Let's be honest, as entertaining as tonight's game was against UNC Ashville...it was basically an exhibition for our great fans in Louisville.
And speaking of playing in Louisville, isn't it great? I love the inferior feeling it brings to all the Card fans, and it's very entertaining how much it irritates them. Most importantly, however, it's an opportunity for a lot of our fans in Louisville to be able to see the Cats play who normally could not. Growing up in Northern Kentucky, I attended the annual game in Cincinnati each year and loved it. As a kid, it was about the only chance I ever got to see the Cats. I wish they would bring back that game.
I don't know what is more immature, a few college freshman stomping on UofL's midcourt logo during a shootaround, or all the UofL fans whining about it? If you ask me, the Cardinal fans whining about it is much more immature. It's not their building. They do not own Freedom Hall. UK does not own Rupp either and the Cardinals could play at Rupp if they wanted to, but we all know that nobody would show up. Below is a video of Calipari speaking to the fans at practice last night of the possibility of playing multiple games there, including an SEC game. Now that UofL is moving into their new arena next year, Pitino will not be able to try to stop us anymore like he did by scheduling a game the same day as our Indiana game way after it was already scheduled several years ago, putting an end to what was a great neutral site location for that game.
Next up: the Cats host North Carolina in a battle between the nation's two winningest programs of all time. UK is six wins away from becoming the first program to 2,000 wins. The Tar Heels are ten wins away and looking to pick up a game on the Wildcats. This game marks the first real, high-intensity game in the Calipari era- and Rupp will be rockin!
On a side note, the Tar Heels could also be the Cats' next opponent on the gridiron. The bowl representatives would love for the two basketball heavyweights to settle things in football as well, and it could happen in the Music City Bowl.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Rocky Top Rolls Again, Maybe Next Year...
Once again, it appeared that Kentucky was going to end the streak. We've felt this way so many times before, but this time, the stakes were bigger than ever before. At halftime, they appeared to be on their way to making history with an almost perfectly executed first half of football on both sides of the ball. They were playing for 2nd place in the SEC East and a New Years Day Bowl Game, and to end the 24 year losing streak to the Volunteers. After the 1st half, everything was going according to plan and Commonwealth was about as loud as it had ever been.
Tennessee would not give up without a fight though. They rallied and took a three point lead and appeared to have the game won late in the 4th quarter. Then, something happened: a UT fumble in their own territory. Something that UK fans had been accustomed to happening to them in this series so many times before with the game on the line. This time, however, it was Tennessee fumbling the ball and giving UK the chance to win it. It was the complete opposite thing that Cats' fans have been accustomed to in this game, but it turned out to be just another tease.
Kentucky had the chance to win it, but after Morgan Newton fell shot three yards of a first down conversion on third down, UK settled for a field goal to tie it and bring the game into overtime. The decision to run a option keeper with Newton, instead of Randall Cobb, was definitely a puzzling one. If I was in Rich Brooks' shoes, however, I would not have passed the ball and risk a turnover. I would, on the other hand, have elected to put the ball into the hands of Randall Cobb on that third down play. His speed would most likely have picked up the first down, or at least make it close enough to be able to go for it on 4th down. If it would have been 4th and 1, instead of 4th and 3, Brooks said after the game that he would have gone for it and try to go for the win, instead of overtime. Overall, however, I thought the play calling in this game and in the entire second half of the season with a true freshman quarterback has been good for Joker Phillips. As this young offense matures, the more things they will be capable of doing and the more exciting they will be. They have already shown improvement in each and every game.
In overtime, the Cats lost the coin toss and had the ball first. The very first play looked to be a perfectly executed out-route 7 yards deep to the sideline, but the ball was dropped. It would have been a first down. Next play was a sack that pushed UK almost out of field goal territory. Newton had running room on 3rd down and could have put the Cats in better position to make a field goal, but instead threw an incomplete pass. Lones Seiber then missed a 49 yard field goal. It would mark the 2nd time in 3 years that a missed overtime field goal cost UK the game against the Vols, and also the 4th loss by less than 7 points in the last 5 years to the team that somehow, someway, ends up beating the Cats in ridiculous fashions for 25 years in a row.
Tennessee would not give up without a fight though. They rallied and took a three point lead and appeared to have the game won late in the 4th quarter. Then, something happened: a UT fumble in their own territory. Something that UK fans had been accustomed to happening to them in this series so many times before with the game on the line. This time, however, it was Tennessee fumbling the ball and giving UK the chance to win it. It was the complete opposite thing that Cats' fans have been accustomed to in this game, but it turned out to be just another tease.
Kentucky had the chance to win it, but after Morgan Newton fell shot three yards of a first down conversion on third down, UK settled for a field goal to tie it and bring the game into overtime. The decision to run a option keeper with Newton, instead of Randall Cobb, was definitely a puzzling one. If I was in Rich Brooks' shoes, however, I would not have passed the ball and risk a turnover. I would, on the other hand, have elected to put the ball into the hands of Randall Cobb on that third down play. His speed would most likely have picked up the first down, or at least make it close enough to be able to go for it on 4th down. If it would have been 4th and 1, instead of 4th and 3, Brooks said after the game that he would have gone for it and try to go for the win, instead of overtime. Overall, however, I thought the play calling in this game and in the entire second half of the season with a true freshman quarterback has been good for Joker Phillips. As this young offense matures, the more things they will be capable of doing and the more exciting they will be. They have already shown improvement in each and every game.
In overtime, the Cats lost the coin toss and had the ball first. The very first play looked to be a perfectly executed out-route 7 yards deep to the sideline, but the ball was dropped. It would have been a first down. Next play was a sack that pushed UK almost out of field goal territory. Newton had running room on 3rd down and could have put the Cats in better position to make a field goal, but instead threw an incomplete pass. Lones Seiber then missed a 49 yard field goal. It would mark the 2nd time in 3 years that a missed overtime field goal cost UK the game against the Vols, and also the 4th loss by less than 7 points in the last 5 years to the team that somehow, someway, ends up beating the Cats in ridiculous fashions for 25 years in a row.
(Photo courtesy of The CatsPause)
Not only did UK lose, but they didn't get any help from Georgia Tech or Clemson either. If the two best teams in the ACC would have been able to beat Georgia and South Carolina like they were supposed to, the Chick-fil-et Bowl would still have been a likely destination for the Cats on New Years Eve in Atlanta. But now, with six 7-5 teams in the SEC, who knows? UK could go anywhere from the Independence Bowl to Atlanta, but now it seems like another Music City Bowl against Florida State or Boston College is the most likely destination.
To sum up everything that happened on Saturday, here are a few truths that should make us feel a little bit better, some honest opinions and facts that I think should ease the pain of possibly the most heartbreaking loss in the history of Kentucky football:
- Kentucky could be in the Orange Bowl if they played in the ACC or Big East. Look at what two middle of the pack SEC teams did to the two teams that will be playing for an Orange Bowl bid next week in the ACC Championship.
- Kentucky was 4-1 on the road this season, winning very big SEC road games for the first time in a long, long time...against Auburn and Georgia
- There's still a chance the Cats are picked to play in Atlanta against the loser of the ACC Championship game. If not, we should still get another chance at a big time program like FSU or BC in Nashville.
- Unlike many of the other heartbreaking losses to Tennessee, including the 2007 game, this year the Cats return all their star players on the offensive side of the ball. All five touchdowns in last week's win over Georgia were scored by players that will be returning next year. Locke returns for his senior year, Cobb returns for two more years and aspires to be the Chris Lofton of football before he graduates, and Morgan Newton still has three more years to beat Tennessee. I wonder if Lane will still be around in Morgan's senior year?
- The Cats were just an overtime away from finishing 2nd in the SEC East. With our returning players, and Tim Tebow leaving Florida...the SEC East will be wide open next year. It's not ridiculous to think that the Cats could be a preseason #2 pick in the SEC East (Florida will still be a favorite, but not a heavy favorite) and could contend for the division title and SEC Championship appearance with a little more luck and less injuries next year.
- One last thing: after last night's game, I've made a personal commitment to attend every UK-Tennessee game for the rest of my life, in Knoxville and in Lexington, until the streak ends.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Biggest Game, Ever?
Just like the LSU win in Commonwealth a few years ago, a win over Tennessee tonight could be one of those defining moments in the rebuilding of Kentucky football under Rich Brooks. This win would not only break the 24 game losing streak, but would give the Cats a 2nd place finish in the SEC East and almost guarantee an Outback Bowl appearance on New Years Day. For those reasons, it would be an even more overall significant win than the one against #1 LSU two years ago.
Year, after year, after year, after year...when you ask Kentucky fans, "What is the one team on the schedule that you want to beat more than anyone else in the world?" The answer is always Tennessee. I've even heard some fans say they'd trade away a Final Four in basketball to beat Tennessee in football.
To put it simple: tonight could be the best night in the history of UK football. Even though the Vols are not ranked and have won one less game than the Cats have so far, the goalposts will be brought down if the Cats win tonight. To outsiders, this might seem ridiculous. But for a Kentucky fan who has never witnessed a win over Tennessee in my lifetime, I understand the significance of ending the streak and finishing off the best season Kentucky has had in 30 years. This win will propell the Cats very close to the top of that SEC mountain that we've been climbing for so long and we're not finished yet (just ask a certain sophomore qb/wr/punt returner). Commonwealth will be rocking tonight, possibly like it never has before.
Year, after year, after year, after year...when you ask Kentucky fans, "What is the one team on the schedule that you want to beat more than anyone else in the world?" The answer is always Tennessee. I've even heard some fans say they'd trade away a Final Four in basketball to beat Tennessee in football.
To put it simple: tonight could be the best night in the history of UK football. Even though the Vols are not ranked and have won one less game than the Cats have so far, the goalposts will be brought down if the Cats win tonight. To outsiders, this might seem ridiculous. But for a Kentucky fan who has never witnessed a win over Tennessee in my lifetime, I understand the significance of ending the streak and finishing off the best season Kentucky has had in 30 years. This win will propell the Cats very close to the top of that SEC mountain that we've been climbing for so long and we're not finished yet (just ask a certain sophomore qb/wr/punt returner). Commonwealth will be rocking tonight, possibly like it never has before.
Friday, November 27, 2009
High School Football Championships are set...but it's just not the same.
As a kid growing up, the day after Thanksgiving was always a special one. Every year in my childhood, the day after Thanksgiving was always a big day for football. I grew up during the incredibly ugly era of Bengals and UK football known as the 1990's (minus a few years of Tim Couch). There was only one football team I really cared about growing up, and that was the Beechwood Tigers.
I had the privilege to attend a small and unique K-12 Independent School District in Fort Mitchell, Ky that somehow dominated Kentucky high school football at all levels in the 1990's. I really doubt if there's a place anywhere like it in the world, where kindergartner's are in the same school building as the high school football stars that they look up to and idolize and then they eventually grow up to be in those same shoes and wearing that same uniform. They beg their parents to buy them a red or white Tigers' jersey with their favorite players number on it and tiger paws on their shoulders so they can wear them to school on Fridays like all the other kids.
At that time, the elementary kids at that school idolized Beechwood Tigers players more so than even professional players, certainly more than any Bengal player in that era! The day after Thanksgiving was always a day for Beechwood football. It often included a trip down-state to Pikeville or Middlesboro and a win would mean a day off of school (for the high schooler's and the elementary kids) the very next Friday to play in the State Championship Game at old Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. During this decade, Beechwood won 7 Class A State Championships and only missed the Championship Game once, in 1998.
I know what a lot of you are probably thinking..."so what, it's Class A football".
Well, back then....when there were only 4 divisions, Class A football was solid, and Beechwood was the smallest of smallest schools, with graduating classes of about 60 to 70 students. It didn't matter, as they played big, powerful schools from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and consistently embarrassed them. In 1999, Beechwood blew out a Harrodsburgh team in the State Finals that had two future NFL players (and future UK Wildcats) in Craig Yeast and Dennis Johnson. Beechwood had an 8 year winning streak against 3A power Covington Catholic during this stretch. CovCath was considered one of the best programs in the state at any level at the time, and won several 3A State Championships in seasons in which they lost to the small little Class A school down the road in what would become a heated neighborhood rivalry between two schools not even close in size. In 1994, Beechwood became the first team in the state of Kentucky to win four straight State Championships, and to my knowledge, was the first and maybe only ever school in the country of it's size to appear in the USA Today Top 25 National H.S. Football Poll (the only school in Ky ranked that year).
A lot has changed since then, and mostly all for the bad. Not only has Beechwood lost it's luster (they lost 38-0 to Mayfield tonight), but so has high school football all-together in this state. When the KHSAA decided to change football from 4 divisions to 6 divisions, they ruined it all. They ruined it from the very top to the very bottom. Instead of rewarding true champions, the KHSAA decided they wanted to make kids feel better about themselves by providing more teams the opportunity to win, make the playoffs, and compete for one of six "state championships". While other states were competing and preparing their athletes to play at the next level, Kentucky was worried about handing out undeserved trophies and making kids feel good (like Little League Baseball) and ultimately losing credibilty and falling behind other states. Class A football especially had now lost all credibility, losing schools like Danville and Newport Catholic, and also ending playoff regional rivalries like Beechwood vs. NewCath.
Winning Class A meant something back then. Now, it's a walk in the park until at least the state semi-finals. Beechwood blew out teams that had no business even playing in the post season up until tonight. Tonight, they faced the first decent team they've played in months and they weren't prepared for it because they've played meaningless games against worthless Class A football teams since district play began. With 4 divisions, Class A was a challenge, with 6....it's a joke, which is why Beechwood is not attracting the same caliber of athletes for football that they used to and why they do not still beat the bigger schools during the regular season.
Not only did the KHSAA screw up small school football, but it also put an end to the classic big school State Championship Game which usually ended up being between 2 of the 3 big Louisville schools: St. Xavier, Trinity, and Male. This game always attracted 30,000 plus fans and was one of the biggest high school football games in the country. Remember the classic shootout between Brian Brohm of Trinity and Michael Bush of Male? Andre Woodson also was a senior that year in Radcliffe. Kentucky high school football was competing, in terms of talent and top recruits that season, with just about any state in the country that compares in size (not California or Texas obviously), outside of the Southeast. For a few years, all the Louisville schools were on the same side of the bracket to give other teams a chance (luckily they changed that this year, the only good change they have made). However, when they finally let the Louisville schools play each other for the title, they make the brilliant idea of moving the game from Louisville to Bowling Green....
No more excitement. No more fun. No more competition across the board. Every year, you had your same dynasties in each division competing with each other for a well deserved prize. 1A was always between Beechwood, Danville, Mayfield, Murray, or New Cath. 2A belonged to Belfry or Fort Campbell, 3A belonged to Highlands, Boyle County, or CovCath. 4A was between Trinity, St. X, or Male. Now, all these teams are playing in different divisions or put in the same region or district to provide opportunity for others to win. There's no longer any big rivalries in each division and there's also no heavyweight's anymore (besides nationally ranked Highlands), and that's not a good thing. Just ask college recruiters who are not making visits anymore to Kentucky. Just ask Rich Brooks who has to rely on the state of Georgia to be competitive in the SEC, and has done quite an exceptional job of doing so as evidenced by his Peach State players showing the Bulldogs last week why they should have been recruited to play at UGA.
This year, they made the State Championships an even worse event, by moving the site from Papa John's Stadium in Louisville, to WKU's stadium in Bowling Green. What is the KHSAA's plans for next season? Roy Kidd Stadium? How does the KHSAA do such a tremendous job with the Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament at Rupp, and act so clueless when trying to put together the state football playoffs? Well, here are those "exciting" matchups that everybody is "dying" to travel all the way to Bowling Green to see....
1A: LCA vs. Mayfield (actually a better matchup than recent years in Class A)
2A: Desales vs. Fort Campbell (Desales, are you kidding me? Should be ugly.)
3A: Paducah Tilghman vs. Somerset (2 schools that probably should not be playing for a title)
4A: Lone Oak vs. Boyle County (Lone Oak?)
5A: Highlands vs. John Hardin (Highlands wins this one by 40...the old system would have had a Highlands/Boyle Country showdown)
6A: St. X vs. Trinity (would be a great game and great atmosphere if played in Louisville)
High School football may not be what it once was in this state, but we are extremely lucky to have the Cats playing in quite possibly their most meaningful game in November, possibly ever tomorrow at Commonwealth Stadium against Tennessee, which is probably where my attention should be right now. I'll try to give a preview in the morning. GO CATS!
I had the privilege to attend a small and unique K-12 Independent School District in Fort Mitchell, Ky that somehow dominated Kentucky high school football at all levels in the 1990's. I really doubt if there's a place anywhere like it in the world, where kindergartner's are in the same school building as the high school football stars that they look up to and idolize and then they eventually grow up to be in those same shoes and wearing that same uniform. They beg their parents to buy them a red or white Tigers' jersey with their favorite players number on it and tiger paws on their shoulders so they can wear them to school on Fridays like all the other kids.
At that time, the elementary kids at that school idolized Beechwood Tigers players more so than even professional players, certainly more than any Bengal player in that era! The day after Thanksgiving was always a day for Beechwood football. It often included a trip down-state to Pikeville or Middlesboro and a win would mean a day off of school (for the high schooler's and the elementary kids) the very next Friday to play in the State Championship Game at old Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. During this decade, Beechwood won 7 Class A State Championships and only missed the Championship Game once, in 1998.
I know what a lot of you are probably thinking..."so what, it's Class A football".
Well, back then....when there were only 4 divisions, Class A football was solid, and Beechwood was the smallest of smallest schools, with graduating classes of about 60 to 70 students. It didn't matter, as they played big, powerful schools from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and consistently embarrassed them. In 1999, Beechwood blew out a Harrodsburgh team in the State Finals that had two future NFL players (and future UK Wildcats) in Craig Yeast and Dennis Johnson. Beechwood had an 8 year winning streak against 3A power Covington Catholic during this stretch. CovCath was considered one of the best programs in the state at any level at the time, and won several 3A State Championships in seasons in which they lost to the small little Class A school down the road in what would become a heated neighborhood rivalry between two schools not even close in size. In 1994, Beechwood became the first team in the state of Kentucky to win four straight State Championships, and to my knowledge, was the first and maybe only ever school in the country of it's size to appear in the USA Today Top 25 National H.S. Football Poll (the only school in Ky ranked that year).
A lot has changed since then, and mostly all for the bad. Not only has Beechwood lost it's luster (they lost 38-0 to Mayfield tonight), but so has high school football all-together in this state. When the KHSAA decided to change football from 4 divisions to 6 divisions, they ruined it all. They ruined it from the very top to the very bottom. Instead of rewarding true champions, the KHSAA decided they wanted to make kids feel better about themselves by providing more teams the opportunity to win, make the playoffs, and compete for one of six "state championships". While other states were competing and preparing their athletes to play at the next level, Kentucky was worried about handing out undeserved trophies and making kids feel good (like Little League Baseball) and ultimately losing credibilty and falling behind other states. Class A football especially had now lost all credibility, losing schools like Danville and Newport Catholic, and also ending playoff regional rivalries like Beechwood vs. NewCath.
Winning Class A meant something back then. Now, it's a walk in the park until at least the state semi-finals. Beechwood blew out teams that had no business even playing in the post season up until tonight. Tonight, they faced the first decent team they've played in months and they weren't prepared for it because they've played meaningless games against worthless Class A football teams since district play began. With 4 divisions, Class A was a challenge, with 6....it's a joke, which is why Beechwood is not attracting the same caliber of athletes for football that they used to and why they do not still beat the bigger schools during the regular season.
Not only did the KHSAA screw up small school football, but it also put an end to the classic big school State Championship Game which usually ended up being between 2 of the 3 big Louisville schools: St. Xavier, Trinity, and Male. This game always attracted 30,000 plus fans and was one of the biggest high school football games in the country. Remember the classic shootout between Brian Brohm of Trinity and Michael Bush of Male? Andre Woodson also was a senior that year in Radcliffe. Kentucky high school football was competing, in terms of talent and top recruits that season, with just about any state in the country that compares in size (not California or Texas obviously), outside of the Southeast. For a few years, all the Louisville schools were on the same side of the bracket to give other teams a chance (luckily they changed that this year, the only good change they have made). However, when they finally let the Louisville schools play each other for the title, they make the brilliant idea of moving the game from Louisville to Bowling Green....
No more excitement. No more fun. No more competition across the board. Every year, you had your same dynasties in each division competing with each other for a well deserved prize. 1A was always between Beechwood, Danville, Mayfield, Murray, or New Cath. 2A belonged to Belfry or Fort Campbell, 3A belonged to Highlands, Boyle County, or CovCath. 4A was between Trinity, St. X, or Male. Now, all these teams are playing in different divisions or put in the same region or district to provide opportunity for others to win. There's no longer any big rivalries in each division and there's also no heavyweight's anymore (besides nationally ranked Highlands), and that's not a good thing. Just ask college recruiters who are not making visits anymore to Kentucky. Just ask Rich Brooks who has to rely on the state of Georgia to be competitive in the SEC, and has done quite an exceptional job of doing so as evidenced by his Peach State players showing the Bulldogs last week why they should have been recruited to play at UGA.
This year, they made the State Championships an even worse event, by moving the site from Papa John's Stadium in Louisville, to WKU's stadium in Bowling Green. What is the KHSAA's plans for next season? Roy Kidd Stadium? How does the KHSAA do such a tremendous job with the Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament at Rupp, and act so clueless when trying to put together the state football playoffs? Well, here are those "exciting" matchups that everybody is "dying" to travel all the way to Bowling Green to see....
1A: LCA vs. Mayfield (actually a better matchup than recent years in Class A)
2A: Desales vs. Fort Campbell (Desales, are you kidding me? Should be ugly.)
3A: Paducah Tilghman vs. Somerset (2 schools that probably should not be playing for a title)
4A: Lone Oak vs. Boyle County (Lone Oak?)
5A: Highlands vs. John Hardin (Highlands wins this one by 40...the old system would have had a Highlands/Boyle Country showdown)
6A: St. X vs. Trinity (would be a great game and great atmosphere if played in Louisville)
High School football may not be what it once was in this state, but we are extremely lucky to have the Cats playing in quite possibly their most meaningful game in November, possibly ever tomorrow at Commonwealth Stadium against Tennessee, which is probably where my attention should be right now. I'll try to give a preview in the morning. GO CATS!
Brown's Picks
Happy Holidays everyone. Due to a limited internet connection I won't be able to break down any games, but I will give you some of my picks from my Yahoo! Pick-Em league. The team is bold is who I have winning. Here we go.
Illinois @ Cincinnati (-21)
Alabama (-10) @ Auburn
Pittsburgh @ West Virginia (even)
Clemson (-3) @ South Carolina
Florida St. @ Florida (-24.5)
Georgia @ Georgia Tech (-7)
Arkansas @ LSU (-3.5)
Oklahoma St. @ Oklahoma (-8)
Tennessee (-3) @ Kentucky
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Cardiac Cats Survive in Cancun!
Twelve years ago, Kentucky and Stanford last met in an epic overtime battle in which the 1998 "Comeback Cats" came back from a double digit deficit to defeat the Cardinal in the Final Four in San Antonio.This time, the Cats and Cardinal met again even further south than the Alamo, in Cancun, Mexico. Scott Padgett made clutch shots in the '98 game. This time, he sat on the bench on John Calipari's coaching staff in another overtime thriller between the two schools. John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, and Ramon Harris all made clutch plays down the stretch and Darius Miller added 10 points as the Cats outscored Stanford 10-2 in overtime to win it once again.
Patrick Patterson had limited playing time in the first half due to early foul trouble, but the Junior All-American came back and played strong in the second half while posting yet another double double, the 25th of his career, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Demarcus Cousins had a solid 13 points and 3 blocks, but made a crucial freshman mistake late in the game that could have been costly for the Cats. Down by 2 at the line, Cousins missed the first free throw with about 10 seconds remaining on the clock. He then proceeded to miss the second free throw on purpose and tried to rebound it to get another shot to tie the game. This was foolish because if he had just made the free throw, Kentucky could foul immediately. Cousins was immediately pulled from the game and chewed out by Coach Cal on the sidelines. Even if Stanford made both free throws, it would be a three point game with plenty of time for UK to tie it up with a th
ree. Now, Stanford could clinch the game if they could make both free throws.Luckily for the Cats, they missed both free throws and Kentucky rebounded the ball still down by 2 with 9 seconds left. It was now time for John Wall to bail out his buddy Demarcus and take over to save the day for the Cats. He drove to the basket and was fouled with 2.4 seconds left. He nailed both free throws to tie the game up and finished the game with 24 points, including a perfect 8 for 8 from the line. Overtime belonged to the Cats as Eric Bledsoe stabbed the dagger on the Cardinal with a devastating NBA-range three pointer with 33 seconds left in OT to seal the deal for the Cats as they escaped Cancun with an unblemished 6-0 record, only seven wins away from becoming the nation's first program to reach 2,000 all-time victories.
Happy Thanksgiving! Go Cats! Let's FINALLY beat Tennessee!
(Photo's courtesy of bigbluehistory.net and the Associated Press)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Cancun Shootout: I wish I was there...
(Courtesy of ballslist.com top 10 Spring Break locations)
After the defensive struggles against Miami (OH) and Sam Houston State, we all knew it was going to take some time for this young team to mature. Surely, a trip to a Spring Break hot spot like Cancun couldn't be a good place for a group of 18 year old college freshman to mature, could it? The sunny skies and clear beaches didn't seem to distract the young Cats from taking care of business tonight. We all thought it would take longer than 3 games, but the Cats are already playing with the maturity that we had hoped they would have by December. The first half was a decent performance, but 14 turnovers kept the game fairly competitive for the first 20 minutes. The 2nd half was much more impressive with only 4 turnovers as a balanced Kentucky scoring attack pulled away over a dangerous Cleveland State team just as a veteran team would. Tomorrow night the Cats hit the court again at 9:30 against the winner of tonight's Stanford vs. Virginia semifinal in the Cancun Shootout. It's funny how quiet my phone has been since that Miami game. The haters are finally starting to come to grip with reality that the hype of this team is real and Kentucky looks as good as their ranking indicates. I do, however, hope for a closer game tomorrow night against a quality BCS conference opponent. Honestly, that Miami game was kinda fun. I'd like to see just a couple more of those as long as the Cats prevail.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Where will the Cats go bowling?
Possible Opponents in Atlanta
Clemson Virginia Tech
Boston College
Georgia Tech
Possible Opponents in Tampa
Wisconsin
Penn State
Iowa
Michigan State
With the huge win over Georgia last night, the Cats have finally positioned themselves in the upper echelon of the mighty SEC East. With three straight SEC road wins: @Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Georgia, they've finally taken that next step. They will not be playing a bowl game in the state of Tennessee this year. For the first time since Tim Couch led the Cats to the 1999 Outback Bowl on New Years Day, the Cats will be playing in a very significant warm-weather New Years (Eve or day) bowl game and can finish in 2nd place in the SEC East, 2nd only to the Florida Gators, with a win over Tennessee at Commonwealth on Saturday night. So far this has been a year of ending huge losing streaks to Auburn and on the road against Georgia. Ending the nation's longest losing streak against Tennessee and earning a ticket to Tampa to face Penn State, Iowa, or Wisconsin on New Years Day, would be icing on the cake for this roller coaster season that has seen highs, lows, injuries, and plenty of surprises along the way.
After beating Miami (OH) in the opener at Paul Brown Stadium, the Cats struggled in a win over Louisville before losing three straight games in a row in SEC play, two of them against the top two teams in the nation. They never gave up on the season, however, just like they never gave up down by 14 points towards the end of the 3rd quarter last night between the hedges against the Bulldogs. With a 2-3 record, their starting quarterback hurt and possibly out for the season, and just experiencing a devastating two point loss at South Carolina, it looked like it could be a long season for the Cats. Instead, the Cats shocked the Auburn Tigers the very next week. Two weeks later, the Cats experienced another very disappointing loss to Mississippi State. At this point, it looked like the Cats were headed to yet another Liberty or Music City Bowl. It even looked like that until about the 4th quarter of last night's game.
Then, one forced Bulldog turnover after another, an entire season and possibly an entire football program took a giant step forward with a comeback win at Georgia. A win that positioned the Cats to make it to a New Years Bowl Game, something that Andre Woodson couldn't even accomplish as a junior or senior. This time, a true freshman quarterback and all-around best player Randall Cobb, only a Sophomore, are taking the Cats to levels they've never been before. Saturday's battle with Tennessee will be possibly the biggest November home football game in the history of Commonwealth Stadium. The stakes are high, "the streak" could end, and unlike the similar 2007 matchup, there's a lot of positive momentum going into this game. It's going to be one of the best atmosphere's ever in Commonwealth, and I can't wait to be a part of it!
Win or lose, however, I believe the Cats are a lock to at least play in Atlanta on New Years Eve in the Chick-fil-a (formerly the Peach) Bowl for a number of reasons. Even if we lose to Tennessee, the overall records of UK, UT, and UGA will be identical, with UT having a one game edge in conference play, assuming that Georgia losses to Georgia Tech. This could propel the Vols ahead of the Cats in the bowl pecking order with the Vols in Tampa and the Cats in Atlanta, but as long as Georgia losses, the Cats will have one of the top two bowl spots in the SEC East (with Florida obviously playing in a BCS game).
The only scenario that could possibly take the Cats to another Music City Bowl would be a Georgia win over Georgia Tech combined with a UK loss to Tennessee. Then, the Peach Bowl would possibly prefer the in-state Bulldogs after a big win against their rival to end the season. But I believe that EVEN IF that happens, the Peach Bowl would have a hard time justifying the choice of the Bulldogs over the Cats after the Cats just beat the Dawgs on the road.
Plus, they can make more money off the Cats with more fans spending money on hotel rooms than if the in-state Bulldogs were in town. Big Blue Nation has broken attendance records in nearly every bowl appearance in the program's history. These bigger, non-BCS bowl games are a much bigger deal to us than they are for other SEC schools like UT and UGA, which is why we are a better choice for higher attendance and revenue. No matter what happens, I really like our chances to play in Atlanta. And if we beat UT, I think we're a lock to play in Tampa on January 1st.
It's been a great day for both the football and basketball teams today. But could you imagine bigger back-to-back days than an Outback Bowl appearance on January 1st followed by a certain basketball game scheduled for January 2nd at Rupp? Has there ever been a more exciting time to be a Big Blue fan? I don't think so.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
KENTUCKY 34, GEORGIA 27
Need I say more? Scoreboard says it all...what a day!
(Courtesy of Kentucky.com)
One down, one to go!
I guess Kentucky had what you would call, "a moral victory" today on the basketball court against a good Rider team that beat Mississippi State about a week ago. For most schools, a moral victory is a game in which you don't win but play well and feel good about it. For Kentucky basketball, a win isn't good enough. A 10 point win isn't good enough either. At Kentucky, a moral victory is a 30 point win against a solid opponent, then...after winning be 30, it's okay to be happy.
The Cats had been playing well in just about every aspect but one: perimeter defense. In the last two games, the Cats gave up 33 three pointers. Today, they gave up 4. By the time Rider made their first three point shot, the Cats already had a 28 point lead in the second half. At one point, Demarcus Cousins even committed a foul on a three point attempt. I think they finally got the message and played with the defensive urgency that was absent the last two games.
Rider Head Coach, Tommy Dempsey's Comments:
"I know they have taken a bad rap for some of the three pointers that have gone against them, but I watched every game and a couple of kids went nuts against them. They hit tough, fall-away, in your-face threes. They gave up open shots, but you can't expect them to not give up open shots in the course of the game, especially when they are pressing, jumping in passing lanes, and trying to create offense with their defense. Of course when you play that way, you're going to give up open shots at times. I watched the film and said to myself, 'If we have to hit shots like that all night to stay in the game, it's going to be a long night.' Those were some spectacular performances, and I don't think it was strictly a product of Kentucky not playing defense. But, I did think they looked better tonight. They were active and their big kids were aggressive guarding the perimeter. They made it hard on us."
It was indeed a long day for Rider. John Wall led the way with 21 points and 11 assists, while Patrick Patterson had an impressive 19 points and 18 rebounds (the Sports Illustrated cover didn't seem to have a curse on him), and Cousins finished with 18 points and 5 blocks.
Game 1 for today went according to plan, now it's about time for Rich Brooks' football Cats to spoil the plans of the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. With a win tonight, and (cross your fingers) an end to the streak against Tennessee next week, the Cats can finish 2nd in the SEC East behind only Florida. Coach Brooks says that he plans to unleash Newton tonight and open up the playbook for the talented true freshman. Randall Cobb is questionable, but I have a feeling he's going to go, even if he's limited, because this game is a chance to move up the SEC ladder. It's a game that is crucial to the advancement of this program. GO CATS!
The Cats had been playing well in just about every aspect but one: perimeter defense. In the last two games, the Cats gave up 33 three pointers. Today, they gave up 4. By the time Rider made their first three point shot, the Cats already had a 28 point lead in the second half. At one point, Demarcus Cousins even committed a foul on a three point attempt. I think they finally got the message and played with the defensive urgency that was absent the last two games.
Rider Head Coach, Tommy Dempsey's Comments:
"I know they have taken a bad rap for some of the three pointers that have gone against them, but I watched every game and a couple of kids went nuts against them. They hit tough, fall-away, in your-face threes. They gave up open shots, but you can't expect them to not give up open shots in the course of the game, especially when they are pressing, jumping in passing lanes, and trying to create offense with their defense. Of course when you play that way, you're going to give up open shots at times. I watched the film and said to myself, 'If we have to hit shots like that all night to stay in the game, it's going to be a long night.' Those were some spectacular performances, and I don't think it was strictly a product of Kentucky not playing defense. But, I did think they looked better tonight. They were active and their big kids were aggressive guarding the perimeter. They made it hard on us."
It was indeed a long day for Rider. John Wall led the way with 21 points and 11 assists, while Patrick Patterson had an impressive 19 points and 18 rebounds (the Sports Illustrated cover didn't seem to have a curse on him), and Cousins finished with 18 points and 5 blocks.
Game 1 for today went according to plan, now it's about time for Rich Brooks' football Cats to spoil the plans of the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. With a win tonight, and (cross your fingers) an end to the streak against Tennessee next week, the Cats can finish 2nd in the SEC East behind only Florida. Coach Brooks says that he plans to unleash Newton tonight and open up the playbook for the talented true freshman. Randall Cobb is questionable, but I have a feeling he's going to go, even if he's limited, because this game is a chance to move up the SEC ladder. It's a game that is crucial to the advancement of this program. GO CATS!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Jacobs NFL Picks Week 11
Well the Gamblin' Man took a beating in week 9, going 1-3 to start off my blog. But how was I was supposed to know that the Cowboys and Eagles would forget to show up to their games and Bill Bellichek thought he was playing Madden with his buddies and went for a ridiculous 4th down attempt. Oh well at least I hit the Bengals right on....Now on to my rebound attempt this week..
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
line: even
Key Matchup: this is defiantly the return game for each team, as there was three return touchdowns in the last matchup, if one these team can catch lightening in a bottle again this week it might make the difference
Prediction: No Kyle Orton is a big problem for the Broncos, if he doesn't play and Chris Simms has to take over the reigns, this will cause all sorts of issues on the offensive end for Denver. And although I bashed them pretty hard last week, the Chargers looked really impressive against the Eagles and have won four straight, look for them to take this game, Chargers by 10.
Atlanta Falcons at N.Y. Giants
line: Giants by 6 1/2
Key Matchup: Atlanta's defensive line vs. Giants running game. If you can control the Giants running and force Eli to make all the plays to win the game, you usually have a pretty good shot.
Prediction: Atlanta was a completely different team in the second half without Micheal Turner and as the week gos on, its more and more apparent that Turner will not play on Sunday, leaving a huge gap in their offensive that the Giants Defense will exploit, Giants by 7.
Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
line: Colts by 1
Key Matchup: Peyton Manning vs. Baltimore Defense, need I say more???
Prediction: Although the Colts are a great a team, they are not good enough to go 16-0. Baltimore has to have this game to stay in playoff contention, and this is a classic trap game for the Colts coming off of a big win against they Patriots. This one could go either way, but I'll take the Ravens by 3.
Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns
line: Detriot by 4 1/2
Key Matchup: Kevin Smith vs Cleveland Brown Defensive line. If Smith can establish the run early, it could potentially free up the passing game for Stafford and Calvin Johnson.
Prediction: Obviously this isn't a key matchup in the NFL, but who could resist the fun of picking the best of the worst game in the NFL. The Lions actually do have a few good play makers on their roster and have historically won this matchup, so I'll take the Lions by 6.
Lock of the Week: Cincinnati Bengals over the Oakland Raiders
Possible Upsets: Washington Redskins over the Dallas Cowboys,
New York Jets over New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the New Orleans Saints (just got a crazy feeling on this one)
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
line: even
Key Matchup: this is defiantly the return game for each team, as there was three return touchdowns in the last matchup, if one these team can catch lightening in a bottle again this week it might make the difference
Prediction: No Kyle Orton is a big problem for the Broncos, if he doesn't play and Chris Simms has to take over the reigns, this will cause all sorts of issues on the offensive end for Denver. And although I bashed them pretty hard last week, the Chargers looked really impressive against the Eagles and have won four straight, look for them to take this game, Chargers by 10.
Atlanta Falcons at N.Y. Giants
line: Giants by 6 1/2
Key Matchup: Atlanta's defensive line vs. Giants running game. If you can control the Giants running and force Eli to make all the plays to win the game, you usually have a pretty good shot.
Prediction: Atlanta was a completely different team in the second half without Micheal Turner and as the week gos on, its more and more apparent that Turner will not play on Sunday, leaving a huge gap in their offensive that the Giants Defense will exploit, Giants by 7.
Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
line: Colts by 1
Key Matchup: Peyton Manning vs. Baltimore Defense, need I say more???
Prediction: Although the Colts are a great a team, they are not good enough to go 16-0. Baltimore has to have this game to stay in playoff contention, and this is a classic trap game for the Colts coming off of a big win against they Patriots. This one could go either way, but I'll take the Ravens by 3.
Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns
line: Detriot by 4 1/2
Key Matchup: Kevin Smith vs Cleveland Brown Defensive line. If Smith can establish the run early, it could potentially free up the passing game for Stafford and Calvin Johnson.
Prediction: Obviously this isn't a key matchup in the NFL, but who could resist the fun of picking the best of the worst game in the NFL. The Lions actually do have a few good play makers on their roster and have historically won this matchup, so I'll take the Lions by 6.
Lock of the Week: Cincinnati Bengals over the Oakland Raiders
Possible Upsets: Washington Redskins over the Dallas Cowboys,
New York Jets over New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the New Orleans Saints (just got a crazy feeling on this one)
Brown's Picks
Last week was a little better for me. I went 3-2 which brings my season record to 10-11. Cincinnati is off this week so I added in my pick for the EKU game. Some good picks for this weekend should put me over .500 for the short time I've been picking games. Let's get to it:
Ohio St. ( -12) @ Michigan
No matter how poorly either of these teams has performed, the Buckeyes and Wolverines bring their A game for this one. Considered one of the best rivalries in all of sports, Ohio St. and Michigan will go at it this Saturday. Ohio St. has been rolling of late, beating Penn St. and Iowa in the last two weeks and clinching yet another trip to the Rose Bowl. After jumping out to a 4-0 record, the Wolverines have left 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7 (with the only win being against Delaware St.) I think this one will be close in the first half, but Ohio St. will eventually pull away and win by 17.
PICK: OHIO ST.
Virginia @ Clemson (-21.5)
-With a win on Senior Day in Death Valley, the Tigers will be heading to Tampa and to their first ACC Championship game. I think the key to this game is going to be the Virginia defense. Clemson has a number of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. By now everyone knows about CJ Spiller, but I think the big game is goign to come from Wide Receiver and return-man Jacoby Ford. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers handle the pressure of trying to wrap up a division title. I think Clemson wins pretty easily but I'm not sure if they cover the spread. I'm actually going to pick Clemson by 20, with a score of 30-10.
PICK: VIRGINIA
Kentucky @ Georgia (-9)
-Both of these teams come into this game with identical 6-4 records overall. One problem UK is going to face this Saturday is the potential lose of Sophomore Randall Cobb. In my opinion, Cobb has been the best offensive threat the Cats have had all year, leading the conference in touchdowns per game. Cobb didn't practice much this week and Coach Rich Brooks said he will be a game-time decision. With starting QB Mike Hartline already out, UK may need to rely on Cobb more than usual. Georgia has their big rivalry game next week against Georgia Tech and I think UK has a great chance to catch the Bulldogs looking ahead on their schedule. I think this one stays close for most of the game, but being between the hedges will prove too much for UK and their injuries. I like UGA by 10.
PICK: GEORGIA
LSU @ Mississippi (-4.5)
-LSU comes into this game at #8 and with hopes of sneaking into a BCS game. Mississippi is favored in this game, but I think they are going to need a big game from their defense to pull this one out. LSU has not been overly impressive on the offensive side of the ball this year, averaging only 25 points a game. On the other hand, Ole Miss is putting up 31 and 400+ yards of offense a game. This is going to be a tough game for the Tigers; Mississippi wins it by 7.
PICK: MISSISSIPPI
Eastern Kentucky @ Jacksonville St.
-On Thursday night Jacksonville St. demolished Tennessee Tech. That plays an important role in this game, because all the Colonels will have to do in order to win the OVC for a third straight year is beat the Gamecocks in Jacksonville on Saturday. Eastern is also trying to extend their streak of consecutive non-losing seasons. EKU is going to have a hard time handling a Jacksonville St. Offense that is scoring 35 a game. This one is going to be close but I like to Colonels to win the game and another conference championship.
PICK: EASTERN KENTUCKY
That's all for my football picks this week. Enjoy the football everyone!
GO TIGERS!
GO COLONELS!
Ohio St. ( -12) @ Michigan
No matter how poorly either of these teams has performed, the Buckeyes and Wolverines bring their A game for this one. Considered one of the best rivalries in all of sports, Ohio St. and Michigan will go at it this Saturday. Ohio St. has been rolling of late, beating Penn St. and Iowa in the last two weeks and clinching yet another trip to the Rose Bowl. After jumping out to a 4-0 record, the Wolverines have left 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7 (with the only win being against Delaware St.) I think this one will be close in the first half, but Ohio St. will eventually pull away and win by 17.
PICK: OHIO ST.
Virginia @ Clemson (-21.5)
-With a win on Senior Day in Death Valley, the Tigers will be heading to Tampa and to their first ACC Championship game. I think the key to this game is going to be the Virginia defense. Clemson has a number of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. By now everyone knows about CJ Spiller, but I think the big game is goign to come from Wide Receiver and return-man Jacoby Ford. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers handle the pressure of trying to wrap up a division title. I think Clemson wins pretty easily but I'm not sure if they cover the spread. I'm actually going to pick Clemson by 20, with a score of 30-10.
PICK: VIRGINIA
Kentucky @ Georgia (-9)
-Both of these teams come into this game with identical 6-4 records overall. One problem UK is going to face this Saturday is the potential lose of Sophomore Randall Cobb. In my opinion, Cobb has been the best offensive threat the Cats have had all year, leading the conference in touchdowns per game. Cobb didn't practice much this week and Coach Rich Brooks said he will be a game-time decision. With starting QB Mike Hartline already out, UK may need to rely on Cobb more than usual. Georgia has their big rivalry game next week against Georgia Tech and I think UK has a great chance to catch the Bulldogs looking ahead on their schedule. I think this one stays close for most of the game, but being between the hedges will prove too much for UK and their injuries. I like UGA by 10.
PICK: GEORGIA
LSU @ Mississippi (-4.5)
-LSU comes into this game at #8 and with hopes of sneaking into a BCS game. Mississippi is favored in this game, but I think they are going to need a big game from their defense to pull this one out. LSU has not been overly impressive on the offensive side of the ball this year, averaging only 25 points a game. On the other hand, Ole Miss is putting up 31 and 400+ yards of offense a game. This is going to be a tough game for the Tigers; Mississippi wins it by 7.
PICK: MISSISSIPPI
Eastern Kentucky @ Jacksonville St.
-On Thursday night Jacksonville St. demolished Tennessee Tech. That plays an important role in this game, because all the Colonels will have to do in order to win the OVC for a third straight year is beat the Gamecocks in Jacksonville on Saturday. Eastern is also trying to extend their streak of consecutive non-losing seasons. EKU is going to have a hard time handling a Jacksonville St. Offense that is scoring 35 a game. This one is going to be close but I like to Colonels to win the game and another conference championship.
PICK: EASTERN KENTUCKY
That's all for my football picks this week. Enjoy the football everyone!
GO TIGERS!
GO COLONELS!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Learning and Winning at the same time
Unlike the last two years under Billy Gillispie, the Cats are learning while winning at the same time in November. The 3-0 start is their best since the 2006-2007 season. Their schedule is considerably tougher as well. Last year the Cats appeared to actually be heading towards a good season when they found themselves at 16-4 overall, and 5-0 in the SEC last January. Those 16 wins, however, came in meaningless blowout wins over the likes of Delaware State, Longwood, Lamar, and Mississippi Valley State. They were defeating helpless teams ranked in the bottom 300's of the RPI rankings. After losing the opener to VMI, they followed up with forty and fifty point wins against the worst of the very worst teams in the nation, and obviously they did not improve and it showed in February as the Cats fell apart and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years.
This year, they opened up with a solid win over Morehead State, an NCAA Tournament team that returns everyone from a year ago. Then, they squeaked past the Miami Redhawks who were 15 of 26 behind the 3 point line. Miami is a team that could win the MAC, but more than likely won't have too many shooting performances anywhere close to the one they had Monday night. And then tonight, we saw almost the same story, as the Cats struggled again with perimeter defense giving up 18 threes. This time the overall defense was a little better and actually did do some good things. The Bearkats of SHSU did make 18 three's, but they made them in 38 attempts. They were outscored 48-18 in the paint and only made 11 shots inside the 3 point line the entire game. Their shots inside were blocked by Wildcat defenders 12 times. These teams knew that they have no shot against the Cats inside with Patterson, Cousins, and Orton holding down the fort down low. Both teams' (Miami and SHSU) knew their only chance was to jack up a bunch of three's, and they made a lot of them. Some of them were contested, and some not at all.
It doesn't get any easier on Saturday against Rider, another mid-major team expected to win their conference and go to the NCAA Tournament. According to Calipari, they are a better shooting team than both Miami and Sam Houston State. They lost to Virginia tonight, but defeated #18 Mississippi State in their opener. Then, the Cats travel to Cancun, Mexico to face a Cleveland State team that beat Syracuse and Wake Forest a year ago. Calipari schedules these teams for a couple of reasons. One reason is they end up winning 2o games in their respective conferences, and improve UK's overall schedule and RPI rating, which helps seeding in the NCAA Tournament. This is how Memphis ended up still having top 10 ranked schedules while playing in Conference USA. They did not play any really bad teams outside the conference at all. These teams also help a young team like UK get better, while still being able to win early on while preparing for the big games against UNC, UConn, Louisville, and of course SEC play.
Bottom line is: the Cats need to get much better at perimeter defense if they want to be a Championship team playing in April. It obviously needs a lot of work, but UMass played good defense, Memphis played good defense, and I have no doubts that this young Kentucky team will play very good all-around defense come March. In fact, their athletic ability alone should make them one of the better defensive teams in the country once they get focused and disciplined enough on both sides of the ball. The main issue is communication on the defensive side. Individually, a number of Cats' have solid numbers in steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds. They're just not playing good TEAM defense together and they're not communicating, which makes sense for a bunch of Freshman in November. They're still learning and adjusting to the college game (mainly on the defensive side), but take a look at these individual offensive (and defensive) numbers tonight.
John Wall: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2-4 from 3-pt.
Eric Bledsoe: 19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5-7 from 3-pt.
(good to see those two play well together tonight)
Darius Miller: 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 block, 3-6 from 3-pt.
Patrick Paterson: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block
And the MVP for probably the second straight game with another double double....
DeMarcus Cousins: 27 points, 18 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
One thing is certain: this team is very, very fun to watch individually. Once they put it all together collectively, they'll be very hard to beat.
I'll also predict this: UNC, UConn, and Louisville will certainly match up better with us inside....but none of these three teams will make 15 or more three pointers against us. It's just not going to happen. Even if our perimeter defense doesn't improve (I'm sure it will), at some point, teams (even the best ones on our schedule) are going to miss some shots and we will win 25 plus games, easily. The difference between a good 25 win season, and what we all expect and want (number 8) depends on how this team learns to play defense together.
This year, they opened up with a solid win over Morehead State, an NCAA Tournament team that returns everyone from a year ago. Then, they squeaked past the Miami Redhawks who were 15 of 26 behind the 3 point line. Miami is a team that could win the MAC, but more than likely won't have too many shooting performances anywhere close to the one they had Monday night. And then tonight, we saw almost the same story, as the Cats struggled again with perimeter defense giving up 18 threes. This time the overall defense was a little better and actually did do some good things. The Bearkats of SHSU did make 18 three's, but they made them in 38 attempts. They were outscored 48-18 in the paint and only made 11 shots inside the 3 point line the entire game. Their shots inside were blocked by Wildcat defenders 12 times. These teams knew that they have no shot against the Cats inside with Patterson, Cousins, and Orton holding down the fort down low. Both teams' (Miami and SHSU) knew their only chance was to jack up a bunch of three's, and they made a lot of them. Some of them were contested, and some not at all.
It doesn't get any easier on Saturday against Rider, another mid-major team expected to win their conference and go to the NCAA Tournament. According to Calipari, they are a better shooting team than both Miami and Sam Houston State. They lost to Virginia tonight, but defeated #18 Mississippi State in their opener. Then, the Cats travel to Cancun, Mexico to face a Cleveland State team that beat Syracuse and Wake Forest a year ago. Calipari schedules these teams for a couple of reasons. One reason is they end up winning 2o games in their respective conferences, and improve UK's overall schedule and RPI rating, which helps seeding in the NCAA Tournament. This is how Memphis ended up still having top 10 ranked schedules while playing in Conference USA. They did not play any really bad teams outside the conference at all. These teams also help a young team like UK get better, while still being able to win early on while preparing for the big games against UNC, UConn, Louisville, and of course SEC play.
Bottom line is: the Cats need to get much better at perimeter defense if they want to be a Championship team playing in April. It obviously needs a lot of work, but UMass played good defense, Memphis played good defense, and I have no doubts that this young Kentucky team will play very good all-around defense come March. In fact, their athletic ability alone should make them one of the better defensive teams in the country once they get focused and disciplined enough on both sides of the ball. The main issue is communication on the defensive side. Individually, a number of Cats' have solid numbers in steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds. They're just not playing good TEAM defense together and they're not communicating, which makes sense for a bunch of Freshman in November. They're still learning and adjusting to the college game (mainly on the defensive side), but take a look at these individual offensive (and defensive) numbers tonight.
John Wall: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2-4 from 3-pt.
Eric Bledsoe: 19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5-7 from 3-pt.
(good to see those two play well together tonight)
Darius Miller: 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 block, 3-6 from 3-pt.
Patrick Paterson: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block
And the MVP for probably the second straight game with another double double....
DeMarcus Cousins: 27 points, 18 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
One thing is certain: this team is very, very fun to watch individually. Once they put it all together collectively, they'll be very hard to beat.
I'll also predict this: UNC, UConn, and Louisville will certainly match up better with us inside....but none of these three teams will make 15 or more three pointers against us. It's just not going to happen. Even if our perimeter defense doesn't improve (I'm sure it will), at some point, teams (even the best ones on our schedule) are going to miss some shots and we will win 25 plus games, easily. The difference between a good 25 win season, and what we all expect and want (number 8) depends on how this team learns to play defense together.
Brian Brohm a Buffalo Bill
(try saying that ten times fast)
Former Trinity Shamrock and Louisville Cardinal Brian Brohm has been signed by the Buffalo Bills. In all honesty, this could be the perfect situation for Brohm to get an opportunity to take advantage of. Dick Jauron just got the axe, and Trent Edwards just got benched, leaving the VERY mediocre Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Bills' QB.
This is one of those opportunities where I will be rooting for an athlete to succeed even though I hated their guts in college based simply on what school they were playing for. Go get 'em Brian.
Jared Carter waived
On the other hand, Shagari Alleyne is battling 11 other guys, including Kevin Pittsnogle, in hopes of making the final 10-man roster for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Good luck, you goofy looking bastard.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Early Season Notes: On the court and on the recruiting trails.
#1 Kansas barely escaped Memphis in Josh Pastner's head coaching debut in an ugly shooting, offensive struggle for both teams.
#2 Michigan State almost lost as well, at home to Gonzaga.
#3 Texas won big, but only against Western Carolina.
And of course, #4 Kentucky squeaked past a smokin' hot-shooting Miami (Oh) team at the buzzer.
The only conclusion that I can come up with at this early stage of the season is that there aren't any dominant teams at this stage. There is no team that will dominate an entire season like North Carolina did a year ago as the pre-season #1 and eventual National Champion. Kansas and Kentucky obviously both have the talent to be very dominant towards the middle and end of the season, but they aren't there yet. I do not think the rankings should change that much, however, until these teams lose a game. They're all up there for a reason: their talent. No, Kentucky hasn't proven anything. But nobody has proven anything at this point of the season, so talent is all you can really go by.
Most impressive teams early on: Tennessee and Memphis
Why UT? Because anytime you win 124-49 in a regular season game, it raises eyebrows, even against UNC Asheville. The Vols could be a legit National Championship contender.
Why UM? Because not only did they almost knock off the #1 team in the nation in Pastner's first game, but on the very next day....Pastner signed the #1 recruiting class in the country so far in the early signing period for 2010. Memphis will remain a national power. A disciple of Coach Cal at Memphis, Pastner could be the game's best young coach and also a phenomenal recruiter. To put things into perspective of how young Pastner is, he was a walk-on player for the 1997 Arizona team for Lute Olson that defeated Kentucky to win the National Championship. Just think, Pastner being a head coach for a major D-1 program would be like Ron Mercer already being a big time head coach.
Speaking of recruiting, the Cats did not sign any additional players this week and are not expected to anytime soon. Rivals.com 4-Star Forward, Stacey Poole, remains the Cats' lone commitment at this point. However, the top 4 unsigned players in the nation are all strongly considering the Cats (Brandon Knight, Josh Selby, C.J. Leslie, and Terrence Jones). C.J. Leslie comes from the same high school as John Wall. Likely, all of these guys will wait to see which Wildcats end up staying or going to the NBA next season, before making their ultimate choice.
#2 Michigan State almost lost as well, at home to Gonzaga.
#3 Texas won big, but only against Western Carolina.
And of course, #4 Kentucky squeaked past a smokin' hot-shooting Miami (Oh) team at the buzzer.
The only conclusion that I can come up with at this early stage of the season is that there aren't any dominant teams at this stage. There is no team that will dominate an entire season like North Carolina did a year ago as the pre-season #1 and eventual National Champion. Kansas and Kentucky obviously both have the talent to be very dominant towards the middle and end of the season, but they aren't there yet. I do not think the rankings should change that much, however, until these teams lose a game. They're all up there for a reason: their talent. No, Kentucky hasn't proven anything. But nobody has proven anything at this point of the season, so talent is all you can really go by.
Most impressive teams early on: Tennessee and Memphis
Why UT? Because anytime you win 124-49 in a regular season game, it raises eyebrows, even against UNC Asheville. The Vols could be a legit National Championship contender.
Why UM? Because not only did they almost knock off the #1 team in the nation in Pastner's first game, but on the very next day....Pastner signed the #1 recruiting class in the country so far in the early signing period for 2010. Memphis will remain a national power. A disciple of Coach Cal at Memphis, Pastner could be the game's best young coach and also a phenomenal recruiter. To put things into perspective of how young Pastner is, he was a walk-on player for the 1997 Arizona team for Lute Olson that defeated Kentucky to win the National Championship. Just think, Pastner being a head coach for a major D-1 program would be like Ron Mercer already being a big time head coach.
Speaking of recruiting, the Cats did not sign any additional players this week and are not expected to anytime soon. Rivals.com 4-Star Forward, Stacey Poole, remains the Cats' lone commitment at this point. However, the top 4 unsigned players in the nation are all strongly considering the Cats (Brandon Knight, Josh Selby, C.J. Leslie, and Terrence Jones). C.J. Leslie comes from the same high school as John Wall. Likely, all of these guys will wait to see which Wildcats end up staying or going to the NBA next season, before making their ultimate choice.
Larry Johnson Press Conference
(http://media.masslive.com/sports_impact/photo/larry-johnson1117jpg-04de9e333f35ab48_large.jpg)Here is a link to the video of Larry Johnson's Press Conference from yesterday as he was officially introduced as a Cincinnati Bengal. It's funny to hear him say he is excited to join a good team when talking about the Bengals. Here's to hoping LJ can help carry Cincinnati deep into the playoffs.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Initial HS Basketball Rankings Released
(http://1stnews.org/images/rivals-high-100.jpg)
There are 3 Kentucky teams represented in the initial rankings: Holmes High School from Covington is ranked #22, Scott County from Georgetown is ranked #47, and Eastern High School from Louisville opens the season at #79.
To see the complete rankings click here
Azubuike out for year
The news I had been fearing finally became reality today as the Golden State Warriors announced that Kelenna Azubuike would undergo knee surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
Here's to a strong and healthy return next season.
Here's to a strong and healthy return next season.
Cox Appears on ESPN Radio!
(Photo courtesy of ESPN)Christian Cox, the IT Director of wildcatwrap.com, sent in an email to Sportscenter personality Scott Van Pelt this morning. Cox gave his thoughts on the game last night and it was aired on ESPN Radio this morning! Later on we will provide the email sent in as well as the audio, once our ESPN insider account is activated.
Wall's Shot, Dance Moves, Charlie's comment's, and Tonight's Picks
Here's a video of John Wall's heroics last night in the final seconds of action in his first college game.
Here's just a sweet video of Wall's dance moves.
Last night we gave you Coach Cal's comments on audio after the game, here is an entertaining video of Miami coach Charlie Coles.
Tonight's 24 hours of college basketball on ESPN concludes with two big games.
Louisville vs. Arkansas and Memphis vs. Kansas
My picks: Arkansas and Kansas.
Why: Because Arkansas returns everyone from a team that knocked off Texas and Oklahoma around this time last year (top 5 teams). Also, because former UK unforgettable and current Arkansas head coach, John Pelphrey, wants this game against his old coach and old rival, very badly. Louisville is a whole different team trying to find their identity, kind of like Kentucky last night. Memphis, is trying to find an identity even more without John Calipari and new coach Josh Pastner. They have the incredibly difficult challenge of facing the #1 team in the country, Kansas, in a rematch of the National Title game a few years ago. I think the Tigers will keep it closer than people think, but Kansas is just too much for them right now.
Here's just a sweet video of Wall's dance moves.
Last night we gave you Coach Cal's comments on audio after the game, here is an entertaining video of Miami coach Charlie Coles.
Tonight's 24 hours of college basketball on ESPN concludes with two big games.
Louisville vs. Arkansas and Memphis vs. Kansas
My picks: Arkansas and Kansas.
Why: Because Arkansas returns everyone from a team that knocked off Texas and Oklahoma around this time last year (top 5 teams). Also, because former UK unforgettable and current Arkansas head coach, John Pelphrey, wants this game against his old coach and old rival, very badly. Louisville is a whole different team trying to find their identity, kind of like Kentucky last night. Memphis, is trying to find an identity even more without John Calipari and new coach Josh Pastner. They have the incredibly difficult challenge of facing the #1 team in the country, Kansas, in a rematch of the National Title game a few years ago. I think the Tigers will keep it closer than people think, but Kansas is just too much for them right now.
Bengals sign Johnson to One Year Deal
(http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2008/10/large_LARRYJOHNSON.jpg)
Following a few days of speculation, the Bengals officially signed former Kansas City Pro-Bowl running back Larry Johnson to a one year deal. Basically, this deal boils down to a seven game contract since the team's plans with the running back is unclear after this year.
There have been arguments on both sides of the fence for this signing. On one hand, the Bengals have sured up their running back position. Starting running back, and MVP candidate, Cedric Benson left the game Sunday in Pittsburgh with a hip injury. The injury shouldn't keep Benson out of the lineup for too long, if at all, but Johnson provides some security at the position.
On the other hand, Johnson adds another player to the roster that has been trouble in the locker room in the past. It is no secret that Johnson had problems in Kansas City and was run out of town following a gay slur directed toward his former coach. Luckily, the Bengals have not had the personnel problems they have had in the past, so maybe Marvin Lewis and the front office feel that they can handle bringing Johnson into the mix.
I'm interested to hear what the Bengals' fans in cyberspace think about this signing. Personally, I'm split on this decision. Johnson is a former Pro-Bowler who the Bengals are getting at a huge discount (the Bengals will only pay him $255,290 for the remainder of the season). However, I am a big believer locker room chemistry and how it can affect the team, so I don't know if this was the best decision for the Bengals to make.
What do you all think?
Audio: John Calipari in post-game
Audio: John Calipari in post-game
And for the haters out there (I'm sure there's a lot of them tonight), Kentucky is not overrated. They actually proved a lot tonight in a great learning experience, and still came out with a win. Good teams get better and learn while still finding ways to win. And it's even more promising for such a young team to win a game like this in November against a team that shot 15 of 26 from behind the three point line and could likely win their conference and go to the NCAA Tournament (like all of the team's Calipari schedules early on). Everyone's predictions are right on. Yeah, they'll probably struggle a few times along the way early on...but should be as good as anyone when it's all said and done. Coach Calipari agrees, and I think he knows more than you do.
Mississippi State is not overrated either after LOSING to Rider (another solid future UK opponent)
Neither is 12th ranked Cal after beating Murray State only by five. It's November.
North Carolina also was not overrated when they LOST to Santa Clara in November in Roy Williams' first National Championship season with a young Tyler Hansborough. They did okay, UK will too.
And Louisville was not overrated last November after three or four early losses and almost losing to Georgetown College in exhibition play...they ended up a #1 seed.
And for the haters out there (I'm sure there's a lot of them tonight), Kentucky is not overrated. They actually proved a lot tonight in a great learning experience, and still came out with a win. Good teams get better and learn while still finding ways to win. And it's even more promising for such a young team to win a game like this in November against a team that shot 15 of 26 from behind the three point line and could likely win their conference and go to the NCAA Tournament (like all of the team's Calipari schedules early on). Everyone's predictions are right on. Yeah, they'll probably struggle a few times along the way early on...but should be as good as anyone when it's all said and done. Coach Calipari agrees, and I think he knows more than you do.
Mississippi State is not overrated either after LOSING to Rider (another solid future UK opponent)
Neither is 12th ranked Cal after beating Murray State only by five. It's November.
North Carolina also was not overrated when they LOST to Santa Clara in November in Roy Williams' first National Championship season with a young Tyler Hansborough. They did okay, UK will too.
And Louisville was not overrated last November after three or four early losses and almost losing to Georgetown College in exhibition play...they ended up a #1 seed.
You know things are going good when a freshman scores 19 and makes the game winning shot, another freshman has a double-double in basically one half of play, another key freshman gets 7 stitches and comes back in the game to contribute, you have only one upperclassman that plays significant minutes, it's November, you have a new coach and offense, and you come back to win from 18 points and people are STILL disappointed in your performance.
And you know the funny thing is, it's not the so called "delusional" Kentucky fans that are screaming about this game. It's the "rational" fans of that other team in the state...
The same people that would turn around and call us impatient if we said the same things about our team that they're saying.
I'm thinking about dedicating a post tomorrow to my text messages during and after the game...their obsession with us is absolutely hilarious. The only problem with doing that is that I received so many that I lost space in my phone and had to delete a bunch of them. I know, amazing isn't it? I don't think I've EVER sent a text to a UofL fan during one of their games, because I don't really care, unless it's against us. I bet half the people texting me don't even know who UofL is playing their opening game against. Anyway...
Enjoy the postgame audio!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wall to the Rescue!
(Photo courtesy of Kentucky.com)
Was tonight's game what we expected? Absolutely not. But relax Kentucky fans. Ask yourself this: "What team in the country would win substantially over a team that shot 15 of 26 from behind the 3 point line?" 15 of 26. That's incredible. Heck, how many teams could win a game period with that kind of performance against them? Miami's Nick Winbush knocked down 8 of 10 all by himself. Kansas, North Carolina, or anyone else would have had their hands full against that type of shooting by the Redhawks tonight. There's not much you can do about a guy having a night like that, especially when it is not expected and you have only had three days to prepare and scout this team since Friday evening's opener. Miami, on the other hand, has had this game circled on their calendar all summer long. Miami shot the lights out and would have played with anyone tonight, and hats off to Charlie Coles, Nick Winbush, and the Redhawks. It was Miami's Superbowl. They hear it all up in Southwest Ohio about Wildcat basketball and take it from a Northern Kentuckian...they hate our guts. For the Cats, it was just another game, only three days after their opener against Morehead State.If you can't see the talent out there and see what Calipari is going to do with it, than you just don't have a very high basketball IQ. The turnovers need to be cut down and Wall and Bledsoe need to learn to play together, but this was their very first time in game action on the court at the same time. Bledsoe looked like an All-American as he led the Cats with 24 points a few nights ago. Tonight, he was only 1 of 5 from the field for 2 points. Currently, the Cats' offense probably works better with only one of the two in the lineup at the same time. With them in together, the offense was actually a little too fast and uncontrolled at times tonight. But, keep in mind, this was their first time ever playing in a game situation together, including exhibition play. In the long run, these two are going to be unstoppable together come March.
The more I think and reflect on tonight's game, however, I can find more positives from this one than negatives. A freshman led team learning a new offense and a new coach found themselves down by eighteen points. Demarcus Cousins was on the bench early and in foul trouble and wouldn't see significant action until the second half. Then, Daniel Orton had to leave the game to get seven stitches after being head-butted near his eye and nearly smacked around by a blatant elbow. Orton would return and finish with six points and two steals in 12 minutes of play. All of a sudden, with Cousins and Orton out in the first half, this was once again Patrick Patterson's team in the post. Patrick as well as the sharp shooting of Darnell Dodson and Darius Miller helped the Cats claw back in the 1st half. In the second half, after a talk with Coach Cal, Cousins got back into the game and dominated with 10 points and 10 rebounds, earning himself a double-double entirely in the second half alone as Cousins and the heroics of John Wall took over in the second half, in his highly anticipated first game as a Wildcat. Wall would eventually lead the way with 19 points and hit the game winning shot.
This team refused to lose, they have heart, they're tough, and they found out a lot about themselves tonight. Calipari stated that he was "ecstatic" when he saw that they were down 18. He wanted to see what they had in them. You could see it in their eyes. They refused to lose. They matured and gained invaluable experience playing from behind that will help these young freshman down the road this season. They learned their flaws that need to be corrected and they learned what it is like to play in a high intensity game at Rupp with 24,000 fans screaming their heads off. They also found out that John Wall is their "go-to guy" in a last second situation. They found out all these things, while still winning. Keep in mind folks, these kids are 18 years old. They passed this early test presented to them tonight with flying colors. Could they have learned and improved as much as they did tonight with a 30 point win? I don't think so. They were also a bit humbled tonight. Maybe, just maybe, this was the best thing that could have possibly happened to them.
You know what else was refreshing? Watching Calipari coach his guts off tonight. Remember when Gillispie would just sit there with that sarcastic little smirk on his face down 15 by Gardner Webb? It was also refreshing to hear Coach Cal give a fantastic postgame interview with Tom Leach. He had a whole lot to say and was overall very pleased with being able to win against that kind of a shooting performance and that big of a deficit with such a young team. Remember Gillispie's post game interviews? "We got whipped," was just about the only phrase that would ever come out of his mouth."They kept telling themselves", Calipari said, "We are not losing this, we are
not losing this game."
Going into this season, I wasn't sure if these guys would play with the passion that they played with tonight. For a group of potentially one-and-done players, they love being here and are loving this experience. They know that this experience at Kentucky is one that they'll treasure, and they all want to leave a legacy here. Most importantly, they're having fun and they love their coach and want to play hard for him. Having fun, along with the positive attitude that Calipari has brought in and given these players, is the difference in winning and losing games like this under the previous and current regime.
Remember Adam Leonard?
The former wannabe Doug Gottlieb and EKU basketball standout helped lead his new team, the Missouri State Bears to a 73-62 win over the Auburn Tigers. Leonard had 14 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists. He shot 5 of 8 including 4 of 7 from downtown. A big game for the former Colonel as he looks to make big noise in a mid-major conference.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What a Weekend for the Big Blue...and oh yeah, WHO DEY!
FRIDAY: KENTUCKY 75, MOREHEAD STATE 59
What a weekend it was for Kentucky sports fans. It all started on Friday night when the Calipari era officially began with a solid 16 point win against an NCAA tournament team that returned four starters and an NBA Draft prospect. They did it without John Wall, and once again, Eric Bledsoe played fantastic at the point and even made the #1 play on Sportscenter. Eric Bledsoe is about the best back-up point guard I've seen since Wayne Turner backed up Tony Delk in 1996. I can't wait to see these two guys play together for the first time tomorrow night against Miami University. If Bledsoe sticks around, this kid is going to be very special. He set a new record for the most points for a UK freshman in thier first game ever with 24 points. Kentucky basketball is back in every way imaginable.
Morehead had the talent to pull another Gardner Webb or VMI, but those days are over. This was a game the Cats could have lost in the past two years playing nervous and mentally stressed from the mind games and coaching tactics of their former coach. This year, you can sense that everyone is just having fun and playing loose, and letting their talent simply take over. They know that the pressure and expectations are as high as they possibly could be, but it's just not bothering them in any way. The expectations of having to win every game is not anything new to Calipari's teams. At Memphis, his teams were expected to win every conference game, and they did. They were circled on every team's calendar in Conference USA as the biggest game of the year. Things are obviously no different at Kentucky. And not once, after UofL, Cincinnati, Marquette, Depaul, and South Florida left the league, did Memphis ever get beat by an inferior team in the conference. Not even a solid UAB or Houston team ever walked away with a victory over Memphis during that stretch, even though those same two teams were good enough to beat a Kentucky team filled with 4 and 5 star recruits in 2007.
It was also great to see Patterson stepping up and scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds after struggling in two exhibition games. He must have seen that I picked Jarvis Varnardo over him in my 1st Team All-SEC selections. If true, I actually feel like I had an impact on his play for motivating Patrick to prove me wrong! You know when he recently said that KSR was his most visited website, he was actually probably confused and meant to say that it was Wildcat Wrap.
SATURDAY: KENTUCKY 24, VANDY 13
For the fourth straight year, Kentucky football will be playing in a bowl game. That statement has never been made in the history of this program until Saturday when the Cats reached bowl eligibility for the fourth straight year with a win at Commonwealth Stadium Southwest. There was a sea of blue in Nashville to watch the Cats make history against the Commodores. With a
couple of big but attainable wins over Georgia and Tennessee, the Cats could even be playing in a very large and meaningful bowl game. If they're able to win one of the last two, the Peach Bowl is a likely destination on New Years Eve for the Cats in Atlanta. If they win both, it's possible that they could be packing their bags for Tampa for the Outback Bowl against Penn State or Iowa. To even be in this position is impressive with everything that this team has gone through. They went through a brutal 3 week stretch early on against Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina and came out of the first five games with a 2-3 record.
They had one of the worst quarters you could ever imagine against Florida, but they battled back to make it a respectable final outcome. The next week, there were more than a few questionable calls that went in Alabama's favor that if not made, would have been a totally different game. The week after that, the Cats' led almost the entire game and Mike Hartline was playing his best game of his career. Then, he got hurt and the Cats let one slip away in a devastating 2 point loss to South Carolina. Just as Hartline had finally solidified himself as "the guy", he gets hurt and the Cats are forced to switch to a three quarterback rotation. Amazingly, the three headed quarterback of true freshman Morgan Newton, Will Fidler, and Randall Cobb each had a rushing touchdown and shocked a 5-1 Auburn team on the road. Morgan Newton would eventually emerge as the primary quarterback as a true freshman and has struggled at times like a true freshman in the SEC should struggle (remember when Matthew Stafford lost to UK and Vandy as a true freshman in 2006?).
But, in the end, Newton has won 2 out of 3 SEC games with the help of Randall Cobb doing just about everything except kicking field goals. Cobb and Derrick Locke combined for 144 rushing yards after the duo both sat out last week's game against EKU. Locke even completed a pass for a gain of 41 yards to Morgan Newton who was lined up as a receiver while Cobb was under center. Cobb made a reverse handoff to Locke, and then Locke found Newton wide open down field. On the very next play, Cobb was in the "Wildcobb" formation again and ran it 21 yards into the endzone to give the Cats a 7-0 lead. Plays like these are ones that need to be called more often from Joker Phillips for the next two years with Randall Cobb. If he's utilized to his full potential, he will emerge as college football's best player by his senior year.
Along with the heroics of Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke, Newton has stepped up when his number was called as a freshman quarterback and put UK in a position to possibly play in a very big bowl game. With the announcement that Hartline will have season ending surgery, Newton has the chance to do something that hasn't been done in Lexington in a very long time: beat Tennessee.
"It is a huge step and you can't downplay that in my mind because it's never happened," UK coach Rich Brooks said about reaching a fourth straight bowl game. "But at the same token we're not happy with where we are at this stage. We had a close one get away at South Carolina and we didn't play as well as we're capable against Mississippi State. We'd be looking a lot better right now if we had won one of those. Those were very tough losses but I'm proud of how the team has bounced back. Now we just want to climb the ladder a little higher."
Beating Georgia and Tennessee to cap off the regular season would certainly help the Cats climb up that SEC ladder that Coach Brooks keeps on talking about. In a few years, when Newton is a junior and Randall Cobb is a senior, hopefully the tandem will take this program to the unimaginable next level: the BCS.
"It's significant. We won't be satisfied with a 6-6 finish but we've taken one step from the bottom of the SEC to the middle of the pack and now we've got to build toward the top," senior defensive tackle Corey Peters said.
SUNDAY: BENGALS 18, STEELERS 12
(Photo courtesy of Cincinnati.com)
Last but certainly not least, I absolutely have to give a shout out to WHO DEY NATION! The Bengals completed the sweep today against the defending Super Bowl Champs, and it is in no way delusional now to start talking about the Lombardi trophy coming to Cincinnati. With games coming up against Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit...the Bengals could be looking at a 10-2 record. Yes, 10-2, (could be 11-1 if not for the immaculate deflection in week 1 against Denver). They could also complete an undefeated season in the AFC North with a win against Cleveland. Then, if they're able to knock off Brett Favre and the Vikings, the Bengals could seriously win out.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Boise St./Idaho Rivalry
Sports fans will go to some great lengths to support their team, especially against an in-state rival, but I have never heard this before.
Check out this article from www.espn.com and let me know what you think about it. I want to see what the readers would do if they were in the situation.
Brown's Picks - College Football Week 11
I knew last week was a potential disappoint for me. I picked some of the right winners, but the spread is what did me in. I went a dismal 2-6 last week, which brings my overall record to 7-9. Hopefully, this week will treat me better. It’s a shorter list of games because I’ll also be doing some of the big College Basketball games for this weekend.
West Virginia @ Cincinnati (-9.5)
Huge Friday night game in the race for the Big East Championship. Sophomore Zach Collaros will be starting again for the Bearcats but Cincy coach Brain Kelly has said Tony Pike will get some playing time. Cincinnati is coming off a nail-biter against UCONN last week, but I expect the Bearcat Defense to show up tonight. This is a game Cincinnati needs to win before the big matchup with Pitt in a couple weeks. I think WVU keeps it close, but the Bearcats pull it out with a 10 points victory, just barely covering
PICK : CINCINNATI
Iowa @ Ohio St. (-16.5)
This is the Big Ten Championship game. Terrelle Pryor looked pretty good last week at Penn St. He was effective running and throwing the ball and looked like the QB Buckeyes fans have been waiting for. On the other side of the field, the Hawkeyes are coming off a crushing loss to Northwestern and will be playing without starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who had surgery on his ankle after injuring it in last week’s loss. Iowa has been in every game this year and I don’ expect anything different this weekend. The Buckeyes win, but not by 17 points.
PICK: IOWA
Clemson (-8) @ NC State
Clemson is in the driver’s seat to win the ACC Atlantic Division and potentially win their first conference championship since 1990. The Tigers’ offense has been rolling, scoring 38 points in four straight games for the first time in the program’s history. Kyle Parker and CJ Spiller should have a big day against an NC State defense that is allowing almost 30 points a game. Clemson shouldn’t have too much trouble with a struggling Wolfpack. Clemson wins this one by 13.
PICK: CLEMSON
Kentucky (-3) @ Vanderbilt
The Wildcats need this one. Kentucky is going into Nashville with a 5-4 (1-4) record. A win this Saturday would make them bowl eligible, and just in time; their last two games are between the Hedges in Athens, GA and at home against an up-and-down Tennessee teams. Those games are winnable for the Cats, but I’m sure they would feel much better going into those games with a bowl already wrapped up. Vanderbilt shouldn’t be much of a test for Kentucky; the Commodores have a scoring margin of -5.8 this year. I think 3 points is a pretty low spread, I see the Cats winning by double digits.
Utah @ TCU (-19.5)
It seems funny to say this about a game in the Mountain West, but this is a big game on the national scene. TCU leap frogged (pun definitely intended) Cincinnati last week to move to #4 in the BCS standings. I had a chance to see TCU earlier this year when they visited Death Valley and handed my Tigers a loss. Let me tell you, they are the real deal. Quarterback Andy Dalton is the real deal and has the HornedFrogs rolling. This game may be in Forth Worth but Utah is very familiar with TCU and ended the Frogs’ hopes at a BCS birth a year ago. TCU will win this game, but not by 20 points.
PICK: UTAH
This is an abbreviated version of Brown’s Pick for Football this week. Check back later tonight for my run-down of some of the big basketball games this weekend.
GO TIGERS!!!
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