They came back from a 19 point deficit to tie it up in the final seconds. They fought hard and showed a lot of heart. There is no quit in these Cats.
The play of Darius Miller and his role in that 2nd half comback
The play of John Wall, obviously.
The fact that they were able to make such a huge comback without effective three point shooting is simply remarkable.
Talent took over in that second half for a period of time, but Tennessee showcased their exceptional talent as well in the first half and in the final minutes to seal the deal on their 2nd win over an elite program this season in Thompson-Bowling Arena.
Wednesday night in Athens will be the last time the Cats play in a hostile road environment. After that, they'll be playing in the comfort of the Big Blue Nation wherever they travel to throughout the month of March. This team is undefeated at home and at neutral sites, let's hope it stays that way.
The 44th SEC Championship and #1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament still appear to be safe.
The Bad
After this game, I've come to a realization that three point shooting IS an issue with this team. 2 for 12 behind the arc is good enough for this team to win, but not 2 for 22.
The Cats need to either make more three's, shoot less of them, or rebound, dominate in the paint, and earn second chance points the way that they have in 27 out of 29 games this year.
And that's about it. I see more positives than negatives from this loss. The Cats played fundamentally well and did not turn the ball over, they just simply did not shoot the basketball well. The Vols had everything to gain and the Cats have already just about wrapped up a 44th SEC Championship and #1 seed. With Kansas and Purdue losing as well, the Cats still firmly stand as a #1 seed. It was a tremendous college basketball game and I look forward to a rematch in the SEC Tournament.
There was magic in Rupp Arena last night, both literally and figuratively. There was magic throughout the game as the Cats put together one of their best highlight reels of the season in their 82-61 rout over South Carolina to avenge their only loss of the season. The Cats also currently can claim that they have defeated every team that they have played this year, a feat that has only been accomplished by one Kentucky team at the end of a season: the 34-2 1996 Cats who split with Mississippi State and avenged their early loss to John Calipari'sUMass team in an eventual meeting in the Final Four.
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, as well as NBA Hall of Famer, Ervin "Magic" Johnson joined the long list of stars that have graced their presence through Rupp Arena this season to watch these super talented Wildcats. The presence of Roethlisberger, "Magic", Lebron, Drake, Mike Tomlin, Ashley Judd, and Eddie Montgomery at games this year are a testament to the Cats' emergence once again as the premiere program in college basketball in every sense of the imagination.
Ervin Johnson, however, was not the only "Magic" in Rupp last night. In fact, there's been a spark of magic in these Cats since their only loss in Columbia on January 26th that has made a world of a difference in this team. It's something that was missing throughout the season, and especially in that game at USC, that has been prominent ever since that game. What is it you ask? The dominating performance of Patrick Patterson that we had been accustomed to before the "new kids on the block" came in town this year. Before the season, Patrick Patterson was looked as the Cats' only veteran starter whom would lead the Cats this year and be a strong National Player of the Year Candidate. Instead, Patrick has at times been ineffective and has lost the spotlight to talented Freshman DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall. However, since that loss in South Carolina, Patrick has emerged along with Cousins to be an unstoppable force in the paint (and beyond the arc).
Here is what Patterson did in Columbia in the loss to USC and what he has done since that game:
Patterson had a quiet and ineffective five point performance and let the smaller Gamecocks out rebound the Cats (the leading rebounding team in the nation).
The next game he was 3 of 4 from the 3 point line against Vanderbilt at Rupp
Patterson has continued to hit a three point shot in EVERY GAME since his poor performance in Columbia (that's 8 straight games- and the big guy only has 2-3 attempts per game from deep range)
He then had back to back double-double performances that made the difference in close road games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt
Then on Thursday night, he capped that off with his highest point total of the season with 23 points and 8 rebounds
Patrick has recently played himself back into being a Top 10 pick in the NBA Draft, as he was considered to be before the season started. And with Patterson playing like this, along with Cousins being Cousins, John Wall being John Wall, and DeAndreLiggins NOT being the same Liggins we saw a year ago- the Cats' can't be beaten, not with this version of Patterson.
The Cats face the Vols tomorrow in yet another brutally tough road game to clinch at least a share of what would be it's 44th SEC Championship.
On Thursday, Kentucky basketball fans have the privilege of watching four straight hours of UK basketball. Of course, ESPN will have the Cats' re-match at Rupp with Devan Downey and South Carolina at 9:00. But that isn't the only big game for the Blue and White which will be televised that night. At 7:00 on Fox Sports Net, Matthew Mitchell's 16th ranked UK Women's Hoops team brings their 23-4 record into Knoxville to face Pat Summit and the 5th ranked Lady Vols. The UK Women are firmly in 2nd place in the SEC Standings, behind only Tennessee. They were projected as a 4th seed in this weeks' ESPN Bracketology. With a win over the Lady Vols, they could break into the Top 10 and be in a pretty good position to earn a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
It's unfortunate that the Women's team has risen in a year like 2010, when the success of Coach Cal's Cats grab all the attention in Lexington. Could you imagine the attention the Women's team could have had LAST SEASON if they were playing this well while the Men's team fell apart and missed the NCAA Tournament? It's also unfortunate because if they were this good about a decade ago, they might have a legitimate shot at a National Title. However, UConn's current Women's team is proving to be one of the greatest dynasties in the history of college sports and they show no signs of losing a single game anytime soon. Perhaps, the UK Women can luckily find themselves in the opposite side of the bracket as the Lady Huskies and be the 2nd straight team from the Commonwealth to lose to them in the National Championship game (The Louisville Lady Cards were the runner-ups a year ago).
When you think about Thursday's double header of two nationally ranked UK basketball programs, as well as the current nationally ranked and undefeated UK baseball team (with three wins in three games thus far over Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and #12 Coastal Carolina), and of course the unprecedented fourth straight Bowl appearance last December in Nashville for the football program, it makes me ponder whether or not the University of Kentucky Athletics' program is currently at an all-time high. The man responsible in leading this Athletic Department, Mitch Barnhart, found himself in jeopardy of losing his job at this time just a year ago despite the progress in virtually every sport at UK except one.
The one sport that was not making progress was Men's basketball, and every Athletics Director that has been here knows that the success of any A.D. in Lexington lingers directly on the state of Kentucky basketball, undoubtedly the premiere team of the school and of the entire Commonwealth. Mitch Barnhart knew that despite the success his teams have had across the board, that in order to keep his job, he couldn't afford to hire another Billy Gillispie. Last spring, he was able to preserve the Kentucky basketball program at a time that if it had continued under the same path it was taking, had the potential to lose it's elite status for a significant period of time if he did not make the necessary changes and hire the absolute right man for the job. Remember, it was not a popular decision at the time amongst the national media who blasted Barnhart and Kentucky for getting rid of an "up and coming" coach after just two seasons and they doubted his ability to bring in anyone else that would make UK basketball a Final Four contender anytime in the near future. Obviously, the media critics could not have been more wrong. Barnhart needed a slam dunk hire, and he hired the absolute right man for the job in John Calipari.
Yes, Barnhart made a terrific hire to restore the legacy of Kentucky's Men's basketball program. But let's not forget that he also stood by Rich Brooks through the two and three win seasons to eventually go to a school record four straight Bowl Games, and winning three of them. Let's not forget either that Matthew Mitchell was a slam dunk hire as well for the Women's program, that he appointed Joker Phillips as a "head coach in waiting" back in 2007 and the football program is now more stable than it has ever been since the Bear Bryant days in the 1950's. Do not look past the fact that the baseball program won the SEC Championship in 2006 and has been a contender ever since in college baseball's best conference. And what about the programs you might not even know about? Did you know Kentucky's Volleyball team won 29 games last year and was ranked as high as 7th in the nation? The Men's Soccer Team was nationally ranked as well. For years, UK has been known as a school that has won in absolutely nothing except in Men's basketball.
Currently, the Men's basketball team is enjoying one of their best seasons in its storied history while all of the other programs are enjoying very rare success as well. Big Blue Nation should be proud of Coach Calipari and his Cats, but they also should applaud Mitch Barnhart and the tremendous job he has done with every one of his programs at Kentucky. Thursday night should be a night in which the Cats take care of business in Rupp Arena against the South Carolina team that upset them in Columbia earlier this season, but hopefully the Women's team will come out of Knoxville with even a bigger win; a program changing win which would match the significance of the football team's win over #1 LSU in the 2007 season. I encourage all of Big Blue Nation to stand behind both Blue and White basketball teams this Thursday, starting at 7:00. Go Cats!
I apologize on the late post, but I watched the game in Richmond last night at my Fraternity's Alumni Event that evening at EKU. If you ever go to Madison Gardens in Richmond, try their wings. They've got a unique blend of dry spices they put on them. It's a unique taste, but good and affordable on a college student budget. However, I do not suggest you watch a UK game there. The TV's are small and not situated too well. I generally like the place (despite the not so flattering reviews), I just don't recommend watching a UK game there. Other than the defensive heroics of John Wall in the final minute, the dominating performance of Cousins in limited play due to foul trouble, and the double-double performance by Patterson, it was kind of difficult to keep track of what was going on in the game with the TV set up. This time, instead of writing about the actual game, I'm going to write about the people I watched it with, the guy's that I call my Fraternity brothers.
It's always great to catch up with friends from school and it's even better when some of them can't stand the Cats. There's nothing more amusing and entertaining than watching someone get their hopes up that the Cats are going to go down, then- John Wall makes one of the most spectacular defensive plays I've ever seen at the end of the game to seal the win and also the hopes of haters everywhere. At EKU, you definitely have a lot of die-hard Cat fans that grew up watching the Cats their entire life. However, you also have a fraction of the student body from the Louisville area- many of which are UK fans and many of which are of course Little Brother fans. There's also a large chuck of students that come down from Ohio for a more affordable education.
The Buckeye's that attend EKU are even more delusional and obnoxious than even the Louisville fans, especially in football season. I don't understand how a fan base of such a great traditional football program finds so much joy in picking on and downplaying the success of a program like Kentucky that is making great strides and improvement each year in the nation's toughest conference. You don't see UK fans obsessive over OSU basketball because you know when you're unquestionably the best program in your sport, you don't spend too much time worrying about second rate programs. The Buckeye fans, deep down, aren't as confident about their place atop the mountain of college football as they would like you to think. If they were more confident in their program being the best in their sport, they wouldn't find it necessary to ridicule a football program like Kentucky's, that has struggled historically to finish in the top half of their conference on a yearly basis. When you ARE a second rate program (and I admit- Kentucky is one of those traditionally in football but that is changing), you are constantly rooting against and hating on the traditional powers even though they don't really care about your team at all.
These are the typical characteristics of the UK haters that I went to school with, and if you mention a certain Big Ten team's record against SEC schools in Bowl Games, they'll bring up some silly, obscure stat they looked up in one individual season and claim that the SEC is not dominant or even significantly tougher than the Big Ten on a consistant yearly basis (Matt Nunn). Their confidence and pride, or lack thereof, in their own programs (Louisville, Cincy, OSU) never fails to make me laugh and definitely also makes me thankful that I was born and raised on the right side of the Ohio River and grew up to Bleed Blue. However, I also want to thank these guys, because without the constant facebook arguments over Kentucky sports that even caused a group of Cardinal fans to protest my facebook membership is what encouraged me to create this site, a place where I can share my "biased and ridiculous" comments and opinions without rubbing people (opposing fans) the wrong way on facebook. Without them, Wildcat Wrap- which is nearing its 5,000th hit, would probably not exist.
Last night was one of those nights that I got to experience watching a UK game with a few of those haters, but also with some great Cat fans as well including Eli Roberts and Josh Ford- whom I thank for hooking me up with some great tickets a few weeks ago, 3 rows behind Alabama's bench in Rupp! Eli wanted his "shout out" on the wrap, and there it is (I had to find a way to work it in). And for the 26th time this year, myself, Eli, Ford, Cox, Jake, Burton and the rest of my Big Blue Fraternity Brethren enjoyed the last laugh Saturday night in Richmond as the Cats escaped with a hard fought victory in Memorial Gym for the first time since 2005 and almost certainly secured an SEC Regular Season Championship.
All week long, DeMarcus Cousins received thousands of racist text messages and phone calls from Mississippi State students and fans. Cousins, who had a reputation as a player that could easily lose his temper, stayed cool and composed throughout the heat of a battle in a rowdy crowd in the deep south. Once again, the trend continues of every team's fans absolutely bringing their loudest and largest crowds for when the Cats come to town but unfortunately this time, it got out of hand.
Cousins stayed composed, while MSU fans threw bottles on the court and an MSU player even refused to shake his hand. Cousins just kept walking and showed a lot of class and maturity tonight. I'm not wanting to teach a history lesson here, but I've got to throw this out there- you witnessed tonight why Adolph Rupp was not able to bring African American players to Kentucky for so many years. If it's like this in Starkville in 2010, imagine what it would have been like in the 1950's and 60's.
Moving on- THREE players scored in double figures tonight for the Cats (Wall, Cousins, and Patterson).
Wall, our point guard, out-rebounded Jarvis Vernardo AND was only two assists away from a triple double. Wall's line tonight was 18 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks and was perhaps his best all-around game as a Wildcat. Patterson also stepped up and had the huge game that we had been waiting for and had been accustomed to seeing in his first two seasons in Lexington. Patrick had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks; however, tonight- the center of attention was DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins. Everyone wanted to see how "Big Cuz" would respond to the fans. Boogie was calm, cool, and collective tonight with 19 points and 14 rebounds. The only response, besides his play, that Cousins showed was a simple gesture with two words to the fans: "CALL ME!". A simple hand motion known as "the John Wall dance" has become a sensation in the Commonwealth, and Cousins' small gesture to the record setting crowd at MSU will also make its own mark on what has become a DREAM SEASON in Lexington thus far.
Other Notes and Observations:
DeAndreLiggins continues to earn the trust of John Calipari. He played 25 minutes tonight and was on the floor at the end of regulation and throughout the entire overtime period. His three point shot with 2:44 left in the game with the Cats down 7 points was EPIC! DeAndre now has a major role on this team as not only one of the best hustlers, but one of the best shooters.
Cousins continues to lead the nation in points and rebounds per minute, and it's not even close. The Cats got some calls down the stretch, but it went both ways the entire game. Cousins continues NOT to get the fouls called against him, but found himself in foul trouble most of the game. He scored his 19 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes of play and only 25 minutes in regulation.
Patterson was able to step up in Cousins' absence. Unfortunately during that same stretch, Daniel Orton was offensively ineffective tonight as he went 1-4 from the field and 0-1 from the free throw line.
Darius Miller's 9 points off the bench deserves mention and cannot be forgot in a close battle like tonight.
But without a doubt, this night belonged to DeMarcus Cousins, who purposely did not change his phone number this week because he wanted to hear what MSU fans had to say to him AFTER the game. Cousins is starting to be a fan favorite in the Commonwealth in what truly has become a dream season in Lexington!
To highlight the interview, Reece says that he admits that most of the fans did not show up to see their show, but to exhibit their passion to the rest of the country, "which quite frankly, is simply unmatched," he says. He also goes on to say that he usually doesn't like to rank Gameday appearances because he doesn't want it to get on the Internet and be a shot against other schools, but in this case, he has not experienced anything like he did in Lexington on Saturday. When he looks back on his entire career, Reece ranks Saturday's Gameday Show as possibly the most incredible thing he's ever been a part of. Reece is one of the few employees of the Worldwide Leader of Sports that truly understands and appreciates college basketball's greatest program and fan base.
Be sure to check back with us here at Wildcat Wrap as we "Wrap up" tomorrow night's battle with Mississippi State in Starkville. Just like the Wall/Downey matchup a few weeks ago, the Jarvis Vernardo matchup with Cousins and Patterson in the post will be another one to take a close look at. One of the few dark spots in the Tennessee win was a single digit performance by Cousins, ending his seven game streak of putting up a "Double-Double". It was Cousins' worst game of the season and he'll need to rebound from it against the nations best shot blocker on Tuesday. If it's another quiet game for Cousins, than Bledsoe and Wall might have to take over again.
When the University began to publicize their goal of getting 24,000 people to fill up Rupp for a TV show on a Saturday morning, many were a bit skeptic and thought it had the chance to be an embarrassing epic fail on national television. I too, had my doubts, but I tried to rally the troops as much as I could, buying 8 tickets myself and spreading the word to every Cat fan I knew. The entire Big Blue Nation rallied together and proved once again, that nobody does it quite like us. Some may call us cocky or obnoxious, but days like Saturday give us the right to be. We don't just have a really good basketball team, but we rally behind them and show unbelievable support, even in seasons like last year, that is unparallelled to anywhere else.
When you have that much pride, passion, and support that we all displayed on Saturday, with a total of probably about 40,000 different people (as Coach Cal pointed out...most of us there Saturday morning did not have tickets to the game that night) throughout the course of that day walking into Rupp and making noise, we have the right to be very proud! We have the right to pump our chests out because we're not like your stereotypical fair weatherUNC or Duke fan that likes a team for no other reason than the fact that they're really good. At Kentucky, it's just so much more than the team itself. It's being a part of the Big Blue Nation and the passion that comes along with it that is simply absent at other schools. It's about feeling connected with our program, something that Coach Cal understands and has done a brilliant job of doing this season!
Whenever The Nation has an opportunity to show everyone else just how big we are, we come out in full force. Whether it be for Midnight Madness, Gameday, preseason tournaments in Mexico, or the SEC Tournament, the Nation is everywhere and it always steps up when called upon. Perhaps, the next Big Blue record setting attendance event could be in Commonwealth Stadium? Cal talked about having Madness there this year, and it could be a possibility again next year. Hopefully they'll also be having a pretty big event in early April when the team comes back from winning #8 in Indianapolis.
UK promoted the opportunity to sell Gameday out and actually distribute tickets (which hasn't even been done before for the show) and of course, the fans responded. The team responded as well, as they have all year long in hyped up crowds at Rupp, with a double digit win over the 12th ranked Volunteers. The Bob Knight-less Gameday crew did a great job interviewing Calipari and putting together a piece on the "John Wall Dance". The event also included a game of HORSE afterwords with Wildcat Legends Chuck Hayes, Jodie Meeks (in town for the Tennessee game- how fitting), Kyle Macy, Richie Farmer, Goose Givens, Wayne Turner, Tony Delk, Scott Padgett, Cameron Mills, and Kenny Sky Walker, among others. Capping off the night with a win, it was a great day in Lexington!
Below are a few pics I was able to take from my upper level seats. Enjoy.
"The trip to Kentucky will be unlike anything GameDay has ever seen. Rupp will be rocking. I have a deep appreciation for the tradition of the great programs. There's something magical about that big blue jersey. When those fans fill Rupp Saturday morning, pulling off a GameDay first with a sold-out house, it will give an exclamation point to what's obvious. The Cats are back!" -ESPN's Reece Davis, he "gets it".
Reece Davis understands Kentucky basketball. Guys like Bob Knight and Digger Phelps don't because they simply can't get over all those losses to the Cats in their coaching days. If you haven't heard yet, Bob Knight will NOT be at College Gameday and ESPN cites "travel issues" as the reason. I seriously doubt the legitimacy of that excuse, and at first I was disappointed as I was looking forward to 24,000 fans booing him every time he opened his mouth. However, the more I have thought about it, I'm glad he will not be there and taking away attention from where it should be. The attention should be solely focused on Kentucky basketball, not some bitter old rival coach. This is what should be a celebration of our program, past and present, on the national stage.
With the entire 1996 team in town this weekend, shouldn't Gameday be focused on them, instead? If you didn't already know, Derek Anderson has filmed a documentary about the 1996 UK team, titled "Untouchables: the Greatest Team Ever". The film is premiering with it's official "Blue Carpet" screening at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom on Friday night and the entire '96 team minus their lousy head coach will be in attendance. All the proceeds of the film will benefit the Derek Anderson Foundation. Rumor has it that the team featuring an astounding total of 10 NBA players will also be on the court for the Gameday Show on Saturday morning. This year marks the first time the entire team has all been retired from the NBA and can make such an appearance like this. Could you imagine how much Rupp will be rocking if this indeed happens? Check out the film trailer below!
Either way, it will be another clear example, with a 24,000 capacity packed crowd for an 11am College Gameday show, that there simply is no other fan base in college sports that supports their team with the same intensity and passion as in Kentucky.
Here's an example below, of when the show was at UCLA...
(Photo courtesy of rushthecourt.net)
At UCLA, one of the greatest programs in college basketball, you can clearly see from the image that only a few thousand fans in the first few sections of PauleyPavillion were even filled up, that is if you include the pep band. This shows just how incredible Saturday's Gameday appearance at Rupp will be, with an unparalleled 24,000 fans at a morning pre-game show, 10 hours before the Cats tip off with Tennessee that evening. There is just no fan base that comes even close to Kentucky basketball fans, and that's about to be displayed again on Saturday for the entire nation to see.
I just have to show some love and much deserved credit to a few more guys on the team and also make a few comments to end the day on. We've talked all about Patterson, Cousins, and Wall....but how about DeAndreLiggins?
When everybody talks about the tremendous job John Calipari has done this season, everyone brings up how well he has handled this superstar freshman class and has kept everyone happy and playing well together. It is very under appreciated how good of a job he has done with the returning players that were already on the team under Billy Gillispie and the amazing improvements they've made under their new coach.
As I have stated before, Patrick Patterson's numbers aren't as high, but he is an overall better and more versatile player under Calipari and has discovered an outside shot. Darius Miller was not much of a factor at all last season and has been a contributor and starter for much of this season. Ramon Harris no longer hurts us, but helps us with his rebounding when he comes into games this year and has also improved his outside shot, and I can even bet you that Josh Harrelson and Perry Stevenson are better players than they were a year ago, but they just happen to play on a much better team and don't get the same minutes and opportunities. However, the most pleasant surprise has definitely been DeAndreLiggins.
Liggins' success this season did not come easily. In fact, he did not even appear in a single minute this season until the Indiana game likely because of disciplinary reasons. However, he and Daniel Orton are now the first two guys off of the bench, almost every game. In the last four games, DeAndre has scored 9, 5, 7, and 8 points respectively in each game coming off of the bench. He also has the team's highest three point shooting-percentage at 10 of 17 on the season. Last year, Liggins' biggest problems were his shooting and attitude- now, they're two of his biggest assets and I guarantee you the difference is the way that John Calipari has positively handled him as opposed to the tactics of his old coach. Under Calipari, practices are all about skills. Under Gillispie, it was all about "toughness". Being tough was more important than developing skilled players under the old regime.
Liggins has not only improved his shot, but he's accepted his new role as a scrappy player off the bench. He gives the Cats a burst of energy every time he comes into the game. He dives for loose ball's and retrieves almost all of them. He doesn't resemble the selfish player he was a year ago in any way, shape, or form and his hard work will pay off next year when he will have a much bigger role on the team. Liggins, perhaps, is the most clear example of why John Calipari is the no-brainer choice for National Coach of the Year. He not only brought quite possibly the best recruiting class in the history of the game to Lexington in his first season, but he has coached them up very well, both the freshman and the returning players.
P.S.- It's absolutely incredible that Pat Forde did not pick Calipari as one of his Top 4 choices for National Coach of the Year, but should we really be surprised? His opinion is worthless. Be sure to check back tomorrow as I will preview the ESPN College Gameday appearance at Rupp!
Charlie's post got me thinking, and if Patrick Patterson is even remotely considered a role player, than exactly how dominant does that make DeMarcus Cousins? There isn't another big man in the country that could play on the same team as Patterson and make Patrick look like a role player, because Patterson simply isn't or wouldn't be a role player on any other college team except this one. Patterson is an All-American type player and would be putting up some of the best numbers in the country (like he did the last 2 seasons) if he had played on just about any other team. Cousins has had seven straight double double's and all of a sudden has challenged John Wall for National Player of the Year and the #1 pick in next year's NBA Draft. There has never been 2 players from the same school get selected with the top two picks, but it might just happen this year with Wall and Cousins. Only a situation like this could make Patterson look like a role player, which indeed he is, on this team- and on this team only.
Cousins has been so dominant on the boards and in the post that I believe it would be a greater loss if he were to be injured than losing John Wall. Wall is a playmaker and a primetime clutch performer when the game is on the line, but when you need consistent points and rebounds and dominance in the paint throughout the course of a game, Cousins is our most overall dominant performer. Eric Bledsoe can do a lot of the same things on the court that John Wall can, and even though Patrick Patterson is one of the best post players in the country and reserve Daniel Orton would be the starting Center on 95% of every roster in the nation, they still don't impact the game as much as Cousins does, which says a lot. Cousins' only issue is getting in foul trouble, and some say his temper is a problem, too, but it has been less of a problem as the season has matured even though he continues to get physical and verbal abuse from almost every team he faces. His points and rebounds per minute is by far the most impressive in the nation and the numbers compare to great college big men such as Kenyon Martin, Blake Griffin, and Tim Duncan (and you can find the numbers on KSR). You probably have to go back as far as ShaquilleO'Neal at LSU to find a more dominant post player in the SEC.
If Cousins stays out of foul trouble and plays for 35+ minutes, than you can count on Kentucky having a comfortable lead without even having to rely on John Wall's last minute heroics. Wall can save the day, but the game is never even in question when Cousins stays out of foul trouble and is on top of his game. The Cats are the best rebounding team in the country because of Cousins, Patterson, and also Daniel Orton- who will be a super sophomore next season. When the Cats rebound, they win. It's that simple, and Cousins is their best rebounder. The only game this year that they have been outrebounded in was against South Carolina, the Cats only loss. They've shown that without John Wall, they can still play some of their best basketball, as evidenced in their 81-55 dominating win over LSU where John Wall only scored six points. In the first few minutes of yesterday's game against Alabama, Wall even cost the Cats as he played sloppy and out of control and made the first several of his six turnovers of the game. It should be noted that Wall ended up having a great game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block. My point is, however, that DeMarcus Cousins very rarely does anything on the floor that hurts the Cats besides maybe his temper, which hasn't been a problem of late.
Many may wonder if this season has helped or hurt Patterson's draft status. Being around so many stars has lowered his numbers and made him look less like a superstar, but he has actually improved his overall game dramatically. He has discovered his outside shot that nobody knew he had in John Calipari's offense and practicing against Cousins and Orton everyday has prepared him for what it will be like going against the best of big men in the NBA, because Cousins will be one of them very soon. Very few college stars come straight into the NBA without paying their dues and working their way into the regular starting lineup. Cousins and Wall might be the exceptions to this next year, but Jodie Meeks is experiencing it right now and even Tayshaun Prince sat the majority of his first two seasons on the bench in Detroit before leading the Pistons to the World Championship. This season has shown NBA teams that Patrick is okay with not being the star player and will play in whatever role his coach asks him to. Patrick has been in this situation since high school when he played on the same team with O.J. Mayo at Hunnington (WV) High, then for two years at UK with Jodie Meeks, and now with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Patrick doesn't care what role he plays, he just wants to win, and he'll continue to be a winner at the next level.
Patrick Patterson and role player would have never gone in the same sentence prior to this season, but during tonight's sloppy win, I had an epiphany. Patrick Patterson is a role player on this basketball team, and he might just be the greatest role player in the history of college basketball.
His freshman season he averaged 16.4 and 7.7 per game. His sophomore season he did 17.9 and 9.3 per game. So far this year, Pat is doing 15.1 and 7.5 per game, but during SEC play, he is only averaging 11.8 and 5.7 per contest. In 2010, Patterson has yet to post a double-double, or even grab double digit rebounds in a game. It may sound petty, but during his first two seasons, we grew accustomed to him going out and putting up a double-double.
What exactly is a role player? Some people think of a role player as someone who isn't very talented but gives it all they have day in and day out. But according to this fabulous article written by a contributor at BleacherReport.com, there are 5 qualities a role player must have.
1. Must fill up the depth chart with versatility - Patterson can play Small Forward, Power Forward, and even Center. Not only can he post up anyone in basketball and hit a hook shot or pop out and hit a 15 foot jumper, but he has developed a consistent 3-point jumpshot. He is shooting 40% from downtown this year.
2. Has confidence and plays hard every game - He could shoot 0-20 and stink the gym up, but nobody would question how hard he fought and hustled. He is one of the toughest guys in college basketball.
3. Plays like a seasoned veteran throughout their career - PPat is a hard worker, good ball handler, has a nice jumper, top notch defender and rebounder, but most importantly he has a high basketball IQ. When the game gets a little sloppy or out of Kentucky's hands, Patterson always keeps a cool head and never tries to do too much.
4. Be humble - There is really no need for me to even try to prove this. The guy defines humble. 5. Steps up when called upon - My one complaint about Calipari this season is his lack of commitment to get Pat the rock late in the game. But there is one situation that comes to my mind where Pat rose to the occasion. At Florida, with just under 5 minutes left in the ballgame, the Gators were a defensive stop away from blowing the lid off the arena while trying to take the lead from the Cats. Pat had different plans, as he hit a turnaround hook shot while getting fouled. My point is, Cal might not call his number often in late game situations, but when he does, you can count on #54 to capitalize.
By no means am I questioning Pat's abilities, but on THIS team, he is just a role player. But a role player is exactly what we need. The last thing we need is someone out there trying to score every time they touch the rock. There isn't enough to go around in terms of stats, but it's everything else that 2Pat does is what makes him one of the most respected players in recent UK basketball history.
Even though the Alabama Crimson Tide have a 3-6 conference record, they have led at halftime in all 6 of those losses under first year Head Coach, Anthony Grant. The Tide could be dangerous, however, I don't see UK lossing at Rupp this year. Before you tune into ESPN U at 9 this evening, check out THIS, or just click on the Dick Vitale image below. It's a contest sponsored by Sunkist in which contestants make their best "Dickie V" impression.
Everbody please check out the above link and vote for MICHAEL, a fellow Kentuckian from Fort Mitchell, KY! If Michael wins, he will win $10,000 and a trip to the conference tournament of his choice. Mike is a good friend of mine and I'd appreciate the support of Big Blue Nation. By the way, the guy that is winning right now with 22% of the votes, is a Duke fan. Let's raid this poll.
Also, be sure to check back later tonight or tomorrow as we not only "wrap up" tonight's game but also look forward to the much anticipated and sold out ESPN College Gameday show for the Tennessee game on Saturday in which Bob Knight will not be in attendance due to "travel issues" according to ESPN- haha....right, I bet!
With the Cats playing against an LSU team tomorrow that is winless in the SEC, I think it's fair to say that the Cats should handle LSU tomorrow rather easily granted that Tasmin Mitchell doesn't go "Devan Downey" on us.
With that being said, it's time to talk some football. All off-season long, Mike Brown has kept us updated on Wildcat Wrap of the coaching carousal in college football. The biggest names taking over programs include Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, Lane Kiffin at USC, and Jimbo Fisher taking over for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. All of these coaches did very well on signing day, living up to their hype and huge contracts. The state of Kentucky has three new head coaches of their own in all three major college football programs and all are African American. Charlie Strong game to Louisville with the most hype, but could he deliver? Could Willie Taggard give the Hilltoppers any chance at all to finally win a game or two in D-1A (FBS) football? And could Joker Phillips continue the move upward for Kentucky football on National Signing Day?
Joker's first recruiting class as Head Coach of Kentucky was highlighted by a few surprising last second commitments. A few weeks ago, it wasn't looking very promising for the new coach- but he promised surprises, and he delivered. One of the biggest surprises was stealing Miami, FL Running Back, Brandon Gainer, away from Florida State and the Seminoles' new Head Coach, Jimbo Fisher. Gainer was also recruited unsuccessfully by new Louisville head coach, Charlie Strong. The Cats added another solid RB in Miles Simpson from Simon Kenton H.S. in Northern Kentucky. Simpson was also being recruited by Louisville and turned down a total of 11 schools including Cincinnati, Michigan, Nebraska, and Purdue.
The additions of both Gainer and Simpson at RB gives Kentucky's incoming backfield a ranking of 15th in the nation by Rivals.com. Both are SEC-caliber Running Backs that will more than adequately replace Derrick Locke as he graduates after the 2010 season. Look for one of these guys to also step up to be a 3rd down, short yardage option in their freshman seasons for the Cats. The Cats incoming linebackers are also ranked 3rd in the SEC only, behind only Auburn and Florida, and could see a lot of playing time as freshman. Other holes on defense should be filled by Junior College recruits such as DB Mychael Bailey from the Cats' recruiting pipeline from LaGrange, GA and South Carolina DL, DonteRumph.
The highest ranked individual player for the Cats is TE Alex Smith from Cincinnati's Lakota West H.S. Smith is the 11th ranked TE in the country and will give the Cats an instant threat at the position that has been absent since the graduation of Jacob Tamme in 2007. He picked the Cats over the hometown Bearcats, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. With two strong commitments from Greater Cincinnati, maybe last season's opener at Paul Brown Stadium paid off in Recruiting in the area the way that the Cats hoped that it would.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was taking away the #1 recruit in the state that appeared to be a "lock" for new Louisville coach, Charlie Strong. Louisville Central LB Tim Patterson was a self-proclaimed "life-long Louisville Cardinals fan" and the Cards were so confident that he would sign with them that it was reported in Louisville as a done deal less than 24 hours before Signing Day. Although Strong's first recruiting class at Louisville is better than it has been the last few years under Steve Kragthorpe, the hype over Strong's hiring didn't deliver the results that Card fans were hoping for in his first recruiting class as he was clearly out done by new Wildcats' coach, Joker Phillips. The basketball and football supremacy in the state is secure and unthreatened for the Big Blue Nation, at least in the near future..
This seems to be an example that supports the idea of naming a "Head Coach In-Waiting" as opposed to hiring out of the program and starting from scratch in recruiting. This class isn't by any means one of the best in the nation, nor in the conference, but Kentucky is taking more and more "baby steps" each year on the football field and also on the recruiting tails. The class as a whole is ranked around 10th out of 12 teams in the conference, which isn't bad considering that the Cats return A LOT of young talent from last year's team as it is- and 10th in the SEC is honestly sometimes good enough to be Top 15 or 20 in the entire country. Even with a new head coach, Kentucky continues to close the gap on the majority of the conference as this year's class looks to be about even with Bobby Petrino's class at Arkansas.
If the 2010 Cats can turn a few more notorious annual close losses into victories (Tennessee and South Carolina) and continue to make progress on the field in Phillips' first year as head coach, then recruiting will continue to improve. This staff has proven that they can compete with Top 40 recruiting classes that rank high in speed, length and athleticism (which is what this class is made of). If the Cats can close out on the close games this year and they bring the program to the next level that it is capable of this season, Top 20 recruiting classes will come to Lexington under Joker Phillips. If this staff is competitive with Top 40 classes, they can win (and win big) with Top 20 (middle of the pack SEC) Recruiting Classes. The Cats are slowly, but steadily, rising.
And in case you were wondering, WKU new head coach, Willie Taggart, has recruited the #1 ranked recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference, a very impressive feat for a first year coach taking over a team that was winless in their first two seasons of D-1A (FBS) football. The Cats have a 4 year series scheduled with the Hilltoppers, playing two games in Nashville and two in Lexington.
Since falling to South Carolina and losing the #1 ranking in the country, the Cats have bounced back with solid wins over #20 Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, who just barely dropped out of the rankings this week by just a matter of a few votes. Vandy and Ole Miss might just be the best 2 teams the Cats have played all year.
Before the season started and even through the month of December, the best teams and biggest wins on UK's schedule appeared to be UNC, UConn, and Louisville. All three of these teams have been major disappointments and all three of them will have to step it up just to make the NCAA Tournament. The Cats had counted on those three victories to be major factors in earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now that those aforementioned wins aren't considered as big as they once were, the last 2 wins have been crucial.
In fact, if the season ended today, Vanderbilt and their 17-4 overall and 6-1 conference record would be the highest seed on UK's schedule to this point. If the Cats had lost to Vandy, they would've been 2 games behind the Commodores for 1st place in the SEC. Especially considering how hard it is to win on the road at Vandy and already down a game in the SEC Standings, beating Vandy at Rupp was a must win, and the Cats responded well to the loss in Columbia with a much needed win, and with Lebron James in attendance (just days after receiving a phone call from President Obama- and losing that night)!
Ole Miss would likely be seeded the 2nd highest on UK's schedule so far, with a 12 point win over Kansas State and "good" losses against Villanova, West Virginia, and in overtime at Tennessee. The Rebels feature one of the best players and NBA prospects in the league in Terrico White. White, from Memphis, TN, was recruited by Calipari to be a Memphis Tiger before he chose to attend Ole Miss, so you know the guy is for real. He attracted more NBA scouts to Rupp than any game this season but the Cats were up for the challenge. Much like Vanderbilt, the game was never really in doubt even though they never really pulled away and kept a large lead. In the end, however, it was another nice double digit win for the Cats which could end up being a factor in earning their #1 seed, if it ever is in doubt.
As they stand right now, the Cats are a lock as a #1 seed, but you never know what could happen the rest of the way with 2 games left against Tennessee, a rematch with South Carolina, and road games against Mississippi State, Vandy, and Florida. Even f they lose a few of those games, the last 2 wins have put the Cats on solid foundation to still get a #1 seed.
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