Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
Well its starting to be a pattern now, isnt it? Random team comes into Rupp Arena, finds a player who they have been needing to get on track and then they find a way to break the Arena record for opposing team threes in a game. Two games in a row it has occurred and two games in a row has the Rupp crowd let a collective groan at every open shot draining through the net. But another thing has also occurred that is sometimes getting overlooked. Kentucky has won its first three games, all against teams that might win their league and all against teams that in past years, could have beaten the Cats. Yes this team has an immense amount of talent. Yes, the fans have unbelieveable expectations. And yes, the pieces are in place for a run that could take the team deep in March. But even though all those facts are true, it is also true that this is a team that is starting three Freshmen, has a new coach, new system and two years of miserable experiences. In that case, sometimes a win is a win and you just have to be happy and enjoy it.
I could break down the players individually, but it would be somewhat repetitive. The guys who started all played well offensively and poorly defensively. The bench did very little (outside of Ramon Harris’s defense) and the open threes were too much to take. So lets rely instead on the comments of Calipari after the game, which were some of the more interesting I have heard a coach give in my time doing this:
— The headline from the press conference was Calipari’s statement that this is the worst defensive team he has coached since 1988 and his obvious frustration at that fact. He noted that because of the youth and some of the habits on the team, Ramon Harris is the only player that communicates on defense the way he wants. He said that Darius Miller was not in the correct defensive stance, Bledsoe and Wall dont rotate or pick up their man well and Cousins/Orton do not close out on the high pick. His frustration on UK’s defense led him to end the press conference by banging his head on the microphone in exasperation.
— Calipari also mentioned that his head “nearly popped off” during the game, due to his frustration at the inability of the team to follow instruction. He said that he called timeout and would tell the players to do one thing, and then they would respond by doing the opposite. The message he wanted to communicate throughout the game is that he didnt believe Sam Houston could score in the paint against UK, so he wanted the Cats to make them drive. Even knowing that, they didnt do it. He said he has never had a team play in such a way.
— One of the biggest problems that plagued UK was their inability to find shooters in transition. Calipari said this happened for one simple reason…after a UK shot, one Sam Houston State player would leak down the floor and whichever player was back had to pick him up…and often it was not his man. Thus there had to be communication for the other players to pick up men they werent used to guarding. He said UK failed miserably at this, leading to “two passes and a wide open shot”, an unacceptable result.
Here are some Highlights of the game and Cal’s Press Conference with appearances by Alan Cutler and Mary Joe Perino:
— Calipari spent a lot of time talking about the performance of Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins on both ends of the floor. He was amazed at Cousins’ offensive performance and said that the 27 point, 18 rebound peformance was one that he was very impressed with throughout the night. However, he wasnt as pleased on defense and took Boogie out after one play in the second half. His explanation was “anyone not ready to play I take out. My job is to hold them accountable and that is what I did.”
— Calipari expressed frustration that his team is not “used to playing winning basketball”, in large part due to their youth. He said that in the AAU Circuit in which the Freshmen were brought up in, players play 3 or 4 games a day and if they lose, they simply play again a couple of hours later, leading to results having secondary meaning. This mentality is something he says he must fight with this team. He said the team often believes that “you dont understand, havent you seen me play,” but that the winning mentality must be developed.
— It is also clear that Calipari is very worried about Rider and the potential for an upset on Saturday. Calipari says they are a better three point shooting team and harped on the fact that they beat Mississippi State by 20 and he believes Mississippi State is probably a better defensive team than Kentucky is right now. He said that if Kentucky plays defense like this, “we are going to have to score 100 every time to win”, and it is clear that the game he is most worried about is coming Saturday against Rider.
— Even with all that, Calipari was quick to say that he likes this team. As after every game, he repeated the phrase “I like my team”, three times at the press conference. He talked about all the positives of the team’s offensive performance and noted that while the bench gave him no points, that means the starters scored 102, which is very impressive. He continued to remind everyone that they are young and will get better….a mantra that it seems he not only says, but also truly believes.
All in all, a win is a win. This game may have been the breaking out party for DeMarcus Cousins and will be remembered for all time for the Sam Houston three point shooting performance. However in the long run, it will be yet another step in the maturation process of the team. It is clear that this team is a work in progress and there are areas to be concerned about. However having watched this game and the performance of the young guys, I will agree with Calipari….I like my team.
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November 20th, 2009 at 12:14 am
an even better three point shooting team….cant wait
November 20th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Cutler rocks!!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:21 am
I hate to say it, but a good loss would help this team tremendously. They still have the mindset that they ‘crap ice cream’ and a loss might make them think otherwise.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
#1… I suggest you don’t watch of you someone expect them to mature to championship-caliber defense overnight ( or 48 hours). Calm down buddy. Grab a drink or something. If you can’t see all the positives despite the fewer negatives of this young team then I feel it may be a long season for you.
On another note, saw Boogie in Sporting News today and they must have picked the only press picture of him smiling… It is hilarious! And so, so cheesy. Loved it!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:27 am
i like my team too, i just wish they didnt give up so many wide open shots…
November 20th, 2009 at 12:34 am
1… Ps… That was carry over frustration from the last thread… Apologies, didn’t mean to take it out on you!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:35 am
I wonder what boogie was chuckling about at the free throw line there..
November 20th, 2009 at 12:35 am
4. i think that this team has great talent and many more positives than negatives and i have posted comments to that effect. i never said anything about champ caliber defense overnight. i think we will be in great shape on offense and defense as the season continues, but, as everyone expected, it is hard to watch at times early in the season. btw, my comment was meant to be half joking. sorry u r taking this so seriously
November 20th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Boogie? Big Cuz? What is it with these nicknames? I hate them! Is Wall JDub? Are we becoming UL?
November 20th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Lol, and all those mispellings made ME look like I was drunk. Hahah… Damn iPhone!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Sorry again, not really even meant towards you. I just hate hearing negative things so early, especially about things that can be changed (free throws too, crossing fingers, lol). Heard a lot of it at the game.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:47 am
I said this in the other thread also, but if Josh Pastner continues to recruit like he is now, he will be a great coach. Wouldn’t it be awesome to get him in 8 (hopefully more) years when Calipari retires? If that worked out, that would be awesome.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:48 am
11. no worries. i agree w/ya though, we WILL be where we need to be in march. we have gotten better every game and, although there are plenty of things that need worked on, im happy to be 3-0 and getting better all the time.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:50 am
everytime a team shoots a 3 against us, I just assume it’s going in…however, everytime we take the ball down court, I expect us to score. We just need to create more turnovers with some full court pressure. The talent on this team is immense, just need to close out and throw a hand in a shooter’s face.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:55 am
3 priorities right now:
Get better every game
Beat UNC to 2000 wins
Beat UNC heads up
November 20th, 2009 at 1:01 am
7. Aparently he was amused when the fans started signing ‘na na na na, hey hey, goodbye’ when Bootle from SHS fouled out. Maybe because Bootle sounds like Boogie???
November 20th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Just looking over the stats now that i am done with work. Can’t Cousins loan Patterson one of his rebounds so Patterson can have another Double Double?
November 20th, 2009 at 3:19 am
I’m very positive and the defense will work itself out especially when we get a few 5 day breaks and time for practice. Lets face it we play Rider Saturday who represents a nice test again for us and in less than a week we play probably Virginia who beat Rider tonight by 25 (close). You can’t teach talent and we have that and defense can be taught and will be taught ! Just hope mr DD Dodson can get back in the good graces of Coach C. We need an explosive scorer who can come off the bench. We’ve got Harris who’s playing the D and I just see many bright and wonderful things for this team coming ! Are we a final 4 team yet ? Nope but sure will be a fun ride watching the young kids grow !
November 20th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Boogie was chuckling at the fans chanting “left-right-left-right” when one of the SHS players fouled out, I believe.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Worst defensive team he has coached since 1988? That’s a long time. But, looking at the wide open looks SHS and Miami had all night, I believe him. I think it is time to stop worrying about the DDM and start focusing on defense. Cal has said repeatedly that he expects this team to be one of the best in the country defensively. That looks like a tall order right now.
That being said, I am not a doom and gloom person. I think he can solve the problem. Defense is all about effort and communication. Effort won’t be an issue and communication will come as they play more games together. Furthermore, three games in a row, a different Freshman has stepped up and played great. There is simply too much talent on this team not to improve on both ends.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:53 am
I’m pretty sure Almond just hit another three.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:57 am
I agree about defense. I was telling my friend how rough they looked in transition to defense, especially when trying to figure out how to adjust after SHS setup a pick. Our guys didn’t know how to adjust and it was very frustrating to watch. Two offense drives in a row, SHS setup the EXACT same pick play and found the EXACT same man wide open to shoot the three pointer both times. Very frustrating. Hopefully, they’ll watch the tape, learn, and grow from the experience. Better to have rough games defensively in the beginning, so you can learn for the tougher games ahead. They’ll get there, though. Go Cats!
November 20th, 2009 at 7:09 am
21) thats to bad, that would still put them down 7 ….. with all due
respect on the shooting from the kid, he was talking alot of smack to go with it. Now, if he was up 10-12 points instead of down then maybe a little room to do so but he NEVER was ……
November 20th, 2009 at 7:29 am
How many wins do we have now on the race to 2000? How many over UNC?
November 20th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Ah, ok Matt. So Sam Houston State and a team that lost by double digits to Towson State are both teams who might win their leagues. Gotcha.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:09 am
24. 1991…I think we are ahead of UNC by 3 right now
November 20th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Hopefully Syracuse can keep us ahead by 3 tonight.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
7 - I saw that too. He was enjoying something somebody said and then barely drew iron on the free throw.
25 - SHS is predicted to win the Southland outright and Morehead is supposed to do well in the Ohio Valley. Miami is supposed to be decent but they just got hot.
Towson is returning 5 experienced players who started at least 17 games last year. These aren’t top 25 teams but they are dangerous teams especially given the youth and inexperience of this team.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Did anyone else see either Greg Raymer or a Greg Raymer look-alike sitting behind the coaches??
November 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I think this team has the potential of becoming one of the most loved UK teams by the fans. I like this team. I like their hard work on the court despite the fact they are lacking in experience and understanding of Cal’s system, which I think both will change by the end of the season.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am
It was piss poor- sorry guys- and there wasnt any improvement from the prior game. And if we lose to Rider, that is a good loss? Please!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:11 am
#25 I agree. With Tubby and Clyde, it was the Coach’s fault. Now the Blogger is employed by the Coach and there are other excuses. What is wrong with saying the Coach has done a terrible job at teaching his Defense?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:12 am
#31, I think that’s a little extremem. There was a lot of offensive improvement but the defense was still poor. And, losing to Rider would be a “good loss” only in the sense that maybe it would force guys to start playing defense. But moral victories and good losses don’t mean sh!t to me.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:15 am
We are out of shape. Plain and simple. It will get better.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:17 am
#33 How about playing bad defense and we are still 3 - 0? Those are real victories, not moral victories.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am
As much as I hate to say this……Coach Cal has got alot of work to do with this team.
defense is terrible
Wall out of control at times
Miller in a funk
Bledsoe doing ok
Patterson a beast
Cousins a beast
As a team terrible free-throw shooting
I hope Coach Cal can turn them around. A lose may help as much as we all don’t like loosing.
GO CATS!!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Folks I hate to beat a dead horse but had Clyde been on the bench we’d have two more losses right now. Kind of imagine this team as a clay sculpture in the works. Little by little it’s starting to take, but for now the bottom of the statue looks like legs. We’ll get there but it’s gonna be a while before Cal can put this form to shape. By the way Almond hit another three as they boarded the plane……On a side note WTF was Harris thinking? UT? Come on! UT has now become the Mecca of college basketball? ITTFN!!!! Oh well, maybe he has grandeur thoughts of going to Fort Wayne to be a Mighty Ant in the DL. Fcking Pearl couldn’t put a baby in diapers muchless someone in the NBA. JMO
November 20th, 2009 at 9:21 am
We can barely get away with it vs Miami and SHS, we wont get away with it when it matters. Yes the offense was better but if SHS could score 92 on us, there is no telling how much a real team will score vs us. Our defense has been nothing short of piss poor.
UofL, UNC, UConn, UT, will all beat us good if we dont play better defense. I hope we do improve but not because of a good loss. Moral victories are for losers.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Does anyone else find if amusing when a player tries to “silence the crowd” by putting a finger to his mouth after a shot, when his team is down by double digits late in the game? Granted Sam Houston St played very well offensively, I never really understood that. Silence the crowd on defense and you win the game.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Oh yeah, and I forgot to add that I thought it was awesome when the fans started singing happy birthday to Mrs. Patterson. Well deserved!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Rider lost to Virginia by 33.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:29 am
For those of you accepting the bad defense and pointing out that we are 3-0. I understand, fine, we won. Had those games been against UNC, UConn and IU (look at the early December schedule), we’d be 0-3. This defense is simply not acceptable. Improve or find ourselves in a losting streak in December.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:31 am
32 - that is absolutely moronic. it really is. look, one one hand: calm down; this team still hasnt even been practicing for a month, your starting lineup is three freshman, a sophomore and a junior, and, most importantly, the entire team structure, aside from the freshmen and dodson, is built up of guys who have, frankly, only known losing for two years. that being said, on the OTHER hand, you really cant do anything about low basketball IQ. you just cant. and this team, unfortunately, has shockingly low basketball IQ. even patterson is not a very high-IQ player. the freshmen…they are freshmen. i question whether bledsoe and cousins will ever be high-basketball-IQ players, but we shall see. but, no, you cannot be a very good team if youre just overall dumb on the court. and right now, this is one of the dumbest teams ive ever seen. but saying its coaching, thats just ridiculous. at a certain point, you have to have guys who understand how to play basketball, as opposed to just raw talents. you cant coach smart.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I didn’t say I accepted the bad defense. I believe Coach has the ability to teach these guys and that we will improve. What is a “losting streak”?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:35 am
There’s no such thing as a good loss, you can only hope to learn something from them and move on. To that point, maybe these have been “good” wins.. Close enough to learn something from, yet still a win!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Giving up a lot of points to opponents like this is definitely a negative part of UK’s game plan. But to UK’s defense I feel like we have to respect a few things. One, these teams aren’t the scrubs of their leagues. These guys are projected as favorites to win their leagues. Two, this dribble drive offense we run is awesome. That being said, the more we shoot in our fast pace offense, the more opportunities there are for the opponent to get more shots up. These guys that are one man 3-pt shows are good shooters. They know they’re playing Kentucky, therefore they know they have to bring their A game to compete. This isn’t the Big 10, we run and gun in the SEC.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Is it just me or didn’t it seem like Patterson had about 15 rebounds? I honestly think he had more rebounds that he didn’t get credit for.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:43 am
#43 Coaching is teaching. If you can’t teach your system, then you are not a good Coach, your a Professor. Why make the excuses? There is plenty of time for him to continue to teach, but at this point,he has not done well teaching his defense. The blogger is happy to make excuses for him. I am not drinking the Kool Aid anymore.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:47 am
#48 holy crap, talk about unreal expectations! This is a young team AND a team that has never run Cal’s system. Wow, if you are going to jump off the bandwagon, then stay off in my opinion.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:48 am
46 - dont just repeat things matt jones says. where are people getting this stuff that morehead, miami and sam houston state are projected as favorites to win their leagues”? show me some proof of that. has sam houston state ever even been to the ncaa tournament? miami lost to twosn state by double digits. morehead just got done playing BRESCIA earlier this week. Sam Houston State was 18-12 last year, losing to high quality teams like north texas, stephen f. austin, nicholls state, lamar and texas-arlington. im more in the camp of “a win is a win, and even a bad win is a good learning experience” but lets not just rehash dumb things that other people say.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Love UK…as far as the fans go…not so much..Unfortunately a typical UK fan will over react at every opportunity. Reading some of these comments makes me chuckle like Big Cuz at the foul line. I’d suggest some of you take a look at some box scores to get a better feel of what is and has been going on in the college bball world. Lastly, read Coach’s preseason comments. He told you what to expect at this point in the season. You’re over reacting because your expectations weren’t realistic. Relax and give it time. And give some credit to your opponent every now and then…it might make you seem knowledgable.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I will say they are projected to win their leagues because, unlike some who just look at their names, I have read extensively on the teams in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook (written by Chris Dortch, who knows more about college basketball than almost anyone in America). He has Morehead and SHS projected to win their leagues and Miami in second in the MAC. He has Rider second in the MAAC behind Siena. The one team we play soon that is projected to be bad is UNC Asheville.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:51 am
48. so you are already at the point where Cal isn’t a good coach? and somehow the vast liberal blog conspiracy is in effect as well? i think Cal would admit that he might not have had enough emphasis on defense, but you can only do so much in a short time. i think we all can agree after the miami game that we needed to get the offense on the right track. i think the offense looked much better last night. i guarantee you that the emphasis now will be on better transition and perimeter defense. we have improved to a certain degree in every game and we WILL continue to do so.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:53 am
that game was as ugly as bruce pearl’s ex-wife
November 20th, 2009 at 9:56 am
#49 I’m not jumping off any bandwagon. I won’t drink the Kool-Aid though. Why make excuses. The blogger calls out Pat Forde for working with Pitino. Now the Blogger works for the Coach and makes excuses for him. Read the archives.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am
52. So let me get this straight. You’re saying that Chris Dortch, who makes his living in college basketball, is more knowledgable than aspenmurphy? LOL. Keep the facts coming. And thanks for the heads up on the Blue Ribbon Yearbook. I bought it after you mentioned it in one of your posts. It blows every other college bball preview away.
Some of these people need a reality check. Although I keep having to remind myself YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID….
November 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am
i might be a negative nellie, but 55 is just insane. but whatever.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am
55…Your name indicates you are a disgruntled fan…your words are further evidence. If you refer to being realistic, patient, and knowledgeable as “drinking the koolaid”, pass me your cup. Your is HALF EMPTY anyway!!
November 20th, 2009 at 10:01 am
You guys slamming on Cal and the players are unbelievable. These last two games were the most fun I have had watching Kentucky in a long time. Yes, they don’t know how to play winning Basketball yet, but you have to love the joy and pizazz they play with. I am ecstatic that we are 3 and 0 and think the sky is the limit.
STOP BEING CHICKEN LITTLES AND ENJOY THE RIDE, BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE WILD!! We WILL lose to some teams we shouldn’t and we WILL beat some teams we shouldn’t, but it will be fun with this group.
Now talk amongst yourselves….
November 20th, 2009 at 10:03 am
55.. where does Matt make “excuses” for Cal? He simply recaps Coach’s comments and gives his opinion that while there are areas of concern, he still feels good about this team and where they are headed. He even calls them a “work in progress”. Just because you don’t call for the coach’s head, doesn’t mean you are “making excuses” for him. Btw, we won.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:05 am
59 - WORD UP BROTHER!!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 10:11 am
50. Yes, and SHS is a well coached, veteran squad (full of seniors) coming off two 30+ point victories. They’ve been playing together for YEARS. They have one of the best three point shooters in the nation. Our kids just played their third game together. THIRD!
Our kids haven’t figured out how to communicate in transition AFTER we shoot and the other team “leaks” a player back to set up a three pointer. We aren’t switching properly. Had we corrected that one thing last night we beat SHS by 25-30 points. So by all means, let teams come in and be a one trick pony all they want. Let’s see how not scoring in the paint and not being able to stop us from scoring works out for them.
There are exactly TWO things to actually be concerned with regarding this YOUNG Kentucky team right now: #1 is obviously perimeter defense, #2 is free throw shooting.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:22 am
#62 I agree, their inside defense looks really good. 12 Blocks and 30 defensive rebounds. SHS was 11 for 39 on 2 point baskets. That’s 28% shooting. That’s pretty darn good.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:23 am
There is no use in bashing the players or coach, especially not coach. He has been warning us since day 1. But!, there is cause for concern. We have to play defense A LOT better. We can not give this many points up to this level of team, period. We are athletically and skillfully superior at every position. The only excuse for not playing better defense, is not wanting to play defense. Defense is 90% HEART. The players have to take it personally to play better defense. And I think Cal will convince/beat that into them, one way or the other.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Fans can’t panic everytime we have a slow start. We will be a young team as long as Cal is here. Thus, we will have slow starts. Cals team at Memphis had a pretty slow start last year. But by early/mid December, they started to really play good basketball. I think we can expect the same thing.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:35 am
top 15 teams imho as of right now …
1. Kansas 2. Mich State 3 Texas 4. North Carolina 5. Purdue 6. Duke 7 West Virginia 8. Villanova 9. Butler 10. Syracuse 11. Louisville 12. Tenn 13 . UConn 14.Kentucky 15.Washington ……now this is just my opinion of all the teams I have seen play so ..Biggest jump is Lousiville and Syracuse but I watched them play and sheww they were impressive and they won’t lose a game until they play us gosh (I hope we get better D)… also very very impressed by Gonzaga and Memphis other notes I haven’t seen Michigan play thus so I’m not going to rank them ok I will and say there 16 lol ….but it’s early and this was just in fun so don’t go hating on me lol.. Bleeds Blue all the way here we’re just not a top 10 team (yet) and yes I know I have NC and Duke high but dang both of those teams are huge !! much bigger than we are and there guards arn’t bad .. interesting game tonight between Syracuse and NC
November 20th, 2009 at 10:41 am
No panic here. Average NCAA tournament seed for those good teams 14.2 (over last ten years for winner of MAC, MAAC, and OVC) Highest ever seed, 9. Virginia beat the ‘good’ Rider team by 33. Pass the Kool- Aid.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
66) not trying to bash on ya, but UNC bigger than UK?? We start a 6′4 point guard, 6′9 & 6′11 down low ….. pretty damn big
November 20th, 2009 at 10:43 am
50. Have you not been watching the games? In all 3 games (even the 2 exhibitions), I’ve heard “this team is projected to win the conference” at least once. Even Calipari himself has explained the situation of scheduling teams at the top of their conference and how the RPI influences that. Matt Jones isn’t the only one saying this.
62 & 63. I was getting ready to say the same thing. It’s really only 1 part of the defense that’s causing a small problem. That’s the perimeter shooting D. We’re getting around 8-12 blocks a game and around 8 or so steals per game. If we can get a hand in the face of the 3-pt shooters and force them to half of what they’ve hit so far, we’d win in blowouts. If opponents weren’t breaking Rupp Arena records and hitting 18 3’s in a game, we’d be fine.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Wow, Matt, you have more spin than O’Reilly. Miami was picked to finish toward the bottom of their conference and Morehead and Sam Houston are in conferences that get those 14-16 seeds. Stop trying to pretend like these are quality opponents that are being played. It is what I said all along, a new coach with all new guys is going to take some time to get good. They will be fine at the end of the year but there are going to be some major growing pains to get there.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I’m still super excited about this team. With that being said, I hope our inside defense isn’t looking so dominant because the tallest player we’ve faced is 6′7.
That will change in about 2 weeks.
Hope our bigs don’t get too big headed yet.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:49 am
[...] in Lexington, the fourth ranked Kentucky Wildcats (3-0) showcased both their youth and talent- beating hot shooting Sam Houston State 102-92. During the preseason, UK head coach John Calipari predicted that his team that starts three [...]
November 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
67-you’re either a fan of another team coming on here to start sh*t, someone betting on games and you’re mad because Kentucky hasn’t covered the spread, or you’re pessimistic person who’s kool aid glass is HALF EMPTY instead of half full. In March, if we beat these “14 seeds” and advance, no one will care if we only beat them by 10. We have room to improve and those improvements will come with time. Quit betting on point spreads, get a clue, and try being a little optmistic.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I may be wrong about this, but if I remember correctly, all of Cal’s memphis teams were top notch defensively.
I’m not too worried about it, I think they will come around.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Alright, let’s drop the defensive crap. If you score more points than your opponent, you win the game. Bottom line.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:07 am
For those that are bashing already….i’m glad that i don’t watch with you. Did you ever really think that the game was in doubt?
On to a positive coaching tidbit. Did you catch the comments about Millers shooting posture…he shot the ball well. Bledsoe shot the ball well. Along with Dodson and Pat shooting open jumpers, if they keep it up, then happy happy times.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:10 am
75- Wrong idea. If we can’t stop Sam Houston, How the hell are we gonna stop UL, UNC, and UConn?
74- Yes they did, but they also had slow starts (defensively) just like this. But they continuously got better, and were top notch by Conf play. And so will we…
November 20th, 2009 at 11:12 am
I think one of the things that bugs me the most is our players leaving their feet so easy on D. At one point in the game last night, Wall, Hood, and one other players were literally jumping circles around one of their players as he was trying to score under the basket. It’s actually pretty funny to watch if you go back and look at it.
We are blocking so many shots right now because we are so much taller, at every position, than the teams we are playing. So I am not all that excited about that stat. We are trying to block too many shots right now I think, and that will hurt us against better, bigger teams.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:16 am
73 Dude I’m happy. The blogger tells me these are good teams so I need not worry that they made over 30 three point shots. The margin of victoy means nothing to me. The blogger tells me we are young. A year ago the blogger told me to be patient, that the turnovers would go away. He happened to be wrong.
My point is, you can be a Great Coach, but still do a bad job now and then. I feel he has not done a very good job at this point, but I have full confidence, faith and enthusiasm that he will. His past reflects that.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:20 am
All is finally well on the homefront….complaining while we were losing and now whining when we win.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:26 am
78 Bledsoe blocked that much taller guy so hard the ball got stuck on the rim. I don’t think it’s the size difference.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am
80 Only 1 or 2 people are whining, most everyone else is happy. Time to stop judging UK fans.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:29 am
82) sorry for the judgement…..i’ve been reading the thread, not looking at the respective names.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:34 am
77. My comment = sarcasm with a little bit of common sense.
78. I understand the height issue when we have Orton, Cousins, & Pat inside. What about Bledsoe? He’s a 6′ even guard and I’d almost guarantee all the blocks he’s had this year are on guys bigger than him. Blocking shots isn’t all about being tall. It’s about being where you need to be at the right time. It’s mental, just as much if not more, than it is physical. That IS coached and I personally think it’s a highlight of this defense Cal’s WORKING on.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Wow! Apparently, everyone must have had to hit a 3 pointer against UK last night to even post on this blog. we need to get sh*t right with our perimeter ‘D’ & FT’s before playing UNC!
November 20th, 2009 at 11:36 am
83) no worries. I’m amazed myself. I’m enjoying the games despite the poor 3 point defense. You just get this feeling that the team can and will improve with time. I didn’t get that feeling the last 2 years.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
84) Bledsoe is the exception. I’m pretty sure he can block just about anybody.
My point was that when you are trying to block every shot, good players will eventually make you pay for it. They will blow right past you. It’s much harder to defend when you are jumping up and down all the time.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I like this team A LOT!… Patterson, Ramon, Stevenson… this is the type of issue that the senior leaders on this team have to step up and help these freshmen get it right. Obviously Coach isn’t getting thru to these guys. Maybe you should educate the freshmen on the difference between these non-conference opponents and someone like Tennessee, UNC or UCONN. We can’t outscore these guys and they will be here very very soon.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am
87. I get your point. I agree that keeping your feet on the ground more often keeps you more physically able to defend. I think this type of shot blocking is part of the D Cal’s trying to teach. Key word: trying. I too, have noticed the multiple players being off the ground going after a block. If you have good players (that are smart) around you, it’ll be alright to let multiple guys go up for those. I think we have that team.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
My last comment ont this topic. Comapare our bloggers comments above, to what he had to say nearly one year ago today.
— There are a lot of things that one can be depressed about concerning the Cats performance against VMI on Sunday, but what we saw on defense was cringe-inducing. I never thought I would see a Kentucky team allow 111 points on its home floor against a team of VMI’s caliber. For me, the most disheartening part of the performance was Billy Clyde’s rugged refusal to make any in-game adjustments to attempt to counter the offensive fury unleashed by the Keydets. Just as in the Gardner-Webb game last year, Gillispie was faced with a team whose only theoretical possibility of winning was to hit three-point jumpers and the Cats found a way to leave virtually every shot wide open. Matt Jones Nov 2008
November 20th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Cousins Is a Beast!…. but Patterson is a Beast Master!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
90) Completely different team. Completely different coach.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
OK Miami, Morehead, and SamHouston isn’t what you might call the MECCA’S of college BB, but damn folks at this same juncture last year we weren’t even in games when they shot the lights out. Cal said this was gonna be a learning process, and right now the “students” aren’t at that level yet. It’s been alittle over a month since they’ve started practices other than what a blind person can see, I feel this team has made progress from the first game to last night’s. Coach wants Defense, and still the point of the game is to score more points than your opponent, Correct? The D will come, be patient and enjoy. From last year to this year’s team I’m going to sit back and and yell my fking brainsout.
And from I watched last night which was the first half, had OSU had more size inside they would have made a better game out of it with Carolina…..GO CATS!!!!!!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
90. THEN: We lose those games we make mistakes in.
NOW: We win those games we make mistakes in.
Totally different scenarios to “compare.”
November 20th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Gillispie would have this team 0-3, no doubt. Look at Cal’s track record — he doesn’t lost to no-name opponents. Sure, these games are closer than you and your absurd expectations want them to be, but we’re winning; that’s all that matters to me.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
… lose … not “lost” …
November 20th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
to 68 yes NC is bigger than we are ….
pg drew 6-2 ….
sg graves 6-6…
vinyard 6-6
davis 6-10
thomson 6-9 ..
others averaging over 12 mins a game for them are zeller 7 foot ..the wear twins 6-10 each …john henson also 6-10 and can flat get up………… Last night for a 5 minute period they were 7-0 … 6-10 ..6-10 ..6-10..and 6-3 strickland was at the point so yes they are bigger than we are and we will never have orton and cousins in at the same time .. I just don’t see it..i’ll still take patterson and cousins over any 2 big men they have though …
November 20th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Darius Miller really needs to step it up. He is starting now for the Big Blue, although I’m not sure he has earned it. He has to be prodded by the coaching staff to become less passive on offense and his defense out on the floor is token at best.
My apologies to Rajon Rondo for thinking that John Wall is so much better than RR was as a freshman. While Wall does have more basketball skills, he is an awful defender. Rondo was a strong defender from the get-go at UK. I noticed several times last night Wall standing around guarding NO ONE in the half court. To the freshmen and sophomores, I say this is the University of Kentucky, get your shit right! Patrick needs to be The Man and take over this team. Too much AAU BS going on right now.