Tennessee vs. Kentucky: Game Thread

[Ratt]

In his postgame presser Calipari mentions "people coming back," which would seem to suggest Sahvir Wheeler's season is indeed not over.

Prayers up for Ratt.

hahahaha... I honestly think there was a stretch or two where Wheeler may have helped the team today... There were several times that Oscar can and did flat out beat the crazed Servian (Plavsic) down the court where if Wallace had pushed it a little harder, probably would have lead to an easy basket or two. Other than that, I'm fine with Wheeler over there with his little buddy Watkins.

[Ratt]

The maddening thing with this team is the inconsistency of it... My god they looked very good in the first half and then boom, totally different team in the second half. Cal taking the air out of the ball is such a problem for this team and has been for many years now. I get the old school process - I'm up 10-12, if we can limit their possessions, we should be able to hold onto the game but that doesn't always work with teams like this. Same with Wallace - So good for 20 minutes, then can't seem to dribble or shoot.

[Pobilly]

Great to see Jeff and Reed Shep in this pic together.

[Catsrock]

The maddening thing with this team is the inconsistency of it... My god they looked very good in the first half and then boom, totally different team in the second half. Cal taking the air out of the ball is such a problem for this team and has been for many years now. I get the old school process - I'm up 10-12, if we can limit their possessions, we should be able to hold onto the game but that doesn't always work with teams like this. Same with Wallace - So good for 20 minutes, then can't seem to dribble or shoot.

I hate it. Hung on today but not because of limited possessions. Every shot we took with 2 seconds or less on the clock was absolute garbage. We hung on because UT couldn’t throw it in the ocean down the stretch—primarily threes and frees weren’t falling—to my great pleasure.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I was at the game today...It was a great and very loud crowd

Always a good day when we sweep that ugly orange

And always GREAT to see Tubby back in Rupp Arena

[Los Gatos]

Near the end of the 1st half, after Thiero's second foul and before Oscar's second, who player the 2 guard? Looked like Toppin?

[KentuckyWild2020]

I gave Tubby alot of crap his last two years but man was it great he talked to the team yesterday and today. Respect to Calipari and Tubby being on the same page for the good of Kentucky basketball..

Question, does Calipari learn some lessons with this program moving forward after this year? He's not getting fired so forget about that, can he ride this ship turn it around before he calls it quits?????

[Joneslab]

I hate it. Hung on today but not because of limited possessions. Every shot we took with 2 seconds or less on the clock was absolute garbage. We hung on because UT couldn’t throw it in the ocean down the stretch—primarily threes and frees weren’t falling—to my great pleasure.

Eh. A lot of that was Tennessee. They aren’t the best defensive team in America for nothin’.

[PadCatFan]

I was at the game today...It was a great and very loud crowd

Always a good day when we sweep that ugly orange

And always GREAT to see Tubby back in Rupp Arena

I loved Tubby. He won the championship with Rick's team, that I don't think Rick would have won. Because when the full court press wasn't working, Tubby would pull them back. And how not calling a timeout against Duke was pedal to the metal basketball. But then Tubby got lazy. Settled for 20 wins. 20 win Tubby. It was time for him to go.

[PadCatFan]

I see Saban at the Alabama home games. Is Stoops ever at Rupp?

[KCKUKFan]

I suffer from Episodic Ataxia. Physical and emotional stress cause episodes. A few days ago at work a window blew out from a few floors above 3rd to 7th floor and hit me but even before that the stress of being a hardcore UK fan has caused emotional stress. SO next thing i have tremors / sluring of speech / confusion / stumbling and such. So removing myself from watching live and only reading about it or watching highlights has removed some of the emotional stress. Heck in these days and times (economy) and such i need to remove as much as possible. The window hitting me has ramped up my episodes even more. I removed all sports watching live. Did not see super bowl or anything. Did not even watch a highlight of super bowl. But I do watch the games when they replay or what I can. IT has helped. I joke about the superstition of not watching. Joking is a way for me to deal. Hope that helps with understanding my craziness. I know it has to seem that way. I do care deeply for the program. I do not like Cal. But the team is my team always.

This explains it. Makes sense.

[Matt Dillon]

I see Saban at the Alabama home games. Is Stoops ever at Rupp?

Yes, he was there recently.

[Catgrad7072]

Last 2 fouls on Oscar, the guy just kept bouncing into him . Why not a charge?

Because Oscar wasn't displaced and didn't flop, but a dumb foul by Oscar.

If the UT guy had bounced into my 5'11-175 self like that, I'd have been displaced into the first row.

Thanks LH.

[Joneslab]

Question, does Calipari learn some lessons with this program moving forward after this year? He's not getting fired so forget about that, can he ride this ship turn it around before he calls it quits?????

This is a good question but it's hard to figure out what Cal should actually learn. I'm trying to think what he could've done differently with this team to have them beat UCLA, Gonzaga, etc. Because strategy-wise we're not doing much differently. Personnel-wise he definitely should have gone away from Wheeler earlier, and he should've played Livingston more, but both those things have happened and we've still lost here recently (Georgia).

I think Cal, if you got him in a room alone and asked him, would say that the one thing he'd do differently is get talent. This team is probably one more bucket-getter and one elite defensive stopper away from being a contender. That isn't to say that Cal has done well with this team--we all know he hasn't. Not even close. But I'm not sure if he's been taught anything other than, "I wish I had more ballers."

[Los Gatos]

I see Saban at the Alabama home games. Is Stoops ever at Rupp?

Is Cal ever at a football game?