Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
(AP Photo)
With the win over North Carolina, Kentucky proved to the nation that they’re not overrated. In previous games, the Wildcats really showed off their youth and inexperience with narrow wins over Miami and Stanford. The big question going into yesterday’s game was if North Carolina’s experience would outweigh the raw talent of the young Wildcats. That question was answered early on when Kentucky went on that 28-2 run. To the fan, the Cats looked great and most of us were ready to put them in the Final Four. But to Calipari, they are still not a good basketball team.
Josh Katzowitz of CBS Sports has a great article on Calipari’s doubt with some of the conversations from the game. (I linked to this article in the Sunday morning links, but did not really elaborate on it.) Some of the exchanges between Coach Cal and the players are almost hysterical:
After Wall was whistled for an offensive foul as he tried to drive the lane with 4:16 to play and a three-point advantage, this was the exchange between player and coach.
“What are you doing?” Calipari asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I know you don’t know. We’re trying to win this game. What are you doing?”
Then there is this one:
“We walked out of three timeouts, and guys were asking each other, ‘What play are we running?’ We did that three different times.”
But not all of the exchanges during the game were negative. Late in the game, the Tar Heels were closing in and Kentucky needed someone to step up. Insert Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe was clutch at the foul line late in the game. You have to love Coach Cal’s confidence in the freshman and the substitution move to put him in. Oh wait, Bledsoe subbed himself in?
“Coach,” he said. “Put me in.”
“For who?”
“For Darnell [Dodson].”
Calipari acquiesced.
“He went back in,” Calipari said, “and what did he do? He made his free throws and basically won the game.”
That’s unbelievable confidence from a freshman. (And unfortunate for Darnell.)
[Win over UNC should quiet Kentucky's doubters ... like its coach]
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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December 6th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Mike DeCourcy call’s John Wall the greatest point guard athlete … ever
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34298963/ns/sports-college_basketball/
December 6th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Just watch the Coach Cal show, it is unbelievable. What a difference a year makes. When Smirky was year, I always had the urge to order cotten candy and dodge elephant $hit every time his mouth opened. Cal is the maestro.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
great coach,
great players,
good game.
Go Big Blue!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I really have a love-hate relationship with Bledsoe. Reminds me a lot of Ramel when he was a freshman. He’ll totally kill us 2 or 3 straight possessions and then make clutch shots to win the game.
December 6th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I have a love-hate with the comments section on almost every article. There are so many UK fans out there who are the ones that make us look so bad. But then again I love to see all the other fans talking crap, because you know what that means? We are back, and it’s good to be hated!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Wereeeeeee Backkkkkk
December 6th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
i’m not yet buying the john wall “best ever” gaurd rage. is he well above avg.? absolutely, but i have yet to see any great “jason kid” type assist what-so-ever which is what makes a great point gaurd to me. patrick patterson carried this team yesterday and his name isnt even mentioned!! the cats were on a hell of a momentum roll at the start of the game and couldnt have kept that pace up with micheal jordan. it just seems all patrick has done and will do will be forever overshadowed now. remember the best blowout we had all yr was when wall had to set out? i wouldnt trade wall for anyone in the country but lets recognize we wouldnt be a top ten team without patrick or cuz either.
December 6th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
7. Completely agree. I love watching Wall. I love that he is Wildcat. But the truth is basketball in the NBA level is all about the flashy play. Wall feeds people’s hunger for those type of plays. That is why we see this media love for him. Patrick won that game for us. Wall helped. But Patrick was the player of the game IMO. The one thing I know- is it is a LOT of fun to be a wildcat fan now. That first half I swear I almost teared up. We had waited so long for that kind of basketball.
December 6th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
8. When we were on that 28-2 run in the first half yesterday, thats the most enjoyment Ive gotten out of a UK game in the last couple of years, minus Jodie’s 54 against The University of Garbage Workers
December 6th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
#7 I love Pat and he did a great job in the 2nd half when wall was hurting. He was clutch and definately a major reason that we held on for the win. But lets not turn this into a war of ego’s here. You don’t have to put one player down or down play their contributions. Pat did not win this game for us. Wall did not win this game for us. It was a combination of great plays by everyone. During that 28-2 run who do you give credit to Wall, Pat, Miller, Dodson, Cuz, or so on. It wasn’t one person. For example, NOBODY could guard Wall and he would penatrate into the lane and UNC would collapse, he would kick it to Miller for 3. If Wall doesn’t create the play it never happens, if Miller doesn’t finish the play, it never happens. I guarentee you Pat is not worried one bit about being “overshadowed” after what he has dealt with at UK. I also think he realizes that Wall is one heck of a special player, and I am sure that Wall realizes that Pat is one heck of a special player as well.
December 6th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
10) couldnt agree more. that is simply the point im trying to convey here. read every headline post on this site in the last 2 days and tell me where miller, dodson, orten, pat,cuz’es name is mentioned?? i certainly didnt mean to put anyone down. just saying it isnt a one man team.