Alabama is a team that scores much better in transition than the do in the half-court. When forced into a half-court game or an offensive set the Crimson Tide struggle to get shots off. Despite these half-court struggles expect Anthony Grant to go against the grain a bit and attempt to slow the game down against the Wildcats. The Elephants of Alabama just do not have the depth or the guard play to run up and down the court with the ‘Cats.
In their last game, a 74-67 loss to Ole Miss, they employed this same type of strategy in an attempt to limit the Rebels’ talented trio of guards. Alabama played well despite the loss. They just haven’t found a way to close out close games. Three of their six conference losses have been by one point and each loss has been a result of not getting a last possession stop.
Against Ole Miss they jumped out to a 40-20 halftime lead, shot 50-percent from the field, 46-percent from deep, and assisted on 16 of 23 field goals, but still found a way to lose the game. Alabama even held a 56-45 advantage with 9:01 left in the second half before Ole Miss responded with a 14-0 run. Alabama then managed only one basket in the final two minutes.
Head coach Anthony Grant said the Tide’s late collapse was a microcosm of their entire season. Their inability to knock down big shots and their lack of depth.
JaMychal Green has been solid underneath all year long, but they have yet to find someone to take pressure off of him from the perimeter. Mikhail Torrence is their best outside shooter and leading scorer, but when the game is on the line the Tide have been unable to find someone to knock down the big shot. A lot of this can be immediately credited to their inability to manufacture points out of their half-court sets.
Alabama is usually in games late because of their defense. On the season they are holding opponents to just 42-percent from the field and only twice have teams shot over 50-percent against them (Kansas State & Florida). In their last 11 games they have allowed opponents to shoot over 40-percent just four times.
They have also been effective at guarding the perimeter, allowing just 32-percent from deep. In a three game stretch that included wins over LSU and Mississippi State, the Tide allowed just six three-pointers combined. Then in their next game, Auburn shot just 3-for-16 from beyond the arc. In conference play opponents are only shooting 25-percent from three range.
Their struggles have come in the rebounding and scoring department. They have been outrebounded by opponents this season but their big problem has been closing out possessions. Too many times they allow opponents second and even third chance opportunities by not bringing down defensive boards. In their 66-65 home loss to Florida, the Gators outrebounded them 35-24 and scored 21 second-chance points to Alabama’s six. Ole Miss outrebounded them 32-26 in their last loss.
Their inability to pull down boards does not bode well for them against a Kentucky that possesses one of the most talented and deepest frontlines in the country.
Like I mentioned earlier, the Crimson Tide offense revolves around the play of 6′9″ sophomore, JyMychal Green. Green, who is second on the team in scoring with 14.7 points-per-game, is a big post guy who has the ability to score in a multitude of ways. Whether he is facing the basket or has his back turned, he will find ways to score and often demands double teams. He has scored in double figures in all but four games this season and is shooting over 51-percent from the floor.
He is also an effective rebounder and shot blocker, averaging a team-leading 7.1 and 2.0 effectively.
Because of their struggles in half-court, the Crimson Tide often rely on shots from the perimeter despite their streaky shooting. Torrance, a 6′5″ senior guard, is their most consistent threat. He leads the team in scoring with 15.3 points and has knocked down 28 threes on the season, while shooting 36-percent. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. He is also an effective distributor of the basketball, leading the team in assists with 5.6.
His 22-point performance against the Gators was his sixth 20-point performance of the year. He also matched a career high with five 3-pointers in that contest. A game prior to his stellar performance against Florida, he experienced struggles late against rival Auburn. In the closing 22 seconds, he missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity that could have given them a three-point lead with 21.9 seconds remaining. Then, with the score tied and Alabama in possession, he turned the ball over, dribbling into a steal by Auburn’s DeWayne Reed, leading to the game winning free throws.
Another example of Alabama not being able to close games late.
Freshman forward Tony Mitchell and junior guard Senario Hillman will also provide scoring for the Tide. Mitchell is averaging 9.3 points on the season but has really come on as of late. He has scored in double figures in six of his last eight and has become more of a threat from deep. He has connected on only 12 three-pointers all season long, but six of them have come in his last four games.
Hillman, who averages 7.6 points-per-game, has seen his numbers go in the opposite direction. He has scored in double figures just twice in conference play.
Charvez Davis and Anthony Brock are the three-point specialists for Alabama, both knocking down more than 31 shots from deep this season. However, their effectiveness as of late has really declined. After connecting on 5-for-7 from deep just four games ago against LSU, Davis has made only one three in his last three games and zero in his last two. Against Ole Miss he managed to see the court for just three minutes.
Brock has made at least one three in all but two SEC games.
Alabama is one of the few teams in the SEC that has the talent necessary underneath to potentially challenge Kentucky. Green and Justin Knox, a 6′9″ 240-pound forward, are physical enough to potentially get the Wildcat bigs into foul trouble and cause problems.
They also could get into DeMarcus Cousins’ head. After Kentucky’s last win over LSU, Cousins complained that he was getting fouled underneath but wasn’t getting the calls. Look for Green and Knox to take this into account and be extremely physical with him.
I still don’t think the Crimson Tide can score consistently enough to hang with the Wildcats. Especially in Rupp Arena.
1. Kentucky – 22-1 (7-1)
Last Week: Ole Miss – W 85-75, @ LSU – @ 81-55
This Week: Alabama, Tennessee
After a home game against a struggling Alabama squad, UK enters a stretch of games that will put their top ranking to the test. ESPN Gameday will be in Lexington for the Tennessee game, then UK faces two its three toughest road tests of the year against Mississippi State, Vandy, and Tennessee, split up by a home rematch against South Carolina.
With the way that UK is dominating the weekly SEC honors, I have been wondering what the post-season awards in the conference are going to look like. For the first half of SEC play, UK has been head and shoulders about the rest of the conference, and that will likely be reflected. DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall are both in the conversation for freshman of the year honors and player of the year honors. Patrick Patterson was pre-season player of the year, so will likely be at least a first team honoree.
Could UK have the player of the year, the coach of the year, three players on the first team, and three players on the freshman team? I don’t think that’s the least bit unrealistic.
RIDING SHOTGUN
2. Vanderbilt – 17-5 (6-2)
Last Week: Mississippi State – W, @ Georgia – L
This Week: Tennessee, LSU
3. Tennessee – 18-4 (6-2)
Last Week: @ LSU – W, South Carolina – W
This Week: @ Vanderbilt, @ Kentucky
You might be thinking that Vandy should be ranked below Tennessee. The Vols are the second highest ranked teams in the polls and are coming off of a 2-0 week and a very impressive 26 point home win over South Carolina.
Here’s my argument for Vandy in the two spot: Vandy’s two losses in conference – @ Georgia and @ Kentucky; Tennessee’s two losses – @ Georgia and Vanderbilt. Both teams were convincingly beaten in Athens and Vandy owns the head to head matchup. Easy decision to me.
This week will go a long way to settling the debate. Tennessee travels to face the number one and number two teams in my rankings, so they will be able to make a run at not only the number two spot, but maybe even the top spot if they can pull off the upsets. Unfortunately for the Arnge, I don’t think they’ll win either.
LOOKING OK FOR MARCH…FOR NOW
4. Ole Miss – 17-6 (5-4)
Last Week: @ Kentucky – L, Alabama – W
This Week: @ Mississippi State
5. Florida – 17-6 (6-3)
Last Week: @ Alabama – W, Mississippi State – W
This Week: @ South Carolina, Xavier
Ole Miss dropped a game most teams would drop when they lost at Rupp. Then, they fell behind by 20 against Alabama and it was looking like they were about to find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble. Chris Warren, though, led them back and as a result they are still in OK shape.
Just when we were talking about Billy Donovan’s Gators missing the tournament for the third straight year, they win six out of seven games and insert themselves right back into the thick of things. There is an awful long way to go, but they have an opportunity to bolster their non-conference matchup in a game with Xavier.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
6. Arkansas – 12-11 (5-3)
Last Week: @ Georgia – W, Auburn – W
This Week: LSU, @ Alabama
7. Mississippi State – 16-7 (4-4)
Last Week: @ Vanderbilt – L, @ Florida – L
This Week: Ole Miss, Alabama,
8. South Carolina – 13-9 (4-4)
Last Week: Georgia – W, @ Tennessee – L
This Week: Florida, @ Georgia
I said last week that I thought Arkansas could easily finish second in the SEC West. Now, I’m not sure they can’t win the thing in what would be a complete opposite from last season when they did well out of conference and collapsed in the SEC. Courtney Fortson has made a huge difference in their back court and opponents haven’t adjusted yet.
I have Mississippi State at seven here, but I’ll be honest, I think they’re a better team than Arkansas. They are in the middle of a rough stretch, having dropped four of five, but I believe they still have a run in them that will put them back in the bubble conversation.
South Carolina had an opportunity to play their way onto the bubble themselves, but were foiled in a beatdown in Knoxville. They could still make a run, but it’s an uphill battle.
THE NOT-SO-TERRIBLE BAD TEAMS
9. Georgia – 10-11 (2-6)
Last Week: Arkansas – L, Vanderbilt – W
This Week: @ Auburn, South Carolina
10. Alabama – 13-10 (3-6)
Last Week: Florida – L, @ Ole Miss – L
This Week: @ Kentucky, Arkansas
11. Auburn – 11-12 (2-6)
Last Week: Alabama – W, Arkansas – L
This Week: Georgia, @ Mississippi State
Meet the Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide, and the Tigers, your resident pains in the butt in the SEC. They are not good teams, but they have athletes and they improve every time out. Georgia has already beaten two of the top three teams in the conference and just missed beating the best team in Rupp Arena.
Alabama hasn’t pulled off the big upset yet, but they’ve beaten Mississippi State and lost three more games by one point. Look for them to surprise some people the rest of the season.
Auburn has been beaten by double digits only twice in eight games, so DeWayne Reed is going to keep his team close in a lot of games. They just don’t have the weapons to get it done a regular basis.
THE REALLY TERRIBLE BAD TEAM
12. LSU – 9-14 (0-9)
Last Week: Tennessee – L, Texas – L
This Week: @ Arkansas, @ Vanderbilt
Seriously, did you watch Bo Spencer hoist shot after shot against Kentucky? LSU calls that an offense? With four of seven on the road to close out SEC play, 0-16 is a very real possibility.
Peter May, in a special to Yahoo! Sports, has penned his EARLY order for the upcoming (as in FIVE months from now) 2010 NBA draft. However, it is an interesting list, and at least one that could spark some healthy debate.
The Pinkie Squad had just this debate one night here recently (they all run together these days). There were a couple topics discussed that relate directly to UK: 1) If he continues at this pace will Demarcus Cousins go number one over Wall based solely on size/potential? and 2) Cole Aldrich vs. Demarcus Cousins.
May has Cousins going fourth and Aldrich sixth, definitely not a big enough gap to lend any more confidence to one members offer of a $100 wager on who would be drafted first.
Patrick Patterson is penciled in at May’s 11th slot. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Kentucky will match Louisville’s T-Will and Earl Clark with two lottery selections, will they get three??
What do our six readers have to say about these hypotheticals?
Cliff here. Let me kick this off by saying you should have something better to do with your time than playing an online role-playing game. Banging hotties, plundering cities, and generally having a good time takes up most of my free time, but we’re taking baby steps with you fairies. If I had to pick one piece of wisdom to share with all the pseudo men of the world, I would tell you to be the best at whatever bit of gayishness you decide to undertake. Want to be a cage fighter? Kick every ass that dares to step into your octagon. Always wanted to rule the world? Run for President. Anything else is half-assing, and that is one thing I will not tolerate from male humans.
I have never played this World of Warcraft thing, but I know enough about it to lay down a few pointers. First and most importantly, you have to get your ACTUAL life in order. Get a job, pay your bills, and move out of your parents’ house. That should be enough to keep the real WoW nutbags busy for a while. Chances are, you haven’t seen the light of the sun since the game was released. Most importantly, if you can’t walk into a REAL bar, strike up a conversation with a REAL girl, and put your REAL genitals to work in a REAL way, you have no business hopping onto a computer to short-cut your way through life.
Basically, online role-playing games are one of the easiest ways to skip over any sort of effort and bring yourself all the awesomeness that comes with being a man. If you want to be the world’s greatest archer, get your ass off the couch and shoot something with arrows. Nobody wants to listen to some douche talking to his friends through a headset, telling them about all the goblins he’s slain, or the dragons he’s conquered. Sad. Tony Hawk has earned the right to play a badass game about skateboarding, because he can do it in real life. Tiger Woods can sit on his ass all day, playing the latest golf simulation game because his names on the damn box. He also could play a video game called “Hide the Sausage”, since he’s obviously mastered that facet of REAL life, too.
Anyway, here’s all you need to play your stupid online game:
Embark on a REAL LIFE quest. You should be in imminent danger of death the entire time, and your quest only ends when you’ve chopped the head off of an Ice Giant, or worked your way through an entire cheerleading squad. The best quests should allow time for both monster-slaying AND tickle time with a slew of ladies.
Make sure to have a badass REAL life weapon. Swords are badass if you didn’t buy one out of SkyMall, and it isn’t a replica of Gandalf’s broadsword. If your weapon is hanging on a wall unsharpened, it’s not a weapon – it’s a decoration. Women will not want to sleep with you. Period. Sharpen that bitch, and use it to chop some terrorists up when they try to destroy your city.
Wear a cape. In REAL life. You dress your stupid online characters up like they’re your own personal “action figure”, but don’t have the balls to wear that same battle armor to pick up some milk? Weak. It’s not what you wear it’s how you wear it. I guarantee when I go to a football game in full chainmail, still coated in the blood of the werewolf I just tore in two with my bare hands, nobody’s wondering what the eff I’m doing there. They’re just glad to know that there’s a man left who doesn’t run away at the first sight of a vampire (see here for vampire-slaying instructions), and the women are all trying to figure out how to get that armor off my body and onto the floor next to their bed.
If you still feel the need to play some stupid online game after slaughtering a cobrabear, feel free – you’ve earned it. Don’t keep being a little bitch-baby, though, and shoot your jollies off into a wad of toilet paper while you think about what badass things you’re going to say to the next elven princess who strolls across your computer screen. That’s just sad, and I’m disappointed that I even had to tell you. See you next week.
It seems like this college basketball season has flown by, but we are only five weeks away from Selection Sunday and the Louisville Cardinals are still in a precarious position in terms of their NCAA Tournament position. As of right now, most projections have the Cards in the tournament, but there is still a lot of basketball to be played and many teams can still play their way into the Big Dance, including Louisville.
With only eight games left to play, here is where the Cards sit, numbers wise, as of Sunday, February 7:
Overall Record – 15-8 Conference Record - 6-4 RPI – 42 Conference RPI – 2nd Strength of Schedule – 5th RPI Top 50 wins – 1 (South Florida)
Looking at those numbers, it’s a good news/bad news situation. The good news is the Cards have played a very tough schedule and have a winning record in the second best conference. Louisville’s schedule will also get much better. Outside of DePaul, all of the Cards’ remaining opponents are RPI top 90 teams, including 2nd rated Syracuse twice.
I realize simply having a difficult strength of schedule can only get you so far, but it’s a good thing for Louisville because they need quality wins. And obviously, the only way to get quality wins is to play quality teams. Louisville will get multiple chances down the stretch to make their NCAA Tournament resume.
The bad news for Louisville is clear as day, they haven’t beaten anyone. The Cards’ best win is against South Florida, who is 48th in the RPI. While Louisville does have a total of four RPI top 100 wins, all those wins are good for is maybe to be a tiebreaker when comparing resumes against another potential tournament team. If Louisville does not secure that elusive signature win down the stretch, those wins are meaningless.
And let us not forget the Cards’ home losses to Charlotte and Western Carolina. Louisville will get a bit of a break with the Charlotte game due them having played that game without Jerry Smith, Preston Knowles, and Peyton Siva; the Selection Committee has factored injuries into their process many times, but only when teams have a compelling case for being in the Tournament. So again, if Louisville does not get a top shelf win, it won’t matter.
The question is who will Louisville get that signature win against? Here’s their remaining schedule:
at St. John’s at #3/4 Syracuse vs. Notre Dame at DePaul vs. #7/8 Georgetown at Connecticut at Marquette vs. #3/4 Syracuse
I personally feel Louisville will secure two quality wins, at worst, to finish the season. I base that on the fact Louisville has played a very tough schedule and played with everyone. Whether it be Villanova, Kentucky, Pitt, or West Virginia, Louisville has shown the ability to play with, or outplay, some of the top teams in the country.
I am not going to get into the whole coulda, shoulda, woulda game, but I feel Louisville has done enough this season to prove they are more than capable of beating teams like Syracuse or Georgetown. They just have to do it.
I think by the time we reach the Big East conference tournament, Louisville will be safely in the Big Dance. I think Louisville will go 6-2 down the stretch. I believe they will beat Georgetown, then defeat Syracuse in the final home game for the Cards at historic Freedom Hall.
So rest easy Cardinal fans, our squad will indeed be dancing come March.
You probably remember this from Miss South Carolina Teen USA in the 2007 Miss Teen USA Pageant:
Well, Caitlin handled herself well after that debacle and has since been successful in her modeling career and up next for the former Miss South Carolina Teen USA is season 16 of Amazing Race, debuting on Sunday (Valentine’s Day) at 8pm EST on CBS. Lauren Caitlin Upton, Uh YUMP!!
Saints head coach Sean Payton squaded up multiple times as New Orleans defeated Indianapolis en route to their first ever Super Bowl Championship. How can you not love a man who onside kicks to start the second half? Pulaski Academy head coach Kevin Kelley would be proud.
Anyways, congrats to Drew Brees and the Saints. Now enjoy the best commercials from the Super Bowl.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, so for once, Big Blue Nation’s sports consciousness is partially occupied by something OTHER than the ‘Cats. Even still, it’s Sunday, so it’s time to look at UK by the numbers.
UK is coming off yet another two and oh week, with wins over Ole Miss and LSU, neither of which was really in significant doubt at any point. UK stands to move up a spot this week in both the AP and Coaches Poll since #2 Villanova dropped a game. With tough tests coming up for Kansas and Syracuse, UK could soon move back into the number one spot if they keep winning.
Individual Stats
John Wall – 6.6 assists per game (2nd nationally)
1.9 steals per game (t-83rd nationally)
Patrick Patterson – 59.4% field goal shooting (t-34th nationally)
DeMarcus Cousins – 10.0 rebounds per game (24th nationally)
1.8 blocks per game (79th nationally)
RPI
UK hung in there at number six in the RPI according to RealTimeRPI.com. At one point earlier this week, after UK’s win over Ole Miss, UK moved as high as number three, but LSU is by far the worst RPI team in the SEC, which did not help the old SOS.
Ken Pomeroy
UK is at their highest ranking of the season according to Ken Pomeroy, moving up to sixth mainly on the strength of a very efficient performance against LSU.
UK was 14th in offensive efficiency last week and moved up one spot to 13th. Defense, though, is where the ‘Cats helped themselves. They allowed just 55 points to LSU in 76 possessions, their best performance on the defensive end since their beatdown of Drexel in December. UK moved up four spots to 21st in defensive efficiency.
UK is still mediocre in the turnover department (194th and 195th in the country in committing and forcing turnovers), so UK has a lot of room for improvement. However, I think we’re to the point where we can say that UK is always going to be a bit weaker in that area.
By: Stella |
February 7th, 2010 |
Category: Sports
Leading up to the Super Bowl, we have learned more than we want to know about Reggie Bush being an honorary member of the Kardashian family. We are are also learning Dwight Freeney’s every move in physical therapy. Here are some Super Bowl fun facts that you may not know, brought to you by a source that has no credibility or integrity, whatsoever.
- Colts head coach Jim Caldwell actually served as wide receivers coach at the University of Louisville in 1985. After playing for the University of Iowa in the 70s, Caldwell bounced around to several college jobs before becoming head coach at Wake Forest in 1993. With a career record of 26-63, one wonders how he kept his job for eight seasons. Now, he’s going for his second Super Bowl ring. It’s amazing how having ‘The Brain’ as your quarterback makes you look like a coaching genius.
- The only UK or UofL player participating in Sunday’s game is former Cats tight end Jacob Tamme, who has caught three passes in each of his first two seasons in the league. The former 4th-round pick snagged a career-best 21 yard catch in mop-up duty on the final week of the 2009 regular season.
- Ironically, the University of Indiana is the most well-represented local college in the Super Bowl. New Orleans boasts two Hoosiers who see significant playing time: DB Tracy Porter and WR/KR Courtney Roby. Porter was All-Big Ten his senior year, and had the interception of Brett Fav-rah at the end of regulation in the NFC title game. Roby broke the IU career record for receptions and yards before being drafted by the Titans in 2005.
Tracy Porter back in his Hoosier days.
- Saints coach Sean Payton was a quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, and actually played as a replacement player in 1987 when NFL players went on strike. Payton broke into NFL coaching in 1997 as a QB coach with the Eagles, and also worked for the Giants and Cowboys before getting the Saints job in 2006.
Sean Payton as a field general for Eastern Illinois.
- Colts WR Pierre Garcon was a sixth round draft pick last season out of Mt. Union College, which is a the closest thing to a division-III football dynasty. The Purple Raiders won a D-III title in 2006 when Garcon was a junior, and posted 110 strait regular season victories between 1994 and 2005.
- Established in 1967, the Saints franchise has an impressive resume of losing. It took two decades before the team put together a winning season, and they didn’t see a playoff win until 2000. Needless to say, this is their first Super Bowl appearance.
