UT @ UK game thread

[Dwight Schrute]

There's a 4 minute clip of Matt Jones detailing what happened last night.

https://kentuckysportsradio.com/bask...half-meltdown/

[GOCAT15]

There's a 4 minute clip of Matt Jones detailing what happened last night.

https://kentuckysportsradio.com/bask...half-meltdown/

Sure hope this was just everyone having a bad night and there isn't something major that is going to affect the chemistry of this team. But if it is all just because Hagans was being a baby about being taken out, then shame on him, he's supposed to be the leader of the team on and off the floor and it sounds like he's being a baby.

[Brother_Vol]

Didn't want to post last night while it was too fresh but I have to say how proud I am of that Tennessee team last night. They've had more than their share of downs in this up and down season. No one would have been surprised one bit if they laid down to start the second half. But last night they decided they were going to win while still down double digits. Really happy for them, they deserve this one.

Not a great night for UK. I don't know what happened, looked like a little bit of everything was going wrong in the second half. The intensity was just gone. They'll be just fine i think, but they've got to bring it for the entirety of games. You'd hope by this point they weren't still figuring that out, but lapses happen.

P.S. Fulky is a big orange MAAAAAAN!

[Ratt]

I've had the same thought.

Taking Hagans out for a moment, I actually think Richards' intensity and focus have really dropped off since that whole thing started.

Agree overall... I don't think Nick's been playing very good at all. He's back to his old habits of lack of hustle at times, getting to spots late, and really cooling off... The "League" hype is basically gone for him. However, I do think the offense needs to try to flow through him. IMO - he needs to have plays set for him to land at the FT line or on that little short baseline jumper because the big mans' touch and shot is very good in those spots.

As for Hagans - I'll say it again. He's not playing at the next level. He's doing exactly what he did last season where he played poorly at the end. The dude is a flat dog on defense and I love his intensity and I like that he has some ****************iness in him - I hate watching him complain to refs and blame others all the time for mistakes - which he does. He has to play period and he needs to stay but he needs to stay under control and he's not the first scoring option - ever.

And again - I'll say it - the slow down crap offense in the 2nd half that Cal runs will be the demise of this team in the tournament. But, they have exceeded my expectations and if they get to the final 8 or 16, I'll be happy enough I guess.

[Ratt]

We get a 17-point lead with about 16:00 to play in the game. Fulkerson immediately comes down and beats E.J. Montgomery to a spot, gets an and-1. UK's lead cut to 14.

Isn't this always the case? EJ is simply bad and yet he is always out there. I just don't understand it. I know Brooks is still making some mistakes and finding his way but at this point, I think he needs to be playing more. I just simply can't stand to watch EJ anymore - so lazy and slow.

[TrueblueCATfan]

It still baffles me that this team went to Knoxville and beat them pretty bad and then we lay a egg against them in Rupp arena

[teamchemistry15]

I'm still confused as to why so many people blame Cal slowing it down with a lead. The numbers don't support your complaints. He wins more than 90% of the games he gets a double digit lead in and last night was the first game he's lost when he had a double digit lead at the half, and that's happened more than 120 times.

[JFCats22]

I'm still confused as to why so many people blame Cal slowing it down with a lead. The numbers don't support your complaints. He wins more than 90% of the games he gets a double digit lead in and last night was the first game he's lost when he had a double digit lead at the half, and that's happened more than 120 times.

Because it makes absolutely zero sense to stop doing something that gets you a big lead and start doing something that every game makes the lead disappear.

We blew a 14 point lead against USC and a 17 point lead last night. We blew significant leads in the NCAAT the last two seasons.

[Joneslab]

I didn't see much slowing it down in this game. I think the wheels just came off, mostly because we simply couldn't stop them. Fulky was outworking the dog crap out of us but the Yves Pons guy was just as big. His threes were all killers, and I didn't see a good close-out on any of them.

[Joneslab]

^ And honestly, it looked a whole lot like South Carolina in that way. Get a big lead and then just stop guarding completely.

This team has been pretty good in tight, late-game situations. Not good at all when we get a double-digit lead midway through second halves. I chalk a bit of that up to Cal slowing it down but there seems to be a real issue with intensity and focus with this bunch. Which makes sense given that we apparently have a volatile, dramatic point guard.

[Brother_Vol]

I didn't see much slowing it down in this game. I think the wheels just came off, mostly because we simply couldn't stop them. Fulky was outworking the dog crap out of us but the Yves Pons guy was just as big. His threes were all killers, and I didn't see a good close-out on any of them.

Pons was very good. Lots of teams are still daring him to shoot it and he's taken advantage of that.

[KCKUKFan]

I didn't see much slowing it down in this game. I think the wheels just came off, mostly because we simply couldn't stop them. Fulky was outworking the dog crap out of us but the Yves Pons guy was just as big. His threes were all killers, and I didn't see a good close-out on any of them.

Don't ever call him Fulky again.

[40bill]

Pons was very good. Lots of teams are still daring him to shoot it and he's taken advantage of that.

Kid is a great find. Fulkerson reminds me of a guy we used to have....Derrick Locke. A long long way from the best player in any game, but if he put his mind to it could shock you now and then.
Barnes is just a really good coach. Lol.....when he was at Texas he got the rep of not using great talent to its fullest, now its more he gets a ton out of what he has.....just part of the game, I guess.

[Joneslab]

Don't ever call him Fulky again.

I was going to call my write-up on the game "The Good, The Bad, and The Fulky" and you know you would have loved it.

[KCKUKFan]

I was going to call my write-up on the game "The Good, The Bad, and The Fulky" and you know you would have loved it.

After the tears dried up, perhaps.