Merged: UK Basketball

[WMR]

Really nice post, GR. Good points.

Coach Gillispie has been on record as being very unhappy with the way the team has been practicing, as recently as the night before the game, so I think your comments have plenty of merit.

[BRM]

I'd love to be able to come in here and trash talk but I just can't. I expect the Hoosiers to lose lots of games to teams like VMI this year. This stinks. Now I can't even get excited about a UK loss.

[Bip Roberts]

lol

[cumberlandreds]

Really nice post, GR. Good points.

Coach Gillispie has been on record as being very unhappy with the way the team has been practicing, as recently as the night before the game, so I think your comments have plenty of merit.

From most of what I have been reading he had been very pleased with practices. He had even said this was one of his better teams practice-wise. Something happended between the practice court and the game.

[cumberlandreds]

I think you're overreacting quite a bit.

When a team pulls up for a 3 with 10 seconds off the shot clock what are you supposed to do except hope they miss? They took circus shot after circus shot and made them all.

Were there defensive lapses? Yes.

This was invaluable learning experience for Liggins and Miller.

We need to just roll with those two guys and let them play through their mistakes. Porter is not capable of handling the point.

I think anyone who watches basketball very much would have to agree that UK team looked poorly prepared and no adjustments whatsoever were made during the game. It seems as though BG treats these pre conference games like practices and tries to get his players to play through the mistakes. You have to do that to a point but you can't to the point of losing the game. Last season was a honeymoon for BG. Most people and I'm one of them knew their would be a transition period and would lose quite a few games. I think most believe this year should be a lot less losing. If they go into SEC play with 5,6,7 or more losses BG will be feeling the pressure more than ever and things will not be pretty in Lexington.

[WVRed]

If they go into SEC play with 5,6,7 or more losses BG will be feeling the pressure more than ever and things will not be pretty in Lexington.

And it is unfortunate. Might as well give more credence to what Dick Vitale and all the "experts" said when Tubby left for Minnesota.

It's one thing when the coach has been there ten years and has little to show outside of his first year with another coaches players. Gillispie is in his second year, and while there should be some improvement, it's still not going to be pretty, especially when two of your freshman are getting major minutes.

If you remember back in I think 2003, when Kentucky went on a roll during the SEC play and locked up the no 1 seed and ranking, they looked atrocious in pre-conference games, losing by 20 to Louisville.

The real reason I believe Kentucky lost is simple. They were looking ahead to tomorrow night in Chapel Hill. That is Gillispie's fault in that he needed to keep them focused on the task at hand.

[WMR]

From most of what I have been reading he had been very pleased with practices. He had even said this was one of his better teams practice-wise. Something happended between the practice court and the game.

That's simply incorrect. He said in his postgame show following the loss to VMI that he was very displeased with the practice the night before the game. Also, he commented that he was very troubled by the fact that this team seems to lack general toughness. He said that he thinks they are capable of toughness, just that he has yet to see it.

[WMR]

And it is unfortunate. Might as well give more credence to what Dick Vitale and all the "experts" said when Tubby left for Minnesota.

Yep.

[Hoosier Red]

Just curious, when does the "Tubby left us nothing" cupboard go empty. I'm not saying that as a criticism now, but just in general would like to know how long you can use that excuse.

I'd think with as much as freshmen and sophomores play regularly now, the well should run dry right about at the end of this year correct?

[durl]

There have been some very positive comments made here and I'm grateful.

I'm just not used to losing the home opener. By all accounts, a weaker program with less talented players came in to Rupp Arena and scored 111 points and beat you in front of your home crowd. Sorry...I'm just having a hard time blowing it off as a "young team", "second-year coach" thing.

Maybe the team should be forced to put away the new baggy duds and wear 70's era shorts until they can get it together.

[cumberlandreds]

That's simply incorrect. He said in his postgame show following the loss to VMI that he was very displeased with the practice the night before the game. Also, he commented that he was very troubled by the fact that this team seems to lack general toughness. He said that he thinks they are capable of toughness, just that he has yet to see it.

I think I got things were going good in practice from this article. I maybe read too much good into it but I believe BG infers that things were going fairly well overall. No matter now. A loss is under the bridge and we will see how the pieces will be picked up this year.

http://www.kentucky.com/818/story/591038.html

[WMR]

nm

[WVRed]

Just curious, when does the "Tubby left us nothing" cupboard go empty. I'm not saying that as a criticism now, but just in general would like to know how long you can use that excuse.

I'd think with as much as freshmen and sophomores play regularly now, the well should run dry right about at the end of this year correct?

Actually, I disagree with this.

When Tubby left, he did leave some very good players behind. His freshman class before he left really turned a lot of heads and gave room for optimism. Jodie Meeks, Derrick Jasper (who I believe a lot of fans after Tuesday night miss right now more than anything), and Perry Stevenson. Injuries and defections have really clouded that viewpoint though.

I don't think the cupboard is bare, so to speak, just that the fine china wasn't stacked right and Gillispie is trying to reset it.

[macro]

Sorry...I'm just having a hard time blowing it off as a "young team", "second-year coach" thing.

Same here. "Inexcusable" is the word I keep coming back to.

[durl]

Same here. "Inexcusable" is the word I keep coming back to.

Actually, that's the exact same word that I keep coming back to. Honestly, I'm not the unrealistic type that believes you have to win every home opener, but I DO believe that there's no excuse for letting a weaker program come in and trounce you with 111 points.

Bottom line: this was MEANT to be a lopsided game for the Cats and they failed miserably. This wasn't some "tip-off" classic that featured two strong programs.