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”!

UK-UofBrawl

Pitino said he didn’t think his press wouldn’t work against the Cats.  I thought his reference to backing off the press was a ploy.  I was wrong and he was wrong.  UL did not press like usual.  And when they did, UK turned it over.  I thought UL would need to shoot well and often from three range and neither happened.

 Yet here UL was with a one point lead in the second half.  Wall had thrown up the worst shot I’ve ever seen from him and made the worst pass I’d ever seen from him.  No, the game plan was not to press or to rely on threes.  The game plan was to fluster a young but talented team.  The game plan was to take UK out of its game mentally.  And up to the point of Walls worst shot and worst pass the game plan had worked on all but two players.  Ironically, one of those players is the guy you would expect to lose it first and that guy is Cousins.  Maybe this is just the type of game he LIKES to play in and that is actually great news for UK.  UK hasn’t had a “Cousins” since Maglor roamed the paint.  UK needed a “Maglor” yesterday and Cousins was happy to oblige.  He had his moment.  Many think he should have been ejected but he clearly did not throw a punch.  I do not agree with the forearm he used but I also do not agree with how the UL players were attempting to push UK around either.  Someone needed to even the slate.  Someone needed to let UL know they would get as good as they gave.  If you throw Cousins out, then three UL players should have been tossed as well.  I think UL would have been content to lose one or two guys just to get into UK’s head.  Getting Cousins out would have been a bonus. 

 The plan almost worked.  Wall was not Wall and UK was not UK.  But then the TV time out came and just in the nick of time.  When UK came out of the time out and down one, Wall returned to being Wall and UK returned to being UK and there was nothing UL could do about it.  The bone head passes went away, the three fell for Harris, Wall goes on a Wall run from everywhere and UL had no answer. 

 Coach will do the right thing, but I think its time for Harris to replace Miller in the starting lineup.  It seems that every game Harris is one of the guys on the floor when it matters most except at the start. 

 Again we see that this team is built very well.  They can kill you at their game and beat you at yours.  I’ve always felt that one or two dimensional teams are suspect during a post season run and need a lot of luck to go far.  Teams that can excel in any game situation does not need to rely on luck and this is one of those teams.

 Hat’s off to the Cards for getting this game just where they wanted it.  I though they got a major break with how the game was called.  They needed it, and they still came up short. 

 15-0

Boo’s Regular Season Review

Well fellow Cat fans, we made it through another regular season. Well, most of us did anyway. It’s been another rough and tumble year, which we should be very accustomed to by now. It seems every year we are surprised that we made it, but to be honest, it shouldn’t be surprising at all. We are all old pros at it. It’s now time to reflect on what was the 08-09 UK regular season.

The preseason was full of hopes and dreams for most. I was much more reserved. There were too many unknowns to say if this would be a break out year. UK brought in some size in Liggins, Galloway, Miller and Harrelson. All with plenty of unknowns. Miller and Liggins had the pedigree among the four and those two seemed to be locks at making the biggest contributions. But when and how much remained major mysteries for me. Still, many fans had already anointed one, two or all four of these guys as saviors even before we had a chance to see them play. Then, we got to see the Cats! The Big Blue Madness show did leave some room for promise, but it was one night which is never enough to make judgments. Harrelson made shots from everywhere, and the other new comers did not disappoint. The biggest splash may have come from the Cat that couldn’t play in Pilgrim. UK’s first exhibition did make me sit up and take notice. The Cats flat out destroyed. The second preseason contest wasn’t quite as big of a hit. Then it happened… The regular season kicked off with VMI… And so the story really begins.. And continued with UNC…..

I always wait for a large sample before making decisions on any Cat or the team in general. When the time came, I knew UK would be looking at another 10 loss year. I figured, looking at the schedule, UK would have a very rough finish. Patterson was slow getting back to form, and to be honest, I have only seen a handful of minutes where he looked like the Patterson of last year. Meeks, has been the streak shooter that he is, only he had some very big streaks. Of course he has also had his games where he cost the Cats dearly with his turnovers and forced play. Such is life when you live and die with the 2 on five game. And while I am not really surprised with the out come of the season in general, I am very surprised at many of the aspects of the season. I am totally shocked that the Cats have not tried to add more options to the offensive side as players like Miller have developed. I am surprised we did not see Patterson develop and utilize the skills to play at other spots on the floor like we were told he would. I am surprised that no one could ever get Liggins on the same page as the rest of the Cats. I am surprised that no one was able to pass up Porter and Harris. I am surprised at the magnitude of some of the losses.

UK was down seven to UL with seconds left on the clock. Some how, some way, UL fell apart and the Cats were able to make the push to tie the game. Sosa, who had never made a game winner in his life, and probably never will again, rose up with the luckiest shot of his career. The Cards used that victory to spring board themselves back into being a top 10 type team. UK used the experience to vault itself into the team to beat in the SEC after a 5-0 start. I must say that even with knowing who UK had beat, and knowing the rough schedule ahead, even I was tasting a bit of the fools gold back water. The major debate: Where was UK ranked and why were they not in the top 25. It could very well be that the Cats were having the same debates among themselves, because there is no doubt in my mind that they let up on the accelerator. And being young as they are, I also have no doubt they had no clue about what can happen when you let the SEC hit you with an upper cut and put you on the mat. To be honest, I don’t think Coach knew how to deal with the adversity of getting clobbered for a standing eight. I’m not surprised, as he’s use to being the one that clobbers others. So maybe if there is a silver lining in all of this, its the team and staff will be wiser and more aware, and should be much more hungry next year, and maybe even in post season play.

In the end, UK is 19-11. I thought they would be 21-9 and end up with 11 losses. Maybe 10 if they got on a roll in the SEC tournament. So I am not all that disappointed in the season from a wins and losses standpoint. I am disappointed in how it has happened and how it has been handled. But that’s nothing that some wins could not fix. One more win and the Cats are at the magical 20 win mark. Many fans were OK with that some years ago. While I am not, I do understand that it will take more time to get things back to where they belong. So for this year, that is all I ask for. Cats, please, just give me one more win.

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?

VandY TuNeS UK ~~~~~~~~~~~~77-64

The University of Kentucky Wildcats rolled into the Music City on a two game winning streak after losing 3 in a row…Indeed, to beat Vanderbilt on the road would be a tall order given that Patrick Patterson’s game status was that he “would not start”. Yet BCG was foiled here last year and his own losing streak was in jeopardy. Would he lose again? Could he solve the “TrIcK sAcK GYM” that worked it’s magic here last year, producing a win of over “two (2) score for de Dores”?

Well, it turns out he could not as UK fell to a determined Vanderbilt squad in one of the most atrociously officiated games I have watched in the first half. At the half with the score tied at 30 and with 20 more minutes to play, and 13 total fouls whistled, and 13 more to be blown on Vanderbilt, AND Darius Miller getting 3 fouls while playing well – and starting the Second Half..

BCG is getting a much needed Technical in the First Half, just to keep the refs from taking over the game, UK has fought and scratched the first half with our starters, Darius Miller(2^nd half) and Perry Stevenson on the bench, with 3 and 2 fouls, respectively.

In the second half the ‘Dores came out firing, and went up by 5 points early, as UK turned the ball over, while BCG takes out Harris and Porter…at the 17:46 mark of the second half… Galloway, who had a good first half, comes in for Porter.

If Perry had a pair, he’d be a pick, but he don’t and he won’t. Tough to hit with a pass; Perry needs to create and pass himself, which cripples the team not having the BIG WARHORSE in there on the receiving end on the Passes ‘O Perry…Vandy scores the first nine of the second half and UK never recovers…

Fouls started again, with the “stripes” calling 3 straight on UK, two of which were on Liggins. This has to be the toughest place to play in the conference, due to the officials losing their “peas” on one end of this building. It happens every year that I see, and is apparently not going to stop….I know that Tubby did not enjoy playing in that building, and I know that BCG don’t envision lots of losses there in the future, but right now it’s a tough out!

Good to see A.J. put that move on Ogilvy and get 11 points. A.J. played until he fouled out and for the most part played hard…Perry Stevenson had a sub-par game and his play was needed in the worst way. Jodie Meeks did not play his game as he was harassed by a 6’7” “athlete” the entire game. Oh, he hit his average; but in a loss 6 for 21 shooting is not good enough…BCG said he had “a good game for a great player…the team just didn’t play well”….

UK allowed Vanderbilt to be more comfortable in what they tried to do in the second half, Vanderbilt had too many second chance points, and shot 46 per cent for the game, and let them get too comfortable in their own offense…

This team without 2Pat is a shadow of what it can be, and the margin for error is slim now. The loss is tough, but not the end of the world…2 Pat will be back and we’ll be a tough out again; tough enough to beat Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt “Tunes UK” ~~~~ 77-64

The University of Kentucky Wildcats rolled into the Music City on a two game winning streak after losing 3 in a row…Indeed, to beat Vanderbilt on the road would be a tall order given that Patrick Patterson’s game status was that he “would not start”. Yet BCG was foiled here last year, and his 2 S-C-O-R-E/and some loss, was the largest of his Tenure….His own losing streak notwithstanding: Could he solve the “trick gym” that worked it’s magic last year?

Indeed, this is not a basketball gym, as the sidelines are so deep it is more of a “baseball dugout”, given the room to operate…I hear the Vandy players get their workouts just “running into the game”, but that’s a different tale for a different day…

PLaying all your games in a gym like that gives one school a tremendous advantage. Now, I once played some competitive billiards, and one’s home table is special, but you don’t want to be gifted on a 9 ft table, and then forced to play on a “snooker table”…It’s human nature. Psychology takes over the players minds also. In short, we played like crap, and as UKBoo noted, there is a reason some players don’t play as much, and we ALL were able to see that last night!

Well, it turns out BCG could not solve the short “jinx” he has going, and just as his predecessor once took it on the chin, so shall he. UK fell to a determined Vanderbilt squad in one of the most atrociously officiated games I have watched in the first half. At the half with the score tied at 30 and with 20 more minutes to play, and 13 total fouls whistled, (AND 13 more should have been blown on Vanderbilt), AND Darius Miller getting 3 fouls while playing well – and starting the Second Half..

BCG is getting a much needed Technical in the First Half, just to keep the refs from taking over the game, UK has fought and scratched the first half with our starters, Darius Miller(2^nd half), and Perry Stevenson on the bench, with 3 and 2 fouls, respectively. Lucky to be tied at 30-30 and the officiating eased up the second half and we proceeded to lose the game. NO EXCUSES!

In the second half the ‘Dores came out firing, and went up by 5 points early, as UK turned the ball over, while BCG takes out Harris and Porter…at the 17:46 mark of the second half… Galloway, who had a good first half, comes in for Porter.

If Perry had a pair, he’d be a pick, but he don’t and he won’t. Tough to hit with a pass; Perry needs to create and pass himself, which cripples the team not having the BIG WARHORSE in there on the receiving end on the Passes ‘O Perry…Vandy scores the first nine of the second half and UK never recovers…

Fouls started again, with the “stripes” calling 3 straight on UK, two of which were on Liggins. This has to be the toughest place to play in the conference, due to the officials losing their “peas” on one end of this building. It happens every year that I see, and is apparently not going to stop….I know that Tubby did not enjoy playing in that building, and I know that BCG don’t envision lots of losses there in the future, but right now it’s a tough out!

Good to see A.J. put that move on Ogilvy and get 11 points. A.J. played until he fouled out and for the most part played hard…Perry Stevenson had a sub-par game and his play was needed in the worst way. Jodie Meeks did not play his game as he was harassed by a 6’7” “athlete” the entire game. Oh, he hit his average; but in a loss, 6 for 21 shooting, is not good enough…BCG said he had “a good game for a great player…the team just didn’t play well”….

UK allowed Vanderbilt to be more comfortable in what they tried to do in the second half, Vanderbilt had too many second chance points, and shot 46 per cent for the game. UK and let them get “too comfortable” in their own offense in the second half, according to Darius Miller on the “Star of the Game” show.

This team without 2Pat is a shadow of what it can be, and the margin for error is slim now. The loss is tough, but not the end of the world…2 Pat will be back, and we’ll be a tough out again; tough enough to beat Vanderbilt.

UK 64 Vandy 77

There is no gym in America that I wish would burn to the ground more than that God awful place Vandy plays in. The place reeks of bad basketball and plenty was on full display last night. Not just the players and coaches but the refs as well. Vandy’s uniforms suck, their gym sucks, their cheerleaders are ugly, their coach looks retarded and they didn’t pay the refs nearly enough for what they got in return. UK did its part as well. Porter played as poorly as I have ever seen. Harris did next to nothing, and UK never goes anywhere when it has to rely on a Liggins, Galloway Miller combo. And I wasn’t surprised at all with the outcome. UK went into a place where the home team always has its way as far as calls are concerned when UK comes to town. UK went in without its main guy inside. And as much as we love seeing Harrelson all over the floor on offense, he simply can’t defend the likes of Ogilvy. UK did it’s part to stink things up as well. I finally figured out the main problem with Liggins, Miller and Galloway last night. They have no idea where their bread is buttered. Not one pick was set by any of the three to free up Meeks. Not one. There is your answer, to those people who do not know why those guys do not get more minutes. Basketball is about doing the little things. Especially when you have the likes of Meeks and Patterson. Creating your own shot is great and all but you must understand how UK wins games. UK has won a total of one game where Liggins created his own shot. It has won a total of one game with Galloway feeding someone other that Meeks or Patterson. The rest have been won with Porter and Harris getting Meeks free and setting up the inside. Those three could do it much better than Porter and Harris if they applied the proper mindset. YES, you should create your own shot if you can’t get Meeks free. YES, you should get in the lane and dish if you can’t set up Patterson. But you must understand who you are playing with. A tight dish to Stevenson in the lane is a sure turnover. That’s just how it is until he shows better hands. Liggins does one thing and that’s drive the lane. He will continue to pick up charges until he realizes teams teams know exactly what he will do and sets up for it. On the bright side, I thought Stewart came in and provided a much needed lift. He has developed quite the jumper and his post defense, while horrid, was the best of the night.

In the end, this game wasn’t lost because of Liggins or Porter. It wasn’t lost because of Harris or Miller. It was lost because UK was short handed, the game was not called the same on both ends either inside or out, and UK had no one to generate an inside threat or rebound. Players picked up fouls where they didn’t even touch Vandy and Vandy was allowed to man handle anyone they chose to. I’m spitting this one out because chewing on it has left a really bad taste in my mouth.

Is Billy Right For The Job?

Almost everyone seems to have an opinion. I say almost. But in the end, that isn’t really what the main point of this exercise will be about. You have your two main sides…

Billy is the Answer Side: Billy learned from a very qualified coach. He was instrumental in bring top talent in and was credited for helping develop that talent. The things he learned under self can not be discarded. He went out on his own, started at the bottom and built two programs in a very short time. He took a player that was ready to quit and turned him into an All American.

Billy has to Go Side: Billy is a nobody that is completely unqualified for the UK job. Look at his over all life time record? Almost anyone can take a team to one sweet sixteen. He is in over his head and he doesn’t know how to handle it. How else can you explain a three game losing streak? There is no way UK should lose to some of the teams as they have since he got here. Where are the quality wins? UK has two potential All Americans and it has an RPI of 75?

Billy is the Answer Side: It may be true that UK has lost some games it shouldn’t have, but they won several they shouldn’t have as well. But as for his record, remember that he had to rebuild the programs from scratch. Look at his final season at both schools, combine them together, and get back on me on the record thing.. And as for the roster, UK does have two very good players and some potential. But even the two best players are a soph and Jr. UK plays zero Srs and almost everyone has a new role this year. Throw in the fact that some of the frosh are having trouble grasping the system and it complicates things further. Harris, remember, was playing very well and averaging double figures before his head injury. UK didn’t have anyone ready to step into his place and it’s slowed progress. Help is on the way and UK will contend very soon under Billy.

Billy has to Go Side: Help? What help? Who has he really recruited? Tubby recruited Patterson, he ran off Legion and that might be the best player he’s recruited. He hasn’t done a thing with Miller or Liggins and he continues to play scrubs instead of his best players. Patterson and Meeks will jump ship at the end of the year and don’t be surprised if Miller and Liggins transfer. The people he signed may not ever show up once they see he’s a fraud.

You get the drift. We’ve all seen it and it’s been in full force this week. I know some of the opinions may cross over for individuals in one camp or the other, and that isn’t the real point in this exercise. So what is the point? Glad you asked. I am not surprised UK still has the two camps. There is actually a third camp. That is the camp that says it will take much more time than a year and a half to decide. What does surprise me is who is in the “Billy has to Go” Side of late. Granted, those folks were initially in that camp and that didn’t surprise me. But once UK started playing well, many were all but ready to declare Billy the Savior. Then a funny thing happened. UK hit a rough spot and after two or three losses, those fickle fans jumped camp faster than a toad on a hot plate. Not only those, but many others jumped too. The rough spot may not be over and I am sure there are a bunch standing on the fence ready to jump. And I suppose that is their right but it still makes me shake my head. So what will happen when UK goes on its next winning streak? It seems the fickle fans would be very tired from all that jumping.

I think that is why it’s important to reserve judgement until a time where you know for sure. And that time may never come. UK might go to a final four next year. It might not make the tourney. I still do not think that is enough time to say for sure. Any coach would have to grow into the UK job. There is no other job like it. I think people are setting themselves up for failure by being in one camp or the other. I think he has the potential. He works hard and is always evaluating progress. I think he will be wise enough to make adjustments but I also think its wise to not give up on an idea just because it doesn’t draw the proper results the first time and that especially goes for sports. Even if he wins one title, is that enough to say he’s the man? Hasn’t been in the past. It took six to nine to figure that one out. Even if he doesn’t make the tourney this year is that enough to say he isn’t the man? Hasn’t been in the past. It took six to figure that one out.

And people can say after a year and a half?

UK 57 M St 66

Sometimes, the outcome just doesn’t add up. UK usually wins when it keeps other teams off the offensive boards and doesn’t turn the ball over. UK held the Dawgs to 8 offensive boards and “only” turned it over 15 times, which is a major accomplishment for these cats. You can’t look at Porter or Harris or Liggins or Miller or any Cat and say they played a bad game. I made a bold statement earlier this year and this game took a bite right out of that statement’s behind. I said that UK would win any contest where it held a team to the mid 60s. While the Dawgs got slightly more than that, they could have easily scored less and won. Scoring, in my mind, has not really been the issue. If UK scores in the 70s, with the D they are supposed to play, they should win. The problems now seem to be at both ends.

This is three games in a row that UK should have won. This is three games in a row UK needed to win. Because things get much tougher now. How do they turn this around? I have no clue. The general feeling among many of the fans was that UK would explode when Miller and Liggins were ready for more minutes. They are ready now, and UK has exploded, just in the wrong way. I am not saying this particular loss is on them. Maybe it is just a coincidence all the way around that UK has struggled since coach decided to give them more minutes. Maybe the players need to adjust to the new rotation.

One thing I do know is this team needs to play even smarter if it wants to compete from here out. It isn’t hard to figure out that you need to guard guys at 35 feet out if they are making 35 footers. It isn’t hard to figure out that smaller guards are not going to be able to challenge the best shot blocker in all of the NCAA at the rim. UK has a small margin of error in every game they play. They simply are not talented enough to make easily fixable mistakes over and over and expect to win.

Every Cat fan is frustrated these days. I am most frustrated at the defense. Even when things didn’t go well in the past, I could always count on great defense. I can not here of late. This is three games in a row where teams have shot the lights out from long distance. This is where coach earns his money. Now go to work and get this thing fixed..

UK 61 UA 51

It was another ugly half. Meeks was having to fight and claw for everything, Patterson was pretty much no where to be found, and other Cats were again being put in a position to step up. And they were not. The Alabama game plan was simple. Try to restrict Patterson’s touches, assign a guy to Meeks full time, and don’t worry much about anyone else. We are used to seeing people attempt to limit Patterson’s touches. What we haven’t been used to is seeing people actually do it until the last few games. We are also not used to seeing Patterson out worked on the boards as he has at times, and it happened again in the first half. Giving up offensive rebounds, turning the ball over and poor execution by anyone other than Meeks pretty much tells the tale of the first half.

Then halftime came. And this half time was nothing close to ordinary. The half ran longer than normal, then it was announced that a Cat had collapsed during the half. Turns out, it was Harris. Also, no coach at the start of the half and the first thought was that there wouldn’t be a coach sighting in the second half. But, as things usually do work themselves out, coach did reappear. That pretty much told me that Harris was doing OK. His status was, and at the moment is, still a mystery but at least the young man is home safe and sound. And in times like these, basketball is nothing compared to the health of a player.

Coach had hinted that he may change his substitution pattern around. I understood why he had not before and I understand why he thinks it might be time to now. Harris and Porter do give you everything they have but they are limited in what they can offer. And Porter didn’t have a bad game. But with all the focus on Meeks and Patterson, its very easy for me to link the forced play trying to get them shots directly with many of the turnovers. The problem to date has been that guys like Miller and Liggins are also limited but in different ways and for different reasons. And their limitations to date have far outweighed Porter and Harris. But as that gap closes, UK needs to reach a point where they rely more on Liggins and Miller, because UK will need some of the added skills they can offer if they are not hurting UK in other areas as much. And yesterday, in the second half, we saw the result of this change in thought by coach. Miller, out of necessity due to Harris, but also Liggins out of necessity simply because UK needs to be able to make plays by guys other that Patterson and Meeks. Consider it done. Meeks did get his. He always does. Miller didn’t do anything flashy, but he did provide solid D, some great passing and solid play that helped get UK into an open court game. Liggins did provide some needed scoring and overall good D. The major contribution came from Stevenson who, in my opinion had a monster second half and was the key to the game.

I don’t know what is going on with Patterson. I know he has a sore finger, but six points, five boards, two turnovers ZERO assists and five PFs is NOT a Patterson game even if he didn’t have a hand. This is a guy that rarely got in foul trouble last year but it is the case this year. I know he’s the focus of defenses, and I know the team is going to Meeks as much as possible, but he has to keep his head in the game. And I think the others like Porter, Harris (if possible), Miller and Liggins need to make teams pay for showing so much attention to Patterson. They get open shots, and this team will not rise to the next level until those guys knock down those shots.

But, UK continues to plow forward. No one thought it would be as easy as the first two games and it certainly has not. And in the big picture, UK will enter the top 25 on Monday, has total command of the SEC. It’s on to Ole Miss. Go Cat!

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