Since I last posted...

UK has made history with 5 NBA First Round Draft Picks in the same year. By now, I'm sure you know the teams, the players, and all the headlines that were made. I don't think it was the "greatest day in the history of Kentucky basketball" as evidenced by taking me so long to post anything about it, however, it is special. I understand what Calipari meant by that statement, even if he was a little caught up in the moment. This is a players first program, and it is players that will win Championships for us at Kentucky in due time.

However, giving hope to families and making kids dreams/careers come true might be more important in the grand scheme of things than winning a title. Championships are an easy choice between the two for fans, the state, and the University...but lets be honest with ourselves, would Eric Bledsoe rather have won a championship and then not get drafted and live on the streets the rest of his life? Look, these kids wanted a Championship really bad and they came short. They were all devastated after the WV loss, but in the long run things went right for these kids and it's a reason to celebrate. Congrats to all five of them!

In other news...

• Daniel Orton applogizes to UK fans via twitter.

• Josh Harrelson also tweets that he "has never played against anyone as good" as Enes Kanter.

That's a pretty bold statement considering a year ago he was playing pick up games matched up against Cousins, Patterson, and Orton (3 first round draft picks).

And the saddest news surrounding the program in quite some time comes tonight. Terri Krebs, the mother of UK's Mark Krebs, has passed away. My thoughts and prayers (as well as all of Big Blue Nation, I am sure) are with Mark and his family. Krebs was an absolute class act and a great representative of the program. He walked on for 4 years, played for 3 different coaches (which is very difficult for a walk-on to do), was an Academic All-American, and had a love for UK Basketball as much as anyone you will ever meet. I wish Mark the very best and pray that he gets through this difficult time.

Fans' criticism of Orton is fair. Cousins' reputation is not.

Daniel Orton could be a steal in this Thursday's NBA Draft as a late 1st round pick. Orton is a kid who has played behind the likes of Blake Griffin in high school and DeMarcus Cousins in college. He's competed with two of the best big men the game will see in years on a daily basis in practices. He could also be the guy to make history for the Cats, as he is projected to be the record breaking fifth 1st round pick in the draft from the same school. Not even the '96 Cats put 5 players into the 1st round of the draft in one year.

He might also be Calipari's biggest recruiting tool, even more so than top picks like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Rose, and Tyreke Evans. Why? Because what other coach in the country can tell a kid that he can sit on the bench and average 3 points a game and be a first round pick after ONE year? The fact that 3 points per game in limited action was enough for Orton to probably be picked in the first round after just one year begs the question of how high he could have been picked if he stayed just two or three years at Kentucky. The sky could have really been the limit. I don't think it would have been impossible at all for him to become a Top 5 pick or maybe even the #1 overall pick after another year or two if he had stayed and proven himself with quality minutes alongside Enes Kanter and Terrence Jones.

He could have definitely benefited from another year, but possibly Orton was concerned about finding himself on the bench again with two more super talented freshman big guys coming in? Maybe he thought that if he was going to have to fight for playing time in either situation, he might as well be getting paid for it in the NBA. That is a point of view from Orton that I can understand. Especially considering that he originally came to Kentucky to be a star player under Billy Gillispie until Cal came in and brought along DeMarcus Cousins. He still decided to stay at Kentucky through it all and become a role player turned into an NBA first round pick, a decision that I'm sure he feels very comfortable with.

The success of Orton and point guard Eric Bledsoe, who came to UK despite the fact that John Wall already signed his letter of intent to play here, will help Calipari continue to convince kids that they should come and be a role player at UK instead of being a star somewhere else. For the above reason that his success makes him a huge recruiting tool for UK and because I think Daniel really is deep down a good kid, I hope that he has great success in the NBA and I genuinely wish him the absolute best. However, I believe the national media and NBA GM's are seemingly giving Daniel a free pass on character issues during his time at UK, while unfairly placing labels on his other teammates, mainly DeMarcus Cousins.

I don't blame Orton for leaving after a year and I understand his decision, just as I do for the other four Cats' that are leaving early. However, he did not live up to his end of the bargain on his commitment to UK. Competing daily with DeMarcus Cousins in practice, working out with John Calipari for a year, and playing on the nation's most talented and nationally recognizable
basketball team are reasons why Daniel is in the current position he is in. He owed it to Calipari and Kentucky to stick around for an extra month and finish up his 2nd semester grades to not hurt the program's APR ranking and team GPA.

Instead, Daniel selfishly left his teammates behind in Lexington and flew out to California instead of finishing his 2nd semester classes. If Orton had done what he was supposed to finish up in the classroom, the Cats would have had an exceptional improvement from the previous semester on their team GPA and would be at no risk of an APR hit in the future, which could eventually cost UK scholarships, if another situation like this occurs again. The most disappointing thing about all of this is that Daniel is a smart, well spoken kid. He has a lot of academic potential and made the decision that an education will not serve him any good throughout his life. On the other hand, his teammates that are projected higher than him in the draft all made the decision to stick around and finish strong in the classroom, not only for the good of the program, but also to open the doors to come back and finish up a degree someday as Rajon Rondo and Jodie Meeks are currently doing during the off-season.

John Wall, the almost certain #1 pick on Thursday, finished with the team's highest GPA and plans to eventually earn his degree despite being the most gifted point guard the game has seen in possibly a decade. Another probable Top 10 pick, Patrick Patterson, earned his diploma after just three years on campus. Bledsoe and Cousins, whom both lack the academic potential as Daniel Orton seems to have, still kept their commitment to the school and finished up classes, even though they may not ever return to school again. Cousins, for sure, probably won't ever need to return to school as he possesses the size and skill to play many years in the NBA. John Wall doesn't have a need to return either, but wants to. Bledsoe probably simply doesn't have the smarts to stick around and work towards a degree. Orton is less talented than all of his teammates entering the draft and very well may need to come back to school someday. His 0.0 GPA last semester could come back haunt him if he ever has to make that decision.

The way Orton left Kentucky and the sound of jealousy that comes out of his mouth when asked about teammate DeMarcus Cousins, combined with the incident of Orton actually leaving the UK bench and walking into the locker room in the middle of a game this season because of frustration over being taken out and put back onto the bench, are justifiable reasons for more scrutiny and criticism of Daniel as teams ponder drafting him or not. Orton talks smooth, he's intelligent and very well spoken, and seems like a good guy. While Cousins has a perception problem because he isn't as well spoken, wears a headband, has tattoos, and plays like a monster on the court. Daniel just likes dressing up as a Power Ranger from time to time in Wildcat Lodge.

Despite the fact that Orton has a good sense of humor highlighted in the picture to the right with DeMarcus, the reality is that he is a riskier pick than Cousins, even though the perception seems to be the opposite. He's not just more of a risk because of his physical ability is not as strong as Cousins, but because he has a bit of an attitude problem that may not be worth dealing with. While in Cousins' case, even if he was a head case (and his time at UK proved nothing but the opposite), his talent alone would make him worth taking. When fans criticized Orton for the way that he had left, it was very fair criticism (for the most part), even though the media made all UK fans out to be villains. I wish all UK players the best in this Thursday's draft and am rooting for Daniel to prove me wrong, just like DeMarcus has proved many wrong all year in Lexington. I just wish the media would get off of Cousins' back, who has done everything the right way at UK, and give a little bit of fair criticism where it's actually deserved.

Official Press Release on 5 UK Players Entering the NBA Draft

(Photo courtesy of UKathletics.com)

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky freshmen Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and John Wall and junior Patrick Patterson will enter their names in this year’s NBA Draft. All five players are projected as first-round picks.

It marks the second straight season a UK player has declared early for the draft. All-American Jodie Meeks decided to forego his senior season last year to turn pro.

Bledsoe averaged 11.3 ppg while hitting 49 three-pointers and shooting 38 percent from behind the line in his freshman campaign. Bledsoe finished sixth on UK’s all-time freshman scoring list (419), second on the three-point field goals made list (49) and fourth on the freshman assist list (107).

“I never thought I’d be in this position after one year,” Bledsoe said. “Coach Cal pushed us all to be the best we could be and he believes I’m prepared to take my game to the next level. I want to thank the fans for all their support this year.”

Cousins was second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 ppg while posting a team-best 9.8 rpg average, all in only 23.5 minutes per game. He destroyed the UK freshman rebounding record by nearly 100 rebounds and scored the second-most points by a UK freshman, behind teammate John Wall.

The Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year also led the Wildcats in double-doubles this season with 20, the most by a UK player since 1973 and the fourth most in a season in Kentucky basketball history.

“Coach challenged me to grow on and off the court this season,” Cousins said. “I believe my game expanded along with my maturity. This year was the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball and a lot of it had to do with the support I got from our fans.”

Orton served as the Wildcats’ sixth man this season and finished averaging 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds. He was second on the team in blocked shots with 53 and ranked eighth in the SEC in blocks per game (1.4).

“Being at Kentucky allowed me to play with some of the most talented players in the country,” Orton said. “Battling with DeMarcus (Cousins) and Patrick (Patterson) every day helped improve my game. I want to thank the coaching staff for helping put me in a position to be drafted this year.”

Patterson ranked second in the SEC and 12th nationally in field goal percentage (.575). He recorded nine double-doubles this season, fourth most in the SEC, and 11 double-digit rebounding performances. He finished his junior season ranked 13th on Kentucky’s all-time scoring list (1,564) and sixth on Kentucky’s career double-double list with 30.

“I want to thank the fans who have supported me all three years,” Patterson said. “I also want to thank the coaches for putting me in a position to showcase other parts of my game as well as my versatility. Lexington and UK will always be a special place to me.”

Wall led the Wildcats in scoring (16.6), assists (6.5) and steals (1.8) while setting the school single-season assist record with 241. The Adolph Rupp National Player of the Year recorded five double-doubles on the season, three in points and assists, and two in points and rebounds, making him the first player in UK history to record double-doubles in points and rebounds and points and assists.

“I’m not the same player as when I arrived at UK,” Wall said. “I believe I’m ready for the next challenge as Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans were the last two years under Coach Cal. I want to thank my teammates and the fans for all their support this year. I love them.”

“I’ve spoken with all five guys concerning the NBA and have encouraged them to put their names in the draft,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “They’ve all met individually with our compliance office to make sure they have a full understanding of eligibility rules and academic responsibilities. I’m so proud of these five young men, with everything they did for us on the court and the way they represented us off of it.

“It’s extremely unusual for four freshmen from the same team to have this opportunity, but it’s my job as a coach to prepare these young men for such opportunities.”

Cats silence critics, clinch 44th SEC Title.

After an abysmal 2-22 from 3 point range Saturday at Tennessee, the Cats spent extra time in the gym this week working on outside shooting and apparently it paid off. The Cats hit 8 threes tonight, and silenced the doubters that they didn't have the shooters to make a deep run in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Leading the way for the Cats behind the arc was John Wall (3-5) and Darnell Dodson (3-6). Wall also led the team it total scoring with 24 points while Patrick Patterson added another double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Another weak spot of Saturday's performance was bench scoring. The Cats only had 5 points off the bench against the Vols, today they had 24. Dodson scored 11, Liggins was once again his usual scrappy self with 5 gritty points off the bench along with a steal. Orton added 4 points and a block, and even Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris each added 2 points. Harris was awarded 11 minutes of play and contributed with 2 offensive rebounds and three assists as well as his 2 points- talk about a guy who knows his role and thrives with it. Tonight was, perhaps, the best overall TEAM win of the entire season. In a night that DeMarcus Cousins had only 6 points and 4 rebounds, everyone else stepped up and played brilliantly TOGETHER.


It was also a great team defensive effort. The Cats suffocating defense totaled up 8 steals and 14 blocks and created plenty of offense as they put on a clinic in points off turnovers with one of the most fast-paced highlight packed games of the season. Defense, transition offense, bench scoring, and three point shooting all were bright spots for the Cats tonight as they ended Georgia's 4 game conference home winning streak and clinched at least a share for the school's 44th SEC Championship.

On Sunday, Seniors' Mark Krebs, Perry Stevenson, and Ramon Harris will be honored on Senior Day against Florida. With a win, the Cats win the SEC Title outright. It will also likely be the last game for three of the most talented players to ever wear the blue and white, and it is rumored that Patrick Patterson (who is academically a senior and graduating this semester) will also be honored. Get your tissue's ready, it's going to be a sad but surely memorable afternoon in Rupp as 24,000 will sing "My Old Kentucky Home" one last time in this storybook season.

Cousins says, "CALL ME!"

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:

• DeAndre Liggins 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!

Before I go to bed...

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 DeAndre Liggins?

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 DeAndre Liggins.

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!

DeMarcus Cousins: most dominant SEC big man since...Shaquille O'Neal.

(http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/c1XcxrtUvo_/Long+Beach+v+Kentucky)

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 Shaquille O'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.

Introducing a new segment: Tweets of the Day!

All of us stay pretty busy here at Wildcat Wrap with full time jobs and graduate school, so I've decided to start a new segment that I'll try to do on a pretty regular basis. One that is quick, and to the point, and can be updated to the site on a daily basis. I will still provide full length articles several times a week, but I hope that by sharing "Tweets of the Day" each day we will keep you up to date on a daily basis what is going on around UK Athletics and the entire sports world.

I'm going to actually flash back to the last few days to start my first "Tweets of the Day" (a couple days late I guess) because the retirement of Rich Brooks and the formal announcement of Joker Phillips as head coach of Kentucky football yesterday sparked some good tweets that actually gave me the idea to do this.

With Coach Cal's 12 tweets a day, there should never be a dull segment and we hope to keep you up to date on what coaches and players are saying and thinking each and every day while saving you the time of having to make your own Twitter account. Without further ado, here are your first ever "Tweets of the (past few) day(s)"!

P.S. Since a lot happened the last few days, I am including more tweets than I would on a normal day.

UKCoachCalipari: It's been my distinct pleasure 2 get 2 know Coach Brooks during my time at UK. Click here for my video thank you 2 him. http://bit.ly/7ZxxFT
3:25 PM Jan 4th from TwitterBerry

danielorton33: Team Bowling night at southland tonight at 7:30!!!
6:06 PM Jan 4th from Echofon

UKcoachbrooks: Thanks to the coaches &players for 7 great years. Also thanks to the big blue nation.
6:58 PM Jan 4th from Echofon

UKcoachbrooks: Looking forward to joker taking over and seeing some games next season. Go cats!
8:26 PM Jan 5th from Echofon

UKcoachbrooks: Joker has a hiring press conf at 3 today. Great thing for Kentucky moving forward. I'm really excited for him. He has earned it.
1:39 PM Jan 6th from web

rcobb18: Just talked to the "NEW" ball coach! Coach Phillips is abt to drive this thing to the next level! Put ya seat belts on!!!!!
6:16 PM Jan 6th from UberTwitter

jokerphillips: I want to thank everyone for their support and I am very excited for the Wildcat Football team. I look forward to "Operation Win!"
6:26 PM Jan 6th from web

UKCoachCalipari: Congratulations to Coach Phillips. I’ll be here supporting him and his staff and we'll do whatever we can to help him continue to build on what Coach Brooks was able to get accomplished.
6:56 PM Jan 6th from TwitterBerry

rcobb18: OPERATION WIN! One thing on my mind.... I'm tryna enjoy this break but I got so much more on my mind!
about 23 hours ago from UberTwitter

UKCoachCalipari: Today ends Camp Cal. Time will tell how much we learned during the extra time together.
about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck

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.

"They kept telling themselves", Calipari said, "We are not losing this, we are
not losing this game."

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.

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.

Calipari unveils his new Cats in a 74-38 win

Darnell Dodson continued to impress tonight as he led the Cats with 19 points and 6 rebounds. It also looked as if the Cats were led by an All-American point guard and his name was not John Wall. Eric Bledsoe dominated on both ends of the court with a number of steals, blocks, assists, and points. It's amazing to think that this guy isn't our starting point guard and that our starting point guard and best player, didn't even play.

Daniel Orton also played very tough tonight. It's also amazing to think that he will be coming off the bench this year. All of the newcomers, even without Wall, looked like the best recruiting class in the nation as they scored 46 of the first 62 points and 26 of the first 40 rebounds in the game and led the Cats to a 43-11 lead three minutes into the 2nd half (yes, that's correct...the score was 43-11 with 17 minutes to go in the SECOND half).

Not only did Orton play very well, but he played very hard nosed and passionately, with a purpose. Daniel is a guy that could be here for four years and the love affair that this fan base will have for him will run very deep. This is what Daniel wrote today as his facebook status getting ready for the game:

"First game tonight.....yea im nervous but ready. A lots going through my
head right now. Going over the plays, my post moves, and what coach has
been talking about. Main thing i cant stop thinkin about my mom. I know
my mother wanted to see this day its somethin ive been thinkin bout all day.
I know i'll be playing for her tonight..."

Big Blue Nation, we are going to love this kid, on and off the court. As much as he and Cousins dominated an undersized Campbellsville squad down low in the 1st half, most of the second half the Cats focused on improving the outside game. They weren't worried about scoring 100 points, but improving in other areas and focusing on defense, perimeter play, and learning the dribble drive offense according to Patrick Patterson in a post game interview.

But from the 17 minute mark on in the 2nd half, it had became more clear that these Cats aren't quite ready to be crowned National Champs just yet. Possibly they were a little sluggish with the big lead, possibly their conditioning is not yet where it needs to be with just two weeks of regular practices. But they're just not quite ready to be mentioned in the same sentence as the 1996 Cats, for right now anyway. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is without a doubt the talent there to accomplish everything that that the 96 Cats did and dominate in that very same fashion. The 1st half was a glimpse of what we could expect and the 2nd half was a realization that this is a young, inexperienced team learning a new offense. A team that come around March, could be nearly unbeatable, but could have some hick-ups along the way.