LETS HELP A WILDCAT

By GOCSM

WHY IS IT THAT ALL THE KENTUCKY MR. BASKETBALL(S) ARE NOT IN THE (KHSAA) KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL ATHELETIC HALL OF FAME? WHY IS IT THAT ONLY 7 OF THE 14 MR. BASKETBALL(S) THAT ATTENDED UK ARE IN THE HALL OF FAME?

GOOD AN VALID QUESTIONS AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND I HAVE A WAY YOU CAN PLAY A MAJOR PART IN THE PROCESS. LETS GET STARTED.

THERE IS A 10 YEAR WAITING PERIOD BEFORE A PLAYER IS ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION. AS OF THIS YEAR ANY PLAYER THAT WAS SELECTED MR. BASKETBALL ON OR BEFORE 1999 IS ELIGIBLE. THE BOARD OF CONTROL MEETS DURING THE STATE TOURNAMENT AND ARE GIVEN THE POOL OF PLAYERS TO BE CONSIDERED. THEY HAVE TILL 15 MAY TO HAVE THEIR CHOICES SUBMITTED TO THE KHSAA OFFICE IN LEXINGTON. THE CLASS IS NORMALLY RELEASED IN EARLY JUNE.

THE BOARD OF CONTROL IS 20 MEN AND WOMEN MOST OF WHICH ARE ADMINISTRATERS IN VARIOUS SCHOOL SYSTEMS AROUND THE STATES 16 REGIONS. THERE IS A COUPLE AT LARGE APPOINTED MEMBERS.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD IS MR. LONNIE BURGETT lonnie,burgett@mayfield.kyschools.us WHO IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MAYFIELD. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 1967 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL TEAM FROM EARLINGTON.

The VICE PRESIDENT IS DAVID WEEDMAN dave.weedman@shelby.kyschools.us WHO IS THE DISTRICT ASSESSMENT COORDINATORFOR THE SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM. THEY HOLD THE KEY TO WHO IS SELECTED FOR INDUCTION.

I RECOMMEND AND SUGGEST YOU E-MAIL EACH OF THESE MEN AND ASK THEM TO SELECT BILLY RAY LICKERT 1957, RANDY EMBRY 1961, DIRK MINNIEFIELD 1979 AND WINSTON BENNETT 1983 FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME.

I HAVE USED THIS WRITE IN APPROACH FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND HAVE SEEN 3 MORE OF OUR BELOVED MR. BAKETBALL PLACED IN THE HALL OF FAME INCLUDING TWO FOR THIS YEARS CLASS WHICH BOTH ARE UK WILDCATS—PAT DOYLE 1959 AND JOHN PELPHREY 1987.

YOUR EFFORTS AND ANYONE ELSE YOU CAN PERSUADE TO PARTICIPATE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY ME, THE KENTUCKY MR. BASKETBALL FRATERNITY AND THE PLAYERS.

Bubble Bursting? UK loses to LSU 73-70

It was another heartbreaking loss for the UK Wildcats, one that saw their coach bench his starting point guard and starting power forward to start the second half, for the more defensive minded Ricky Galloway and Darius Miller. Perhaps frustrated with our inability to shut down more athletic point guards we have encountered at South Carolina and now LSU, BCG went with the taller, quicker, Galloway and he and Miller immediately made their presence felt. Playing a team that is ranked 18th in the land; and looking much better than that, UK battled back from a first half deficit and ALMOST pulled it out…But alas, it was not to be.

The first half found UK trailing and in danger of getting blow out like they did at SC…Patrick Patterson came up big in the first half to keep it closer than it should have been. Even at that, UK again suffer a 1^st half scoring drought of over 4 minutes that would ultimately doom them.

UK let a 10 point second- half lead get away, that they had build on the strength of a stiff defense led by new starters Galloway and Miller. UK came out on fire defensively, and their offense began to click. The newly minted defense seemed to inspire the Cats, as they mounted a second half lead that saw them seemingly take the game in hand…But the guys from LSU hung tough, and riding the hot hand of Marcus Thornton tied the game up in the final seconds with possession. Thornton milked the clock to seven seconds before passing Tasmin Mitchell who hit the game winning shot.

For the most part in the second half, the fans were treated to some inspired basketball by some players that wanted to win…Alas; they just came up 3 points short; Jodie Meeks missing an off-balance 3 that would have tied it at the buzzer.

For UK, it was another disappointing finish, now losers of 6 of their last 9 SEC games, and needing a super effort in the SEC tournament, not to mention finishing the season with two wins.

Meeks an Oscar Robertson Candidate

The complete list of finalists:

DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh (Soph., Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Sherron Collins, Kansas (Jr., Chicago, Ill.)
Dante Cunningham, Villanova (Sr., Silver Spring, Md.)
Stephen Curry, Davidson (Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Tyreke Evans, Memphis (Fr., Chester, Pa.)
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (Soph., Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (Sr., Poplar Bluff, Mo.)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (Jr., Schererville, Ind.)
James Harden, Arizona state (Soph., Los Angeles, Calif.)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Jr., Clinton, Md.)
Jerel McNeal, Marquette (Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky (Jr., Norcross, Ga.)
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (Jr., Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania)
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (Soph., Indianapolis, Ind.)
Evan Turner, Ohio State (Soph., Chicago, Ill.)

FANDOM NOT IN QUESTION— TEAM PLAY IS…!

We have been right here some of us…We were here when Adolph was here, and we were here when Joe B. was here, and Eddie S, and Rick P, and BCG…We’ll be here when the last one is here I suppose, and I can assure disgruntled fans there is no reason for you not to be.

For those of you who backed the former coach to the very end, this is the perfect time to jump up and say, “I TOLD YOU SO”. Go ahead, it’s a free country…:)

But let me remind you this is OUR team, and the backbiting among us only makes us look disjointed, less than together. Sure, there are problems here. We knew that before UK played so well on Saturday night, AND THAT they would rear their ugly head again on Wednesday…That’s basketball.

We must understand the nature of the game and the man we paid to fix it. I have been a supporter, and will be for the next couple of years based on the fact that that should be sufficient time to evaluate HIS and OUR progress. I don’t agree with lots of things he does, and last night was no exception. I liked his game plan on Saturday NIGHT. I did not last night!

BCG is paid very well to do his job and interact with the media…I think that BCG, himself could use some practice in the “media room”. Last Saturday night was HIS night in the arena by which he is judged – Coaching Basketball. Wednesday night was NOT.

Gamecocks Flog Cats 77-59

The South Carolina Gamecocks showed us all last night why they should be in first place in the SEC East – and not us…They outplayed us…They outhustled us…and worse, they humiliated us. SC, not accustomed to being in this spot this time of the year, made the most of it last night, beating UK for the second time this year, and showing us what a matchup problem UK has with SC’s guards. Native son, Darrin Horn, must be basking in the glory after defeating UK twice in one season…SC, riding the wave of 16 blocked shots on the inside by its big men, and 9 alone on 2Pat, flogged UK for the second time in a row this season, and this one’s going to “hurt us for a long, long, time”….

For as good as UK looked on Saturday in the confines of Rupp; that’s how bad they looked on the road before a packed house of screaming Gamecock Fans…Indeed, UK showed it has the youth and immaturity to lose at any time should they not play with the passion commensurate with the situation. Playing for 1^st in the SEC East, UK looked like a bunch of high-schoolers getting their dose of humble pie before a packed house of screaming “I told you so’s….. We came out and looked rigid and tight and never really had a chance. Patrick Patterson was the only player that I could discern that played very hard while he was out there.

Sc rode the heady play of guard Devan Downey and came out and hit 4 of their first 6 three’s and the game was over for all intents and purposes. In my pre-game pep-talk I suggested that Porter might need lots of help with Downey. He did, and he didn’t…He did need help; he didn’t get it, in anyone that BCG put on Downey. He is just too quick and too good. The substitution pattern on this night went beyond logic into bizarre world…I don’t have the numbers on minutes played, but it looked as if Galloway could have been uses if available, for all those useless 30 minutes or so that Liggins stood out there. And, to play Porter and Sloan at the same time on SC’s guards was the biggest mismatch since Hawaii took on……just kidding Bill!,,, you guys know what I mean…There isn’t a way that those two can handle SC’s two at any time. Nuff Said!

Since BCG is always eager to take the blame for a loss, I will eagerly give him some of it; given he played the same defense against SC he played in Lexington and lost worse here than there…I wonder how BCG wanted us to double down on Downey and Frederick as they drove the lane when we couldn’t do it in Lexington and prevent them from the kick out pass to the man with the open 3.

BCG did have this to say about the game:

“They have a point guard; we don’t”

On Perry Stevenson: “He is just not playing hard enough”, Gillispie said. “That’s two times in the last, what, week or eight days that I’ve said something about a guy not playing hard enough and that’s the first two times in my career I’ve ever said that. That’s shameful, in my opinion, to everyone involved.”

SC and Darrin Horn, had the easy, logical, perfect game plan, and we had the task to crack it. We did not. We let them run the ,”drive and kick”, on their first 6-3 balls and they hit 4 of them. It would be better to let the guards go on those drives than the wing defender to collapse on him and let Downey kick to the open shooter…..But that is what happened last night and that is how they took us out in Lexington….

AND, don’t get me started on the substitution patterns…Can we hire Bruce Pearl’s guy who does his for him..BCG’s patterns were illogical based on even his last game and I don’t think that anyone did anything in practice since Saturday to radically change the way one would expect it would be. I suspect that after BCG watches last night’s game for the 20^th time, maybe he would concede that.

UK needed a “team effort” to play in this game, and they hardly looked like one all night. As bad as we made UT look on Saturday, SC made us look last night. That is basketball, but this glaring weakness is one that teams will exploit until BCG and Co. Stops it. Maybe we don’t have the personnel to stop it. Maybe we do not have the point guard the SEC requires to overcome it. We shall see.

UK vs SC PEP TALK

“Basketball Jones…..I got a Basketball Jones….I got a Basketball Jones… Oh Baby..” , the song goes…., and I have one, a “Basketball Jones that is…I want to see if UK can repeat the performance they had in Rupp arena on Saturday. Saturday was UK’s finest hour based on the number and production of players not named Jodie or Patrick….

We’re on the road now with this group and they are playing a FINE SEC squad that beat us at home, on a last second shot by Devan Downey, who else?…SC has a pair of dynamic guards led by Devan Downey, a mini-mini version of Allen Iverson, who is almost unstoppable off the bounce. He must be contained assist-wise for us to win, and a win would be for 1st Place in the always tight SEC East…

UK will have its hands full and the logical thought is that Liggins or Galloway will have to spell Porter more than normal. Keeping up with either of SC’s guards will be a chore for him. Winning this game though, is entirely within the realm of this team should we manage the play we exhibited Saturday…

If we play the way Gillespie says they are STILL playing we lose…

Billy Gillispie had this to say on the topic of whether the players have known their roles so far this season: – from KSR

“We are very far away from that. They have been defiant. Every single person has to defensive rebound much better. We have to help defend much better. We have to offensive rebound much better. We have to reverse the basketball better. We have to feed the post better. And when you talk about those things that need improving as a team, those are the things that individuals must do to improve as a team and we are not doing that right now. “

Play like you did Saturday…., LADS - the rest will take care of itself…:)

Coaches are never happy…And so it goes………….

Football numbers Up…Offers Fly Out…

When it comes to the numbers, this year’s group of 3 & 4 star designated recruits UK has signed to LOI’s far exceeds any in recent years. It is obvious to me that our 3 consecutive bowl trips have led to some improved numbers in the recruiting arena, on paper. We can always count on Rich Brooks, Joker and Co. to deliver that little known recruit that turns out to be a star and I expect this year will be no exception…

Comparing UK’s recruiting this year, verses year’s past, reveals the discrepancy in the numbers this year, and that is The Good News. Consider that we only had 1-4 star player last year, Aaron Boyd, and 8-3 star players…This year, even with Morgan Newton not getting that 4th star, we have 3-4 star players and 16-3 star players….That is double the 3 star players and 3 times the 4-star….Definately our finest recruiting in decades!

It is hard to tell how good some of these 3-star players will be, especially Morgan Newton. In 2006, considered by many to be a great year – including the recruitment of Micah Johnson as a 4-Star, along with Corey Peters – We had 9-3 star recruits, so again, not in recent memory have we had a class such as this!

Now it appears that Brooks and Joker are keeping the proverbial pedal to the metal, and offering kids early once again…Miles Simpson, he of 6’2” grace and speed, of 6A Power Simon Kenton High, is on everyone’s wish list…Only a junior, he will have America in his back door before he is done. Maybe we need to get Micah to start recruiting him early, along with Chris Collinsworth’s son from the Northern Area of the Commonwealth. We let Shawn Alexander get away from there, and Miles is in that M-O-L-D…

UK is beginning to attract kids nationally with the program, and its unique position in the SEC as the northern-most school don’t hurt when recruiting in Indiana and Ohio where we are South of them, yet still in the SEC! Morgan Newton’s father mentioned location as being a “big factor” in his son’s attending UK as well as the chance to play QB in the SEC!

Indeed, the very thing we complain about – how tough the SEC IS – is our greatest benefactor in many cases…Kids see that the SEC is the toughest conference around, producing multiple consecutive champions, and they have a shot to be on national TV and play early.

Rich Brooks & Joker grabbed Two – Four star players from the juco ranks the last week of recruiting… These kids usually go elsewhere to play…Not any more…!

Post UT Ramblings

It’s the Monday following the total dismantling UK put on UT and many are still a buzz with how different this team looked for a day. I thought it might be a good time to ramble on some of my thoughts. We always know what went wrong when the Cats lose, but its also good to look at what went right when they dominate.

I have wondered aloud time and time and time again about how the team would do if they actually took what the defense gave them. And of late, defenses have given anyone with a name other than Jodie or Pat just about any look outside the lane they wanted. And in some cases, they’ve even invited UK into the lane. It’s no secret that UK has had turn over problems most of the year. And while the Cats do make their share of dumb plays, I’ve always contended that a good portion of those came from forcing a play where there isn’t a play. On Saturday we saw a team that worked the ball to open areas and players other than Jodie or Pat actually executed. It was actually quite easy getting the right people (on this day) into those spots and getting them the ball. The difference here is the offense seemed to be LOOKING for these guys instead of it being a last resort. And by doing so a balanced production was the prime result. But another stat sticks out to me and I can’t help but think it also has a direct connection to this change of the game plan and that is the turn overs and turnover margin. The principle players, or the ones in double digit minutes, combined for nine turnovers. More so, all but one had and equal or positive assist to turnover ratio and all the positive ratios came from the primary ball handlers. This is an astounding change. The one question I had was can UK win with this type of philosophy and I think the answer is an easy YES. It’s my hope that UK uses this blue print going forward. And as they do, I think we will see that it will be much easier for Jodie and Pat to do their jobs.

Speaking of Patterson, I also could not help but notice his improved touch. Isn’t it amazing how valuable one middle finger can be? While he moved very well I can’t help but think I saw him favoring the ankle just a little. That means he could be even more huge down the stretch. But I didn’t really understand how much UK had missed his touch until Saturday.

I know some think I have been in a love fest with Porter and Harris all year. And while I have advocated their playing, the real truth of the matter is I believe firmly in disciplined basketball. While those guys have not always produced, they have at least tried to follow the game plan. On the flip side, I’ve been very quick to say that the ones who are having problems following the game plan should sit for the very same reason. If anyone is curios as to what I am fearful of when it comes to just throwing guys out there, Saturday was a prime example of exact opposites. In UT, we saw a team that, on paper, was way more talented at three spots, and maybe even or slightly less at two. We also saw a team that, on paper, had more talent coming off the bench. We also saw a team where said talent has been allowed to play through very poor basketball and is still playing poor basketball. We also saw Liggins, who played poorly in the first half, come into the second half and play extremely well. I was very impressed with his play in the second half. Liggins is one heck of a player when he’s where he’s supposed to be and is looking to make others better.

This is a game the team needs to watch over and over again about how they need to play. UT won one stat and that was offensive rebounding. To be perfectly honest, the game would have been out of reach in the first half if they had not because they got zero production in their “sets” (if you want to call them that). By the way, UT finished with four assists. In my mind, this is a stat I would choose to leave alone. If UK can dominate while giving up four assists and 23 offensive boards, then I say have at it. OK, maybe they could cut it down to 15..

Carter got to play! And he did more than just take up space. His rebound had authority written all over it and his up and under had Kevin McKale written all over it. One minute, one board and two points. Now that’s what I call production! See ya again when UGA comes to town, big fella..

Isn’t it amazing how smart coach looks after a big win?

Darius Miller, “2Pat” send Vols Packing – UK WINS 77 – 58!

It must be the fact that Scotty Hopson was in the building; the reason that Darius Miller chose to have his best game as a Wildcat. For the basketball junkies out there, you might remember that Darius had 41 points the last time these two young warriors met as high school seniors, and solidified his choice, in my mind anyway, for Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky.

With Bruce Pearl letting his assistant make the substitutions, he had ample time to work out his defenses on Jodie Meeks. Jodie was “face guarded”, and “double teamed”, most of the game and had only 4 points at the half. But, “a funny thing happened on the way to the forum”. Not only was Patrick Patterson back, he was back with a vengeance. He looked like a man that had been sitting out a couple of games to tell you the truth.

With 2Pat and Miller leading the charge, UK came out like a “house ablaze” playing stifling defense all over the court today. Indeed, the hated VOLS were down 13-0 with 11:55 to go in the first half!

UK looked like a totally different team today than the one that had just played some 4 SCORE and 6 hours Earlier…..hmmm. The difference? Could it be that Perry Stevenson is to 2Pat, what Scotty Pippen was to Michael? It seems to be true. Perry, not the greatest post up player himself, looked great shooting jumpers off feeds. He is being used well in that regard, therefore, “Viva la Difference”.

Could it also be that the rest of the TeAm decided that they needed to score some points? And score they did, with the aforementioned Miller scoring 17 points, a career high, on 6of6 shooting, and feeding his big post man to the tune of six assists! 2Pat had 19 points, but more importantly, showed that he was B-A-C-K. Suffering what appears to be no “ill effects” from his ankle problem, he had more than one emphatic dunk. Even A.J. played aggressive on the offensive end, showing his Kevin McHale “up and under”, repertoire to Wayne Chism drawing free tosses both times….It was a great day and a great time for a great game by UK.

Could it be that this team is now starting to mature, and MiGhT be one of those “UNRANKED” teams outside the Top Twenty Five, that gives the ranked ones fits at tourney time?..?..? Seth Davis and his cohort selected Arizona, and Fl St., respectively. Did they forget UK?

UK vs UT Pre-Game Speech

No, it ain’t Vince or even Lou Holtz doing the “prep” talk, so you just have to settle for moi. Look at it this way, if I were them I would be there and not here; so you would have Them(maybe) doing this for you. See how lucky you would be without me?

But how do you “get up” after such a deflating loss at Vandy? I go with UKBoo here, throw that one out the window, cast it out, sling it East to West. We got 2Pat back, and I believe he is ready to Boogie and make us all proud to be Wildcat Fans Again.

Anyway, it’s always been my opinion that fans need “PeP TaLkS” too. We have to get up for games just like the players! And, after a trip to Music City has us singing the Memphis Beal Street Blues, well, let us just say that Mardi Grais comes just once a year and so does UT, Bruce Pearl and his travelling road show. The first time Bruce met UK this year UK did to him what Vanderbilt did to us. BEAT DOWN! With Jodie Meeks eclipsing Dan Issel’s single game scoring standard with 54 big points, UK breezed by UT in the second half and took the wind out of UT’s sails…Much like Vanderbilt did to us without our WarHorse, Patrick Patterson.

Now, I don’t expect Jodie to, “go off”, on Mr. Pearl’s Lads again, but I still predict 24 points for him, while 2Pat goes crazy with a “triple double”…That’s right, may as well wish it into existence, and let 2Pat carry the load….That’s what he does…”LENoARD”S LooSERS: UnIvErSiTy Of TeNnEsSes…….!”*

Now it’s time to play again and if this little tome didn’t get you ready for the game, then do it y-o-u-r-s-e-l-f. Honestly, whatever you fan status, whether you’re a dyed in the wool, been there, done that, fan like myself and most here, or just a UK observer or casual fan. Heck, we even take “Fans by Proxy” , those folks whose allegiances might be somewhere else, but they are “FaTe-LoCkEd” into being fans!

Just a few more hours until it’s 2Pat and Chism, Jodie & Darius and Scotty Hopson. I can’t WAIT! Let The GaMe(S) BeGIn…….:)

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