Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
As ridiculous as he is and as easy as it is to make fun of him, I think its time for me to give Pearl a little credit. Interestingly enough, this is the first time since the 01-02 season that a single team has taken out both a #1 and #2 ranked school, and Tennessee has been able to accomplish it in a season that has been tumultuous to say the least. While beating UT always feels good, I think we can all agree that the lost could have been much worse or have occured at a more pivotal point in the season and that the Cats showed a lot of gusto down the stretch coming back from such a large defecit.
Pearl and Calipari both had typical coaches responses after the game, giving credit to one another and to the players on each team.
Quotes courtesy of the Cahattanoogan.com, to go along with Cal’s comments below.
Pearl on the win:“I felt a lot of emotion visiting with the team after the game. This is a great effort. This was an important win for our program because Kentucky is such a benchmark in the SEC. ”
Pearl on Kentucky:“Kentucky is good. They are really good. They played Thursday night. They traveled. I think fatigue played a factor tonight. I thought that Kentucky did a better job against the zone in the second half. They continued to drive and pound. They are awfully hard to cover off the bounce. There are lots of ways to score against a zone other than the 3-point shot, but the 3-point shot certainly does open things up more. They were 2-for-22 from 3-point range, and that is a big factor. ”
Pearl on the keys of the game:“To hold Kentucky - who is the No. 1 field-goal percentage shooting team in the league and one of the tops in the country - to 35 percent is how you win the game. And for us to get 28 defensive rebounds versus their 14 offensive rebounds, that is a ratio we can live with. They rebound the ball at a much higher rate than that. That was a huge factor.
Pearl on the home environment:
“I think our team and our program was on display today. There is not necessarily a better environment in college basketball than Thompson-Boling Arena — as good as any. We do not beat Kentucky - or Kansas - without 22,000 here. It just does not happen. It’s what makes this one of the best jobs in college basketball.
Calipari on the loss:
“It was a great learning experience for our team. I thought Tennessee played great to start the game. They outhustled us to every ball and then we kind of fought back. In the second half, there was a breakdown again when they got up (by 19 points), and then we do not quit. That is all I can ask of my team. To think about that, and have a chance to win on the road, I am stunned. We had a couple of breakdowns that just drove me crazy - stuff we had worked on.
Calipari on strategy changes from here on out:“One is the way we started where they came after us and we were not ready for it. The second thing was in an afternoon game, which we can be in during the NCAA Tournament, we need to get up and have a shoot around. I do not care if we play Thursday or not. I decided not to have a shoot around.
Cal on Tennessee:
“But I do not want to take away from Tennessee. When it went 65-65, I thought we were winning. There was no question in my mind we were winning this game. And you know what, they made a play, a ball squirted loose - they had a guy who just took it out of our hands on the baseline. That means they wanted it more than we did. You have got to give them credit.”
Wall and Cousins after the loss:
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February 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
today is a good day for all orange teams
February 27th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
yeah im posting this again here too–i was in the game chat room and got in a debate w/ some goon about the good that can come from the loss. the guy (you know who you are) called me an idiot. well if you’re reading this buddy, you hear Cal’s last comments? like i said, trust me…
February 27th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
SO I GUESS KANSAS ISNT NO GOOD EATHER THEY GOT BEAT BY A TEAM THAT WASNT EVEN RANKED.LETS GET REAL OUR TEAM WILL BE JUST FINE, THIS TIME OF YEAR ITS DOG EAT DOG.FORGET THIS GAME AND BEAT GEORIGA BECAUSE THATS GONNA BE A TUFF GAME ALSO.GO CATS
February 27th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
We lose to a RANKED opponent on the ROAD after 1 DAYS REST and some think the sky is falling…
Some people need to chill. 27 & 2 for the love of Alecia Silverston.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Wow WTF KSR just go ahead and make every picture of UT players celebrating - This KENTUCKY website really appreciates it…
February 27th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Our season is over. No bouncing back for us. We suck. We’re overrated. Fire cal! Take away John walls scholarship.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
#1 you’s a bunch of stiches and we hates ya
February 27th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
#7 you’s is two……hahahaha I love the image you give me of UK fans.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I talked to Tubby and got his advise about my son playing for me at Tennessee. I just hope my son can be as good for me as Saul was for him
February 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I agree Martin - this lost could have been much worse…we did show a lot of gusto
February 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I challenge you to find a player with more talk and less game than JP Prince.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
What #4 said. Agree totally. This time last year we were crying. I’ll take 27-2 with these guys any day, any year.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Puke Orange - Eric Bledsoe and Demarcus Cousins are two players
February 27th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
I hope we see you in Nashville. We’ll stuff that orange up your ass.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
This was a very poor effort by a team that’s supposed to be good. To cave in to that bunch is very discouraging.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
they seem to forget miller is in the room and was a big contributer to making the comeback
February 27th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
17. 27-2 without you, wow wonder how much better we’d be with you?
February 27th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
DeMarcus Cousins sounds like a born leader to me. He doesn’t panic (he gets frustrated but he doesn’t panic). He is very confident in himself and his teammates. He has the respect of every single player on this team. I hope to see him step up more vocally in the games and lead Darius, Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Liggins when they aren’t in the right places on defense. He has this sense of calmness to him that those guys could use when they are lost on Defense.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Matt Pilgrim + DeMarcus Cousins = A Very Explosive Situation
There is no way in hell those two could possibly co-exist on the same team. I saw M. Pilgrim and M. Moses almost go to blows in a time out of the OK State/Texas game.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Pilgrim averages around 7 pt.’s a game… He had a good game today, but not a huge loss like some who like to whine when we lose make him out to be IMO
February 27th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Scotty Hopson is new enemy number 1.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
and what is up with that picture. Tatum giving maze a BJ while stroking Hopson??? I guess that’s how they roll in dirty Vol land.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
and what is up with that picture. Tatum giving maze a B J while stroking Hopson??? I guess that’s how they roll in dirty Vol land.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Yeah guess Tatum didn’t know about the pivot man in the circle. Hopson just found out he’s next.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Hey Pilgrim, Boogie does that every game, only he rebounds more.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Check out the camera man in the back. They’re makin an instructional vid on how to be a volunteer.
February 27th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
why was my makin a volunteer video comment deleted?
February 27th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
oh there it be, thanks
February 27th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Good come back from our guys! Shake it off and get back to work and everything will be okay. March is upon us! GO CATS
February 28th, 2010 at 12:14 am
excluding record and pride…it don’t matter. being the top seed in the big dance matters and that’s always been priority 1 this year. with the kansas loss, purdue’s injury and syracuse win, uk still has earned a top seed in the ncaaa tourney! crap it’s been awhile since those words have been communicated through out big blue nation. sec tourney..great..wish i was there but no matter the what team wins it, uk has a top seed in the big dance. everything changes from that point on. will our super freshman realize this? the 1 and done attitude needs be a mind-set of the team now. no holding back - no next day - no rematch. it’s 1 and done time uk!
February 28th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Nothing worse than losing to a bunch of wanna-be thugs. They dirty
February 28th, 2010 at 2:01 am
#31. That’s right on.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:03 am
Cousins looks like he is shaking whas wrong with him,,is he missing his after game some some,,,,is patterson still playing for kentucky or what,,all tham kentucky thugolicius players look like litle girls when they goten beaten by the real man today,,thas what you get when you play real man not a bunch of weak sec b,,,,,, tenn got them real Gs pus.. cats got them girls in dipers lol
February 28th, 2010 at 8:01 am
#34 Tennessee players all have a gun in one pocket and a bag of drugs in the other. Go down to the Tennessee department or corections and pick up a couple more recruits you’ll have a hell of a team by NCAA.
February 28th, 2010 at 8:43 am
I love Cal and wish he would stay forever, but today Pearl outcoached him. Pearl developed a plan to force us to rely on our below average outside shooting, had his offense patiently waiting for the high percentage layups and easy shots, and had his team rebounding the ball on the offensive end.
Fatigue and a road game played a factor, but in reality Pearl adjusted for us more than we adjusted for them.
I hate Tennessee, which makes the loss that much worse.
February 28th, 2010 at 9:07 am
The Vols in the Photo are celebrating their win and 9-5 conference record tying them with MSU for first place in the SEC West. They were distraught when they found out they are in the SEC East and the win moved them into a tie with Florida for third.
February 28th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Don’t you just love he trolls that come in here and talk their shit? We were flat from the begining, and like someone said I feel fatigue and a late Thursday game had everything to do with this loss. Prince shot out his perverbial ass and will never do it again. But the gist of the whole matter is we have to hit that outside shot…..Dodson was recruited as a shooter and for the most part had hit some crucial shots early in the season, but now I feel he’s might have lost some confidence where it up to Cal and his assisstants to get him back into the mix. To come back from 19 to tie the game I thought we played with a lot of poise and energy, just a few mistakes at both ends of the court done us in. NOONE HIT A HOMERUN EVERY TIME AT BAT! We’re going to be just fine. GO CATS!!!!!!!!
February 28th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
16 - I agree. If Miller doesn’t hit all those shots in the comeback then we lose by much more than we did. I was glad to see him hitting big shots with some confidence
February 28th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Scotty Hopson in Cousins’ grill. Game over. Enjoy the loss, you arrogant pieces of trash.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Scotty Hopson right in Cousins’ grill… GAME OVER. Enjoy the loss, you arrogant pieces of trash.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
That deserves being posted twice. LOL @ UK. Maybe Cal will make his FIRST Final Four that actually counts!?!?!?! The NCAA is going to take this program down because of Cal and http://WWW... it’s going to be hilarious. Enjoy the wins… until they are REVOKED!