Fallout from Yesterday’s LOSS to Florida

Some observations after the UK vs Fl game from The Media World for the BBR:

From KSR:

When asked if he thought his job might be in jeopardy, in the postgame press conference, Gillispie said this:

“no, the season is not over yet is it”.

“The debate is ultimately moot…he will not be fired and the only way he wont be the Coach of UK next year is if he were to make that decision. Anything you hear to the contrary is incorrect.”

From Catspause Matt May: “There is no joy in Catville, mighty Kentucky has struck out.” *

“”We just didn’t do a good enough job executing anything in the second half,” Gillispie said. “I thought we competed really, really hard and I loved the way they fought but we just didn’t execute well enough to win.”

From Kenny Walker at Scout: “….I hope Billy Gillispie can deal with the high expectations, pressure and criticism. Look at all the coaches before him. They did in a different way and style. We are still trying to figure out his style and personality. Hopefully one day we will get the answer. But to be fair to him, give him another year to get his guys in and then”…

From John Clay of the LHL: “…You wonder if by now everyone isn’t ground down, tired of being one error away from being yanked to the bench.

If the Cats don’t particularly care for their coach, that’s hardly an exclusive event. But they need to respect him, to at least believe in what he’s saying. I’m not sure that’s the case with this group. There are whispers that there’s not a lot of love in the (locker) room, and maybe you should expect that from a team spiraling downward. Maybe not.

Bottom line: A coach deserves more than two seasons to turn a program around. He deserves the chance to do it with his own players. He deserves that, that is, if you possess faith he can turn it around with his own players. There has to be a reason to believe.

So far, this has not been an easy fit. Gillispie often seems an uncomfortable fish in a very big bowl. He’s not a glad-hander, and he isn’t making friends by not signing that formal contract. The “Billy being Billy” doesn’t wear as well when you lose.

On the floor, his first recruits haven’t made the expected impact, and this team will go down as having suffered one of the more pronounced collapses in school history — a team with Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks.

This is Kentucky basketball, after all. It’s sort of a big deal. It’s why Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart gets the big bucks, and why, despite his politically correct public statements of support, the final call isn’t as easy as you might think. Either way.

But, as Gillispie himself said, the season isn’t over. Maybe, somehow, someway, the coach can execute a turnaround in Tampa and get this team where everyone wants it to go.

But this regular season was one big turnover. “

*_{I’m flattered}

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.)

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…….:)

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.

Meeks NOT “Meek” with 45 points, Record — Win for UK over Arkansas

The road was “KIND” again for Jodie Meeks. With the mentality of “The Alpha Male” of the UK basketball team, Jodie Meeks again took UK by the collar and led them through Bud Walton arena, with not only the victory, but another scoring record for Mr. Meeks.

Indeed, no other basketball player has ever treated the screaming HOGS with such a scoring outburst, and left a dwindling crowd one more for the road with 54 seconds to go, when he soared in for one of his patented Sprint Baskets”, and threw down a massive two handed slam…Bill Rafferty now almost devoid of adjectives, having used them all on Jodie during the game stated simply:

“There it is FOLKS, A GUARD, see it and WEEP!

And weep they did, as Jodie hit shots all over that arena and generally OUTRAN the “boys from Fayetteville”. Speaking of running, I bet “Pelph” has that team running until the next game over letting Jodie get all those sprint outs…

With Patrick Patterson on the bench nursing a sprained ankle, Jodie Meeks took it upon himself, as he is wont to do, to score 2PAT’s points or something of that nature, easily equalling both his own scoring average and 2Pats…

“He’s like halfway human.” Darius Miller

With one half of our “Batman and Robin” team scoring all over the court in every way, the score was tied at the 4:07 Mark ‘O Da 1st 1/2 – Jodie Meeks 22 Arkansas 22. The real score was UK 37 Arkansas 22….! Nuff Said….!

Let us now talk of what they speak, Jodie Meeks for President..Yes, you heard it here. Barrack look out! Jodie Meeks is more humble than you and can take you to the hole just like all the other guys you play against….

Well, that’s a bit lofty for now. How about we shoot for “PLAYER OF THE YEAR” . Now those comparisons of MOZ’s to the – Big “O”- don’t seem so “OFFT BASE” — as Amos Moses would allow…

As for his “work ethic”, it would be an understatement now to say that running bothered Jodie Meeks…Being a track star at his high school, gives one the impression that he loves to run, and if BCG ask him to run to the game, I suspect he would run alongside the bus, and score 50 once he got there…!

“…A PLEASURE TO WATCH”… Tim Brando

“He just makes it happen out of what we try to do.” …Billy C. Gillispie

Jody Meeks

Jody, I had you leading the SEC in scoring this year, but who could know… YOU would be this good….II mean…, we knew you had great touch on…,- ThE ShOt – , from YoUr freshman campaign, and…. the free throw streak you had then, 32 was it?…But kid, you are special…Stuck with a “Kyle Macy/Kevin Grevey- type shooting touch”, – AND…. you have the body frame to “GeT YoUrS”, AND will be a a great PRO player, because of that shooting touch, speed, work ethic, athleticism…A “D Wade” type player I think. Notice I said “type”…D Wade is D Wade, and Jodie will be Jodie…

AND

JODIE HAS BROKEN DAN ISSEL’S ALL TIME HIGH WATER MARK FOR SINGLE GAME SCORING…!

OH, I was there when you put your numbers up Dan, you know that. I was there in my mind, as a kid, when you averaged the 32ppg. I listened to ever game on the radio with Cawood bringing it to LiFe for me….Thanks for the Memories Dan Issel….

Thanks for the New Memories, Jodie Meeks … You have just stepped up, grabbed one of the two most coveted awards in College Basketball namely the leading Single Game Scorer in UK Basketball History…!

It’s been great holding you here in my memory for all these years, as the greatest single game scorer in Kentucky history, but there is a new kid on the block, and he’s really good….Great guy too, really a worker.

Dan, now you can gracefully move to the second spot, and retain your 32ppg scoring average, which I do not think will be broken in this era…

Jodie got 54…..

Jodie will probably back up to the bank this year, if he hits the NCAA Tourney on a roll like DeWayne Wade did. Meeks reminds me more of an old schooler by the name of, Oscar, “THE BIG O” Robertson. That’s a tall comparison, since “Big O” is in the Hall of Fame, and led college basketball in scoring one year, but he really has a similar type game with his beautiful shooting touch…

Anyway, Dan, now you can gracefully move to the second spot, and retain your 32ppg scoring average, which I do not think will be broken in this era…

UK 90 UT 72

UK beat the snot out of UT in their own house. OK, whatever, now lets get to the real story..

Jodie Meeks came to UK as a highly recruited, yet under the radar type of guy. He’s the kind of guy that UK fans have always known about, but no one outside of the big blue nation has given him much of a thought. That all changed in this year’s addition of UT hosting UK. You would think it would have happened before now. Meeks has led UK in scoring all year. He is a top five scorer in the country. But such is UK these days. The devil must do something totally off the chart to get his due. Consider it done. UK and Meeks, on a national stage, on the media’s SEC princess of the year’s home floor, in front of a total of 120 teeth (the announcers count too), even with that ugly orange blazer right there on the sidelines, took UT apart bit by but and piece by piece. And in the end, UT was nothing more than another junk car in the front yard of the trailer park.

So how did this happen? First, and foremost, Meeks accomplishments were a total team effort. From top to bottom, every Cat that hit the floor knew exactly who to guard close, who to give room to, who to double and who wanted to drive. The UK D was a thing of utter beauty. UT is a master of not allowing teams to get the ball in bounds. UK knew this and was ready for it most of the time. UK did a really great job of sticking to its sets until it got the shot UK (Meeks) wanted. Meeks has his team mates and coaching staff to thank. And we, the fans, have Meeks to thank. And when the talking heads speak of talent, UT is the team that is considered to have it. But I saw nothing that suggests UT has anything on UK in any area, including talent. UK’s may not have been recruited, but it was developed and it don’t matter which way get there.

Big Dan Issle’s single game scoring record has seemed untouchable for 38 years. Along the way UK has had many great scorers to come and go. Miller, Mercer, Givens and Chapman cover some of the greats from era’s gone by. But none have come close to doing what Meeks has done. And we all know that Meeks is not a one hit wonder. He’s flirted with these records more than once this year. But it was much more than just scoring. Anyone that has read my drivel knows how I feel about perfect games. It isn’t IF a player will make a mistake, its a matter of when and at what cost. Meeks didn’t play a perfect game this time either. But this is as close to perfect as anyone will ever see. He did so much more than score. He played D like a mad man, he had 8 rebounds, he had four assists, he had a steal, he helped break the press and he hit his free throws. He also had a turnover. Whatever… This was much more than an all time scoring effort. This was a total and complete game by a kid no one outside of Kentucky has thought about. And the result of his complete game will have far reaching implications on this season. UK is now noticed. I don’t know how you can have two of the best players in the country and not be noticed, but that just changed. UK will probably go from getting zero votes in the polls to being a unanimous top 25 pick, barring a let down this weekend. UK will go from being an after thought to being the odds on favorite to win the SEC East, and most likely the over all SEC pick. And I think all of these things are well deserved and long over due. Let’s face it, who else has Jodie?

Cats Get First Win

Jodie Meeks scored 22 points to lead Kentucky to its first win of the season, a 71-42 victory over Delaware State on Saturday.

Meeks made five-of-eight 3-point attempts. He has been the scoring leader, or shared that honor, for Kentucky (1-2) in each of the Wildcats’ three games.

The Wildcats kept the defensive pressure on the Hornets (1-5), forcing 22 turnovers, 13 in the first half. Delaware State made only one-of-nine 3-point attempts.

Kentucky’s belated first victory of the season served as a coming-out party for freshman Darius Miller.

Miller scored a career-high 13 points as Kentucky beat outclassed Delaware State 71-42 Saturday in Rupp Arena.

Miller, who totaled 12 points in the two losses that started UK’s season, played an active all-court game that filled up a stat line.

Patrick Patterson added nine points, four rebounds and five assists (which tied a career high).

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