Louisville vs. Kentucky: Game Thread

[KevinHall]

This was a very good college basketball game. High intensity with some great plays and some not so good. Really just about what you would want to see in a good college basketball game between two rivals. A very good win for UK. It will help them out a lot when the NCAA seedings come out in March.
Ulis and Hawkins made legends for themselves with great intense play the whole game. Hawkins certainly made a legend for himself with those big buckets and foul shots after playing more than expected because of a pre game injury.
Damion Lee will be a fine player at the next level. He and Lewis are gong to carry UL far this year. If Mitchell continues to improve along with their other big guys they should finish in the top 3 or 4 in the ACC.
UK is 10-2 after finishing most of the non conference schedule. That's very good for a very young and not quite as hope for talented team. Team still has lots of flaws. Some that can be worked out and some that probably can't but they will be better as the games go along in the SEC. This team will struggle on the road in the SEC. I wouldn't be surprised to see them lose as many as 6 or 7 on the road. But if they keep their confidence and continue to improve they should be just fine for the tournaments and maybe catch that lightening in the bottle like in 2011 and 2014.

[Joneslab]

?

That is Cal-Speak if I've read it.

Maybe so. But coming out of a rivalry game, the biggest non-conference game of the year, a game that Kentucky really needed, and saying "we're lucky we won" and "I have a lot of concerns" and so forth is...well, strange.

When you beat a team eight of nine years, that ain't luck.

[Joneslab]

If Mitchell continues to improve...

That guy is fantastic. Was a big reason they made that comeback. He and Jamal Murray were their two best players during that stretch.

Plays with manic intensity. Kentucky fans are going to loathe him before it's said and done because he's going to be a (very) good one.

[Joneslab]

And I can confirm Blue Heaven's point above: listened to Louisville call-in shows this morning and they had no problem with losing.

Kentucky fans shouldn't give them any ammunition for such a ridiculous take. Can you imagine a UK fan trying to suggest that losing to UofL wasn't that bad if we'd dropped that game by 2 on their home court and had lost 8 of the last 9 games to them? That guy would be laughed out of the building. Rightfully so.

And the real problem with the loss is mainly that they've lost 8 of 9 now. And that is a problem that no spin can take away.

But another problem is that their schedule was so atrocious that they lost the only two games where they had a chance to build a resume. Now they have no resume at all. Sorry, two-point losses don't count as wins. So now they're going to have to beat some of these top teams in the ACC to gain ground because of that dog of a schedule. I think they will, but if they don't then they could be staring at the bubble.

That's the price you pay for scheduling like that.

[Joneslab]

A better view of Pitino's bird. (And it was the middle finger, IMO.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156282245920212&id=579235211&_rdr

[KevinHall]

A better view of Pitino's bird. (And it was the middle finger, IMO.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...579235211&_rdr

Yep not much doubt about that one. Not really any on the other picture either. Pitino is just imploding. I think he knows his time is very short at UL with all the other stuff and losing to a rival for the 8th time in 9 tries is just about to bust the balloon.

[TrueblueCATfan]

A better view of Pitino's bird. (And it was the middle finger, IMO.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...579235211&_rdr

WOW...that is the clearest picture of it I have seen......Can you imagine if Cal had done that......OMG!!!!

[Lighthouse]

I think we're watching a winner turn into a loser. I wish things were different at UL, but from Ramsay to Jurich to their high stakes coaches, it doesn't look good for the University.

[J.Jennings]

Can i get a AMEN when i BOLDLY predicted guys like Hawkins and Willis would contribute this season when others said they would never see the floor....

Had to get that off my chest lol lol lol lol lol Hawkins was a CARD KILLER on Saturday. Until Briscoe learns how to shoot and hit freethrows, Hawk may need some more time.

[Uncle Dave]

A better view of Pitino's bird. (And it was the middle finger, IMO.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...579235211&_rdr

Rick Pitino looked directly into a camera in front of sportswriters and said he DID NOT flip the finger. Period. The facebook sequence has been photo-shopped lol. Freakin' liar.

[Joneslab]

Can i get a AMEN when i BOLDLY predicted guys like Hawkins and Willis would contribute this season when others said they would never see the floor....

Had to get that off my chest lol lol lol lol lol Hawkins was a CARD KILLER on Saturday. Until Briscoe learns how to shoot and hit freethrows, Hawk may need some more time.

Hawkins has always gotten a little time. Would've gotten more if he could hit those threes like he did Saturday. If that can be a consistent thing for him he'll play. Has the toughness and the athleticism to contribute at this level.

Willis is more of a surprise but he plays hard. Also gives this team a really different look as a 4-man. Has to be a little tougher and grab some of those rebounds if he's going to play that spot for extended minutes, but he's been really good this year to this point. Most every time Kentucky has played well Willis has had a hand in it.

[Dwight Schrute]

I don't feel like going back to research this, but in the modern renaissance of this series (since '83), does every coach except Gillispie have a winning record against Louisville? Seems to suggest at a normal level, the Kentucky program is stronger than the Louisville program. Has to eat at Louisville fans.

[Joneslab]

I don't feel like going back to research this, but in the modern renaissance of this series (since '83), does every coach except Gillispie have a winning record against Louisville?

All except Hall, who was .500.

Cal: 8-1
Gillispie: 0-2
Tubby: 6-4
Pitino: 6-2
Sutton: 3-2
Hall: 2-2

[Joneslab]

Cal's record is especially impressive considering Louisville is in a tremendous era for them.

We're not talking about an 8-1 record against Denny Crum at the end of his career. Cal's been able to amass that record as Pitino has built Final Four and title teams.

Very, very impressive. Doesn't get nearly enough credit from UK fans.

[Dwight Schrute]

If it's possible, I don't think Cal has gotten enough credit for what he's done here period. 4-5 final fours and 2 title game appearances is incredible. I know he was just inducted into the Hall of Fame, but good golly, I think a lot still think he cheats and just rolls the ball out on the floor and tells our guys to go play. If he gets Skal to play at a high level this year, just annoint him Wooden.

I dread the day all this is over - and I think it's coming sooner than later, but man what a ride.