Unable or Unwilling to Compete at a High Level of Intensity

Most of my three loyal readers know that I am a huge Kentucky basketball fan. What I write seems to be typically redundant and usually revolves around the players not getting the job done. Well, this post will be no different. The past two games, Florida at home and Tennessee in Knoxville, of the team that I follow so enthusiastically, have been great on one hand and, to use the words of Simon Cowell, absolutely dreadful, on the other hand.

For the Florida game, UK displayed the best defense I have seen this season. The team held the undisputed #1 team in the nation to 64 points and lost only by three. They out-rebounded the Gators. They held the Noah/Horford duo to 15 points and forced 14 turnovers. On the other hand, the Cats’ shooting was awful. They had only one three-pointer in the game until the final couple of minutes. Even worse, the free throw shooting was horrendous. The SEC leading free throw shooter, Ramel Bradley, made 3 of 10. Bottom line…the Wildcats did not put together two good halves of basketball—something they haven’t done all year.

For the Tennessee game, UK’s first and last ten minutes of the game were some of the best minutes I have seen them play. The shooting was remarkable. UK shot 56% from the floor and made just shy of 80% of their free throws. Obviously, they out-shot the Vols and out-rebounded them 39-27. Something else UK had more than Tennessee was…drum roll please…turnovers. If you were to combine the turnover totals of two of UK’s best players, Bradley and Morris, you have already equaled the turnover total of Tennessee. That’s right, UK 19 to UT's 8 TO's. I know of two times in the final couple of minutes I saw Bradley, who lead the turnover charge for the Cats with 6, directly hand the ball to UT players. You can’t have your team’s core turning the ball over so blatantly at crunch time. That, my good friends, was not Tubby’s fault. What was his fault, however, was the ugly pinstriped, checkered shirt with blue tie he rocked to combat Bruce Pearl’s neon orange blazer.

UK was doomed from the get-go last night. First of all, Pearl kept commenting that Lofton wasn’t at 100%. He kept mentioning 80%. Is that so, Bruce? Is that why you played him over 30 minutes in the game? Cousin J. Will said Lofton wasn’t at 100%. Yes, over at Idle Hour Country Club, at this exact moment, he is eating his words.

Second of all, the referees were cooking up some of that hometown stuff. It was pretty obvious when the botched the no-call-goaltending in the first half. D. Crews for UT had reached over the cylinder of the rim to dunk the ball, a goaltending call by definition. The officials reviewed it and determined it wasn’t goaltending. I knew then it would be a long night for the Cats. There were several no-calls and bull-sh** foul calls. Yet, the Cats still hung in there giving us all false hope, in hindsight.

Lastly, UK cannot beat Bernard King. If you watched the game, I am sure you noticed that they were showing more Bernard King than the actual game. Every time the Vols would make a shot, get a big block, or do something replayable, the camera would flash to King to show his facial expression. UK beat UT when he was a freshman. King vowed to never let Kentucky beat him again. For five straight games during his playing career (early to mid-70's) in Knoxville, his team beat Kentucky. Last night made it six, huh? Here is a side note for you: Bernard King was there because they were retiring his jersey.

Brandon, Jason, and I watched most of the game at Buffalo Wild Wings. Adam, Laura’s boyfriend, was there with his roommate, so we got to chill with him for a bit. About midway through the second half, we walked over to Cocktails to finish watching the game in a “not-so-crowded” environment. It was not crowded, but there was some misguided soul at the bar dressed head to toe in nauseating, neon orange. He was cheering like the game was for the national championship. Jason really wanted to tell him that he should move back to Tennessee, the sooner the better, but he thought better of it in the end. I am sure Jason wasn’t the only one. Hell, I even wanted to tell him. I think the next time UK plays Tennessee, a bunch of us should drive to Knoxville and watch the game in a sports bar near campus, all decked out it blue. What do you think?

I hope you have made all of your Valentines’ arrangements by now. Beth and I have reservations for tonight at Sal’s Italian Chop House on Tate’s Creek. It should be pretty good. I am ready for a good meal. I feel like I have been starving since I left Joel’s on Sunday. I think I need some more of Alex’s sausage balls. Tasty. Holla at your boy!