A Sea Of Blue

Kentucky Wildcats 66, Alabama Crimson Tide, 55: Postmortem

2010-02-10T04:52:24Z

John Wall made another behind-the-back, totally sick move tonight against the Tide.

We had been talking a bit recently how the Kentucky Wildcats had been playing pretty basketball in the last few games. Tonight, they decided that was just too girly for them, I guess, and decided to get real ugly.

But most of that ugliness was delivered courtesy of the Alabama Crimson Tide, who scrambled and fought impressively the entire game, despite being overmatched inside. Alabama's defense was every bit as impressive as its division-leading status would indicate, and they brought all the scrap and effort that you would expect from a team coached by Anthony Grant. The Tide showed just a bit today the kind of effort and heart that will soon return them to one of the best teams in the SEC West. Overall, a very impressive effort from the Elephants.

This was an interesting game tonight. Alabama played a zone, just as everyone else has done against the 'Cats, and it was a very effective zone, too. Kentucky struggled a lot in the post-up game, as the Tide were very diligent in double-teaming DeMarcus Cousins every time he touched the basketball. Cuz did a lot of passing out of the post, but he also turned the ball over quite a bit doing it, showing that, as good as he is, he has plenty of improvement left to make.

In the end, though, the Wildcats did just enough to win by a not-too-scary margin of 11 points. More observations on that after the jump.

Here are a few observations:

John Wall still turns the ball over too much. I know I am a master of the obvious, thank you very much. I'll be here all week.
Cousins was not focused today. He shot poorly from the stripe, he seemed slow afoot. Still, he managed a double-double in spite of himself.
Now that I've criticized Wall, I want to praise him. He struggled passing the ball, so he scored the ball. He played through pain and fought hard, and got a double-double (points, rebounds). And what about that behind-the-back move? Just plain sick, doubly so since it was opposed the whole way.
Daniel Orton was the difference today. He really added huge to the game with his energy and defense. And that great and-1 at the end was probably the dagger.
Eric Bledsoe kind of disappered. But he took pretty good care of the ball, and played good defense.
DeAndre Liggins played a pretty good game. He just keeps getting better.
Both Darius Miller and Darnell Dodson were not effective. Maybe next game.
Patrick Patterson had one of those games. He still did pretty well, but he missed some easy shots and just didn't look as confident as he should be.
Calipari always takes Cousins out after his first foul. He has done it the last several games. He does it because Cousins tends to pick up his second right after the first, but Cal will ride him until that first foul, then the hook in favor of Orton. Interesting strategy.
Alabama was tough. I knew they would be. Anthony Grant is a super, super coach.
Can Senario Hillman fly, or can't he? What an athlete! If he could only shoot ...
Calipari thought Cousins was too quick to kick it out today, and I agree.

Even though Kentucky was not at their best today, they were good enough to beat a pretty good Crimson Tide team who defended like crazy and gave us fits. A lot of that is just Anthony Grant's style, but Alabama sure was able to disrupt the flow of the game, and they seemed to thrive in the chaos.

I'm listening to the post game right now, and Calipari is making a good point -- John Wall loves to go left, and loves to use the left hand. But Alabama was attacking John Wall's left hand, so the coaches told Wall, "Hey, you're right handed! Use your right hand." Obviously, that worked. The little things in college basketball are so fun.

Well, that's enough. The Tennessee Volunteers come to town this weekend, and after losing the battle of Tennessee to their arch-rival, the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Vols will be, "... fully armed, and filthy." Hopefully, the Wildcats will be, too.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Kentucky Wildcats: Open Game Thread

2010-02-10T02:00:21Z

Tonight, the Alabama Crimson Tide journey to a snow-covered Commonwealth for a tilt with the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena.

Game particulars are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:

Date & Time	Tues., Feb. 9, 9:00 p.m
Coverage	TV: ESPNU Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio
Location	Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.

After a fairly easy time in the bayou with the LSU Tigers last Saturday, the Wildcats welcome a much tougher opponent into their den, an opponent that is smarting from two one-point losses and a three game losing streak.

More after the jump.

What UK needs to do to win:

Alabama is a poor defensive rebounding team, so the Wildcats must take advantage and hit the offensive glass hard.
Alabama has a tendency to foul under pressure, so UK needs to make their free throws.
Take the ball hard to the basket. Alabama may zone, but they won't at first.
Avoid cheap fouls to important players.

What Kentucky must avoid:

Giving the Tide open looks at three.
Letting the pressure defense of Alabama get to them.
Allowing Alabama to get offensive rebounds.
Giving up live ball turnovers.

Alabama may not look that strong, but they are more capable than they have shown, and they have several outrageous athletes on this team that can occasionally go off. UK must continue to do what has worked so well for them, play fast but not in a hurry.

Taking care of the defensive boards is key, because Alabama has not done a good job of that all year, and Kentucky's offensive rebounding has become legendary. UK doesn't need to give them a chance to minimize that advantage. Alabama will also foul a lot in their pressure, so making free throws is critical in this game.

Go, 'CATS!

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Kentucky Wildcats: Game Preview

2010-02-09T22:33:39Z

More photos » Liz Condo - AP

Eric Bledsoe will play against his home state's flagship university for the first time tonight.

Browse more photos »

Tonight, the Alabama Crimson Tide roll into Rupp Arena for an inter-divisional SEC contest with the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats and the Tide have been going opposite directions lately with the Tide losing its last three in a row, two of them by only a single point. Kentucky, meanwhile, has been handling their opponents with relative ease and is coming off a stress-free victory over the LSU Tigers down in Baton Rouge.

Let's take a quick look at the comparison between the Crimson Tide and the Wildcats, courtesy of Statsheet.com:

Rank and Records	UK	ALA
RPI	#6	#103
Strength of Schedule	#68	#59
Overall	22-1	13-10
Conference	7-1	3-6
Home	14-0	9-5
Away	4-1	2-3
Neutral	4-0	2-2
Top 25	6-0	1-5
RPI Top 50	6-0	1-5

The Crimson Tide have had significant losses to the Cornell Big Red (52), the Florida St. Seminoles (22), the Purdue Boilermakers (10), the Kansas St. Wildcats (9), the Vanderbilt Commodores (26), the Tennessee Volunteers (19), the Florida Gators (47), and the Mississippi Rebels (40). Alabama has had significant victories over the Baylor Bears (16) and the Mississippi St. Bulldogs (38). All rankings are courtesy of Kenpom.com.

More after the jump. Just like last time, I did the first part of this analysis and Ken did the second part starting with the position analysis. For more on the Alabama Crimson Tide, be sure to check out SB Nation's excellent Alabama blog, Roll Bama Roll.

We will begin the analysis by the usual look at the dashboard. Don't forget, this thing is interactive.

Four Factors Analysis

First, we examine efficiencies. Most of the Crimson Tide's best offensive efficiencies were at the very early part of the season, and since then, they have slowly declined to an average of around 104 points/100 possessions. If we zoom in closer to the last seven games, which represent the SEC season, we'll see that the Tide's efficiency on offense has been gradually improving over the last seven games. For Kentucky, offensive efficiency has declined an almost insignificant amount in the conference campaign. Needless to say, the Wildcats are a far more efficient offensive team than the Tide.

Defensively, it's a different story. The Crimson Tide are actually a slightly better team when it comes to defensive efficiency, although the Wildcats have caught up with them as of this last SEC game against LSU. Nevertheless, Alabama is a rock-solid defensive squad and has been all year long under the tutelage of Anthony Grant and implementing his pressure defensive style. I daresay the Wildcats will likely see the best defense tonight they have faced in a long time -- maybe all season.

Turning to the Four Factors on offense, Kentucky shoots the ball better and turns it over a tiny bit less. But the big difference is in the offensive rebound % and free throw rate % stats, in which Kentucky dominates Alabama. Alabama just an average offensive and poor defensive rebounding team, and that is going to be a problem against the 'Cats.

In addition, UK gets to the line a lot more than the Tide does, and Kentucky makes their free throws at a very decent 69% clip. The Tide also shoot well from the line, but they get there much less often than Kentucky does. The most efficient way to score in college basketball is from the free throw line, and UK has a huge advantage in that area.

Moving on to the defensive Four Factors, both Alabama and Kentucky are solid defensive squads, holding opponents to an eFG% of around 43. Alabama forces more turnovers due to their pressure defense style, but they also allow more offensive rebounds and put teams on the line more than Kentucky (although not that much more).

Finally, both teams are good 3-point shooting squads, although UK is closer to outstanding, and both teams attempt about the same number of threes per field goal attempt, both preferring to do most of their damage inside the arc. Kentucky likes to play faster than Alabama, and I expect that Anthony Grant will not want to press the Wildcats too much with his relatively thin bench, particularly when it comes to front court players. The Tide will press, but I expect a rather judicious use of pressure in the back court to avoid letting the game get to a high tempo, where Kentucky thrives.

Opponent Roster

Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball Roster

	#	Pos.	Comments	W	H	College
Anthony Brock	1	G	Major reserve, limited role player	165	5-9	senior
Greg Cage	20	G	-	212	6-4	senior
Charvez Davis	24	G	Reserve, role player	190	6-3	junior
Chris Dixon	11	G	-	180	6-0	sophomore
Ben Eblen	10	G	-	180	6-1	freshman
JaMychal Green	32	F	Starter, go-to guy	220	6-9	sophomore
Senario Hillman	21	G	Starter, significant contributor	192	6-1	junior
Chris Hines	44	F	Starter, limited role	220	6-8	junior
Demetrius Jemison	23	F	Major reserve, limited role	240	6-8	senior
Justin Knox	40	F	Reserve, role player	240	6-9	junior
Justin Luquire	50	F	-	225	6-7	senior
Tony Mitchell	5	F	Starter, role player	185	6-6	freshman
Andrew Steele	25	G	Reserve, role player	215	6-3	sophomore
Mikhail Torrance	2	G	Starter, major contributor	210	6-5	senior

Opponent 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
Mikhail Torrance	23	32.9	5.2	10.7	48.8	1.2	3.3	36.4	3.6	4.3	83.8	0.3	3.1	3.5	5.6	3.0	0.9	0.2	1.6	15.3
JaMychal Green	23	27.5	5.6	10.9	51.2	0.0	0.2	0.0	3.6	5.3	67.8	2.7	4.3	7.1	1.3	2.6	0.9	2.0	3.2	14.7
Tony Mitchell	21	22.6	3.9	7.0	55.4	0.6	1.8	32.4	1.0	1.8	54.1	2.0	3.4	5.4	0.5	0.6	1.6	0.8	2.0	9.3
Senario Hillman	23	25.2	2.9	7.9	36.8	0.7	1.9	34.9	1.1	1.6	67.6	1.0	2.0	3.0	2.5	1.8	1.5	0.1	2.9	7.6
Justin Knox	23	19.2	2.0	4.3	45.9	0.0	0.0	100.0	2.0	2.7	75.4	1.3	1.9	3.3	0.7	1.1	0.5	0.5	2.3	6.0
Charvez Davis	23	18.7	2.0	5.6	36.7	1.6	4.4	36.6	0.1	0.3	28.6	0.3	1.1	1.4	0.7	0.7	0.2	0.1	1.0	5.8
Anthony Brock	21	26.2	1.8	5.6	32.2	1.5	4.1	36.0	0.6	0.8	81.3	0.5	1.6	2.1	2.1	0.7	1.3	0.0	1.9	5.7
Andrew Steele	6	17.7	1.2	2.3	50.0	0.3	0.8	40.0	1.2	2.3	50.0	1.0	1.8	2.8	1.2	1.5	0.2	0.2	2.2	3.8
Chris Hines	23	16.9	1.4	2.5	55.2	0.0	0.1	50.0	0.5	1.0	45.8	1.0	2.0	3.0	0.3	1.0	1.0	0.6	2.4	3.3
Ben Eblen	22	8.7	0.3	0.9	35.0	0.0	0.3	16.7	0.1	0.4	37.5	0.3	0.5	0.9	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.5	0.8
Justin Luquire	4	3.3	0.3	0.5	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	0.5
Greg Cage	6	4.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.0
Chris Dixon	4	2.3	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.5	0.0

Position Analysis: Point Guard

Running the Tide offense is 6'5" senior Mikhail Torrance. Torrance, who averages 15.3 points per game, is typical of Alabama athletes over the last 25 years or so: Long, with long arms (so he plays bigger than his listed height), and very athletic.

Torrance will look to push the pace, getting his team into transition, where the Tide flourish. In the half-court, Torrance can, and will create offense for himself, but he does a nice job of getting his teammates involved by averaging 5.6 assists per game (3.0 turnovers per game). Torrance is a better-than-average outside shooter, making 36.4% of his threes (28-77), and he makes over 50.0% of his two-point shots. Torrance is also a board crasher, averaging 3.5 rebounds per game.

If Torrance guards John Wall (6'1" Senario Hillman may draw that assignment), the UK point guard will be faced with possibly his toughest defender in his abbreviated college career. Torrance not only matches Wall in size, but his long arms will enable him to reduce passing angles for the Wildcat freshman. Torrance possesses the necessary quickness to keep up with Wall in the half-court, giving even more motivation for the 'Cats to push the ball.

Advantage: Draw

Position Analysis: Two-Guard

The other 'Bama perimeter player is 6'1" junior guard Senario Hillman. Hillman, who averages only 7.6 points per game (down from 12.9 ppg game in '09), is not on the floor for his offense, rather, he's an excellent defender. For a two-guard, Hillman takes very few three-point shots (43 on the year), and makes the trey at a 34.9% rate. Overall the diminutive "2" is making only 36.8% of his overall shots.

UK's Eric Bledsoe, also only 6'1," will be challenged by Hillman's ball-hawking, aggressive defensive style. Hillman will switch on the pick, and is quite capable of making Bledsoe work as hard as he has all year to get his shot off.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position Analysis: Power Forward

One-time UK recruit JaMychal Green (6'9" 220 lbs) will be the man on the blocks for the Tide. Green, who averages 7.1 rebounds per game (2.7 off. reb. pg), and 14.7 points per game, is an aggressive rebounder, who gets most of his points inside the paint. While a physical presence, he will be challenged on the blocks by UK's Patrick Patterson, and DeMarcus Cousins, both bigger physical specimens.

UK"s DeMarcus Cousins once again finds himself with a size and bulk advantage over his counterpart on the blocks. Grant, who's never been accused of being stupid, will surely double-team Kentucky's emerging player of the year candidate, continuing the bump and grind defensive tact UK's foes have employed in attempting to stop the 'Cats most efficient offensive player.

Cousins will be facing a possible upgrade in athletic ability when he takes the court tonight, but nothing has stopped the big man from getting off his shot to this point in the year. And I'm betting he finds a way this evening against the Tide.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position analysis: Wing

Freshman Tony Mitchell, a top-40 player in the Class of 2008, has been a pleasant surprise for Anthony Grant. The 6'6" wing player scores 9.3 points per game (third best on the team), while shooting 55.4% from the floor (32.4% from beyond the arc). Mitchell is also the third leading rebounder for the Tide, averaging 5.4 rebounds per game.

UK"s Darnell Dodson only needs to continue what he's been doing -- Take and make the long-range jumper, play some semblance of defense, and rebound when the opportunity presents itself.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position analysis: Small Forward

Chris Hines, a 6'8" JUCO transfer, has been starting of late for the Tide, although he averages only 16.9 minutes per game. His presence is meant to help JaMychal Green with Alabama's woeful rebounding numbers. He's not an offensive threat, averaging only 2.3 points per game, to go along with his 3.0 rebounds per game.

Patrick Patterson not only has a size advantage on his Tide counterpart, but he also possesses a much more polished offensive game. The small forward battle is heavily tilted in UK's favor this evening, giving Patterson the opportunity to put up big numbers both in points and rebounds.

Advantage: Big Kentucky

Bench Analysis

A mixture of size, speed, and rebounding comes off the Tide bench. Led by 5'9" Anthony Brock (20.2 minutes per game), the Tide's bench corp goes eight, sometimes nine deep. The extremely quick Brock, a three-point shooter (31-86, 36.0%), could be a dangerous foe if given space to get off his shot. Allowing him to get the hot hand could prove dangerous for the 'Cats tonight. Coming off the bench to give rebounding help (3.3 rpg), along with the ability to score (6.0 ppg), is 6'9" Justin Knox (19.2 mpg). At 240 lbs, Knox will bang with the best of them, and could be responsible for controlling DeMarcus Cousins when he's in the game. Charvez Davis is the other Tide bench player most likely to see action. At 6'3, the junior takes the three-point shot without hesitation, making 37-101 on the year (36.6%).

UK will once again bring Darius Miller, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, Ramon Harris, and Perry Stevenson off the bench.

With Liggins showing signs of becoming a major player within the 'Cat lineup, his quickness, defensive prowess, and new-found scoring ability make him a valuable commodity for coach John Calipari, especially in a game against a team with such great athletes.

Advantage: Kentucky

Overall Analysis

The Wildcats will be facing a team tonight that defends with a purpose (giving up only 62.9 ppg), rebounds poorly (-.7 rebounding margin), and makes shots at an average rate (45.2%), leaving them many times, "pointless" -- The most points the Tide have scored in SEC play is 67, and they've failed to break 60 points on four occasions (out of nine SEC contests). Yet, they've lost to Vandy by one, Tennessee by seven, at Auburn by one, Florida by one, and at Ole Miss by seven. Obviously, they do it with defense.

Not unlike the LSU Tigers, Alabama can be easy to guard due to the limited offensive games of everyone not named Torrance or Green.

Tonight the 'Cats must focus on taking care of the ball, and pushing the pace. If a half-court game breaks out, the evening could be long, and much more tense than it should be, due to the Tide's excellent defense.

As is becoming commonplace, DeMarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson are set-up to have big nights. With only JaMychal Green and a cast of backups attempting to put the kibosh on UK's big men, look for John Wall to continue to feed the post, opening up the perimeter game for UK's sharpshooters.

Projected Score: Kentucky 81 Alabama 65

Q&A With Roll Bama Roll

2010-02-09T14:31:05Z

More photos » Todd J. Van Emst - AP

New Alabama coach Anthony Grant has made a big impression on the Crimson Tide hoops fans.

Browse more photos »

Roll Bama Roll, SB Nation's excellent Alabama Crimson Tide blog, graciously asked us to do a Q&A. Bama07 is new to the front page of RBR, and does much of their basketball blogging. He and I exchanged questions over the last couple of days.

Of course, most of you who have been here for a while are familiar with this format, so no explanation is necessary. You can find his questions and my answers over at Roll Bama Roll. My questions and his answers follow below:

A Sea of Blue: After many long years of great recruiting but dubious coaching, Alabama finally replaced Mark Gottfried with Anthony Grant. How do you think Alabama fans like the hire, and what do you think of his performance so far?

Roll 'Bama Roll: Thusfar I've heard virtually no one come out and say that they think we didn't make a good hire. Almost universally, Alabama fans think Anthony Grant is the right man for the job and will take us where we want to go eventually. With the culture of our fanbase obviously being centered around football, his no-nonsense attitude, focus on defense and intensity, and talk of "doings the things that lead to winning" remind us of another certain someone who has an office next door, and generally gives us a good feeling that he likewise has what it takes to recruit and develop winners and more importantly instill a winning attitude in a program that has forgotten what it takes to win.

As for Grant's performance so far, I have been most impressed by his transformation of the Bama defense from what was typically a soft low-intensity exercise under Gottfried to a high-intensity disciplined component that is already the trademark of this team and looks to be the trademark of the program in the years ahead under Grant. Offensively, we are not very effective in half-court sets or in set plays. Some of this has to fall on the coaching staff but much of it simply has to do with the fact that we are desperately short on offensive playmakers, especially on the outside. We have one player on the perimeter who can create on his own and even he can only go one direction. Grant was never an offensive genius and if there was a weakness in his VCU teams it was half court offense. That said, our offense will certainly improve as the talent level is raised in the coming years. It is important to note that we have been playing with only nine scholarship players since November.

Speaking of talent, Grant never had a chance to bring in guys this year. The only two big-name guys we might have had a shot at landing in the late signing period after he was hired last spring will be on the court Tuesday night in Kentucky jerseys. Luckily for us he inherited Tony Mitchell, a 2008 signee who had to spend a year in prep school before coming in and looks to have a bright future after already nailing down the starting spot on the wing. As for next year, again he was hampered by only having about six months to recruit for the fall signing period, but I think we got a solid point guard (an absolute must) and what could be a major sleeper combo-guard. Word is we will also look to sign an extra big man this spring, probably out of JuCo. His recruiting skills will really be put to the test next fall, when we look to sign as many as six players for the 2011 class. That recruiting class will likely determine how fast and how far we will be able to rise under Grant.

A Sea of Blue: It is a statistical fact that the Tide are limited offensively, but play very good defense. What is Alabama missing in terms of offense, in your opinion? What makes them such a good defensive team?

Roll 'Bama Roll: What are we missing on offense? Where to start? Well, the thing that gets the most attention here from outside observers is that we only have three post players on the roster. One is JaMychal Green. He's already a legit 2nd-team All-SEC player and has potential to be much, much more than that if he improves his mental toughness. He's a sophomore but younger than many freshman due to a late birthday, so he has plenty of room to grow in that department. He's a weapon, but isn't capable of taking over a game without a strong partner down low with him. JuCo transfer Chris Hines has been getting starts lately, and is quick for a 6'8" player, but has no offensive game to speak of really. Junior Justin Knox can score a little with his back to the basket and at the foul line, but just isn't a real threat either. Senior Demetrius Jemison probably would have started but suffered a season-ending injury before the season started. Basically, we need another big man who demands attention down low and gets Green into more one-on-one situations, not to mention to help on the offensive glass, where we really struggle.

That said, the real issue for this offense is the lack of playmakers on the outside. We have one player who can create anything offensively outside and that's senior Mikhail Torrance. He has his limitations as well (namely an inability to drive to his right) but it's his offense and he runs the show. He's the only player on our roster who will hurt you driving to the lane. Freshman Ben Eblen is the only other point guard on the team, and he just plays to give Torrance a breather. He is not a threat whatsoever offensively. When you only have one player who can break down a defense, things get really tough in half court sets. This is the biggest weakness of our offense, and it's not even close.

So basically our offense and team would be a powerhouse this year with the two pieces I noted above. Say, I don't know, maybe an (ahem) Eric Bledsoe and DeMarcus Cousins? With two players like that we would be giving you a run for your money for the SEC title. As it stands, I suppose we'll just mark the whole thing down as payback for Shaun Alexander.

On defense, our success comes primarily from coaching, as I discussed above, although we do have some nice athletes that thrive in this system. Although we lack tremendous size down low, both JaMychal Green and Chris Hines are quick defenders who generally do a good job preventing easy looks around the rim, although Green is notorious for getting into foul trouble. Tony Mitchell is a freakish athlete on the wing and at 6'6" can get a lot of deflections. The best perimeter defender is junior guard Senario Hillman, who has started at shooting guard the last two games. He's probably the best pure athlete in the SEC, and that ability really shines through on defense. Expect to see him on Wall most of the game.

The biggest factor in our defensive improvement aside from the overall increase in emphasis and intensity and the change in mindset is the way our perimeter defenders play ball screens and close space around the arc. Unlike the Gottfried years, where a simple ball screen was often enough to free someone up for a spot-up 3 or drive-and-dish, Alabama is rarely beaten on these and is usually flawless in executing switches on screens and hedging when necessary. Also, the staff does a great job scouting and the Bama players typically apply appropriate pressure given the opposing guards' tendencies.

A Sea of Blue: Alabama shoots the ball pretty well from three at almost 35%, yet they are eighth in 3-point FGA in the conference. Why doesn't Alabama shoot more from the perimeter?

Roll 'Bama Roll: Again, this simply goes back to personnel. At any given time we usually only manage one-two guys on the floor who can knock down the 3-ball consistently. In fact, our starting lineup really only features one decent 3-point shooter, Torrance, and even he's more comfortable driving the lane, although he's been shooting more the last few games. Our other two perimeter starters, Hillman and Mitchell, are both capable of hitting, but Hillman has a very slow release and Mitchell is really just developing that part of his game (if he ever develops it fully, watch out). Both will shoot and can hit, but only if wide open. Our two best shooters are JuCo transfer guard Charvez Davis and senior guard Anthony Brock. Brock has been in and out of the starting lineup all year, but at only 5'9" he needs space to shoot. Davis is our best 3-point shooter overall and has a super-quick release, but as luck would have it he is struggling to recover from a nagging knee injury and hasn't been able to play more than ten minutes in the last three games. Even when healthly, he is no threat to dribble and so is rather easy to defend. Sophomore guard Andrew Steele was also capable of knocking it down, but alas he seems to be cursed like his brother and suffered a season-ending injury back in late November.

In short, it's simply a product of not having enough players to put on the floor at the same time who can get looks and hit them. The biggest part again is getting looks. Torrance is the only one who can create his own shot, so looks from the others are all going to be limited and dependent on the defense breaking down or making a mistake.

A Sea of Blue: Three of Alabama's six SEC losses have been by a total of seventeen points, three of them by only one. How can Alabama turn these narrow losses into victories, or more to the point, how are they losing so many close games?

Roll 'Bama Roll: Did I mention personnel? Well it's no secret that the team lives and dies offensively with Mikhail Torrance and JaMychal Green. When both are playing well and Bama gets its usual contributions from the rest of the cast, we're a good team. Heck, one might even say we're a very good team. The problem is that a) Green loves foul trouble and b) Torrance wears down after carrying the team on his shoulders for 30+ minutes. Green actually does a better job this year avoiding early fouls, although I'd say he still goes to the bench in the first half early with two fouls probably 1/3 of the time. His real problem though is the last six-eight minutes or so of each game when he just consumes fouls--often cheap, silly, tired fouls--and ends up missing the most crucial stretches of games more often than he doesn't. Torrance simply gets tired and almost like clockwork gives up a crushing, costly turnover in the final two-three minutes and just loses his legs on his shots and free throws late in the game when we need him to hit. When those two aren't producing and especially when Torrance is making mistakes, we become a shadow of what we are otherwise.

To avoid this, Grant has tried to give Torrance more breathers, bringing in Eblen for a minute at a time or letting Brock run the point. A bigger factor is Green and his foul troubles. Even when he's not fouling out, he's missing the 6 min.-3 min. stretch of the game, where we usually lose our leads, and when he's in he can't be the aggressive game-changing defender that he is normally. He simply has to avoid foul trouble against UK or else Cousins and Patterson will eat us alive.

The biggest factor though, which became all too evident in the infamous Oxford meltdown on Saturday, is that the team has just so much doubt and negative energy after losing so many leads and close games, that they just expect to lose. As Grant said in his Ole Miss post-game presser, "other teams come together and fight [adversity]; we don't do that."

A Sea of Blue: What do you think are three things that have to happen for Alabama to pull the upset over UK in Rupp Arena on Tuesday?

Roll 'Bama Roll: 1) Score in transition. Bama looks to get out and run off turnovers and long rebounds. One of our few strengths offensively is speed in transition, and when we can get some easy buckets without having to go to our halfcourt offense, we become much more difficult to beat. Unfortunately for us, teams know that stopping us from running is a big key, and they usually don't give up too many fastbreaks against us, not to mention Kentucky has some stellar athletes of their own. Our best chances to run come when we force turnovers, and UK's young lineup is prone to turnovers. We must force them into several costly ones and get at least 15 points in transition.

2) Prevent offensive rebounds. Kentucky rebounds an impressive 42% of their missed shots on the offensive end in conference play. Alabama only rebounds 60% of opponents' missed shots on the defensive end. To win, Alabama can not afford to give the 'Cats second chances. The Tide needs to rebound at least 2/3 of UK's missed shots.

3) Take and make 3's. Given Alabama's lack of consistent scoring and perimeter playmaking, the Tide must convert from the arc to capitalize on offensive chances. When Alabama is able to hit from deep, we become a very dangerous team (see first halves of Vandy, Florida, Ole Miss, and the MSU game), but when we don't, our offense becomes stagnant for long periods. We can't afford that against the 'Cats. We need to hit at least three 3's each half.

I think we need to do all three of those things to win, and even then we could lose in a close one if we let John Wall and co. get going offensively.

A Sea of Blue: Predict the score, and describe how the game will go.

Roll 'Bama Roll: I see us coming out loose with something to prove, making some shots early and getting some fast breaks off of some sloppy Kentucky play in the early going. Kentucky maybe gets tight after finding themselves in an unexpectedly close game early on. We build up a little lead, then UK goes on a small run late in the half and the game is very tight at the break.

Obviously Alabama will have the lead at the half. If not, something isn't going according to the usual Bama script, which either means we're in for a beatdown (likely) or it signals our fortunes have reversed and we might actually win a close game (far less likely).

Eventually though Kentucky's young players will loosen up in the second half when Alabama inevitably goes cold shooting or loses its intensity on the defensive end and gives up some easy second-chance points. The crowd will come alive after a relatively quiet first half, and Kentucky will have a double-digit lead by the under-8 timeout. Bama will avoid the blowout but never threaten the UK lead down the stretch.

73-61 Kentucky.

Upon Further Review: Has UK Improved Since the Non-Conference Season?

2010-02-09T00:39:17Z

More photos » Liz Condo - AP

"All right, guys, get better right now!"

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That sounds like an easy question, doesn't it? Surely the Kentucky Wildcats have improved since the pre-season schedule -- they have to, right?

Well, not necessarily. North Carolina certainly hasn't improved -- in fact, they've arguably devolved into a team eerily reminiscent of Kentucky last season. In fact, I'm not sure last year's UK team wouldn't beat North Carolina at this moment in the season.

Other teams have devolved, too. The victory against the Connecticut Huskies now looks pretty average, just like the North Carolina Tar Heels game. The win over the Louisville Cardinals still looks pretty good. It's pretty interesting to see how teams, when they get tested, behave. Sometimes teams respond, and sometimes they do not.

So what do you think? Do you think UK has improved? Well, follow me past the jump and find out.

Here are the numbers:

					Offense					Defense
Date	Opponent	Result	Site	Pace	Eff.	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTR	Eff.	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTR
11/13/10	Morehead St. (sked)	W, 75-59	H	73	103.5	53.9	33.1	55.8	53.9	81.4	41.5	16.6	30.5	18.5
11/16/10	Miami OH (sked)	W, 72-70	H	63	113.7	54.7	23.7	46.5	45.3	110.6	63.5	25.3	22.6	25
11/19/10	Sam Houston St. (sked)	W, 102-92	H	83	123	69.2	28.9	45.6	48.3	111	49.4	14.5	30.9	24.7
11/21/10	Rider (sked)	W, 92-63	H	76	120.6	54.5	21	46.8	42.4	82.6	34.5	26.2	41.2	53.5
11/24/10	Cleveland St. (sked)	W, 73-49	N	70	104.5	58.3	27.2	35.7	83.3	70.1	30.5	15.7	20.8	23.4
11/25/10	Stanford (sked)	W, 73-65	N	58	111.7	50	22.9	46.4	44.6	99.5	42.7	18.4	40.3	47.3
11/30/10	NC Asheville (sked)	W, 94-57	h	70	133.6	58	11.4	42.7	29	81	48.1	28.4	21.7	16.7
12/05/10	North Carolina (sked)	W, 68-66	H	74	92.1	50	27.1	33.3	40.7	89.4	44	21.7	34.9	19.4
12/09/10	Connecticut (sked)	W, 64-61	N	69	92.8	41.4	18.8	33.3	26.6	88.4	46.1	27.5	42.3	47.1
12/12/10	Indiana (sked)	W, 90-73	A	68	132.7	58.3	19.2	56.8	31.8	107.7	54.2	13.3	22.2	23.3
12/19/10	Austin Peay (sked)	W, 90-69	H	68	131.7	57.1	23.4	63.5	28.6	101	44.5	16.1	34.3	21.9
12/21/10	Drexel (sked)	W, 88-44	H	67	131	61.2	20.8	48.1	32.8	65.5	35.5	23.8	20.7	12.7
12/23/10	Long Beach St. (sked)	W, 86-73	H	74	115.5	49.2	12.1	36.3	46.1	98.1	47.1	16.1	29.1	23.5
12/29/10	Hartford (sked)	W, 104-61	H	69	150.2	70.6	10.1	40	20.6	88.1	48.3	21.7	20	8.6
01/02/10	Louisville (sked)	W, 71-62	H	75	94.7	48.1	24	32	65.4	82.7	36.4	24	34.2	44.1
Averages				70.47	116.75	55.63	21.58	44.19	42.63	90.47	44.42	20.62	29.71	27.31
01/09/10	Georgia (sked)	W, 76-68	H	75	101.8	45	18.8	38	55	91.1	52.8	34.8	39	28.3
01/12/10	Florida (sked)	W, 89-77	A	72	123	56.4	13.8	37.1	18.6	106.5	44.1	13.8	35.6	29.4
01/16/10	Auburn (sked)	W, 72-67	A	66	108.5	57	24.1	35.6	81.4	100.9	49.2	18.1	31.9	23.3
01/23/10	Arkansas (sked)	W, 101-70	H	83	121.6	54.5	18.1	48.3	32.5	84.3	32.6	16.9	29.9	40.3
01/26/10	South Carolina (sked)	L, 68-62	A	69	89.7	41.2	21.7	35	36.8	98.3	37.5	15.9	40.9	43.8
01/30/10	Vanderbilt (sked)	W, 85-72	H	71	119.1	55.6	23.8	50.7	72.2	100.9	53.3	21	13.7	67.4
02/02/10	Mississippi (sked)	W, 85-75	H	74	115.5	57.3	23.1	42.4	30.6	101.9	50	20.4	36.8	19.7
02/06/10	Louisiana St. (sked)	W, 81-55	A	76	107.2	49.2	21.2	45.3	34.9	72.8	34.9	18.5	22.6	18.2
Averages				73.25	110.8	52.03	20.58	41.55	45.25	94.59	44.3	19.93	31.3	33.8

Okay, well, that's not as clear as we'd hope, right? Let's visualize it for more clarity. First, the offense:

Now that's a bit more clear. Kentucky is playing a bit faster, are a bit less efficient, shooting the ball a bit worse, taking slightly better care of the ball, getting a smaller percentage of offensive rebounds and getting to the line a bit more often. Overall, that doesn't really look better.

What about on defense? That looks like this:

UK's opponents are more efficient on offense, shooting the ball about the same, the 'Cats are forcing fewer turnovers, allowing more offensive rebounds and getting to the line more against us. At first blush, no improvement there, either. Maybe a little bit the other way.

Of course, by now you have figured out that these statistics really don't fully take the quality of competition into account, and they don't. There is some adjustment for the quality of Kentucky's opponent, but the reason UK is at or even a bit below par numbers-wise is that the quality of the competition they are playing has risen significantly. The average Kenpom.com ranking of Kentucky's non-conference schedule was 121.5, and the average ranking of UK's conference opponents is 85.63. So the quality of UK's opponent has improved, and yet the better opponents have had a negligible impact on Kentucky's statistics as a team.

There is really no doubt at all that the quality of the basketball we are watching, at least in my opinion, is vastly improved even since the Louisville game. The Wildcat offense looks much more fluid and professional, players are more intense on defense, and overall, the 'Cats look more and more like the contender the polls say they are.

So even though the numbers haven't changed appreciably from non-conference to conference, the competition has gotten better and yet the Wildcats keep doing what they do at about the same rate they did it against much softer teams. But Kentucky, at some point in the near future, needs to take that next step up. Maybe the game against the LSU Tigers was a harbinger of that transition, but it needs to happen sometime between now and the SEC tournament.

This UK team still has a ton of room between where they are and where they can be. I'm hoping to see the 'Cats reel in some of that slack in the coming two or three games, and move closer to their full capability.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Monday Morning Edition

2010-02-08T14:45:42Z

More photos » Liz Condo - AP

How could you not love a face like this? Of course, it helps when you have serious game to go with it.

Browse more photos »

This morning, no commentary, just the links. Enjoy!

More after the jump.

Nuggets to start the week
University of Kentucky target Brandon Knight scored 48 points - outscoring junior Austin Rivers by seven points - but Knight's Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest dropped an 87-76 decision to Rivers' Winter Park (Fla.) team.

Jody Demling has many more.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Unbeaten At Home: Rupp Arena Edition
A comparison of some UK teams that had unbeaten home records.
Tom Leach Podcasts
A new one with Dan Issel, and Tom Hammond.
Is Brandon Knight College Basketball’s Next Big Thing? | Online Basketball Betting
I'd sure like to find out.
Wall named a Cousy Award Finalist
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Weekly Bracketology: 02.08.10
Kentucky basketball's DeMarcus Cousins calls foul on frequent reviews | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
ESPN's GameDay is coming to town | KentuckySports.com
Expanding March Madness is madness - ESPN
Dick and I are in total agreement on this one.
Should this game-winning shot have counted? - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Too close to call from my perspective.
The crash of Carolina basketball - College Basketball - Rivals.com
Heh. Well, look at it this way -- we're stretching out our lead in all-time wins. Personally, I think Ol' Roy cries too much.

Saints-Colts: Super Bowl XLIV Open Thread - SB Nation

2010-02-07T23:21:23Z

Saints-Colts: Super Bowl XLIV Open Thread - SB Nation

Join the rest of SB Nation at the super Bowl Open Thread over at SBN's main site.

Kentucky 81, LSU 55: Postmortem

2010-02-07T02:25:55Z

More photos » Liz Condo - AP

Kentucky forward DeMarcus Cousins brought the good wood to the LSU Tigers in UK's dominating 81-55 win in Baton Rouge.

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My apologies for getting the post-game up nearly three hours after the end of the game, but my Internet availability has been spotty for most of the day. KH

The Kentucky Wildcats (22-1, 7-1) did what they were supposed to do this afternoon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and that is, beat a team with several missing links, badly. The LSU Tigers (9-14, 0-9), though, deserve a hearty congratulations for never giving up, never letting up, and competing until the final horn.

The 81-55 Kentucky road victory represents the second largest margin of victory this team has had against SEC competition (behind the 31 point dismantling of a now surging Arkansas squad), and hopefully the win also indicates that this team is unafraid to keep their boot on the throat of their opponent, regardless of time and score.

For more information on the game that was, follow me after the jump:

As has become commonplace, UK's DeMarcus Cousins played like a man among boys. Scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds (five offensive) in only 20 minutes of action, Cousins dominated the paint area with some stellar defense, and a plethora of moves around the basket. The only real negative to his game were his four turnovers, which is unusually high for him.

Patrick Patterson, who took the most shots (13) he's taken in a game since January 9 against Georgia, was once again a presence both on the inside and outside. Patterson wasn't on-target with his long-range shot today (1-4 from beyond the arc), but he made 5-9 two-point shots, and grabbed five rebounds, with three of those offensive.

Eric Bledsoe played his most solid game in couple of weeks, making 5-10 shots from the field, grabbing four rebounds and pilfering four steals. Bledsoe was very active on the defensive end of the court, and is just one of the Wildcats responsible for holding LSU to only 31.8% overall shooting, and 18.2% three-point shooting (4-22).

John Wall didn't shoot the ball particularly well today (2-9), but he once again ran the ball-club and distributed the basketball with great efficiency. He many times this afternoon displayed the unfathomable speed he possesses while dribbling the basketball, which enabled him to slice up the Tiger defense, and get the ball to his open teammates. Wall had four assists, but would have had 8-10 dimes if not for Patterson and Cousins being fouled down on the blocks so often.

DeAndre Liggins just keeps on producing: In 18 minutes of action, Liggins had seven points on 2-2 shooting (both three-pointers), he grabbed eight, yes, that's eight rebounds, and had one assist and one steal. His defense, board crashing, and three-point stroke continue to impress. Kudos to Liggins for his great play since being elevated out of the Calipari doghouse.

Darnell Dodson (eight points, two blocks), Ramon Harris (five points, two rebounds in 16 minutes), and Daniel Orton (five points, five rebounds in 15 minutes) all contributed to the team's win.

The points off turnovers battle was won by the 'Cats: 18-9. The points in the paint battle was also won by the 'Cats: 46-22. And finally, the second chance points battle was won by the 'Cats: 17-2. UK won all of these games within the game, but of course they only did what was expected of them, but for a team this young, it's a step forward.

UK, which out-rebounded the smaller Tigers by a count of 53-21 (18-10 off. reb. advantage), completely dominated and dictated pace after the opening few minutes of the game. Holding a 42-14 edge at the half, the 'Cats continued to apply the pressure unrelentingly. This, my friends, was good to see.

The 22nd one bites the dust, and Alabama awaits on Tuesday night.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Cats Are 22-1 Now

2010-02-06T23:59:28Z

Is that a big deal in UK history?

I think so. Only a few UK teams have been 22-1 or better (23-0).

The 1949 Cats were 22-1. So were the 1951 Wildcats. The 1954 Cats were 23-0.

Ditto Rupp's Runts at 23-0 in 1966. The 1970 Cats were 22-1. Only the 1996 UK team was 22-1 since then.

Not 1948 Fabulous Five. Not 1978 Slaughterhouse Five. Not the Comeback Cats in 1998.

So 22-1 is a big deal.

The 49 and 51 Cats were NCAA champions. The 54 Cats went undefeated. Rupp's Runts and the 70 Cats both finished #1 in the AP poll. And the 1996 Untouchables are considered by many the best UK team of the post Rupp era.

Kentucky Wildcats @ LSU Tigers: Second Half Open Game Thread

2010-02-06T21:59:52Z

Okay, go ahead guys and gals.

Kentucky Wildcats @ LSU Tigers: Open Game Thread

2010-02-06T21:00:19Z

Today the take on the in Baton Rouge. After handling the Western Division Co-Leaders, the Mississippi Rebels, the Wildcats get to travel to the house that Pete Maravich built to take on the 0-6 LSU Tigers.

Game particulars are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:

Date & Time	Sat., Feb. 6, 4:00 p.m
Coverage	TV: SEC Network Radio: BBSN Live Stats Online Audio Live Video via ESPN360
Location	Pete Maravich Assembly Center Baton Rouge, La.

This is one more big step on the road to winning the SEC. If the Wildcats stumble here, it will be a very bad situation and indicative of the young freshmen not getting it. LSU will be ready for them and will no doubt bring one of the best games of their season with them.

More after the jump.

What UK needs to do to win:

Force LSU into bad shots. They shoot the ball poorly.
Attack the glass at every opportunity
Get the ball inside as much as possible to DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson.
Take care of the basketball.

What Kentucky must avoid:

Quick shots out of the offense.
Allowing LSU to slow down the game
Bad fouls
Too many shots from the perimeter. UK outmatches LSU inside.

Go, 'CATS!

Kentucky Wildcats @ LSU Tigers: Game Preview

2010-02-06T19:42:38Z

More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

Can DeAndre Liggins continue to be a major factor at the three spot?

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The Kentucky Wildcats head down to the bayou in Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon to take on the LSU Tigers, last year's SEC champion, but this year's SEC doormat. The Tigers and Wildcats have a long history of tough games in the SEC dating back to the days of Dale Brown. The annual renewal of this once-great SEC matchup does not seem a likely place for the Tigers to get their first win, but stranger things have happened

Let's take a quick look at the comparison between the Tigers and the Wildcats, courtesy of Statsheet.com:

Rank and Records	UK	LSU
RPI	#6	#206
Strength of Schedule	#60	#88
Overall	21-1	9-13
Conference	6-1	0-8
Home	14-0	9-5
Away	3-1	0-5
Neutral	4-0	0-3
Top 25	6-0	0-5
RPI Top 50	6-0	0-3

LSU has significant losses against the Connecticut Huskies (47), the Arizona St. Sun Devils (26), the Xavier Musketeers(21), the Florida Gators (45), the Mississippi Rebels (38), the Mississippi St. Bulldogs (33), and the Tennessee Volunteers (29). The best win the Tigers have this year is against the Indiana St. Sycamores (151), Larry Bird's alma mater.

More after the jump. Just like last time, I did the first part of this analysis and Ken did the second part starting with the position analysis. For more on the LSU Tigers, be sure to check out SB Nation's excellent LSU blog, And The Valley Shook.

We will begin the analysis by the usual look at the dashboard. Don't forget, this thing is interactive.

Four Factors Analysis

The analysis of this game could not be more stark. LSU is a thoroughly rotten offensive team, and an average defensive team.

Zooming in on the SEC part of the season by moving the left slider over until it shows only the last six LSU games, you can see that the Wildcats have consistently been vastly superior to the Tigers in offensive efficiency. If you zoom in to the last five games, you'll SEE that LSU had a peek around game 18, but it will take all that and more to defeat the Wildcats. Defensively, the Tigers just haven't been very efficient at all lately, allowing an average of 110 points per 100 possessions during the SEC season.

Offensively, the Wildcats are tough for anyone, but they are really mismatched against this version of the LSU Tigers. In the SEC season, the Wildcats are outshooting the Tigers by 10 percentage points per game in eFG%, and outrebounding LSU on the offensive glass by almost 8% per game. Kentucky gets to the line almost 11% more than the Tigers do. Only in turnover % are the Tigers even close to Kentucky, and still they are slightly worse.

Defensively, the disparity is just as great, with the Tigers allowing opponents to shoot almost 10% better than the Wildcats do. The Wildcats force more turnovers than the Tigers, but the Tigers do rebound the basketball an insignificantly small amount better than Kentucky does. Finally, the Tigers put teams on the line more than the 'Cats.

Kentucky shoots 3-point shots better, shoots more 3-pointers per FG attempt, and utilizes the bench more than the Tigers. Kentucky also plays the game at a significantly higher pace than LSU, and if Kentucky gets to dictate the pace on Saturday, look out.

The only thing LSU has going for them has nothing whatever to do with statistics. This isn't exactly a classic trap game for Kentucky, but it has elements of a trap, as UK will be looking forward to the two game home stand it has coming up after this game, first with the decent Alabama Crimson Tide, and next with the rival Tennessee Volunteers. The 'Cats could well be looking past this game, and therein lies LSU's best chance to pull the upset.

Position Analysis

LSU had coach Trent Johnson has used several different players in starting roles this season. For the purposes of this comparison, the LSU starters I will break down are the players he has been utilizing recently.

Position Analysis: Point Guard

Six-two junior Bo Spencer (who will be broken down as a two-guard today), 6'4" freshman Aaron Dotson, and 6'1" sophomore Chris Bass have all been used at the point guard spot. Bass has 11 starts (but only one start in the last four games), and has played only 13 combined minutes over the last two games, and Dotson has started the last two games.

Neither Dotson (30.1%) nor Bass (38.9) is shooting the ball very well, on the season, with both also struggling from three-point range: Dotson has made only 6-41 trey attempts (14.6%), and Bass has made only 5-24 (20.8%). This allows opponents to sag off the guards, reducing the passing lanes to the paint, and making it easier to cut off penetration.

In the 2-3 zone Johnson is likely to employ, Dotson and Bass will find themselves out front. But, are they quick enough to keep UK's John Wall from penetrating into the seams of the defense? Probably not. Will they sufficiently pressure UK's guards? Probably not. Will they create turnovers with their quickness and cunning? Probably not.

What this means for UK and point guard John Wall: An opportunity exists this afternoon to exploit LSU's weak guard pressure, and anytime that is a possibility, Wall will surely take advantage of the mismatch to create for his teammates, and utilize the DDMO more than ever.

Advantage: Big Kentucky

Position Analysis: Two-Guard

Bo Spencer will likely be employed at the shooting guard spot. Although Spencer has been a disappointment this season after having a strong freshman year, he's still averaging 15.0 points per game. One can theorize why Spencer is shooting only 28.5% from beyond the arc (41-144), but most likely it comes from trying to do too much for the anemic Tiger offense. With only forward Tasmin Mitchell, Spencer, and forward Storm Warren averaging over 4.3 points per game (yes, you read that right), the pressure is constantly on for the three to produce points.

Spencer, who scored 25 points versus Tennessee this week, is capable of having a big shooting day, but with Eric Bledsoe more than likely drawing the assignment of guarding Spencer, the Tiger will be faced with pressure, and a chance-taker. Spencer is also capable of driving to the hole.

Bledsoe, will once again be faced with the 2-3 zone defense, and as usual, he will have the opportunity to take and make the three. The chance to penetrate the zone, which is something he has been doing more of recently, will also present itself. Getting around the guards out front, quite honestly, should prove to be very doable for Bledsoe, but 6'7" Tasmin Mitchell, and 6'11" Dennis Harris will challenge the drivers once they've found the paint area.

Advantage: Big Kentucky

Position Analysis: Small Forward

Tasmin Mitchell is the Tigers' overwhelmingly best player. An all-league performer, Mitchell is averaging 17.6 points per game, on 46.7% overall shooting. At 6'7", Mitchell has great handles, quickness, and has tremendous athletic ability, and will be a real challenge for whoever draws the assignment of guarding the experienced, talented performer (DeAndre Liggins, Ramon Harris, Patrick Patterson). Mitchell, whose bread is buttered by his mid-range jumper and ability to put the ball on the floor and drive, will also take the occasional three-point shot (he averages 2.6 taken threes per game).

Mitchell is also a physical presence on the blocks, leading the Tigers with 9.9 rebounds per game (3.2 off. rebounds per game). He is talented enough to challenge UK's Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins for board supremacy this afternoon.

UK's Darnell Dodson (two starts in a row) and Darius Miller, UK's primary wing players, provide Trent Johnson with a problem. With guards Aaron Dotson and Chris Bass concentrating on stopping John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, who does the LSU head man go with to pressure two of Kentucky's most dangerous outside shooting threats? For taking Michell, or Storm Warren (LSU's best rebounders) away from the basket could be a dangerous decision.

UK has a legitimate conundrum, also Mitchell, at 245 lbs, is a load, and he possesses both the aforementioned quickness to create problems with his drive from the perimeter, and the bulk and athletic ability to challenge Cousins and Patterson in the paint.

Advantage: Draw

Position analysis: Power Forward

LSU"s Storm Warren, averaging 12.4 points, and 7.7 rebounds per game ( 3.5 off. rebounds per game) has been a solid player for the Tigers this season. Shooting 56.0% from the field, he gets most of his points in and around the paint. He is an excellent off-the-ball defender, getting most of his team-leading 1.4 blocks per game on a teammate's man.

UK's Patrick Patterson, who seems to be finding a home both in the paint and on the perimeter, has become the dreaded double-threat Kentucky coach John Calipari envisioned prior to the season.

Advantage: Kentucky

Position analysis: Center

Six-eleven freshman Dennis Harris has started six of the last seven LSU contests. While he averages only 4.3 points per game,and 3.0 rebounds per game, he's only playing an average of 13.3 minutes per game. Harris is light, checking in at only 190 lbs, so he'll need help from his teammates in stopping UK's best player of late, DeMarcus Cousins.

UK's Cousins, will once again find himself confronted with multiple defenders on the catch. But, the Tigers have no one possessing both Cousins' size and physicality. Mitchell and Warren will more that likely be responsible for slowing down UK's point/rebound machine, but in reality, their best chance at stopping Cousins will be if the big man brings the ball down, instead of going straight to the hole.

As is becoming customary, Cousins, if he stays out of foul trouble, should have a big game.

Advantage: Big Kentucky

Bench Analysis

Possibly receiving more playing time this afternoon due to his size, is 6'11" sophomore Garrett Green. He averages only 10.0 minutes per game, and doesn't shoot the ball very well at only 30.0%, but Johnson might be forced to use him more extensively in an attempt to slow down UK's Cousins and Patterson. Another big body off the LSU bench is 6'9" freshman forward Eddie Ludwig. Ludwig plays 11.8 minutes per game, and averages 2.0 points per game, and may be another performer Trent Johnson looks at to help offset UK's paint advantage.

Both big men provide LSU with 10 fouls to give, so look for some physical play underneath the basket.

Also coming of the Tiger bench is 6'4" junior guard Chris Beattie. Beattie has played 39 total minutes over the last two games, after averaging 6.6 minutes per game for the year. He's taken only 19 shots on the year, with 13 of them being from long-range (5-13 for 38.5%), so look for him to be the designated three-point shooter this afternoon. Sophomore swing player Zach Kinsley, a walk-on, is averaging 15.7 minutes per game, and is another three-point shooter. He's proved to have a good shooting eye.

Projected Score: Kentucky 84 LSU 65

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- LSU Edition

2010-02-06T15:01:21Z

I'm braving the blizzard for a trip up to Indianapolis this weekend to take in the Blue Collar Comedy guys and have a short getaway from the homestead. I hope to be able to get to Indy in time to take in the UK/LSU game, but I have no idea if I will or not -- it is going to be rough going in this weather, and the further north you go, the worse it gets.

Still, at least we didn't get obliterated like Washington DC and the mid-Atlantic area. They might not be able to get out of their doors after getting 30 inches of snow. I remember a bad snowstorm there in about 1982, but it was nothing like this one.

Anyway, Ken will be doing the postmortem tonight and should have the pre-game up before too long. Right now, I thought a little news might be in order. Follow me after the jump.

Rush The Court " Blog Archive " 96-Team NCAA Tournament Capsule
Please, NCAA -- come to your senses. 64 teams is enough.
Cousins gets Shaq treatment - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
Mississippi State nearing decision on Sidney - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
Tangled web.
Kentucky football gets 5 late star signees | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
In describing the recruiting process Wednesday, first-year University of Kentucky head football coach Joker Phillips said more than once, "It never stops." The past two days have provided Phillips a first-hand lesson in the never-ending nature of recruiting.
UK women succeeding by pumping up the pace | KentuckySports.com
The ladies are kicking butt this year.
Wall slips in POY poll
Still a lot of season to go.
Mansour is a special kicker | Vaught's Views
UK warns fans about fake basketball tickets : Kentucky Registrar
Danger, Will Robinson!
Clock ticking on UNC - North Carolina - NewsObserver.com
UNC fans must be pulling their hair out. Of course, a lousy year coming off a national championship season is infinitely more tolerable than a lousy year coming off, say, a first-round tournament loss or an NIT. Still, it must sting a little.
UK women flying high with depth | KentuckySports.com
Go ladies ... Go ladies. Wow, the women's team is kicking major butt these days.
Ex-Cat tries to turn life around | KentuckySports.com
For those of you who remember Dwight Anderson's short but important time at UK, this is a must read.
Cal seeks answers at LSU | KentuckySports.com
Sooner or later, the answers to these questions will really matter.
Red-hot UK women pound Ole Miss | KentuckySports.com
This is the best UK women's team we have had in my memory.
UK Basketball: Miller says LSU not to be taken lightly: WinchesterSun.com
Frankly, taking them lightly is the easiest path to an upset.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Calipari says Patterson's NBA Draft stock is "through the roof": and other LSU notes
Paul Jordan has some comments from Coach Cal.
UK basketball player efficiency ratings John Clay’s Sidelines
LSU’s Mitchell says Kentucky is "beatable" | Vaught's Views
Mitchell is 100% right.

Pete Barth 2 cents worth: Recruiting totally out of hand | sheboyganpress.com | Sheboygan Press

2010-02-06T14:26:12Z

Pete Barth 2 cents worth: Recruiting totally out of hand | sheboyganpress.com | Sheboygan Press

Heh. If he thinks this opinion is worth $.02, he is flattering himself unmercifully. But I truly had no idea Lane Kiffin had been taking recruiting advice from Billy Gillispie.

Just a little more hate to embrace.

Has Sportsmanship Declined to a Dangerous Level in College Basketball?

2010-02-05T14:01:28Z

More photos » David Smith - AP

Pittsburgh assistant coach Tom Herrion was struck in the eye area by an object thrown from the crowd during a game between Pitt and West Virginia in Morgantown.

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I saw the highlights (or should I say, lowlights) of the Pittsburgh Panthers at West Virginia Mountaineers game this past week, and it really did give me cause for concern. Fans were throwing objects onto the floor during the game, prompting Bob Huggins to grab the microphone and berate them for their stupidity.

But apparently, the message was not received. A short while later, some crazed maniac threw an object, apparently a coin, that struck Pittsburgh assistant coach Tom Herrion just under his right eye, leaving a bruise. All this prompted West Virginia to apologize to Pitt, and has the school thinking about what steps it can take to remedy the problem.

It goes without saying that the behavior of the West Virginia fans at that game was reprehensible, and prompted some writers to take shots at the state as a whole. But West Virginia did produce Patrick Patterson, one of my favorite all-time UK players, so I will not be joining the broad-brush folks.

But this incident, along with others, does seem to be a warning to college basketball that things are getting a little bit out of hand. Gary Parrish had a piece earlier this week that worries about the consequences if fan behavior continues to escalate toward violence and fighting words instead of taunts of "over-rated" when you are getting beaten. The latter is moronic bad sportsmanship, but the former is actually dangerous.

The floor-storming incident in Columbia when the South Carolina Gamecocks upset the then #1 Kentucky Wildcats was rife with potential for violence, and an incident was even alleged (and apparently overblown) between DeMarcus Cousins and some random Gamecock floor-stormer, which is one of the reasons why storming the floor is forbidden and fines issued for the act. I'm not so much condemning it as joining the worry that such incidents may produce the kind of orgiastic moment we all dread, like Ron Artest running into the stands during a professional basketball game and beating up a fan that apparently threw a drink at him.

West Virginia fans have been notably unhinged on several occasions this year -- the Pitt game already mentioned, and the Louisville game there where the crowd seemed just on the verge of throwing things and was constantly chanting, "Karen Sypher" at Louisville coach Rick Pitino. WVU fans also apparently went off the reservation with crudity at the Ohio State game.

At this point, I'd like to point out that this sort of thing was exactly what John Calipari was trying to avoid when he admonished UK fans not to get down in the gutter and embarrass the school when the Cardinals came to town. Thankfully, UK fans, for the most part, complied.

But the purpose of this article is not to criticize West Virgina, but to point out how bad fan behavior has become. It isn't new -- Grant Wahl at Sports Illustrated wrote this piece on fan behavior problems back in 2008, and here we are in 2010 discussing the same thing.

What is the answer? Some arenas encourage patrons to call a cell phone number to have unruly fans removed. Other arenas are quick to act and remove those who seem to be too drunk or engaging in bad behavior. But there is no uniform standard, no magic bullet. Referees can call technical fouls on crowds, but too much of that creates a question of fairness -- why should the athletes suffer for the behavior of the fans?

There is no easy answer that will satisfy all elements of equanimity. One could, if the crowd kept misbehaving, call the game a forfeit, and force the hosting school to forfeit all proceeds of the game to charity, or as a fine to the league. Of course, that's hardly fair to the team, who had nothing to do with the unethical behavior on the part of the fans, or to the school itself, who may have been making a good-faith effort at crowd control and been simply overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment.

Arenas have tried banning alcohol sales, but that just encourages patrons to arrive already inebriated or with hidden caches of social lubricant. Objectionable or provocative signs have been banned, but that can run afoul of the First Amendment. There are all sorts of creative things that have been done to stop rude and crude behavior, but with spotty success at best.

At the end of the day, schools and society in general must start teaching and acting to enforce the boundaries of ethical behavior in sports contests, and that's going to require a commitment from the student body, parents of students, fans of the school and school administrators. Nobody wants to see school spirit dampened, or the intensity of rivalries dialed back to the point that they are no longer interesting, but the college basketball equivalent of the Malice at the Palace should rightly concern every college basketball fan.

One example of such a program is Husky Honor, something new being tried by the University of Connecticut. It includes promoting sportsmanship, good general fan habits and pride in the program. I think this is a good place to start. Recognizing a problem exists is the first step to solving it, and I think all NCAA schools should make a commitment to help fans understand what behavior is off limits and what is acceptable, and take affirmative steps to improve the fan experience for everyone.

As fans, it is our duty to participate in the process, to rebuke or report dangerous or crude behavior, even though nobody relishes the role of ratting out their fellow-fan. If we, as fans, worked harder to discourage those next to us from behaving badly when it becomes necessary, we might see a marked improvement. But sitting on our hands and watching a guy wing a dangerous object at the floor is passively participating in his behavior, in my opinion. There is a point at which fan activities become merely reprobate, and not supportive of anyone or anything. I think most of us know where to draw that line.

There is no easy solution to this problem. But it's high time that we all acknowledge it is a problem, and work together on a solution.

Upon Further Review: Are the Wildcats Headed in the Right Direction?

2010-02-04T16:25:33Z

More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

It's time for Coach Cal to go to the whip a little.

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It has been a busy couple of days around my house, but my guests are now on their way to complete their business here in the States and head back to Jolly Olde England. We had good fun and good business and now I am back to the routine.

Speaking of routine, I finally got around to watching the Kentucky vs. Ole Miss game last night. Considering the score of the game, I was expecting to be impressed with the play, but I must say I wasn't overall, just from watching it. It seemed like Kentucky turned the ball over every third time down the court, had trouble guarding the three again and just generally didn't do the little things.

Of course, we did do the predictable things well -- DeMarcus Cousins was indomitable on the glass and, as Jimmy Dykes so endearingly put it, "...like a big ol' grizzly bear," in the post. In fact, I think that is just about the most apt description of Cousins I have heard this year, except that description really doesn't bring to mind the agility and remarkable hand-eye coordination that Cousins possesses, nor does it imply his remarkable savvy as a post player.

On one particular play, Cousins made one of the most remarkable fakes I have ever seen. He went up as if to shoot with ball, shoulders, and everything, but never left his feet and didn't exaggerate the fake like post players so often do. It looked totally natural, except he didn't jump, or really use his lower body. The defender bit, and Cousins stepped under his committed foe for an easy dunk.

In another, Cousins got pushed under the basket, yet reversed and made an almost casual flip of the ball that swished sweetly for the and-one -- this despite the fact that his entire body was on the other side of the backboard. As powerful as Cousins is, it is his finesse and feel for the game that make him truly one of the top two or three post players in the college game.

Kentucky is now just under half way through the Southeastern Conference schedule, and when I want to see how we are doing, I use the magic of Google fusion tables and Kenpom.com to help me figure it all out. So what I'll be doing here is looking only at the SEC games to compare a few stats. To wit:

What you see here is the difference between Kentucky's offensive efficiency (how many points UK is scoring per ~~40 minutes~~ 100 possessions) and UK's opponents. As you can see, UK isn't doing bad, and the 'Cats are averaging about 13.6 more points per ~~40 minutes~~ 100 possessions than they are allowing. Not too shabby.

Now, let's take a look at Kentucky's shooting. Kentucky has been a revelation to everyone, fans and media alike, with respect to its perimeter shooting this year. UK has shot the ball so well from outside that it has driven our eFG% way up there. In fact, UK has only been out-shot one time so far in SEC competition:

That's a thing of beauty. Only twice have the 'Cats been held under 50% eFG, and that was versus Georgia and at South Carolina. The two best teams that Kentucky has played in the SEC so far, Vandy and Ole Miss, could not hold Kentucky under 55%, let alone 50.

A lot of that is due to some terrific play from the 3-headed small forward spot of Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins and Darnell Dodson, who has finally rounded into defensive form enough that Calipari will play him. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe have both worked very hard on their perimeter game and are far better than advertised, and I don't even have enough superlatives for Patrick Patterson's improvement from the perimeter.

Of course, there is always a fly in the ointment, a monkey in the wrench. For Kentucky, that'd be turnovers.

Ugh. What you're seeing here is the comparison between UK's turnover% and that of their opponent. UK, as with all these graphs, is in the blue. Kentucky has actually had three good games turnover-wise, against the Georgia Bulldogs (18.8%), the Florida Gators (13.8%), and the Arkansas Razorbacks (18.1%). I really thought after the first two games that Kentucky had finally found a way to limit turnovers, but as we saw with the Mississippi Rebels game just the other night, that isn't the case. In fact, the Wildcats are kind of on a negative roll, with >20% turnovers for the last three games.

The turnovers are what are helping these teams to stay within shouting distance of Kentucky. If UK could operate with 18% turnovers or less for most games, I'd say the 'Cats would be almost impossible to beat right now. It is the high turnover percentage that is making it possible for teams to stay in games rather than being obliterated by 20+. In fact, forcing Georgia into high turnovers was a big reason Kentucky didn't lose vs. the Dawgs -- they helped make up for the fact that Georgia out-shot the 'Cats in that game.

But the really big statistic that is killing everyone is offensive rebound percent:

Now there has been some serious butt-whipping going on in this category. Georgia barely nipped us, and the South Carolina Gamecocks flat whipped us, but most other teams have been buried under a deluge of offensive rebounds, most of them from DeMarcus Cousins. The Vanderbilt Commodores' graph on that stat is just embarrassing.

I know it's stating the obvious, but Kentucky has a lot of room for improvement. To me, though, the really cool thing is that UK has not come anywhere close to their potential in any of these games. If the 'Cats could ever start shooting 55+% eFG, getting mid 40% OR's and keep turnovers at or below 18%, this is a team that could not only get all the way to Indianapolis, but could actually win the whole dang thing.

Watching Ole Miss at UK just convinced me of one thing, which I already knew -- this team can play mediocre and dominate all but one or two teams in the SEC, and I thought UK was thoroughly mediocre against the Rebels. The problem is, I see far too much mediocre play, and to utilize a horse racing metaphor, we are entering the final turn in the season, and in another 3 weeks, we'll be at the head of the stretch. Right now, UK is in perfect stalking position, but they can't afford to let up now, or blow the turn. It's a lot easier to get to Indy from a #1 or 2 seed than it is from a #4.

It's time for Coach Cal to let them feel the whip a little. This hand-ride he has been giving them should be about over.

College Football Signing Day

2010-02-03T14:18:11Z

More photos » James Crisp - AP

Who can Joker get? Stay tuned ...

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I will be updating this space as the day goes along for Wildcat commitments, particularly the guys who have not decided yet. You can also check out SB Nation's signing day page for more info.

Miles Simpson, 3* RB out of Northern Kentucky's Simon Kenton, has picked Kentucky over Louisville, Purdue, Illinois and Cincinnati among others.
Brandon Gainer, #15 RB in the nation, signs with UK in a surprise over South Florida, UCF and North Carolina. That's the second North Carolina recruit that UK has "stolen."
List so far: Josh Gibbs, Justin Henderson, Tyler Brause, Alvin Davis, Mike Evans-Douglas, Brandon Gainer, Jabari Johnson, Brice Laughlin, Miles Simpson and Alex Smith have all signed LOI's.
Joseph Mansour has signed.
Nerman Delic, Malcolm McDuffen, Eric Simmons are now Wildcats.
Jerell Priester to UK -- decommits from Vandy. Further updates via Twitter for a while -- I have to go out.
Tim Patterson signs with Kentucky.
Avery Williamson has also signed.
Tim McAdoo, Donte Rumph and Farrington Huguenin have signed.
Per Eric Lindsey, 3-star running back Raymond Sanders has signed.
3-star TE/DL prospect Teven Eatmon (6'7," 280 lbs), high school teammate of UK QB signee Tyler Brause, has signed.
Dale Trimble, a 3-star corner back (rated #20 at his position) has selected the 'Cats over Tennessee, Clemson, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss.
Ronnie Shields, a tight end prospect out of Alcoa, Tennessee has signed.

Kentucky 85, Ole Miss 75: Postmortem

2010-02-03T04:10:43Z

More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

John Wall: Looks happy to me!

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The Kentucky Wildcats (21-1, 6-1) took care of business tonight in Rupp Arena, defeating a game Ole Miss Rebel squad 85-75. The Rebels (16-6, 4-4) are to be congratulated after having about 10 minutes to prepare for the 'Cats, due to having played at home on Sunday against Arkansas. They stayed within striking distance of the 'Cats for most of the evening, and performed up to their top-25 ranking.

The 'Cats, meanwhile, played a mostly solid game, with a dose of amazing plays, countered by a few sprinkles of careless possessions. The team still seems to become overly comfortable with a double-digit lead, but on this night, when coach John Calipari went to the whip, his blue-blooded thoroughbreds responded.

For a look at the individual highs and lows of the contest, follow me after the jump:

Once again DeMarcus Cousins meant business. UK's man for all seasons contributed 18 points,13 rebounds, nine offensive boards, and four blocks. Cousins posted his fifth straight double-double, ninth in his last eleven games, and thirteenth overall. The superlatives are beginning to run dry when attempting to describe his play.

John Wall, as many expected, had a very solid ball game. He ran the team as efficiently as he ever has, distributing the rock to the hot hand (Darnell Dodson), and feeding the post with aplomb. Wall ended the game with 17 points on 6-10 shooting (2-3 three-pointers), seven assists, and four turnovers.

Darnell Dodson, starting once again (his second starting nod in a row), proved his worth by having the white-hot hand from long-range; 4-5 three-pointers, and one assist, in only 16 minutes of action. He finished the game with 14 points, and some solid interior defense to his credit. Dodson has made 16 of his last 35 three-point attempts (45.7%), over a span of six games. Folks, when he's making shots, UK is very hard to beat.

Patrick Patterson played possibly his best game in the last few weeks. While playing 31 minutes, the big man scored 12 points (1-1 three-pointers), made all three of this free throws, and snagged four offensive rebounds; six boards overall. Patterson was clearly more aggressive on the blocks, both defensively and offensively. Certainly a good sign that Patterson is becoming more comfortable in his newfound role of inside/outside contributor.

The most spectacular play of the evening was perpetrated by one Eric Bledsoe -- On a John Wall alley-oop pass, (that was tipped by an Ole Miss defender), Bledsoe grabbed the errant pill, while turning in the air, and flipped the ball, with his back to the basket, off the backboard and into the twine. Both, great athleticism and body control, on display on that one play. Bledsoe finished the game with eight points (4-10 shooting), and eight big assists (and seven turnovers), to go along with a team-leading four steals. He, at times, put a bit too much mustard on his passes, and he tried to force the issue at times, but when he's intent on running the break flawlessly, that's what he does.

Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins both contributed mightily to the UK cause -- Orton played tremendous interior defense (no blocks, but several altered shots), and grabbed five rebounds in only 16 minutes of action. Orton was a perfect 2-2 from the field, finishing with 4 points. Liggins was his usual aggressive, hustling self. Playing 17 minutes, he snagged five rebounds, and scored five points, making his only three-point attempt. Liggins is becoming a defensive dynamo, taking over the helm from Ramon Harris, due to his solid ball-handling, and ability to score.

In only nine minutes of action, Darius Miller played well, and asserted himself more aggressively than has been the norm. He finished with five points, one assist and one turnover. Miller is losing PT to Dodson and Liggins, but in the floor time he had against the Rebels, I thought he was a more confident looking player.

For Ole Miss, guards Terrico White (19 points) and Chris Warren (15 points) combined to make 6-13 three-pointers (46.2%), which kept the Rebs just close enough to keep the game interesting. The off guard, Eniel Polynice, pitched in with 14 points on 6-12 shooting.

As a team, UK shot the ball well, making 31 of 62 shots (50.0%), and 9-19 threes (47.4%). The 'Cats did lose the points off turnover category, 26-17, as well as second chance points battle (18-12). UK ended the game with 17 TO's, but committed 11 of those miscues in the first 13 minutes of the game.

That's it for now,

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Mississippi Rebels @ Kentucky Wildcats: Open Game Thread

2010-02-02T23:45:10Z

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats are trying to double down on home games against tough SEC foes, and welcome the Mississippi Rebels into Rupp Arena for a Big Tuesday tilt on the Worldwide Leader.

Game particulars are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:

Date & Time	Tues., Feb. 2, 7:00 p.m
Coverage	TV: ESPN Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio Live Video via ESPN360
Location	Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky is looking to prove tonight that they are the team that you must go through to win the SEC championship after a convincing win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, while the Ole Miss Rebels would love to right the ship after an unexpected loss to the resurgent Arkansas Razorbacks. But Ole Miss has two bench players doubtful with injury in Will Bogan and Reginald Buckner, so that will make their task tonight harder.

More after the jump.

What UK needs to do to win:

Force Ole Miss to put the ball on the floor instead of allowing them to shoot threes.
Win the battle of the boards, particularly on offense.
Get the ball inside as much as possible to DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson.
Get production off the bench, and don't forget the short corner jumper.

What Kentucky must avoid:

Turnovers.
Foul problems in the front line.
Temper tantrums.
Forgetting about Patrick Patterson.

Ken will be doing the postmortem for this game, as I am entertaining out of town guests tonight. But be assured, my DVR is set and ready. This game would do a lot to give the Wildcats major momentum for their road trip to visit the Bayou Bengals this weekend, and solidify their spot atop the SEC East.

Go, 'CATS!

4* TE Alex Smith will sign with Kentucky Football

2010-02-02T21:16:23Z

4* TE Alex Smith will sign with Kentucky Football

This is a little better. We have a major need at that spot.