Its Official

Well its official now. Lamb, Teague, Davis, Jones and MKG are all going to the NBA.

Coach did crack on other coaches that MKG and Teague were coming back, but then admitted that he was just kidding. Right about then my heart did a double fake, then calmly took the news in stride and buried a deep thank you.

Thank you guys for giving me the chance to watch the best bunch of kids I’ve ever seen on a basketball court. Thank you for your respect for Kentucky tradition. Thank you for adding another chapter to Kentucky history. Thank you for picking yourselves up off the floor and continuing to play with class after being mugged, bruised and battered while referees ignored the assault. Thank you for having your team mates back thru thick and thin. Thank you for the things you have given to the community off the court.

Special thanks to Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas for being the heart every team needs.

You will be missed but never forgotten.

Basketball is finally here!

I have been anxiously waiting for the basketball season to get under way since the final 4 ended the wrong way. I was certainly disappointed with the finish, but I was so happy those guys reached the final four.

They over-achieved (I know that term is usually a misnomer, but not this time) and reached a height that only the most ambitious prognosticator would have dared voice to anyone. However, that season is over and a new one begins.

I have posted about most of those players and how excited I am to see them take the floor. It is hard to pick a single player as your favorite player on this team at least it is for me. All of them seem to have a great personality and have accepted the team concept so how do we or should we pick a favorite player.

I mean how could we not pick Jones, Lamb, Miller or Davis as our favorite player. Gosh if one didn’t have Miller up there before the exhibition they should have now. I mean he was unconscious and seemed so relaxed. The same goes for Lamb. I believe he would be comfortable shooting from half court.

Jones drove faster than the wind and finished around the basket with authority (I know it was only an exhibition), but WOW he exploded and stuck it more than once. Just when I thought I had him pigeon-holed he stuck a long three. How are you going to defend that. It will be very difficult one on on one so double team him, right?! How can a team do that with speed burners that can shoot (or pass) at every position.

Anthony Davis has arms so long every loose ball is in range and he can run like a deer and jump like one as well. Not many players like him anywhere in basketball.

Teague will have so much fun getting the ball to those guys knowing that they can make him look good with every pass. Well if nothing else works for you just give it to Kidd-Gilchrist. That young man is only a freshman and freshman are not supposed to be able to do what he does and hold onto the ball in traffic much less finish the play.

I am so excited to watch him play. I will watch every game with anticipation for the unexpected from every one of those players, but when something goes awry with the play I know who will be in the mix for the ball.

He will do what he does and immediately sprint down the floor looking for a loose ball or to catch an unlucky opponent not paying close attention. He will do it without fanfare, but he will do it!

It is going to be a fun season and certainly makes it easier to be a catfan4life!

It Was Bad, Not Worst. And Here’s How To Help It.

Welcome back Cat fans! Well, we’re one game into the books and many of us have already started posting UK coaching interest on job sites over the world. Don’t you worry, don’t you fear, I’ve got some wisdom, and the Katmen is here! Let me spin you a tale of how a season can be saved, and how an opening game struggle we’re angry about, might just have helped more than a high scoring win we would be happy with.

The game ended. For some us, a little sooner than others as we decided we’d rather be grumbling in our sleep than cursing while staying awake on a week night. And the only thing we were left to agree on is that we stank. We might differ and vary on the degree of the stink, but that we did in fact stink even the most die-hard fan would be hard pressed to refute.
But all was not lost. In fact, a lot was likely won. First and foremost, we didn’t lose. Yes, yes, I know that this line is the old song of the inept-fully successful for years, but for us there’s a greater truth hidden in it. Because, though we hate the taste of it, we can afford the side effects of a poorly played win over a lesser foe, far more than we can afford the damages of losing a poorly played game to that same foe.

So, what went wrong last night? Well, the entire evaluation of the team, to start. Joker and company came out and it was clear to me that they thought that this team would be UK ’06-’10 with minor variations based on talent and experience. Their play calling made it clear to me that they thought they could treat Morgan Newton as Woodson plus feet, Hartline plus size, or Lorenzen minus heft. The truth of the matter is that Newton should have been treated as Daunte Culpepper (minus the clearly proven NFL skills). Morgan should never have been asked to sit back into a pocket and be that guy. He’s looks like a roll out QB who can move the ball up the field with his feet if the other throws aren’t there.
His discomfort with the package he was in was obvious. Sure, sure, the Offensive Line was offensive, but that wasn’t the heart of HIS problem. His problem was that he was trying to fill a role he was told he should fill, rather than being given a loose script and being told to go out and make it happen.
…What? You want to assert that doing that would have been more disastrous?… I didn’t think so.
So, coaching tip: Strip the playbook apart. Simplify the plays, and give this guy four options. Receiver 1, receiver 2, tight end, or run it. Don’t try this cross switch a wazzou, type stuff. The kid is an athlete who can throw. Don’t complicate the routes. Let his feet and arm make the plays.

What else went wrong? Let’s see… I see a lot of old familiar faces on this board. This may be a personal rant, but I’m just solid on it. What are some my long standing keys to a successful SEC offense? Run between the tackles. Use the clock. And use the tight end.
Obviously we can’t run it Nebraska style, but commit to running the ball we must. And that means we have to run the ball with intent. With purpose. Don’t JUST try to run it in a 4 wide set hoping to create a break. It means start with a tight end, and move him back into the backfield. Have your lineman forget being nice and lean on someone, and attack a hole… or just move a pile. But wear down the other teams players so that when you start to go to the air, those defensive lineman and linebackers are just glad for the break. Maybe they get a little lazy legged. Bammo… your pass protection looks that much better. IF you’d like an example of this, look at what WKU did to us. They ran Rainey at us and, in the second half, we saw their lineman handling our guys one on one. A few times we got through, but by and large they did well against us with their pass protection. Maybe not great, but certainly a damned sight better than you might expect in a Sun Bely / SEC matchup.
Now, as most of us know, I’m not opposed to throwing the ball. I’m just saying that, in the SEC, you can run successfully and win. You can pass successfully and win. You can even be a poor passing team and win. But, in SEC football, you cannot run the ball poorly and win. I’m sure this is shocking news to most of you, who have no concept of what it takes to win in the SEC.

Now, you want to to hear something awesome? (And this goes back to one of my points to win) How many tight ends does UK have on it’s roster? About 8? I think that’s right. How many catches did the tight ends have last night?… Dang it! How could you possible have seen that foreshadowing coming?
Boo on the coaches. I remind them that the there are few safer passes down the field than (sorry for the mantra repeat) having the tight end come off the line, come three or four steps down the field, turn to the inside of the backers, and just squat. The QB gets a nice throw that’s straight, short, and to a target sitting still. The TE just has to fall for the 6-8 yards that they got. And the linebackers and safeties have to start being honest on their reads.
Gotta do it. Bottom line, if you’re not going to throw to the tight ends, you might as well stop leaving a receiver you won’t throw to, and an undersized blocker in the game. Just put in another offensive lineman and at least help your blocking with 300 lbs of beef.

Now, How about that time of possession? WKU out gained us in rushing 141 to 93. WKU controlled the clock 34 minutes to our 26. And, as most of us saw, we were, honestly, only a couple of catches away from us getting beat. No way we can do that in SEC play and not come out on the bad end of the bad end of games. And yes, I meant the repeat.

So, in conclusion, offensively, we did nothing I would have recommended to win. We didn’t use Morgan effectively. We didn’t help him with a credible effort to run. We didn’t throw to a tight end one time.

But what about the defense? In a word: “promising.” The defense did yield in some areas we’d like to see improved, but this was the absolute first game in an entirely new scheme. But, the positives were there. There was movement pre snap. The linebackers threatened the line and fell back, appeared to be back and then rushed. Again, not enough to make the game over, but clearly a step in the attacking direction we’ve known we needed for years. They’ll be good this year, and sometimes give it up, but they will try to do the one thing we’ve known we needed for a while. Make plays on the OTHER side of the line of scrimmage.
Most of my judgement for the defense is tempered by the early setting and some of the breakdowns, but I saw enough to satisfy my football experience. Rick Minter wants to beat you. Not just keep you from beating him. That’s what we need.

Sure the game was ugly. Sure the game was bad. Sure we could have lost. But, in the end we won. So, let me remind you cliff jumpers of one thing.
This is not a team one year removed from 2-9. This is not an Ohio valley team stuck in the SEC. Look at these players and you’ll see a group of lineman that are SEC size. Look at these players and you’ll see guys that have won 3 bowl games. This is not a program sitting on the edge of decline into mediocrity. We may not have all the talent we’d like, but we don’t need to concede. It’s just a program, from head man, to last man, who forgot their humble beginnings and needed to be reminded that that the “SEC” logo doesn’t give you points. It doesn’t give you respect. It just gives you a chance.
Now, get these coaches my tips, have them throw in the coaching flare that only a coach can have, and this team, this program, can get back to moving forward, even if only an inch. Because that’s how the SEC is won. Not with o line accolades, starry eyed recruiting, and not with flowery coach speak. It’s won with running games and savvy play calling; blitzing and tackles for loss; turnovers and takeaways, desire and commitment.

All of it one inch at a time.

-OOPS!!! I forgot to share why I think the win helped helped as much as it did. I think the coaches lost track of the teams true abilities. Maybe even more importantly, I think they over estimated their own coaching ability and judgement. My point is, these problems were there. And, I think Joker and his staff had denied them and refused to see them. Well, here’s where we make the change. Now, they have to re-think. They have got to reconsider their judgements. And, maybe realize that this program can’t afford for them to just think they’re SEC, and that’s enough. They’ve got to go back to possession management. They’ve got to go back to fundamentals. They can’t think that they just have the pleasure of unleashing UK 6.0

To that end, I think we’ll see the changes on the offense that will help the defense by keeping them off the field. I expect Randy to re-think things. I expect Joker to get a little of that fear back in his mind.

I still think UK will win, but don’t be at all surprised if this… survival, doesn’t result in an offense that gets the simplicity and purpose I’m talking about, and therefore start being successful.

Watch for the rush yards to go up next game. Watch Morgan have something to do with that. And watch for the tight ends to suddenly materialize (meaning 2-4 catches) as if they just arrived on campus.

Blues Brothers Move To 2-0

Down 1-0 in the 78th min sophomore Tyler Riggs came off the bench to score two goals as the men’s soccer Cats moved to 2-0 with a 2-1 win over #9 Michigan. The Blues Brothers came out taking a 13-4 shot advantage over Michigan in the second half.

The men and women’s teams are getting us prepared for basketball with a combined 5-0 record so far.

A&M to the SEC

Is it starting to heat up again in Texas. Some like Mr SEC are saying that A&M is getting serious about coming to the SEC. Read link here.

So do we want A&M and say Oklahoma in the SEC?

From a conference view I think yes but from a Kentucky view I say no. No reason to fear them in basketball but do we really need two more teams to kick us around in football?

One positive I can think of is that it will open Texas up for more recruiting and we might get some players from Texas. Some from our normal recruiting areas that the big SEC guys decide to pass on for a Texas player.

Another positive is more money from a new TV contract.

One negative is the fact that then there will be 14 teams scrambling for bowls and frankly is the 12th or 13th ranked SEC team going to make a bowl.

Enjoy the Carnival

Since sports writer turned super detective Jerry Tipton published his article on the NCAA demanding that Kentucky issue an apology for celebrating Coach Calipari reaching 500 wins there have been many story’s by writers and for the most part they think we screwed up.

Well technically we did screw up by giving Jerry Tipton 14 seconds of fame and by the NCAA’s figures coach doesn’t have 500 wins, so guilty as charged.

What the NCAA is doing by telling UK they need to issue an apology doesn’t bother me at all. What bothers me is their demand that we clear our apology with them before issuing it.

That smells like blackmail no matter how you look at it and if it looks like, smells like and tastes like blackmail, it’s surely not grandmothers chicken noodle soup.

One online legal dictionary defines blackmail as taking by undue exercise of power. By requiring UK to clear their apology before issuing it the NCAA is trying to take away our right to free speech while committing blackmail by that definition.

Comedy icon George Carlin was once arrested for obscenity. Later the judge declared that the language was indecent but Carlin had the freedom to say it as long as he caused no disturbance.

Some people say that the NCAA can’t be sued because the NCAA is a member organization, and a member cannot sue the organization without dropping out of the organization.

As Larry Vaught said here. I am not sure what the source of this view can be in the United States of America, but that view obviously exists on a relatively widespread basis. However, the facts decry this view and there are readily available examples of NCAA Member Institutions suing the NCAA.

The NCAA can be sued by a member institution, has been sued by member institutions, and assertions that the NCAA is somehow above the law is simply not correct. Do many succeed in their efforts to take on the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, NO!!! Of course not. The NCAA has the resources, and access to the best lawyers in the business, and most Universities eventually decide that they cannot spend their precious, limited resources on this type of legal episode, so they simply roll over and take it, regardless of the merits of their case.

So do we simply roll over and take it or do we sue them for trying to violate our first amendment rights. If we sue there will certainly be enough donations to the cause that it won’t cost the university a penny and honestly what can the NCAA really do to us.

In George Carlin’s last HBO special he told his audience to cut through the “bullshit” of the world and “enjoy the carnival.” Come on UK cut thru all the bullshit that’s the NCAA and stand up to them on this one. I for one am ready to watch the carnival of the NCAA backing off on this one.

And finally can we all now hope that Jerry Tipton will now retire after that big story he has chased for years to hurt UK has gone national.

USA Thumps The World

Future Cats Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer combined for 50 of the points of the 172 scored yesterday as the USA Junior National Select Team beat the World Select Team 92-80 in the Nike Hoop Summit.

Anthony Davis, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal tied a Team USA record for rebounding in the Nike Hoop Summit. He played solid post defense all night but his lack of muscle and strength will hamper him in the SEC till he meets Kentucky’s strength coach.

Michael Gilchrist, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks and 1 steal was by far the best defender on the floor. On the offense end he seemed to enjoy contact and made 1 deep 3 pointer.

Marquis Teague, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal showed he is a pure point guard and will be a great asset at Kentucky once he gets better from beyond the arc.

Kyle Wiltjer had 12 points but his lack of athleticism showed. On the bright side he wont face a team in the SEC that remotely compares to the USA team.

The long athletic USA defense dominated, blocking shots and forcing the World team to throw up bricks for much of the game. Overall the teams combined for 23 blocked shots.

Although he had a good game the star of the game wasn’t Austin Rivers it was Bismack Biyombo, a 6-9 forward with a 7’7″ wing span from the Congo who had the first triple-double in Nike Hoop Summit history with 10 blocked shots, 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Day After

I awakened this morning to a bright sun shining. The air has a breath of spring and the sun has a little warmth for these old bones. All that was a good reminder to me that I am still alive and looking forward to a great team come the chill of fall and the cold of winter later in the year of 2011.

In reflection the loss was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow for all of us fans. Those that have actually played the competition of collegiate basketball (and other sports) probably feel and understand it even better than I, but it was no less a bitter pill. We will probably dissect the game a little more as we move forward and heal a little, but for now we must heal.

What should be foremost in our minds, at least in my view, is the joy we received from those same young men as they won game after game. They proudly wore the UK uniform for all of us insatiable Big Blue Fans. They came to UK knowing that they would be held to a different standard than most young men at other schools. They knew that every move and play would be dissected and debated by perhaps millions of the UK faithful. They came knowing that the press would tend to write negative things about UK and their coach. They came knowing they had history to uphold and the proud tradition represented by all those banners hanging above Rupp Arena. They knew that jealousy and envy would be the norm if they came to UK, but they came anyway.

They came because they wanted to be a part of something special. Those young men and coaches are winners even though they lost the last game. They can and should hold their heads high, because they left it all on the floor. Every young man representing UK left it all on the floor last night. They certainly failed in all they were trying to do, but it took a monumental effort by UConn to win that game.

There was Knight (speaking for all the players) brandishing the uniform for all to see after the victory against UNC. That said it all to me and Brandon I want you to know that I am just as proud of you today after the loss as I was on that day. Certainly many fans go over the top with their adulation, hatred and demonstration of UK players depending upon the circumstance. The same can be said about going after our adversaries as well. A game is a game and should be treated as such. It isn’t about life and death. It isn’t about worrying about where the food is going to come from and other such challenges of life.

Basketball is a game albeit a wonderful game. We can ride the wings of victory, but it is the losses whereby our character is tested. Losses mold the metal in the players and fans alike. Therefore, today, I am spending my time being thankful for all those young men on the team. Not just one of them, but for all of them. They have made me proud to wear my UK stuff no matter where I go. Going forward, I fell they will do the same for the university.

It is my hope that all of them come back next year to keep building upon the successes of this year and last year as well. I am looking forward to seeing the next crop of young men come into the system to perhaps hang some more banners in the rafters. However, it is the banners they hang in their hearts and our hearts that keep the history of UK elevated like no other program in the nation.

In finality, thanks to all the coaches and players for the remarkable year.

Triumphs n Tribulations

Being a Kentucky fan this year has been like playing with TnT. Some times we were up and sometimes we were down, and sometimes we were blown away by the triumphs our teams gave us.

Football started the season off with many of us having high expectations for our Cats to continue their climb to the top. After starting the season with wins over Louisville and a couple of cupcakes we came face to face with reality that’s the SEC. Granted we beat the old balls coach and took national champion Auburn to the wire before losing but we couldn’t get over the hump with the east teams. The Vanderbilt win can be ranked up there with the cupcake wins over Western Ky and Akron so the only reason to mention it is that its a win. Tennessee was the loss that hammered the team and fans the worst. They were down according to our thoughts and ripe for the picking. Unfortunately instead of picking the Orange they squeezed us like overripe grapes. The final game of the season was a embarrassing lose to Pittsburgh after losing QB Mike Hartline due to stupidity.

What should we expect in Jokers second year? A better defense and special teams for a starter. On the other side of the ball with the loss of so many key players we should expect a grind it out less scoring offense with more use of the TE position and fewer long completions.
Triumphant players: Randall Cobb, Derrick Locke , Danny Trevathan, Winston Guy and Mike Hartline.
Tribulation player: Mike Hartline who ruined his best season.
Season Ranking: Tribulation

Basketball started out with some eye popping games by the freshmen before running into UConn and a tsunami named Walker in Maui. We finished the non conference part of the season strong with wins over big east powers Louisville, Notre Dame and a blow out at Indiana. A 2 point loss to North Carolina could have as easily been a win and the rest of the games fell into the football cupcake category.

We started play in the SEC where home games were like canned food for the Cats and away games were dried food. Losing those road games made the Cats realize that they preferred canned food and they finished the season roaring by beating Florida and Vandy at home and then showing they were over those road woes by pulping the Vols.
Then the Cats continued to show they had crossed over the hump by sliding through the SEC tournament like a veteran mature team while showing the fans that they were the team that the fans and coaches thought they could be.

After an insulting #4 seed while Florida received a #2 the Cats traveled to Tampa where it took a last second shot by Knight to win pull out a tough win over Princeton. After a revenge game win over West Virginia they faced #1 overall seed Ohio St. Once again they proved they were able to win a close game as Knight finished the nutz off with a jumper with 5 seconds left. That brought them to the regional finals where unlike last year the Cats had a easy time knocking off North Carolina in a sweet revenge win.

Then it was off to the final four in Houston to face UConn in the semifinals. The Cats came out cold and were down by 10 at the half. At the start of the second half shots started falling and they took the lead only to go cold and ended up losing by 1 point.

Everyone knows what I just wrote and if they don’t agree blame it on my magic fingers.

What can we expect with next years team? That’s going to depend on who returns. Josh is gone but if Knight and Jones decide to return like Lamb has said he is and you throw in the #1 recruiting class this team will be hard if not impossible to beat. Hopefully coach Cal will finally realize that free throws are a necessity not an after thought.

Was this Coach Calipari’s best coaching job? You bet it was but that’s to be expected when you coach at the best basketball school in the country.

Finally thank you guys for giving us what we have longed for for 13 years. Hanging a final four banner in Rupp ranks you right up there with the best to ever play for Kentucky in our hearts.

Finally part deux. In my opinion the player of the year for the wildcats is Josh “Jorts” Harrellson.

Triumphant players: The whole team especially Josh Harrellson who took his game to a level where he has been invite to Portsmouth..
Season Ranking: Triumph

I Make Stuff Up

For anyone who doubts that Jerry Tipton is out to get the Cats remember he does his homework before he writes a story. Just ask Patrick Patterson’s mom and dad. They have witnessed the flaming wrath of his desire to finish his career as the worlds best sports writer no matter what the price.

Here is his latest attempt to find that elusive 4X4 that has eluded him.

Wonder how long he would last if 10,000 fans showed up at Rupp wearing this t-shirt.

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