SB Nation - DeAndre Liggins

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Post-UConn Edition

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:10:48 -0000

We'll have a look back at the UConn game a bit later, but I just wanted to get you up to date on the news, which has lagged a bit due to the pace of the season and my busy schedule.

Obviously, most of this is hyperbole directed at John Wall, but it's always fun to read. It pleases me no end to avenge the 2006 loss to the Huskies, even if the game was anything but a thing of beauty.

The news follows the jump.

Sprints Is Not Surprised that Tennessee Is Under Investigation // 12.10.09 - Team Speed Kills
Team Speed Kills considers it an inevitability, and I suppose it is with all the secondary violations the team had to admit earlier this year. Is it just me, or does this look somehow like UT was running a brothel to aid their recruiting? I'm sure that's not the case, but if I were a late-night comedian, I would be having a field day with this.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " ATB: John Wall is College Basketball
John Wall (25/2/6 stls) scored twelve of the last fifteen points of the game for his team, and as our RTC Live correspondent Ballin is a Habit put it at the game, "Garden security should kidnap Wall and throw a Nate Robinson jersey on him. Who will know?"

Heh. Indeed.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Morning Five: 12.10.09 Edition
Memphis filed an appeal against the NCAA’s decision to vacate its 2008 season based on the Derrick Rose SAT scandal, even with the distinct possibility that the school could face a harsher punishment than currently imposed if they did so. We’re not really keen on the NCAA Committee on Infractions using this heavyhanded method of leverage to try to force schools to swallow their initial decision just because they said so. Memphis correctly argued that this creates a "chilling effect" for schools that wish to use their legal right to appeal, and even cited language from a 2001 case against UNLV to that effect. We’re starting to wonder if someone at the NCAA lost a lot of money on Memphis that season, because this is taking the appearance of vindictiveness.

Indeed it is. Somebody needs to explain to the Committee on Infractions that they are making the NCAA look like Tomás de Torquemada.
" BBL: Wall wows a Madison Square Garden party John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links.
UK beats UConn as Wall takes over | KentuckySports.com
Liggins at home

UK sophomore DeAndre Liggins did not make the trip. He also did not travel to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge.

What does this mean? I don't know.
John Wall is one tough Cat; late heroics lift Kentucky basketball past UConn 64-61 | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Jay-Z was nowhere to be seen. Spike Lee apparently was absent. There was no sign of Woody Allen courtside Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden. Still, "The World's Most Famous Arena" didn't lack for star power in the University of Kentucky's 64-61 win over Connecticut in the SEC/Big East Challenge.
John Clay: Big stage exactly where Wall belongs | KentuckySports.com
And down low, the Huskies gashed Kentucky on the glass 26-14 in the first 20 minutes. The Huskies taught the Cats a thing or two.

Ah, but the Cats showed they can be quick learners. Kentucky learned how to take a punch, even on the biggest stage, the one where they used to hold all those classic heavyweight fights.

Just barely quick enough.
Dana O'Neil: Too much hype? John Wall is well worth it - ESPN
If there was a halfcourt offense being run by either team, it was well-disguised.

Truth, forsooth.
In crunch time, Calipari not afraid to go to the Wall - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
You want a crazy statistic?

Consider that Wall has played eight games and scored key points in the final minute to help win four of them. Some great college players will go entire careers without doing that. But Wall has already hit a game-winning jumper to beat Miami of Ohio, hit a pull-up jumper followed by free throws with 0.5 seconds remaining to force overtime in an eventual victory against Stanford, made two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining to secure a win over North Carolina, and converted an I-can't-believe-he-just-made-that three-point play with 30.8 seconds remaining to beat UConn.

If it sounds amazing, that's because it is amazing.

If he sounds awesome, that's because he is awesome.

I think he's said it all.

North Carolina Tar Heels @ Kentucky Wildcats: Pre-game analysis

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:17:30 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We hope to see a lot of this out of the Big Cuz tomorrow.

Browse more photos »

Obviously, the UNC contest at Rupp Arena tomorrow is a big, big game for the team, but even more so for the fans, who are very tired of losing to our neighbor to the east.

The Tar Heels are young, but not nearly as young as Kentucky is. The Tar Heels start two seniors, a junior and two sophomores.

North Carolina is perhaps the only team in America that is taller and longer than the Wildcats are. The Heels go 6'10", 6'9" and 6'6" across the front line, and have four reserves 6'10" or taller. UK is taller across the starting lineup, but the 'Cats do not have quite as much height on the bench.

UNC is 7-1, their only loss coming in convincing fashion at Madison Square Garden versus Syracuse. That game was over with about 3 minutes still left to play, but the men in powder blue came back and beat a highly ranked Michigan State team in Chapel Hill just a few nights ago in the ACC-Big Ten challenge. In that game, the Tar Heels played extremely well at times, and that game tap has provided some sobering images for the UK staff and players.

What we will be doing today is presenting you with an extremely high-tech visualization of the comparative statistics of this game. This service has been provided by A Sea of Blue member Sylvar, and it is gobsmackingly awesome. I think no other blog can match this new style of graphical stats delivery, and I'm sure you will enjoy it. But remember, this was Sylvar's work, not mine, so be sure to thank him.

Also, for the Carolina perspective, be sure to visit SB Nation's excellent North Carolina Tar Heels blog, Carolina March.

More after the jump.

Four Factors Analysis

First off, I want to point out that this display is interactive. If you move the sliders just under the trend graph, you can zoom in on various slices of the series to see how they have done in smaller segments. The dials on the right indicate ranges from red (worse) to yellow (okay) to green (good) based on the average values of the top ten teams from last year.

As you can see by the offensive efficiency trends on the top chart, Kentucky has been trending better than the Tar Heels since about the fourth game of the season. In the last game vs. UNC-Ashville, UK's OE was at it's peak so far this season, but still just a bit below the peak UNC achieved vs. Valparaiso.

Defensively, you have to keep in mind that lower is better. UK's DE has been much worse than UNC's through the first four games. From game five (Cleveland St.) on, UK's DE has been improving, and the two team's efficiencies on defense have effectively merged. But you can see that UNC's peak DE has been much better than the best UK has put out there so far. This is largely a function of having more experienced players, most likely.

Moving down to the Four Factors, you can see that these two teams are almost dead even statistically. The green bar is the average statistic for the top ten teams from last year, just to have something to compare with. You will note that neither UK nor UNC are at top ten efficiency yet.

Another interesting thing is that UNC turns the ball over almost as much as UK does. That's partially a function of how many possessions they have per game as a function of their high tempo, but it is a bit surprising to see that a more experienced team like UNC is having as many problems with turnovers as a mostly-freshman UK.

Moving on to the defense, we see that UNC is the better team right now, but UK seems to be forcing a few more turnovers and doing a better job on the defensive glass. UK's free throw rate is very high, and that could be a major factor in the game as time goes on.

In the miscellaneous cateory, we see that both teams shoot a similar 3-point FG%, but UNC takes more 3-point shots per field goal attempt.

Next, we'll look at the players for the Tar Heels, and their stats:

North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Roster

	#	Pos.	Comments	W	H	College
Marc Campbell	2	G	-	175	6-0	senior
Ed Davis	32	F	Starter	225	6-10	sophomore
Larry Drew II	11	G	Starter	180	6-2	sophomore
James Gallagher	35	F	-	185	6-4	senior
Marcus Ginyard	1	G	Starter	210	6-5	senior
Will Graves	13	F	Starter	240	6-6	junior
John Henson	31	F	-	195	6-10	freshman
Leslie McDonald	15	G	-	215	6-4	freshman
Terrence Petree	14	G	-	165	6-1	senior
Dexter Strickland	5	G	-	180	6-3	freshman
Deon Thompson	21	F	Starter	245	6-9	senior
Thomas Thornton	30	G	-	180	6-3	senior
Justin Watts	24	G	-	210	6-4	sophomore
David Wear	34	F	-	225	6-10	freshman
Travis Wear	43	F	-	235	6-10	freshman
Tyler Zeller	44	F	-	240	7-0	sophomore

North Carolina Statistics

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Deon Thompson	8	27.4	6.4	11.8	54.3	0.0	0.1	0.0	4.5	5.6	80.0	3.6	4.6	8.3	1.4	2.8	1.0	0.6	1.6	17.3
Ed Davis	8	25.4	5.3	7.5	70.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.4	5.3	64.3	2.9	6.5	9.4	1.5	2.1	0.5	2.4	1.6	13.9
Marcus Ginyard	8	30.9	4.3	7.6	55.7	1.3	2.6	47.6	1.4	2.4	57.9	1.4	2.3	3.6	4.5	2.5	2.0	0.1	0.8	11.1
Tyler Zeller	8	15.8	3.8	6.5	57.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.1	2.9	73.9	1.5	2.5	4.0	0.4	0.8	0.4	1.0	1.9	9.6
Larry Drew II	8	25.5	3.0	5.4	55.8	1.1	2.4	47.4	1.9	2.8	68.2	0.1	2.1	2.3	6.6	3.0	0.9	0.0	2.4	9.0
Will Graves	8	18.4	2.5	6.6	37.7	1.0	3.4	29.6	1.0	1.3	80.0	1.1	2.6	3.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.1	1.0	7.0
Travis Wear	8	9.0	1.4	2.8	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.0	87.5	1.1	1.0	2.1	0.1	0.6	0.3	0.0	0.8	3.6
John Henson	8	10.6	1.4	3.0	45.8	0.1	0.6	20.0	0.5	1.3	40.0	0.6	2.0	2.6	1.3	0.4	0.6	1.3	0.5	3.4
Dexter Strickland	8	13.4	1.3	3.1	40.0	0.3	1.1	22.2	0.5	1.1	44.4	0.3	0.6	0.9	1.8	1.6	0.4	0.3	1.5	3.3
Justin Watts	8	6.8	1.1	2.0	56.3	0.4	0.5	75.0	0.3	0.6	40.0	0.4	0.4	0.8	1.4	0.9	0.1	0.1	0.9	2.9
David Wear	8	9.4	0.8	2.1	35.3	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.1	0.5	25.0	0.1	1.0	1.1	0.8	0.6	0.3	0.1	0.4	1.8
Leslie McDonald	6	6.7	0.7	2.3	28.6	0.2	1.0	16.7	0.2	1.0	16.7	0.0	1.3	1.3	0.7	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.5	1.7
Thomas Thornton	3	1.7	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0
James Gallagher	3	1.7	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0
Terrence Petree	3	1.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0
Marc Campbell	3	1.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0

Position Analysis: Point guard

The starting point guard for the Tar Heels is Larry Drew II, son of a former NBA player. Drew assumes the starting point guard spot from the now-graduated Ty Lawson. Drew is a solid point guard and is doing a good job of learning the spot this year. He had one year behind Lawson and is now familiar with Roy Williams style.

The strength of Drew, though not so much this year up until the last game, is his 3-point shooting. He is shooting a fine percentage, but has been a relatively reluctant shooter so far this year, preferring to get the ball to teammates in scoring position, which is the job of a point guard. His assist/turnover ratio is 2-1, which is the gold standard for point guard play.

The knock on Drew has always been his footspeed and athleticism. Unlike Lawson or Wall, Drew is not a blur getting up and down the court. Drew is a competent but not flashy ballhandler, and he isn't going to blow by people like Lawson before him, or Wall does now. But what Drew does have is NCAA championship experience, and a year under his belt. That is worth a lot.

For Kentucky, the point guard is John Wall. We all know what John Wall is capable of, that is, at least to the level he has currently played. Wall and Drew could not be less similar -- Wall is an athletic freak and a slasher, as well as a flashy ballhandler and passer, but an average 3-point shooter. Drew will need help with Wall, as Wall is not only quicker, faster and a better athlete, but he is also four inches taller.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position Analysis: Shooting guard

Marcus Ginyard is the starter at shooting guard for the Tar Heels. Ginyard is a strong, athletic player with good size at 6'5". Ginyard was injured back in 2008, and was granted a medical redshirt.

Ginyard brings senior leadership to the Tar Heels backcourt, and does the little things that help his team win. He is not a big scorer, averaging 11 points/game, but he is a good rebounder and fine passer. He is athletic but not extraordinarily so, and has a good understanding of the North Carolina system. Ginyard is a polished defender, leading the team in steals.

Eric Bledsoe will be the starter at the off guard for Kentucky, and even though he is significantly more athletic and just as strong as Ginyard, he is far less experienced. Blesdsoe is much quicker off the dribble than most any player of his quality that North Carolina has faced so far this year, so Ginyard will have to deal with a quickness disadvantage.

But Ginyard has the advantage in virtually every other area, especially in experience.

Advantage: North Carolina

Position Analysis: Small Forward

Will Graves is the Tar Heel's starter at small forward. Graves is the least touted of all the North Carolina starters, grading out as only #105 in Rivals' class of 2006. Graves is a hard worker, good team player and has loads of experience coming off the bench during North Carolina's most recent run of success. He is not a particularly good three-point shooter, although he can make it. He is a decent but not outstanding rebounder. What he does do particularly well is defend.

Graves is an experienced player who adds experience to the team, as well as bulk and strength inside.

Graves will be going up against Darius Miller. Miller has the advantage of height, quickness and athleticism over Graves, but Graves is much heavier and stronger than Miller, which could provide UNC some opportunities with Graves posting Miller up. If Miller decides to assert himself (a big "if"), he could give Graves great difficulty due to his superior skills, speed, and athleticism.

Advantage: Draw

Position analysis: Power Forward

Ed Davis is the power forward for North Carolina, and the young sophomore is extremely talented. Davis is strong in the low post and quick off the floor. He doesn't have great range, but he is a good finisher and has a strong lower body. Davis runs the floor very well and will dunk on you if you are slow getting back. He is a solid defensive player with long arms and good footwork.

Davis is not strong in the upper body, though, and has narrow shoulders, which makes it harder for him against more physical power forwards. Davis is a good shot blocker with long arms and good timing.

I am going to assume that Patrick Patterson will be guarding Davis, because I think he is just too quick for DeMarcus Cousins. Offensively, Patterson is a much more versatile and powerful player than Davis. Davis is highly skilled, but Patterson is capable of shooting with range and will probably try to take Davis away from the basket.

Defensively, Patterson is stronger than Davis in every respect. He should be able to keep him far enough off the low block to force him into spin moves or short, challenged jumpers. Pattrerson runs the floor just as well as Davis, so there is really no part of the game in which Davis is superior to Patrick Patterson.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position Analysis: Center

Deon Thompson will play the post for the Tar Heels, and Thompson is a senior with all kinds of great skills. Thompson can face up from 15 feet, bury you on the block, rebound, block shots, you name it. He is the Tar Heels' leading scorer and overall best player.

The knock against Thompson has been that he sometimes doesn't work that hard, but this year he seems to have solidified his work ethic. Thompson is big, strong, reasonably quick and has great hands -- he will catch everything thrown in his direction.

DeMarcus Cousins will likely get the assignment on Thomson. Offensively, Cousins and Thompson are very similar players, with the main difference being that Thompson is a better face-up player. Cousins is longer and even heavier than Thompson, so a determined effort by Cousins will force Thompson farther away from the basket than he has been most of this year. Cousins also has the unusual habit of keeping his feet on the head fake, and using his very long arms to bother shots. That will serve him very well against Thompson if he continues to do that.

Offensively, Cousins is capable of pushing Thompson around in the post, and his greater length and soft hands make him a big challenge for Thompson defensively. What works against Cousins are two things -- Thompson is a senior, and has all the experience in the world. Cousins is an excitable freshman, prone to fouls, and a poor foul shooter. Overall, the balance of the equities goes to Thompson.

Advantage: North Carolina

Bench Analysis

The Tar Heels are huge on the bench, having four bench players at 6'10" or taller. UK is deep along the front line as well, but unlike the Heels, Kentucky has better depth at the guard position. It would be much better if DeAndre Liggins were available, but we won't know about that until game time.

Kentucky has been the much higher scoring team so far, but North Carolina gets a greater percentage of points from their bench. That is something the Wildcats will have to keep an eye on.

Carolina's depth is actually better than UK's at critical positions. They could, for example, execute a "Hack-a-Shaq" game against Cousins if Cousins is able to dominate in the post, and force him to the line. They could literally expend 24 fouls guarding Cousins and still field a great team.

Advantage: North Carolina

Overall analysis

This game is going to be a track meet, so it is important for both coaches to manage their players carefully. Loafing up and down the floor will likely produce dunks on the other end, and I expect to see a ton of dunks in this game.

These two teams are both extremely big and long, and you can expect a lot of shots blocked by both sides. If the officials call this game close, it will be to the advantage of the Tar Heels in a big way. If they don't, that advantage is minimized.

The higher the pace, the more advantage to Kentucky. That's because UNC has so many big men, and relatively few guards and swing players.

UK must strongly guard the three against UNC, because they can shoot it. They don't shoot it that much because they would rather get layups and dunks, just like UK, but UNC is the more dangerous team from the perimeter. If UK doesn't put on some strong perimeter defense, the Heels can burn the 'Cats there.

I think this game will ultimately come down to which coach manages his player's minutes better. Both are going to be tired at the end, and I would be surprised if the winning margin is more than ten points. Kentucky has the home court advantage, which will be big, but not huge, in this game.

Projected score: Kentucky 93, North Carolina 88.

Kentucky Wildcats 73, Stanford Cardinal 65 (OT) -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:24:49 -0000

More photos » by Israel Leal - AP

We saw some Good Cuz, and some really, really Bad Cuz.

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For the first time all season, I had my doubts about a game that the Wildcats were behind in. But my fears proved groundless.

Congratulations to the Stanford Cardinal for an outstanding game. The Cardinal executed their game plan brilliantly, and but for the liquid helium in John Wall's veins, would likely have had them some Wildcat fricassee for an early Thanksgiving dinner. But alas for the Cardinal, they missed two critical free throws at crunch time that cost them a major upset. But if there is such a thing as a moral victory, this surely was one for Johnny Dawkins' young squad.

For Kentucky, this bullet-dodging is becoming a habit. One of these days, the bullet is going to connect. But not today.

I distinctly recall John Calipari telling all of us that it would be this way. He said it more than once. None of us really believed it, but this game made a believer out of me.

In the end, there were two things that made this win possible -- the crazy self-confidence of these young, talented players, and the fact that these guys do not get upset when the chips are down -- they get focused. That's something Coach Cal can build on.

More after the jump.

Here are my observations for this game:

Did you notice that Coach Cal scrapped the dribble-drive motion in favor of a low and high-low post-up game? That is the sign of a confident coach who doesn't feel like he has to win or lose by his innovation. Calipari plays to win, and when he saw that Stanford could not handle UK's post players, they got lots and lots of touches.
Great game by Ramon Harris. If he could only make open shots, he would be incredible. As it is, he really sets the tone for effort and selfless play.
What can I say about John Wall? He isn't just a cool customer, he is an infectious personality and a peerless athlete. His free throws to tie the game would have been hard for a senior, yet he made them as though he were shooting alone in the gym.
Daniel Orton was not that effective tonight. He just looked a step slow.
I took DeMarcus Cousins' name in vain several times tonight. He really needs work, and not just on his free-throw shot. He nearly cost us the game with a foolish three and an equally foolish charge. But he will get better, and he's already pretty good most of the time -- as he was for most of the game tonight.
I was really impressed with Eric Bledsoe's effort on defense tonight. He really worked hard, and hit an, "Oh, no, don't ... Yess!" shot at the end that was huge.
Patrick Patterson was unstoppable. I imagine if we had him for more of the first half, this game would likely not have been as difficult.
A cameo for Darnell Dodson, but he was not effective. At least we know he is still alive.
I'm putting out a missing person's report on DeAndre Liggins. I think he has been kidnapped by space aliens.
Great game by Darius Miller. He was everywhere, and made big shots and free throws.
What I liked: The 'Cats never gave up, and I thought John Calipari did a fine job on the bench tonight against some stiff competition from an up-and-coming Johnny Dawkins (Dookie though he was).
What I hated: UK's decision making -- it was singularly awful. Also the fact that Stanford out-hustled us all game long, and it showed. Offensive rebounds by the Cardinal were a large part of the reason they got this game into overtime.

This UK team is still a work in progress, and Stanford has given everyone a blueprint on how to beat Kentucky. Until this young team learns to make good decisions with the ball and play more as a team instead of five guys with skill, they are going to be vulnerable to teams that execute sharply.

The good news is, this is a great tape. It will give Coach Cal a ton of things to show his team, and was a great lesson all around. Stanford reminded me of Kentucky last year when they were executing well. It just goes to show you that winning at basketball isn't just about style and athleticism, it's about sharpness of mind, hustle, and a good game plan.

Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49 -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:14:07 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

This game aught to give Coach Cal plenty to yell about.

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The Cancun Challenge is certainly providing a challenge for the Kentucky Wildcats. Not only did the Sam Houston St. give us plenty of challenge, but the Cleveland St. Vikings also proved tough enough to challenge the 'Cats -- for a half.

Nice effort by the Vikings of Cleveland State. They out-hustled and outworked Kentucky for most of the game, and refused to be bullied or pushed around, matching UK's physicality inside and proving that hustle will offset talent most of the time. The Vikings were tough, gritty and determined. Unfortunately for them, they weren't big enough or skilled enough to handle the Wildcats.

This was an ugly game by any measure. Tons of fouls, players pushing and shoving, two intentional fouls, turnover after turnover. Ugly, ugly basketball.

Cleveland State could not throw the ball in the ocean from the beach. They were ice-cold from everywhere, but UK kept giving them the ball before they could get off a shot. I can't wait to see the stats on this game, they should prove instructive.

But in the second half, the Wildcats began to take care of the ball and force the Vikings to beat them without a bunch of extra possessions, and that wound up being too tall an order for the shorter Cleveland State team. After the first five minutes of the second half, the game was really no longer in doubt, and Kentucky improves to 5-0 and advances to the championship round of the tournament, while the Vikings move on to the consolation game.

More after the jump.

Here are my observations:

I sure hope Patrick Patterson's injury is minor. He didn't come back after he apparently tweaked an ankle. At least, I hope that's what it was.
Ramon Harris played another excellent game, and by the minutes he's getting, it's clear that Calipari is falling in love with him just like Gillispie did.
Big Cuz had another good game, but once again, he is weak with the ball when he gets trapped.
Daniel Orton played well again. Blocks galore, some points in close, lots of good stuff.
Eric Bledsoe played really poorly for most of the game. He got better very late, but he turned the ball over a lot.
John Wall was OK, but I though this wasn't really one of his best efforts. He seemed out of control a lot.
Perry Stevenson gave some good minutes.
Jon Hood hit an open shot and absolutely played his best game so far.
Darius Miller was fine, but I wish he had been a little more under control.
This was a really rough game in spite of all the fouls. Most of the fouls were absolutely good calls, and even if the officiating was uneven at times, I thought it was OK. I am not a big advocate of "letting them play." A foul is a foul and it should be called.
Nice three at the end of the first half by Josh Harrellson. It was a difference-maker.
I really wish I knew if we were ever going to hear from Liggins or Dodson again. I think they have slipped into the Calipari Triangle.

All in all, this was a most unsatisfying game. There was very little of the kind of play that I had hoped to see on offense, and the defense, although competent, was just okay. I was hoping for much more. Maybe I'll get that tomorrow.

Kentucky 102, Sam Houston 92 -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:10:43 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Corey Allmond set a new record for 3's in Rupp Arena. Sounds like a broken record, n'est pas?

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Well, that was all kinds of fun.

Great game by the Sam Houston State Bearkats. They really came in and gave it all they had, and it was almost enough. This team can really shoot when they want to. If they could bottle tonight and dole it out in doses throughout the year, they might win their league and make the NCAA tournament easily.

I have been watching college basketball a very long time, more years than some members of this blog have been drawing breath. But I am sure that I have never seen two opposing teams back to back hit so many three point shots. For both Miami and Sam Houston, they made the three look like a layup, or a free-throw. In fact, I've seen lots of teams shoot a worse percentage from the free throw line than Sam Houston did from 20'9" -- 18-38.

I really don't know what to make of it, this amazing three-point shooting. It's as if teams come into Rupp Arena, look at the basket, decide that it looks as big around as Jared Fogle before his Subway diet, and start filling it up like it fire hydrant unleashed on a blow-up backyard pool.

Kentucky's perimeter defense was pretty weak, okay? I get that. But I don't know very many people who could stand at 25 feet and shoot 50% unopposed, let alone with other players running at them. At least half of those threes were two to four feet behind the line. Amazing.

Perhaps it's all the pre-season publicity that is driving this ridiculous opposition shooting. Perhaps they just hate Kentucky. Who knows? Whatever it its, UK needs an antidote, and that antidote is better and sharper defense. A big part of SHS' outstanding night was confusion and failure to communicate. That has to get better. But even all that does not explain the otherworldly, Hand of God shooting that UK has faced in the last two games.

But there is one really big positive -- both games were victories, and even historic three-point shooting was not enough to upset Kentucky. I think that's important, don't you? Can you imagine what would have happened last year?

More after the jump.

Here are my observations:

This is an approximate quote from John Calipari after the game: "Daniel Orton was having a great game. People ask why I didn't play him more. You know why I didn't play him more? Because the other kid [Cousins] was a beast!" Cousins was a beast.
He may have been a beast, but Cousins has got to become stronger with the ball. He was very weak with it tonight.
Darius Miller had a very nice game offensively but only one rebound. Yes, I know Cousins soaked up most of the rebounds, but Miller has got to do more on the glass.
What a 3-point shooting outburst from Bledsoe. I really don't know what to say, except, "Well done!"
John Wall and Eric Bledsoe combined for 12 of Kentucky's 23 turnovers. That's much too high a number.
John Wall played pretty well, but he seemed out of control and unfocused to me. He is much better than he played tonight. He played hard, but not smart.
Ramon Harris gave us five rebounds in 12 minutes, and a huge play that led to a Cousins dunk that stopped a run. Calipari truly loved what Harris brought tonight, and said so.
Daniel Orton payed well, with four blocks, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in 10 minutes.
UK dominated SHS on the boards, 48-33. That was a big difference.
Patrick Patterson did what he always does -- play great. 8-9 from the field, 1-2 from the arc, 9 rebs, 1 block and 2 assists. That may not seem spectacular to you, but it does to me.
Calipari is not at all happy with this team. But he will be.
SHS shot 38% overall, and UK shot 60%. And the margin was 10. The three is a great equalizer.
19-29 from the free throw line is not good.
No Darnell Dodson. No Josh Harrellson. No DeAndre Liggins.
The team was gassed after this game. But the Bearkats were almost falling down from fatigue.
DeMarcus Cousins was asked after the game if he had ever seen three-point shooting that good in high school, and he said (paraphrase) "Yes, once. John Jenkins. He plays for Vanderbilt." Fair warning from the Big Cuz.

This was yet another strange game in a series of strange games. I sure do hope we can get our minds right by the time we face Rider on Saturday afternoon. UK has terrific talent, and they are winning almost exclusively on talent and not on execution, either defensively or offensively.

If Kentucky is going to live up to their potential, they must do better.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Sam Houston State Edition

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:15:05 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Charlie Coles is da man! What a great performance the Miami RedHawks gave in the post-game interview the other day.

Browse more photos »

Tonight, the Wildcats take on the Bearkats of Sam Houston State, a team I know absolutely nothing about, as their opening round game in the Cancun Challenge. Rumors have been swirling about the availability of Darnell Dodson and John Wall, but I have heard nothing definite. The closest I can come is:

Calipari is very unhappy with Darnell Dodson at the moment (that could explain why it took him so long to get into the game on Monday).
Calipari is getting happier with DeAndre Liggins. Happy enough to play him?
John Wall's uncle passed away earlier this week. Our sympathy goes out to his family. I have no idea if he will play or not, but I suspect he will.

In other news worth highlighting, UK just secured another football recruit, Avery Williamson, a Rivals 3* linebacker out of Milan, Tennessee. Willimson impressed at Lane Kiffin's Tennessee Camp and is one of the very best in the Volunteer state. Even though UT was not heavily recruiting Williamson, UK has had great success with the overlooked players from Tennessee and Georgia.

And finally there is this item about one of my favorite players, Chuck Hayes. I somehow missed this when it come out (I'm sure somebody linked it, though) but I think it deserves special attention. I love Chuck Hayes, and when he gets accolades, I like to put it on the front page.

The news follows the jump.

Rich Brooks & the SEC Teleconference « Over The Pylon
Blogpoll Week 11 - CBSSports.com
Cats aren't fooled by Georgia's sub-par stats | KentuckySports.com
"Georgia's still Georgia," sophomore offensive tackle Brad Durham said. "They're still big and athletic and, defensively, they're huge up front."

I think the "Georgia is Georgia" part was all that needed to be said.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Rich Brooks is making the bowls despite the absence of "star recruits"
Calipari's Cats Get Taste Of Kinder, Gentler Coach
Calipari had been hoping for a moment like this early in the season, a chance for him to see how his talented but largely inexperienced squad reacted to adversity for the first time.

"I was ecstatic," Calipari said.

I'm thinking Gillispie would have done this ... ah ... a little different. And his team was shocked.

"I’ve not really seen anybody be positive when you’re down 18, but he was," Miller said.

Calipari evenly — but not harshly — challenged his players to prove themselves.
Basketball recruiting: The strength of Memphis' class was a major statement by first-year coach Josh Pastner - ESPN
With a few players graduating and a few anticipated early departures, the Wildcats are going to have a few need areas to fill. Look for UK to make a push to get a point guard, a shooter and some size. The Wildcats could get a head start on filling these needs if they get a commitment from Tobias Harris (Brookville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills), who plans to announce his decision on Thursday. They also are in the running for unsigned prospects Brandon Knight (Coral Springs, Fla./Pine Crest), Josh Selby (Baltimore/Lake Clifton), Doron Lamb (Laurelton, N.Y./Oak Hill Academy) and Terrence Jones (Portland, Ore./Jefferson), among others.

With Calipari at the helm, I'll worry about recruiting when he gives me a reason to. Until then, I expect a top five class every year.
Tobias Harris! Tobias Harris! Tobias Harris! - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Kentucky will not get Harris, IMO, but here is some info in how his recruitment is going.
Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC - Dawg Sports
Texas Overwhelms Western Carolina 73-41 - Burnt Orange Nation
* And yes, I hope Kansas fans see this, and react to this. Not because I want a chest-thumping war, but because I think this is our rival in basketball. Rick Barnes and Bill Self see it the same way, and I'm all for it. The Texas-Kansas back-and-forth over the last 6 years has been the best kept secret in college hoops, and I absolutely love that we have a powerhouse like Kansas to constantly measure ourselves against. They're smart fans: I think they see it, too. This should be the most fun season to date.

I think Peter's right. The Kansas-Texas rivalry has really been heating up over the years. Who knows, one day it may be as recognized as it deserves.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Memphis Learns Its Fate, Can’t/Won’t Tell Anyone the Results…
Does the NCAA not understand that operating in this manner in no way engenders public trust and faith in the fairness and equitable nature of the system? Do they not see that, regardless of the strength of their argument on the merits, John Q. Fan reads this and can only conclude that the NCAA is hiding the ball so as to get its way in the end? Are they too dense to realize that a simple and consistent application of rules and policies are the first step toward removing much of the thinly-veiled cynicism that those still following big-time college sports have for it?

I'm afraid I can't improve on this at all. Must read.
StraitPinkie.com Previews Sam Houston State at Kentucky | straitpinkie.com
Cats say Miller fits dribble-drive | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Two weeks ago, Calipari said, he noticed that Miller's shoulders were leaning back on his jump shot. Instead of going straight up with a shot, he was fading away from it. The result was a flat shot.

But the observation slipped Calipari's mind.

Let's hope Miller has it working now. We need a bit more out of him.
A healthy dose of Patterson, sound defense keys to Kentucky's 2009-2010 seasons
" SEC links: Can Georgia stand a little praise? John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's SEC links
Jeff Sheppard Podcast: Titans of Kentucky – LostLettermen.com
What Everyone Needs to Know About The DDMO
A really nice set of principles for the DDM offense. Very interesting.
" Video: John Calipari before today’s practice John Clay’s Sidelines
Cobb may not play at Georgia | Vaught's Views
Uh-oh. I hope that shoulder can heal in three days.
ZAGSBLOG " Doron Lamb Weighing Options; Pitt Signs 3
Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
Tom has a several new podcats up you will want to listen to.
Miami Coach Not Impressed By Lexington Reporter's Question - Media Meltdowns - Deadspin
A reporter asked Miami of Ohio coach Charlie Coles (a 17.5-point underdog last night) how he let the Kentucky game "get away from him." He was not amused.
Memphis Tigers Fall (Barely) to Top-Ranked Kansas | Tiger Blue | Memphis Flyer
If you’re a college hoops fan, you gotta love Dick Vitale’s enthusiasm. But objectivity? His unbridled defense of the Memphis program in respect to the allegations that Derrick Rose had a proxy take his SAT for him was hardly a broad assessment of the matter. Long tied to the mast of college basketball, Vitale should show greater concern for the shortcuts players are bound to take to skirt the NBA’s draft restrictions. Whether or not Rose is guilty, the allegations are serious. And whether or not they impact programs competing for a national championship, such transgressions have to be fought by the NCAA.

I didn't hear Vitale's comments, but I do agree that the allegations are a serious matter, even if I don't agree with the disposition of the case. We cannot allow rampant academic fraud in college sports, and the NCAA is the last bulwark against that. So while I disagree with how the NCAA handled the Memphis case, I do agree that allegations of fraud are of grave concern.
About What You Expected: Louisville 96, Arkansas 66 - Arkansas Expats
As the second half dragged on, I found myself begging for the game to end, but overall, it's hard to get too upset up about the outcome. The Hogs played hard, but they are severely short-handed right now, and Louisville is a Top 20 team. Anybody who didn't think the game had a strong likelihood of playing out this way is living with a healthy dose of denial.

Big win by Louisville. But Pitino's Sypher woes continue.
LSU Tigers defeat Western Kentucky in men's basketball | LSU Tigers Central - - NOLA.com
A bit of a surprise. Western has a good team, this was a solid win for LSU.
Kentucky sophomore one of SEC's most dangerous players || OnlineAthens.com
"He [Randall Cobb] might be the most talented player in the Southeastern Conference today," said Georgia coach Mark Richt, gearing up for Saturday's game against Kentucky. "We know what he did last year. He just about single-handedly beat us himself."

High praise from the Georgia coach.

Kentucky 75, Morehead State 59 -- After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:18:23 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

Do it this way, guys!

View full size photo »

First of all, I want to thank the Morehead State Eagles from coming into a hostile arena against a much more talented team and showing everyone how important experience is in college basketball. Morehead gave a fantastic account of themselves, and Kenneth Faried showed tonight why he has a chance to play basketball for money somewhere when he graduates from Morehead. Donnie Tyndall's team will likely be a force again this year in the OVC, and they gave Kentucky plenty to think about.

Okay, now to the Wildcats. There is a big difference in Kentucky with John Wall, and without. Eric Bledsoe is a remarkable talent, and he had a really good game tonight, but here is the stat that you don't want to see -- 4 assists and 7 turnovers. That is not a good line out of your point guard, no matter how many points he scores. And Bledsoe scored plenty -- 7-14 for 24 points overall, including a dipsy-doo whacko shot that will be a SportsCenter highlight tonight.

Kentucky, once again, was plagued by turnovers. But the real problem is, they were plagued by bad shots. Yes, I know, the three is open against a sagging zone like Morehead employed tonight, and the DDM is not as effective against a zone, especially one that essentially concedes the three-point shot. But Kentucky was not patient and was too frenetic in their offensive effort in the half court.

On the upside, I really liked our effort on defense, particularly all the players giving up their body for charges. UK is long and tall and will get a ton of blocks this year, but they really showed exactly how that is done tonight, managing eight blocks. When this team really runs the floor, it is hard to get back fast enough to have any hope of stopping them. It will be even tougher with Wall in the lineup.

Here are tonight's observations:

DeMarcus Cousins reminded me a lot of Randolph Morris tonight. I hope that doesn't continue.
Patrick Patterson was a true monster, with an easy double-double. That's the Patterson we need to see this year.
Darnell Dodson continues to play well offensively. He needs to be a bit more focused on defense.
Eric Bledsoe is off the charts as an athlete. He really showed his full range of athleticism tonight.
Perry Stevenson again gave good minutes in limited action. 3 rebounds in 14 minutes is not bad.
Darius Miller must become more of a factor. He totally drifted this whole game.
Daniel Orton is getting better every game. He needs to be more aggressive offensively.
Ramon Harris does what he does -- give total effort. He got 21 minutes tonight, and even though he didn't make much of an impact on the stats, he was excellent defensively and was a steadying influence on the team, as a senior should be.
Watching Calipari was really instructive tonight. Gone is Dr. Feel Good, who has been replacedy by Judge Dread.
I loved the crowd. They were big and bad, just like they should be.
Did Jimmy Dykes defend Calipari eloquently, or what?
No DeAndre Liggins at all tonight, and very little Josh Harrellson. I think I know what Harrellson means, but Liggins?

Overall, it was a good game for the 'Cats, and an imprvement over every game so far. Just imagine John Wall and Eric Bledsoe together. Just imagine that. Chills run up my spine just thinking about it.

1-0. Go Cats!

Kentucky vs. Campbellsville -- Pre-game Analysis & Open Game Thread

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:56:07 -0000

More photos » by Garry Jones - AP

Pre-season All-American, Patrick Patterson. That sounds really sweet to me.

Browse more photos »

Forgive me for running a little behind today. Monday's can be like that.

So tonight, we begin basketball in earnest with an exhibition game against Campbellsville in Rupp Arena at 7:00 PM. The game will be carried on Fox Sports South, so check your local listings for availability. This post will also serve as the official Open Game Thread for the game.

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats take on the NAIA Campbellsville Tigers in exhibition basketball action at Rupp Arena. This will be the first time the Tigers have played the University of Kentucky. Campbellsville was in a rebuilding year last year in the Mid-South conference, winning only 2 conference games and having an overall record of 10-19.

Tonight will mark John Calipari's debut as coach in a game where they play by the rules and keep score, so that's significant. We will be able to see how he will comport himself on the sidelines, how he will coach the kids, and how the young players will respond to him. That will be very much worth watching.

Another thing we will see is the UK team without John Wall, likely for one of the very few times this season. There has been some talk about who will play and who will not, but Chris Diggs gives us more detail:

Here's the announced starting line-up as of now.

Eric Bledsoe - Fr.
Darius Miller - So.
Darnell Dodson - So.
Patrick Patterson - Jr.
Demarcus Cousins - Fr.

Back-ups (First f0ur in no particular order)

Jon Hood - Fr.
Josh Harrellson - So.
Daniel Orton - Fr.
Ramon Harris - Sr.

Who we don't see in this is interesting -- no Perry Stevenson and no DeAndre Liggins. Oh, I'm sure they will both play, but not being on his announced list kind of says something to me, even though I may be reading tea leaves that say nothing.

And, in an interesting John Wall development, apparently addressing questions about Wall missing one exhibition and one regular season game, we have this:

Calipari said that "they" told him what games Wall would miss. The UK coach did not identify who "they" were.

Were "they" the NCAA staff? UK's athletic administration? A fan poll on CoachCal.com?

Apparently, Calipari doesn't even know who "they" are, or if he does, he's not telling. Maybe it's "the Visitors." I blame Jerry Tipton -- I think he knows "them" and is just having a bit of sport with us for ragging on him so hard lately.

Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of statistics available for Campbellsville, so I can't tell you much about their players, who leads the team, or anything else. But I can give you their roster from the school website, which you can find after the jump.

2009-10 Men's Basketball Roster for Cambpellsville

#	Name	Cl.	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown
	Demetric Ray*	SO	G	5-10	180	Bowling Green, KY
1	T.J. Bishop	SR	G	5-10	175	Boynton Beach, FL
2	Caleb Harris	JR	G	5-11	175	Chicago, IL
3	Shawn Savage	JR	G	5-10	170	Bowling Green, KY
4	Adrian Whelan	JR	G	5-10	170	Brandenburg, KY
13	Jermaine Carter	JR	G	5-11	185	Seaside, CA
15	Jordan Benock	SR	F	6-2	185	Battletown, KY
21	Justin Vitatoe	SO	F	6-4	190	Albany, KY
22	Joe Robinson	JR	F	6-4	200	Little Rock, AR
23	Leon Hart	JR	F	6-5	215	Hayward, CA
24	Sasha Mirosavljev*	JR	F	6-5	205	Sivac, Serbia
30	Brett Crittenden	JR	F	6-4	190	Tribune, KS
31	David Mann*	FR	F	6-4	175	Cincinnati, OH
32	Jake Gill	JR	F	6-4	245	Louisville, KY
33	Paulius Grikenas*	JR	C	6-8	225	Kaunas, Lithuania
40	Jonas Bohm	SO	C	6-9	235	Berlin, Germany
44	Nestor Colmenares	SR	F	6-8	235	Caracas, Venezuela
Keith Adkins - Head Coach
Bryan Milburn - Assistant Coach
Jeremy Monceaux - Assistant Coach
Justin Watson - Assistant Coach

To be honest, that's about all I know. But it should be good fun.

Blue/White Game -- After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:35:08 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Darius Miller shows off his extra 2 inches in height by bringing the thunder!

Browse more photos »

Well, as you might expect from a public scrimmage, there was a lot of fun had tonight in the Big Blue Nation. The Blue/White Scrimmage is now a historical fact.

Some questions were answered. Others remain. But overall, there was a lot positive from this intra-squad tussle. Here are the main things I noticed:

Wall and Bledsoe together are scary as heck in this offense. Nobody could stop them.
John Wall is as advertised, but he really needs to work on his perimeter game, it is a significant weakness.
Eric Bledsoe's perimeter game is better than it was. Early progress is a good thing.
Patrick Patterson is showing signs of having small forward skills. That's really great to see.
DeMarcus Cousins is a big, big boy. And he plays like one. But he is quite a bit more athletic than he looks.
Darius Miller was invisible in the first half, and awesome in the second. I don't know what that means.

Darnell Dodson can shoot, but he's no Jodie Meeks.
The athleticism on this team is absolutely remarkable. Perhaps the most athletic college team, top to bottom, ever assembled.
Jon Hood really looks like a contributor this year. He was fearless.
Perry Stevenson was completely invisible the whole game. Ramon Harris was not.
I think we can pretty well figure out who the stars are going to be.
Josh Harrellson can still shoot, and he makes good decisions more often than not. But he has to go to the basket a lot more strongly against the likes of this team.
Speed, speed, speed. This team is going to wear folks down in a hurry.
This team has the ability to be great defensively. Will they?
Did I mention Patrick Patterson was the man?
Mark Krebs can shoot a little.
DeAndre Liggins has a chance to be pretty good in this system.

Overall, I thought the practice was sloppy but fun, and I expect this team to get a lot better. Our athleticism and talent will carry us until we run up against the big boys, but hopefully by then, these guys will have some kind of clue. Even though they tried to execute Calipari's system, most of the time they didn't do a great job. We saw flashes of what makes the DDM so great, but it wasn't a consistent theme.

I do like the way that the team played with respect to effort and pace. I thought overall the team really played hard, and did good work. I expect Cal to get them to the point of competence, if not a well-oiled machine, pretty quickly. This was all good fun, and way more interesting than Big Blue Madness from a basketball standpoint.

I can't wait to see us play our first real game. Go Cats!

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Blue/White Game Edition

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:03:59 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

The man. Patrick Patterson.

Browse more photos »

Okay, 'Cat fans, here we go. The Blue/White game is tonight, and we will learn a lot more about this team than we learned at Big Blue Madness, which essentially amounted to, "Josh Harrellson can shoot the ball and nobody else can do anything but dunk." Hopefully, we will see something more meaningful tonight.

I am really anxious to see this team in a more formal game setting where there is something at stake. As ~~good~~ talented as these guys are supposed to be, I want to see some of that talent express itself tonight. I want some reason to believe that this team can be molded into a national contender. I want to see what all the fuss is about.

It should be exciting, and of course, A Sea of Blue will have an open game thread for this game just like every other, so come one, come all, and join us tonight as we begin to experience the 2009-2010 season in earnest.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Crop of recruits help Patterson, boost UK's shot at national title - USATODAY.com
One of those things is to unchain himself from the post. He does not want to have to feel for the rim as a back-to-the basket scorer but actually see the rim facing the basket. NBA scouts, who stand under the basket to get a more accurate measure of a player, consider Patterson closer to 6-8 than 6-9, and they want to see him face up with what they consider small forward length.

It will be interesting to see if Patterson can bring this kind of game to the team. He hasn't shown much of it so far. Hat tip: Bluegrass State Basketball
Basketball Preview: Degree, NCAA tournament keep Patterson from NBA | The Kentucky Kernel
This season's subtext is all about Patrick Patterson.
Cats' Big Cuz has big potential to be force in post | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
DeMarcus is the fun one.

Big Cuz? He is, in Cousins' own words, "pretty mean."

He elaborated, but it's unfit for print.

Okay, but just keep it clean on the court.
Basketball Preview: New coach gives sophomore a second chance at UK | The Kentucky Kernel
Faced with a decision of whether or not to come back, Liggins sought his family’s advice.

Go back, they told him. Do everything right this time.

Good call.
Dodson likes team’s chemistry, talent | Vaught's Views
I like the chemistry, to. So far, that is. The Blue/White game will tell us much more.

UK Football News

UK Football: SEC honors Gonzalez: AMNews.com
We can't honor members of the o-line enough this year.
State-Journal.com - Don't expect runaway win when Kentucky, Mississippi State meet
This will be a close game between two very well-matched teams. Don't believe me? Just look at the stats.
Cats gear up for Miss. State ground game | KentuckySports.com
Sure, UK is giving up 174.1 yards a game on the ground. But that number is somewhat deceiving. Take away Florida's 362-yard rushing performance in a 41-7 loss on Sept. 26, and the Cats' average is a more respectable 142.8.

I think opponents fail to account for cases like Florida, where a team throws in a clunker. You have to watch those, it can give you a deceiving sense of security.
No blackout on field for Cats | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Rich Brooks made one thing clear on Tuesday: Saturday's University of Kentucky "blackout" game against Mississippi State is strictly for the fans. Before he fielded a question or updated injuries, the UK coach told the media after practice that the Wildcats will be wearing their traditional look for Saturday's game.

Good for you, Coach. Good for us, too. We don't need distractions, we need a victory.
Seasons hinge on UK-MSU rivalry | KentuckySports.com
"I think, when you're in the lower half of the league historically, to get to the upper half, you not only have to knock off some of those big boys up there, you have to knock off the guys that are like you," Brooks said. "And Mississippi State and Kentucky have been like each other for quite a while, and the team that has won has had the edge up on being able to climb that ladder a little bit."

It's hard to really overstate how big this game is. UK wins this one, and it looks like the fourth straight bowl is a done deal. Lose, and UK has serious work to do.
Anything but Gatorade: BLACKOUTS ARE FOR FUN, NOT FOOTBALL
What he says.

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

Rush The Court " Adam Zagoria on Kyrie Irving, Recruiting, and Social Networking
Interesting interview. Lots of hot-button issues hit with respect to recruiting and reporting of commitments.
Pat Forde: Chance to bash the SEC has likely passed - ESPN
"This is a tough league for freshmen, I can tell [Calipari] that from experience," Stallings said. "Not that he needs me to tell him anything.

"We started three freshmen a year ago. If he can win the league starting three freshmen, then he's as good a coach as I think he is and those freshmen are as good as advertised."

Fair enough.

Other News of Interest

Prince's role with Pistons might change | KentuckySports.com

The Daily Schadenfreude

Duke basketball's Goodfellas poster - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
1. Both Duke basketball players and the guys from Goodfellas get special treatment from authority figures, whether they wear badges or stripes.

2. Fortunes of the movie's characters and basketball team peak in the middle and then collapse down the stretch.

3. Main characters will be anonymous in a few years (Henry Hill went into witness protection, Jon Scheyer will go into NBDL).

Heh. Hat tip: Truth About Duke
Pitino not just blowing smoke; Cards playing with fire against Tigers | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"We know it's going to be a very close game; we'll probably be trailing most of the game," Pitino said. "The fans are going to say, ‘Oh, here he goes again,' but … Georgetown has given us fits every time we played them."

Is it even possible for Pitino to get any weirder?
Memo to Duke: Salvage Your Dignity - Casual Hoya
Duke Blue Devils debut the worst promo ever.

Heh.

SB Nation - DeAndre Liggins

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Post-UConn Edition

North Carolina Tar Heels @ Kentucky Wildcats: Pre-game analysis

Four Factors Analysis

North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Roster

North Carolina Statistics

Position Analysis: Point guard

Position Analysis: Shooting guard

Position Analysis: Small Forward

Position analysis: Power Forward

Position Analysis: Center

Bench Analysis

Overall analysis

Kentucky Wildcats 73, Stanford Cardinal 65 (OT) -- Postmortem

Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49 -- Postmortem

Kentucky 102, Sam Houston 92 -- Postmortem

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Sam Houston State Edition

Kentucky 75, Morehead State 59 -- After Action Report

Kentucky vs. Campbellsville -- Pre-game Analysis & Open Game Thread

2009-10 Men's Basketball Roster for Cambpellsville

Blue/White Game -- After Action Report

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Blue/White Game Edition

Top Stories

UK Basketball News

UK Football News

Other UK Sports News

NCAA Sports News

Other News of Interest

The Daily Schadenfreude