Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
The SEC’s collective indifference to college basketball is hardly a revelation, but with Kentucky back in the driver’s seat and the conference slate commencing this weekend, let’s take a look at what is shaping up to be another mediocre season around the SEC.
With the swift, albeit expected departure of Florida from national prominence and Kentucky’s half-a-decade-long experiment in futility, SEC basketball has been living couch to couch in the sub-standard slums of mediocrity sharing a bunk with ACC football. All signs pointed to an improved brand of ball from the conference that plays basketball because it has to. Even with the half empty, dimly-lit gyms and perennial underachievement, the league seemingly made a collective step forward in the past couple of years axing an albatross of goobers like John Brady, Mark Gottfried, Stan Heath, Dennis Felton, and Tex Gillispie. In stepped a seemingly solid batch of up-and-comers to go along with college basketball’s version of Nick Saban, John Calipari. Just like the Crimson Tide in football, Kentucky is the league’s kingpin and everyone benefits when it’s healthy, and healthy does not even begin to describe UK’s unprecedented one-year turnaround thus far.
Nevertheless, with the pre-conference slate now finished it’s pretty evident that this will not the year the league makes a leap back to relative prominence, something even a shamefully weak non-con schedule could not hide.
Take the Cats out of the mix and Georgia’s upset of Tech in Athens last night puts the SEC’s total number of wins vs. ranked opponents this season at a robust 2 (Fl. over Mich St.). And the Dawgs are one of three teams (LSU, Auburn) that you could safely say had no shot at making the Dance before the season began. Every team outside of Auburn has at least one future pro on the roster but injuries, cops, and an overall history of not giving a shit still takes its toll.
Arkansas lost a heap of its production amid allegations of wanton hanky-panky but as we saw in a hard fought loss to Texas last night, the Hogs are at least capable of making a run at the West with PG Courtney Fortson back in the lineup. Rotnei Clark is one of the best shooters in the nation and F Michael Washington is being projected as a 1st rounder but battles the occasional bout of not giving a f—.
South Carolina dismissed starting forward Mike Holmes and lost their 2nd best player when Dominique Archie blew out his knee. Devan Downey is a nice player who will miss Michael Porter dearly. NIT, here they come.
Who knows what will come from the mess in Knoxville, but you’d have to think Tyler Smith and Co. will be sitting for a while with plenty of time to reflect on what might have been over a bottle of hypnotiq and a freshly wound blunt. Scotty Hopson and Wayne Chism might be enough to get the Vols to the dance, but without Smith, its very doubtful. Bobby Maze, hah!
Miss State at 12-3 looks decent, but their pre-con. schedule was nothing short of a bakery. It’s pretty shameful really, and though we can throw out the bad loss to Rider to open the season, losing to Richmond and Western is alarming. Rick Stansbury seems intent on filling the void of underachieving left by Mark Gottfried.
At Vandy, A.J. Ogilvy continues his steady decline averaging just 12 and 5 so far. The junior is more like an Aussie version of Woo (sans the huggable qualities) than the 1st round lock he was projected to be after his freshman season. The Dores really only have one bad loss (WKU) and they have the back court to stay in thick of things.
Florida opened our eyes with the early season upset of the Spartans, but come on, if you think a frontline of Dan Werner and Chandler Parsons can hold up in this league then you must be a white supremacist. Pillow-y soft, inexperienced, and inconsistent from 3 is a killer recipe for the NIT.
Ole Miss has one of the nation’s top backcourts which makes the Rebs the favorites in the West, and although we know they’ll ultimately fail to meet expectations, they’re the only other SEC squad worthy of a ranking and can certainly pull an upset of just about anyone if the mood is right.
So, to recap: Kentucky will be favored in every league game this season, WKU and Richmond could go .500 in the SEC this year, Anthony Grant and Mark Fox were great hires, Arkansas should improve but finds itself in an immense hole, Florida, Ole Miss, Miss St, UT and Vandy will compete for 2nd place and the right to lose the 8/9 game in the 1st round of the tourney, and there will be no UGA/LSU improabable run in the SEC tournament this time around, and the over/under on total teams in the Dance is 4.
SEC Basketball, folks.
John W. has been a KSR contributor since its inception in 2005, formerly writing as the Intern. He recently moved back to his native Lexington simply for the chance to party on Euclid and Woodland. He can be reached at jawilk2@gmail.com
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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January 6th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I feel the mediocrity whenever I open up a thread from BTI.
The SEC is painful this year but I still think we may hit a couple snags in conference play. Playing on the road in any conference is tough and we will have a few off nights.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
at least if the Vols don’t make the tournament they have budding careers in the rap game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXrrFSYO_WA
January 6th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
So, I guess this means you are no longer “the intern??” maybe you are “assistant to the intern??”
January 6th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Does anyone know what:Rod Council,Willy Williams,Chris Vaughn & Scott Long,Montrell Jones,Mario Urritia,Breno Giacomini, & Table for two Rick all have in common?
January 6th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
BMaze- What an effin clown!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
pearl’s vols won’t even sniff the NIT
January 6th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
the constant slapping of white players and their abilities on this site confirm that most the writers on here are just “high school “want-2-be” nerds that never played the game in their life and feel one’s athletic worth is based on how high one can jump. fundamentals and smarts go a lot farther in actually winnning! just look at duke or any of the international teams that kick the very best athletes asses this country has to offer! now if you have both smarts and athletic ability, you have a deadly combination (john wall, mr jordan etc)
January 6th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
1) And you know some teams that can’t run with us will make a point of trying to get to Cousins and Bledsoe, and if Wall and Patterson get in foul trouble, the team gets a little unhinged.
But the upgrade at the PG position alone should make even the close ones this year a huge upgrade over last year.
Plus all the teams expected to challenge us have had their issues (UT, USC, Miss St still not having the one kid cleared).
January 6th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Is there any chance that Renardo Sidney will end up playing for Mississippi St. this year? If so, that could change the picture in the west in a significant way and provide a little more competition for UK.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
What’s this I hear about Wall may stay another year???
January 6th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
7.) I’d take the fastest, strongest, most athletic player over a slow smart player every time!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
#7) Duke is nothing more than an average team.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
12) Duke beats uk 9 out of 10 times if they played this year
January 6th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
#7- Good Luck with the “White Only” recruiting strategy at Duke.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I feel a nerd fight coming on!!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
13) At what Lacrosse ???
January 6th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
#13–Okay, I am tolerant of others opinions and welcome them if they would like to debate. That being said, have your lost your mind?
January 6th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
11 – you would take OJ Mayo over Bird?
AAU is filled with freakish athletes but the majority have very little clue on how to play ball.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Scheyer is smarter then Wall and his smarts make him more talented then Wall
January 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
13 = Troll
January 6th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
13. We’re good in the regular season but then we fizzle in the tournament. It’s been over 5 years since we have reached the Sweet 16.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
19 – You lost anyone who may have taken you seriously with that moronic comment. Did you seriously think before you typed that sewage?
January 6th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
John Wall rejecting Duke’s scholarship offer has really upset you I see.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
18 – I would take lebron over bird in a heartbeat
13 – you are an idiot. I think if you asked coach K that he doesnt even think that duke could beat UK 9 out of 10.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
7, so you think Werner and Parsons are good enough to carry Florida this year? And I’m looking at Duke, and how they haven’t been past the sweet 16 in 5 seasons.
9, it’s hard to see Sidney getting clearance this late in the game, but certainly that would improve State’s stock, but they should’ve been able to run clear through their non-con schedule without him. They currently have 0 “quality wins.”
10, come on man.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
20. Yup
January 6th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
19)You have some comedic talent that is being wasted on the internet.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Eistein was smarter than Wall but when it comes to basketball, I will take my chances with the “dumb one”.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
7) Your fundamentals can be great, but if you can’t keep up, and all your threes get blocked, well, “smarts” only go so far. Fact of the matter is that at the elite level, most of the starters/major contributors are African American. While your Duke’s and Gonzagas start more whites, they’re the exception that proves the rule. Anyone can learn to play smarter, but you can’t learn to be taller.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
UK blows, they’ll get beat 6 or 7 times in the sec and won’t make it past the second round of the ncaa tourny
January 6th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Just kidding guys. I know Duke is highly overrated – like always.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
If smarts make you more talented than other players than how come the NBA is not crawling with IVY league graduates?
January 6th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Matt
Could we keep the racist Duke fans from posting on this site?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Almost forgot that we have been a two seed or higher four out of the last five years and we still can’t beat the lower seeds. Such is the life of a group of slow white boys
January 6th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
You think so much much of Duke that you put the “biggerblue” in lower case once again showing your inferiority. Duke will be lucky to beat UNC twice this year. Sure UNC got beat by CofC the other night but it was without two of their players.
MM is that you? Things slow in Mexico so you come here to drum up new material?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Sorry guys, I know I’m pretty gay.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
30. Ha, we beat you already. Now run along filthy card
January 6th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
13) If we’re playing at Duke where they get every charge, maybe. But Sheyer would look a lot more ordinary against us, and I wager even UNC in a down year will show just how good Duke really is.
Also, is it just me or do the so called Cameron Crazies gasp and get upset at regular defensive plays by the opponent team, as compared to most knowledgeable fans who mostly get mad at the bad calls?
18) Yeah, because taking one of the top white players in the modern era and comparing them to a young black player (and not one of the top ones) is a fair comparison, anyhow. And Bird wasn’t a so-called “slow” player, anyhow.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
WKU is already .500 against the SEC. And I wouldn’t consider a loss against an rpi of 54 a “bad loss”.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
siva will be the better nba star over wall
January 6th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
At least no one on our team has a “poop tooth”.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
UL Fan Dan, I hear Shively is gonna get the worst of this winter storm coming in. Please abandon your park bench, the YMCA is more than glad to have you.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Where’s Boogies forearm?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I love Siva’s linebeard it makes me hot
January 6th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
UL fan dango–please ship some of that stuff you are smoking to the east. Sounds like some good stuff.
Oh and by the way, you don’t own a new camo Copenhagen hat do you?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Skoal brother
January 6th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
LOL, the no sign in name has made this amazingly hilarious
January 6th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
43. I hear you were just trying to scratch your ear with your knee when Cousin’s face got in the way. Bad break for you.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
say what you want, but at least siva doesn’t break into homes like wall does…siva isn’t a criminal
January 6th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
my coach just gave me the infamous red scarf for duty in the face of a forearm
January 6th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Siva has not been tazed yet unlike some of my lil playmates
January 6th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
45. That guy was an idiot. He wouldn’t shut up about the dip, his spitter or the Copenhagen hat.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Coach says UL fans don’t spit. At least on the table.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
53. hahahaha, that was great
January 6th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
coach said he’d take us for the porcini’s special if we got boogie ejected
January 6th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Siva wouldn’t need to break into a house. That circus midget could just enter through the doggie door.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Just kidding guys. I’m a total douche.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Coach says ulfandan has to clean the table after we are done
January 6th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
57) You must be one of the ones that wirtes the ul players on facebook…what a low life
January 6th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Wall had no choice but to break into a house for a little strange–he did not know the owner of Porcini’s.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
59) Speaking of low lifes, did you guys know there are actually people who root for Louisville? I mean, people who have seen them play and still think it’s worth spending 4 hours a week watching them. Man, I wonder what that’s like.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
coach says we have to learn to write before having a facebook page
January 6th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Which team made it to the elite 8 last? UL or Uk? hmm…Which team made it to the tourny last?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
um 63. When was the last NCAA title for the tards? 1986? When Reagan was prez? How about ONE final 4 since then. Face it- you ghetto commuter school thugs are irrelevant.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Rivals has their Positional Rankings up, and Pat and Wall are Top 3, but Cousins is placed at 8th for centers. I did a little research, and here is how our guys match up with the Nations best per position:
NAME FG% REB ASSIST BLK STEALS PT AVG
JOHN WALL 51.9% 3.8 7.3 0.4 2.4 17.2
SHERRON COLLINS 47.4% 1.9 4.2 0 1.5 13.8
JON SCHEYER 45.5% 3.7 6.3 0.3 1.2 18.8
SCOTTIE REYNOLDS 46.8% 3.2 3.9 0.2 1.5 17.6
KALIN LUCAS 51.0% 1.9 4.1 0 1.2 16.1
NAME FG% REB ASSIST BLK STEALS PT AVG
COLE ALDRICH 55.9% 10.1 1.2 3.8 0.7 11.1
GREG MONROE 45.9% 9.8 3.3 1.7 1.3 14.8
JARVIS VARNARDO 64.7% 10.9 0.9 4.9 0.7 14.3
JAJUAN JOHNSON 54.5% 7 0.6 2.2 1.1 14.7
DEMARCUS COUSINS 54.1% 9.6 0.8 1.8 0.8 15.4
NAME FG% REB ASSIST BLK STEALS PT AVG
LUKE HARANGODY 51.5% 9.8 2 0.8 0.7 25
DAMION JAMES 49.1% 10.8 0.9 0.9 1.6 16.7
PATRICK PATTERSON 63.0% 8.3 1.2 0.9 0.4 16.7
CRAIG BRACKINS 48.2% 8.3 2.8 1.5 0.8 17.4
ED DAVIS 63.1% 10.2 1.3 2.9 0.5 15.2
Boogie shows he belongs with the Top 5 C;s in NCAA
January 6th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
63 OMG that is the funniest line I have seen on here yet. Loks like we have to let little brother live in the distant past just a few months longer. When was the last time UL won the NC? Were you even alive then? So last year the number 1 seed filthy Cards made it all the way to the elite 8? We to exceed expectations! GO back to your south end basement eat your government cheese, and dream about big brother.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Pearl is trying to get a work release program going for the rest fo the year.Kiffin is very interested also.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
UL fan dan….you just made my day. I love UL fans.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Testing 1, 2, 3……
January 6th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
those UT players are probably upset about not getting conjugal visits from hostess in jail
January 6th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
66) when is the next time uk will be put on probation? let me answer…next season!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
10 Stages of denial
1. Our Freshman point guard is better than John Wall
2. Oh no, Our freshman point guard has the flu
3. Samuels will dominate the inside
4. Sosa for 3 swish opps airball
5. Cousins is a bad boy
6. The referees are giving this game to the cats
7. This game was stolen from the Cards
8. Wait until all the one and dones are gone
9. This game will be vacated by the ncaa
10. Your football team is not as good as ours(will be)
ITS GOOD TO BE THE KING!!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
After your wife cheating, baby killer coach goes to the NIT this year, Loserviile will have gone to the NIT 3 out of Slick Rick’s 9 years. LOL Stick that in your meth pipe and smoke it, ghetto boy.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
good news now ulfandan is already up to stage 9
January 6th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
UL fan dan. Willing to wager on that probation bet? Go ask your dad if you can borrow $50.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
This is why….This is why…..This is why…. Matt won’t let you boys comment on a recruit posting.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
How can you continuously say WKU is a “bad” loss? Correct me if I’m wrong, but isnt this the SAME WKU team that has 3 STARTERS from a Sweet 16 team two years ago, and FOUR Starters and the SIXTH MAN from a team that came 2 seconds away from beating Gonzaga IN PORTLAND to advance to their SECOND Sweet 16 in two years, with an RPI of 52??? Im sorry, but over the last four years your so-called “bad loss” has been arguably the BEST TEAM in the state. When was the last time UK and WKU played? Do you remember? Well, it was a loss, a “bad” loss FOR UK…WKU 64 Uk 52…
January 6th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I can’t fathom why you would go to another team’s message board other than to stir the pot. I guess Fairdale High School isn’t monitoring the web usage huh Danny?
I can however only think of three reasons to go to a UL site:
1) A webinar on how to grow/groom a chin-strap
2) The origins of the hand signal “loser”. Many years have passed where people thought the symbol was holding your index finger up with your thumb out. Little did the world know that a small collection of wannna-b-thugs led to the enlightenment that you add your middle finger next to your index for the full signal.
3) How to take a Top 10 NBA pick and turn him into a European 3rd rounder (thank you Samardo Samuels)
January 6th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
WKU is a good little program. But you can’t and never will be in the same conversation as Kentucky. You are a mid major, pat on your head isnt it cute, program. No shame in that at all. But you do not belong with the big dogs like UK. Now run along little topper, UK has titles to win.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Girl who sat in Matt’s lap during the podcast
January 6th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
79 OUCH but true
January 6th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
79) That’s how I talk to my dog. Good burn!
January 6th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
#79… HAHAHA! Great one… crying on the floor over here!
January 6th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
77. Must be Eric The Red, he is the only Topper fan, that I know of, to come on this site to talk smack.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
#76, Foghorn Leghorn?
January 6th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
read new sports illustrated… pearl says some of convicts could be re-instated to play tonight. any body heard if he did this?
January 6th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
No smack talking to/about UK and it’s “classy fans”, I do expect UK to receive No. 8 SOON, if not THIS YEAR. Just pointing out to John W that losing to WKU should not be considered a “bad loss” anymore…but living here at “The little University that CAN” it bothers me that after 2 fantastic year in a row of Giant Killing WKU is STILL a bad loss??? Ask Kevin Love and UCLA if we belong with the “big dogs”. How about Bruce Deuce and the Vols? While your at it call up Varnado and Miss St, or ask Mark Few and Gonzaga if we belong. GO TOPPS
January 8th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
If UK is going to run the SEC Table..I’d say this will be the year. I don’t see ANY bumps in the schedule–at home OR one the road.