Visine or Pepto-Bismol?: Which Should I Use?

Abysmal. Pathetic. Ridiculous. What other words can I use to describe the effort shown on Wednesday night against South Carolina. I was aching in pain watching that game last night. No effort whatsoever. Jodie Meeks was taken out of the game in the second half because of his lack of defense, according to BCG. It was a poor game, at best. Those are the best words I can use to describe what I saw last night. Even when they were down by double-digits, they could've at least fought to try and come back, but no. They gave up early, and USC shot lights out. I was disgusted with the lack of fouls and goaltends being called, but that would not have made much of a difference because in the end, USC flat out outplayed UK in every facet of the game, and outcoached for that matter. As much as I hated to see them win in that manner last night, I applaud Darrin Horn and he has my utmost respect, he is a great and young coach. He has proved he can make the SEC more competitive by what he has brought to the table so far.
I have been venting the past 24 hours and I cannot find much more to say since I've let out all my frustration on blogs and message boards all day. But UK fans need to continue to support our program, that means our players and our coach, so we can continue to be successful in the long run. Otherwise, at this rate, it will be a bumpy ride on the BCG bandwagon.

Darius Miller Goes 6-6, Cats Win Big Against Vols 77-58

Many people had been wondering for the past month or so, since the Louisville game, if anybody on the team was going to step up and become a legitimate offensive threat for UK so they wouldn't have to rely only on Jodie Meeks or Patrick Patterson. Well, on Saturday, the Cats found their answer, Darius Miller. He had 17 points, 6-6 FG with 3-3 on 3-pts. Meeks was only held to 14 pts., unlike the last game against them in which he scored a school-record 54 pts., but the Vols had no answer defensively for them. UK started the game on a 13-0 run and never trailed in the game. Patterson sat out the last 5 minutes of the 1st half because of foul trouble. The Cats played tough defensively, forcing UT to shoot 32% in the 2nd half. UK ended up leading 61-39 at one point, forciing UT to call a timeout to stop momentum. Patterson played aggresive in the 2nd half, having scored 19 pts. in the game. The Cats did not let UT get close at all during the game because of their defense. Michael Porter also performed well, having 9 pts. on 3-3 3pts. This win helped boosts UK's RPI and SOS and also their SEC standings, as they are 8-5 in the conference and have a 19-9 overall record. Hopefully the Cats can win out against USC and LSU next week as they would be important wins in getting them back in contention for the NCAA tournament.

UK Falls To Vandy, 77-64

Last night was a dissapointment, especially after Jodie Meeks showed no mercy against Arkansas on Saturday, unleashing a wrath of fury by scoring 45 points, something that is just amazing for us to watch right now. But last night the Cats had no answer. They played small most of the game, considering Josh Harrellson did not play past the first few minutes of the game. Vanderbilt took advantage of UK's lack of size in the frontcourt since Patrick Patterson was not playing. AJ Stewart had a career-high of 11 pts., but it wasn't worth much since he fouled put in the second half, partly due to his lack of defense. Darius Miller also fouled out late in the game. It was just another stumble in the road for the Cats but this puts more pressure on them to win the remaining 5 games this season. They face Tennessee at Rupp Arena on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Cats Prepare For Weekend Barbeque in Arkansas

After the barnburner that took place against the Gators, UK hopes to roast some Hogs on Saturday. The Arkansas Razorbacks will be without starting PG Courtney Fortson, who is a freshman out of Alabama. He is suspended indefinetely at this point. He has helped the Hogs to big wins over Oklahoma and Texas in consecutive weeks last month, helping the SEC and the Hogs gain some ground in the RPI. But since then the Razorbacks have fallen apart, they are 1-8 in conference play and 13-9 overall. Once looking like a Top 25 team and a legitamate forerunner to win the SEC, Arkansas has lost focus. Micheal Washington has been a contributor to this offense along with Fortson, averaging 16.5 ppg and 9.7 rpg. He is a good player in the post and is likely to challenge Patrick Patterson, who is coming off an injury. Arkansas likes to play small and create matchup problems, but with Fortson out, it will be hard to compete with UK. I believe Billy Gillispie will use a similar gameplan as he did with the Florida game. If Galloway and Harrellson can play just as many minutes as they did the last game, they should be able to perform good, although the game is on the road. I believe UK can pull this one out by again, limiting turnovers and playing defense. I think they will come out with a 75-63 victory. I anticipate it will be a good game, especially since it is against John Pelphrey, a former Paintsville High player and UK Unforgettable. I know he will represent Pike County and the Commonwealth well come Saturday, as he does with every game.

Kentucky No Longer Under Freeze Warning

It was devastating to hear the news last week in my home state. My relatives and friends alike were left without power in freezing cold conditions during the ice storm last week. Even my cousin was not able to celebrate her birthday last week because of the inability to go anywhere outside your home. Luckily everyone I know has recovered and I'm glad to hear that. Everyone except the Kentucky Wildcats, up until Tuesday night. The cold still had an effect on the 'Cats shooting, as Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson combined for 10 for 28 shooting and 30 points. But that didn't stop the 'Cats. It was a collaborative team effort as Kevin Galloway, Josh Harrellson, Micheal Porter, Darius Miller, and Perry Stevenson took the bulk for the team as they combined for 38 points, and with a strong defensive effort at the end, they managed to pull out the win against the arch-rival Florida Gators. Coach Gillispie finally showed what "toughness" character he was talking about. He wanted them to play with mental toughness for a full 40 minutes. It was a close game back and forth, being tied at halftime. But there were 2 turning points in the game: 1.-Florida Guard Walter Hodge was ejected in the 2nd half becaus e of a dead-ball flagrant foul. After Nick Calathes was fouled, UK player Perry Stevenson was on the ground. Before he got up, Hodge walked by and stepped on his arm. He clearly looked down and knew where he was going. It was an intentional foul by all means, and according to the NCAA rulebook he should have been ejected; therefore, the right call was made. Here's the video, you can judge the call if you like, but it was by all means intentional.2.-Patrick Patterson went down afterwards and landed on his ankle. Fortunately, X-rays were negative and he is being listed as day-to-day, although he did not return to the game. Florida then managed to go on a 10-0 run as they took a 60-54 lead with 3 minutes remaing. It was at that point that the team pulled together as Galloway, Harrellson, and Meeks started contributing. After UF missed a 3 to go up 67-63, Dan Werner made 1 of 2 free throws and the game remained tied. 65-65 with 12 seconds remaining, Jodie Meeks took the ball up the court and took a double-clutched shot in Calathes' face as the shot clock hit 0 and swished it. Calathes forced a shot at the buzzer that did not go in but he was "fouled". He forced a foul and created an allusion among the refs and fans. The 24,000 strong at Rupp Arena was at their loudest ever, the decibels being heard from Lexington to Gainesville, as they rejoiced when Calathes missed the first free throw, practically guaranteeing a win for UK. He went on to miss all three as the Cats prevailed against the over-hyped Florida Gators. They did not allow a 3-game home losing streak, which would have been the first time in school history. UK will hopefully use this momentum to gain some ground in the SEC and win games that will help them make the Big Dance.

Mississippi Burning

I think that title seems fit considering the Cats were burnt on both sides of the court by both teams out of the SEC West that they've faced this year. In the past week, I have seen a dramatic turn of events unfold for this UK basketball team. They were riding high on a 5-0 conference record a week ago and were thought to be a 4 seed going into the tournament. Now, after losing 3 in a row, the past 2 at home, the Cats look to be a 7 seed , if that. They might be on pace to be a bubble team or an NIT team because they surely aren't playing like the same team I've seen them play the past week. Teams have figured out how to stop Jodie Meeks on offense, no defense has been played in any of the 3 games, and there has been a flurry of turnovers, something that doesn't seem to stop at this point. There is no heart or enthusiasm shown in the games and some poor decision making had been made by the players as well as Coach Gillispie. Also, if the Cats were to lose on Tuesday against Florida, it would be the first time in school history that we've had a 3-game home losing streak. Many fans are now starting to call for BCG's head, which is what I would consider a poor idea. Gillispie had only been on the job a year and a half. About half of the players aren't his, they're Tubby's recruits and do not fit Billy's system. UK has also lacked a point guard all year. Next year Orton and Hood should fill those spots in his roster as scoring threats, but hopefully they, along with the current team, will start playing with some heart, and will realize just how much pride they should play with. For it is that same name on the front of the jersey that brings pride to past players and to people all over the Commonwealth. UK has the ability to go out and play; there should be no excuse for not beating these teams. So hopefully during the next week, the team will recover from their mistakes and start playing more inspired ball, because they know what is at stake for this great, prestigious basketball program.