Marching On

I was really impressed with Patterson last night against SC. He started the game off with a bang. We didn’t have to wait long until we got the three from him to extend that streak. He got the open look and just stuck that shot. I am sure Darin Horn said Uh Oh! If he didn’t he should have, because it was apparent PP was focused for the game.

That was the PP we were expecting every game all year. For two years we had been so spoiled with the man and his exploits on the court. Everybody just expected to see him dominate every game this year because he finally had great talent to play with him. I was just so thrilled to see him take command last night, but he didn’t just demand the ball he went and got it.

I know it has to have been hard for him to learn the new position(s) all year and it took mental adjustments to step back and let the younger guys have their day. In the grand scheme of things stepping back was probably a plan all along. I know he had been beat upon for two years and there is no doubt in my mind that he dreaded the beating he took every game, but it is a testament to the man that he never backed down. Fast forward to this year and we can see that he was glad to allow his team mates to be in the spotlight, but again it was probably more than that. I know that if he hadn’t stepped back somewhat I don’t feel the team would have been where they are now. Oh yeah, it is miracle that a team that young even with all that talent has only 1 loss to date.

Coach knew what he was doing all along. He was willing to sacrifice a few losses to bring all the team along rather than just a player or two, but the team won anyway. The one that has benefited as much as anyone has been Patrick. He now has much more in his arsenal that makes him much harder to stop or defend.

The title of the post was marching on, but it was a play on words, because March is right around the corner and the team seems to be in March form or getting very close to where he wants them to be. I am so happy to see them gel the way they are, but I am absolutely thrilled to see Patrick decide that now is the time to be assertive.

I would be remiss to not mention the awesome defense the cat’s played last evening. If not for those miracle shots once again from Downey it would have been a 40 point beat down, but I’ll take a 20.

Marching on, yes indeed!

March 7th

There are only 4 games left in the regular season. I eagerly anticipate and wait for each of them, but now that the end of the season is in sight I don’t want the games to stop for several reasons. One reason is that as soon as the final tourney game is over it seems an eternity before the season begins again.

This year I really hate it because it will be the last time we see several players play in the uniform in Rupp Arena. We have such special players talent wise and character wise that we will be saying goodbye to.

John Wall, what can you not like about the young man. He has withstood the pressure of being the #1 player coming out of high school and has not only exceeded expectations at the collegiate level, but has been humble and poised beyond his years. It is difficult to think of not having him around next year and how can we or anybody replace that talent.

Demarcus Cousins, he has been a delight to watch play the game. I have enjoyed him immensely. He has an easy going manner about him when he isn’t playing, but put him in uniform and he is a terror to anyone in his path. Even though we have Orton back next year and another young man I really like, it will be difficult saying goodbye to Cuz. Watching the maturity of the young man has been amazing to behold.

Ramon Harris, he is one of my favorite players. I feel that Ramon will be very successful in life. He seems to be well grounded and is extremely bright and articulate during interviews. He was basically cheated out of a year, but never complained and played hurt a lot of the time. I feel he has a good future ahead of him. I will miss him as well.

Perry Stevenson, Skinny as we all affectionately call him. How could you not like him. He of the quotes and mild manners. I hope he stays around Lexington and does well in whatever his chosen field is. He will be missed.

Mark Krebs, I wished that he could have played more this year. He has been rewarded with the scholarship for the final year and it was appropriate for his contributions to the team since he has been here. He too will be missed.

Patrick Patterson, I don’t know what to say to put into words about him. He has just been special. His immense talent is apparent to everyone and his unending motor on the court is just special. However, even more than that, he hasn’t faltered at any time in any way to deliver leadership, warmth and joy to the legions of fans that live and die Kentucky Blue. It is an impossible task to please all the fans all the time, but he has done that better than any player I can ever remember. That isn’t to slight any of the past players either. There are so many that I have enjoyed so much and will forever remember them. I would mention some of them, but it wouldn’t be fair to the others.

Patrick has done all that while carrying enough credits to graduate in 3 years. Don’t ask me how he has dug down deep many times when it must have appeared impossible for him to keep going. Don’t ask me how he how he has maintained his composure during difficult moments during the past three years as well. There will definitely be an empty spot in our big blue hearts next year and for years to come for these departing players, all of them.

Yes there are many other great players on the team that are representing the team well and will continue to do so and many will come that will do the same and we will hate to let them go when they graduate or decide to leave early for the NBA. But they will have big shoes to fill from the departed players.

There is going to be a lot of big blue tears come March 7 when they sing, “My Old Kentucky Home”!

Lady Cat’s Rock

What a game yesterday at Memorial Coliseum between the Lady Cat’s and the visitors from SC.  The Lady Cat’s were rude hostesses to the visitors and sent them home very embarrassed by the final score of 71-50.

What a turnaround from the earlier loss this year to that same team on their home court, but it wasn’t just this game that makes the team, fans and administration walk around with a smile on their faces.  The overall record for the year is good enough to warrant a #16 national ranking and would probably be higher if they hadn’t come from out of nowhere this year.  They have won enough games in the SEC that they can finish as high as #2 in the SEC (how long has that been).  Another reason to smile really big is the fact they never lost a home game all year.

For the Lady Cat’s to not lose a home game in the SEC is remarkable because the SEC has the best teams in the nation top to bottom every year and the Lady Cat’s took on all comers and sent them home carrying an “L” with them.

The game was the home finale for two of our beloved seniors, Ldyia Watkins and Amani Franklin.  It seems like only yesterday when we first listened to their names being called and now they have concluded their careers before the record home crowd for the year.  What a befitting send off for them because they have battled injuries and played through pain all year to help make this teams record one of the best ever at UK.

It has been since the 1980-81 season, 29 years, since they have had such bragging rights which brings me to a major point I want to make.  Mitch Barnhart has been vilified by many ever since he came to UK, but the naysayers have been silenced, at least for the time being.  His devotion to all the sports at UK is remarkable and we don’t hear too much about most of them, because they don’t have the following that football, basketball and to a lesser extent baseball do.

His hiring of Matthew Mitchell was a gutsy move, because Matthew had limited head coaching experience at Morehead State.  However, Barnhart already knew Matthew’s devotion and passion for the game when he was an assistant at UK, but it takes more than that to be a successful coach.  You have to be able to plan the “X’s & O’s”, be a master teacher in practice, and be a master recruiter.   He has been all those things, but he has been successful in getting the ladies to buy into his passion and belief that UK basketball belongs at the top of the #1 conference in all of Basketball.

The ladies played the games with heart, Matthew coached them well and Barnhart made a good decision.   All of them deserve recognition for what they have accomplished thus far and the groundwork has been laid for many more smiley faces in the future!

catfan4life

Vandy wasn’t Dandy

It was a huge win for UK.  Looking at the schedule, who would think UK could get out of Starkvi1le and Nashville without a loss?  There are still some very tough games ahead and I am still scratching my head as to how UK got the win at Vandy.  It isn’t like they played well, because Patterson was the only player that I thought brought the A game.  UK did defend, but Vandy also provided a lot of help by missing many open opportunities.  Give Vandy some credit in causing UK to look below average.  They had 15 fouls to use in the paint and they got their money’s worth out of every single one of them.  UK was just as charitable by missing 13 of 30 free throws.

I learned a lot about this team after the Vandy game.  This was by far the biggest game of the year and I saw just how much pressure a few players will be able to take.  Bledsoe, who early in the year was touted as a clutch, go to guy is far from that at this point, and I think its way too late in the year to expect that to change and I hope coach notes it when he reviews the tape.  I love the kid, but its time to adjust roles for the sake of going as far as UK can go.  The kid generally was out of control the entire game.  He did play some stretches of good defense, but I saw several times where he was completely out of what he needed to do.  On several presses, he let his guy get way over the top, lost them completely, and the guy would get a wide open look (which was missed, of course).  The very best display of his stage fright was the free throws he shot late in the game.  He was visibly shaken by the thought of shooting a clutch shot and missed.  Coach calls time out and he still wasn’t settled and missed the second.  Wall wasn’t much better, but he generally would make one of two. He did have the block which was a great play, but that guy should not have even tried that shot.  With Wall so tight, he should have driven around him, or tried.  As big as this stage was, it will be nothing compared to the do or die stage that is coming soon.

Patterson had a huge day and he needs to thank Boogie for part of that.  Vandy was blocking Boogie out with two, and sometimes three guys!  They also did one of the best jobs of doubling him by sandwiching from inside and out instead of two guys on the inside.  This didn’t allow him to turn and exposed the ball to quick hands.  The cost to Vandy’s D was minimal as the guy they used on the outside came from the short corner.  UK didn’t do Boogie any favors as the offensive guy that was open stayed in the corner, which was an easy recover.  I hope coach notes this and if its used again, have a guy like Miller that can flash by for a pass and penetrate, or move the guy out to the elbow for a longer recover distance. 

Dodson has a mechanical issue with his shot.  The shots are veering right and I noted that his elbow isn’t tucked.  His distance looks good, but that might be affected when he gets his elbow corrected.  This is NOT the time of year to need a shot doctor and I would expect coach to use him less if he can’t get it fixed soon.  While his D is better, he simply doen’t have much value if he isn’t knocking down shots.

I hope coach notes all the off the ball blocks Vandy committed during the game and asks the refs to watch for them if someone else tries to do the same.  Vandy was able to slow all of UK’s sets by getting a defender in front of where a guy wanted to go then moving his feet to block the path.  This is what frustrated Bledsoe and is why he pushed.  Its illegal and should be called the same as a guy with the ball.   UK could also use it against a team.  Vandy knew what UK was running and gambled with their position to slow down a plays flow.  Running a play to counter the position would cost the defensive team and force them to play straight up.

All in all, this was a huge win.  This was a game that may have been won before they even played.  Vandy missed a bunch of shots, maybe because they didn’t expect to make them.  Having that sort of ora  is a huge advantage.   I’ll be interested in seeing the mindset of USC this week.  My guess is, they know they are in for a much different contest than last time.

A Cinderella Story

The match up seemed hopeless on paper, and Kentucky appeared just as daunting when it took the floor before a Big Blue mass of 24,402 Saturday night.

But the Cinderella Vols believed they could win, and for 30 minutes the glass slipper fit in Rupp Arena.

Thats the way the story starts at govolsextra.com.

Its a given that Tennessee played a good game against the Cat’s and its a given that barring a complete collapse by the Vols and a few more arrests they will be playing come March Madness time.

I don’t mind giving credit where credit is due but calling them the Cinderella Vols is stretching the amount of credit I’m really able to extend them.

Don’t they know the story of Cinderella? For those of you who haven’t read it or at least heard of the story I will tell it to you.

Once upon a time there was a basketball team that lived in a conference call the SEC. They cried because they couldn’t win a national championship and a low and behold a fast talking coach magically appeared who promised them they could dance with the trophy.

Now there were a couple of problems for the coach to overcome before this could happen. They didn’t have any designer clothes but that was easily fixed by trips to the mall and the county clothing store. They didn’t have a ride to the big dance so he would turn a pumpkin into a shiny city car come time for the dance and low and behold their problems were solved.

Sadly their two wicked step sisters Kentucky and Vanderbilt wanted them to stay home the evening of the dance so they resorted to judicial magic to escape. The pumpkin changed into a beautiful car with pretty flashing lights and their rags turned into beautiful orange jump suits.

Of course we all know how the story turns out, one and done. It would be a sad story but they got to keep the beautiful orange jump suits.

I know I know its not that good a story but desperation forces a man to write something like this to compete with story like Cinderella Vols. Cornell advancing to the final four would be a Cinderella story but calling Tennessee a Cinderella is a sign or increasing desperation.

Just What The Dr Ordered

Once again the Cat’s showed that when it comes time to turn it on near the end of the game they are extremely comfortable with doing that. Going on a 23-10 run to end the game the Cat’s sent the Vols to their second straight loss 73-62.

The first half the Vols took it to the basket and their zone frustrated the Cat’s but after the break the Cat’s drank some Red Bull and amped up the defense and allowed us to get into our transition game. Bledsoe dominated on defense in the second half and had 16 points including eight in a row near the end of the game to ice it. Wall played a error free second half while scoring and directing the offense. Liggins, Orton, Dodson and Perry Stevenson came up big on the defensive end to help seal the win. Once again the 3 position proved crucial and provided 14 points, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Cousins had the look on his face that he thought he wasn’t playing a good game but he did what a big is supposed to do when they are having an off night shooting REBOUND.

Others might think differently but the Cat’s played a very good game tonight and looked like a final four team against a long athletic team that took it to them.

Fresh squeezed Orange is just what the doctor ordered to get the Cat’s ready for the next two games at SEC west leader Miss St on Tuesday and at lurking Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Rick leaving Louisville?????

There is a story on espn that Rick Pitinio is wanting to get the job with the Nets. Leaving Louisville while smarter than leaving Kentucky is still one of the stupidest things a coach could do. I mean for the Nets who have won 4 games for crying out loud. Of course Pitinio told Forde there was no truth to it. And we all know how close Rick and Pat are. Does this remind any one of what Ricks disciple Billy Donovan did in Florida?

I don’t have any idea if its true or not but any drama in Louisville makes the BigBlue Nation happy.