So what is wrong?

I did something very painful last night. I actually went home, sat down, and watched the UK-UGA game all over again. I not only watched it, I rewound parts and slow motioned parts. I spent four hours looking at how in the world UK could lose to UGA. These are just my opinions, mind you, and I know everyone has their own, but I feel firm and strong with the convictions that will be forthcoming.

Patterson: I love the kid to death and he plays so hard. But he just is not big enough, strong enough or skilled enough to be effective with three guys on him. Yet UK continues to beat its head time and time again on the feed the beast at all costs wall. Early, it was usually a turnover. But somehow the guys have found a way to cut that down for longer and longer stretches. In that time, a feed to Patterson might as well be a turnover because he has produced at the same clip as when the turnovers happened. But now, its a horribly missed shot and defensive rebound. Not much different that a turnover deep under your basket, if you ask me. Patterson’s goal should be 12 points and 12-14 rebounds instead of 18-20 and nine.

Meeks: Meeks is a streak shooter that has been keyed on of late. Yet UK is still hell bend on getting him 25 points. That’s a great idea when he’s on. But when he isn’t, and you STILL try to get him his points, the cost is too great for this team to over come. And most of that is on him because he has been forcing more and more and the more he forces the less he executes. Meeks should have a goal of 15 points and 5 assists instead of a goal of 25 points and one assist.

The bottom line for me is, these two aren’t nearly good enough game in and game out to carry the load the game plan has called for. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and when you look at this game plan, and then look at UK’s body of work, its quite obvious to me that it doesn’t work. People say the supporting cast can’t score and I say bull. The absolute best TEAM offense I’ve seen since Coach arrived has been this year when UK was actually looking to get other people shots in the right places to make a team pay for over playing Patterson and Meeks. The start of the UGA game was a prime example. UK had a seven point lead with very little help from Patterson and zero field goals from Meeks. Then UK decides its time to feed the beast. The result was turnovers and low percentage missed shots from Patterson playing one on three. Patterson needs to be told that he must generate his own points as long as teams are ganging up on him. That’s what he did in high school and he still got his. You then go back to him once teams must play him honest.

Carter: I know I only have a couple of quality minutes to go on, but Carter provided a major match up problem at the start of the UGA game. He was setting great picks and going to the basket strong. He actually stayed on the block and made a passing lane that no one used. UK only has one guy getting major minutes that likes to stay on the block. At least Carter likes to stay on the block. Why has he not been used? I know the penetration caused mis matches where he wasn’t quick enough but he played well containing the big he was guarding. He even caused a walk that wasn’t called. So the solution is to tell the other guys to keep their man out of the lane instead of sitting Carter the rest of the game. Which leads us to…..

Defense: Sucks. And the reason why it sucks is the same reason it sucked at the beginning of last year. Most say its the three point defense but that isn’t really it. The problem is keeping people in front of them. When a guy doesn’t contain his man, he gets help. The help guy is the one that usually gives up an open three. The difference between last year and this year is Bradley and Crawford actually learned how to keep a man in front of them. Once they did, blammo! Instant quality defense. The major question for me is why was Porter, of all people, the only one that could actually stay in front of his guy. And that includes Meeks, who has started pressing and gambling too much for steals. He gets one and gives up five baskets on missed trys. That is a cost that is far too great. UGA was able to get in the lane any time they wanted, and every time UK was scrambling. And every time UGA got the look they wanted. And this isn’t even a good team.

Execution: Over all, what we have here is a failure to execute. And its across the board. I paid close attention to the things that cost UK the UGA game. And it was a bunch of little things that all add up to one major dump-fest. Porter missing a lay up he should hit, Patterson forcing triple contested shots, Meeks forcing all over the place for turn overs forced shots and three shots from too far under the basket, Miller getting deep in the lane with no options, Patterson not blocking out and giving up offensive boards he should not be giving up, Meeks missing a key free throw, Porter air balling a wide open/game tying three, Galloway allowing the ball too be taken away from him then shuffled out for a wide open three that extended a manageable three point game to a six point game. I could go on and on. And on and on. These guys are seriously trying but they look much more like headless chickens then a basketball team.

And all of this comes back to coach. He is the one that should understand that the game plan should change if it hasn’t worked by now. He is the one that should have these guys thinking they can not be beat. He is the one that should be teaching these kids about UK pride. He is the one that should have them focused properly so they execute. He is the one that should realize that a whole sale substitution when you have a two point lead might not work. He is the one that should notice that it didn’t work once UGA hit another wide open three. He is the one that should never let this team get this low. There is no way I’ll say that he isn’t the man for the job this early. That isn’t even close to a possible thought. But I do think he needs to take a good look in the mirror. He needs to find a way to wipe the regular season off the books, clear the kid’s minds, and get these guys to playing Kentucky basketball in the little time they have left this year. And its entirely possible. There is a switch that can be thrown because there is no way these guys are this bad. And I find it hard to believe he is this bad of a coach…