Looking to Sunday

Just finished watching UNLV pull off the upset of Louisville at Freedom Hall. As much as I wanted to see the game go to triple overtime so the Cards would be worn down come Sunday, I do see a reason for hope. Catch Louisville on a bad shooting night, and the game could be close.

I did find it ironic that Pitino bolted for the tunnel right as the game concluded instead of staying on the court to shake hands with Lon Kruger and his team. The players were classy enough to stay out, why didn't Pitino?

My prediction:

I look for more fight this year compared to last. Pitino's comments earlier in the season regarding Gillispie should fuel the fire for a Kentucky team that is looking for its first quality win of the season.

Louisville on the other hand will be on the rebound after this close loss tonight and given the game is at Freedom Hall, Kentucky still is the team who has to prove their case.

Louisville by 5-10.

Week in Review:

• I did get my wish Monday night. DeAndre Liggins got the start and did exactly as I expected, and the entire starting cast was yanked after Central Michigan built up a 13-4 lead. Hopefully this will be a humbling experience that leads Liggins to buy into the coaches gameplan.
• Landon Slone is quite possibly establishing himself as the best on ball defender on the team. His defense and spark off the bench allowed Kentucky to claw back into the Central Michigan game early on. Add him to the list of candidates to emerge as the mysterious third scorer behind Patterson and Meeks.
• A team that I look for to be a tough conference out made its case earlier this week with a 96-88 victory against Oklahoma. Arkansas, led by Paintsville native and former Kentucky great John Pelphrey, is well on its way and is likely going to be a team that will give the Cats trouble come SEC play.

I will have commentary available after the Louisville game on Sunday night, if not then by Monday.

Two more in the books

Kentucky posted two more victories, one in the annual Freedom Hall game in Louisville against the Michigan beaters of Appalachia State, and again last night with the trouncing of Tennessee State. The star of the week would have to go to Jodie Meeks, who has really taken his game to another level with unbelievable shooting prowess.

For the statheads, 46 points, 9/12 from three, and 9/10 from the charity stripe against Appalachia State. Then follow it up with 32 on 10/19 shooting two days later in Lexington against a Tennessee State team that put fear into SEC colleague Alabama. It was also nice to see Patrick Patterson chip in another double-double(33 points, 11 boards).

While Meeks did cool off in the second half of the Tennessee State game, one thing is for sure. When Jodie Meeks is hot, he is an All American bar none. However, when he is not on his game, he has to relinquish control or otherwise the Cats will struggle. This is not to take away from his performance over the weekend.

Other items of note, some involving Kentucky recruits:

• Despite the King of the Bluegrass tournament, the biggest attraction was the battle of two Kentucky commits at Memorial Coliseum. Dakotah Euton and Vinny Zollo, similar players with only a year separating them, battled it out with number 1 Scott County prevailing 79-59. Zollo notched a double double with 12 points and 11 boards, while Euton finished with 18 points and 7 boards.
• Another Kentucky recruit did make headlines at the above mentioned King of the Bluegrass. Jon Hood, the top recruit for 2009, notched double-doubles of 36/11 and 35/13. If Kentucky could keep the current team intact with Pilgrim coming in, Hood and Daniel Orton could be difference makers if the team keeps improving.
• In addition, Louisville suffered another loss, this time at the hands of Tubby Smith and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are now undefeated. While I was never a fan of Orlando while he was coach here for reasons I listed back last year, he is still a class act and I will pull for him to succeed as long as he is not playing Kentucky. That being said, I believe the Louisville game will serve as a barometer for how we will perform the rest of the season.

If we lose big, we still have a ways to go.

If we can keep it close and still lose, we will have made progress.

If we win, things are really going to be looking up heading into SEC play.

Next game will be against Florida Atlantic on Saturday and Central Michigan on Saturday. It will be imperative for Kentucky to win those games before the Freedom Hall matchup against the Cardinals.

Until next time...

Quiet Week

Sorry for the lack of posting this week, but even with the redemption of last years embarrassment at Assembly Hall, there really isn't much going on due to finals week in Lexington.

As for the Indiana game, two things really stuck out, one of which being DeAndre Liggins. Since the start of the season, I have been calling for Gillispie to give Liggins and Miller more playing time going forward. After reading more into the situation and watching the second half of the Indiana game, I have reconsidered that notion and believe Liggins needs to mature a bit before assuming a starting position.

When I lived in Kentucky, shortly before moving to West Virginia, one of the local Christian schools in the area attracted a 7th grade point guard from across the river in South Point, Ohio. To say this kid was talented was an understatement, and in the process this small Christian school in Ashland, Kentucky made a name for itself on the national level. However, while the kid had this talent, he constantly clashed with the coach of the team, even though at times the coach was right.

If you haven't figured this out yet, the kid I am referring to is now a starting guard for the Memphis Grizzlies and is the likely favorite to win Rookie of the Year. His name is OJ Mayo.

Now what does Mayo have to do with Liggins? Attitude. I'm not comparing the two in terms of their abilities. Anybody in the Bluegrass State or anywhere who saw Mayo play knew he would have a future in the NBA barring injury. However, even during his senior year in Huntington, he never fully matured. Yet due to his "phenom" status, he was able to market himself effectively for a potential NBA career.

There is a difference though. Even after arriving at USC, Mayo already had established himself as a difference maker. DeAndre Liggins has yet to show that, both in college or the high school/AAU level. Bottom line is, Mayo has the credibility to back his game up, Liggins does not. I would also venture to say that if Mayo had played at Kentucky last year, he would likely have Liggins spot on the bench for the very same reason.

For those worried that Liggins might transfer, I would say he has a better shot of declaring for the NBA Draft. Raw talent is what the NBA looks at, and Liggins does have that. My guess is he will wake up eventually and realize Gillispie is right and ultimately win a starting spot by SEC play.

The other thing I noticed from the Indiana game was the opposite start. During the Miami and VMI game, and even Mississippi Valley State, Kentucky would struggle out of the gate and turn it up in the second half. This time, Kentucky got ahead early yet struggled to finish. I credit that with Liggins trying to take over the game, but also the fact that this is the worst Indiana team in recent memory.

Speaking of which, the cloud over Bloomington got even darker with the drug allegations by Eric Gordon. The Kelvin Sampson era just got another bar lower. I will admit that I really feel sorry for Tom Crean and hope he does turn things around in Bloomington. While I didn't want him at Kentucky due to the similarites of our former coach, I believe his style of play likely will fit the Big Ten and will in time restore Indiana to prominence.

I'll hopefully post something regarding the Wolverine Beaters sometime after Saturday.

Have a good week.

BCS Bowl Predictions

Breaking from UK discussions for a bit, here is my predictions on the bowl games(winner in bold):

Eaglebank Bowl: Wake Forest vs Navy.
New Mexico Bowl: Fresno St. vs Colorado St.
St Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs USF
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs Arizona
New Orleans Bowl: SMU vs Troy
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs Boise St
Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame vs Hawaii
Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs Central Michigan
Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina vs West Virginia
Champs Sports: Florida St vs Wisconsin
Emerald Bowl: Miami vs Cal
Independence Bowl: Northern Illinois vs Louisiana Tech
PapaJohns.com Bowl: NC State vs Rutgers
Alamo Bowl: Northwestern vs Missouri
Humanitarian: Maryland vs Nevada
Holiday Bowl: Oregon vs Oklahoma State
Texas Bowl: Rice vs Western Michigan
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs Air Force
Sun: Pitt vs Oregon State
Music City Bowl: Boston College vs Vanderbilt
Insight.com Bowl: Kansas vs Minnesota
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Georgia Tech vs LSU
Outback: Iowa vs South Carolina
Gator Bowl: Clemson vs Nebraska
Capital One: Michigan State vs Georgia
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs Texas Tech
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs East Carolina
International Bowl: Buffalo vs Connecticut
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs Ball State

Now for the BCS:

Rose Bowl: Penn State vs USC

I've always been a Joe Paterno fan, but USC is deeper and faster than anything Penn State can dish out. If Mark Sanchez can keep from turning the ball over, this one could be over before it even starts.

Prediction: USC 28-13

Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech

Brian Kelly is one of the leagues brightest up and coming coaches and whether he will be coaching at Cincinnati or a higher profile job in five years will be seen. The Big East has not been as strong as people thought and the Bearcats mettle will be tested against a Hokie defense that is always tough.

Predicton: VT 20-10

Sugar Bowl: Utah vs Alabama

Sorry folks, no mid-major upset in the BCS this year. Like Brian Kelly, Kyle Whittingham will soon be on a list of potential coaches. However, the speed of the Crimson Tide will keep the Utes at bay.

Prediction: Alabama 34-7

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs Texas

For once, Ohio State doesn't get to play an SEC team in a bowl game. Expect Will Muschamp to direct a Texas defense into coaxing freshman QB Terrelle Pryor into making mistakes to give the game to the Longhorns and send the Buckeyes to their third straight bowl loss.

Prediction: Texas 21-10

BCS National Championship: Florida vs Oklahoma

Say what you want about the BCS, this couldn't be a more picture perfect national championship. Florida's spread offense vs the high scoring Sooners of Oklahoma State. However, just like Ohio State the past two years, Oklahoma will not have an answer for the speed of an SEC defense. Doesn't help the Gators also have a homefield advantage.

Prediction: Florida 42-24
MVP: Tim Tebow

Weekend Wrapup

With the Cats playing two games at Rupp with less than 24 hours in between, Kentucky struggled to come back against Miami (Fl) and had to use a 17-1 run to put away the winless Mississippi Valley State.

So what happened?

The Miami game was respectively similar to the VMI debacle earlier this season. Kentucky got down by a considerable margin, went on a run, and almost pulled off the comeback. Outside of the North Carolina game, this team has shown that if they can keep the margins between 5-15 that they can mount a serious run to keep them in games. The problem is, this is something that cannot continue.

Three trends that I noticed in this game:

1. Just like the UNC game, Kentucky tried to turn it into a horse race instead of feeding to Patterson. The numbers don't lie either, with Meeks and Liggins combining to go 2/20 from deep. Running down the court and trying to take contested three's isn't going to win many games.

2. When Patterson would get the ball, Miami's defenders immediately zoned in on him. This is where Perry Stevenson or Josh Harrellson could have had monster nights, specifically Harrellson. Kick the ball into Patterson, and let Patterson give it up to Stevenson on the inside for some dunks, which did happen. The other option would be kick it out to Harrellson, who can drill it from 16-17 deep.

That is where I believe Gillispie may have played a hand in costing Kentucky the game. I applaud him for benching Meeks to start the second half, as he clearly wasn't playing within the team. However, Harrellson only logged eight minutes during the first half and never seen the court in the second half. AJ Stewart replaced Stevenson and quickly picked up a foul setting Miami up for the bonus. Had Harrellson played more, he and Stevenson would have benefitted from the coverage of Patterson and would have had some easy baskets.

3. Jack McClinton torched Kentucky to the tune of 23 points. However, most of those came in the first half. Kentucky implemented a zone defense that shaded 2-3 players to keep him off balance.

Some final notes:

• I didn't get to see the Kentucky-Mississippi Valley State game today, but my impression is that the team was drained after the Miami game and it showed. A Kentucky team with full rest more than likely would have had the game in control from the onset.
• Another factor for Kentucky to have success this season is finding some gems on the bench, and I believe Gillispie did that today. Some of these walk-ons I believe could really flourish under Gillispie's tutilege, especially Landon Slone. These are the players who are going to give everything regardless of what is asked for the simple reason that they grew up here and know what Kentucky basketball is about. It's what made the "Unforgettables" unforgettable and has even given the Kentucky teams of the past true leaders.
• On the football side, I hate to be the pessimist, but Kentucky is going to have its hands full with East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl. This is the same team that stifled the high powered WVU offense earlier in the season. Needless to say, even with Randall Cobb, Kentucky isn't even on par with West Virginia. This will be a chance to see one of the top up and coming coaches in the league in Skip Holtz as well.

Oh, and I like the black uniforms.

Early week thoughts

With Kentucky winning two easy games against Delaware State and Longwood, then highlighting the Vegas Tournament wins against Kansas State and West Virginia, here are some thoughts involving the Cats going forward.

However, before I start, I'm going to focus on something that I believe may ruffle some feathers. Why the Lexington media dislikes Billy Gillispie. The De'Andre Liggins fiasco has been the hot topic across UK message board this past week, after he pulled a Stephon Marbury by refusing to check in. It is ironic that both happened in the same week, but the difference is, Marbury has since been kicked off the team. Liggins played the following night. Liggins has also shown he can be a difference maker running the point, unlike Michael Porter.

To be honest though, I don't believe we will ever hear the full story. Getting your information from Jerry Tipton is similar to getting it from the horses ass. Even the Cincinnati Bengals beatwriters are more professional in light of Mike Brown. I have never seen journalists so hellbent on trying to smear Gillispie and even resort to throwing a young player under the bus for what could be a stupid mistake.

As I said, we will not likely ever know the full story unless Liggins becomes NBA talent overnight and someone with credibility asks about it.

To those who are drinking the Tipton Kool-aid, let me ask you this. Dusty Mills was kicked off the team last year for laughing with Mike Williams(also gone) while Ramel Bradley was injured against Georgia. Gillispie did make the right decision there and was villified for it by the Lexington press. Now Liggins makes a mistake, is admonished, yet the same people are calling for more action. What is wrong with this picture? Either:

1. Gillispie is a hypocrite for how he handled the Mills situation and is willing to give the All Americans second, third, or fourth chances.


2. The Lexington media is trying to make news rather than report it.

To quote Benedict Rick, "Tubby Smith is not walking through that door"...

Other thoughts not involving the Liggins situation:

• If Kentucky is going to be successful once they reach the gauntlet of SEC play, they are going to need production from somebody other than Jodie Meeks or Patrick Patterson. A third player is going to have to step up on a given night to take the load off, or Kentucky is going to lose some very winnable games. The good news is, Kentucky may have that player already in Darius Miller. I believe the Monster Mash comparisons could hold up if Miller is able to gain the confidence to succeed, and that is growing each and every day.


• Kentucky plays a very easy December schedule, not venturing outside of Rupp Arena until January to play Louisville at Freedom Hall. The marquee game will be Saturday when the Cats entertain Miami. Indiana could be a challenge with Tom Crean coming to town, but Kentucky could easily go 10-2 before taking on Pitino again.

• Speaking of Little Brother U, the Cardinals were upset by Western Kentucky 68-54. I'm going to choose not to rub salt in the wound of our rivals given WKU beat us once upon a time with Patrick Sparks running the point. However, Louisville strikes me as a team that is extremely vulnerable, and the Hilltoppers exposed that. Collapse on Samardo Samuels and force Louisville to live or die by the three. It might work come January.

I will post more thoughts following the Kentucky-Miami game.

Items of Note

Ok, with the "new direction", here are a couple of points.

Anybody who is calling for Billy Gillispie's head right now, sit down and shut up. I challenge you to go onto Youtube and find the video of Dick Vitale when Tubby left for Minnesota, commenting on how there were some "wacky" Kentucky fans who would accept nothing more than a National Championship every year. I know a lot of people weren't very happy with that comment, and I wasn't either, but anytime you want to lambast Billy Clyde two years into coaching this team, you are lending credence to Dick Vitale and what he said.

When it comes to new coaches, whether its high school, college, or the Pro's, I always follow the three year rule:

• Year 1: First year, so you should expect to start getting your system in place. The players you have are your predecessors, and they may not be too happy with the decisions being made. You are working to keep them from bailing, getting them to buy into your system, and working to get players with the right attitudes who will fit your system.

• Year 2: You should start to see some improvement. The players have had a year in under your system, so they should be showing the results. You also have some of your players in as well.

• Year 3: You had better start producing right away. If Gillispie hasn't accomplished anything by this point, then I would be ready to go the direction of Notre Dame and look for a bigger fish.

Even with the VMI game, however, I did see improvement in some areas. This team is better conditioned than last years team, and once last years team would have gotten behind, there would have been no catching up. FWIW, Virginia did beat VMI 107-97. They won, but it does prove that VMI is a high scoring team, one that happened to get hot at Rupp last Friday.

Now for the bad. Two things really stood out in the North Carolina loss for me, one of which was the play of Jodie Meeks. Meeks struck me as somebody who was starstruck that night, taking bad shot after bad shot to send Kentucky spiraling further and further into oblivion. I don't know if Gillispie let him take over the game, but Patrick Patterson has become the forgotten man in Meeks unfortunate stardom. If this was Gillispie's game plan to get into a horse race with UNC, it failed miserably, and in the process failed to capitalize on the fact that North Carolina played two freshman in the frontcourt that could have been exploited.

Bottom line: Play small ball, slow the Tar Heels down, and feed it to the big man. Patterson has a monster night, and the game could have been a lot closer.

The other thing that stood out for me was the lack of PG play, which is best illustrated by the play of Michael Porter. Everything I have heard about Porter personally is that he is a good kid. He is, however, unfit to play point guard in the SEC, much less start. Tubby had the right idea recruiting him as a shooting guard, as he was an excellent shooter coming out of high school. As a ballhandler, he is a liability on the floor, and has shown no improvement in this area.

I would like to see more of DeAndre Liggins. He is likely our PG for at least the next two years unless Vilarino impresses or Gillispie somehow magically lands John Wall or somebody top ranked in the 2010 class. Liggins strikes me as being in the mold of Derrick Japser (who I believe most Kentucky fans miss right now) and would be better served to play through and learn on the run.

Hopefully things will be better tomorrow against Delaware State. We can only hope.

Cheyne

A Semi-New Direction

I know it has been a while since I have posted, but with basketball season already underway and two Kentucky losses in the books, I feel it is time to start back up again.

I've changed the name of the blog because I didn't want people to ultimately confuse the name with Alex Legion, but also because I wanted to make a new identity in the blogging world. Hopefully within the next month you will see more changes in regards to the overall layout of the site and possibly other improvements.

Which leads me to this: I have frequented several UK message boards in the past three years. A common trend I have seen is that anybody who speaks out against the program in any way gets an automatic timeout. Doesn't matter if it carries any merit or not, these message boards are "Pro-UK". You couldn't criticize Tubby Smith or Billy Gillispie because recruits read these websites and form opinions, yet every post is trying to make a veiled criticism while saying "Come to Kentucky *insert player here*. And God forbid if you even criticized a player.

I can understand some frustration from some who haven't even made it on campus yet. Ever since Dakota Euton commited, so called message board "scouts" were critiquing him like he was an art exhibit. It took his dad to post on a message board to basically tell these people to get a life.

So what is the direction? Basically, if I feel something isn't being done right, I am going to call it like I see it. It's one thing to be Pro-UK and not allow fans to speak unless its all lovey-dovey, but all it accomplishes is disallusioning yourselves into believing recruits and their parents can't see through the smoke and mirrors. You need to look no further than Gardner Webb last year and VMI this year.

A Story From Close to Home

Ok, I know it has been a while since I have posted, but life gets the better of me sometimes.

I started this blog originally to cover the Kentucky Wildcats and other news in local sports that I found interesting, but being that I am a fan of the Big Blue living in the land of the Flying WV, I feel necessary to comment on the situation involving the Rich Rodriguez situation.

To tell the story, the week before the game against Pitt was sheer pandemonium in the state of West Virginia. People that I went to school with were already booking their hotel rooms to New Orleans and planning their vacations the week of the BCS National Championship. I kept telling people that the season wasn't over and not to overlook Pitt, because they were the type of team that could give the Mountaineers problems. Of course, people thought I was nuts, but whatever. One person that I respect made the comment "Coach Rod will not let his players overlook Pitt" with sheer cockiness.

A week later, I felt like a prophet, as Pitt held West Virginia in check for a 13-9 victory at Mountaineer Field, pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season and eliminating the Mountaineers from the national championship hunt. Of course, you know the rest of the story, as Rich Rodriguez decided to bolt and head to "The school up north" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

As a Kentucky fan, I can hardly blame Rodriguez, even though he was leaving his home state. The man is aiming to increase his prestige in the coaching circles, and he would not accomplish that in Morgantown. The Michigan letterhead represents so much in college football similar to the UK letterhead in basketball. People want to be a part of that tradition, which opens the eyes of a recruit such as Terrelle Pryor. Pryor ended up committing to Ohio State, but Rodriguez never would have had the chance to land him at West Virginia.

Then the lawsuits were filed. Here were some of the allegations:

Shredding of paperwork on players. Since the college already possessed this information, there was no need to pursue it.

In addition, Rodriguez called recruits from WVU cell phones to inform them of his decision to take the Michigan job.

The biggest allegation was refusing to pay back 4 million dollars from a buyout clause insisted upon by booster Ken Kendrick, a Princeton WV native who is a general managing partner for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kendrick was a major Rodriguez supporter and lashed out in the media over the hiring of Bill Stewart. Rodriguez had no shot with this one, yet pursued it like there was no tomorrow.

Finally, when both Bill Martin, the AD at Michigan, and Mary Sue Coleman, the President were asked to give depositions by West Virginia University, a settlement was reached. Some will look at this and wonder what would have been said by the powers that be at Michigan, but it is over.

So who won? To be honest, nobody. West Virginia got its 4 million, which will buy a ton of toilet paper and couches in the near future. However, in a lawsuit of this magnitude, the court of public opinion also results in backlash over a Mountaineer fanbase that is viewed as bitter rednecks that couldn't accept losing the same coach that had choked away a national championship chance. A lot of promises were made by Ed Pastilong and Joe Manchin to keep Rodriguez in the mountain state when Alabama came calling, but how many of them were actually going to be fulfilled? Which in turn gave Rodriguez an excuse to get out.

Rodriguez finally settled an ugly divorce from his previous employer and has left an entire state alienated by his actions. However, these are the same fickle fans that wanted Terry Bowden(son of former WVU and current FSU coach Bobby Bowden) to be leading the team. Truth be told, that was probably who Ken Kendrick wanted as well. If Rodriguez wins a national championship and beats Ohio State into submission in a couple of years(depending on whether or not OSU can adjust to the spread option), he will be welcomed back into the state with open arms.

Michigan is also finally able to move on. The only thing that has me wondering is if they view Rodriguez or for that matter John Beilein as full time fixtures or someone that is easily replacable down the road. They didn't bail out Beilein(even though his amount was lowered due to WVU getting a better coach in Bob Huggins), but I really wonder how committed the University of Michigan is to their coaches.

Now looking at the future. Bill Stewart is the head coach at WVU, and is a far more likable figure. I never liked WVU due to Rodriguez and his arrogance, yet I will pull for the Wolverines when they play Ohio State every year. People can claim WVU got caught up in the emotion, but I disagree. This program was left in shambles by Rodriguez, whether people want to admit it or not. The last thing the program needs is every recruit dropping their commitments, losing players such as Noel Devine to transfer with a new coach coming in. He isn't being paid like a Terry Bowden, and will most likely be used as a buffer to keep the program running smoothly until it is time to name a successor.

A Depressing Evening in Sports

Allow me to recap how my evening has went so far, as a fan of both the Kentucky Wildcats and the Cincinnati Bengals.

• I got home from work around 5:30 this evening and on WSAZ, a press conference is on to announce that Patrick Patterson is finished for the season after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot. While it is entirely possible for Kentucky to still make the NCAA tournament(no team with 10 wins in the SEC has been left out of the tourney), it has completely dashed the confidence that had been built up over the past two months, even with the letdown in Vandy.

• A positive though, NFL trading and free agency is open. The Cincinnati Bengals acquired Shaun Rogers from the Detroit Lions for a third and fifth round draft pick. Rogers is a nose tackle that fills a glaring need and all but signals a move to a 3-4. Has some weight problems, but a two time pro-bowler nonetheless.

• In other Kentucky news, a player that Kentucky was in the lead for in 2009, DeMarcus Cousins, a top 5 center from Alabama, gave a verbal commitment to UAB. Wish him the best of luck, even though the odds of him being successful in a Memphis dominated C-USA are pretty well slim.

• Then I get online again to read that the Shaun Rogers trade has not only been called off, but Cleveland has gotten in and stolen him from the Bengals. Whether the league canceled the trade or the Bengals backed out I am not sure we will ever know, but the only positive is now the Brownies are out of first day draft picks.

And to think, a rematch with Tennessee, no Patterson, in Knoxville Sunday at noon. All I have to say is "Thank God I have to work."

The Day After the Worst Loss Ever

Fortunately, I was at work last night, so outside of highlights, I really have nothing to base the game on.

Looking at stats though, when a team shoots 55% from the field compared to 34%, it's generally going to be a very long game. Three of your best players who had double figures combine for 42 points while Vanderbilt has four players in double figures with 64.

Other production notes: Derrick Jasper plays 29 minutes with only 2 POINTS. AJ Stewart plays 21 minutes and only scores 3. Perry Stevenson, the comeback player for Kentucky, only plays 12 minutes before fouling out.

Bottom line is, Vanderbilt is one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. While they can get white hot and scorch Kentucky like they did last night, they are also capable of laying an egg like they did in Rupp. Of course, even watching the highlights, some of the calls looked pretty questionable, which is what you will get on the road. Kentucky will head to the Bayou tomorrow to face an LSU team that deposed of its head coach last week, so whatever adjustments need made will be done by then.

One positive out of the whole loss is that the program to the north of us may be headed for a date with the NCAA for recruiting infractions. If Indiana was smart, they would call a press conference today to announce Sampson's firing, but it won't happen until the season is over.

Random Midweek Thoughts

First off, the big issue since before the Super Bowl known as "Spygate". It was reported earlier in the season after week one that the Patriots were filming the Jets trying to steal the plays, giving them an advantage over opposing teams who may have been doing carrying about business in a professional manner. The NFL basically gave the Patriots a slap on the wrist, losing a first rounder and levying a fine against Bill Belicheck and the Patriots organization. If the Patriots would have missed the playoffs, they would have been stripped of a second and third round pick, which really would have hurt them a lot more than losing a late first rounder.

Now a report surfaced the day before the Super Bowl that a former employee that he videotaped the Rams final walkthrough back in 2002. In addition, the evidence from the Jets game was destroyed by the NFL, leading Arlin Specter and Congress to suspect a coverup?

First question being asked- Why does Congress care why the tapes were destroyed?

Anti-trust. The NFL rakes in billions of dollars worth of subsidies every year, which in a way is a tax reduction. This is how teams are able to pay Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, and others ridiculous contracts. In this case, picture the Chicago Black Sox scandal, which is more or less on the same level, except the league destroys the evidence. Congress is creating subsidies for what is described as a competitive sporting league, so if there was evidence that the NFL was rigging games for one of their largest media markets to win, shouldn't somebody speak up?

Worst case scenario, Congress pulls their support in both baseball(steroids) and football and you will see contracts that are a little more sane.

In SEC news, John Brady is out at LSU. Couldn't have happened to a better person. If you are a Kentucky fan like me though, don't get your hopes up waiting on J'Mison Morgan to decommit and give Kentucky an inside presence to go along with Patterson. Tim Floyd or Anthony Grant will likely be the new coach down in the Bayou and both will likely keep the recruiting class in check. Floyd would be the most intriguing, since there has been a wealth of talent coming out of Louisiana recently and his experience with the NBA and in recruiting would be a welcome addition to a school who let one big fish get away to DC.(Greg Monroe)

In regards to Kentucky's game, they did something I never thought would be possible. In addition to setting the season record for turnovers with 24, they somehow managed to win the game. The previous high this year was against Vanderbilt with 23, but they had two overtimes to factor in as well. I have been one of the most vocal about Ramel Bradley being one of the worst players to don a Kentucky uniform since Saul Smith, but with his recent turnaround, you have to admit that not only was he missed greatly Wednesday night, but he would have cut the turnovers down by close to half against an Auburn team that isn't overly impressive.

It's simple folks, if Kentucky can get the turnovers down, opponents will not score off of those turnovers, and the margin of victory will expand higher than maybe three points. Problem is, I can see Richard Hendrix and Alabama giving Kentucky a lot of problems tomorrow on the inside, and I hope Bradley is back.

Midweek Thoughts

One thing that stands out always about Kentucky basketball is the nicknames associated with different teams throughout the history of the program:

Some of the most famous:

Rupp's Runts: Named after the Baron of the Bluegrass himself. No starter on the team over 6'5, this team rode a 27-1 record before losing in the national title game to Texas Western. This team was significant for the fact that it also matched an all white starting lineup vs an all African American lineup, a first in the history of the game. If you want a better recap, watch Glory Road.

The Unforgettables: After a two year absence from postseason play, Kentucky made it all the way to the Elite Eight, losing to Duke in a game that still haunts Kentucky fans to this day. Three of the four starters, John Pelphrey, Richie Farmer, and Deron Feldhaus, were from small towns in eastern Kentucky and perfectly describe the work ethic that Kentucky fans have come to expect.

Some other teams include the Season Without Celebration, where Kentucky won the national championship in 1978, but there was so much focus on winning that nobody celebrated(and UK fans wonder why the media criticizes them). Some of the more recent include the Incredibles(96 championship team), the Unbelievables(97 runner up) and the Comeback Cats(98 championship team).

Some of the nicknames have been negative of late. The last two seasons under Tubby Smith have been called Team Turmoil and the Unwatchables, in that order.

My question is, if Kentucky finishes on a high note and does manage to make the NCAA tournament, what would you call this team?

My vote is for the Blue Collar Cats. The reason being the work ethic that is exemplified by the coach and the hard work being done by everybody, even those who had been sold short earlier in their careers. I don't see this team advancing far in the NCAA tournament if they even make it, but I do think they are playing with a different fire that was missing earlier in the season, especially against Gardner Webb and San Diego.

This Saturday against Georgia will determine how Kentucky will fare on every road contest the rest of the way. After beating Tennessee and South Carolina in the confines of Rupp, their renewed confidence will be put to the test on the road and how this team responds in a hostile SEC environment will ultimately determine how long this team plays in March. Kentucky can ill-afford another loss, even though I believe they will drop at least one against Vanderbilt or Tennessee. They need this win against Georgia to keep their slim NCAA hopes alive, but if the same team shows up that did against Florida and Mississippi State, it may be time to pack in the season.

Things will improve, but once Billy's recruits make it to the floor and his system has taken full stride, we will then see the full effects.

Cheyne

Tennessee/Random Thoughts

Chalk up another signature win this season for Billy Clyde Gillispie.

Last night's win over Tennessee at Rupp coupled with the double overtime win almost two weeks ago against a previously unbeaten Vanderbilt squad, I think it is safe to say the monkey is off Billy Gillispie's back.

For now.

It has taken into Southeastern Conference play for this team to start to mold into the type of team that Gillispie wants to put onto the court. This was a game that Kentucky really needed for a confidence boost that I believe will get them through the rest of the SEC schedule, assuming the win doesn't go to their heads. It is going to be a tough road to win the SEC and qualify for the NCAA tournament, but any rational basketball fan that watched the game last night knows that Kentucky is starting to turn the corner.

That being said, thoughts on the game:

The biggest weakness in Kentucky's lineup may have been filled last night with the play of Perry Stevenson. When Perry first committed to Kentucky to go along with Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks, I thought he had a potential of another Louisana product who had went pro that year in Tyrus Thomas of LSU. Instead, he played more like Sheray Thomas, who really never contributed much over his time at Kentucky. His problem over the past two seasons has been a lack of assertion in not stepping up his game, but the past two games against Florida and Tennessee, Stevenson has been absolutely fearless and has not been afraid to take the ball up. I think it is safe to say that Stevenson should beat out Mark Coury for the starting job.

For those knocking Tubby for not recruiting Chris Lofton, please consider the following. In 2004, Kentucky had the no 8th, 13th, and 15th ranked players in the nation coming into that season, along with another four star point guard from New York. Those recruits were Randolph Morris, Joe Crawford, Rajon Rondo, and Ramel Bradley. Chris Lofton was a 6'1 shooting guard, undersized for that position and possibly more suited for the point and was viewed as a bench player for Kentucky. With the exception of Mason County, if Kentucky would have offered Lofton a scholarship over any of these four AT THAT TIME, Tubby likely would have been rode out of the state quicker than he was last season. That being said, while I think Tubby was a less than stellar recruiter and unfairly judged talent, I cannot fault him for not offering the Mason County star a scholarship. Bottom line is, nobody, not even Rick Pitino(who also did not offer Lofton), knew that Chris Lofton would go on to break the SEC record for three's in a career and lead Tennessee from mediocrity to ranked in the top five.

On a somewhat lighter note, what do you get when you mix blue and orange? The answer is Maysville, Kentucky. I had read that in a blog last year and it definitely stuck last night when they showed at I believe Wal-Mart a Kentucky section with a little bit of Tennessee orange apparel in the back of the room. Of course, this is the same state that made Bruce Pearl a Kentucky Colonel, even though Buzz Peterson recruited Lofton to Tennessee.

One thing I will say about Bruce Pearl, while I don't particularly care for his attitude, especially last night with letting the players wear earrings during warmups and letting his players get into a pissing match with the Kentucky fans, he is a coach that is not only good for the SEC, but also college basketball. He is a players coach, and I do believe that he as well as Pat Summitt would coach for free if it were financially possible. Kentucky fans may find him obnoxious and jump him for crossing the state border to find talent, but I doubt you will find Billy Gillispie(much less any of the players) covered in body paint at a girls game in the near future.

As I mentioned, I had faulted Tubby for not being a judge of talent. He did not pursue Corey Brewer, who likely would have committed if offered, because he thought Brewer wasn't physical enough to play in the SEC. Billy Donovan thought otherwise and offered him, and the rest is history.

If you want to consider how far Kentucky has fallen, consider that we are fighting to keep our own talent in state. For the first time that I can remember, Kentucky is generating top high school talent capable of playing on the Division I level. We had to hire Tracy Webster away from Illinois in order to land Darius Miller, the other Mason County star who will provide instant depth next season for the Cats. Scotty Hopson, who is ranked 11th in the nation by Scout.com and is from Hopkinsville, verbally committed to Mississippi State early in the recruiting process but has yet to sign and is being heavily recruited by Tennessee. Bud Mackey, the top senior point guard from the state champion Scott County and outdueled OJ Mayo last season, committed to Indiana before the whole cocaine incident. Even Dakotah Euton, the Rose Hill product who has eased the loss of OJ Mayo from people in Ashland, said that before Kentucky hired Gillispie, he was considering Florida and Duke, and he was a Freshman in high school!

I know people are saying Hopson is a headcase and most everybody in the state knows what happened with Mackey, but bottom line is, if you are a perennial power, you have to keep the quality in-state talent in state playing for the state school. Now, Hopson may prove to be uncoachable and Mackey will likely never play on the major college level, but a proven coach would have been after these kids early in the recruiting process instead of letting our neighbors beat us to the punch.

Another reason I am for local talent is the tradition of Kentucky basketball. I do believe that Billy Gillispie, a man from the Henry Iba coaching tree, has respect for the traditions and considers it a true privilege to coach this team. Patrick Patterson is another one who I think shares in that as growing up in Huntington, he is close enough to the state to understand what this team means to the state. I do not believe players like Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, even though they are seniors, understand that it is a privilege to play at Kentucky and are playing just to make themselves look good. Players like Darius Miller and Dakotah Euton are going to play hard because they understand and respect the program and I don't see that in many of the players on this team.

That about wraps it up,

Cheyne

NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Figured I would try my hand at this. I look for Miami to trade the pick, possibly to New England. They have no problem parting with draft picks and the Dolphins need all the help they can get. Look for the no 7, a 2nd, 3rd round pick, and a first and second rounder to go to Miami for McFadden.

*1.New England(from Miami)-Darren McFadden(RB-Arkansas)
2St. Louis-Jake Long(OT-Michigan)
3Oakland-Glenn Dorsey(DT-LSU)
4.Atlanta-Andre Woodson(QB-Kentucky)
5.Kansas City-Ryan Clady(OT-Boise St)
6.New York Jets-Chris Long(DE-Virginia)
7.Miami (from NE via San Francisco)-Sedrick Ellis(DT-USC)
8.Baltimore-Matt Ryan(QB-Boston College)
9.Cincinnati-Keith Rivers(LB-USC)
10.New Orleans-Mike Jenkins(CB-USC)
11.Buffalo-Malcolm Kelly(WR-Oklahoma)
12.Denver-Kenny Phillips(S-Miami)
13.Carolina-Brian Brohm(QB-Louisville)
14.Chicago-Sam Baker(OT-USC)
15.Detroit-Vernon Gholston(DE-Ohio St)
16.Arizona-Derrick Harvey(DE-Florida)
17.Minnesota-Reggie Smith(S-Oklahoma)
18.Houston-Jonathan Stewart(RB-Oregon)
19.Philadelphia-Jeff Otah(OT-Pitt)
20.Tampa Bay-DeSean Jackson(WR-Cal)
21.Washington-Kentwan Balmer(DT-North Carolina)
22.Dallas (from Cleveland)-Felix Jones(RB-Arkansas)
23.Pittsburgh-Duke Robinson(G-Oklahoma)
24.Tennessee-Early Doucet(WR-LSU)
25.Seattle-Rashard Mendenhall(RB-Illinois)
26.Jacksonville-Calais Campbell(DE-Miami)
27.San Diego-Quentin Groves(DE-Auburn)
28.Dallas-Limas Sweed(WR-Texas)
29.San Francisco (from Indianapolis)-Mario Manningham(WR-Michigan)
30.Green Bay-Aquib Talib(CB-Kansas)
31.New York Giants-Leodis McKelvin(CB-Troy)

Comments:

• I know the Andre Woodson pick sounds like homerism, but the fact that he is working to improve his stock while Brian Brohm and Matt Ryan sit out I believe will have an impact. In my opinion, Woodson will overtake Brohm as the second best QB and possibly overtake Matt Ryan as well.
  
• As a Bengals fan, I would love to see Keith Rivers or Sedrick Ellis in stripes next season. However, if Ryan Clady were to fall, the Bengals would have to seriously consider using a first rounder on the Boise St. product. Willie Anderson isn't getting any younger and the running game was abysmal due to the line collapsing. Cincinnati needs defense, but they need to take the best player who can help them right away on either side of the ball.
  
• I have the Patriots trading up for McFadden, which is sad given the rich will get richer. The Patriots showed last year they have no problem parting with draft picks to get the players they want, and in two cases it paid dividends by getting them the 7th overall pick this year, plus netting Randy Moss for a 4th rounder. That being said, I will be surprised if Bill Parcells decides to keep the 1st overall pick with so many holes to fill, especially if New England and potentially Dallas offer more picks to get them out.
  
• Speaking of Dallas, they have some issues on the offensive side of the ball I could see being addressed. Jerry Jones may not get McFadden, but Felix Jones isn't likely to disappoint if he is there late in the first. Terry Glenn is older and Terrell Owens is starting to head past his prime, and if Jessica Simpson doesn't leave Tony Romo soon, there could be turmoil in Dallas considering TO's history with QB's(Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb say hello).

I will have comments on the Kentucky-Tennessee game sometime Wednesday hopefully.

Cheyne

Florida Game Thoughts

A couple of thoughts.

On the positive: One thing that is different from this years team compared to last year is the hustle. It has taken some time for the players to buy into Gillispie's system and his workout routines, but he is demanding their respect and they are busting their asses for him. Last year's team would have given up and likely would have been blown out by the second half, and there are still signs of it, but nowhere near on the same level.

Once this team gets some quality depth and another big man to complement Patterson, I believe that Kentucky will be on the rise again not only in the SEC, but also nationally.

Now for the negative: Last night's Kentucky-Florida game was the tale of a veteran laden Kentucky squad versus a rebuilding Florida team that featured no seniors and seven freshman. In these types of battles, senior leadership generally wins out. Not at Kentucky. When two of your top senior leaders are playing like freshman at times(not just this game, but the entire season), you will not win many games.

Injuries have been crucial, especially since Jodie Meeks, Derrick Jasper, and to a lesser extent, Patrick Patterson, haven't been playing at 100% health all season. However, if Kentucky is ever going to win on the road in the SEC, they are going to have to learn to accept the adversity and the home-cooking that comes with SEC road games. I'm not making excuses for the Florida and Mississippi State losses, and if the games had been played at Rupp, fans of the said schools would have been claiming worse.

That being said, I do believe Florida is a year or two away from being dangerous again. I do not think we will see anything similar to the "Band of Brothers" again (btw, nice to see Joakim Noah getting some "brotherly love" from his teammates in Chicago), but Florida has the pieces to make a deep title run in a year or two. Nick Calathes I believe will eventually go down as one of the most hated Florida players by Kentucky fans in the same category as Noah and Matt Walsh.

One thing that I am optimistic on, I do believe that the losing streak to Florida will end on Senior Night. Florida will not get the same calls that they got last night in Gainesville and the stakes are going to be too high for Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford to let the crowd down at Rupp. The youth of Florida will show up at Rupp Arena and I look for Kentucky to come out on top.

Cheyne

Defending the Kentucky Fans(Tubby Smith's Departure)

This is quite a bit overdue, as the non conference schedule is past and we are into SEC play, but there is an issue that has still been bothering me.

On March 22nd, 2007, four days after being eliminated 88-76 by Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Orlando "Tubby" Smith decided to resign as head coach of the University of Kentucky and accept a "new challenge" as he called it, rebuilding a Minnesota Golden Gopher program that was decimated by the recruiting antics of Dan Monson. Immediately on Sportscenter that evening, the very first person interviewed was Dick Vitale, who immediately praised Tubby for winning five SEC titles and averaging 26 wins a season. In addition, Vitale called out Kentucky fansfor their expectations, comparing them to the Yankees in baseball.

Vitale is right on some points. The expectations at Kentucky are very high, but with those expectations come some of the greatest benefits in college basketball:

• Being able to coach at the winningest program in college basketball history (second to UCLA in NCAA tournament titles).
  
• The ability to recruit the top players in the nation.
  
• A top notch brand new on-campus practice facility.
  
• Being able to follow in the steps of coaches such as Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, and Rick Pitino. Yes, Sutton shamed the program and Pitino is a traitor, but their records speak for themselves.
  
• Being able to play in a downtown arena that leads the nation in home attendance.

In addition to these benefits come the most passionate fans in all of college basketball. Former coach Rick Pitino called Kentucky fans the "Roman Legion of College Basketball". However, with those passionate fans come the expectations, sometimes unrealistic, of leading a team to prominence. Inheriting a roster led by Wayne Turner, Jeff Sheppard, and Scott Padgett, Tubby Smith did just that and took the Wildcats in his first year to their 7'th NCAA Championship.

So what went wrong? Well, as much as people back then would have become furious for even mentioning it, Tubby Smith won that championship with Pitino's players. It sounds like an excuse, but the players that Pitino had left over were still very impressive, just not as much as the 1996 and 1997 teams.

Tubby did have success with his own players, most notably in the 2002/2003 season when his team went 32-4 and went undefeated in SEC play, and would have likely made the Final Four if not for the efforts of Dwayne Wade and an injury to top scorer Keith Bogans. Two years later, Kentucky would again make it to the Elite Eight, losing in double overtime to Michigan St.

Tubby is a successful and accomplished coach, but while his winning is well noted, there are several flaws to Tubby Smith while at Kentucky:

1. Recruiting: You cannot deny the impact that the NBA has made on recruiting. In the day and age of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tracy McGrady, top teams were forced to adapt constantly to the changes being made and Tubby decided instead of going after players who were only going to be there for one year to pursue lesser players who would fit his system and would stay all four years. While Tubby did not go after the one and done players, the players he did recruit did well. Gerald Fitch, Chuck Hayes, Cliff Hawkins, Erik Daniels, Derrick Jasper, and Jodie Meeks are all talented players and three of the first four players have seen time in the NBA. The one recruiting class that consisted of four top recruits, Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, Rajon Rondo, and Randolph Morris, eventually ended up being Tubby's undoing.
   
2. Style of Play: Tubby's style of play, known around the state as "Tubbyball", focused primarily on slowing down the tempo of the game on offense and pressuring the opponents on defense. This was a major turnoff for Kentucky fans who loved the up-tempo style of play that Rick Pitino made popular. Because of this style of play, the scoring distribution was fairly even with no single player dominating a game. Top players that Tubby did pursue nationally began to spurn Kentucky, most notably Tyler Hansborough and Brandan Wright, who committed to North Carolina and cited Kentucky's style of play as a reason for not committing.
   
3. Conditioning: This is something I believe that Tubby needs to address if he is ever going to be truly successful with "his" players at Minnesota. Whether it was because he substituted freely and the players didn't have the motor to compete, or that the death of John Stewart (a commitment who collapsed and died during a high school game) possibly could have affected him in how hard he pushed his players, Tubby Smith teams constantly appeared out of shape and could not play against more physical teams. If you want proof of this, check this years team with Coach Gillispie versus last years team.

These three things led to an overall decline of the Kentucky program in the last two years. Another reason that fans were not too fond of Tubby, unfortunately, is race. I personally do not share these views, but people in the state of Kentucky were not too thrilled to learn that the person coaching in "The House that Rupp Built" was black. You may not find many of these people in Lexington, but get further away from the central part of the state and you will find it still lives.

In closing I leave you with this. Living in West Virginia, people are still bitter over the messy divorce involving Rich Rodriguez leaving WVU for the Big Ten and Michigan. However, the administration at Kentucky is not doing the same insane things that WVU has been claiming since Rodriguez left. It seems like every week something new is surfacing, and whether true or not, some people need to just let go and move on. I wish Tubby the best at Minnesota, and I think his style of play will work well there. I just hope that he adjusts his conditioning, or he will run into the same problems there that he fell into at Kentucky.

Thank you for reading.

Cheyne

First Post

A little bit about me and this blog.

I am currently living in Parkersburg, WV after spending the first 18 years of my life in the great state of Kentucky. It was in Kentucky that I discovered my first true love, the sport of Kentucky basketball.

This blog will cover primarily sports concerning the University of Kentucky, but primarily basketball with a little football thrown in between. Also, I may decide to cover other news in the professional, collegiate, and possibly high school sports world depending on the nature of the story, but this blog will primarily deal with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Thank you and I hope you find the thoughts on this blog somewhat enlightening.

Cheyne S.