Changes to tradition!

Not playing IU and UNC was a bombshell to many and ruffled some feathers, but not me. A week has passed and it seems most have accepted the fact and life has gone on. We will have a new rival in Missouri. I may be wrong, but I see that game as a good rival perhaps better than any we currently have in basketball. They aren’t going anywhere either so that will be a yearly home and home game and it will be a good one.

I look forward to playing games in other areas for recruiting purposes. Places like Chicago, NYC, LA, Vegas, Phoenix and Dallas to name a few.

I would also like for us to drop UL and pick up another school that has better recruiting implications for us as well. Perhaps I am in the minority of that one, but that is how I feel.

Another topic today in the Herald Leader was transfers by coaches and players. I sometimes like Mark Story and sometimes I don’t, but today I like him.

I came away with an agreement that players should have to sit out a year to remove the yearly shuffle that would surely occur if players could play immediately for a new school. I do agree that players should be allowed to transfer to any school of their choice without restraint by their former school.

Schools spend a lot of money recruiting players and they invest a lot of time and effort to develop those players so there needs to be a little hold back with transfers, but they should have free reign to go wherever they desire.

Players are immature and make rash decision where they want to attend. Many athletes choose a school because they are a fan of the school rather than what will be the best choice for them. Many times they will choose a school because of past tradition which is a good indicator of the schools commitment to their sport, but they don’t really delve into the coach as much. Ah, the coach, yes when they get to campus they find the coach lied to them or they find he really can’t develop players very well.

Tubby comes to mind in that regard (Mark mentioned him). Great guy, talked a good game, gave constant accolades to players in post game interviews, etc., but player development not so much.

I just wonder where Randolph Morris would be playing today if Cal had been given the opportunity to coach him. I bet he wouldn’t be in China! Imagine Rondo playing for Cal, wow!

The coach then is really the best reason for a player to pick a school rather than the school itself. When an athlete has a school with tradition and a great teacher-motivator like Cal and UK to pick from it is no wonder success is a given. Also, no wonder Cal was so excited to come to UK. He knew what he could do and with the facilities, tradition and fan base at UK he knew success was imminent.

After that it is up to the player to do his part. He has to be able to take criticism along with the good. He has to be able to withstand or grow into the onslaught of expectations by all including the fans. If they can’t perform on stage then a transfer is in their best interest and also the schools best interest.

Coaches leaving a school for another is another thing, though, because it is their living at stake. However, the school invests time and money to recruit them. The school also invests resources, and institutional integrity with their hire. That coach owes the university something for their faith in them. A coach shouldn’t be just allowed to walk away leaving the school holding the bag for all that whether he was good for the school or not. Perhaps there should be an insurance instrument for all parties concerned when it comes to coaches and schools. Donnie Tyndall left Morehead State to coach another school. You couldn’t blame Donnie, but Morehead had just stepped up a notch or two in the eyes of recruits and boom he leaves for greener pastures so what about Morehead State and their fortunes!?

The move gave Shawn Woods a chance to move up, but now Mississippi Valley State will definitely be starting over. I don’t know the answer, but coaches moving have more to to with disruption than a single player transfer. Therefore, I feel something needs to be done in that regard.

Closer to home for us is most of us were happy to see Cal come to UK, but perhaps we can now better understand the acrimony at Memphis because Cal left them.

One day UK and the BBN will be facing a new hire again!  As for me, I started dreading the day Cal would leave the day he was hired.  I did, really, just like the day coach Hall retired, because I knew even though many didn’t like him he would be very, very difficult to replace.  I was right because it gave us Sutton and shame until Rick came along.  Rick left us abruptly and Tubby took over his recruits giving us a championship and then down we go.

I remember Rick Stansburg saying something like ‘we don’t fear KY anymore’.  That said a lot and then we get BCG.   Well now we have Cal and we are on top of the world.  Yes, on top of the world, but one day Cal will be gone and I dread it!

What’s For An Encore?

Number 8 is hanging in the rafters, some of the team is already signing autographs to earn some cash, Cal has been out recruiting, rumors have him going to the Knicks, recruits are getting serious, two of them have the same signing dates for starters to keep us going for a little while.  Whew does it ever end at UK?  Well, uh…NO!!!  Yes, isn’t even an alternative at UK!

What a championship game it was.  Actually what a tournament it was.  The Cat’s were prohibitive favorites from the get-go of the season, well almost!  UNC had some backers until the bitter end.  Kenny Smith said right up to the game they lost that UNC had the best front line in college basketball.  Well, Kenny was wrong, UK did, period, end of story!  They proved it head to head early in the season while UK’s young guys should have faltered, but they didn’t.

Give me Jones, MKG and Davis any day over those guys, but enough of that.  I want to talk about Cal a little bit.  I listened to a talk show on Sirius the next day after the championship game that had Bruce Pearl as one of the commentators.  Bruce was good, but some of the callers showed their jealousy toward Cal which is typical, but one of them was never challenged.

He is now:  The guy started his condescending speech by trying to talk down Cal’s recruiting of all things and his coaching ability as well.  He tried to say that Cal won with BCG’s recruits and that now Cal would HAVE to get the #1 recruit every year to be successful.   Hello fella, where ya been bubbuh?  I bet you have been under a rock in Bloomington (I know you were an Indiana fan) and just saw the light of day.

Yeah he did have some BCG recruits on the team each year.   First of all Patrick Patterson had been recruited heavily by Tubby Smith for years so BCG did have some work to do to keep him, but he was successful although he was a Tubby recruit.  Billy Clyde also recruited Liggins, Orton and Harrellson with Orton never having played for Billy Clyde.

Mr. Bubbuh, Cal kept those players on board and sent the rest of the team packing including every recruit that had committed to play for UK.   Cal had work to do with their psyche if they were going to contribute.  He told them they were somebody that could play for UK, but they had to work hard.  For those players to be successful they had to come out of their shell and it took a while.  Cal forced them to earn playing time.  It took Liggins a while to decide if he was going to make it and also for Cal to decide if he was worth retrieving.  Cal is a people person a player first type of person and he rescued Liggins.  Many coaches would have let him leave.

Liggins had a hard life growing up and he had to depend upon himself for survival for the most part.   The year under BCG had only made him mentally more reclusive.  Many inner city kids are that way, but Liggins had withdrawn himself to such a degree he was almost unreachable, however; Cal made him realize he had a chance, a small chance, to play professionally if he played defense like no other.  Liggins blossomed into a player everyone wanted on the court instead of the one everyone dreaded.   His defense became outstanding and he contributed offensively as well, but his defense was almost good enough to give Cal his first championship.  If not for an errant shot as time ran out he would have had it too.

I was and am so proud to see him get the opportunity to play in the NBA.  When he was awarded the spot as a keeper I was elated for him.  The transformation of an irresponsible me first type of person was complete.  He put his family first, loves his child, and has realized his dream.  Good job Cal and a loss for you Mr. Bubbah!

Jorts as we all affectionately call Josh Harrellson was recruited as a shooter, but never got the opportunity under Billy Clyde.  He was way down on the depth chart and never had the best of seasons his first year under Cal.   After seeing what Cal did with Cousins, Wall, Bledsoe, Patterson and for Orton Jorts decided (with Cal’s urging) to go for broke and remake himself.  Jorts did and became a terror on the court figuratively and in reality (anybody remember a guy named Sullinger.  Well Jorts reduced him to a mere mortal and punched his ticket to the NBA at the same time).  Jorts realized his dream and was drafted in the 2nd round.  His newly found work ethic propelled him into an NBA career.   Cal two, Bubbah zero!

Patrick Patterson was asked to take a back seat to some great talent.  PP is a young man of high character and remains one of the most beloved Cat’s of all time.  His talents would have allowed him to be drafted anyway, but under Cal he was a lottery pick at #14, but should have gone higher.  If Patrick had stayed for this 4th year this UK team would have been the best all time without a doubt.  They were great anyway, but with him the sky would have been the limit.  Along the way Patrick received his degree in three years and is pursuing his dream playing in the NBA while still representing UK well.  Cal 3, Bubbah 0.

Darius Miller, oh yes that Darius Miller!  Miller time, Mr. Enigma!  One of the greatest personalities ever at UK.  That is some company he is now keeping among UK players.  A continual work in progress to get him to showcase his immense talents rather than defer to other talented players.  He took everything BCG did to him and returned to UK to complete his career.  Cal wanted him on the team from the get go, but pulling him out of that shell and getting him to become, Miller Time, was a challenge for Cal.

This past season found UK flush with talent as good or better than any previous UK team had ever possessed to which Darius said, “This is my team”!  Yes he did prior to the season starting!  He knew what he needed to do to help bring his team along.  Yeah, Cal could do a lot of it, but the team needed a steadying force and steadying hand from within their ranks and he was it.  Not only did he accept the role, but he wanted the role of leader and flourished in his role.  He also proudly gave up his starting position for the better of the team.

Along the way it was apparent that we were going to get, Miller Time, at some point in every game.  Each time there was a need for a steadying hand in came Darius to make an immediate impact whether it was a dagger shot from three, a floater in the lane, a steal, a lob or a thundering dunk.  During one game Cal was on him hard to which he slammed home a one handed rebound to posterize the defender.  Darius let out a scream and yelled at Cal, “This is who I am”!   Well Darius was actually several players rolled into one, because he can play any position on the floor so that was actually only one of him.   He is that talented and I surely hate to see him go, but I am proud that he not only played for UK, but that he finished his career with a championship.

Darius finished his year (and will graduate) with more games played than any other Wildcat, ever.   He is a member of the 1000 point club!  He won Mr. Basketball honors in high school, won the state championship and the national title with ‘his team’!   Truly a great and talented player with extremely high character.  I am very confident that Darius will realize his dream of being selected in the NBA draft this year.  He will continue to represent UK well in years to come.  Darius has that special place in UK folklore secured that few will ever attain.   He should have his jersey, #1, retired and hung in the rafters immediately!   Cal 4, Bubbah 0!

The underlying premise to Bubbuh’s call was that Cal only won with another coaches recruits, but that isn’t true.  He took players that were failing or ready to fail and made them winners.   He has also turned recruiting upside down in the basketball arena.  It is now ‘who is Cal going to get’ or ‘accept’ (Sound like Rupp?) while other coaches watch and wring their hands, sound familiar?!

The other underlying point he was trying to make was that Cal wasn’t that good of a bench coach, but obviously that was pure jealousy talking.   Four final 4′s (yes NCAA 4 of them) and a championship should be enough to convince even the most diehard jealous fan.  A final 4 at UMass was huge and also at Memphis who hadn’t been a winner for many years.

I asked what is in store for an encore for Cal and UK?  Obviously, I don’t know, but if the past is any indication of the future it looks like fun to me.  Maybe after one more time Bubbuh will crawl back under his rock and take his red tribe with him.

catfan4life

 

“I’m The Better Player”!

During the Iowa State vs UK game Royce White could be seen mouthing the words ‘I’m the better player’ for the whole world to see.  It was the wrong words to say for more than one reason.

First of all he isn’t, period! Yes he is a great player with a load of talent and a large motor propelled by at least 270 pounds of muscle.  I give him all that and he did play well, but get real Royce come drafting time with the NBA your name will be called after other players on the UK team.  I ask the question if you are so great then why did your team have double digit losses during the season?  Something can be said about coaching and overall talent level on your team, but let us leave the best player proclamation to others.  That in itself said a lot to me.  It said to me I am glad you didn’t bring that attitude to come play for UK.  That statement also got you pretty much shut down for the rest of the game didn’t it big fella?

Now for best player mantra!  UK has a team of best players and they showed it collectively yesterday.  I will give Terrence Jones accolades for the game.  He didn’t score as many points as he usually does, but he was able to pull down 13 rebounds against you big guy.  He made life tough for you and it would have been worse if the terrible refs didn’t swallow their whistles the entire game when you were involved.  If the refs had called all those touch fouls or phantom fouls on you they called on TJ or Doron you would have been out of the game in the first 10 minutes.

To rant a little more about the officiating it was obvious Cal was having a difficult time not charging the floor on many occasions  during most of the game.  The relentless booing by the crowd was another telling sign of poor officiating.   On the other hand the reason for technical called on States coach was a smoke screen by him trying to intimidate the refs.  Why you ask, well it was because a real ‘whoppin’ was in the works and there was nothing he nor ‘I’m the better player’ White could do about it?

All game long UK was held, pushed, shoved, beat upon, tripped and verbally abused and the stripes let it happen until the game was practically out-of-hand. Kidd-Gilchrist didn’t have a great game scoring the ball, but that was because of the aforementioned sentence.  I am still burning inside those refs let that happen all game long.  To his credit he kept his cool.

Now for the reality of the game: UK was ready for that game.  They brought their A game with them.  They executed their plan almost flawlessly.  A few decent calls UK’s way and the game would have been over by halftime.

Miller was something special yesterday.  We have been waiting for that game for his entire career.  Oh yeah, he has had a bunch of really great games, audacious dunks, beautiful sticks from three and at the elbow not to mention those no-matter-who-you-are-guarding-me tear drop shots we have become accustomed to, he was a man yesterday.  It was clear that he had decided to make his presence known as soon as he entered the game.  There was no such thing as letting the game come to him.  The game was on and he guarded, deflected, harassed, blocked and scored at will.  It didn’t matter where he was when he decided to score he did.  Prior to yesterday when he willfully decided to show his immense talents his offense often suffered, but not yesterday.

Miller was a game changer so I say to Mr. White, Miller was better than you. Can’t say enough about the rest of the team either.  All of them had great games.  Davis just alters games, but unnoticed is the altering of shots other team members cause.  Immense talent on this UK team and if they are to lose it will be because of injury, poor shooting or bad officiating or perhaps all three.

The UK team are singular in purpose and it showed yesterday.  Gone (at least for that game) was any arrogance or sell will, but rather, they played as a team. Couple great players playing team ball with a super coach spells a lot of wins.

Did I mention wins, oh yeah, there can be four more to go for this season?  No I am not about to jinx them by predicting wins, but one thing we can be assured of is that the players will bring it and coach will be coaching his best.

As for the best player tag goes I think Mr. Royce White brought attention to some other players on the floor who just continued to play their game.  For that I am thankful and have I said to the UK players I have enjoyed your talents beyond measure, but your character shines even above that!

Thanks guys and go Cat’s!

My Old Kentucky Home

Senior nights are always sentimental moments for every institution of higher learning and it should be. After all the students attend their institution of choice to receive a degree to help them navigate the waters of life. But, you know there are some places that are just more special than others partly because of the attention drawn to the particular school.

Kentucky is one of those if not THE one of those. Obviously, I don’t follow all schools and what they do, but aside from that Kentucky is just special and always has been. The state itself was a place so special for scenic beauty and as a hunting paradise Indian tribes wouldn’t allow settlements anywhere in the state. Additionally, the state has achieved notoriety over the years for such songs as My Old Kentucky Home which will tug at anyone’s sentimental heart strings no matter where they call home.

On top of that there are millions of Kentuckians spread all over America who left KY for whatever reason, but still call Kentucky home. They mark the day of the Kentucky Derby and make sure they watch partly because of the respect for the Derby. Horses such as Secretariat and other Triple Crown winners are brought to mind during Derby week. The beauty of Churchill Downs during the Derby with all colors on display is one reason. The colorful ways the ladies dress with all the attention to their hat’s make one want to be a part of the pageantry even if we can’t be there in person and all of it culminated with the singing of the song My Old Kentucky Home.

It is a special song that only the Star Spangled Banner and America The Beautiful trump. Even those two are what they are because of what they represent, but everyone is sentimentally affected by My Old Kentucky Home no matter their walk in life.

The song reminds us of warmth, love, adulation, a place to kick our shoes off, let our hair down, relaxation and other attributes of a special home. The song reminds us of the finer parts of our childhood, our father and mother, siblings, and childhood friends. It is a special reminder to those of us who grew up roaming the fields, hills, hollows, swinging on grapevines across the creeks, listening to the whippoorwill, watching the stars so bright and beautiful on a clear night so still a sound could not be heard. Oh yeah, and not to forget the picnics and the special one that made our hearts beat faster.

The song is so special you never forget it. It is also so special that other basketball coaches felt the song gave a recruiting advantage to UK the NCAA banned showing it on national TV. What a bummer for millions of people many of whom are not Kentuckians. What a cancer jealousy is and what a cancer the powers that be are in the NCAA. Shame on all of them!

That brings me to senior night for the 2012 graduating seniors. Thursday evening will once again see a couple of seniors saying goodbye. It will once again be a special night that could only be better if we could see Bill Keightly sitting in his chair at the Kentucky bench while Happy Chandler belts out the words to My Old Kentucky Home in the special way only he could do.

Eloy has been a team first player and came to UK as a very raw talent. I don’t know why he hadn’t progressed further before Cal got hold of him. If he could have played more this year perhaps he would have improved considerably more.

He has improved a lot from last year. I doubt Cal told the truth about NBA scouts asking about him, but he is close to 7′ and is pretty quick. It is a shame Cal doesn’t get him for another year, but perhaps he can play for a foreign team and make an NBA roster later. Eloy I wish you well in life and I really wish that we could have cheered a lot more for you.

Miller is going to be hard to replace. He has been an enigma at times leaving all of us to ask what happened to Darius. He even earned the nickname Disapperius, but oh have pity on the opponent when he decided to bring it.

Every team has visions of a player like him. Here he is on a team that is so loaded with talent and he is as good as they are, but for the team he doesn’t start. Imagine being as talented as he is and also be able to keep his ego in check and still be able to come in and do what he does. Whatever needs to be done he does it. I will forever remember those two awesome dunks he has made this year. The sky high one handed slam with authority just froze everyone in time with big eyes and mouth open saying WOW! The 2nd one that just posterized the dude under the basket.

Even more than his talent, though, is the person who has shown nothing but great character. Darius has seen a lot in his 4 years at UK. He wears #1 for his high school achievements in basketball at Mason County and he is #1 in my book too. I cheer just as loudly for every player that wears UK blue no matter where they are from, but it sure is nice to have someone like him to reside in KY.

We have our past favorites that give us fond memories when we think of them and now we will have another one shortly to add to the growing list in Darius Miller. It is my hope that athletically he gives us a re-run of last years tournament excellence, however; if his past is an indication of his future he will be a superstar in life.

Good fortune to you Darius and Eloy and as the old saying goes, “it’ been real”!

Are you dreading March?

I am here to tell you I am dreading March. I know March madness is what college basketball is all about and I live to see the tourney get under way. I try to see every game I can during those blessed weeks of non-stop basketball.

UK and how well they do always impacts my enthusiasm, therefore; I am sky high right now waiting for the tourney to start.  So why the dread you ask? Well, with each passing game we are one game closer to the final game of the season. For a couple of weeks it is basketball 24/7 it seems and I am in Cat Heaven during that time, but suddenly there is more and more time between each game.

If teams I despise win means there is one less team to pull for.  I especially like (when UK isn’t playing or an SEC team playing) to be able to just sit back and enjoy without picking a winner.  I know there aren’t many games like that, but there are a few.  The end result, however, is no matter who wins there is one less game to watch until the final game is played.  After the confetti falls, the cleanup begins, everyone returns to their respective homes and a pin drop can be heard on basketball courts all across America.

Even if UK is there at the finish I will dread that game.  Of course I will be nervous, irritable, my stomach acting funny, etc. in anticipation for the game, but I know what is coming right after the final game.  I know you are way ahead of me on this one, because I bet you are a lot like me.  I bet you suddenly feel the blahs coming knowing it is almost 8 months until the next game.  Oh yeah, there is baseball which I like, Golf which I like, NBA finals and then football.

Gag, did I say football?  Sorry about that!  It isn’t that I hate football, I don’t, but I could care less about all that football stuff over and over. Even on the UK station they won’t talk basketball anymore until the football is season is over.  I like Dick Gabriel, but he promises to talk basketball then he won’t.  If he does it will be in passing only.

I am a basketball guy.  I love to see the really quick moves, the beautiful stroke of a pure shooter (Like Wiltjer).  I love to see the tear drop shot hit nothing but net with the player moving through the air (Doron I’ll miss you).  I love to see guys like Davis block shots or get into a players head so much he won’t even attempt a shot and attempt to pass it back out only to have a UK guy waiting for it.  I love the athletic finesse that only basketball has.  Basketball teams also get to play again and again if they mess up and lose a game.  You don’t have that in football.  The only time you get to do that in football is if the team you lost to is #1 and you are #2.

UK football would be more fun if the team had a chance for a playoff, but they don’t so it robs a fan (me at least) of there-is-a-better-day-ahead mentality.

The only thing that keeps me going is to check on recruits to see who we might get and search for articles about the recruits already in the fold.  I also dread the time when we have to get a new coach.

We are so spoiled by Cal and the success he has had with the program.  I mean nobody saw all that coming.  Nobody could have and to have to replace that……..well that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.  I know when he leaves the program it will be a sad day for me.  Am I in it for me?  Perhaps, but I like what he has been able to do for the players as well as the program.  Nobody likes to take a back seat to anyone on anything and especially us UK fans.  We (UK fans) lived hard for several years and we are riding high right now and I am enjoying the scenery from the top of the clouds.

Only 3 games left before the end of the season and I will try to enjoy them all I can, but I admit there is some dread with each passing game.

By the way, does anyone know who our next basketball recruit will be……..?

March Madness time!?

The game last night (UK vs Vandy) was about as good as it gets.  I mean we saw just about everything for an epic battle.  I don’t why people don’t list Vandy as UK’s chief rival.  Those games are always tough, always, and UK loses more at their facility than at any other venue.  Vandy is a worthy adversary and deserves our respect as such at least since Stallings has become coach at Vandy.  They always have been a great, hated rival except for the short tenure of the previous coach to Stallings.

But, now since the game is over what’s to look forward to for us UK fans.  I know there are 5 games left to the SEC season and then the SEC tourney before the March Madness pairings.

UK has vanquished all foes to date so the next foe they have to vanquish is themselves.  They have to overcome complacency.  They have to keep getting better each day and each game to be all they can be.  Cal is such a competitor and wants to win every game.  Of course the players and fans do as well, but does the hard fought win last evening do as much for the team as a loss would have?  I know everyone wants to roll the dice on this one and say the win probably put a scare in them and will suffice.  I surely hope so.  I surely hope they keep their collective heads on straight vowing to not lose again.  That suffocating defense may be all it takes, but then again it sure would be nice for the offense to catch up to the defense.  The offense is there.  The talent is there for it to happen so hopefully the two of them will converge to take over games and truly annihilate basketball foes.  With that said they must overcome themselves and the natural tendency to back off a little.  They are good enough to win games while doing that, but last night showed what would happen when they did back off on defense.  Vandy caught fire and they almost got beat until they decided to get in Vandy’s grill.

So now what’s to look forward to us fans who are “backing off”?   Why looking ahead to the big tourney is what we can do.  So who do you have as your 1 and 2 seeds and where do they go?  I know prognosticators have been doing that for a long time.  I haven’t even looked at either of them because until now they really haven’t been relevant.  It isn’t now either, but we are close enough to take a sneak try at predicting who and where.

OK,  I predict UK the overall #1 seed with Syracuse as the #2 # 1 seed.  I predict Duke as the #3 #1 seed.  I predict OH State as the #4 #1 seed.

Syracuse will go east. Duke will go southeast. UK will go mid-west and OH State will go west.

I believe Missouri will be #2 in the west. Kansas should be #2 in the southeast. UNC #2 in the east and Michigan State will be the final #2 in the mid-west region.

There is time for shuffling for sure withl every spot even the overall #1 seed.  I do feel that UK and Syracuse are locks for two of the spots and if they keep winning they will get the 1st and 2nd spots.

Duke, Kansas and Michigan State are on the rise.  I feel Missouri will drop another game to Kansas which drops them to a 2 seed.  I would love to see them as a 2 seed across from UK.  It would be a David vs Goliath match if they actually got to play one another, but Missouri deserves to be the #1 2 seed so should go against Ohio State in the west since State will be the #4 1 seed. A Duke vs Kansas match up would be a great game if the NCAA would have the nerve to match Duke against a quality team and Kansas is that. Syracuse vs UNC would be a great, great game.  UNC is probably better than Kansas, but that 24 point loss to FL State was a bad loss plus the home loss to Duke drops them to a 2 seed no matter how they finish.

That leaves Michigan State vs UK.  Tom Izzo vs Calipari would be a great game, IMO.

Just my opinion so feel free to add your picks.

Is Calipari Right

Is Calipari right when he says UK needs to lose a game? Cal is usually right when he speaks except when he is “coach speaking”.

How many undefeated teams have won the championship trophy? It is almost an impossible feat. Another coach (Rick Pitino) said that it takes upperclassmen to win the championship. The same question begs to be asked so I will. How many teams have won with primarily underclassmen?

Of course, just because a coach says something doesn’t mean the statement is factual, but if they are serious they speak from history and experience.

However, records are made to be broken. Records are kept for all to see and strive to beat so with that said what will this 2012 UK team do with those records? Today will be a severe test to see if the coaches were right. I know Cal is trying to take pressure off of his team, but there are two places left on the schedule where the talent level is good enough to send the cat’s to defeat. Those two are Vandy and Florida. Mississippi State could also throw a difficult game on the cat’s. Vandy, though, has all the dimensions it takes to win the game.

Vandy has  underperformed most of the year. They have 4 senior starters and 1 junior to begin the game. They have great shooters, size, athleticism, speed and the wackiest gym in the country.

Today’s contest or perhaps I should say war will be a severe test for these young cat’s and they very well may lose the game. If they do lose it won’t be the end of the world. It may feel like it because they and us rabid fans are used to winning. We are used to superlatives when prognosticators, coaches and haters talk about the cat’s. UK has all the dimensions I just mentioned concerning Vanderbilt except maturity. Miller is the lone senior on this team. Jones and Lamb play beyond their years (sometimes but not always) so for that reason UK should lose.

But, and you knew there was going to be a but, this UK team has unbelievable talent at every position and we have a better coach in my opinion. Stallings has not gotten the best from his talented and mature team. On paper his team should be undefeated or have only one or two losses, but there is a missing cog to his machine. I think that missing cog is Stallings.

Sometimes players win the game on their own in spite of their coach. I can think of one national championship that I feel that was the case (you provide the answer) so I fear today might be one of those games. The talent is there, the players will be sky high, the fans will be rocking just like all away games for UK so perhaps the players will win one for the school and their reputations. Yes, their reputation is on display today. They certainly don’t want to go down in history labeled as losers and chokers so today is a big game for them. I bet they have had a team only meeting concerning their reputation and specifically this game.

Vandy on paper is as good as it gets, but today they face a team like no other. UK has been displaying unbelievable defense and blowing teams away. Sometimes the shots really don’t fall as we expect them to, but defense has the other team so rattled they can’t run their offense.

I don’t dare prognosticate who wins the game, because I don’t want to jinx the cat’s. However, the cat’s have already been through hell at Indiana complete with the color and should have won anyway. Their defense wasn’t even close to as good as it has been recently. Teague has improved so dramatically he has been playing really well to my delight. He has been proving me wrong. Of course, a few games don’t cement ones legacy, but a great game by him today in a hostile environment would put some quick set into the cement of that legacy.

I love this team. I love their attitude and their altitude, lol! They are playing beyond their years and are a joy to watch. Sometimes even coach and MKG will crack a smile.

The war is on. The words are flying! Fans are going back and forth! Game Day will be building up the teams and I believe this game will be one of the best games of the year to date.

Go Cat’s!

UK Fans

I previously wrote another article concerning fans versus Cal, but never published it.  However, after today’s article in the local paper I decided to write an article addressing what I feel have been condescending attitudes toward us UK fans.

It is true that we UK fans are difficult to please.  We are contrary, demand discipline  and perfection that we ourselves can’t and haven’t obtained.  I think some of us drink acid for breakfast and chase it down with day old cold coffee. We know our basketball better than most any fan base and perhaps better than any simply because we eat and breathe basketball more than any other fan base not to mention there are seemingly more of us.

From the ending of the college basketball season until the start of the new basketball season we scour every avenue available for one morsel of information about the latest recruit(s) or for information that will help our team during the next season.  That devotion has earned us the scorn and envy of coaches, announcers, prognosticators and certainly competing fan bases (all of whom have their own agendas) for perhaps 70 or 80 years.  We teach our young about UK basketball as much as any preacher tries to teach us about their particular firebrand of religion.  In the event of conflict between that religion and a UK basketball game well……uh…u….know!  Let me put it this way church coffers lose anytime UK is playing basketball.

We work hard and deserve our billing as a fan base and to that end coaches want to coach at UK, players want to play at UK, but they also dread the scorn of the tongue if they don’t “bring it” every game.  That can be a good thing or a bad thing.  If I remember correctly one coach called it Camelot, another left town in the middle of the night on big bird, another wanted to go back to Texas as soon as he ran into expectations head on while another wanted to come here.  All that is because of tradition.  Tradition of what?  Tradition of winning, but more than anything else because fans care and they care a lot.  We are willing to place coach and players (even announcers) alike on a pedestal for their accomplishments.  All that comes with a price much like a young lady being wined and dined by a rich man until she says she will wear his ring.  Biscuits and gravy won’t do folks for that young lady and mediocrity won’t do for the UK fan either.

Cal, I felt you talked down to us for two games in a row and even after the latest win made a quick reference to the play of Mr. Teague.  Well, coach you were right he did play better, but he did have some turnovers early on in the game.  I know, I know, he is only a freshmen and will improve so much that we will forget the growing pains of playing at UK and for you.  In the long run if he is the player all of us thinks he can be, especially character wise,  the love relationship will put him back on a pedestal.

Cal, I feel that we have been upfront all along with whom and what we are so I rest my case in that regard.

Now to Mr. John Clay…..John, sometimes I like your writing, but often I don’t.  I like directness for the most part and I do agree with you that fans should yell and scream all game long every game, but it isn’t going to happen.  Older fans simply won’t and many can’t yell that much.  They definitely won’t stand very often, but I am telling you right now it is their right to be the fan they want to be the way they want to be.  If old ladies want to knit and talk about everything other than basketball let them knit and talk.  If they don’t want to stand then let them sit.  They paid for their tickets not you or me.  If you want to stand and yell then YOU stand and yell all game long.  Go ahead and make the person behind you angry because they can’t see around you.

Certainly, there is protocol for every fan to observe.  Sitting is absolute and standing part time is optional unless you are in the student section.  Now as for crowd noise that comes when the team plays well.  We, as noted, are spoiled and after a time of superlative play become immune to ordinary play and yesterday was ordinary play in the first half.  I know, I know, they won and the game was physical, but shooting was poor no matter how you cut it during the first half aside from a few 3′s tickling the nets so why scream at the top of your lungs.

Made baskets, made free throws, blocked shots, etc.  cause noise and we had few of those to yell about during the first half.  Therefore, your article is a little off base in my opinion.  Yes we are who we are!  We know where to go for the “it” thing and that is UK basketball.  We decide what to do when we get there and not some sports writer trying to fill space.

Just my not so humble opinion!

catfan4life

 

 

 

 

Now, what is in store for an encore?

What a finish to a year, athletically speaking of course! The only thing that would have made the finish to the year better was to have put a beat down on IU, but that loss wasn’t all bad (more on that later)!

The last week to the football schedule was going to be a bummer. I mean (admit it) all of us thought UT was going to win the game especially when we found out our quarterback was hurt and Newton wasn’t back yet either. We thought things couldn’t get much worse than the season we had going than to lose at home against a lowly UT team with a dispirited fan base like ours. Think about it for a moment will you….here we sat thinking we can’t even get a break in a year that should be the year we break the string. Woe is me (us), but how things changed! Matt Roark (you know I always liked him, because he came to UK as a quarterback, but never had an opportunity to play as one and yet switched gears and stayed) played the game of his life in directing the unlikely win against the boys in yellow (er, orange). Yep they left town while Rocky Top was playing off key and totally out of tune. What a day it was in the bluegrass.

Next up was UNC. This truly was a great, great game full of expectations for the highly heralded and highly regarded boys dressed in baby blue. They deserved the billing they received. Let us face it they are a good team with almost unheard of talent at every position yet UK won the battle with our highly talented and youthful players.

Battle it was, volley after volley, block and block, knock for knock, plan for plan, inspire and perspire from both teams, coaches and benches until the final second was gone from the game clock. When the clock stopped UK had won. Fans could hold their collective heads high, but the players had the satisfaction of a game well played. Theirs would be a memory nobody could erase from their minds when they tell their grandchildren in the yet to come years of memory. They will be able to look back at some of the great NBA players and say they played against that guy.

The only burp to the fantastic finish of 2011 was a last second shot for a loss at hated IU. Yes, I feel UK should have won the game and I just hope they get the opportunity in the tourney, but for now it is a little bitter pill to swallow.

However, in the end of it all if I had to choose which game to win all year against any other single loss (during the season not tourney) it would be the Louisville game. I don’t care where it is played I want that game in the win column come New Years day.

Little Brother tries to usurp his authority all year long until a smack down happens and it happened yesterday on December 31st. I am told that after the game Rick wouldn’t even come to the press conference. Perhaps somebody should have offered him a lollipop if he would come out, but perhaps he was too upset even for a lollipop. Folks, I don’t know about you, but if you turn down a lollipop you are upset. Perhaps ashamed is a better word, or maybe embarrassed that you got your lunch eaten again and this time it had your best marbles in it. Shame for shame Ricky, you should have have taken your medicine. I know, I know, your soft question buddies from Loserville wouldn’t get all the questions, but perhaps that UK hating guy from the local Lexington paper would have asked a couple of questions to let you take shots at UK. I mean, come on Rick that should have been lollipop enough for you (maybe a pacifier would work better).

I hate it that I feel that way for and about Rick, but he shouldn’t have taken that job with little brother. He knew it too, but somehow convinced himself (for whatever reason) it would be OK.

Rick found out something 9 years ago that he should have already known. UK fans hate UL! It hasn’t always been that way. We used to live in a little harmony knowing they were there as long as they kept their mouth shut, but like little brothers often do they started running their collective mouths. Rick knew that as well. He had talked to the powers that be so Rick even though I feel sorry that you have come to this end in my mind you made your own bed. One day Rick (and I hope it is next season) you will have left UL and given me the opportunity to begin the forgiveness stage. I want to really bad because of #6. I don’t want to hate you forever because of that, but until you leave that job you are on my list.

I digressed didn’t I, but it was worth it, ha!

Now the question has to be asked again….we received a great belated present as UK fans so now what Cal? Yes we are incessant aren’t we Cal, but you knew that when you took the job, didn’t you!? Great expectations lie ahead for all of us giddy fans.

All of us went to bed last evening dreaming of #8 all night long. Seems fitting somehow after the finish to the year just ended. Insatiable fans we are, but that is what makes UK so special.

Fans teaching their children, great-grandchildren about the folklore of UK and living vicariously through the fine, talented young men keep UK #1 in the hearts of the Big Blue Nation.  I feel safe in saying that as long as Cal is coach at UK the school will be well represented in the big dance in March which only adds to the mystique of UK basketball.

Yes sir #8 is possible as early as this year! These young Cat’s are a joy to watch.  Thanks guys and Cal for the ride!  Go Cat’s!

UK vs IU

I remember Rick Pitino saying if UK doesn’t lose to Vanderbilt in 96 the Cat’s wouldn’t have won the NCAA tourney that year.  I feel that statement was appropriate then and also now for the present team.

I do want to give credit to a good IU team.  I am surprised how good they are and that Zeller kid is the best of the Zeller kids.  I just hope he will be gone after this year, ha!

Having said that, IU had some extra friends in the game especially in the first half.  Pundits say bad officiating doesn’t win games for the other team, but that is a farce.  First of all every no call or bad call gives the other team a chance to score more points, but the larger thing is that it gives a club impetus to impose their will on the opponent.  Those same calls or lack of them allows the surging team to be loose.  They feel they can do no wrong and can’t miss shots.  That scene unfolded before our eyes today.  During the entire game especially in the first half officials allowed IU to mug UK on both ends of the court.  The lack of calls in UK’s favor were basically absent and IU got loose real loose so they win.  During the 2nd half the calls were better, but IU pushed the UK players with their free hand on every drive and were never called for it.

Now to tell the truth Jones forgot to show up for this game.  For some reason he just wasn’t there.  Miller was tentative and passed up some open shots to drive and miss.  During the 2nd half he improved and I feel if he makes the three with 2 minutes left UK wins that game.  It was obvious Wiltjer was really nervous and unsure of himself.  He passed up shots that he should have been ready to take.  He definitely will not be a one-and-done.  I like him and he will be a good player at UK.  Davis absence for most of the game was probably the deciding factor in the loss, but that will change.  I know that Teague will improve greatly and I was proud of the way he picked himself up and played a heady 2nd half.  If we have that same player in the 1st half UK wins the game.  Finally, if Doron Lamb doesn’t show up and play a hard game UK loses by 20.  Gillie-the-Kidd played well as usual and it is unreal how he plays so mature at his young age.

The good part is all of those things that went wrong today can make the team even better so like Ricky said in ’96 perhaps the loss will propel this team to a championship.  They won’t be #1 next week and don’t deserve it yet anyway, but I feel they will be there again.

My reasoning is that they will not face a more hostile crowd that they faced today.  They now know they have to listen to coach and that every shot won’t always go in for them.  I think UK may not lose another game this year.  I mean that because they will improve so much from that loss.  Let us understand those are young players starting for the Cat’s.  Three freshmen and two sophomores take the floor.  They have so much to learn and they will.  By the time March rolls around this team will be awesome.

Don’t get me wrong, because I am severely disappointed in the loss.  I never want UK lose, but sometimes every team loses a game they should win (yes UK should have won) and goes on to greatness.

Will this be one of those teams that rise from defeat determined to be the very best or will they fall into mediocrity?  They will become great, because of their youth, their drive to be better, their individual superb talent level, their learning how to win as a team and finally because of one of the best coaches in the land.

Revel in the win IU while you can.  You deserve the win, but in the end you are going to get run over by a superior team in March.  Hope to see you there in our bracket.

Next Page »