Cats Fall Asleep In Final Minute

For starters, I just gotta say it again this week: what a fabulous game. Just speaking as a sports fan in general, UK's loss to Indiana was by turns entertaining, thrilling, intense, pulse-pounding....basically everything you could ever hope for out of college basketball (and we say it again: IN DECEMBER!) The NBA should be grateful that they worked out their whole labor situation, 'cause the college game was going to absolutely steal some of their fans this season, and more than partially fill the void that the pros would have left. I'm convinced of it.

Now, coming at it from my usual Kentucky fan perspective: that ____ed. Especially that last part. You know, the one where UK missed free throws and let the Hoosiers get up the game-winner? Awful. I actually dreamed about that game several times last night (no joke) and my blue-demented, R.E.M.-driven cranium kept contriving these alternate scenarios where the Cats came away victorious, leaving the rabid Assembly Hall crowd in silence.

I suppose it's no wonder, since under most situations that's exactly what would have happened. Excuse me, "should" have happened. UK probably wins a best-of-seven against Indiana without breaking much of a sweat. Heck, they probably win most "best of ones" against Crean and company on any neutral floor, on any particular day, much less a home game at Rupp Arena.

But we all know that's not what college hoops is about. It's about one game, one moment, and yesterday it belonged to the folks in Bloomington. So before I continue my.....session, let me pause and give them their props: Well played, sirs. Nice shot, big guy. Nice dunk, other dude. Nice coaching, guy with the glasses. You beat number one. Pretty fair and square, I'd say.

You shoot lights out from three, you're always going to have a chance. And I think even the Hoosiers would admit, they nailed more than their share. Whichever Zeller that was, he did a pretty good job of neutralizing Davis. Terrence Jones: don't even get me started. What the foxtrot? I mean, did he even step off the bus? Jeez.

But to me the story of this one is absolutely about the end-game. It's about putting things on ice and walking away clean. Number one: Make your free throws.

MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS.

It's not easy, I know. Never will be. Not everybody can step up like Brent Turner at the Martin Luther tournament and act like it's really a two-footer in his backyard. But still. It is only fifteen feet, wide open/take your time/CONCENTRATE! ..... and it is a shot everybody practices, every single practice, and you know what? You've gotta want to shoot it.

The better free throwers absolutely prefer to get fouled late in games. And I believe Doron Lamb is in that category. But yesterday, he gacked one. It happens. I bet he feels like garbage today because of it. Anthony Davis on the other hand, whew...I don't think he wanted any part of that free throw stuff. That's what I saw.

It's so mental. It really is. Muscle memory helps. No doubt. Having a routine. All that stuff is true. But I think everybody in BBN expected Doron to make his. And unfortunately, I wouldn't say the same for AD. And what's more, I'm not even going to make a unibrow joke right here. I know you're disappointed. I guess that's how it is with freshman, one week you're the hero, the next week....

So let's just say Mr. Davis needs a few more reps from the stripe. Like about a billion. Whatever it takes to get him into a groove and a mental state of mind where he feels like the ball is going to swish through any rim, in any gym, whenever he really needs one. It's absolutely do-able. Confidence, man. Stroke it like you mean it, and stand there and pose on your follow through like you had it all the way.

Otherwise, Kentucky could have itself a real liability in the late/close ones for the rest of the season.

Man, this game was so winnable.

And secondly, on that SportsCenter Top 10 shot, let's listen to the coach, okay? Do what the guy in the huddle tells you to do. Don't lose that game like that with two fouls left to give. Dang it! That was just so.... just so....preventable. I imagine the "young team" excuse is fully applicable here, but I'd still rather not hear it. Pretty simple strategy: don't give up a 3. Under any circumstances.

Just foul early. Make it obvious. Not a shooter of course, preferably the guy catching the inbounds or bringing it up in the backcourt. Make them burn some clock. Easy-peasy. But repeat: do not give up a 3. I guarantee that's the last thing Cal said.

But the Wildcats did. Fell asleep on that one. And their guy made a nice shot.

Will the last student that leaves the gym please pick up the giant Dick Vitale head on a stick and drop it in the dumpster please? K thx bye.

The Brow Saves The Day

Some guys are fast jumpers, and Anthony Davis is one of them.

Normal people, even a good percentage of athletes, take a bit of time to elevate. A slight knee bend, a quick gathering of oneself prior to leaping-- that is quite ordinary.

But fortunately for Kentucky, AD has got a good case of the bunny hops. The quick-twitch kind.

His wingspan and height don't hurt either, but sliding over to defend the light-blue clad John Henson, with UK clinging to one-point lead, Mr. Davis simply had to get up. On the double. Show us your best vertical, young man. And fast.

Thank goodness he got a piece of Henson's jumper, because the way UNC was raining it down at Rupp this afternoon, I kind of feel like the guy would have made it.

But you can't make it if you can't get it off. And Anthony Davis made sure that he got just enough of a piece of Henson's shot to save the game.

And what a game it was!

I mean: WHAT A GAME. Ya hear?!

Such a great ball game so early in the season! College football is playing conference title games today, and yet many have commented that it felt like March in Lexington, and I agree with both lungs. (Couldn't keep my mouth shut during this one. Just had to yell at the big screen a lil' bit).

So the Wildcats got the better of 'em at the end, and one could certainly argue that home court was the difference. (Although the way the Heels were bombing, they must have felt pretty comfortable with the rims). I do trust that everyone that got to see this instant classic™ live and in person would be sincerely grateful for the opportunity....I certainly feel that the on-site BBN did give Kentucky a very loud advantage.

And speaking of advantages, how great is it to have six starters? I know it sounds hokey when Cal says that stuff, but Miller played such a steady game today. (Now stay with us, Darius. Stay with us, buddy! Consistently!) His pump fakes in the lane are getting awfully crafty, and he's strong enough to finish against much bigger personnel. I really like that part of his game right now. The head fakes, drawing contact. Excellent.

Kidd-Gilchrist, for his part, made some absolute top shelf moves out there on the perimeter. "Quick as a hiccup", says Brother JC. Seems like it's all about angles for Michael. When he gets that little crack in the defense, or can get his guy wrong-footed, it's over. He's at the basket scoring again. All he needs is a sliver of space.

I mean, call them 5 and 5A. Or let Teague sit a little more. Whatever. They really are all starters.

But today, Mr. Davis was the finisher with that block.

An Exclusive Interview With Chris Mullin's Bangs

Regular readers, you know the drill...

Wildcat Whisperer: Thanks for sitting down with us.
Chris Mullin's Bangs: My pleasure, Whis! It's been a long time since I've gotten any exposure.

WW: Well, that's a shame, because we figure you've got lots of great stories to tell.
CMB: Oh, I do. I most certainly do. Back in my day, you remember Chris had St. John's way up in the polls. We were an absolute contender, I tell ya....Dickie V couldn't get enough.... I'm talking around '84-85 here. We used to have some bona fide battles with Georgetown, BC, Syracuse. The Big East was awesome! You know, before they let teams like Louisville in.

WW: Zing! Nice one, bangs.... But tell us a little more about Chris. Some people still think he was overrated. A very poor man's Larry Bird. Is that fair?
CMB: Totally unfair, I must say. Chris was a great player. Dead-eye doesn't even begin to describe his shooting. All kinds of range and better off the dribble than most folks remember. Excellent passer... and Chris had a great NBA career, he was not just a college All-American. Made tons of money in the league.

WW: And he was a Dream Teamer, right?
CMB: That's right. Dream Team, baby. The most hellified assemblage of basketball talent ever. Michael was there, of course, along with his sidekick Scottie. Larry. Charles.... the best of the best. And Chris was a part of it. Barcelona, '92.

WW: But you missed out, I guess.
CMB: Yeah, that's the unfortunate part. Chris had gone flat-top by then, and he's never looked back.

WW: Such a shame.

CMB: Well, it happens, you know. I've got no regrets. Most people don't keep their college haircut throughout their entire adult life, I suppose. Times change.

WW: Yet some things remain the same....I'm sure you saw Kentucky is on top again, and defeated the Johnnies, er, Redmen last night.

CMB: That's "Red Storm" to you, pal.

WW: Oh. Sor...

CMB: ...no it's okay, I'm just messing with you! I don't go in for all that political correctness myself anyway. And yeah, I saw the game. Of course.

WW: And what did you think?

CMB: Well, first let me send a shout-out to Coach Lavin and wish him a full and speedy recovery, just like the ESPN crew and the UK student section. Nice gesture on their part. And I think that from what I saw, Big Blue has a helluva squad this year.

WW: Any particular standouts?
CMB: Davis, of course. If Cal had played him the full 40, he would have gotten that triple-double, I'm sure of it. And while we're talking about Davis, that kid could use some bangs himself. You know, to cover up the uni-brow.

WW: Well, I don't think Mr. Davis has the type of hair that grows....
CMB: Careful now! Political correctness, remember! (chuckles)

WW: (Also chuckling)...okay, okay....so what did you think of Miller's dunk off the lob?
CMB: Yowza! That was a humdinger! You take a bad pass and turn it into a highlight?! Very nice. I can tell you, Chris never threw one down like that. Ever. Not on his best day.

WW: Anybody remind you of Mr. Mullin out there?
CMB: Not really. Lamb can shoot it from distance like Chris did, but everybody forgets that Chris was a lefty. Made him that much tougher to handle at times. Crafty, that guy was.

WW: Any other Kentucky observations?
CMB: Not really. Pretty thorough domination, with still plenty of room to improve for your team. Nice win. But if you happen to run into Travis Ford's bangs sometime, please tell 'em I said hello.

WW: You got it. Thanks again for your time.
CMB: And good luck against UNC!

Up Where We Belong

So the Cats have jumped to #1 (with a bullet!?) in the latest polls.

This comes on the heels of a loss.... by the Heels.... to UNLV.

I'm in the camp that says UK definitely has top-rated talent on its roster this season. And we may in fact be the best team in the country, sitting here in late November. It's arguable since Kentucky is young.

As far as where we truly should rank at this early stage, yeah, somewhere in the top 5 seems about right, with the other usual suspects in the mix. I'd rather not get too carried away about it, and of course the team needs to work on its weaknesses and obviously gain some more experience.

Despite the loss, UNC should be up there, Ohio State for sure, and Syracuse yes.....Duke looks decent.

But historically the Cats belong towards the top, and as the program moves forward, we should always be in that region of the polls. Kentucky needs to be situated in that lofty basketball perch just like the sky itself needs to be BLUE.

So cue up that Joe Cocker duet, "Mayo-nnaise". And get out the big foam finger. UK probably won't be spotless this year, but the nation recognizes that this team does have a legit shot at a title, and they have deemed us "top of the pops" before the calendar has hit December.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Wow. You go away for a little vacation and holiday time and stuff really starts shaking on the Kentucky athletics front. I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. I know I enjoyed being with Brother JC, Miss, and the Jettster.... and I certainly ate way too much great food up in Olathe.

Just a few thoughts, since I did catch UK's win over Portland last night, courtesy of "the tres"...

• Anthony Davis double-doubles should become rather commonplace this season. He's bound to get 10 points on putbacks and breakways without having a single play called for him in the DDMO, but Cal seems to run at least one designed backdoor lob for him per half. Result = dunk, 80% of the time. One can only hope that he puts on the "freshman 15" (lbs.) throughout this winter... in the form of muscles. While that's not very likely since these college basketballers get more cardio than Kelly Ripa training for a marathon. But if Mr. Davis continues to strengthen his slender frame, while continuing to develop that little drop-step and spin move on the block, he's going to be a handful for anybody, Tyler Zeller included. (Yeah, I'm looking forward a little bit).
• Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a nasty side to him, and I mean that as a compliment. I'd like to come up with a better word to describe that dunk that he threw down in the second half, but I think I will just settle for..."vicious".
• How in the world Marquis Teague missed those bunnies, we'll never know. I would agree that the first one had quite a lofty degree of difficulty, but once you go through all those gyrations to get to the rim, you'd think that the lay-up would be the easy part. But hey, 8 assists and 0 turnovers is okay with me anytime.
• Darius Miller coming off the bench is still strange. That may not be set in stone, and I'm sure it seems more bizarre to Mr. Miller than it does to anybody, but as long as the minutes are there and the wins keep coming, then it must be all good. He's going to wind up with a ton of points in his Kentucky career and it just seems more fitting that he would be a senior starter, but team success is the ultimate goal and I'm sure that's all Darius wants.
• It pains me to say it, but I don't think Kyle Macy is much of a color commentator. Great Big Blue player, probably my all-time favorite, in fact. All-around UK legend and nice guy by all accounts. But on these UK IMG television broadcasts, he just doesn't bring enough... well.... color. His voice is okay, and I think he has a sense of humor-- somewhere, buried beneath all of the coach-speak and cliches. But for whatever reason, it seems that he and Buzz Baker don't really click. There's no chemistry, to my ears, and Mace just comes across as far too vanilla. I'm not asking him to invent some ridiculous catchphrase or turn in to a weak Dick Vitale imitator, but I would like to hear a little more passion coming through the speakers. A little more insight. Something. (Still love the guy). Maybe it was those years coaching Morehead...
  
• Getting out-rebounded at any point in the game by a crew like Portland is not a good indicator. UK's next two opponents (St. John's / UNC) will make that hurt for certain. Cats will have to focus on crashing the boards with a renewed frenzy against the more talented competition, and I'd like to see the guards pick up a few more rebounds rather than releasing too early for breaks.
  

Win Over Kansas Shows Importance of Teague

It's no lightning bolt of revelation, but UK's 10-point victory over the Jayhawks last night demonstrates just how vital the play of Marquis Teague will be to Kentucky's chances this season.

Whenever the freshman point is under control and distributing the ball properly, the Cats look like world beaters. Conversely, when Mr. Teague is dribbling into traps, forcing the run of play, or even worse--firing up his own bad shots, Kentucky looks mortal. It really is that simple, and it was all on display last night.

Perhaps it was the Garden environment, the gaggle of basketball celebrities that were present, or the Coach K love-fest going on (excuse me while I barf)-- but young Teague was not on top of his game in the opening 20. Putting it kindly, right? And so Kentucky found itself in a tie game at the break, with Kansas looking eminently beatable.

Marquis was a walking turnover and looked seriously out of sorts. I don't want to say it was strictly the spotlight, but that had to be a factor. And granted, Kansas is probably overrated, but they aren't exactly Morehouse. It was a step up into the real world of D-1 hoops last night for the entire freshman class.

So credit Cal for settling things in the locker room, in whatever manner you prefer to describe such halftime chats, and bringing UK's floor general back to earth in the second frame. UK got out quickly with a much more efficient offensive attack, and Teague in particular seemed far more comfortable, finding open teammates (goggles, anyone?) and pushing the break only when appropriate.

I can't wait to observe Mr. Teague's development, and we all know Calipari's track record with point guards. He's truly a vital cog...yeah I said it....a COG! That's what Marguis Teague is...for this uber-talented Kentucky squad. Watch 'im go.

Anthony Davis Can Run

I'm not sure what you can say about an exhibition game where the talent gap is wider than the mighty Mississippi, but I will give you one of my more astute observations.

The kid with the unibrow: he can fly.

And I don't mean vertically, although Mr. Davis most certainly can jump. No question he's got some hops. And some really, really long arms. He most definitely flies UP through the air, "with the greatest of ease". But what struck me most about UK's thrashing of a seriously outclassed Morehouse team was just how seriously quick Anthony Davis is from baseline to baseline.

That blocked shot early in the game, where the "blockee" quickly reversed and sprinted downcourt to try to catch AD? I felt sorry for that dude. Davis was already dunking by the time he made it to the top of the key.

What does it take? Two steps for Anthony to get to the other end? Three?

He covers 94 feet like Jesse Owens in Berlin.

I'm an old enough UK fan to remember Dwight Anderson. (Any "Blur" fans out there?) And John Wall isn't a distant memory for anyone. But Anthony Davis is listed at what? 6'11"? And he can flat get up and down the court like nobody's business.

If the Cats play a real running game this season, he's gonna have so many follow-up dunks and trailing jams this year that he could probably average double figures off of those baskets alone.

I understand the Kentucky trainers and coaches have been working to bulk him up, and with good reason. The college schedule will be a grind on the freshman at times, and he will definitely have some tough nights banging in the post with some SEC bigs, but Mr. Davis sure won't have any difficulty playing the press and getting into transition.

As for the rest of the evening, I'll just say that the Morehouse team really had no chance at being competitive, and it was such a huge mismatch that it's hard to fault them for the performance. When you hear that UK's starters didn't even miss a shot in the entire first half, you know something quite bizarre is going on.

So I'm not going to get too crazy with the Cheese Whiz over the final score, or UK's dominance over a vastly inferior opponent, but I did get a kick out of watching #23 zooming all over Rupp.

Wasn't that Dwight Anderson's number?

Cats' Road Ends in Houston

I would have to say that the way this season ended for UK was far more sweet than bitter. Sure, you hate to drop a game in the national semifinals under some horrid shooting circumstances. It could have been different for Kentucky with a couple more free throws here, some better offensive execution there. It was a tough Saturday for putting the ball in the basket, and Monday night's final with UConn defeating Butler only seemed to underscore how stifling the defenses were in H-town.

Oh yes, H-town. How cool was it to have a Final Four right here in my hometown of the last 10 years? Very cool. The only problem was I had no time to collect my blog-tastic thoughts and pixellate them for you.

There was lots of buzz around town, an honest-to-goodness media interview for yours truly, even a visit from brother JC, who came all the way down from Olathe with his wife for the spectacle in Space City. And I have to give a shout out to PA as well, who scored the 12th row tickets and flew in from Atlanta on a quick turnaround just so we could see our alma mater slug it out with the Huskies. Come back soon, buddy.

But alas, the Huskies were just too much to handle. Since it's been a good 5 days now, we will skip any in-depth game summary, and just go with the old chestnut: Kentucky simply didn't shoot it well enough to win. I think our point guard got a little carried away looking to score it himself, and sure, DeAndre might have taken the ball to the hole rather than settling for a long three on the deciding possession. Yet the fact remains that Big Blue would have had a tough time throwing it in the ocean at Reliant Stadium vs. UConn.

That shouldn't take anything away from what a beautiful, surprising jaunt through March that this team took its fan base on. Jeez, I had a blast with these guys. The "Jorts" phenomenon swept the nation. The three goggles getting displayed. Jarrod Polson teaching us how to Dougie. I sound like some geriatric aunt to put it this way... but it was just a real treat. A treat, I say.

There's plenty of time to talk about next year, but I hope that when I look back on the '10-'11 season, the memories become only fond. Let's forget the unfond stuff, okay? Keep it fond around here. Good times. Kentucky made the Final Four, and it's been a very long thirteen years since we could say that. They got themselves a conference tournament title, and a couple of really nice scalps in the Big Dance in knocking off the Buckeyes and Tar Heels.

Best of luck to Josh Harrellson-- I hope you find a great place to play professionally and you have a productive, lucrative career. And to the rest of the team, as far as I'm concerned, bring it on back. Every one of you. To paraphrase Bum Phillips: This year we knocked on the door, and next year, we're kicking it down.

New Orleans, 2012. You heard it here first. Thanks for reading.

Kentucky 62, Ohio State 60

Such a great game. Not the prettiest perhaps, but really an instant classic if you're a UK fan.

This matchup absolutely had me concerned. How could it not? With Ohio State sporting a gaudy record, a number 1 seed, only twice beaten this season. It looked awfully tough on paper.

But jeez I am so proud of how UK faced up to these guys. Josh Harrellson was every bit the player of "All-Everything" Jared Sullinger for one night. He played such a tough game, but also a very smart one. No stupid fouls for Josh, and he didn't get crazy with his shot selection. Just a super effort for Jorts. He even took a guy off the dribble for crying out loud!

Brandon Knight: take a bow, son. Outstanding clutch jumper for the win. He's getting that knack at the end of games for coming up with a play that needs to be punctuated by a magician's cry of "TA - DA!"....and for my next trick...

The team defense was just stellar, holding the Buckeyes to 33% and blocking a bunch of shots in a rather forceful manner. It was a scrum out there at times, but the Big Blue was absolutely game for a little contact and hand-checking. Not a Sweet 16 contest for the faint-hearted. I expected Liggins to be on Diebler, but you gotta love how it worked out with Cal's defensive game plan.

I may try to watch this one again in the morning after some sleep and some coffee. But it will be very peaceful, happy sleep.

Sixteen Late Thursday Thoughts

1. I believe that Kentucky can beat Ohio State, and I really hope that everybody in UK's locker room believes the same. You gotta believe.
   
2. Congratulations, Billy Gillispie. Texas Tech should be a perfect fit. Put the Dr. Pepper on ice out there in Lubbock.
3. I hated to see Jimmer go out of the tournament this evening, but I'm glad for the SEC that Florida is still around. Not glad for Florida necessarily, but glad for the conference.
4. I agree with Darrin Horn: You have to take away the Buckeyes' three-point shooters and hope that Sullinger doesn't absolutely maul you in the paint. Josh has his work cut out for him, and Eloy Vargas better use all 5 fouls, if you know what I mean.
   
5. IF the Cats win, I hope nobody freaks out like it's the upset of the century. We are Kentucky. And there would be three more games to win in order to hang another championship banner in Rupp's rafters.
6. Big ups to Chuck Hayes for his first career triple-double vs. Golden State last night. I saw quite a bit of that game and he had me worried that he might get stuck on 9 points. Make your free throws, Chuck! It's a whole lot easier that way.
   
7. Safe travels to Danno-- I hope you enjoy your stay in The Garden State, and I hope you don't come back to Texas until late Sunday night.
8. I have gotten more emails from alums and fans interested in the Cats' tournament run this season than I did for last season's Elite Eight squad already. Don't know why really, I thought last year's team was more talented and entertaining overall. Just sayin'.
9. Terrence Jones: we need you. Don't run and hide now. You can make yourself a whole lot of money by having a big game against OSU. Please, please show up.
   
10. It's kind of hard to generate very much hate for Thad Matta from this distance. I just don't know that much about him... they're in the Big 10, he seems like a nice mild-mannered dude for the most part. Good recruiter, I guess. Now having said that, I hope he comes up with a terrible game plan against UK and coaches himself right out of the tournament.
11. Kind of like Bruce Pearl did. What's that? He's out of a job? Huh. Cue the Donald Trump voice for Sweaty Brucie: You're fired.
12. What kind of Kentucky basketball blogger doesn't fill out a tournament bracket? This kind. I have no idea how that happened. Must be the first time in probably 15 years. Just never did get it done for some reason.
    
13. I'm really tired of Dan Shaughnessy and his cheap shots against John Calipari. Must be something personal. I don't get it. Life's too short for vendettas.
    
14. I can totally see DeAndre Liggins shutting down Lighty....or, wait.... do you stick him on Diebler? That's the problem. Lamb and Miller are both going to have to play some tournament-level defense Friday night.
15. I wish that Jim "The Sweater Vest" Tressel was coaching the Buckeyes' hoops team also...cause then you know the SEC team would win. Zing!
16. You gotta BELIEVE. Go Cats!
    

Can I Exhale Yet?

Holy Smokes, people.

That was a close one.

I give Princeton all the credit in the world for playing a very disciplined, deliberate game. And on just about any other (NCAA opening round) day, that kind of effort and strategy would be good enough for an upset win. It just was not to be for the Ivy Leaguers, despite their tremendous resolve.

Personally, to my chagrin, I was stuck in the office watching this one on the computer monitor, but at least I had "Madness on Demand" allowing me to catch most of it, in video quality that was quite good. We can't all take the day off to celebrate the tournament, right Brother John?

All I can really say and think right now is that Kentucky is VERY fortunate to have pulled this one off. Brandon Knight made a spectacular individual play after having gone 0-fer up 'til the final seconds.

Brass ones right there. Big shot for him, big shot for Kentucky fans all over the globe.

I thought Miller had a fairly solid game, and see where he wound up with 17 to lead UK in scoring this afternoon. So his late-season emergence continues, and honestly, where would the Cats be without him right now? Obviously Harrellson pitched in a little more scoring than usual (15), and I hope it doesn't offend anyone if I suggest that he matched up more equitably as an athlete vs. Princeton than he does against most teams.

Terrence Jones had a big three-pointer late, and a very timely blocked shot as well, but I keep waiting for him to have a HUGE game like we all know he is capable of....one of those, "I'm taking over now, fellas, and watch this left-handed tomahawk BAM!" kind of games. It's been a while for him. Maybe he's saving it for West Virginia.

Truth be told, Kentucky has to be thankful to be playing on Saturday, especially when you consider what happened to in-state rival Louisville today.

On to the next one.

Three more W's 'til Houston.

Popcorn Patterson

Fired up for the Princeton game tomorrow? Great! Me too.

In the meantime, here's a little tidbit from the local Houston rag about Rockets rookie and former Wildcat Patrick Patterson, courtesy of Jonathan Feigen, the Rockets beat writer. It talks a little about his adjustment to the league, his first ever NBA start, and some other things:

Patterson article

If you only want to read the funny part, here it is:
______________________________

Patterson is, however, the Rockets' only rookie, subjected to the entire focus of teammates' hazing. Since Ish Smith was traded, Patterson alone carries a garish, polka-dot backpack at all times. When Patterson played for the first time this season, he was congratulated with a shaving cream pie in the face. When he returned to the locker room on Monday, his birthday was celebrated with a mountain of popcorn.

"I walked back to my locker and there was nothing but popcorn," Patterson said. "Popcorn in my pants. Popcorn in my pockets. Popcorn in my bookbag. Popcorn in my shoes. I'm surprised they didn't do anything to my car.

"I don't like popcorn anymore. They ruined me."

______________________________

Go Cats! Let the tourney begin! Getcha popcorn ready!

Up Your Nose With...

Let me preempt the following with this: I am not a conspiracy theorist. Not at all.

I don't go around looking for strange coincidences and patterns that lead me to the conclusion that "the fix is in". Or that, for instance "somebody is out to get me." Or, if you prefer, that "this is all the work of a vast, complex, shadowy organization, (read: NCAA) that just absolutely has it in for my alma mater's basketball program."

That's not me.

I like my explanations simple. Maybe that's all my brain can handle. I don't know.

So when the brackets came out last night, I wasn't ripping off my shirt, screaming through the house, raving, and ticked off. Not worth it.

Kentucky got a #4 seed.

That sucks.

They deserved better.

UK beat Florida yesterday like they were Charlie Sheen on a ....Charlie Sheen on a....never mind. The Cats just, well, they looked awesome. They seriously did. And that's two wins over Florida, plus a win over Notre Dame, plus Louisville at Louisville, plus oh my gosh I'm not going to go through the entire resume right here in this spot since you probably know it by heart anyway.

But the fact is, Kentucky got HOSED by the selection committee.

Cause if you're seriously evaluating the last 10 games, like the committee says they do, and looking at RPI, like they also say they do, and strength of schedule, and wins over the top 50' and jeez, pick whatever criteria you want to look at-- then I just can't believe that there are 15 teams in the country playing better than the Commonwealth's team right now.

If anything, I think these jokers in Indy have demonstrated themselves to be clueless. Did you see that CBS interview? Did you hear the contorted logic? Does anybody really even understand the black magic juju that goes into making these brackets every year?

My gosh, it's like me trying to pick a thoroughbred at Keeneland back in the day. I figure a few of these dudes are playing rock-paper-scissors as a tie-breaker. "Sorry, Coach Cal, I went scissors, so you're stuck with a 4. My bad".

However, having said all that, and while it makes me upset that UK got slotted where they did, and they may face big, bad Ohio State in the Sweet 16....well, I say bring it on. Because first-round mismatches aside, there aren't any truly easy games in the Big Dance.

Heck, the Cats should be so lucky to be able to see the Buckeyes at all. At least that would mean that our grown-up freshmen survived that wacky, upset-riddled first weekend. I just don't want to take anything for granted in March. All of those victories are special.

Who's to say that Ohio State is going to be there anyway? They're pretty young too. They don't have a huge bench. What's Thad Matta really ever won? (I'm talking you into it aren't I?!)

So no, I don't think there's any conspiracy afoot. There were several other strange seedings, omissions, and downright funky explanations of the committee's decision-making being discussed all over the sports world today. But one of the other things you often hear as the fun begins this week, is that you've got to win 6 games to get yourself a title, and you're probably going to have to beat some good ones along the way.

Beat the best to be the best, right?

Let's start by kicking some Ivy League, hm?

Kentucky Bringing Home Hardware

Throw another trophy in the case back in Lexington. UK finished off Florida by a cool 16 points in the SEC final. Just another notch in the belt for a program that has now won its conference tournament for the 27th time.

The next closest school?

Who cares!

Astounding is just about the only way to describe the growth of this particular edition of the Wildcats over the last several weeks. UK absolutely kicked the Gators on Sunday, making the regular season champs look like mere afterthoughts in the Georgia Dome. Florida is a far better team than they showed against the Cats, but some terrifyingly tenacious D and an off shooting day, particularly for the Gator backcourt, made the result rather anticlimactic.

UK built a solid 10-12 point lead fairly early and Florida had to chase it all afternoon. In the second half, with the game becoming quite stagnant, Darius Miller threw in a couple of three pointers to kick start the offense for the Cats down the stretch, and Florida never could get over the hump. Those were two huge treys for Mr. Miller, as it seemed that Kentucky had been stuck on a scoreboard total of 45 for quite awhile.

Miller was deservedly named Most Outstanding Player, but the team really did click on just about all cylinders in the Peach State. I would maintain that Terrence Jones was far less than his best, but he still contributed to the victories, along with fellow freshman Brandon Knight, and honestly everybody in Blue did a ton of growing up in a 3-day span.

What a great way for Josh Harrellson to go out...SEC tournament champion, again! What a relief to see Doron Lamb suffering no major after affects of what looked to be a severe ankle sprain. (Liggins too, for that matter.) What momentum for this team heading into the NCAA tournament.

So Kentucky has turned in a 25-win season, a nice shiny trophy, and now hopes to make 2011 even more memorable in the next few weeks. It's another great day to be a Wildcat.

A Word About Subs, Or Lack Thereof

I realize basketball is a physical game. There's plenty of running, jumping, banging, and as Jimmy Dykes loves to remind us, "violent cuts", throughout 40 minutes of play.

Guys can get hurt anytime. At practice. In warm-ups (that one's happened many times, look it up). In off-season pickup games. You never know. There's just as much risk in the first two minutes of the game as there is in the last two minutes of a game.

I jammed a finger way back in 7th or 8th grade that I would swear to you is still not quite 100%. It just happens. You play enough ball, you will get hurt. Twisted knees, busted lips, rolled ankles are all part of playing hoops. Somewhere along the line-- hopefully not severely-- you will get hurt.

None of this excuses Coach Cal for having so little faith in his subs that he can't pull a couple of starters with a 20 point lead and oh, about two minutes remaining on the clock. That's absolutely on him.

You cannot tell me that Alabama was going to hit--what?-- six or seven 3-pointers in two minutes, while Kentucky--what?--either turned the ball over or didn't hit a single free throw during that entire span of time. I'm not buying it. That game was over. No disrespect to Alabama and their capabilities, but it was over.

All Kentucky really had to do was maintain just a little bit of possession, without completely and utterly imploding, for seriously...we're talking about just two minutes here.

Alabama was playing hard. Of course. Crazy comebacks do happen in the college game. But if you don't have enough faith to toss Vargas, Hood, hell probably even Polson and Poole (he is still on the team, isn't he? just checking...) for TWO MINUTES with a 20 point lead...then please explain to me why any of them is on the roster.

If you like, then forget the three games in three days aspect of it. I personally think it should be a big consideration if you really want to beat Florida. Jeez, if I were coaching, I think I'd probably be looking to steal a few minutes anywhere possible to keep the starters as fresh as I could for the final. But seriously, set that aside...just the amount of of that lead, with the amount of time remaining in the game...come on.

And then to try and put it off on the opponent, like "Well, they were still pressing, they were still playing hard" (not an exact quote). It's insulting. It is to me, anyway.

Kentucky has surely at least had Jon Hood and Eloy Vargas together on the floor for two minutes at a time-- I'm not going to be able to verify this, and wouldn't know where to look to find it anyway-- but I'm sure we've seen that combination in a game this season where UK was clinging to a lead, or perhaps even trailing in a contest-- where the situation was truly still competitive. And you can't do that with a huge lead late in the game?

Like every other Big Blue fan, I hope DeAndre and Doron both heal quickly. I hope those young, strong ankles bounce right back to 100%. And soon. The only point I'm trying to make is that the time and score against Alabama absolutely called for some substitutions. Period.

If not to reward and rest your starters, then at least for the sake of the subs themselves...we're not talking about 8 or 10 minutes here. Those subs practice every day too. They are Division I players, supposedly well-regarded. They've done all the conditioning and weight lifting and running too. They've got fans and family in Atlanta and watching on TV as well. There are no guarantees. But maybe you do that, and maybe nobody gets hurt.

End of rant.

Go Cats.

Miller Coming Up Big in Atlanta

Wow. Somebody in blue is really starting to step it up in the postseason. And his name rhymes with "carry us".

That's two excellent SEC tournament games for Darius Miller, who looks like an All-American out of nowhere. Going back over his last eight games, Miller has now hit nearly 50% of his three-point attempts, he's playing with a ton of energy on both ends of the court, and perhaps most importantly, he looks both assertive and smart in attacking the basket.

I give Darius most of the credit for UK's win over Ole Miss on Friday, as he hit several of those hanging floaters in the lane, especially at times when the Cats really needed a bucket. Most opposing teams will have a smaller man guarding him, but Darius is still quick enough to get around someone with either a shot fake or a quick crossover-- and lately he's doing a tremendous job of knowing where to pull up and get that little 8-footer headed toward a swishy conclusion.

So long as he keeps his handle while driving, that can be a very effective weapon. The Cats certainly needed it against a very feisty Rebels squad....the game was much closer than the final score might indicate.

Fortunately, Miller's got that long distance drifting jumper working right now, too. (I almost hate to elaborate any further for fear of jinxing him.) Probably the key for the former Mason County star is making sure he takes the more appropriate three point attempts-- meaning he's catching a pitch out with the trigger already cocked, rather than trying to create something with a lateral move on the perimeter.

One thing I would like to see vs. Florida is for Darius to get some more chances in the open floor, and finishing on the break. It seems like most of the time, Miller is in more of a "trailer" position. If that's because he's crashing the boards, then so be it (he only pulled down 4 today vs. Bama), but if Miller can run out more often, and fill a lane properly, then he should get rewarded for it. Hopefully B. Knight will have several opportunities to find him on the break.

But any particular way that Darius can pitch in offensively is huge right now. Terrence Jones has looked rather lethargic in "Rupp Arena South" at this point, and it should be an extremely competitive rubber match with Florida in the finals. All I know is it's a wonderful, beautiful thing to have Mr. Miller peaking as we head into Selection Sunday.

Ole Miss Wants No Part of UK

Well, with the matchup being set now, seeing as how the Rebels took care of Darrin Horn and company, the Big Blue Blogosphere is all tingly with the prospect of revenge.

Ole Miss notoriously took down Kentucky on a Chris Warren dagger in Oxford back on the first of February. Was it a lucky shot? Not necessarily. Warren's a good player and he made a clutch jumper when his team needed it.

But I don't think the University of Mississippi is looking forward to playing the Cats in Atlanta. They shouldn't be.

Kentucky will be plenty motivated. Kentucky is now playing much better than it was in early February. And Kentucky, for all intents and purposes, will be playing in front of a home crowd in the Georgia Dome.

I expect a close game early, maybe even into the second half, but I will be SHOCKED if my beloveds somehow drop this one. Coach Cal knows a good NCAA seed is out there for his team-- possibly even a #3 if you believe a few of the more optimistic analysts-- and I therefore think the Cats will turn in a nice, "professional" 40 minutes against the Rebs.

And hey, it's not like Mississippi has had a whole lot of time to rest after getting past the Gamecocks.

Conference tournament games tend to be tight, white-knuckle affairs, and I don't ever want to look past ANY opponent-- but I really think Ole Miss doesn't want any part of Kentucky in the SEC.

Cats Earn Bye With Win Over Vols

UK Rips Up Vandy

Okay, so the Cats didn't exactly "rip" Vanderbilt tonight; it was more like an "escape" given the 2-point final margin, but it does give me an excuse to post the below video....what can I say?

Josh goes out as a winner at Rupp, in front of about 23,000 denim-clad friends.

Kentucky ties Vandy for 2nd in the SEC East with one game to play.

Coach Cal is still perfect at home.

Big Blue proves it can win a close one.

And that make me happier than a laughing baby....

Giving It Up For Jorts

Sometimes the interwebz really becomes an echo chamber, but I can't let Senior Day 2011 pass without a few words of tribute directed towards Josh "Jorts" Harrellson.

By now we all know the stories-- dare I say legends?-- of Josh being confined to bathroom stalls, having his Twitter account ceased and desisted, his dancing at Midnight Madness, and of course his absolute torching of the dirty Cards at the Yum! Center this season.

And there's no debate about how far Josh has come during his time on campus, going from a bit of an afterthought to a truly vital component as a senior starter.

So I will just add this: Josh seems to me like a guy who is enjoying himself, squeezing every bit of performance that he can from the talent that God gave him. And anybody that sticks it out as a Wildcat, and gives his very best for the program, deserves mad respect and whatever additional recognition or notoriety that comes with it.

So I say a big thanks to Josh, for all of the sweat, for all of the hard work, and here's wishing you the absolute best of luck in the future.

Cats Lock Down Gators

We could discuss the home winning streak this evening. It's quite pleasant.

Or we could talk about Darius Miller elevating his game and tallying a new career high of 24 points. Peachy.

We could even expound upon Brandon Knight playing 37 minutes without a single turnover. Swelleriffic.

But instead, we're going to chat about intangibles. Just briefly.

Things like effort.

Desire.

Dare I say...pride?

This Kentucky team has taken its lumps away from home, absolutely. They've been criticized for failure to execute in late game situations. Fairly so.

Their coach, the one who just notched his 500th career win, has seen a bit of heat coming his way for how his squad has allowed the close ones to slip away this season, again and again.

But I saw another flicker this afternoon. A brief suggestion. The slightest hint of an inkling of a possibility that these Cats could really make the leap going into the second season, the one that truly matters. The one where they give out trophies.

Because that was a pretty darn good Florida team. And yeah, they have a couple of conference losses already, and they are in the middle of a road swing, but still....the Gators came in ranked #13. Legitimately. Plenty of talent on that side.

And UK absolutely imposed its will on Donovan and Co. when it mattered. The boys in Blue put on a little run-- a team run, featuring none other than our much-maligned Darius Miller--that Florida could not answer.

Kentucky looked confident. They looked well-coached. They looked aggressive. Everything you would want from a team aspiring to peak as it heads toward the post-season.

So I'm going to relish this one for a bit. Give me Sunday at least. Vandy awaits on Tuesday, but that one's in the friendly confines as well.

It's just heartening to see once more that UK absolutely can beat quality teams when it plays a smart brand of basketball with full effort and initiative. I just like it when they play HARD, and they really did it today, like a Kentucky team should.

An Exclusive Interview With Winston Bennett's Jheri Curl

In an effort to lighten things up around here, I'm reaching back into my bag of tricks. It's another one-on-one sitdown with an iconic (and insentient) UK legend.

Wildcat Whisperer: So nice of you to join us.
Winston Bennett's Jheri Curl: You got, Whis. Glad to be here.

WW: So let's start at the top. Where are you from?
WBJC: Well, let's see. I guess you could say I "folliculated" from Louisville Male High School.

WW: So you're a Bulldog, then?
WBJC: Oh yeah, class of '83. Winston was the state's Mr. Basketball coming out of school, you know. Parade All-American. He brought me with him to Lexington after accepting UK's scholarship offer. But I started in the early 80's when Winston, um, activated me.

WW: Got it....the 80's....
WBJC: Yeah, I had a pretty good run for a little while there, but as you know, I was long gone by the time Winston left UK. He went with the short cropped look as a junior.

WW: So does it bother you that people think of you as just a flash in the pan?
WBJC: It hurts a little, yeah. Hopefully it hurts Winston a little bit too. Maybe not as much as his knee surgery, but some. Sure.

WW: So you and Winston...
WBJC: Yeah, we're not on speaking terms at all.

WW: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
WBJC: Well, to be honest I think he was always maybe a little embarrassed by me. Like he knew I was trendy and fashionable, but for him...... it really was just a fling, nothing long-term.

WW: Can you give us an example?
WBJC: Sure. That's easy. Just look at the picture above (photo courtesy of Jon Scott's archive). Winston isn't exactly staring at the camera and smiling proudly, is he?

WW: I guess not....
WBJC: And what about James Blackmon! I mean, that guy is so ashamed he can't even turn around for the photo. Me and James Blackmon's Jheri Curl, oh man, we used to be real tight. It breaks my heart.

(awkward pause)

WW: So what can you tell us about Winston, and his days as a Wildcat? Anything positive?
WBJC: Objectively? I think he was underrated. I really do. Voted All-SEC two times by the coaches. Nearly 1400 career points and 800 boards. He was even academic all-conference as a sophomore.

WW: Not a bad college career, then.
WBJC: Not at all. And Winston came back from that surgery pretty strong. He played a ton of minutes as an upperclassman. And while a lot of fans maybe expected more from him, considering his prep accolades, he was the kind of solid, consistent contributor that this current group lacks.

WW: Ouch.
WBJC: Well, think about it. Freshmen are going to be freshmen. Mistakes are part of the deal. Some kids take a little time to learn how to win at the D1 level, coaching aside.

WW: You realize BBN is tired of hearing that, especially this late in the season. I know I am.
WBJC: But I think there's really some truth to it-- allowing time for maturity. Gives you a little more respect for a guy like Josh Harrellson, who's turned out to be quite the late bloomer. Sometimes you gotta grow into it. Hey! Maybe you could interview his Amish beard sometime.

WW: Yeah....*coughs* .....moving on, then....
WBJC: Or Rex Chapman's mini-mullet!

WW: MOVING ON THEN...look...I hate to do this....but we can't talk about Winston without mention his...well, his....
WBJC: Addiction? Sexual addiction. You can say it.

WW: Yes, his addiction...that really threw a wrench into his budding coaching career.
WBJC: Well, I think I share some of the blame myself for that situation.

WW: How so?
WBJC: Well, think about it, do you imagine that so many women would have been interested in the guy if he had continued rockin' me up top?

WW: Ah.
WBJC: Yeah, I'm telling you by 1990, I was absolutely kryptonite when it came to attracting the fillies. That damn Eddie Murphy.

WW: Eddie?
WBJC: Sure man, you mean you didn't realize that Eddie Murphy single-handedly crushed an entire hairstyle. Little film called "Coming to America", 1988. You should check it out.

WW: Oh, of course....Prince Akeem. Arsenio! I remember.
WBJC: Yeah, Eddie was in his prime back then, and he was pretty ruthless with the Soul Glo plotline. Not to mention Sexual Chocolate. But things would never be the same after that couch scene.

WW: Oh yeah! *giggles* "They got the Big Mac, we got the Big Mick".
WBJC: (in Yiddish accent) "What about Rocky Marciano?"

WW: *laughs even louder* (also in Yiddish accent) "What is this, velvet?"
WBJC: Okay, that's enough. We could be here all day.

WW: (straightening up) You're right, Jheri. Can I call you Jheri? Well, thanks again for being here. Any final thoughts?
WBJC: Just this....don't you quit on your Wildcats. Not as a team, not as individuals. Freshmen, Seniors. Doesn't matter. Don't quit on 'em. Ever. They all thrive with that Big Blue Support.

WW: Wouldn't dream of it. You know we're Blue for life around here, Jheri.

Thanks for reading.

Road Crash Again For UK

I'm ignoring blogger rule #1 tonight.

Rule #1 is don't blog angry.

Like the rest of BBN, I'm fairly hacked off at the way Kentucky has managed to drop another game to an inferior SEC opponent away from Rupp Arena. But if I never posted after road losses, well, I'd hardly get to post during this conference run.

It just doesn't make sense. It really doesn't.

The "youth" excuse is tired. Nay, exhausted. We know they're a young team. Can we agree to get over it?

You can't blame it on the refs. Not tonight.

Arkansas didn't just go absolutely bonkers from 3.

UK just got beat.

And mainly by their own mistakes.

I'd rather avoid the litany of mental breakdowns, but let's give a special acknowledgment to the "dumb foul" category. Fouling jump shooters. Fouling guys on layups. Giving the Razorbacks those chances for "and-ones"....not to mention technicals. Oy.

And each loss bumps the Cats further down the seeding ladder, with March a mere 6 days away.

It's a good thing Bobby was at the Hound tonight to talk me down before I got into the car to drive home. (Driving angry is worse than blogging angry.)

So. Can anybody figure these guys out? Help me.

I really think of this team as Brandon Knight's team. That's maybe not how it should be, maybe not fair. He's only a freshman blah blah blah, and probably playing out of position, but when the rubber meets the road, I think of Brandon as the "leader" -- quotation marks very necessary. Terrence can score plenty, Josh and Darius and DeAndre are older...I get all of that. But I think we only go as Brandon goes these days.

So I didn't mind him getting a good look, er, make that two good looks at the end of regulation for the W. Fire away! Knock one down.

Be the hero, B. It's all you.

And even the fact that he missed them both-- it just don't nag me all that much. He looked confident shooting them. He didn't hesitate like well, you know what, let's not go there.

But the turnover at the end of OT.... ye gods! (to borrow a phrase from Gregg Easterbrook) what's the rush? Inexcusable. You can't just chuck that ball into space like that. That's a panic play.

Throw it up at the basket if you must. Maybe a teammate gets the rebound. Call a timeout. Heck, just hold onto it and give up the ball on a 5-second call. At least then you can set up your defense. Don't throw it out there and give the opponent a chance to take it the other way and take the lead.

But unfortunately, Brandon had a brain freeze and it really cost Kentucky.

Grrr! Makes me wanna cuss.

And yet.

And YET!

The Cats get it back, with some time, and poor Brandon gets a shot at redemption, going towards the bucket, admittedly covered pretty well, and puts up an awkward attempt that didn't have much of a chance. A nice aggressive move, to put it kindly. But he was trying to make something happen.

You saw it.... we all did.

And I guess you give him kudos for effort. Hard to blame a guy who puts up 26 points on the night.

Insult to injury: who gets the last-gasp effort with less than two seconds to go? I'll give you no guesses. And it was no dice. Not tonight. Not in Fayetteville.

Man. I hope Mr. Knight has a short memory.

I just know I'm having a tough time getting over all these road crashes.

Cal Still Perfect At Rupp, Home Streak Now at 30

Kentucky finished off Mississippi State by 6 on Tuesday night, 85-79, in a game that I personally figured UK would probably win by 10 or so. The victory keeps John Calipari's record spotless at home, and pulls the Cats up to 6 W's vs. 5 L's in SEC play.

The Vegas sports books (surprisingly) had the Cats listed as a 17.5 point favorite going into this matchup, far too kind-- but midway through the second half it looked as though the Bulldogs might be ready to start the bus. However, State managed to hang around thanks to some missed UK free throws down the stretch and several three pointers from Dee Bost and Jalen Steele.

Thus continues the Jekyll and Hyde UK season of looking nearly unbeatable at home, and shaky as all get out while on the road. I've always believed that Rupp delivers a home court advantage that is WAY above average in the world of NCAA basketball, but one has to discern that something else is afoot with the way that the Big Blue has struggled in conference away games.

Perhaps it's the rims, as Kentucky hit a respectable 9 for 22 from beyond the arc tonight, and even the "injured" Darius Miller had a 5 for 9 shooting game in scoring 13 points. Let's leave a description of the "injury" to others, since I've read the speculation and it does not sound pleasant at all....and besides, I didn't blog about the Vandy game and don't want to go back and revisit it anyway.

Player of the game for me was Brandon Knight, who had a better than usual assist (7) to turnover (4) ratio, and also tallied 24 points. Needs to work on his defense some more and getting around screens at the top, but it was a great game for B.

And keeping it short this evening, I just want to throw in a huge unendorsement of the ESPN skycam. I absolutely unendorse it. Heartily.

Riddle Me This: Where Was Darius?

I could conjure up a nice explanatory blog post tonight about Chris Warren getting just enough daylight to launch the game-winner in UK's 71-69 defeat at Ole Miss....

A poor job of fighting through the screen by DeAndre Liggins (normally a great defender), and a slow step out to help by Terrence Jones (a freshman with nice wingspan), would pretty much sum it up.

Granted, when the shot was fired, I thought it was a fairly low-percentage look for Warren. Not a complete "out of your nether regions" heave by any means, (and I would say everybody in the gym knew that he would take the final shot), but still not the cleanest look in the world. It was well beyond the arc, and a hand did get up in his face in the last split second. So I think you give Ole Miss credit there. It happens.

I could also envision a lengthy post centering on UK's lapses in scoring--those stretches of 3 or 4 minutes seemingly every game where it looks like the Cats come up empty on a dozen trips down the court. Is it a lack of cohesion in the dribble-drive? Absence of a true, back to the basket, low-post threat? Perhaps just a simple loss of concentration by a freshman-oriented team? Most Big Blue fans might choose "D", and you know what "D" means....

But instead I'm going to darken up the pixels this evening by lamenting the recurring theme of the amazing(!), stupendous(!)....disappearing Darius Miller.

Because all you need to know about the loss in Oxford is this: Darius played a total of 31 minutes tonight, and in all that time, he turned the ball over four times, scored three points, and pulled down exactly one rebound. That's your ballgame right there.

Now, plenty of UK fans have been more or less confounded by the former Mr. Basketball... for almost as long as he has been on campus. It's a classic case of being brilliant "at times", but completely absent from the proceedings at others.

Miller has started all 21 games this season and averages 10 points per game. He hits 81% from the charity stripe and a quite healthy 45 % from the three-point line. Heck, his overall FG percentage is at 48! That's better than Knight and Jones, both of whom average over 17 points.

Stop me if you've read this before, but it just seems like Darius has all the talent in the world, the ability to score both in the paint and from the perimeter, and yet he's prone to simply vanish from games like a puff of smoke.

Why? Why is that?

In his defense, by all accounts Darius has played better of late. The last several games saw what many were describing as a "true emergence" for the young man that wears the number one on his back. More aggressive....looking to score...a real leader and a presence. But when he turns in a stat line like this, in a road game against a conference foe that really has no business in upsetting UK...well, he just gets me more frustrated than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest.

Of course to be fair, this loss is not entirely on him. UK had a very subpar start to the second half as a team. They allowed Ole Miss to hit 8 of 17 threes. Maybe Coach Cal again did a poor job of setting up a clear, concise play on UK's final possession. And certainly Warren had a good game for the Rebs, along with Reginald Buckner.

So I don't mean to just throw the goat horns on Darius, and blast away at him for kicks. But the fact remains that when you give a guy that much playing time, and get that little production in return, then you're basically playing 4 against 5. Makes it awfully tough.

And it's going to remain tough for UK as the conference plays out. A trip to Gainesville is next, and Mr. Miller needs to ensure that he makes it on the bus to the arena on Saturday.

I understand through the miracles of the twitter-verse that Darius has already sent out an apology for UK's loss tonight, in 140 characters or less. That's fine. I like the self-awareness and the courage that it takes to publicly acknowledge a poor performance. But Cal has got to have him playing closer to his potential if Kentucky is going to live up to secure any hardware this season. The riddle must be solved.

UK Gets Even with UGA. Barely.

The Wildcats are not nerds.

I don't care what you think about Doron "Lambda Lambda Lamb's" headgear.

And the Cats held on yesterday to avenge their loss to the Bulldogs back on January 8th, although the second half did carry a very strong aura of pocket protector.

You know what we do with wins around here? We take 'em.

Cats Kick Roosters On The Road

UK's win over the other USC on Saturday has to fall under the category of "much needed". The young Kentucky squad had Big Blue Nation in a near-panic after two road losses in SEC play. But a big scoring effort from Brandon Knight, some hella-jams from Terrence Jones, and the emergence (re-emergence? cameo appearance?) from Darius Miller all spelled victory away from Rupp Arena for the first time this season in conference play. Kentucky now stands at 15-4 overall.

First of all, we thank dear God in heaven that Devan Downey is no longer a Gamecock. He is not missed by this blogger. Not at all. Devan Downey played a total of 7 and a half full seasons for South Carolina, and reportedly Darrin Horn is doing his best to try to get him another 5 years of eligibility. When I heard that Downey was playing professionally in Turkey, I thought somebody was trying to play some kind of cruel joke on Enes Kanter, but apparently it's true.

Without Downey, South Carolina looked far less fierce. Kentucky got off to a fairly good start and was able to quiet the camouflage-clad student section-- and really, the arena looked like it had plenty of blue sprinkled throughout. Sam Muldrow had a couple of freaky-nice dunks himself which produced a good reaction, but otherwise the Gamecock faithful must have been saving most of their enthusiasm for the half-time appearance of Steve Spurrier. *pukes*

But that's one secret of road play that hopefully the Cats have begun to figure out: the first 5 minutes are so important to setting the tone. If you can get your offensive rhythm, get a few stops early (perhaps even build a modest lead), then the home crowd is far less apt to be a factor. Keep 'em quiet until at least the first TV timeout and you're well on your way. Kentucky had a 10 point lead at the half.

Of course, good teams are going to eventually make their runs, and SC did an admirable job of hanging around and even threatening late in the game. The Cats however knocked down free throws in the last couple of minutes and did not entirely succumb to the pressure. Knight was 9 of 10 from the line on the day, Lamb 7 for 8, and Miller was perfect on 3 attempts.

It would have been a very long week around here if UK had dropped another roadie. I'm not gonna lie. Instead, we get to think about how this team can close out January with a revenge win over Georgia at Rupp, and hopefully ponder the growing maturity that the squad is starting to show. UK has 5 more road games in SEC play.

Digesting The Loss To 'Bama

Alright, so I've given it 24 hours, and what can we conclude?

• If every other UK fan vacates the Fox & Hound premises early in the second half, it's probably not going so great for the Cats.
  
• If Coach Cal is calling out Terrence Jones, loudly, very profanely, and most importantly-- in a very public way-- you can bet he was more than a little displeased by the freshman's performance. (How long until we see the first t-shirt that proudly says "Selfish Mother..."?)
  
• Speaking of freshman, if you've got two of them closing out games in your backcourt, it's probably a good idea to make sure they both know EXACTLY what their responsibilities are on a late possession. Maybe you have to repeat yourself slowly during the timeout, or scribble it twice on the greaseboard, but you have to get it through to them: "Guys, here's what I want to see on this play."
• Do not take free throws for granted. Missing 7 in the second half is like physically burning money....picture a nice little stack of $100 bills, soaked in lighter fluid, right over a lit match..... POOF! You gotta have those freebies.
  
• Eloy Vargas. Ugh.
• Division I Men's NCAA basketball games are regulation 40 minutes. I triple-checked this one. It's pretty clear. They don't let you just play 15 or 20 and call it a game. 40 minutes, guys. 40.
• Going zone is not a crime. It can be quite refreshing for a change. Just mix it up a little, keep the other guy guessing. If you're not stopping them anyway, then what's the harm? Just for a few minutes. Not a crime.
• This team will not get anywhere playing as individuals. And they do have several great individuals. Or perhaps I should say individuals who have demonstrated some greatness at times. The point is, they need to concentrate on the collective now. Both ends of the court.
  
• I would NOT want to be a UK player participating in that practice today. Cal's one word prediction was, "Brutal."
  
• Apparently Tennessee players are allowed by SEC officials to go explicitly, indisputably over the back for game-winning garbage baskets if necessary. I saw it myself on replay 8 or 10 times now.
  

So let's turn the page and look forward to a win for the Cats in Columbia on Saturday.

Better Sleep On It

Very tough loss tonight for UK, dropping this one to the Crimson Tide (in Tuscaloosa) 68-66.

All credit to Alabama, but I'm a little upset, and I consider this to have been a VERY winnable game. I really think Coach Cal was not at his best tonight, along with some individual players-- which I suppose is clear considering the results.

But I'm going to sleep on this one, with it being a late game, and I may even watch it again on my DVR before giving further comment.

BIG BLUE will always prevail in the end....let's just get some Z's for now...

Get Well Soon, Patrick

You may have picked this up on KSR or A Sea of Blue, but apparently Patrick Patterson has been battling some flu-like symptoms. Patrick is one of the Whisperer's all-time favorite Wildcats, so as a Houstonian it was spectacularly groovy to see him drafted by the Rockets.

Patrick is said to be doing much better, but here is the original AP story as shown in the hometown Houston Chronicle....

ATLANTA — Houston rookie Patrick Patterson returned home on the Rockets' charter flight Saturday night, a few hours after chest pains and congestion forced him to leave Philips Arena in an ambulance.

Team spokesman Bob Schranz said preliminary tests on Patterson, the NBA's No. 14 overall draft pick, were precautionary and revealed no problems other than flulike symptoms.

Patterson was taken to Piedmont Hospital, but was not admitted. The Rockets, who host Milwaukee on Monday, are listing Patterson as day-to-day.

The former Kentucky standout played 3 minutes, 54 seconds of the second quarter, scoring six points as a reserve in Houston's 112-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He did not return for the third quarter, leaving downtown in an ambulance after the medical staff at Philips Arena decided he should undergo further tests.

Schranz said Patterson and the Rockets' staff discussed his flulike symptoms before the game.

Patterson has been with Houston since getting recalled from Rio Grande Valley of the NBA Development League on Dec. 13.

Kentucky Beat LSU So Bad....

....Les Miles decided to eat the remaining grass on the sidelines of Tiger Stadium.

...the Hornets announced that they want to follow the Jazz to Utah.

...Shaq said he was more embarrassed by the loss than he was by "Kazaam".

...that Dale Brown got a technical for complaining about the popcorn at Rupp Arena. (Nice seeing Dale again, wasn't it? You wonder what he talks about with Joe B. Hall.)

Anyway.

Kentucky beat LSU so bad...that the French were glad they sold everything to Thomas Jefferson.

...gumbo called in sick today.

...Saints fans were offering paper bags to LSU students.

...Bourbon Street actually smelled like bourbon instead of...well...you know....

...and finally...

Kentucky beat LSU so bad...Chris Jackson converted to Islam.

Loss to Dogs: Unsettling

I'm not ready to go threat level red or anything. There's plenty of time to panic later. Heck, the artist formerly known as Danno is predicting that the Cats are going to run the table the rest of the way. (You heard it here first.) So it's hardly the end of the world.

However....the word I'm going with to describe UK's loss to Georgia (in opening SEC play on Saturday) is simply...unsettling. Like when you have a churning stomach. That slight nausea from a bad meal or a crazy amusement park ride. You probably don't have anything life-threatening, but that doesn't mean you don't feel like puking.

Kentucky did show a dab of fortitude in clawing back to a tie, and brief lead, in the second half. Terrence Jones somehow wound up with 24 (garbage) points. Josh again had double-digit rebounds (11). But when it came down to "winnin' time", as Magic Johnson likes to call it, Georgia asserted itself and continued to find its way to the free-throw line.

And at the free-throw line, Georgia absolutely buried the Cats.

30 for 34?! Craziness. I thought I was watching my little brother play Pop-A-Shot at Chuck E. Cheese. . I think the Bulldogs hit another 20 or so while I was sitting in church this morning! Don't you hate when teams do that to UK? A 60% team from the line all the sudden becomes a roster full of Mark Prices.

But that's how it goes. Coach Cal said as much...Kentucky should always expect to get everybody's "A" game, and he wants his young team to be better prepared for it. Cal was absolutely right to criticize UK's toughness, or lack thereof, in Athens. "Guys were shooting fall-away 1-footers." Somebody-- I won't say who, but his name rhymes with "carry us"-- put up a 2 for 11 game, plus a mere 4 rebounds, in 32 minutes of play. Unsettling.

Five Wildcats also fouled out. So there's that depth thing going on. And Enes Kanter isn't walking through that door, courtesy of the NCAA's double-final, we-really-mean-it ruling (no further comment.)

Not to mention Georgia won the battle on the boards 41-37, and they aren't what I'd call a huge team. There was a lot of tapping and poking at the ball from the Big Blue side, and not enough strong vertical leaping with two hands extended to really CLAIM the ball.

But going back to Cal's post-game comments again, he made the statement that Georgia wanted the game more. UK allowed them 48% from the field in the first half, and from what I saw the Cats did not look very interested in competing until after the break.

Brandon Knight had a very poor game-- what you might call a non-factor type of game-- especially in the sense of keeping his teammates focused in the half court offense, and setting the tone with a high intensity level throughout. Unsett....well, you get the picture.

Fortunately, it's a quick turnaround, with Auburn visiting Lexington on Tuesday. So I will leave it at that.

Go Cats. Beat the Cam Newtons.

Still Basking In The Aftermath

For the most part, I'm not one to gloat. It's just not my style.

If you play enough games, you're gonna win some-- hopefully a very high percentage of them-- but you're also going to lose some.

But dang, that win over the Dirty Cards was pretty sweet! It really was. Admit it. Kentucky just looked SO good in dismantling Rick Pitino's squad, on their brand new floor, and pretty much made them like it. Louisville really had no answer this year.

So in celebration, I offer today another little video clip for your viewing pleasure. You might recognize this joint; it is also currently used during team introductions at Rupp Arena. It's DJ Khaled and company, "All I Do Is Win".

Not everyone's cup of tea perhaps: it's heavy on cars, bling, and video vixens. But if you can ignore the U. of Miami reference-- courtesy of my man Snoop (cue Frank the Tank, shouting "Snoop-A-Loop!")-- and you don't mind a little MTV-approved eye candy, then I just can't think of a better song to gloat to....

Knight Comes Up Aces Vs. Cards

It was certainly a team win, UK's 78-63 victory over Louisville in the Yum(!/?) Center on Friday. And while Josh Harrellson is getting the lion's share of credit for putting together a career game against U of L, it was the quiet assassin Brandon Knight that was the straw stirring the Big Blue drink.

Knight had 25 points, and he put them up on the board in a particularly efficient manner. You probably remember the three-pointers. He was 4 for 6--and certainly Clark and Gus would love to remind you of Mr. Knight's "beautiful form"-- but I was probably more impressed by his free throw shooting (7 for 8) and above all, the way he simply managed the pace of the game.

Yes, points are nice. You gotta have 'em. But as Harrellson's emergence showed yesterday, points can occasionally come from some very surprising quarters. More than a few of Josh's buckets came off exquisitely run half-court sets that produced either lobs or back doors from Knight, or passes out of double-teams by Terrence Jones. Those points were a direct result of the Cats controlling tempo, and not settling for quick jumpers or forcing the issue in fast break scenarios.

It was brilliant coaching by John Calipari, and it was Brandon Knight at the control switch, runnin' thangs. He was credited with 4 assists on the day, and the 5 turnovers we will put off partly as freshman jitters early, and also give some slight credit to the Louisville defense for occasionally making a play. Overall, Knight did a wonderful job of keeping UK settled and focused on sharing the ball, and he looked far more like an upperclassman than an 18 year old.

This is not to diminish what Josh accomplished in scoring 23 points and cleaning off 14 boards, but most fans would recognize that it was a conscious decision by Louisville to make someone other than Jones (or Knight) beat them. UK shared the ball just like a veteran team should, and I see a whole lot of potential for these games where a "non-scorer" comes up big in the conference schedule. That would mainly be Josh or DeAndre (both of whom would flinch at the tag), but that's why it's so important for Knight to continue to develop his point guard instincts throughout the next couple of months.

And Kentucky absolutely looked like a team that could make a deep run this season... a very uplifting way to enter 2011. Happy New Year.