The Good
March 7, 2020. Remember? We thought the NCAA Tournament might still go. We knew about this virus thing from China but nobody really knew whether it was going to even show up in the United States. People were talking about Wuhan for some reason on the news. And then Kentucky played Florida on a Saturday in Gainesville and pulled out a gutty, wild win against a pretty good team to solidify a top 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. I mention all this because that was the last time Kentucky went on the road and won a game like they did last night against Texas A&M. That was a heck of a win in an environment that was totally bonkers.
A Fence Made of D. I dogged Kentucky's defense at the half. We were letting guys drive straight to the bucket on us and pretty much playing the matador every time. Then something magical happened: Kentucky, for maybe the first time all year, locked down. They held the SEC's best outside shooting team to an inexplicable 1-22 from deep, and several A&M possessions in the last 10 minutes were just debacles. I've thought for awhile that defense is what's holding Kentucky back from being a legitimate top ten team. In the second half last night we saw what this team can be on that end.
TyTy One On. TyTy was strapped with foul trouble in this game but when we needed him to step up, the guy did. He has one of the better step-in jumpers I've seen at Kentucky. And you can tell he wants the basketball on tough possessions. Guy's a gamer.
Da Bench. Loved, loved, Jacob Toppin and Davion Mintz last night. Those two guys have been bringing it pretty consistently for the last couple of weeks and they really came up big last night. Brooks didn't really want much to do with that game and Toppin came in and just balled out. Then Mintz started to do what he's been doing, hitting clutch shots and digging out brutal rebounds. Really impressed with those two.
Sahvir-ly Fortunate. For as rough as Sahvir Wheeler was at times in that game (see below) he really bailed us out late in the first half. His three to break the drought was huge, and he got two tough baskets in the paint late in the first half to keep that game from getting away from us. The fact that we were down only 5 at the break in all honesty probably positioned us to win that game.
Cal = John Wooden? Cal, as we all know, isn't the most cerebral coach on the block. We've spent a decade now talking about it. Well, out of a time out there in the last four minutes Cal drew a beauty up, using Kellan Grady as a decoy and having him drive and kick to Davion Mintz. Mintz dropped a three for arguably the game's biggest shot. Got to give a bunch of credit there to the bench.
Speaking of the Bench... I love Bruiser Flint on the bench. You watch this guy? He's a maniac. When the game is tough he's over there going absolutely crazy. It's almost like having UK basketball's own personal Vince Marrow. I love how fiery the guy gets. If you add in our sparkplug of a strength coach who looks like his head is going to pop off every time we score, we've got some heavy firepower in our cheering section.
Ware 'Em Down. Lance Ware continues to play sort of an Eloy Vargas role for this team. He doesn't do a ton to help but he'll get in there and hold the line. Plays hard. He's started to cut his mistakes. And we usually don't slip when he's in the game. I like him as a back-of-the-rotation role player.
Thank You, Next. Now we're on to Auburn and a shot at knocking off the nation's #2 team on their home court. If last night was a test then Saturday will be one of those exams where you have to fill up twelve blue books. If we can go in there and beat Auburn Kentucky will position itself as a potential #1 seed. But that's a big, monumental "if."
The Bad
No O in Oscar. Oscar Tshiebwe, for how great he's been, at times is bothered by (of all things) contact. Buzz Williams' team did a good job just bodying him last night, triple teaming him at times and throwing him way off his natural rhythm. He just didn't like the pushing and shoving at all, and like in other games (LSU) where he's been rattled you saw a lot of questionable decisions the few times we could get him the ball down there.
It's a Trap! Poor old Sahvir Wheeler bailed us out in the first half, but he had all kinds of trouble against those traps Texas A&M was running at the top. He dribbled right into the teeth of the trap multiple times. More than that, he did something that every youth league coach in America warns against: backing up against the midline and letting it become another defender. Those doubles turned into triple-teams really quick, and at his size he couldn't see over anybody. When your starting point guard notches 8 (!) turnovers you're going to lose that game 90% of the time. I imagine that aggressive trapping out front will be the blueprint for bothering him from here on out in the SEC.
Brooks Wasn't Here. Keion Brooks, in true Alex Poythress style, has a penchant for disappearing, and we saw the act again last night. He continues to just not be a tough player. He sort of wants to spend his time shooting that 19-foot jumper rather than getting in there and putting the hardhat on. It's a lucky thing we had Jacob Toppin or we don't win that game.
Hair Don'ts. Maybe in solidarity with Lance Ware this team has decided on the braids 'n' dreads look. The only good thing I can say about it is that at least they all don't have mullets.
The Ugly
Are you kidding? There's no ugly on this morning, friends. It's 24 degrees outside. There are weather alerts almost every day. Winter is coming on like a brutal Texas A&M trap. I have to sit on the couch under seven blankets. My kids haven't been in school in two weeks because coronavirus is still burning across the country. And yet everything is still glorious, folks, because here come our Cats.
March 7, 2020. Remember? We thought the NCAA Tournament might still go. We knew about this virus thing from China but nobody really knew whether it was going to even show up in the United States. People were talking about Wuhan for some reason on the news. And then Kentucky played Florida on a Saturday in Gainesville and pulled out a gutty, wild win against a pretty good team to solidify a top 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. I mention all this because that was the last time Kentucky went on the road and won a game like they did last night against Texas A&M. That was a heck of a win in an environment that was totally bonkers.
A Fence Made of D. I dogged Kentucky's defense at the half. We were letting guys drive straight to the bucket on us and pretty much playing the matador every time. Then something magical happened: Kentucky, for maybe the first time all year, locked down. They held the SEC's best outside shooting team to an inexplicable 1-22 from deep, and several A&M possessions in the last 10 minutes were just debacles. I've thought for awhile that defense is what's holding Kentucky back from being a legitimate top ten team. In the second half last night we saw what this team can be on that end.
TyTy One On. TyTy was strapped with foul trouble in this game but when we needed him to step up, the guy did. He has one of the better step-in jumpers I've seen at Kentucky. And you can tell he wants the basketball on tough possessions. Guy's a gamer.
Da Bench. Loved, loved, Jacob Toppin and Davion Mintz last night. Those two guys have been bringing it pretty consistently for the last couple of weeks and they really came up big last night. Brooks didn't really want much to do with that game and Toppin came in and just balled out. Then Mintz started to do what he's been doing, hitting clutch shots and digging out brutal rebounds. Really impressed with those two.
Sahvir-ly Fortunate. For as rough as Sahvir Wheeler was at times in that game (see below) he really bailed us out late in the first half. His three to break the drought was huge, and he got two tough baskets in the paint late in the first half to keep that game from getting away from us. The fact that we were down only 5 at the break in all honesty probably positioned us to win that game.
Cal = John Wooden? Cal, as we all know, isn't the most cerebral coach on the block. We've spent a decade now talking about it. Well, out of a time out there in the last four minutes Cal drew a beauty up, using Kellan Grady as a decoy and having him drive and kick to Davion Mintz. Mintz dropped a three for arguably the game's biggest shot. Got to give a bunch of credit there to the bench.
Speaking of the Bench... I love Bruiser Flint on the bench. You watch this guy? He's a maniac. When the game is tough he's over there going absolutely crazy. It's almost like having UK basketball's own personal Vince Marrow. I love how fiery the guy gets. If you add in our sparkplug of a strength coach who looks like his head is going to pop off every time we score, we've got some heavy firepower in our cheering section.
Ware 'Em Down. Lance Ware continues to play sort of an Eloy Vargas role for this team. He doesn't do a ton to help but he'll get in there and hold the line. Plays hard. He's started to cut his mistakes. And we usually don't slip when he's in the game. I like him as a back-of-the-rotation role player.
Thank You, Next. Now we're on to Auburn and a shot at knocking off the nation's #2 team on their home court. If last night was a test then Saturday will be one of those exams where you have to fill up twelve blue books. If we can go in there and beat Auburn Kentucky will position itself as a potential #1 seed. But that's a big, monumental "if."
The Bad
No O in Oscar. Oscar Tshiebwe, for how great he's been, at times is bothered by (of all things) contact. Buzz Williams' team did a good job just bodying him last night, triple teaming him at times and throwing him way off his natural rhythm. He just didn't like the pushing and shoving at all, and like in other games (LSU) where he's been rattled you saw a lot of questionable decisions the few times we could get him the ball down there.
It's a Trap! Poor old Sahvir Wheeler bailed us out in the first half, but he had all kinds of trouble against those traps Texas A&M was running at the top. He dribbled right into the teeth of the trap multiple times. More than that, he did something that every youth league coach in America warns against: backing up against the midline and letting it become another defender. Those doubles turned into triple-teams really quick, and at his size he couldn't see over anybody. When your starting point guard notches 8 (!) turnovers you're going to lose that game 90% of the time. I imagine that aggressive trapping out front will be the blueprint for bothering him from here on out in the SEC.
Brooks Wasn't Here. Keion Brooks, in true Alex Poythress style, has a penchant for disappearing, and we saw the act again last night. He continues to just not be a tough player. He sort of wants to spend his time shooting that 19-foot jumper rather than getting in there and putting the hardhat on. It's a lucky thing we had Jacob Toppin or we don't win that game.
Hair Don'ts. Maybe in solidarity with Lance Ware this team has decided on the braids 'n' dreads look. The only good thing I can say about it is that at least they all don't have mullets.
The Ugly
Are you kidding? There's no ugly on this morning, friends. It's 24 degrees outside. There are weather alerts almost every day. Winter is coming on like a brutal Texas A&M trap. I have to sit on the couch under seven blankets. My kids haven't been in school in two weeks because coronavirus is still burning across the country. And yet everything is still glorious, folks, because here come our Cats.
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