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.