Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
After each Kentucky game, everyone seems to want to check the NCAA tournament pulse of this team. Following yesterday’s narrow victory over LSU at home, ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan does not feel like Kentucky looks like a tournament team…unless you’re talking about the NIT. Brennan had some harsh words and criticisms about this team’s current status this late in the year.
“There’s still some time left for this young Kentucky team to figure it all out. But it’s clear, at least right now, that the Wildcats have some pretty significant flaws, flaws that could put their already tenuous tournament position in even greater jeopardy the rest of the way.
Chief among them? Defense. The Wildcats have allowed .97 points per possession in SEC play prior to Saturday, seventh-best in a league that most certainly does not have seven good teams. (Maybe three) It ranked last in the league in forced-turnover rate, and it had allowed SEC opponents to grab 32.1 percent of available offensive rebounds, 10th best in the conference. These same flaws were apparent Saturday, too. Kentucky scored efficiently throughout the game; it shot 52 percent from the field and a tidy 61 percent from inside the arc (it shot 11 3-pointers and made just tw0). And still, the Wildcats allowed the Tigers– a 10-7 team with a 1-5 SEC record and the 209th-ranked offense in the country per KenPom.com– to put up 70 points at Rupp Arena, to push for a game-tying play until the final possession, to make Ashley Judd a nervous wreck on live television.”
Brennan seems to take a common stance, that this team still has some time to get where it needs to before the NCAA selection committee solidifies the brackets. The key issues for the Wildcats on defense though don’t seem to be easy fixes. Even with a guy like Alex Poythress getting on track after months of waiting, the underlying defensive flaws are not masked through efficient offense.
Brennan says that if he were a betting man, even though Kentucky does not look the part of a tournament team, he would still take them making the tournament field. “But if it can’t at least get some separation from the worst teams in its own down league at home, John Calipari’s team will find itself at serious risk of missing the tournament just 11 months after winning it all. Heck, that risk is already there.”
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January 27th, 2013 at 11:37 am
It sucks, but he is right.
January 27th, 2013 at 11:40 am
Brennan has a good analysis of this collection of players.This is a group that either can’t or won’t play defense,and go for rebounds on either end of the court.Take away their “gimme Games” and this group would have close to a losing record.
At least they did’nt fully choke in the LSU game,they came close,but a missed bonus freethrow saved their hides from losing to one of the worst teams in the SEC.
January 27th, 2013 at 11:40 am
The only saving grace maay be that in reality there are very few really good teams out there.
January 27th, 2013 at 11:49 am
No shite Eamonn
January 27th, 2013 at 11:50 am
Oh yeah? Well you don’t look like a tournament team!
January 27th, 2013 at 11:52 am
Everyone likes to watch a good train wreck. Where’s the conductor??
January 27th, 2013 at 11:52 am
He may have a point, but he is such an Indiana homer that I hate reading anything he writes. He’s usually so biased to the big 10, a conference with one championship since 1990, and his Hoosiers that makes it frustrating that espn would allow his work on their site. Of course espn in general isn’t the best source for unbiased journalism so maybe it is a fit.
January 27th, 2013 at 11:59 am
WCS has been out half of the conference games we have played so yeah….
Our DReb numbers will improve once he’s playing again as will our defense as will a host of other things.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
But regardless, congrats boys on beating that #148 RPI ranked team where they were favored by 20 pts.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:04 pm
I hope it doesn’t come this, but, Win the SEC tournament and UK is in. No matter what the record.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:05 pm
How many times will it take for players to realize the simple fundamentals of basketball I would mention them but it’s all of them.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:09 pm
8. Agree completely. With Harrow’s issues early on, and WCS lately, 4 of the losses were without a completely healthy team. Yeah I know harrow got a few minutes against Baylor and notre dame, but the rotation wasn’t the same. Do I think the team sucks at times? Yes. However, if healthy the defense is usually fine, but the offense disappears in spurts. WCS is a big factor on the d obviously. I think I’d uk is healthy heading into the tournament that the selection committee will look at the teams performance when healthy and they should be fine. If eamonns lover boy zeller was out I have a feeling they’d be a worse rebounding/defensive team. Just a hunch.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:10 pm
To #6 The Conductor is the guy screaming on the sideline to his crew members taking too many coffee breaks!!!!!!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
UK womens game against LSU will be on Fox Sportssouth, FoxFla, and some other fox sports channels at 3pm est today.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Yeah, yeah we suck, what ever……
January 27th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
we suck.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
I am enjoying the UK season immensely. When things are going poorly, I thrive. Negativity is my source and strength as you know. I despise Cal. We need a real coach. Robert Montgomery Knight would be my choice and if I can exert my power and influence this will happen sooner rather than later. I don’t have much else to do but post here so I will be updating frequently.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:24 pm
More like Seamonn Brennan, that Hoosier db
January 27th, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Many of you readers and Devotees of my insights may perhaps wonder why I can only post about the weakness of UK’s schedule and coaching. You may wonder why I sound like a broken record in this regard. Well, stay tuned my servile followers, because you are in store for some real sound recommendations from me on how to turn UK’s season around because I am a true fan!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
We have been doing a good job this year of pushing the good ship “UK BB” into national irrelevancy. When was the last time we have spent this much time out of Top 25 with little hope of re-entry anytime soon? When was the last time, if ever, that a #1 recruiting class and #3 preseason ranking headed so quickly to the lower echelons of mediocrity? I said yesterday that in less than a year we have gone from Champs to Chumps…from Wildcats to Mildcats. Chumps might be a little extreme but certainly “lower echelon” wouldn’t be. If we were to play MTSU down here in Nashville area, I would probably put my money on them with the way both teams currently playing. This coming week could be an important week for predicting future tending for this team. If AG can jump on the team bus, Wiltjer can get re-established with previous 3 game play, and AP shows this wasn’t a 1 game fluke, we could still make the big dance.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
It seems we need more attention to defense. hopefully that is where the staff focuses the rest of the season. We are scoring, we just can’t stop anybody from doing what they want on offense. Oh, and maybe some free throw practice might be a good thing?
January 27th, 2013 at 12:41 pm
The primary problem is our poor guard play and I don’t see that getting much better. Harrow just doesn’t have the strength and intestinal fortitude to be a big time guard on a big stage. Not bashing..just stating the obvious. He was in an ideal position to take the big step having had a year to learn the system, what Cal wants and needs, and practice with great guards. He just seems to shrink when the big moment arrives. Cal says Kentucky is not for everyone and that seems to be playing out before our eyes with Harrow. I am sure he is a fine young man and has talent but he just can’t handle the pressure. Archie is enthusiastic and extremely talented but has no basketball IQ and continually makes the same mistakes over and over. He has no outside shot and is a turnover machine. A team without good guard play has no chance in todays game. This team has a different psychology than all of Cal’s previous teams at UK. Has anyone noticed that Noel is the only player on this years team that has really tried to bond with the community by doing the public, charitable things that our other teams have done on their own? This suggests they are very much into themselves and don’t get the bigger picture that Cal always tries to instill in his teams. The team concept and playing for each other is something they just can’t grasp. I don’t expect this to get any better regardless of how Alex, Noel,WCS or Wilcher develop. They can’t do much if the guys responsible for running the plays and getting them the ball (guards) can’t do their jobs.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
22. SD…You make some pretty good sense. Not sure if you meant to leave Alex out but will be curious to see how he responds beyond. We do not have the guard play to take us to a higher level and the defense needs to re-establish consistency and hunger.
January 27th, 2013 at 1:03 pm
#6, I saw a good train wreck yesterday, when the Cards, down 1 point with a matter of seconds to go, decided to put their fate in the hands of their All World point guard. And you want to talk about bad coaching. Never mind that up til that point he had 0 points and 2 assists. And then, what happens? A brick and their 3rd loss in a row. Where was your conductor? A veteran team, previously ranked number 1, will drop out of the top ten (should drop out of the top 20). As young and inexperienced as we are, we haven’t lost three in a row. Or even 2, for that matter. I guess there’s not much for you trolls to talk about over there on your UL boards. I’m really starting to enjoy their season immensely. As bad as we are, we would have beaten you on your court, if the free throws would have fell. What does that tell you about your team?
January 27th, 2013 at 1:21 pm
thank you #24 if they cant play wwf they have no offense
January 27th, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Unlike last year there are no great dominant teams this year. I knew UL was doomed when they printed those We are # 1 tee shirts. Pure hubris. The Card fans wanted it so much this year they were eating dinner before it was served. There are about 20 teams this year who could win it which could make for an entertaining tourney for those who can just sit back and enjoy it. As a life long UK fan ( don’t have blue hair but I am old) I will continue to enjoy the UK ride however bumpy but I don’t expect a tournament run this year. I do however enjoy the game of basketball and will watch with enthusiasm.
January 27th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
LOL @ 26…. I swear I didn’t see your post first…on the same page today it seems.
January 27th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
WTF…another post disappears for no apparent reason. Whoever is the webmaster for this site needs to quit and go back to bagging groceries at SaveALot.