Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
Google a bunch of 2009-10 SEC Basketball previews, and most have Kentucky being the top projected team of the conference. There are a few outliers, as you’d expect each team’s fan site and local paper to lean more towards their respective team.
The funniest one I’ve read is this Bleacher Report preview of the Wildcats. The author states that Kentucky will be a top-25 team, but predicts a final record of 21-9 (10-6 in the SEC). I guess he means that Kentucky will be in the top-25 for a section of the year, because a team who loses 6 games in conference won’t stay in the top-25 for very long.
(Now remember: Bleacher Report is just a blogging platform that’s dressed up like a news site. The unvetted writers for the site published all sorts of crazy rumors when the Pitino/Sypher story broke. You shouldn’t get your panties in a wad over somebody who starts their Kentucky Basketball Preview with a definition of “bandwagon”, because you know how the article is going to end.)
On the more national sports writing front, Andy Hutchins of the Sporting News issues a bold prediction: Mississippi State will be the best team in the SEC:
Forget about the John Wall Show at Kentucky: The only team in the SEC coming off an NCAA Tournament berth and returning all five starters plays in Starkville. Add Renardo Sidney, currently caught in eligibility limbo, and the Bulldogs may have the most imposing frontline in college hoops in Sidney and one-man block party Jarvis Varnado. Maintaining the quietly above-average guard play of last season could be their key.
Sidney’s NCAA eligibility status is expected to be resolved soon. The NCAA has now seen the Sidney family’s bank statements and the Sidney’s family lawyer feels confident a favorable ruling will be made soon.
With Sidney and Varnado, Coach Cal has some interesting decisions to make. Playing Patterson on Sidney seems to be the appropriate call, since Sidney’s scoring ability is much higher than Varnado. Varnado averaged 12.9 points per game last season — a season where he was essentially the only inside offense available. Varnado took only 6 field goal attempts and scored just 6 points in Lexington last season.
Vernado didn’t have to shoot too much: MSU’s 4-guard tandum of Ravern Johnson, Dee Bost, Barry Stewart and Phil Turner had a field day against Billy Gillispie’s “Not Tough Enough to Defend 3’s” defense. And, oh yeah: all four of them are back.
I like Andy’s thinking, but his key assumption of “forget about John Wall” is faulty. If John Wall is the man we expect him to be, there may not be a single guard in the SEC that can prevent Wall from driving. Also, Andy forgets about Eric Bledsoe, who should also be able to break ankles and create on the drive. (And don’t forget that Cousins’/Orton’s/Dodson’s output remains to be seen.)
And while the SEC is improved, not every SEC team is going to have the shot-blocking talent inside to keep Wall and Bledsoe in check. So while MSU may match up better against Kentucky, Kentucky may win more games in the SEC.
And the best team in the SEC is the one who wins the most games, right?
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November 10th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I don’t think UK has this wrapped up yet. It’s good for them to not be the overwhelming favorite from every newspaper/media outlet. It would be nice for them to earn it on the court. That said, I do like our chances!
November 10th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
MAMMA MIA!
November 10th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Forget about the Kobe Bryant show with the Lakers. The Clippers are returning one of the greatest teams. The Clippers have one of the most imposing front lines in the NBA with Chris Kaman and one many block party Marcus Camby. And blah blah blah.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
TFGM- Are you reading “Eating the Dinosaur” as well?
November 10th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Hutchins entire argument is flawed because Miss State isn’t the only SEC team coming off an NCAA tourney bid returning all of their starters (which evidently was pointed out to him because now the article is corrected and no longer looks like your quote).
November 10th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
ABBA, one of the greatest groups of all time.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
the CATS will let action take care of everything ……
November 10th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
If the official start calling all of the fouls against Varnado that they should be calling, MSU will be in trouble. Varnado fouls almost every time he gets a block.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
When’s the game against Southwest Colorado School of Mining?
November 10th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Man, I post a clip of ABBA, and there’s not one post telling me how stupid I am, how the video makes no sense in the context of the post, etc.
I must be losing my touch.
#4 — I thought about it. I like Klosterman’s writing — his review of Chinese Democracy was brilliant — but I don’t have a lot of spare reading time that doesn’t involve the “I Can Read” series.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
So is Matt still working on CoachCal.com or not?
November 10th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Fake Gimel - You are stupid and the ABBA clip is totally out of context. I expect this from BTI…but not from you.
There you go.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Fake, you must be the Dancing Queen.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did manage a better SEC conference record than us due to the fact they play in the weaker west. We will beat them though on their court, mark it down.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Fake, This could be your Waterloo and of course Thanks for the Music.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
10- There’s a chapter on ABBA, assumed that’s where the clip came from. Great toilet reader, chapters don’t particularly build upon one another.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“And the best team in the SEC is the one who wins the most games, right?”
“The WINNER Takes ALL”, we get it!
November 10th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
#17 — I spent 15 minutes trying to find a good video under the search term “A Winner Is You”. Once I stumbled on the ABBA song, I had to get back to work.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Blah blah blah BLAH blah.I think if someone had a team full of folks on crutches could come in second behind MSU the west is so weak. But like 14 said we’ll beat them there, if not embarrass them.