't know how to do a lot without their leader, yes their freshman leader.

Don't take that as a slam on UK, I'm a fan no doubt, its just what I saw.

Well, when you take away a team's best player who also happens to be their point guard, that tends to happen.

[WMR]

Kentucky showing why it's great, then why it's overrated in the same game. Youth may be served, but it's usually only served after a heaping helping of experience mashes it in the face.

That's why they play the big tournament in March.

[WMR]

The UConn game in MSG should tell you something about this UK team.


Not really. It's a mistake to take away much one way or the other from these early season games. The contest versus UCONN will tell us almost zero about what the 'finished product' Kentucky team will look like.

[joshnky]

Not really. It's a mistake to take away much one way or the other from these early season games. The contest versus UCONN will tell us almost zero about what the 'finished product' Kentucky team will look like.

But it will tell me what to expect when they play Louisville in 3 weeks because Louisville plays a similar style (or at least used to). Although if Louisville doesn't get healthy it won't matter.

[jmac]

Not really. It's a mistake to take away much one way or the other from these early season games. The contest versus UCONN will tell us almost zero about what the 'finished product' Kentucky team will look like.
:beerme:
UConn won today over Harvard 79-73. So if UConn wins, they were overlooking Harvard whereas if UK wins, this score will be brought up saying UConn wasnt that good anyway.
As you said, WMR, these early season games are fun for the fans but thats it. UConn, UK, UNC and Uof L and most other teams will all be much better teams by season's end than they are right now.

[macro]

Who did Louisville lose to? :lol:

I have a buddy who's a UofL fan and we have a friendly little back-and-forth over it. This morning I told him I'd like to listen to some music from the band Good Charlotte.

:D

[cumberlandreds]

:beerme:
UConn won today over Harvard 79-73. So if UConn wins, they were overlooking Harvard whereas if UK wins, this score will be brought up saying UConn wasnt that good anyway.
As you said, WMR, these early season games are fun for the fans but thats it. UConn, UK, UNC and Uof L and most other teams will all be much better teams by season's end than they are right now.

Yep you are correct. Almost everyone will look vastly different by March. If don't look any differently by March then you probably aren't in the NCAA tournament. UConn is good learning game to be played on neutral court, on a national stage. As long as UK improves on this game and doesn't get blown out of the box it should help them down the road.

[dabvu2498]

Liggins did not make the trip to NYC for this evening's game.

[Scrap Irony]

Calipari said Kentucky's a 4-5 team with a lot of luck.

John Wall disagrees.

On another note, I've seen a bunch of ball early and Kentucky has had the two most impressive runs of anyone. They are really, really talented, but prone to really, really stupid runs as well.

Typical of freshmen. But the talent is there.

Speaking of talent, anyone else see AJ Slaughter lead WKU over the Purple Aces of Evansville earlier this week? The 'Tops are building for another deep run in the Tourney.

[WVRed]

64-61 Kentucky hangs on to win it.

Wall finishes with 25 and was pretty much the catalyst down the stretch for UK. Kentucky started the game on a 12-0 run before UConn caught up and took control of the game late in the first half.

I give Cal credit for this one. Keeping Wall out most of the first half while Dyson played the entire game really put UK in the drivers seat in the second half. UConn was gassed with about ten minutes to go while Cousins and Wall got to work and were pretty well rested.

I have a feeling Indiana could be our first loss. If I am wrong, I think we go undefeated in out of conference play.

[cincrazy]

Not really. It's a mistake to take away much one way or the other from these early season games. The contest versus UCONN will tell us almost zero about what the 'finished product' Kentucky team will look like.

Agreed.

As an OSU fan, I did a lot of hand-wringing over the early season performances of the 2006 team with Conley, Oden, Cook, Lighty, etc. They didn't sem to mesh really well, the light never really went on.

But my goodness.... later in the year, when that light did go on, they were as good as any team in the country. If Ivan Harris and co. could have hit down just a couple of open 3's as opposed to going 0-106 behind the arc, that team would have beat Florida.

[Scrap Irony]

With Wall, Cousins, and Patterson, Kentucky has the three scorers needed.

They're long, athletic, and fast.

They rebound well and block shots.

They can hit the open three well enough.

Calipari is a veteran good coach who has a penchant for player improvement.

In short, if I were buying stock in any team for March, it'd be Kentucky.

Their only questions are freshman stupidity (especially as it relates to ball control) and poor on the ball defense. Both of those are likely to improve a great deal as the year wears on.

[WMR]

This team has the potential to be as good as they want to be. Man it feels good to go into UCONN's backyard and take a game at the Garden.

[WMR]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091210/capt.d4ede310dbd94a06bd41ba6cb9811b20.kentucky_con necticut_basketball_nyjj115.jpg

[WMR]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091210/capt.44bbb034fd9647128d26fd6e5ded2b31.kentucky_con necticut_basketball_nyjj111.jpg

[cumberlandreds]

John Wall is a basketball god. :)

Wall can take this team for a long, long way when March rolls around. The youth factor is the only questoin mark this team has. How will this youth handle the March pressure? The talent is certainly there. To go into MSG and beat UConn in their backyard is pretty huge. Also winning all these close games will pay huge dividends in March.
IU will be an interesting test just for the fact it is the first true road game for UK. As long as they match IU's intensity they should be fine but it will be interesting to see how these freshman handle a true road game.

[DTCromer]

:beerme:
UConn won today over Harvard 79-73. So if UConn wins, they were overlooking Harvard whereas if UK wins, this score will be brought up saying UConn wasnt that good anyway.
As you said, WMR, these early season games are fun for the fans but thats it. UConn, UK, UNC and Uof L and most other teams will all be much better teams by season's end than they are right now.

FWIW, Harvard is pretty decent basketball team. That win will be a PLUS for UConn for RPI reasons. Cornell is also another Ivy League team that's pretty good this year too.

[macro]

I have a feeling Indiana could be our first loss. If I am wrong, I think we go undefeated in out of conference play.

Why are you fearing Indiana, WV? They're 4-4 despite not playing a ranked opponent yet.

[WVRed]

Why are you fearing Indiana, WV? They're 4-4 despite not playing a ranked opponent yet.

Two reasons:

1. The game is in Bloomington. I wouldn't even count last night as an away game because a lot of Kentucky fans made the trip to NYC. That won't be the case on Saturday and it will be IMO the first game they play outside of the confines of the Bluegrass state and the first real hostile environment they will have seen.

2. Any team that has ever been coached by Tom Crean is known for physical play. Kentucky already played one of those teams at Rupp earlier this season and it took a last second shot by Wall to win it.

Bottom line is, it's UK's first real road test and its against a team that will take it right to Kentucky. I look for officiating to play a factor as well. I'm not saying they can't win, but it will be just as difficult as last night.

[WMR]

Two reasons:

1. The game is in Bloomington. I wouldn't even count last night as an away game because a lot of Kentucky fans made the trip to NYC. That won't be the case on Saturday and it will be IMO the first game they play outside of the confines of the Bluegrass state and the first real hostile environment they will have seen.

2. Any team that has ever been coached by Tom Crean is known for physical play. Kentucky already played one of those teams at Rupp earlier this season and it took a last second shot by Wall to win it.

Bottom line is, it's UK's first real road test and its against a team that will take it right to Kentucky. I look for officiating to play a factor as well. I'm not saying they can't win, but it will be just as difficult as last night.

No way. UK handles IU.

[TeamSelig]

I'm not sure IU is athletic enough to keep up. Rivalry games are usually pretty tough to win, but I think it will be a large margin victory.

[Javy Pornstache]

IU will be game, Crean already is in the process of a great job turning them around, and they looked pretty good against Pittsburgh the other night. Won't be easy.

[WMR]

John Calipari is now 2nd only to Adolph Rupp in number of wins to start a career at Kentucky (9-0). Adolph Rupp went 10-0 in 1930-1931.

[improbus]

I'm so jealous that I'm not back in Lexington right now...

[Joseph]

As far as IU goes....all you Bengals fans just remember the Oakland game a few weeks ago. Even bad teams beat good ones sometimes.

[gilpdawg]

I have a feeling Indiana could be our first loss. If I am wrong, I think we go undefeated in out of conference play.
Indiana? No way. We are looking better this year, but not THAT much better.

[Razor Shines]

No way. UK handles IU.

IU is about to show the country how overrated John Wall is.

[dabvu2498]

IU is about to show the country how overrated John Wall is.

It is almost Christmas. Santa will be busy, busy, busy.

[DTCromer]

IU is about to show the country how overrated John Wall is.

Not sure if you're serious or not.

With that said, Wall is the truff. Top 3 pick in next year's draft. . . probably #1 overall depending on who has the pick.

Indiana and Assembly Hall will be fired up, but the talent discrepency is too large for the Hoosiers to overcome.

[BRM]

IU is about to show the country how overrated John Wall is.

Yeah!

OK Razor, I think you've had enough. ;)

[WVRed]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/4174555283_5e57df925f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4175569984_0204b09163.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/4175570018_5bc4478232.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2631/4174809417_983a7a1091.jpg

[Razor Shines]

Not sure if you're serious or not.

With that said, Wall is the truff. Top 3 pick in next year's draft. . . probably #1 overall depending on who has the pick.

Indiana and Assembly Hall will be fired up, but the talent discrepency is too large for the Hoosiers to overcome.

He's weak, I don't think he has the athletic ability or the quickness to play at the next level. He reminds me a lot of Tom Coverdale, but that's JMO.

[DTCromer]

He's weak, I don't think he has the athletic ability or the quickness to play at the next level. He reminds me a lot of Tom Coverdale, but that's JMO.

Yikes. He'll definitely get bigger. He plays balls to the wall, never complains, and does everything he needs to do to win. Sure, he makes a lot of TO's, but he's a freshman and he still makes more plays than turns the ball over.. . . .and I'm complimenting this dude and I hate the program.

Wall reminds me exactly of Dwayne Wade.

[KoryMac5]

Francesa on WFAN went to the UCONN vs. Kentucky game where he sat next to Pat Riley the entire game. Riley had tremendous praise for Wall stating he was Lebron James in a 6 foot 3 inch body. Wall has some great skills, a tremendous physique, and a fearlessness under the basket, definitely the top pick in the draft. Enjoy him Kentucky while he lasts.

[BRM]

He's weak, I don't think he has the athletic ability or the quickness to play at the next level. He reminds me a lot of Tom Coverdale, but that's JMO.

Coverdale was a much better passer.

[Razor Shines]

Coverdale was a much better passer.

More clutch too.

[WMR]

I am very interested to see how this young UK team responds to a truly hostile environment.

[BRM]

More clutch too.

Dane Fife might be a better comp.

[cumberlandreds]

I am very interested to see how this young UK team responds to a truly hostile environment.

Me too. That's the ultimate test of the regular season. How you respond on the road. Next road game after tomorrow won't be until Jan 12th at Florida.

[Razor Shines]

I am very interested to see how this young UK team responds to a truly hostile environment.

I think IU has a shot to keep the game interesting for 10 minutes, maybe the the first half. But eventually the abundance of talent on UK's side is going to take over the game put it away.

[BRM]

I think IU has a shot to keep the game interesting for 10 minutes, maybe the the first half. But eventually the abundance of talent on UK's side is going to take over the game put it away.

Unless Crean brings back Coverdale and Fife to contain Wall and Bledsoe.

[Razor Shines]

Unless Crean brings back Coverdale and Fife to contain Wall and Bledsoe.

Yeah man. Fife and Coverdale could come out there in street clothes and hold those bums down.

[BRM]

Yeah man. Fife and Coverdale could come out there in street clothes and hold those bums down.

We'll put Richard Mandeville on Patterson too. This game will be a cake walk.

[macro]

He's weak, I don't think he has the athletic ability or the quickness to play at the next level.

If that's true, the other 99% of the people who have an opinion on him are very wrong.

[TeamSelig]

Start praying for mercy Hoosier fans, I can see Pope John Wall creating a new t-shirt with the # 55 on it.

[WVRed]

No UK-IU game would be perfect without this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RxFpVihLqA

[Razor Shines]

No UK-IU game would be perfect without this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RxFpVihLqA

You don't hit below the belt, first of all, but you certainly don't hit below the belt when that person is asleep in their bed. Not proud of you.

[Redhook]

He's weak, I don't think he has the athletic ability or the quickness to play at the next level. He reminds me a lot of Tom Coverdale, but that's JMO.

I think you're a great poster and usually agree with your opinions/posts, but this is one of the most absurb things I've ever read on Redszone. Wall doesn't have the quickness to play at the next level? Seriously? Holy s***. He's probably the quickest player I've ever seen and when he is playing in the NBA next season he will be the quickest player on the court, in every game. He is truly amazing and I don't see how anyone can come to a different conclusion after watching him for 10+ minutes.

[joshnky]

I think you're a great poster and usually agree with your opinions/posts, but this is one of the most absurb things I've ever read on Redszone. Wall doesn't have the quickness to play at the next level? Seriously? Holy s***. He's probably the quickest player I've ever seen and when he is playing in the NBA next season he will be the quickest player on the court, in every game. He is truly amazing and I don't see how anyone can come to a different conclusion after watching him for 10+ minutes.

He was joking.

[Redhook]

He was joking.

Good. For some reason, I couldn't tell from his posts in this thread.

BTW, good win for the Cats today. They're good and fun to watch. It's been awhile. I'm enjoying it.

[WVRed]

Good. For some reason, I couldn't tell from his posts in this thread.

BTW, good win for the Cats today. They're good and fun to watch. It's been awhile. I'm enjoying it.

You kinda have to follow this thread to get an overall idea. Razor and BRM are Hoosier fans. It's a way to get a ribbing out of some of the more "sensitive" UK fans.

This game was Eric Bledsoe's coming out party.

[TeamSelig]

Missed the game today. Just checking out the box score... a few notes

- Cuz needs to work out those fouls.
- Wall didn't get to the line like usual
- Bledsoe shot a great percentage... nasty 6 TOs though
- LIGGINS with a 1 minute appearance

[Razor Shines]

I think you're a great poster and usually agree with your opinions/posts, but this is one of the most absurb things I've ever read on Redszone. Wall doesn't have the quickness to play at the next level? Seriously? Holy s***. He's probably the quickest player I've ever seen and when he is playing in the NBA next season he will be the quickest player on the court, in every game. He is truly amazing and I don't see how anyone can come to a different conclusion after watching him for 10+ minutes.

Sorry, I was trying to be so absurd enough that no one would think I was serious. I compared him to Tom Coverdale for gosh sakes.

I love watching John Wall. I was desperately hoping against hope that he'd go to Duke instead of UK, but even with that unfortunate choice I still think he's great.

[Razor Shines]

I think IU has a shot to keep the game interesting for 10 minutes, maybe the the first half. But eventually the abundance of talent on UK's side is going to take over the game put it away.

Did I travel to the future and watch the game ahead of time?

[Scrap Irony]

Kentucky played well against IU, especially considering how strong the Hoosiers started. (They seemed to hit every shot imaginable from 20 feet.) It seems to me that the key to UK's season is rebounding. They're so much bigger than other teams (the biggest in the country across the board) and the offenses they run allow for a lot of offensive rebounding. (Count on it, in fact.)

Saw my third Kansas game yesterday. Kentucky might be better than Kansas right now and could be much better later on. (Though Xavier Henry is a nice player.)

Who else looks really good this early? Do you believe in Syracuse? (I do.) Can Texas overcome its coach and win it all? (I don't think so.) Does Purdue have the horses? (Not IMO.)

Any others look like they could challenge for a crown?

[gilpdawg]

As a realistic thinking Indiana fan, I am actually pretty happy with how they played against the Cats. We just don't have the horses to play with a team like that, but they hung in there for what, 25 minutes, and they didn't quit. Indiana is going to make some noise in the next 2-3 years, but rebuilding takes time. They are on the right track. Believe that.

[cumberlandreds]

Me too. That's the ultimate test of the regular season. How you respond on the road. Next road game after tomorrow won't be until Jan 12th at Florida.

To answer my own question,they handled themselves like veterans on a road game. They took the early punch by IU and responded as well as any team could. Their size just worn down IU and IU just had no answer for them down low. This UK team is amazing me. I thought with all the freshman,new coach and everyone learning a new system they woud lose a couple or three games in the non conference. But they are playing more and more like veterans. They should win out in the non-conference now(What's up with UL? they look completely lost). Calipari will be practicing this team more and more with school out. Just imagine how much better they should be by January.
What impressed me the most about the IU game was how they ran their half court offense. It was 100% better than anytime else this season. If this team gets the half court offense running efficiently most of the time, then they could really be one of the great UK teams of all time. During the 2nd half Saturday I even allowed myself to compare these guys with the 96 team. They aren't quite there yet but there is chance they could be.

[BRM]

What impressed me the most about the IU game was how they ran their half court offense. It was 100% better than anytime else this season. If this team gets the half court offense running efficiently most of the time, then they could really be one of the great UK teams of all time. During the 2nd half Saturday I even allowed myself to compare these guys with the 96 team. They aren't quite there yet but there is chance they could be.

No to take anything away from the Cats here but if they were ever going to look good in the half court, it would be against IU. The Hoosiers simply do not defend well in the half court. They have a lot of trouble stopping dribble penetration and rebounding has been a sore spot all year. There is a reason Crean wants the Hoosiers to run and run a lot. They really struggle in the half court, at both ends for the most part.

That said, UK looked very impressive on Saturday. They certainly did not play like a young team. They looked very poised.

[TeamSelig]

Bob Knight jealous of Calipari?

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/63480/20091218/knight_doesnt_understand_why_calipari_is_allowed_t o_coach/

[Hoosier Red]

Yes I'm sure Bob Knight is jealous of Calipari. My guess is he'd give up his three national titles, Olympic Gold medal and every one of his wins for two vacated final four appearances.

Bob Knight is a grumpy old man, the sooner people realize that, the less interesting it is when he spouts off on any coach or player in today's game.

[BRM]

Here is the quote. Keep in mind he said this at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame fundraiser.


"We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking, and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching," Knight said. "You see we've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation, and he's still coaching. I really don't understand that."

[Moosie52]

Bob Knight is right about this one. Calipari trashed two programs and still got hired to coach at a big time school. Kelvin Sampson got hired at IU despite having a bad track record on recruiting, and committed similar infractions at Indiana. Winning games is apparently more important than following NCAA rules to some schools.

[joshnky]

Bob Knight is a grumpy old man, the sooner people realize that, the less interesting it is when he spouts off on any coach or player in today's game.

Agree. He is incredibly opinionated and likes very few people other than himself. I'm surprised this even a story. Honestly, who cares what Bob Knight thinks on the subject?

[dabvu2498]

Knight trashed Calipari to a bunch of . IU fans? Shocking!

[Reds4Life]

He still has a point. Calipari is the only coach in NCAA history to have two final four appearances stripped away. Not something to be proud of.

[Javy Pornstache]

Wonder why he didn't mention anything about the probation of Kansas (2007 champs) and the guy who helped land them in hot water (now coach of North Carolina, 2008 champs). Nothing to be proud of, either.

[Scrap Irony]

While I agree that integrity is lacking in the NCAA, Calipari has never been accused of breaking a rule himself, while Knight was fired for choking one of his players and getting into an altercation with a student of the university.

Hello, kettle? This is pot. You're black.

[Javy Pornstache]

No kidding, the guy who showed a whip to show how he "reined in" Calbert Cheaney, who stated if you "can't stop a rape, you might as well take it and enjoy it" (paraphrased), who slapped another coach in the face at a game, who choked a player, who kicked his son on camera during a game, etc etc etc, is the last guy who should be talking about integrity, regardless of your views of Calipari, Williams, UK, KU, or anyone else discussed.

[Dom Heffner]

Bob Knight talking about integrity would be like Tiger Woods talking about fidelity.

[Hoosier Red]

No kidding, the guy who showed a whip to show how he "reined in" Calbert Cheaney, who stated if you "can't stop a rape, you might as well take it and enjoy it" (paraphrased), who slapped another coach in the face at a game, who choked a player, who kicked his son on camera during a game, etc etc etc, is the last guy who should be talking about integrity, regardless of your views of Calipari, Williams, UK, KU, or anyone else discussed.

To be fair, Bob Knight had a ton of negative qualities as a coach, but he always had integrity. He did so many childish and stupid and vulgar and inhumane things that you probably couldn't name them all, but he had integrity. He always stood up for what he believed in(even when he was wrong.) His student athletes were not athlete students, he made sure they were in class and progressing towards degrees, he demanded more out of his players than he did out of himself. So yes he had integrity.

What he didn't have was class, or a filter, or good sense or... but he had integrity.

[WMR]

It's really unfortunate that Cal didn't move out of his family house and bunk with Marcus Camby. Maybe if he'd been there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year he could've prevented him from accepting money from a sports agent.

Similarly, why wasn't Cal more involved in a standardized test administered hundreds of miles away. :rolleyes:

[redsfanmia]

While I agree that integrity is lacking in the NCAA, Calipari has never been accused of breaking a rule himself, while Knight was fired for choking one of his players and getting into an altercation with a student of the university.

Hello, kettle? This is pot. You're black.

Coach Knight had many faults as a man but there was NEVER a sniff of him breaking a rule and getting his school in any kind of trouble with the NCAA. Coach Knight had a point about Calipari, two schools on probation and two final four appearences voided, that is pretty impressive.

[redsfanmia]

It's really unfortunate that Cal didn't move out of his family house and bunk with Marcus Camby. Maybe if he'd been there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year he could've prevented him from accepting money from a sports agent.

Similarly, why wasn't Cal more involved in a standardized test administered hundreds of miles away. :rolleyes:

If Calipari coached at Louisville or Indiana you would be singing a different tune. It may take a few years but Kentucky will be in trouble with the NCAA under Calipari's watch, the best tell of the future is the past.

[TeamSelig]

If not jealousy, then what? Just saying some BS to get IU fans fired up?

[joshnky]

If not jealousy, then what? Just saying some BS to get IU fans fired up?

Knight says stupid things but why would he be jealous of Calipari, a coach who has never won a championship and just happens to be the "flavor of the month"? Comments like this are why UK fans get a bad rap. Someone criticizes their coach or program so it must be jealousy.

[Scrap Irony]

He's jealous of Calipari because Calipari is now coaching the hottest team in America, while Knight is sitting behind a microphone (sometimes) and wants to be in Calipari's seat.

He's also trying to get IU fans fired up.

He's also trying to rile up the media and get more publicity.

He's also a tool and a bully who genuinely dislikes Kentucky because Kentucky's been just as good as he over the past four decades.

On another note, I met Coach Knight while in college. He was not a nice person. At all.

[Reds4Life]

He's jealous of Calipari because Calipari is now coaching the hottest team in America, while Knight is sitting behind a microphone (sometimes) and wants to be in Calipari's seat.

He's also trying to get IU fans fired up.

He's also trying to rile up the media and get more publicity.

He's also a tool and a bully who genuinely dislikes Kentucky because Kentucky's been just as good as he over the past four decades.

On another note, I met Coach Knight while in college. He was not a nice person. At all.

Yeah, he wants Cal's job. Right. :rolleyes:

I met him while he was doing a UC game for ESPN. He was ok when I saw him, he signed autographs for some kids who asked him after the game. FWIW, I met a couple UK coaches in person as well. Pitino was an arrogant jerk. Tubby was one of the nicest coaches I've ever met, very personable.

[WMR]

If Calipari coached at Louisville or Indiana you would be singing a different tune. It may take a few years but Kentucky will be in trouble with the NCAA under Calipari's watch, the best tell of the future is the past.

You should meet Sandy Bell.

[Scrap Irony]

Yeah, he wants Cal's job. Right. :rolleyes:

Knight wants any job where he can still coach, be in the spotlight, and bully opponents. If there were a College Basketball Shangri-La for Knight, Kentucky would be one of his Seven Heavens.

[WMR]

Knight wants any job where he can still coach, be in the spotlight, and bully opponents. If there were a College Basketball Shangri-La for Knight, Kentucky would be one of his Seven Heavens.

:lol:

[Razor Shines]

He's jealous of Calipari because Calipari is now coaching the hottest team in America, while Knight is sitting behind a microphone (sometimes) and wants to be in Calipari's seat.

He's also trying to get IU fans fired up.

He's also trying to rile up the media and get more publicity.

He's also a tool and a bully who genuinely dislikes Kentucky because Kentucky's been just as good as he over the past four decades.

On another note, I met Coach Knight while in college. He was not a nice person. At all.

That's all pretty silly. Sounds more like you have an axe to grind with Knight. Why would he be trying to fire up IU fans? I don't think he really cares much about IU basketball.

I've met him a couple times. He seemed fairly nice to me.

[dabvu2498]

You should meet Sandy Bell.

I always hear that from folks who must forget that she was Compliance Director during the Hal Mumme Era.

[Hoosier Red]

Knight wants any job where he can still coach

Which is of course why he retired.
And believe me, that wasn't under pressure from anyone. He was able to install his dolt of a son at TT so I'm pretty sure Texas Tech would have been perfectly happy to have him coaching.

[WMR]

I always hear that from folks who must forget that she was Compliance Director during the Hal Mumme Era.

If a coach is bound and determined to cheat, they will cheat.

Cal is not a cheater. He will certainly not cheat at Kentucky. The stakes are way too high. UK self-reports anything that could carry a whisper of improper action. Cal will not knowingly commit any infractions at Kentucky. The same could not be said, for example, about Kelvin Sampson.

[Scrap Irony]

Which is of course why he retired.
And believe me, that wasn't under pressure from anyone. He was able to install his dolt of a son at TT so I'm pretty sure Texas Tech would have been perfectly happy to have him coaching.

Of course, the rest of my quote included being in the spotlight (and bullying opponents), neither of which he could have done in Lubbock.

[macro]

It's really unfortunate that Cal didn't move out of his family house and bunk with Marcus Camby. Maybe if he'd been there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year he could've prevented him from accepting money from a sports agent.

Similarly, why wasn't Cal more involved in a standardized test administered hundreds of miles away. :rolleyes:

Calipari "put two schools on probation", WMR. You seem to be forgetting that. Furthermore, he did it on purpose, just to see if he could get away with it. There's ample proof that John Calipari knew about these situations as they were happening, and simply laughed about it.

Skip Bayless at ESPN said that he should be banned from coaching in the NCAA for one year. If Skip Bayless and Bobby Knight and others say that he has no integrity and that he should banned, then it must be so.

Now excuse me while I go choke my kids and throw a folding chair.

[KoryMac5]

Which is of course why he retired.
And believe me, that wasn't under pressure from anyone. He was able to install his dolt of a son at TT so I'm pretty sure Texas Tech would have been perfectly happy to have him coaching.

From Urban Dictionary definition of Dolt:


A mental retard who is clueless not only about current events, but also has the IQ level of a rock. "Dolt" may be the most sophisticated insult in the English language. Dolts commonly populate such stereotypes as jocks, nerds, fruits, bookworms, and dorks.


This comment is pretty uncalled for if you ask me. To call Pat Knight a retard who seems clueless about what is going on around him is pretty over the line. I am sure Pat Knight doesn't always see eye to eye with his Dad and I am sure sometimes when he makes these comments he wishes dear old Dad would just go away. I think it will be always be a case of the sins of the father being passed on to the son.

FWIW Texas Tech is 9-0 and 16th in the country, too bad Daddy will get all the credit.

[dabvu2498]

If a coach is bound and determined to cheat, they will cheat. Cal is not a cheater. He will certainly not cheat at Kentucky. The stakes are way too high. UK self-reports anything that could carry a whisper of improper action. Cal will not knowingly commit any infractions at Kentucky. The same could not be said, for example, about Kelvin Sampson. And if a kid is bound and determined to cheat on a test or take money from an agent, they will do so. The trick is getting kids that wouldn't do such things. And Cal's track record there... Anyway, it annoys me that UK fans act like no violations will happen because Sandy Bell is there. She is no silver bullet.

[joshnky]

Anyway, it annoys me that UK fans act like no violations will happen because Sandy Bell is there. She is no silver bullet.

Don't you know? She is the only compliance director with the skills and desire to keep her program out of trouble. As has been pointed out, the compliance director can do little to stop these types of things from happening, they can only monitor and then self-report to limit the damage. If John Wall wants to talk to an agent I'm sure he can find a way.

[Joseph]

UK fan here. I don't find Sandy Bell all that special. Our school has gotten in trouble on her watch [football] so I don't see her as a sacred cow by any means.

Give me the compliance director at a school that doesn't have questions any day. Yeah that rules out UK, UL, IU, UC and most major programs I guess.

[TeamSelig]

Knight says stupid things but why would he be jealous of Calipari, a coach who has never won a championship and just happens to be the "flavor of the month"? Comments like this are why UK fans get a bad rap. Someone criticizes their coach or program so it must be jealousy.

Kentucky is one of the hottest teams right now and has the biggest star in college basketball on their team. They are getting crazy exposure. Just kinda funny that grumpy ole Bob takes a jab at Calipari at this point.... by making an incorrect statement might I add.

That wasn't criticism, it was an insult. At least say something truthful... Calipari teams can't shoot FTs, etc.

Anyways, I'm not sure why I'm trying to explain something to a little brother fan. One who jocks the UK thread at that.

[joshnky]

Anyways, I'm not sure why I'm trying to explain something to a little brother fan. One who jocks the UK thread at that.

Nice.

If you don't want to hear from other fans, post on a UK board. I bet you'd fit in real well at Cats Pause.

[WMR]

Win #1999. :D

Monster Mash is going to be working the Drexel game, which should be W2K.

[TeamSelig]

Nice.

If you don't want to hear from other fans, post on a UK board. I bet you'd fit in real well at Cats Pause.

I'll post here, thank you.

But whats the point of baiting here on the UK thread? Does it make you feel good inside?

[TeamSelig]

Mock Draft Update on UK players:

#1 - John Wall.... a no brainer pick at this point... however, several of the teams who will have a chance at landing this pick have good PGs (Nets - Harris, TWolves - Rubio/Flynn/Sessions, Jazz - Deron, Wizards - Arenas). Jazz are the only team that I could see trading rights to Wall away.

#8 - Patrick Patterson... a great player, but I'm a little surprised at him being mocked this high. I think he might be a tweener forward in the NBA. I had him pegged at mid-late 1st rd pick... 16-25.

#28 - DeMarcus Cousins... if he goes this late, I think he stays another year. His stock will improve as the season goes along IMO. 12th-16th is my guess.

per draftexpress.com... nbadraft.net has Patterson @ 10, Cousins @ 18

[WVRed]

Mock Draft Update on UK players:

#1 - John Wall.... a no brainer pick at this point... however, several of the teams who will have a chance at landing this pick have good PGs (Nets - Harris, TWolves - Rubio/Flynn/Sessions, Jazz - Deron, Wizards - Arenas). Jazz are the only team that I could see trading rights to Wall away.

#8 - Patrick Patterson... a great player, but I'm a little surprised at him being mocked this high. I think he might be a tweener forward in the NBA. I had him pegged at mid-late 1st rd pick... 16-25.

#28 - DeMarcus Cousins... if he goes this late, I think he stays another year. His stock will improve as the season goes along IMO. 12th-16th is my guess.

per draftexpress.com... nbadraft.net has Patterson @ 10, Cousins @ 18

Sorry, but Wall > Devin Harris and Clint Sessions.

If one of those teams mentioned selects Wall with the first overall pick, I think it would be possible for Wall to coexist with another PG. He is currently doing that at Kentucky and teams are looking at the 2 guard now to allow for two floor generals. Not the best example, but the Memphis Grizzlies have two PG's in OJ Mayo and Mike Conley.

A dream scenario would be to see the New Jersey Nets draft John Wall and then turn around and sign LeBron James. Could you imagine?

[TeamSelig]

Ramon Sessions? :lol: But yeah, I know Wall > those players, which is why I added that I think the Jazz are the only team to pass up on Wall or trade the rights away.

But the TWolves have Johnny Flynn who is already a good player... 14-4 in his rookie season so far. Then they have Ramon Sessions, who has a decent upside.. although his assists are way down this year. PLUS you have star prospect Ricky Rubio, most likely coming over after next season. Something would have to be traded if they land the #1 pick IMO. Then again, they could always play Wall and Flynn together and wait until Rubio is ready for the NBA then trade his rights (or Flynn).

[WMR]

First to 2,000.

[cumberlandreds]

A great night last night for all UK fans! Kudos to ESPNU for showing all of the post game celebration too! Now the race is on for 3000. I only hope I will be alive to see that.

[cumberlandreds]

Coach Knight had many faults as a man but there was NEVER a sniff of him breaking a rule and getting his school in any kind of trouble with the NCAA. Coach Knight had a point about Calipari, two schools on probation and two final four appearences voided, that is pretty impressive.

Neither school,UMass or Memphis ever served a day of probation.

Below is a list of Knights transgressions and this doesn't mention all of them.
Integrity is all encompassing IMO. It's an everyday thing. You treat people with respect all the time even if you may not like them or like the things they do. Just because you ran a "clean" program and made sure your players went to class and graduated makes you have 100% integrity? IMO, Bobby Knight has less integrity than any college basketball coach not named Dave Bliss in the history of the game. He has become a caricature of himself over the last 20 years and just needs to go away.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/big12/2006-11-14-knight-timeline_x.htm

[BRM]

Congrats to UK for getting 2000 wins. That's an impressive accomplishment.

[redsfanmia]

Neither school,UMass or Memphis ever served a day of probation.

Below is a list of Knights transgressions and this doesn't mention all of them.
Integrity is all encompassing IMO. It's an everyday thing. You treat people with respect all the time even if you may not like them or like the things they do. Just because you ran a "clean" program and made sure your players went to class and graduated makes you have 100% integrity? IMO, Bobby Knight has less integrity than any college basketball coach not named Dave Bliss in the history of the game. He has become a caricature of himself over the last 20 years and just needs to go away.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/big12/2006-11-14-knight-timeline_x.htm

That is not even close to being a full list of Coach Knights transgressions. The guy is a total jerk, I agree but Calipari has had two final four's voided. It is just a matter of time before Kentucky is under some form of discipline from the NCAA.

[Javy Pornstache]

Again, what would you have wanted Calipari to do to prevent Marcus Camby from taking on an agent unbeknown to anybody, slumber with him for 24 hours a day? What was Calipari supposed to do when the NCAA Clearinghouse CLEARED Derrick Rose? Time travel to later on to see the Clearinghouse messed up, and decide not to offer Rose a scholarship?

And yes, I defended him the same before he ever got the UK job, this came up (though not NEARLY like it does now) while he was at Memphis, while everyone twiddled their thumbs at Roy Williams leaving Kansas as he did in a similar timeframe.

[WVRed]

Long Beach St and Kentucky tied 37-37 at the half.

[bucksfan2]

Again, what would you have wanted Calipari to do to prevent Marcus Camby from taking on an agent unbeknown to anybody, slumber with him for 24 hours a day? What was Calipari supposed to do when the NCAA Clearinghouse CLEARED Derrick Rose? Time travel to later on to see the Clearinghouse messed up, and decide not to offer Rose a scholarship?

And yes, I defended him the same before he ever got the UK job, this came up (though not NEARLY like it does now) while he was at Memphis, while everyone twiddled their thumbs at Roy Williams leaving Kansas as he did in a similar timeframe.

Enjoy the ride. Great times don't come along too often and are awfully fun to watch. Unfortunately the odds are stacked against UK with regards to Calipari's track record. UK got into bed with a snake oil salesman, hopefully he doesn't bite them the same way he bit Memphis or UMass.

[redsfanmia]

Enjoy the ride. Great times don't come along too often and are awfully fun to watch. Unfortunately the odds are stacked against UK with regards to Calipari's track record. UK got into bed with a snake oil salesman, hopefully he doesn't bite them the same way he bit Memphis or UMass.

I agree, Kentucky will probably go to multiple final fours and probably win a championship or two but it will not end well with Calipari.

[WMR]

Again, what would you have wanted Calipari to do to prevent Marcus Camby from taking on an agent unbeknown to anybody, slumber with him for 24 hours a day? What was Calipari supposed to do when the NCAA Clearinghouse CLEARED Derrick Rose? Time travel to later on to see the Clearinghouse messed up, and decide not to offer Rose a scholarship?

And yes, I defended him the same before he ever got the UK job, this came up (though not NEARLY like it does now) while he was at Memphis, while everyone twiddled their thumbs at Roy Williams leaving Kansas as he did in a similar timeframe.

Don't waste the ones and zeros on the haters. Haters aren't interested in the specifics (FACTS) of the respective situations at UMASS and Memphis, they're interested in hating.

Personally, I love UK being hated again.

[bucksfan2]

Don't waste the ones and zeros on the haters. Haters aren't interested in the specifics (FACTS) of the respective situations at UMASS and Memphis, they're interested in hating.

Personally, I love UK being hated again.

Two times Cal took a team to the final 4, left for a much better job, only to see that school vacate its final four appearance after he signed with another school/team. History repeats itself, and with Cal that history isn't good. If it were just one such violation I wouldn't put too much stock in it, two is a different story. Its similar to Indiana hiring Sampson, you knew he broke the rules before what makes you think he won't break them again?

[WMR]

Two times Cal took a team to the final 4, left for a much better job, only to see that school vacate its final four appearance after he signed with another school/team. History repeats itself, and with Cal that history isn't good. If it were just one such violation I wouldn't put too much stock in it, two is a different story. Its similar to Indiana hiring Sampson, you knew he broke the rules before what makes you think he won't break them again?

Except Cal didn't break any rules. Unlike Sampson.

[PedroBourbon]

I'm a little worried the Cats couldn't put away Long Beach sooner. It obviously was a good test for the Cats but still not sure we are worthy of our current ranking.

[redsfanmia]

Except Cal didn't break any rules. Unlike Sampson.

Just a coincidence then that 2 final fours were voided? It happened on his watch right? Even if he did not personally break any rules, his "culture", the way he runs a program, set the tone for rules to be broken. Good luck with Calipari.

[joshnky]

Just a coincidence then that 2 final fours were voided? It happened on his watch right? Even if he did not personally break any rules, his "culture", the way he runs a program, set the tone for rules to be broken. Good luck with Calipari.

I hate UK and hope this comes true. However, I'm growing quite tired of this debate. Maybe you weren't involved originally but this has been discussed/debated excessively since Cal was first hired. This has reached "dead horse" status and is bogging down a decent thread. You're not going to convince UK fans and they're not going to convince you so there is little sense in debating it.

[Hoosier Red]

I hate UK and hope this comes true. However, I'm growing quite tired of this debate. Maybe you weren't involved originally but this has been discussed/debated excessively since Cal was first hired. This has reached "dead horse" status and is bogging down a decent thread. You're not going to convince UK fans and they're not going to convince you so there is little sense in debating it.

Agreed.

[redsfanmia]

I hate UK and hope this comes true. However, I'm growing quite tired of this debate. Maybe you weren't involved originally but this has been discussed/debated excessively since Cal was first hired. This has reached "dead horse" status and is bogging down a decent thread. You're not going to convince UK fans and they're not going to convince you so there is little sense in debating it.

I was not around for the first debate. I understand where UK fans are with this, I tried to rationalize Sampsons hire at IU too.

[TeamSelig]

If you can't understand the difference between Sampson and Calipari's past issues (and are being serious; not just posting crap to rile up people).. that in itself ends any discussion I'm willing to have about it.

[Playadlc]

While I think most of the Calipari criticism is thinly veiled envy...Kentucky has never operated under the pretense that it was about college sports or student-athletes or playing by the rules. It's always been about maintaining what amounts to a professional team. And most UK fans have never hidden that fact.

[corkedbat]

While I think most of the Calipari criticism is thinly veiled envy...Kentucky has never operated under the pretense that it was about college sports or student-athletes or playing by the rules. It's always been about maintaining what amounts to a professional team. And most UK fans have never hidden that fact.

That's the kinda of crap spewed by those veiling the envy. Loosier fans love to throw little nuggets like this as truth to cover the fact that their school is sliding past irrelevance and into oblivion.

Fact is, since the regrettable Eddie Sutton bottle era, Kentucky has run a very tight ship under the watch of compliance officer Sandy Bell. The least minor "secondary violation" is turned in - things that even the most "saintly" schools wouldn't even bother with - like monitoring associated fan sites. She's constantly educating fans and sending out pre-emptive warnings again things like taking/publishing pictures of recruits on visits or chanting their names at Midnight Madness. Bell vetted Cal closely before the job was offered and you can be sure had she said no - Calipari would not be at UK now.

Giliespie wanted to recruit several prospectss, but Bell/Barnhart nixed them. Maybe if IU had someone like Bell in place, IU would not be coming off a probation of their own.

The CATS student-athlete support center has been a model since the mid-70s. All classroom attendance is monitored and any unexcused miss of a class costs players in running at practice and playing time if it is repeated.

UK's Football and Basketball teams are consistently among the leaders in All-SEC & NCAA Academic members. The basketball team's cumulative GPA for the past three years was 3.0+. John Wall is most certainly one and done and financially set for life, but he hasn't missed a class and carried a 3.8 GPA his first semester. Patrick Patterson, despite being the star player at a school that "has never operated under the pretense that it was about college sports or student-athletes or playing by the rules," returned for his JUNIOR season to graduate in three years (as much as to play in the NCAA Tourney).

Also, thanks largely to a loyal football following and the success of its basketball program, UK is one of the few athletic departments that run ay a surplus and actually gives money annually to the school's general scholarship fund.

Yeah, IU fans love to talk about what a cheater Cal is, no matter that the vacated title @ UMass was vacated because when he found out Camby had illegal contact with an agent he turned his own program in.

Oh yeah, it doesn't matter a bit that Cal's program at Memphis was among the top in graduation rate. He's nothing but a cheater becasue he played a kid that was fully cleared by the NCAA's clearinghouse.

In the past, I wouldn't have responded to an IU baiting post - they're irrelevant and pathetic. But after their hero's recent ESPN display of jealousy (RMK tried to campaign for the UKjob after BCG left but had the door slammed on him) and the classless chanting at Assembly Hall recently, I didn't feel like letting it slide .

Honestly though, any fanbase that can hold it's nose and revere a sorry sociopathic tub of crap like RMK really shouldn't be acting holier-than-thou or chastising any other fanbase. Oh wait, I forgot...Bobbie Knight was a great roll model for young peo...
:roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll: Child Please.

[Playadlc]

Maybe my initial post was a little harsh, but you hired Calipari.

With UK's history of violations (most penalized program in NCAA history) and their problems with UK boosters, they should have chosen a coach that runs a squeaky clean program and doesn't tolerate even stretching the rules. They didn't do that. They hired Calipari, who at the very least turned his head while major violations were occurring with and around his program. With UK's history, it's a potential disaster.

[TeamSelig]

Good post, corkedbat. Some just cannot get past their personal bias.

[corkedbat]

Good post, corkedbat. Some just cannot get past their personal bias.


I don't usually take shots at other programs or their fans. Just don't like it when people start stating things as fact when they have no real clue as to what they're talking abount. Like when they start talking about Cal turning their heads to major violations.

The only two major violations involving Cal were when Camby has secret contact with an agent and Cal self-reported when he found out about it (doesn't sound like turning his head. Then there is the Rose incident at Memphis. Rose was given full clearance by the NCAA Clearinghouse - Memphis new nothing of an alleged test irregularity. Even some of the most "saintly" schools would have played him.

UK did not rashly hire a cheater. UK's compliance officer, Sandy Bell is one of the strictest and highly respected in the business, vetted Cal fully on behalf of Mitch Barnhardt and Dr. Todd.

She just left a stint on the NCAA's compliance committe and used her contacts to check on Cal's record. She was fully apprised of the Memphis accusations a full 3 months before they becamse public and was told that the committe had never had a probelm with Cal, nor was he a part of the Rose investigation.

Most people that throw the cheating stuff out there are those scared of the Cal/UK partnership and are grasping at straws.

[Redhook]

Most people that throw the cheating stuff out there are those scared of the Cal/UK partnership and are grasping at straws.

:beerme:

[BRM]

Most people that throw the cheating stuff out there are those scared of the Cal/UK partnership and are grasping at straws.

Disagree with this part. People were throwing the cheating stuff at him long before the UK partnership. He's had the "rep", whether it's deserved or not, for quite some time. It's just more visible to you guys now that he's at UK.

That said, the debate is getting tiring. Just let it play out and see what happens. Personally, I'm more worried about the long, uphill battle Crean has in front of him than anything Cal and the Cats do.

[Javy Pornstache]

Tremendous post, corkedbat. Thanks for having the patience to get all the correct info out there where most of us have run out of patience on this subject :)

[cumberlandreds]

Great post corkedbat! Very well thought out and researched. It's best for us UK fans to just let things play out and let others do the talking.

[TeamSelig]

John Wall sets a record, 16 assists.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=293630096

Cuz with 18/12 and 2 blocks in 19 minutes.

[WMR]

Alright, let's read some Louisville/UK predictions.

[Razor Shines]

John Wall sets a record, 16 assists.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=293630096

Cuz with 18/12 and 2 blocks in 19 minutes.

Seriously, John Wall is a bad dude. I wish the Pacers would have really tanked this season to have a chance to draft him.

[WMR]

John wipes Travis Ford's name from the UK record books. Ford had 15 versus EKU in 93.

What an impressive record to hold. The all-time single game assist leader at Kentucky, set as a freshman. He had ONE turnover.

[Scrap Irony]

U of L
The Optimist Says: Sosa plays well against Kentucky and in big games. Perhaps no game on Louisville's schedule is bigger. Silva is almost as quick as Wall and may cause him to turn the ball over, as he has a penchant to do. (Especially against good teams like UNC and UConn.) Bledsoe is ailing and that may be a difference maker. Cousins will foul, if given half a chance. That may eat into Kentucky's bench depth.

Kentucky:
The Optimist Says: Why in God's name would you want to speed up a game against the fastest team in college basketball? And the fastest player too? Two point guards on the floor if Bledsoe is healthy means pressure D is difficult at best. Add in Cousins and Patterson and Kentucky may have the three most talented players on the court.

Talent says Kentucky should dominate, but if they're allowed to their brand of ball, Pitino's squads always make it interesting. If hand checking is called, OTOH, the Cardinals are dead in the water.

[Scrap Irony]

All those crowing about John Wall tonight should realize Hartford may be the worst team any SEC team plays all year. No player above small forward height. No player in his league athletically. (Or close. At all.)

Wall should have dominated.

[WMR]

All those crowing about John Wall tonight should realize Hartford may be the worst team any SEC team plays all year. No player above small forward height. No player in his league athletically. (Or close. At all.)

Wall should have dominated.

He could've gone out and tried to score 50. Instead he went out and broke the all-time assist record. A nice feather in your cap no matter who the opponent is.

[Scrap Irony]

I'm just saying-- it's Hartford.

Now, if he goes out and dishes 15 on Louisville, that's a different horse altogether.

Off-topic: last player to average 10+ assists per game in NCAA play? IIRC, Reid Gettys did it for Houston in the middle of Guy Lewis's Phi Slamma Jamma teams.

Could Wall average 10 per?

That would be impressive in my book. ;)

[WMR]

I'm just saying-- it's Hartford.

Now, if he goes out and dishes 15 on Louisville, that's a different horse altogether.

Off-topic: last player to average 10+ assists per game in NCAA play? IIRC, Reid Gettys did it for Houston in the middle of Guy Lewis's Phi Slamma Jamma teams.

Could Wall average 10 per?

That would be impressive in my book. ;)

Haha, that would be something wouldn't it? I'll be very interested to monitor his stats during SEC play.

[TeamSelig]

I think if we have < than 12-15 turnovers we'll win.

[macro]

I'm getting ahead of the Louisville game with this question, but when and where do you guys see UK's losses coming this season? As of now, Tennessee and Mississippi are the only two ranked opponents they have left. Vandy always seems to give them a fight in Nashville and they've got to go to Mississippi State, where Stansbury always seems to put a pretty good team on the court. Oh, and let's not forget Florida, despite their recent woes.

I can foresee them losing at Tennessee, at Mississippi State, at Florida, and at Vandy. Or at least I see those games as the biggest threats.

[WMR]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/4764039/

Check this poll. The demographic info on a state by state basis is fascinating. Kentucky has 58% of the international vote.

[OnBaseMachine]

I voted for UCLA. I can't stand them but they have four more National Championships that any other school.

[cumberlandreds]

Alright, let's read some Louisville/UK predictions.

If UL shoots the three well they can make a game of it and could win. UK has allowed four teams to make 9 or more threes at Rupp this season. Samuels is the only inside threat UL has and sometimes he doesn't look so good. UK's deep depth inside will be the difference and the Cats will pull away in the 2nd half for a 73-59 win.

[Blimpie]

All those crowing about John Wall tonight should realize Hartford may be the worst team any SEC team plays all year. No player above small forward height. No player in his league athletically. (Or close. At all.)

Wall should have dominated.You point is well taken...

I was lucky enough to score a pair of tickets for last night's game. I agree, Hartford had nothing resembling an interior defense. If the starters had played the entire game, UK may have won the rebounding contest +40.

Unfortunately, the point guard for Hartford (also #11) went down with a leg injury early in the game. He was by no means an All-American, but he was not in the least bit intimidated by Wall. In fact, he was starting to gain some confidence before he went down. Once he left the game, it was only a matter of how ugly the score would get.

The thing about Wall's performance that I find the most impressive was his assist : turnover ratio of 16:1. That statistic is usually one that transcends the quality of opponent. In fact, Wall was SO dominant, that I cannot even remember his lone turnover.

Yes, in just 30 minutes, he logged 16 assists. But what is so amazing to me is the QUALITY of his passes. I have seen him complete bounce passes in traffic that are hard to even describe. Last night, timing of his alley-oops were always perfect--even though he was hardly ever stationary when he launched them.

The best play of the night was the one that began with a Cousins block deep in the low post. Long outlet pass to Wall, long lead pass to Patterson for the dunk. The ball traveled the entire length of the court without ever having touched the floor. Thing of beauty, I say.

[Hoosier Red]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/4764039/

Check this poll. The demographic info on a state by state basis is fascinating. Kentucky has 58% of the international vote.

I voted for Kentucky. Its funny that even the rest of Big 12 country has been beaten over the head with ESPN and the ACC.

[cumberlandreds]

You point is well taken...

I was lucky enough to score a pair of tickets for last night's game. I agree, Hartford had nothing resembling an interior defense. If the starters had played the entire game, UK may have won the rebounding contest +40.

Unfortunately, the point guard for Hartford (also #11) went down with a leg injury early in the game. He was by no means an All-American, but he was not in the least bit intimidated by Wall. In fact, he was starting to gain some confidence before he went down. Once he left the game, it was only a matter of how ugly the score would get.

The thing about Wall's performance that I find the most impressive was his assist : turnover ratio of 16:1. That statistic is usually one that transcends the quality of opponent. In fact, Wall was SO dominant, that I cannot even remember his lone turnover.

Yes, in just 30 minutes, he logged 16 assists. But what is so amazing to me is the QUALITY of his passes. I have seen him complete bounce passes in traffic that are hard to even describe. Last night, timing of his alley-oops were always perfect--even though he was hardly ever stationary when he launched them.

The best play of the night was the one that began with a Cousins block deep in the low post. Long outlet pass to Wall, long lead pass to Patterson for the dunk. The ball traveled the entire length of the court without ever having touched the floor. Thing of beauty, I say.

Wall said the lone turnover shouldn't have been a turnover. He said a defender knocked the ball out of his hands and he didn't drop it out of bounds.
That pass play was you mentioned in your last paragraph was sensational! Orton actually blocked the shot, not Cousins. But his outlet pass was perfect to Wall and then Wall threaded a needle to Patterson. That one had me out of my seat at home.

[WMR]

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/catsfan/2009/12/uk-fans-fires-first-shot-in-saturdays.html

:lol:

[TeamSelig]

That's hilarious, if real.

[dabvu2498]

Not original though.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3344825

[Blimpie]

Wall said the lone turnover shouldn't have been a turnover. He said a defender knocked the ball out of his hands and he didn't drop it out of bounds.
That pass play was you mentioned in your last paragraph was sensational! Orton actually blocked the shot, not Cousins. But his outlet pass was perfect to Wall and then Wall threaded a needle to Patterson. That one had me out of my seat at home.You are exactly right about Orton... I guess I am just used to seeing Cousins patrolling the middle.

[BRM]

U of L/UK prediction: Cats by 10+.

[WVRed]

There is going to be an Outside the Lines special involving players that Calipari has run off since joining Kentucky that are speaking out. Most notably, Matt Pilgrim and Kevin Galloway.

And people wonder why UK fans dislike ESPN?

[Revering4Blue]

Seriously, John Wall is a bad dude. I wish the Pacers would have really tanked this season to have a chance to draft him.


Not to worry.

As banged up as they are, they are sure to be in the lottery.

[WVRed]

Not to worry.

As banged up as they are, they are sure to be in the lottery.

Prediction (might have made it somewhere else in this thread. Forgive me if I did):

The New Jersey Nets land the number one overall pick and select John Wall. The Nets then turn around and sign LeBron James when he becomes a free agent.

I honestly believe the whole LeBron-UK connection is nothing more than networking, and it wouldn't surprise me if the two end up playing on the same team. After last night, I have to say the thought of those two together would be downright scary.

[Scrap Irony]

As to the OTL Report, didn't he "run off" five or six guys for real? It sucks that that happens for the young men (is patently unfair, in fact), but, 1) it's not exactly newsworthy, as most coaches do it their first year or two, and, 2) it's the truth.

No reason to rail against ESPN here, IMO. It's what happened.

[TeamSelig]

Usually the worst team in the NBA doesn't get the 1st pick.

[WVRed]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4788521


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Four Tennessee basketball players, including starting senior forward Tyler Smith, were charged with gun possession and other counts after a Friday traffic stop.

The Knoxville Police Department said Smith, 23, junior point guard Melvin Goins, 22, junior center Brian Williams, 22, and sophomore guard Cameron Tatum, 21, were arrested during a traffic stop for speeding near Tennessee's campus.

According to a police report, officers smelled marijuana coming from the car and found a handgun with an altered serial number, a bag of marijuana and an open container of alcohol. Tatum was driving.

Officers could not determine whether any of the players were under the influence of marijuana, though the strong odor suggested marijuana had recently been smoked in the car, the police report said.

Tatum was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and having an open container of alcohol. Smith was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, which is a felony. Goins and Williams both face gun and drug possession charges.

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement that the team takes such matters seriously.

"We are still gathering information. Once the appropriate authorities have provided us with all of the facts, we will act accordingly," Pearl said in the statement.

It was not immediately clear if any of the players had attorneys.

The Volunteers won at Memphis 66-59 on Saturday afternoon and face Charlotte in Knoxville on Wednesday.

[improbus]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4788521

Couldn't have happened to a nicer group of guys. Do you think they were all wearing their headbands when it went down?

[dabvu2498]

Do you think they were all wearing their headbands when it went down?

Careful, now. We got some of them, too.

http://dbloggerdev.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/demarcus_cousins.jpg

[WVRed]

If it wasn't for working midnights, I wouldn't be opposed to making the trip from Parkersburg to Lexington and buying some scalped tickets to tomorrow's game at Rupp just to see the emotion. Tomorrow is going to be a game for the ages.

How many "Ka-ren Sy-pher" chants and blonde wigs will we see tomorrow?

[George Foster]

Usually the worst team in the NBA doesn't get the 1st pick.

your right...it's a lottery. Rick Pitino would still be the head coach of Boston if they would have gotten Tim Duncan. Boston had the highest chance to get Duncan and San Antonio had the lowest chance. We know how that worked out.

[WMR]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer group of guys. Do you think they were all wearing their headbands when it went down?

UT's men's football and basketball teams seem to operate in Old West mode. It'll be interesting to see if anything is actually done to Tyler Smith.

[WMR]

Started a new UK thread as we're now at 1,000 posts.