The Michael Porter Conundrum

Okay, okay.

I've taken a chill pill, and I'm sorry.

I totally apologize for comparing Michael Porter to salmonella-tainted peanut butter. Maybe I shouldn't stay up late posting after some of these games, when the blood is still hot. Rather, give it some time. You know, sleep on it. Kentucky did win the game, after all.

The problem of course is that there is a reason that initial impressions have such a lasting and powerful effect. That is-- there is usually a big grain of truth to them. Mike didn't play his best game against Auburn, and that much we can all agree upon. But I don't really mean to pick on him; I consider myself a pretty optimistic type of UK fan, and certainly don't want to be a hater.

Mike is by all accounts a great guy. Very tough. He was a darn good high school football player from what I have read. He hustles on the court, gives great effort out there. I can honestly say I've never seen him loafing. To repeat: He really does hustle. No argument there. And I got a big soft spot for anybody wearing a Kentucky uniform that truly hustles. So I do not dislike Mr. Porter.

However.

And I mean this only the most constructive way....

He's awfully inconsistent, and there are a few holes in his game right now.

Namely, he turns it over too frequently. Well-documented. That is really what has always bothered me the most. Just a little too sloppy with the ball, a little too prone to throwing it away or allowing it to be stolen.

Furthermore: not the best or most confident perimeter shooter. Below average, I'd say.

Defensively, *cough* a bit susceptible to getting beaten off the dribble. And we'll leave it at that.

Now, I do believe he is going to continue to play substantial minutes. Coach Gillispie seems to regard him as the best option at lead guard and was very quick to get him back into the flow after his unfortunate collision with Ramon during the Lamar game. Michael can and will continue to be called upon to contribute to this team's success. So I do support him, peanut butter comments aside.

I suppose one of the things that nags me the most about his performance is the way he will go a few games playing fairly well, making good decisions, chipping in a few points here and there, and then out of nowhere - BAM - he looks just awful. Like he's really confused and overwhelmed. He'll turn in a game that just disappoints the heck out of me. It would be great if he could eliminate those bad games and just be more consistent.

He certainly hasn't shown that straight line of improvement, where you struggle as a freshman, really start to "get it"as a sophomore, contribute greatly as a junior, and then --hopefully-- dominate as a senior. If you didn't know what class Mike was in, it would be hard to tell from watching any one particular game. More importantly, to a lot of fans anyway, is that it's awfully hard to imagine him ever being dominant, or a premier guard in D-1. Of course with Pat and Jodie on the team, you can argue that he doesn't need to dominate, and certainly doesn't need to put up 20 ppg.

Where am I going with all of this? Well, Michael Porter is a conundrum. He frustrates me. I like his effort, I love it when he plays well and I am happy for him. I do believe there are more talented, athletic players on the current roster (Galloway, Liggins) who due to their own weaknesses and Coach's judgment, do not get to start or play as frequently as Mike-- and Coach has some other players on the way. Coach always has players on the way.

Now, I am not one to completely discount Porter's athleticism. The fact that he has logged so many effective minutes on mulitple occasions demonstrates that he can play winning SEC basketball. He can hang. I will again repeat that I love his effort, his scrappiness, his diving for loose balls. He has a winning attitude. But January is winding down, and as we reach the conference grind, there has to be some improvement from Michael, some real dependability game after game. Nothing spectacular, just a really boring, 100% pure.....steadiness. Let's start today vs. Alabama.

He absolutely has it in him. I am pulling for him.

And for the record, although I'm not real picky about it, I consider myself to be a Jif Extra Crunchy man.