Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
Me too, Coach. Me too.
I’ll be honest with you, folks. I’m not really sure what just happened. All I know is Kentucky escaped Vanderbilt with a 60-58 win in what is undoubtedly the worst all-around game of basketball I’ve ever seen. The announcing, the home team, the away team, the officiating, all of it — terrible. Absolutely terrible. Cats fans should just be happy their team is 1-0 to start SEC play.
It’s tired. I’m late. I’m too lazy to backspace and fix that.
Let’s talk about it. Quickly.
First and foremost, Vanderbilt is not good at basketball. Don’t let the final score fool you. This is a team that scored a grand total of 33 points in a 17-point home loss to a 4-12 Marist team earlier this season. Kentucky should’ve won tonight by double-digits and then hopped on the plane back to Lexington without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Just look at Calipari in that photo. He shouldn’t be blowing out blood vessels against Vanderbilt, but it was that kind of a disappointment.
Most of the talk after the game (and for the next few days, I’m sure) is about Nerlens Noel’s shot to beat the shot clock in the final 20 seconds of the game. We can pretend all we want that he got it off, but he didn’t. Blame it on the clock operator, the ref, or whoever, but it shouldn’t have counted. Kentucky received a gift on the play for the first time in the 60 year history of Memorial Gym, and we’re not complaining. Besides, Vandy got it right back on the other end on a call that was equally bad, if not worse, when a Vandy player deflected the ball out of bounds (Mays didn’t touch it) with 6 seconds left to play. Both calls were wrong and the reactions from each team were justified. It is what it is.
It was looking like we were on our way to a Kentucky blowout when the Cats led by 15 late in the first half. That optimism quickly changed out of the break thanks to a 9-minute stretch without a field goal from Kentucky. Vanderbilt scored 18 unanswered points during the drought and took the lead for the first time in the game with 6 minutes to play. Kentucky regained the lead on a nice 3-pointer from Ryan Harrow minutes later and managed to hang on for the win.
Speaking of Ryan Harrow, did you see Calipari give him a ‘Get Your Ass Up’ tap on the rear when he was down?
Harrow played well, again, and has been the Cats’ only real playmaker over the past month. He scored a team-high 16 points with four rebounds and four assists in the win.
We write it after every game… Nerlens was Nerlens. Tonight he had 13 points with seven rebounds and three blocks, although I’m almost certain he deflected more shots than that. Still, a solid performance from Kentucky’s star player, especially late in the game.
Vanderbilt scored 14 of its 24 points in the first half on Kyle Wiltjer, according to Calipari. ”They went at Kyle every possession I had him in the game. Every single possession,” he said after the game. Calipari told Kyle, ”You don’t think anybody was watching the tape, right? Don’t think every team now is going to go right at you? Good luck.”
Wiltjer missed both of his 3-point attempts.
At what point do we give up on Alex Poythress’ progression and accept him for what he is right now? Tonight’s game, a return home to play in front of friends and family, is the one he’s had circled all year and we hoped to see him explode. It wasn’t necessarily a bad game from the freshman, but we keep waiting to see him go off and destroy everyone in his path and he’s just not doing it. We’re eventually going to have to realize this is just who he is.
Oh, look. The SID at Creighton is talking smack on Twitter.
Congrats to Kentucky on its second win over a team in the top-215 of the RPI this season!
— Rob Anderson (@_robanderson) January 11, 2013
That is a pretty embarrassing stat, though.
Another embarrassing stat: Vanderbilt out-rebounded Kentucky, 42-37. Vanderbilt was the worst rebounding team in the SEC entering the game.
Want one more? Kentucky shot 22% from beyond the arc, connecting on only 3 of 17 attempts. Julius Mays: 1-for-5. Archie Goodwin: 0-for-4.
It was an ugly, ugly outing, but at the end of the day, Kentucky got the win and that’s what it is all about. Yes, they regressed, but there isn’t much time to dwell on it with Texas A&M on the schedule in 39 hours. Cal has one day to get them ready for the Aggies and put the night in Nashville behind them.
That’ll do it for now. We’ll have more from the game on Friday along with a special edition of the KSR radio show when Mitch Barnhart and Eli Capilouto join Matt and I in studio to discuss renovations. See you then.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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January 11th, 2013 at 1:15 am
another night, ANOTHER big “Cuz” flagrant foul and ejection.. Will kid ever ever learn??
January 11th, 2013 at 1:18 am
No title needed…nice picture.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:24 am
Twitter meltdown and wrathe of #BBN around 8 am? Creighton guy: you’re still in Omaha. Last time the Jays played our Cats? Check yourself.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:25 am
*wrath
January 11th, 2013 at 1:26 am
Harrow is ridiculously soft. That was completely embarrassing watching him roll around on the ground crying after taking an elbow to the gut.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:27 am
Tonight was the lowest point in Cal’s tenure as UK coach…..even with a win… It was painful to watch this team look absolutely lost against one of the worse SEC teams (vandy) in years
January 11th, 2013 at 1:29 am
At what point do we start giving some of Mays’s minutes to Jon Hood? Mono and all he cant be any worse.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:31 am
Actually 1 if you saw the highlight that was an awful ejection and call.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:34 am
That was not a shot clock violation on Noel. The refs got it right. I was watched the replay on dvr. The shot clock hit 0 at 18.3 on game clock. But it was actually 0.9 on shot clock, not 0.0. When it hit 17.3 on game clock, THEN the shot clock went blank which is 0.0. The shot clock did not have decimals.
I hope someone explains this to poor Kevin Stallings before he bangs his band head flat.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:34 am
This team has a bad mixture of immaturity and softness.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:48 am
Capilouto on the radio? That sounds brilliantly awful.
How in the hell do we play the twin towers with Nerlens and Willie, and have a man-child like Poythress out there, but we get outrebounded by freakin’ Vandy??? This team is soft. I thought they were getting better and better with Harrow’s emergence but tonight was a total disappointment. We’ve seen they they have the potential to do big things but at this point, they just don’t get it. Florida is going to kill these guys unless they get their sh!t together. Wiltjer was a no show except for getting scored on every time, and Poythress looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. This will be a lost season if they don’t figure it out.
And how the hell does Bob Knight know what a shot clock is? I mean come on!
OK, rant over.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:48 am
9. I really hope you aren’t serious. If you just put the sound on, you can clearly hear the horn go off before he shoots the ball. Just because you love UK like the rest of us, you don’t have to fight a battle that literally doesn’t matter at all to us since we won the game.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:50 am
I beg to differ with you that the Noel shot was a gift. I am sure that Noel’s shot was within the allotted time limit. Why? Well, the time out was called with the game clock showing 25.5 seconds left in the game. Underneath, the shot clock showed 8 seconds left. (That should mean that there were anywhere between 8 and 8.9 seconds left for shooting the ball). So, 25.5 seconds minus 8 equals 17.5 seconds left before time runs out on taking a shot. So, Noel’s shot has to leave his hand before the game clock gets to 17.5. It did as the replay showed that by 18.1 or 18.0 the shot had left his hand. So, from the time the time out was called, only 7.5 seconds elapsed, not 8 seconds as the shot clock showed. Maybe the shot clock is faulty, but the main clock for the game is the game clock. It shows time in tenths of a second and is the most reliable. The referees got it right and that going-berserk coach, Mike Davis — err, Kevin Stallings was totally wrong. And UK was NOT gifted anything. They won legitimately, even though the refs allowed our boys to get pushed and pulled and even knocked down without any fouls being called most of the game. Ugh!
January 11th, 2013 at 1:50 am
^not know what a shot clock is?
January 11th, 2013 at 1:55 am
What about the floor conditions? Poor,Poor,Poor! Can’t the “Harvard of the South” get the dehumidifier going? Extremely dangerous for all that played. Have you ever seen players slipping around and falling down like they did tonight? I know, I know, same for both teams, but that was a disgrace.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:57 am
“join Matt and me,” not “Matt and I,” but “Matt and me.” You and Matt are the objects in the sentence above, therefore you use the first person object pronoun (me). You would never say “Mitch and Eli join I in the studio,” would you? The inclusion of Matt as the object does not change this rule.
“They will join Matt and me in the studio to discuss renovations.”
or
“They will join us in the studio as Matt and I discuss renovations.”
This is not difficult.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:58 am
Wisconsin on neutral is by far and away Creighton’s best win so far. And they’re lucky to have caught them earlier in the season when Ryan’s squad was adjusting to life without PG Josh Gasser. If they played now, the Badgers would take them to the woodshed. The Jays have two road wins over marshmellow soft Cal and at “0-4 in Valley play” Illinos State. And they lost to a middle-of-the-pack Mountain West team in Boise State by double-digits on their home floor lol. Jays won’t make it past the second round because they play no defense. Funny thing is, their fans actually think they’re improved defensively this year. Also, they have no depth. It’s a shame Josh Jones’ career ended due to his bad ticker because it’s going to bite them hard when they play a physical team and get into foul trouble. Enjoy it while it lasts sports info guy, cause when Dougie Fresh and his daddy leave town, Creighton will no longer be relevant in CBB. Nate Funk and Kyle Korver? Gimme a break. I have no respect for that program and their players. Grant Gibbs is the dirtiest player in the country. I will never forget when he purposely hacked Henson’s sprained wrist multiple times during the UNC game last year and they still got run out the gym despite the cheap shots. Creighton = soft three-point shooting team. Doug McDermott = Adam Morrison.
January 11th, 2013 at 1:59 am
DREW, DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU BASED YOUR STATEMENT ON THAT NOELS SHOT WAS NOT IN TIME, BUT #9 AND # 13 ARE CORRECT IN THEIR STATEMENTS, ALSO THE BUZZER IS WHAT DETERMINES THE SHOT IN TIME OR NOT..SO SAYS THE RULES ,AND IF YOU LISTEN TO THE HORN THE SHOT WAS DEFINITELY WAS IN TIME….BESIDE THEY MADE UP FOR IT ON THE INBOUNDS PLAY, CAUSE THE REF WAS BLOCKED BY MAYES AND THE BALL WAS OFF THE VANDY GUY,AND THE PLAYER WALKED WITH THE BALL BEFORE HE THREW THE BALL TO THE PLAYER WHO SHOT THE FINAL 3….DRUG BOTH FEET BEFORE THE PASS….SO VANDY GOT NO ROOM TO TALK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2013 at 2:22 am
how do we blow out an eastern michigan team by 50 and then nearly lose to a team that is just as bad?? Holy hell, I know we have a young to team but I don’t know if my blood pressure can take much more. Good gracious, I’ve about broken my tv screen yelling at poythress and wiltjer..
January 11th, 2013 at 2:26 am
We Won!! Not every win is gonna look pretty. we gonna be aight!
January 11th, 2013 at 2:42 am
You say we keep waiting to see Alex go off and destroy everyone in his path but that’s exactly what he usually does… If he manages to actually not travel as soon as he starts dribbling the ball it usually ends with him looking at the ground and just plowing into somebody like he’s goin or a touchdown
January 11th, 2013 at 3:28 am
I love how people forget our first few road SEC games last year with THAT team. We BARELY beat Auburn, YES AUBURN and whoever the second game was we almost lost to them as well. None of them had played in that gym before. I swear it is so blatantly obvious why we have the worst fan base in sports. Seriously. You people that are doing this are pathetic and you know it.
January 11th, 2013 at 3:37 am
One word for this game LAZY! Cats played very lazy in the second half maybe the whole game really. To many easy baskets and turnovers. What the hell has happen to Poythress? The kid was dunking all over Duke and now acts like he can’t even get a rebound. And Harrow needs to quit acting like he is dieing when he gets bumped or knocked down. I love my CATS but this team needs more heart. Having two guys about 7ft getting out rebounded by a poor Vandy team is unreal. These kids need to wake up, games aren’t going to be given to them. Wiltjer might be the slowest human being I have ever seen, He lets guys by him and then acts like Oh well and quits. This team can be good if they start to believe it, right now they are playing like a bunch of old women. I really hope it changes soon and when it does it lasts more than one game.
January 11th, 2013 at 3:57 am
I’m worried… I am.
Vanderbilt is probably the worst team in the SEC.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:00 am
You guys are wrong about the shot clock. The shot clock is rounded up. When the clock says 1, it means there can be .1-1.0 seconds on the clock. By your logic, when the clock is full at 35, your saying there could be 35.9 left lol. Just face it, it was a blown call. Doesn’t matter anyway.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:52 am
22 – That team could beat a lot of teams just by showing up and they actually had legitimate wins OOC. This team can’t just show up and expect a win or they won’t make the NCAA tournament this year. Our only win over a Top 150 RPI team to this point is Maryland who is a border line NCAA tournament team in their own right. All this talk of us being a 7 or 8 seed is based on us reaching our potential and dominating the SEC. If we don’t than we will truly be a bubble team because our OOC resume is one of an NIT team.
January 11th, 2013 at 6:13 am
If this is any indication of what we’re going to see in league play, and it probably is,say hello to the N.I.T.. There’s no way in hell Vandy should have had a chance to win at the end of the game. Is there anyone on this team that can make a big play and stop the bleeding?
January 11th, 2013 at 6:14 am
I give up on the one and done thing. This just isn’t going to work. What a joke.
January 11th, 2013 at 6:23 am
This team is an embarrassment. Marist routed this 6-7 Vandy team. Yet, we needed the refs to hand us the game. Anyone who claims there were tenths left on the clock is only showing their lack of math skills. For there to still be say .9 seconds on the clock, that would mean the shot clock actually starts at 35.9. bunch of dolts who don’t get this on here.
January 11th, 2013 at 6:29 am
If Cal has a set on him, he will bench Alex for a game or two.
January 11th, 2013 at 6:34 am
Is this really only our second win against a top 215 team? As of right now, we should be about an 8 seed.
January 11th, 2013 at 6:49 am
The refs go by the buzzer, not the shot clock.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:05 am
Pitiful to read all these negative comments. In case you have a short memory, the Cats have very rarely blown out SEC opponents on the road. In fact last years 38-2 team had a few SEC road games against some very bad SEC teams that were undecided in the final 2 mins (Auburn, Miss State & Tennessee) just to name a few. The Brandon Knight UK team went 2-6 on the road in the SEC. The John Wall UK team lost at South Carolina and had numerous close calls on the road against VERY BAD SEC teams. Yes Vandy is not very good, and yes our rebounding was not good, and yes our shot selection was terrible, and Yes Noel’s shot should have not counted. But we won so let’s move on.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:10 am
Welp, ugly ugly 2nd half, but we’ll take it. Regardless, we are 1-0 in conf play.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:10 am
Thank God that Stallings was too stupid to play zone from the start of the game. This team is clueless on how to run offense against the zone.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:11 am
Maybe the unconventional setup at Vandy finally worked in our favor for a change. With officials accustomed to having the backboard light up when the time clock expires, maybe they were confused on the Noel shot; and we got a break.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:15 am
That shot was a gift…NO doubt about it…got better really quick,or we will be an 8 seed alright. In the NIT.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:20 am
#25, you are absolutely wrong. The shot clock went to 1 at 18.3 on the game clock. It then went to 0 at 17.3 on the game clock. That means it will go to 0.0 at 16.3 on the game clock. The shot left Noel’s hand at 16.9. Pretty simple but I guess you just aren’t good at math. The shot clock starts at 35 and ticks down. It doesn’t start at 35.9.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:27 am
This season in CBB is crazy….Vandy is not as bad as indicated..they beat a Xavier team on the road…Xavier owns wins against Butler and now Temple….same Temple that beat Syracuse and gave Kansas all they wanted….when they are hitting threes and spread you out their tough to beat ….we did play well and still got the win…..go CATS!
January 11th, 2013 at 7:29 am
We were bailed out by the refs….why all the B.S.? It happens, like the ball called out on the Vandy player before the late shot. Bad calls can change a game’s outcome . . . stop the whiny b*tchin and bee.s. It’s not like this game means anything.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:37 am
If we go to the NIT, I am going to be pissed! We need to get a new coach, we are an elite program and should not be playing this terrible.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:37 am
Alex didn’t have a bad game? The obnly thing he did was hit two free throws. He had 4 unforced giveaways and fouled out, and otherwise had no positive impact on the game.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:42 am
The refs should of just asked Bobby, his explanation was crystal clear. Poor Bobby didn’t know the difference between the shot clock & the game clock.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:42 am
If Wiltjer doesn’t score at least 30 he has no business being on the court. I would say put Brian Long in for him cuz his defense couldn’t possibly be any worse but he wouldn’t appreciate it anyway.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:44 am
This was embarassing. Ryan Harrow is so SOFT!! The way he was flailing around on the ground after… nothing, happened to him. Seriously, nothing happened to him. That Vandy team was horrible. I am now just hoping to get into the NCAA Tournament, forget all the final 4 talk.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:45 am
I love Cal as our coach, but there are two things that I wish he would change. #1, I wish he would play his bench warmers MUCH earlier when we have huge leads on weak teams late in the second half, just so they can get some in-game experience in case we need them in a game like this. Second, I wish he would at least play a little zone. You can’t expect a team that never practices IN or AGAINST a zone to know how to attack it. Playing a little zone would throw a different defensive look at some of these teams, and it might help a player who is in foul trouble or who is struggling in M2M defense (Wiltjer). However, as slow as Wiltjer’s feet are, you have to wonder how well he would close out on shooters in a zone defense.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:45 am
once more guys, it’s called a zone…Z-O-N-E. try to remember that
January 11th, 2013 at 7:45 am
The gift at the end was given right back to them with the Mays out of bounds call. Vandy looked like 8 walk-ons out there. I’m starting to think we’ll play up/down to our competition, which doesn’t bode well for March.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:46 am
The only time Vandy wasn’t scared to go in the paint was with Wiltjer in the game. With Willy and Nerlens in they were just jacking up threes and missing them. Then Wiltjer comes in and they start scoring inside on him and then that penetration he gives up allowed more open threes that started falling. Wiltjer, and Cal’s refusal to bench him (I know he only played 14 minutes, even that is too many) almost cost us the game, our reputation, and possibly even a spot in the tourney.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:48 am
out rebounded by VANDY? 22% from the field?? hustle hustle where’s the hustle??? And I had to listen to a gay version of Bobby Knight tonight. He’s turned gay!
Poythress will have to join next years squad…which isn’t bad. I see us having Poythress, Cauley (refuse to call him Stein), Harrow (who will not play), Wiltjer back next year….which isn’t bad.
Who is the ASSHOLE posting the reponse above to fire Cal?????
January 11th, 2013 at 7:52 am
No wonder it was a bad game with a wooosh like Harrow at PG that is the BIGGEST CUNT to ever play for UK!!!!!
January 11th, 2013 at 7:53 am
I have tickets to the Texas A&M game tomorrow, and I am starting to worry that I will witness our second home loss of the season. Similar scenario to the Baylor game – they are coming off of a terrible game on the road, with only 36 hours turnaround, against a decent opponent. Cal won’t have much time to get these guys out of their funk.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:55 am
50, that was an obvious troll – probably a birdie fan.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:56 am
wiltjer couldn’t guard my UK garden gnome, and what is it again that mays gives us? 25min, 1 for 5 for 4 points. this game is a serious dose of reality. we’re beginning to look like n carolina
January 11th, 2013 at 7:57 am
If I’m Cal, I make it a point to get Creighton on the schedule next season. Play them in Omaha if you have to.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:57 am
i hate to tell you shot clock wizards the truth of the situation, but here goes … vandy made a free throw with the clocks clearly showing 53.3 and 35 … so 18.3 is when 0.0 occurs, the red shot clock did go to 0 at 18.3 which means it was actually 0.0 right then
January 11th, 2013 at 7:57 am
One good thing both Matt (on the post game show)and Drew failed to mention was BBN talking every seat the bandwagon Commodedores didn’t want. I was sitting behind had a blue hair Commodeore who told an usher to tell a Kentucky fan to sit down. She was in the 1st row of 2F and he was in the last row of F with a aisle between the 2. Amazing, beside the fact that her son stood up in the seat beside her for most of the 2nd half. The usher did what he was told by the season ticket blue hair by the way.
January 11th, 2013 at 7:58 am
54, Harrow played a decent game, in spite of the drama queen performance when he got whacked. I laughed out loud when Cal gave him that little love tap, as if to say, “get up bitch – you ain’t hurt!”
January 11th, 2013 at 8:00 am
Poythress is doomed for this year,he seems lost. As for Wiltjer, if I were coaching against Ky and he is in the game, whoever he is guarding is getting the ball every time,he is the weakest player we have had for many years. HIS SHOOTING CAN’T OVERCOME HIS LACK OF DEFENSE!
January 11th, 2013 at 8:03 am
61, trouble is, his shooting hasn’t been all that this year either!
January 11th, 2013 at 8:05 am
Lets face it. We get what we deserve. We hired a Recruiter for a Coach. Camp Cal? What a joke. Where has he been the past wee and what has he accomplished with this team? Oh, that’s right…..he’s been flying all over the country kissing 17 yr. old tail instead of spending time with this team in the gym.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:06 am
Drew, correct me if I’m wrong but 3 out of 17 is not 22%…It’s 17.65% which is even more horrendous.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:06 am
Did anyone else listen to how DUMB I sounded there at the end of the game? I was getting the shot clock and game clock confused EVEN AFTER REESE DAVIS EXPLAINED IT TO ME. I know I’m a grumpy old codger, but i didn’t know I was not smart too.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:10 am
Yiure an idiot. Nerlens’ shot should have counted because it beat the horn. In most gyms it’s not the zero that matters. It is the red light. Vandy’s gym is outdated and they go by the horn. Get your facts straight.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:10 am
57 and everybody else. It really doesn’t matter. At worst the game would have been tied.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:15 am
Poythress can play as badly as he wants. It doesn’t matter; he’s still going to be a first round draft pick and gone next year. The NBA doesn’t care if you’re good or talented; it only cares if you’re big and/or strong. Keep in mind, one of the worst players to ever wear the UK uniform, Daniel Orton, a man who averaged more goal tends than points per game for his season, got drafted in the first round. So we’ll get back Wiltjer and Harrow to mix with next year’s actual talent. Hell, I doubt at this point we could trade Wiltjer to UofL for Van Treese and a box of doughnuts. Everybody else’ll be gone.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:15 am
Can’t believe all the hate on Harrow right now. He flopped like a soccer player – so what? His line has been very consistent the last 5 games or so. Uk doesn’t win without him last night. The alternative at PG is Goodwin whose go to penetration move is running into three people in the lane and handing them the ball at waist level.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:16 am
Hey DUH, think you meant 56????
January 11th, 2013 at 8:16 am
Cal wouldn’t have kick John Wall like that…
January 11th, 2013 at 8:22 am
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/580553_10151331294988351_1676335394_n.jpg
January 11th, 2013 at 8:24 am
Maybe now people will admit that the Memorial Magic is real. That place is the Twilight Zone of college basketball. I bet compass needles spin in all directions in that joint.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:26 am
9, 13 and others are absolutely correct. If you watch the replay of the “shot” that we all watched live-from the side, you see that the ball left Nerlen’s hand at 18.2 seconds left on the game clock. The play started at 25.5. So 25.5-18.2 is 7.3 seconds that the play took. Zero does not mean zero in sports. It means anywhere from 0.9 – 0. That’s why the keep the tenths of seconds.
Anyone that still believes the shot clock expired before the ball left Nerlen’s hands is lazy.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:28 am
66- That is exactly the problem. No matter their performances, the three big freshmen are going to be drafted. Let’s be honest, none of the freshmen are dominant. Sure they’re good players, but if they were playing on any other team in the country no one would be talking about them going pro (with the exception of maybe Nerlens). We hype these guys up too much. They all need work
January 11th, 2013 at 8:31 am
LMAO.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:32 am
Agree with earlier poster that AP should be benched for a game on 2. He is getting close to being disgraceful wearing a UK uni.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:33 am
I was at the game and seeing it in person I can’t over stress how awful Vandy is and how totally out of it Poythress is.I am stunned we couldn’t beat that team
by double digits.Poythress is the second coming of Richard Madison.If that guy leaves and gets drafted the NBA has went totally crazy .
January 11th, 2013 at 8:34 am
to top it all off bob knight is giving coaching advice on zone plays.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Cal has talked about using a zone defense with Kyle in the middle, but I have not seen it in the game. Maybe he should break it out.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Hate defending Knight, but having seen a couple games in the cavern that is Vandy’s Memorial, and having acquaintances who have played on that awful floor, the overall clock and shot clock situation (location, no decimals, old school- goes by the horn and other quirks) at Vandy is different than most just like nearly everything else about that drafty old barn, and it can be vey confusing for players, coaches, refs, and yes even senile ex-coaches calling the game who are 25-years after their last NCAA win. Everyone I know who has played there at least commented on it, if not complained. Heck I even saw Pere Ubu open for They Might Be Giants there a long time ago and even they commented on the quirks of the place. This might have been Knight’s first time at Vandy. Stallings has no excuse for not understanding how the goofy shot clock works at his own place, except that it was a hotly contested game that should have never been close at all. But yes I was asking my wife and others if they thought Knight was medicated the whole game. They thought he could be, or at least very tired.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:38 am
61- idiot….Cal in three years :elite 8,final four , and a title. Again you are an idiot.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:40 am
Dispite believing he’s going to die everytime he gets hit (which he will get over) Harrow was the only basketball player on the court for KY. I see only 3 players being drafted next year, and that’s only because of size, they are 4 years away from being NBA players, at least. I don’t know why learning to rebound is so difficult, but time after time they are standing on the side watching, or they are under the net waiting for the ball to come thru, or they are on their butt. How can guys 7′ and 6 10″ get pushed off the court or knocked down everytime? Noel makes a couple of highlight plays every game, but thats it. He should be getting 10+ rebounds every game. Same with Cauley-Stein, doesn’t anyone teach how to stand you ground, or do they just continue to stand straight up, and get pushed around. Poythress, I would tell him to forget about shooting or scoring. When you learn to get 10 rebounds a game we will let you score. Send them to Izzo for a week, he will teach them how to rebound.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:41 am
Harrow got a hard forearm in the ribs. Anyone that watches UFC knows that hurts more then a fist. He got up and played the rest of the game, and he was the best UK player the whole game.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:41 am
#64, you’re the idiot. The zero on Vandy’s clock turns red as it goes to zero, unless you’re color blind. When the shot clock says zero and turns red, the time is UP. That shot should never have counted.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:43 am
Bench Poythress and Wiltjer indefinitely. Poythress because he doesn’t care and Wiltjer because he can’t play basketball. This is an NIT bound team. Good thing we won it all last year because this team really blows.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:44 am
How could all of the people that were apparently recruiting AP been so wrong in that the guy must have shown his zombiesque personality in high school well. The supporting cast on his team must have been weak as well. Does he not realize that he is losing money everytime he comes on the court and lays an egg??
January 11th, 2013 at 8:48 am
Who was that old man calling the game, and what did they do with Bobby Knight? He actually said a few good thing about Kentucky!!
January 11th, 2013 at 8:55 am
When does football season begin?
January 11th, 2013 at 8:56 am
Over and out. Wake me when football season begins.
January 11th, 2013 at 8:58 am
Wiltjer scored only 2 points last night. I counted at least 9 point (and that was generous) scored against him. The death of this team will come down to two factors. Depth and free throw shooting.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Although I will give credit where credit is due. Harrow has played great for about the last 5 games. Pretty proud of that guy. Noel & Cauley-Stein are both playing pretty hard as well. Goodwin is almost playing too hard on offense if that’s even possible. Stay under control when you penetrate the lane son.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Anybody notice how many minutes Wiltjer played last night? 14. Seems like a couple of guys who were blasted on here — by Matt and others — earlier in the season were right about how many minutes Kyle would begin to get.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Well…at least we know now that all BB players have 3 feet, 2 real and one fake. “This is your fake foot”. Bob Knight
January 11th, 2013 at 9:03 am
Section 11, Article 7, I. “When the shot clock indicates zeros but the shot-clock horn has not sounded, the shot-clock time has not expired.”
The horn had not sounded. End of story.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:03 am
^ Sorry, that’s article 9.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:06 am
What about the 2-3 zone that we will see from now until the cows come home?
You would think that this is a number one thing to work on.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:06 am
I loved #16 post. Matt and Ryan misuse pronouns ALL the time on here AND on their radio show. Duke must not teach grammar!
January 11th, 2013 at 9:06 am
Outside of Noel and Harrow, this team blows. Wiltjer and Poythress are useless, Mays and Cauley are forgettable, Goodwin will continue to turn the ball over more than he scores.
I cannot watch this mess anymore.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:08 am
97) Good, stop watching. Cheer for UL. We don’t want you.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:08 am
Cal barely kicking Harrow like that had me CRACKING UP!! #GetYoAssUp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIEBtFfxn9w
January 11th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Wiltjer’s man scored 8 points and had 3 offensive rebounds while I was reading all the responses. True story.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:12 am
I will say the Creighton’s AD has a point. Our schedule has sucked. No reason to schedule teams THAT bad. Eastern Michigan? Lipscomb?
January 11th, 2013 at 9:14 am
98)Go sit in the corner and try to matter.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:22 am
I liked what Cal tried to do late in the game against the zone, to get it in the middle. That stated, I would love for him to start trying to “screen the zone” and they could seriously begin to dominate when they see zone. No reason we shouldn’t be able to get some alley-oops and wide open shots against the zone. Passing it around is just not going to cut it with our guys.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:22 am
Disagree about Poytress Drew, thought he played a terrible game. Stupid charges, hardly any rebounds, bad shot selection and he was still making those bone-headed cross court passes. He made a free throw at least. I haven’t lost hope for him yet though and still think he will turn it around at some point this year. As far as Wiljter, yea, he was truly awful out there. However, give him credit, he shook off his terrible game and hit a big shot at the end from the middle of the zone. Should have been doing that play earlier. The team two years ago(pre-SEC tournament) would have crumbled and lost that game last night.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:25 am
So, this team was hard to watch at the beginning of the season because they were young. Then, it was hard to watch because they played awful teams. After that, they were hard to watch simply because they never played. Now, they are just bad. Maybe, just maybe, thinking long term on a couple of recruits a year might help, to have some leadership, experience?–we see that Mays and Wiltjer aren’t those guys. I want to believe this team will be decent at some point but…
January 11th, 2013 at 9:26 am
Lost was how good they were in the first half and start of the second. It was the zone that changed it all. Nerlans or Willie has to flash to the foul line and distribute. It looked like they hadn’t worked on a zone all year. Vanderbilt did score a majority of their points for the game on Wiltjer. He doesn’t keep his very long arms up or move his feet. He could be a good defender with effort. Alex is Terrence Jones in the making, but he’s got to focus or it will take three years. That they had no idea how to play against a zone has to be put on Cal and now they’ll see zone all game long for the rest of the season till they solve it. Screens for Kyle out top so he has open threes or there’s no point in his being in the game; watch Tubby’s plays for Shephard in the 1998 championship game. Expect a Texas Tech zone Sat. and a loss if they don’t make progress.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:26 am
Tell me if that’s not Kyle on the right in the picture in this article ???
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/speedo-clad-seton-hall-swim-takes-art-free-161649170–ncaab.html
January 11th, 2013 at 9:29 am
Cal got so spoiled last year with MKG.
Only a few players ever can compare to MKGs intensity and motor and then there are the rest.
We have the rest this year. Still a lot of talent though folks.
Sorry you have to coach so much this year Cal.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:30 am
#58 RealCatsFan I know you are concerned about the short 36 turnaround period til we play the Aggies but please realize that our boys didn’t exert a lot of energy last night. We will be fine:)
January 11th, 2013 at 9:30 am
105 — To say this team isn’t decent is just not fair and is wrong. If you don’t think a team with two seven-footers like Cauley-Stein and Noel is a “decent team” I don’t know what to tell ‘ya. They are still incredibly young and really aren’t being given good enough plays to run against the zone. What you saw last night was a team unprepared against a zone defense — point blank and simple. Given a better strategy to break down the zone they would have run away with a game in a gym in which UK has always had trouble. Regardless, they still found a way to win. This is the same team that has played Duke and Louisville pretty close. They are certainly a decent team.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:32 am
Ok, they are decent. I guess I expect more than “decent” with this talent. My bar is relatively high but we are spoiled so I can’t disagree, I just want more.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:34 am
Maybe if when archie and alex drive to the basket the rest of the team could lay on the floor to be in better position for the loose ball after the collision…
January 11th, 2013 at 9:35 am
106 — Thank you. My thoughts exactly. Cal almost lost them this game in my opinion. They weren’t ready to break down that zone and that is a glaring reflection on the coach. I love Cal, and think he’s great, but I really am lost as to what he is trying to accomplish with his zone offense. The guys should have some quick hitter plays to get them instant points and they didn’t have them. This team needs quick hitters like that because they aren’t just so good that their talent can take over.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:36 am
111 — I hear ya. It pisses me off too.
January 11th, 2013 at 9:57 am
Poll:
1) Poythress quits team before season ends, then transfer
2) Poythress will transfer after this season
A Terrence Jones enigma clone. These college boys won’t roll over for you like high school, will they Alex?
January 11th, 2013 at 9:59 am
GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
January 11th, 2013 at 10:04 am
#115–I don’t care which avenue Poythress takes…just leave.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:08 am
Cal…I know I know dead horse but this has always worked for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChznTU9jPMI
January 11th, 2013 at 10:10 am
Can anyone explain just why Poythress is still projected as a top 10 pick? It baffles me.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:13 am
113. if you are gonna criticize Cal’s coaching it should not be on the offensive end. He pulled Kyle and Mays after quick one pass 3 point shots when they went zone. He ran a guy to the corner to the corner and a guy to ball side block and high post to overload the zone and they got good looks just didn’t make some of them. No zone offense you draw up is the result of players driving the lane uncontrollably and being weak with the basketball resulting in turnovers. Cal even thought they would play zone and his assistants didn’t
If you wanna criticize is coaching it should be on the defensive end why we were pressuring the ball at half court and trying to go over every screen with the result of them driving open to the rim for a layup or a wide open kick-out after help came.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:16 am
#115 A little harsh considering the guy is our 2nd leading scorer and rebounder. Agree he lacks effort but with out his numbers we lose even more games this year. However, no way this guy is NBA ready.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:20 am
#121 — I guess all those good stats is why he’s getting all that playing time. a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma…
January 11th, 2013 at 10:32 am
most of you bashed D. Miller the whole time he played! Without him, no #8 hanging in rupp! I bet 95% of you cannot even dribble a ball with your off hand. This team is getting better every game, the first half was great. ever hear if you can’t say something nice or positive just shut up. Well then most of you need to turn your internet service off.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:40 am
Was at the game last night – a few observations. Why why why not continue to push the ball in to NN and WCS? Vandy was clearly outmatched there (thus the inside scoring in the first half). At times Vandy had 6’4″ K johnson guarding NN in man defense… I just do not get that strategy to not take advantage of your clearly better big men. Harrow was the stability. Thankful for his play. I hate to be critical of very young men as I would have never been able to handle the pressure at that age. That said – these guys are groomed toward competition and pressure. AG needs some… control. AP got called for a charge early in the game and I told my kid – that call may well set the tone for the game for him – he got called for 3 charges – learn to go strong without charging! I HATE losing double digit leads – and when shooting goes cold any team looks bad. My criticism during that stretch is that on defense we still let K Johnson set the rules on every possesion (made him look like freaking Rondo) – getting into the lane over and over. Sure he turned it over some with poor passing – but he also created scores for himself and kick-outs. THAT was the defensive break-down IMO. Very lucky win. Left feeling kinda depressed – hope for more Saturday! Always – go CATS! but don’t played entitled BBall – no one is going to hand you anything.
January 11th, 2013 at 10:47 am
PS. Creighton AD… your desperate grasps at relevance are just sad. Who are you? Creighton??? Freakin’ Creighton! Sit down and shutup! When the Jays disappoint again in March and their “Star” player is owned by more talented players (and there are many more talented) please tweet something then… Jeez… low class for a supposed professional AD. Dumb A!
January 11th, 2013 at 10:55 am
#123 – When logic fails you, just tell everybody to shut up. Nice. And then there’s the supreme insult: I can’t dribble the ball with my off hand. Dude. Cut me deep. Go back to your Beavis and Butthead reruns.
Sorry, but we’re talking about competition at the pinnacle of elite college basketball– not at the local church league, where just showing up, and fellowship, is the aim.
For Pete’s sake: we talking here about not TRYING HARD. No excuses about “well, these are just kids. We’re talking about the best of the best program. Not trying hard? A supremely gifted athlete who could be another MKG, not giving it his best shot? Please
January 11th, 2013 at 10:56 am
#122 Any a riddle wrapped enigman indeed.
#124 Spot on with the NN and WCS. Though, I think more of that had to do with AG and AP and their driving only looking to score mentality more than anything else.
January 11th, 2013 at 11:16 am
It all started with the blown call where the Vandy player stepped out of bounds, then threw it off a UK player and got the ball. Steamrolled from there.
January 11th, 2013 at 11:37 am
Someone tell Harrow this isn’t soccer. If you go down and act like you’re about to die, you better be seriously injured. I thought the dude blew out both ACL’s the way he was acting.
January 11th, 2013 at 11:44 am
We can spin this game with Vandy a thousand ways but after being up by 15 and then completely melting down I have to believe that this team will not be able to ever put 5-6 games together in the NCAA tournament. This was downright ugly by any standard and embarassing to say the least. These guys simply cannot show up and play up to the competition but must have a killer instinct which we have yet to see from at least three starters.,…
January 11th, 2013 at 11:50 am
Just stop being a butt head was all I was saying. For pete’s sake church league, pinacle. Wow just wow. Just stop the arm chair quarterback from someone that that never played the game at the pop warner level.
January 11th, 2013 at 12:05 pm
I have now moved on to destroying Rob Anderson.
January 11th, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Indeed a terrible 2nd half. Wiltjer needs to be on the bench until he learns to defend. With his 2 poitns versus allowed defense’s 14 points, he is a liablity on the floor.
January 11th, 2013 at 12:20 pm
These young men are not having fun. Cal dissrespects everyone around him. He is getting too full of himself. Loosen the reins and let them play. They are thinking more about pleasing Cal than playing basketball! I can see why Chaney did not respect him. Hewould have never kicked Couisens.
January 11th, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Section 11, Art 9 of the NCAA basketball rulebook states the following:
Art. 9. Sound the shot-clock horn at the expiration of the shot-clock period. This
shot-clock horn shall not stop play unless recognized by an official’s whistle.
When the shot clock indicates zeros but the shot-clock horn has not sounded, the
shot-clock time has not expired.
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/BR13.pdf
January 11th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Swing and a miss. The horn did sound, but thanks for playing.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
The SID from Creighton, the Anderson fella, comes across as half a creep (and/or stalker), to me. The guy follows 288 people on Twitter. A quick scan of the list breaks down like this:
200 media types. Assorted columnists, broadcasters, accouncers, radio show hosts, etc. I’m sure all of which make sense for his role at Creighton or his general sports interests. Then he has about 25 people who are somewhat affiliated with Creighton that are coaching and playing somewhere else. The other 50 all seem to be female athletes at Creighton. (See: entire women’s volleyball team, womens’ basketball team, etc etc) Now I can understand if he wears the “social media police” hat as a part of his job. So are you telling me that none of the male athletes have twitter accounts, or does he just like to check out the college girls’ Instagram photos from parties and long bus trips? Whether the guy is 25, 35, or 65 years old, it seems somewhat perverted and unprofessional. (C’mon dude, if you are going to take the time and interest to internet stalk the female athletes that you see everyday in the building, at least have the common courtesy to create an alternate twitter handle so you can do it with a relative amount of privacy.)