The Pinkie's Official “Cats” Page
The Pinkie Previews: #1 Kentucky (33-2) vs. #9 Wake Forest (20-10)
By: nickev | March 19th, 2010 | Category: CatsThat was fun, wasn’t it? A cake walk through the first round. The ‘Cats haven’t blitzed a first round opponent like that since 2003 when they handled IUPUI with a crushing performance, 95-64 in the opener. Scary thing is that Kentucky could have scored anytime they wanted underneath and they didn’t even have to. This team is crazy talented and they share the basketball. That’s a good combination.
Now it’s on to the No. 9 seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons and you can expect a lot more blue to be in the crowd than there was on Thursday night.
The Deacons entered postseason play reeling, losers of five of their last six, including a first round loss to Miami in the ACC Tournament. At 19-10, and 9-7 in the ACC, they had reason to be nervous about even getting into the NCAA tournament. But, apparently early wins over both Gonzaga and Xavier were enough to earn them entrance into the dance.
Then in the first round they faced a Texas team that was in even more of a downward spiral. It took overtime, but Wake Forest downed the Longhorns, 81-80, to earn their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005. It also marked head coach Dino Gaudio’s first ever tournament victory. Prior to Thursday night’s win he had yet to even record a victory in the ACC Tournament.
According to Guadio, energy levels and a lack of emotion can be attributed to their recent lack of success. But, they are coming off a tourney win and they have the size underneath and the guard play that could foreseeably give the Wildcats issues.
With 6-9 Al-Farouq Aminu, 7-0 Chas McFarland and 6-11 David Weaver all in the starting lineup, Wake Forest was forced to insert a clearance sign simply for their starting lineup introductions. They also have 6-11 Tony Woods coming off the bench. Clearly the Deacons have plenty of guys that have the size to bang with Kentucky’s bigs. Something that UK is not accustomed to.
AP Photo/Lynn Hey
Aminu, just a sophomore, is the best of the bunch as he leads the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.8 rpg) and has recorded a double-double in all but 11 games this season. He struggled during their recent stretch of bad play but was good on Thursday night, finishing with 20 points and 15 rebounds. He did however shoot just 6-for-18 from the field.
Senior Chas McFarland averaged 8.4 and 5.8 as a sophomore and his numbers the last two seasons have been kind of stagnant. He enters Saturday’s contest, averaging 7.2 points and 7.1 rebounds. Still, if he can stay out of foul trouble against UK’s bigs, he provides Wake Forest with another competent body underneath. That, however, is a big “if”, as he has been called for at least three fouls in 11 consecutive games and has fouled out in two of their last three.
Senior guard Ishmael Smith leads the charge for the Deacons and he could have the quickness necessary to have some success against Kentucky’s backcourt. In UK’s first round crushing of the Bucs, one area where they struggled defensively was keeping Micah Williams out of the lane. So Smith could be a concern.
He is averaging 13.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, so he does a little bit of everything for the Deacons. He has scored in double figures in all but five games this season. In those five games, Wake Forest is 4-1, their lone loss was at Duke. However, he is not that great of shooter and is prone to turn the ball over. He is shooting just 22-percent from beyond the arc and he stuggles at the line as well, shooting just 50-percent.
For Wake Forest to have success, they need Smith to be “that guy” and he was “that guy” against Texas. In 44 minutes of action he finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He also had eight turnovers.
Aside from Smith, Wake Forest’s backcourt becomes inexperienced if senior L.D. Williams struggles from the field and he has really been struggling of late. He is averaging 8.8 points on the season, but since his 9-for-11 performance against Virginia Tech on February 16, he is shooting just 14-for-51 from the field.
Like ETSU, the Deacons just do not have anyone who scares you from deep. On the season they are shooting just 31-percent and have connected on just 132 three-pointers. Their best shooters are C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart, but neither one of those guys really scare you. Harris is shooting 33-percent from deep and has connected on 34 threes, while Stewart is shooting 38-percent and has made 42.
Kentucky has not seen a frontline that matches up with theirs size-wise all season long and Wake Forest presents that. However, their bigs are nowhere near as talented as UK’s. Still, expect Wake to be physical with the ‘Cats underneath because they have the bodies necessary to attack and not worry about foul trouble.
If Smith can get into the lane and Williams, Harris and Stewart can make some shots, the Deacons could potentially stay in the game. I just don’t see it happening.
It is tough to turn it off and turn it on and the Deacons entered the tournament with it off. They just ran into a team in the first round that lost all power two months ago. This Kentucky team is on a mission and I don’t believe Wake has the talent necessary to derail them.
Kentucky 82, Wake Forest 68
UK Hammers ETSU in Tourney Debut
By: Guy | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Andy Lyons - Getty Images
What a first day of the NCAA Tournament, huh? Lots of close games, lots of upsets, and a big ‘Cats victory.
It’s been a long time since UK had a laugher in a first round NCAA Tournament game. Even in 2005, when UK was a two seed, it was a tight one. I have to say, it’s nice to issue a round one beatdown again, and a beatdown it was. UK poured in threes from all directions and when Eric Bledsoe wasn’t breaking the all time UK tourney record for treys, the ‘Cats were tossing alley oops and dunking all over the badly overmatched Buccaneers.
Really the only hope ETSU had in this one was to keep it close by hitting deep balls and forcing UK into missing their threes. The complete opposite happened. Kentucky was 15-33 from deep (including 8-9 for Bledsoe) and ETSU was 4-17.
The Wildcat backcourt absolutely sliced and diced the defense all game, especially John Wall. Wall had 17 points and 11 assists, and while he didn’t have some of the highlight reel plays we have become accustomed to, he ran the team very effectively. Wall realized right away that the opponent was overmatched and that it was an opportunity to get his teammates very involved. Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson jumped at the chance, scoring 15 points apiece in the first half and 29 and 22 overall.
The Bucs set out to take DeMarcus Cousins out of the game, limiting his touches and doubling when he did get the ball. Cousins had a pretty quiet 5 point and 8 rebounds in just 24 minutes, but handled himself well and was a major defensive factor, blocking 5 shots. He also had a handful of dimes, notching 4 assists. UK has way too many weapons to be affected when an opponent takes one player away, especially when shots are falling like they did today.
There were a couple minor flies in the ointment, the first of which was UK’s performance at the foul line. UK was less than focused at the line, hitting just 23 of 34, and it seemed much worse than that. Also, late in the game, Daniel Orton went up to contest a shot, but had his legs taken out from under him. He went down HARD right on his backside and did not immediately get up. One of his teammates tried to pick him up, and with the CBS camera capturing the whole thing, Orton dropped possibly the most audible F-bomb in the history of live television. The good news was that Orton stayed on the bench when he was helped to the sideline and looked none the worse for the wear. Thankfully so, because UK is going to need him in a potentially tough second round matchup against a team with a beefy front court in Texas.
All in all, it was exactly the kind of performance you wanted to see out of the ‘Cats. It was focused and business-like. UK didn’t mess around and did not have to over exert themselves and tire themselves for Saturday. Now, they get to sit back, relax, watch, and find out who they will play next. Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like what I’m going to do.
Headin’ to Happy Hour Football Update
By: Aaron | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Basketball is King for the next couple of weeks, however some schools have already started spring football practice. Also, more and more football recruits are taking visits to spring practices and making their college decisions earlier than normal. Look for both UK and Louisville to host football recruits during spring practice and push for early commitments. Both UK and Louisville are recruiting Shamir Jeffrey (link below) from South Carolina. Based on feedback, UK is offering Jeffrey an opportunity to play Quarterback, while Louisville is recruiting him as an athlete. Personally, I feel he ends up a Gamecock.
The most exciting news for UK Football Fans should be the Coaches Clinic (link below) being held at the Nutter Training Facility. Joker Phillips has key high school coaches speaking at the event which is HUGE! It allows UK to show off their facilities and help the relationship building process as well. Below are some links back to my blog (Aaron’s UK Football Blog0 for some football insight and recruiting news.
Remember to follow AaronsUKFBBlog on Twitter for the most up to date football information!
UK, who has the most to prove?
Aaron Lynch (2011-DE) recruit update
2010 Recruiting Rewind- Dale Trimble
K.J. Brent (2011-WR) recruit update
Cody Robinson (2011-OT/DL) recruit udpate
Shamir Jeffrey (2011-QB/ATH) recruit update
Peters and Smith Draft Stock Rising
Pre Season All-Conference Teams
The Pinkie Interviews East Tennessee State Play-by-Play Man, Jay Santos
By: nickev | March 18th, 2010 | Category: CatsNormally I do a preview of the team that Kentucky is playing and try to act like I know what I’m talking about. Well, today we are going to things a little differently. On St. Patrick’s Day night I sat down and spoke with East Tennessee State Play-by-Play man, Jay Santos. Santos is in his eighth season with the Buccaneers.
ETSU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 20-14 overall record, they were 13-7 in Atlantic Sun play, but they have won six strait and nine of 11. ESPN Bracket Nerd, Joe Lunardi, calls them the best of the five No. 16 seeds.
Murray Bartow, the son of coaching legend Gene Bartow, is in his seventh season with the Bucs. In those seven seasons, he has compiled a 241-168 record and this is his third trip to the NCAA Tournament. They also made the dance in 2004, and in 2009 they gave Pittsburgh a scare in the first round.
They are led by Tommy Hubbard, a 6-4, 210-pound senior, who despite his size bangs underneath. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.1 and 8.3, respectively. Guards Micah Williams (12.5 ppg) and Justin Tubbs (12.0 ppg) also average double figures for the Bucs.
The streets of New Orleans were loud as everyone around Santos was celebrating by drinking some green beer, but we fought through it. Below is the interview.
nickev: You enter the NCAA tournament hot, winning six strait and nine of your last 11 ball games. What has been the difference of late?
Jay Santos: There are a couple of differences. The first is bench play. Simply put, the bench struggled the first half of season. Too often during the first three-quarters of the season the starters did all of the scoring. Coach Bartow seems to finally have his rotation down. During the last 12 games he has stuck with an eight man rotation and guys like Adam Sollazzo, J.C. Ward, and Sheldon Cooley are really starting to contribute off the bench. So the bench is the big thing, but they have also picked it up defensively. In our 20 wins we have allowed 60 points per game. In our losses we are giving up 75 points.
nickev: The Atlantic Sun Tournament was an interesting one. You entered as the 5-seed, yet the highest seed you beat to win the championship was No. 4 Campbell in the first round. You then beat No. 8 Kennesaw State in the semis before defeating No. 6 Mercer, a team that beat you twice in the regular season, in the finals. Have you ever been a part of a tournament with so many upsets? What did you do differently to get the win against Mercer when it mattered most?
Jay Santos: No, I haven’t. But, it wasn’t just the tournament. The regular season was quite odd, as well. Sure, we were the 5th seed in the tournament, but there was a four-way tie for first and we were only one game out. In the past the Atlantic Sun has had a team separate and run away with everything. This year there was no dominant team. The tournament was just so interesting the way it all broke down and then in the finals we played Mercer, a team that handed it to us the previous two games. The outcome was different the third time because we held Mercer’s seniors down. They are a senior-laden team, but they aren’t too deep. We were able to get their guys into foul trouble. We also got off to a quick start. Our wings hit some threes and we grabbed an early lead, which was huge because in the first two games we trailed the entire 40 minutes. We also held them under 70 points. They put up huge scoring outputs in both our losses in the regular season, scoring 83 and 82 points.
nickev: This is the Buccaneers second consecutive trip to the Big Dance. Last year you were also No. 16 and gave Pittsburgh quite a scare, trailing by three with under three minutes to go before losing 72-62. Did Murray Bartow employ any type of gimmick strategy to hang with the heavily favored Panthers, or did they play them straight up?
Jay Santos: Last year’s ETSU team was totally different than this one. They thrived in full-court and forced a lot of turnovers. Pitt wasn’t a very good three-point shooting team but they had guys like Sam Young who could seemingly get to rim to the rim whenever they wanted. A lot of teams played them by packing it in and forcing them to shoot three’s. We didn’t change anything against them. We played four guards, pressed full-court and forced them into turnovers. In that game we forced Pitt into 18 turnovers while only turning it over nine times ourselves. We also hit some big shots which kept us in the game. Bartow is not a big gimmick guy. He won’t box-and-one you or run a triangle-and-two. So, no they really didn’t do anything like that to Pittsburgh last year.
nickev: Try to explain what this ETSU squad is all about.
Jay Santos: Murray Bartow’s squads have always been about forcing turnovers, getting into transition and scoring. This year has been a rarity because they have struggled to score. Truth be told, this team has gone through a lot of adversity. Prior to the season, 6-10 junior Seth Coy died in a one-car accident. Then we lost our best returning player Mike Smith to a medical redshirt after just four games. It took a long time for someone to step up. At one point in the season, no one would take the big shot. It’s been an odd run and kind of an all-out up-and-down year. They have no margin for error. All season long they have had to play a flawless games to compete, that is especially true against Kentucky. Heck, in our win at Arkansas we hit the most threes we’ve hit all season, we out-rebounded them and forced them into more turnovers. It was kind of a perfect storm.
nickev: Despite a lack of size, the Bucanneers have outrebounded their opponents this season. Tommy Hubbard, at just 6′4″, leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 per game. How have they had so such success on the glass despite a disadvantage size-wise?
Jay Santos: They beefed up the schedule this season and played teams with size. They played at Louisville, at Tennessee and then won at Arkansas. They scheduled four NCAA tournament teams from a year ago. They also try to force quick outside shots because they can’t matchup with a lot of teams underneath. It is going to be a really tough match-up against Kentucky underneath. If the ETSU defense can force UK into jump shots, they will have opportunities to chase balls down.
nickev: Not only is Hubbard a good rebounder, he is also a great scorer underneath. What does he do that makes him so effective around the basket?
AP Photo/Al Behrman
Jay Santos: His days of boxing and he played middle linebacker in high school. He has that football mentality. Coming out of high school he had more offers in football than he had in basketball. He is wired to play football, but he has a love for the game of basketball. He is by far our best defender and no one plays harder than he does. I know it sounds cliche but he plays every second of every play and leaves it all on the line. During broadcasts I often refer to him as “Tommy Hustle” because he simply out-hustles everyone. In big games he often goes the distance, too. He played all 40 minutes in our win over Arkansas and in the A-Sun Championship Game.
nickev: One of Kentucky’s weaknesses, especially early on, has been defending the three-point shot. Micah Williams and Justin Tubbs are decent threats from deep, but overall the Bucs are not what you would consider a great perimeter shooting team. They have only connected on 173 threes on the season and are shooting just 31-percent. In contrast, so-called analysts are calling the three-point shot Kentucky’s achilles heel and they have knocked down 203 while shooting 34-percent. Do you expect them to rely on the three more against the Wildcats or to continue to look for scoring opportunities in the 2-point area?
Jay Santos: That would be the million dollar question if you had to break down this game. Like you mentioned, ETSU really only has two guys who can stand out there and shoot it. In past seasons they have had those guys, this year they don’t. I expect them to continue to try and get into that 15-foot range. Question is can they get there? I don’t know. But, I know Bartow would like for his team to stay around 12 to 13 three-point attempts in this one.
nickev: Recently, the majority of teams have implemented some variation of the 2-3 zone against the Wildcats. Do you expect Bartow to stick to this strategy?
Jay Santos: On defense they might play some 1-1-3 against kentucky. The 1-1-3 is very similar to the 2-3, but the opposite guard goes out and pressures. They will show full court in spurts, because that is what they do, but don’t look for them to press against UK. The ‘Cats are just too deep and to be honest the press has actually hurt them at times throughout the season.
nickev: What do the Bucanneers have to do to hang with the Wildcats and have a chance at the end, much like they did last year against Pitt?
Jay Santos: To stay with the ‘Cats, it will have to be similar to what happened against Pitt. Number one, they can’t get killed on glass. They will try to force UK into jumpshots, but when Kentucky gets the ball deep they can’t allow them offensive putbacks and extra positions. Just like last year against Pitt, the turnover margin will also have to again be in ETSU’s favor. Both, UK and ETSU are not afraid to give the ball up, so that could be something that keeps the Bucs in the game. They also need to make their 12 to 13 three-point attempts count. Last, they will need a little luck on their side.
nickev: Despite all of the adversity that your team has gone through this season, you still find yourself in the NCAA Tournament for the second strait season. Congratulations on that and good luck tomorrow. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to do this.
2010 NCAA Tournament Round One Viewer’s Guide
By: Guy | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cards - Cats - Sports
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past 23 years, it’s how to watch first round games in the NCAA Tournament. The next two days are literally among my favorite of the entire year, so I’ve come to understand how to make the most out of the first 32 games of the Tournament.
I think I owe it to the readers of the Pinkie to try to impart some of that knowledge for their own viewing enjoyment for the Thursday games. Let’s take a look at the games of the day and how you should approach watching them if you get to sit on your couch all day and watch basketball.
Early Games (Game to be shown in Louisville in bold)
Florida (10) vs. BYU (7) – 12:20 pm
Old Dominion (11) vs. Notre Dame (6) – 12:25 pm
Robert Morris (15) vs. Villanova (2) – 12:30
OK, two pretty watchable games here. We’ll be stuck with just live look-ins of the ND/ODU and RM/’Nova games and watching the Florida game all the way through. I think there’s a chance BYU turns their game into a laugher, which would send us to the Notre Dame game, which I anticipate being close.
The Play
Get your lunch situation squared away before tip-off, tune in to CBS and get your computer up and running with March Madness on Demand with the Notre Dame-BYU game. Keep an eye on the ‘Nova game in case the Wildcats don’t show up, but there shouldn’t be much to watch there.
If you have to work, I recommend getting close to a TV if possible or getting MMOD on the Florida game. Then, take your lunch at halftime so you can head to a place with a good TV set up to see the finishes of all three games.
Afternoon Session
Murray State (13) vs. Vanderbilt (4) – 2:30 pm
North Texas (15) vs. Kansas State (2) – 2:40 pm
Sam Houston St. (14) vs. Baylor (3) – 2:45 pm
St. Mary’s (10) vs. Richmond (7) – 2:50 pm
This time slot is where the best games seem to always happen and these games set up for that. We are lucky enough to get the Murray/Vandy game in our area, because I think this is the best game of the bunch.
The spacing also will be good here, because the Vandy game will start at 2:30 exactly since it’s the first game at its site. The other games are the second game at their sites, so will likely start a little later than the scheduled time. This means that we will get to watch the entire Vandy/Murray game, then a good chunk of the end of the closest of the other three games.
The Play
This one’s not too tough. Tune into the Vandy/Murray game on TV and enjoy. You can turn on MMOD as well, but I just don’t think it will be worth distracting yourself. Keep an eye on the scores of the other games and adjust if necessary.
If you’re working, go with MMOD and head home as early as possible because you might have a chance of making it home in time for the end of one of these games.
Mid-Afternoon
UTEP (12) vs. Butler (5)
This is a bit unfortunate, because this West Coast game is typically a high seed versus a low seed. This year, a pretty good game will be going on out west while we are in the dark back east.
The Play
The only choice here, unless you have Direct TV, is MMOD. If the game is still going on at 7 when CBS resumes coverage, they might break in and show the game.
Evening Session
Northern Iowa (9) vs. UNLV (8) – 7:10 pm
East Tennessee St. (16) vs. Kentucky (1) – 7:15 pm
Washington (11) vs. Marquette (6) – 7:20 pm
Ohio (14) vs. Georgetown (3) – 7:25 pm
Things change a bit for me when my ‘Cats are on. The other games become pretty insignificant until the outcome is decided.
The Play
Non-’Cats fans are trapped watching UK all the way through, but I obviously would have it no other way. I’m hoping UK can handle ETSU so I can start to think about potential good games between Marquette and Washington and UNLV and Northern Iowa.
Late Session
Lehigh (16) vs. Kansas (1) – 9:30 pm
Wake Forest (9) vs. Texas (8) – 9:35 pm
Montana (14) vs. New Mexico (3) – 9:40 pm
San Diego St. (11) vs. Tennessee (6) – 9:45 pm
Another case of good luck for Louisville viewers. I think Tennessee/SDSU is the best matchup and it’s the game we get to watch.
The Play
Tune in to the Tennessee/SDSU game on CBS and get the Wake/Texas game going on MMOD. CBS will break in with coverage if the Wake/Texas game is close late, they will interrupt Tennessee/SDSU coverage and return just in time for hopefully another close finish.
What a day it’s going to be tomorrow. Enjoy it, because there are no two days like Thursday and Friday.
The Pinkie Previews the 2010 East Region: A-to-Z
By: nickev | March 17th, 2010 | Category: Cats - SportsA is for “Alford”
Steve Alford, the former IU Standout and Iowa head coach, took over the New Mexico Lobos entering the 2007 season. He won 24 games in his first season as the head coach which is the most wins for a first-year coach in school history. He is now 75-25 in three seasons at the helm, and this season led them to a 29-4 overall record and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
B is for “Bo Ryan”
AP Photo/Brian Kersey
Wisconsin’s head coach, Bo Ryan, just does what he does. He wins games and finds ways to get his Badgers into the NCAA Tournament. They have qualified for the Big Dance in each of his nine seasons as head coach. The Badgers win consistently because of their patented “swing” offense and their strong man-to-man defense, which once again ranked in the top ten nationally.
C is for ”Cornell”
Many analysts believe that Cornell has a chance to make a run in the NCAA tournament because of their ability to score the basketball from the inside with 7-footer Jeff Foote and from the outside with Ryan Wittman. Wittman leads the Big Red in scoring with 17.5 ppg and is shooting 42-percent from deep. He is a great shooter but has also shown the ability to score from the inside as well. Cornell is also one of the most experienced teams in the tournament, starting four seniors and bringing more off of the bench. Also, remember that they took Kansas to the wire at Phog Allen this season, losing 71-66.
D is for ”Darington Hobson”
Hobson, a 6-7 junior forward for New Mexico, could be one of the most unheralded players in the country. The junior-college transfer led the Lobos in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounds (9.1 rpg) and assists (4.6 apg) en route to MWC Player and Newcomer of the Year Awards. Head coach Steve Alford often puts him at the point guard position, which shows his versatility.
E is for ”East Tennessee State”
The East Tennessee State Bucanneers are probably the best of the five No. 16 seeds in the tournament. Just last season they nearly upset No. 1 Pittsburgh as a No. 16 seed in the first round of the tournament. They trailed the Panthers by only three with under six minutes remaining before eventually succumbing, 72-62. ETSU is not a big team but they do most of their damage offensively at the rim and struggle from the perimeter. They are led by Tommy Hubbard, a 6-4 junior forward, who averages 14.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg. Defensively, they live off of forcing turnovers.
F is for “Foote”
At 7-0, 265-pounds, Cornell center Jeff Foote is pretty much a beast at both ends of the court. On the offensive end he is a definite threat at the rim, averaging 12.3 points while shooting over 62-percent from the field. On the defensive side of the court, he is one of the best shot blockers in the country, averaging 1.9 per game. He is also an effective rebounder.
G is for “Gaudio”
Prior the the 2007 season, Dino Gaudio took over at Wake Forest following the worst possible circumstances, the death of his friend and mentor, Skip Prosser. He is now in his third season as head coach and has led his team to back-to-back tournament appearances. The Deacons like to move the ball up-and-down the court, but they rely on their top 20 defense to keep them in games. They are in the top 20 in field goal percentage defense, three-point field goal percentage defense and blocked shots.
H is for “Huggy Bear”
West Virginia’s Bob Huggins is yet another coach in his third season at the helm. Just last weekend he led the Mountaineers, his alma mater, to their first ever Big East Conference Tournament Championship. Huggins has failed to lead his squad past the Sweet 16 in his last 11 trips. WVU is favored to get past the Sweet 16 and is a serious threat to win the whole thing but they struggle to score when Da’Sean Butler can’t find the bottom of the net. In five of their six losses this season, he failed to score at least his season average.
I is for ”Isaiah Thomas”
Washington’s sophomore guard has been forced to play with a broken bone in his shooting hand nearly all season long. Despite the injury, Thomas is still playing relatively well, and along with Quincy Pondexter, led the Huskies to an upset victory over Cal in the Pac-10 Championship. Despite the fact that he is just 5-8, Thomas is fearless and a tremendous scorer, averaging just over 17 points per game.
J is for “Jay Bilas Slurp Job”
I understand that Jay Bilas is simply trying to mix it up during ESPN’s Bracketology. Everyone else on the panel consistently just went “chalk”, which means they took only No. 1 through No. 3 seeds to the Elite Eight. Bilas went out on a limb and predicted Cornell to advance to the Elite Eight, which is fine. However, I don’t have to hear about the Big Red during every single segment you run. I love Bilas and think he has the best basketball knowledge in the business, but he has a tendency to go on rants and continue obsessing over them. During their two-hour Bracketology segment, he slurped over Cornell so much that I refused to pick them in my bracket.
K is for “Kentucky”
Last season, everyone’s favorite alchy, Billy “Clyde” Gillispie, led the Kentucky Wildcats to the N.I.T. Tournament, forcing them to miss their first Big Dance since 1991. This season new head coach John Calipari leads them back to the NCAA Tournament and the Wildcats are a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2004. Now they look to reach their first Final Four and win their first championship since 1998. They are led by junior Patrick Patterson, who is playing in his first NCAA tournament, and a a trio of freshmen in John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe.
L is for ”Lazar Heyward”
With the trio of amazing guards (Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal) all graduating from Marquette following last season, 6-6 senior Lazar Heyward was left to carry the load. During his senior season he led the Eagles in scoring with 18 points a game and nearly pulled down eight rebounds a game. Offensively he can drive by his man and knock down shots from the perimeter. He is also lights out at the free throw line, shooting 84-percent.
M is for ”Montana Grizzlies”
The Grizzle, as ESPN’s Stuart Scott refers to them, trailed Weber State by 20 points at halftime of the Big Sky Conference Tournament title game before rallying to win. They finished the season at 22-9 and rely heavily on the three-point shot, where they are shooting over 40-percent on the season. Anthony Johnson, a 6-3 senior guard, leads the way for the Grizzlies, averaging nearly 20 points per game. His leadership and experience are vital to Montana’s success and when he is isn’t on the court the drop-off is quite obvious.
N is for ”No. 43″
East Tennessee State’s 6-10 junior Seth Coy died in a one-car accident in July. The team is honoring Coy’s memory by wearing a black patch with the No. 43 (Coy’s old number) on it. Prior to the season, Adam Sollazzo, Coy’s former roommate, changed his uniform number to 43 to honor his fallen friend.
O is for “Owls”
Head Coach Fran Dumphy is in his fourth year as the head coach of the Temple Owls and has led them to three strait NCAA tournaments. However, he hasn’t had much success in tournament with an overall 1-11 record and has yet to win a tourney game as head coach of the Owls. This season they have a goal of getting to the Sweet Sixteen. Temple enters the tournament winners of their last ten games and claimed both the A-10 regular season and conference championship. They aren’t a high scoring team, but they have a great balance of interior and perimeter scoring. They are led by 6-9 junior LaVoy Allen, who finished the season averaging a double-double.
P is for ”Purnell”
Oliver Purnell’s Clemson Tigers are back in the Big Dance and once again he is instituting that patented Diamond-And-One Press. They pressure constantly and therefore depth is a key to their success. To keep his players fresh, Purnell is known for his propensity to switch out five guys at a time. Trevor Booker, a first-team All-ACC selection, is an absolute beast on the block for Tigers, averaging 15.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg.
Q is for “Quincy Pondexter”
Pondexter is one of the most explosive finishers in the country. If you are forced to guard him one-on-one in transition, you are pretty much through. The senior guard for the Washington Huskies is averaging nearly 20 points per game and is also pulling down 7.6 rebounds. The kid can score in absolute bunches and is shooting 52-percent from the field. Like fellow Huskie guard, Isaiah Thomas, Pondexter has zero fear in his bones.
R is for “Reggie Holmes”
Holmes is Morgan State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,039 career points. This season he averaged 21.8 points, which was second in the country behind only Houston’s Aubrey Coleman. Holmes has the ability to generate his own offense by using one or two dribbles to create enough space to shoot the jumper. He is a prolific scorer who is always looking for a way to get the ball in the basket.
S is for “Selvig”
As in Montana’s big man Derik Selvig. Selvig is a 7-foot sophomore center for the Grizzlies who has the athleticism to score from the perimeter and at the rim.
T is for “Trevon Hughes”
Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes is one of the best guards in the tournament. He is an elite scorer who also has the ability find others, something that is mandatory in Bo Ryan’s swing offense. He suffered an ankle injury in their regular season finale against Illinois, but is expected to be fine in time to dance.
U is for “Undefeated”
The East bracket features the two teams that remained undefeated the longest this season in Kentucky and Texas. The Wildcats were the last team to be beaten when they fell to South Carolina in Columbia, 68-62, on January 26. The Longhorns fell eight days earlier than the ‘Cats, when they were defeated 71-62 at Kansas State. Since starting the season 17-0, Texas finished the season with just a 7-9 record en route to a No. 8 seed.
V is for ”Victories”
Every team in the East Region is looking for four strait “victories”, which will allow them to cut down the nets at the Carrier Dome and venture on down to Indy for the Final Four.
W is for ”Wall”
In just one season, John Wall has built himself a Great Wall of Lexington. He finished the season averaging 16.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds en route to being named the first freshman to win SEC Player of the Year honors since LSU’s Chris Jackson in 1989.
X is for “X-and-O’s”
Murry Bartow, the son of coaching legend Gene Bartow, can X-and-O with the best of them. Last season they scared the crap out of Pittsburgh in the No. 1 vs. No. 16 game. This year they look to do the same against the young and crazy-talented Kentucky Wildcats.
Y is for ”Young”
Nope, we’re not talking about how “young” the Kentucky Wildcats are. Instead, we are talking Wofford’s head coach, Mike Young. Young is in his eighth season as head coach of the Terriers and is making his first NCAA tournament appearance. Prior to their first place finish in the Southern Conference this season, his prior best finish was third back in 2003. They finished this season at 26-8 and execute in their half court offense very well. They rely on Southern Conference Player of the Year, Noah Dahlman, to do the majority of their damage. At 6-6, Dahlman is an undersized big with tremendous footwork and hustle. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 rpg on the season, while shooting 58-percent from the field.
Z is for “Zaire Taylor”
Zaire Taylor, a 6-6 senior guard for the Missouri Tigers, does a little bit of everything for Mike Anderson’s squad and is often the one to take the big shot. The Tigers like to push the ball to the offensive end after stops and Taylor is one of the best at getting the ball to the other end. He is averaging 8. 3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists on the season.
DeMarcus Cousins Takes His Turn on the Cover of Sports Illustrated
By: Guy | March 17th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Earlier this season, John Wall made the cover of Sports Illustrated. This week, on SI’s annual regional NCAA Tournament issue, DeMarcus Cousins is one of six player featured. Pretty cool for Big Cuz.
Also, Cousins clearly has good taste in shoes. In the picture, DeMarcus is wearing (at least I think so) Air Jordan XI’s, also known as my favorite shoe of all time. I remember getting a pair back in elementary school and protecting them as if my life depended on it.
The Pinkie Maps Out Kentucky’s Path to the Final Four
By: Guy | March 17th, 2010 | Category: CatsThere has been some unhappiness over the last 24 hours about UK’s draw in the NCAA Tournament. On the face of things, it does look pretty bad. UK could potentially lace ‘em up in the second round, Sweet Sixteen, and Elite Eight against a former number one team in the nation in the second round (Texas), a team that can grind it with the best and could trouble the ‘Cats (Wisconsin), and almost assuredly the two seed with the best case to be a one (West Virginia).
Honestly, though, I’m not nearly as upset some. Yeah, it would be nice to be down South where Duke is sitting, but sooner or later, a national title winning team is going to be stiffly tested. I kind of like the fact that UK will be a little mad about their draw. A mad Kentucky team is a focused Kentucky team and for the first time in a while, the games are going to be just as important to the ‘Cats as their opponent.
Enough of that, let’s take a look at what Kentucky’s potential path to winning the national title will be.
First Round
East Tennessee State Pirates (16)
Nick will be delving a little more deeply into this matchup in his preview on Wednesday, but what’s the deal with the Pirates? They won the Atlantic Sun conference title this year and make their second consecutive trip to the NCAA’s. You may remember them from last year, because they went punch for punch with top seeded Pitt before falling by ten.
This season’s Pirates make their living by forcing turnovers. They will mix in some zone looks and get in the passing lanes. They average 12 steals a game, 33rd in the nation. Offensively, they struggle a bit, but they do get after it on the boards. They are not very effective from three point range. If UK can close out possessions with defensive rebounds and limit turnovers as they did effectively in Nashville.
Second Round
Texas Longhorns (8)
There just aren’t many teams more talented than Texas. There also aren’t any teams who have done as little as Texas has with the talent on their roster. We all remember their number one ranking back in January, but they closed the season 7-9, beating only one Tourney team over that stretch (Oklahoma State twice).
Texas and Kentucky have a lot of similarities on paper: veteran four men (Damion James and Patrick Patterson), giant big men who struggle with foul trouble at times (Dexter Pittman and DeMarcus Cousins), and big time freshman classes. Texas doesn’t have John Wall though. Also, Texas is one of the better open floor teams in the country, but any time a team has tried to run with UK, it just hasn’t worked.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9)
Wake has lost five of six and there’s a pretty good chance, with Ishmael Smith running things, that they’ll try to run with the ‘Cats. They don’t shoot well from the outside and they aren’t very good in the turnover department on either side of the floor. They get after it on the offensive boards, but are not very good on the defensive glass. They have some glaring weaknesses, not much confidence, and will have one day to prepare to play UK. I think UK can exploit them.
Yep, the Deacon drives a motorcycle all the time
Smith and Al-Farouq Aminu are elite players, but they have a bunch of losses that make you scratch your head. If they knock of Texas, there probably stands a chance UK could overlook them, but this is a pretty good matchup for UK.
Sweet Sixteen
Wisconsin Badgers (4)
Lots has been made of how the slow it down style of a team like Wisconsin will give UK trouble. I don’t really give as much credence to this thought as some. UK has been well trained in the take the air out of the ball philosophy throughout SEC play. Yes, Wisconsin is better practiced at implementing it, but SEC opponents have grinded (ground?) it out all year and UK has dealt pretty well with it.
Wisconsin is a conservative team in most every way. They stay home on defense, contest shots, and rebound. On offense, they are mostly happy with holding on to the ball and getting back on defense after a missed shot. Like any team, they are much better when their guards (Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes) are hitting shots. They rely on their starters a bunch, with their bench playing just over 25% of their minutes. They are also not a particularly big team, with just one guy over 6-10 (Jon Leuer).
If UK were to stay within themselves in this matchup and a couple outside shots fell, I think UK would handle the Badgers.
Temple Owls (5)
According to Ken Pomeroy, Temple is the third best defensive team in the land. Opponents shoot about 28% from three against them and 42.5% from inside the arc. If they play Wisconsin in the second round, it will really be a match made in heaven. If you really like defense and you really don’t like more than 60 possessions in a game, tune in. I think it will be a toss-up between those two teams if it happens. They are a slightly worse shooting team that Wisconsin, but defensively better, at least according to stats.
Long Shot – Cornell Big Red (12)
A lot of people are pinning Cornell as the hot 12 seed that could do some damage…I don’t see it so much. Yeah, they played Kansas well and yeah they shoot it well from three, but they don’t play good enough defense to make a sustained run. Also, Temple is the second best three point defense in the nation, which will limit the damage they do from deep.
Elite Eight
West Virginia Mountaineers (2)
West Virginia is the highest rated two seed on the S-Curve according to most, so they are the very clear favorite to emerge from the bottom half of the East bracket. Shooting is an issue though. They will run 6-7 guys at you like it’s their job and get after you with Bob Huggins patented man defense. Guard play leaves a bit to be desired, which would give the ‘Cats an advantage. Also, they lack a big who can match up with DeMarcus Cousins.
Nevertheless, they are atletic enough and talented enough to stiffly test the ‘Cats and maybe even make it come down to shooting. They create mismatches for opponents (and themselves) all over the floor, so it would be very interesting.
New Mexico Lobos (3)
New Mexico has been highly rated all season, but they play out west in a non-BCS conference, so most people around these parts don’t know much about them. The Lobos are out to change that. Steve Alford has them playing some serious ball. Darington Hobson, in addition to being quite awesomely named, is a big time player on the wing and does a little bit of everything.
They aren’t really going to scare anybody on defense, but they have a bunch of guys who will take and hit the three. They have a bunch of tweeners on their roster who can do a lot of good things. Even though they don’t have a ton of size, they can rebound the ball very well.
Marquette Golden Eagles (6)
Pretty much anytime you turned on SportsCenter this season, they were giving somebody in the Big East everything they wanted. Unfortunately, they lost a lot more close ones than they won early in the year. Of late, though, they started to win them, closing the season 10-3 with three OT wins. Go ahead and pencil them in as a team likely to be featured in the “One Shining Moment” montage, because their games always come down to the last possession.
Buzz Williams team does it with almost no bench. Lazar Hayward carries a very heavy load for them on offense and defense, including guarding guys way bigger than him. They will hit a lot of threes on you and they just don’t turn the ball over. Their lack of size causes them to struggle on the boards, but they make up for it in heart. Whoever beats them in the Tournament will not do it without dealing with a fight.
Longshots – Clemson Tigers (7), Missouri Tigers (10), Washington Huskies (11)
I just don’t see any of these teams advancing past the second round, but you never know this time of year.
Countdown to Spring Football
By: Aaron | March 16th, 2010 | Category: Cats
I know the focus right now is March Madness. As well it should be. But, football is right around the corner as well. Spring Football starts for UK on March 31st with the Cats holding their annual Blue vs. White Scrimmage Game on April 24th. Spring Football for both UK and Louisville will be extra special this year as both have new head coaches. Both Joker Phillips and Charlie Strong will try to set a new standard among their players AND coaches.
For UK, the talk of spring practice will be the Quarterback competition. Based on feedback I have received, Morgan Newton is leading the team and most players expect him to be the starting Quarterback when the season opens. Now, could that change? Absolutely!
I’m more concerned about UK’s Offensive Line and Defense heading into spring. Who’s going to repace Corey Peters, Micah Johnson, Sam Maxwell and Trevard Lindley? We all have ideas, but sometimes what looks good on paper doesn’translate to the football field. One thing is clear, we’ll have a better idea once spring practice is in full swing.
Below are a few links back to my blog (Aaron’s UK Football Blog) from the past few days regarding UK Football.
Five Players to Watch UK Offense
Five Players to Watch UK Defense
Braxton Miller (2011-QB) Update
Music City Bowl extends deal with SEC
Zach West (2011-OL) Update (UL Fans want to check this out)
Danny Woodson Jr. (2011-WR) picks Alabama
2011 Recruiting Board UK- QB’s
Ohio All-Combine Team Nike Camp
Cards Most Profitable Team in NCAA Tournament
By: Miller | March 16th, 2010 | Category: Cards - Cats
CNBC.com has a very interesting piece about the NCAA Tournament from a financial standpoint. Within this article, Darren Rovell breaks down the most profitable teams in the Big Dance and as it turns out, Louisville is ranked no. 1. And it isn’t close either.
The Cards, an Adidas school, reported a $16, 869, 659 profit in 2010. Ohio State, a Nike school, ranks second with a $11, 417, 941 profit. Kentucky, also a Nike school, comes in 10th with a reported $6, 157, 308 profit.
Rovell also looks at some financial figures from other areas, such as cost of a thirty second ad during the tournament ($100,000), amount John Wall will make if he’s the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft ($5,114,280), and the amount Adidas pays Kansas to be it’s apparel provider ($26,670,000,).
It’s a pretty interesting read and I recommend taking a look, here’s the link.
