Kentucky vs U Conn….A Preview

Lwcat
WT Administrator

Kentucky vs U Conn….A Preview
(12/9/09 Wednesday at 9:30pmEST/8:30pmCST ESPN)

SEC vs Big East Challenge at Madison Square Garden in New York

U Conn

Location-Stoors, Conn
Enrollment-28,677
Arena-16,294

Head Coach- Jim Calhoun
Career Record-805-342 (70.2%) 37 seasons
At U Conn-557-205 (71.3%) 23 seasons

2008-09 Record-31-5
2008-09 Big East ecord-15-3
2008-09 Postseason-4-1
NCAA-Final Four

2009-10 Record-6-1

U Conn 75 Wm & Mary 66
U Conn 77 Colgate 63
U Conn 76 Hofstra 67
U Conn 81 LSU 55
Duke 68 U Conn 59
U Conn 92 Boston U 64
U Conn 79 Harvard 73

U Conn Stats / UK Stats

PPG-77.0 / 81.1
FG%-46.3% / 50.7%
3 Pt%-35.1% / 37.9%
FT%-69.6% / 66.8%
Rebounds-42 / 42.2
Assists-16.3 / 16.4
TO’s-12.9 / 17.6
Steals-7.4 / 7.1
Blocks-9.9 / 8.3

Probable Starting Lineup

Stanley Robinson F-6’9” Sr. (PPG-15.4)
Alex Oriakhi F-6’9” Fr. (PPG-6.0)
Charles Okwandu C-7’1” Jr. (PPG-0.9)
Jerome Dyson G-6’3” Sr. (PPG-20.1)
Kemba Walker G-6’1” Soph (PPG-15.4)

Other Key Players

Gavin Edwards F/C 6’9” Sr. (PPG-11.6)
Jamal Coombs-McDaniel F 6’7” Fr. (PPG-4.0)
Danius Smith G-6’1” Fr. (PPG-1.7)

U Conn returns only 2 starters from last seasons final four team…...including losing their dominant defensive player, Hasheem Thabeet. Still, Jim Calhoun is never without talent and he has it especially in guards Sr. Jerome Dyson and soph Kemba Walker along with Sr. Stanley Robinson. Dyson and Walker lead the Huskies in scoring along with Robinson. Walker leads U Conn in steals with 18 and assists with 40 and is shooting 55.6% from the 3 point line. Dyson adds 11 steals along with 37 assists. Oriakhi, a 6’9” Fr. Leads the team in rebounds with 9.7PG while Robinson is 2nd with 7.1 PG. Although 7’1” Okwandu frequently starts…..he seldom plays much….only averaging 6 minutes PG. It’s Sr. Gavin Edwards who comes off the bench and is shooting an eyepopping 71.4% from the field and leads the team in Blocks with 23.

U Conn often has 3 seniors on the floor and a very tall frontline with at least 3 players 6’9” or taller in the paint. The Huskies, aside from Walker, have not been a very good 3 point shooting team….and average only 4 PG. Importantly, U Conn has limited their TO’s to 13 PG while averaging a very high 10 blocks per game. The Huskies one loss this season was to Duke, a game in which U Conn shot poorly from the field and made zero 3 point shots.

It’s important to underscore that Robinson is picked on the preseason Big East 1st team with both Dyson and Walker making the 2nd team. These 3 players are very talented and give Calhoun’s Huskies a solid foundation to build on this season. U Conn will be a tough competitor in the Big East and will likely return to the NCAA.

UK is fresh off of a tremendous signature win over North Carolina before the largest crowd in Rupp area history. These young Cats arguably played the best and most exciting first half in UK’s past 10 years. It was truly a glimpse of just how talented these Cats can be. John Wall was simply amazing and continues to live up to, if not surpass, all the predictions of greatness for this gifted young player. Wall leads UK in scoring and has dished out 54 assists….nearly 7PG. UK’s youth and inexperience showed up in the 2nd half, especially with Wall out of the lineup. Still the Cats hung on for a terrific win over an exceedingly talented Tarheel team. As expected, this game provided important info as to how this young team is progressing and the fundamentals that need further work. It was, in essence a great measuring stick, as to where UK stands against a very tough opponent. The 2nd half found UK making too many poor decisions resulting in a flood of TO’s and an overall letdown in team intensity. None of this was unexpected, but it reveals to these young players just how important it is to value each possession and not let up in focus or intensity. The one player who played the entire game with great intensity was Patrick Patterson who is off to a great start this season…..and seems to be flourishing in the DDMO.

An early concern was who would be effective for the Cats from the 3 point line….however, so far that has not proven to be a concern at all. The Cats are getting very good 3 point shooting from Bledsoe, Miller, Patterson and Dodson and are shooting a healthy 38% as a team. However, there is an increasing concern regarding free throw shooting, especially from Cousins (52.9%)….Patterson (54.8%) and Orton (65%). These three players are often fouled and are shooting nearly half of UK’s free throws. It is imperative that these 3 players, especially, improve their free throw shooting as they could easily cost UK some close games in the future. Importantly, this is a very unselfish team with 4 players scoring in double figures and Miller and Dobson almost in double figures. Lastly, the North Carolina game underscored the immaturity of Cousins at times……allowing his emotions to lead him to make poor decisions, especially in needless fouls. Cousins is an exceedingly gifted big man…..a real stud in the paint….but, for Cousins to reach his great potential, he must start harnessing his emotions. It will take time, but the sooner the better. While I believe that Cousins has a great NBA future, I do feel he needs another 1-2 years at UK to continue to mature as a player.

UK’s frontline will find another big talented frontline facing them when they take on the Huskies. An important key is for the Cousins and Patterson to stay out of foul trouble. In addition, UK exciting freshmen guards will be challenged by 2 of the best guards in the Big East conference. Like the NC game, the U Conn game will be another great game to evaluate these young Cats against another very good opponent.

I look for these young Cats to defeat U Conn in a very competitive game and win the SEC/ Big East challenge. It will undoubtedly be a thrill for the Cats to be playing in the Big Apple at Madison Square Garden. GO CATS!

Kentucky vs North Carolina....A Preview

Lwcat
WT Administrator

Kentucky vs North Carolina….A Preview
12/5/09 Saturday at 12:30PMEST/11:30AMCST
TV-CBS

North Carolina

Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Enrollment: 27,700
Arena-21,750

Head Coach- Roy Williams
Career Record-594-138 (81.1%) 21 seasons
At North Carolina-176-37 (82.6%) 6 seasons

2008-09 Record-34-4
2008-09 ACC Record-13-3
2008-09 Postseason-6-0 NCAA National Champions

2009-10 Record-7-1

North Carolina 88 FIU 72
North Carolina 89 North Carolina Central 42
North Carolina 88 Valpariso 77
North Carolina 77 Ohio State 73
Syracuse 87 North Carolina 71
North Carolina 93 Gardner-Webb 72
North Carolina 80 Nevada 73
North Carolina 89 Michigan St. 82

North Carolina | Kentucky

PPG-84.4 | PPG-83.0
FG%-52.3% | FG%-51.5%
3 Point %-37.5% (36-96) | 3 Point%-37.9% (44-116)
FT%-64.9% | FT%-66.8%
RPG-42.6 | RPG-42.7
APG-21.1 | APG-16.9
TO’s-17.3 | TO’s-17.1
SPG-7.8 | SPG-7.0
BPG-6.1 | BPG-8.3

Probable Starting Lineup

Deon Thompson F-6’8” Sr. (PPG-17.3)
Ed Davis F-6’10” Soph. (PPG-13.9)
Will Graves F/G 6’6” Jr. (PPG-7.0)
Marcus Ginyard G/F 6’5” Sr. ( PPG-11.1)
Larry Drew II G 6’1” Soph ( PPG-9.0)
Other Key Players

Tyler Zeller F-7’0” Soph (PPG-9.6)
John Henson F 6’10” Fr. (PPG-3.4)
Dexter Strickland G-6’3” Fr. (PPG-3.3)

North Carolina arrives in Rupp arena fresh off a very impressive win over Michigan St. where the Tarheels hit 57.9% of their shots. The Tarheels now have 1,991 school victories with a 73.8% winning %....they trail UK in both school victories….Cats are at 1,995…..and overall winning %.....UK leads all schools winning 75.8% in it’s long history. These two college basketball juggernaughts, arguably the two greatest programs in all of college basketball, face off Saturday in their quest to not only having bragging rights, but move a step closer to be the first program to achieve 2,000 victories!

North Carolina suffered the loss of 4 outstanding players from last season NCAA championship team.….namely, Ellington, Hansbrough, Lawson and Green. However, no one should be fooled that this season’s Tarheel team is hurting for talent. Carolina returns seniors Marcus Ginyard and Deon Thompson…..both are great players…plus a number of other very talented players. Coach Roy Williams has established himself as one of the 5 best coaches in America and always has his players ready to compete.

Thus far this season….the Tarheels are led in scoring and rebounding by forwards Thompson and Davis. These two players have been exceedingly effective in scoring down low in the paint. Davis, for example, is shooting a spectacular 70% from the field. In fact all the Tarheel starters are shooting over 50% except Graves. Ginyard is an all round great player….a real defensive stopper….who is shooting nearly 50% from the 3 point range and leads in steals while contributing significantly in assists.

As expected with new players seeing significant playing time, Carolina sometimes struggles with their ball handling and TO’s. The Tarheels have scored the vast majority of their points in the paint and don’t shoot a great deal of 3 pointers….but, they have shown that they can be deadly from long range. A big key to stopping the Tarheels is to do a good job on both Thompson and Davis….as they have dominated most of their early games. In addition, Carolina can bring in 7’0” Zeller off the bench and he has been very productive and runs the floor very well for a big man.

Replacing Ty Lawson at PG has not been easy and it’s at the guard position that the Tarheels occasionally struggle….although Drew is improving.

There is no question that North Carolina will be a top ten team and be a tough out for any team this season.

Unfortunately, the past few years, the Tarheels have had superior talent to UK, but this season under new coach John Calipari….the Cats can match any team in America with overall talent. Importantly, UK has a great frontline with Patterson, Cousins and Miller with Orton coming off the bench. One of the big keys to the Carolina game will be for Patterson and Cousins to stay out of foul trouble…..if they don’t….Thompson and Davis will be very tough to stop from scoring in the paint. It is gratifying to see Miller’s game progressing in a positive direction both offensively and defensively. In addition, Dodson’s return adds a significant scoring punch off the bench for the Cats. Certainly, the play of super talent John Wall and Eric Bledsoe will be huge in determining the outcome of Saturday’s game. These two players must play smart and minimize TO’s. Wall and Bledsoe provide the Cats with two of the very best guards, if not the best, in America…both in terms of their incredible athletic ability and tremendous talent.

The Tarheels are starting two seniors, but the other players are not greatly experienced. However, the Cats counter with three freshmen in the starting lineup and all the players have had to learn a completely new system under new coach Calipari.

Despite UK’s youth and inexperience….the talent on this team ranks among the best ever at UK. The keys to this game, as they often do, will likely boil down to the fundamentals….taking good shots, playing good hardnose defense, solid rebounding and taking care of the ball with good court decisions. Of course, the Cats will need to shoot a good percentage to win.

It’s very early in the season and no matter who wins…..I look for both UK and the Tarheels to be vastly improved in March and able to make a deep run in the NCAA tourney. These are both very talented teams, but I give the edge in talent to UK and the edge in experience to Carolina. I look for a great game….a close game….but, I feel these young Cats will prevail with Rupp Arena rocking with thunderous noise….and defeat the Tarheels by 3-5 points. GO CATS!

My UK Freedom Hall Open Practice Report

Aidanpryde18
WT Member

Just got back from the practice. It was a fun, light-hearted affair, definitely nowhere near one of his real practices (I assume).

Started off, he had the players come out and sign autographs for 20 minutes. It was entertaining to watch as a player would leave one position and huge groups of fans would cheer loudly to try to grab the player's attention. Best part was Patterson weaving between two corners, goading them into trying to outcheer the other corner.

Orton and Liggins did not practice. Calipari gave the explanation that they both had an important class in the morning, and that they stayed in Lexington tonight. Both will be at the game tomorrow. Strangely, Cousins was wearing Orton's #33 Practice jersey.

After the autograph session, the players spent about 10 minutes just generally shooting around. Nothing special. Once Calipari got finished signing autographs himself, the players split into guards and bigs, and worked on special skills. Guards worked mainly on dribbling to the elbow then kicking out to the wing for a 3-pointer. Bigs worked on their turnarounds, both into the lane and out into the wing, and shot 18-footers.

During this time, Calipari had gathered about 6 5-8 year old children. At random times they would come out and shoot free throws until they hit one. Players would give them pointers or scoot them up if they missed. Whenever one of the kids hit their shot, the people in the arena would give out a good cheer, and players would high-five the kids as they walked off the court.

The next phase of the practice was a three-point shooting contest where the team was split in two. The Blue team consisted of Cousins, Harris, Stevenson, Dodson and Krebs. The White team consisted of Wall, Patterson, Harrellson, Miller and Bledsoe. Teams would line-up, player would take a shot, grab his own rebound, kick it to the next player in line and repeat. The first team to hit 10 gets a point and it was best of 7. After each round, they would move around the three-point line similar to a three-point contest at an all-star game.

Surprisingly, the Blue team won four rounds in a row to complete the sweep. Each side of the stadium kept count for one of the teams, and led to a very fun atmosphere as the round got closer to 10. Blue side was jumping up and down, raucous, whenever that 10th shot went in.

After this, Calipari called a close to the practice and let the players go back to signing autographs.

Overall, I liked the practice. For the serious basketball fanatic it would have been nice to actually watch them run some drills and see what a normal practice looks like. On the other hand, most of the audience were parents with little kids, and they were totally into every aspect of it. Calipari knows how to keep a crowd happy. I can't wait to go back tomorrow and cheer on the team in the real deal.

Best part of the night came in two parts. First, 10 minutes before the players came out, three boys run out onto the court and start jumping up and down on the Cardinals logo on center court. Very cute and the crowd got a kick out of it. Second, staying in the spirit of this, Harrellson and Cousins lined up on either end of the center line, run at each other and do a back bump at center court, coming down loudly onto the cardinal logo. Wall and Bledsoe quickly line up to do the same but are stopped by Asst. Coach Antigua before they could finish the maneuver.

The crowd went absolutely nuts when Cuz and Jorts launched, and gave a mild jeer to Orlando for breaking up the second round.

From what I have heard, after Louisville moves into the new arena, we will still use Freedom Hall. It will be easier to get since Louisville will no longer have the exclusion rights to it.

Calipari said that he would love to add a second date in Freedom Hall to the schedule. He even said that he would like to get a conference game there, but fans have to come out and support the team.

There are roughly 3000 tickets still available for the game today, if you can make it, please go to ticketmaster and pick some up.

I hope you enjoy this summary, and if you have any questions, feel free to post and I will answer what I can.

UK vs UNC-Ashevillle....A Preview

Lwcat
WT Administrator

Kentucky vs UNC-Asheville….A Preview (11/30/09-Monday-7PM) Freedom Hall
TV-FS South

UNC-Asheville

Location-Asheville, NC
Enrollment-3,500
Arena-1,100

Head Coach-Eddie Biedenbach
Career Record-210-253 (45.4%) 16 seasons
At UNC-Asheville-181-202 (47.3%) 13 seasons

2008-09 Record-15-16
2008-09 Big South Record-10-8
2008-09 Postseason- None

2009-10 Record-0-5

Charlotte 86 UNC-Asheville 70
Tennessee 124 UNC-Asheville 49
Cambell-85 UNC-Asheville 66
Georgia 79 UNC-Asheville 58
Furman 72 UNC-Asheville 66

PPG-61.8
FG%-37.7%
3 point%-25.2%
FT%-57.7%

Probable Starting Lineup

J.P. Primm G-6’1” Soph (PPG-12.2)
Matt Dickey G-6’3” Soph (PPG-8.8)
Chris Stephenson G 6’3” Soph (PPG-11.0)
Sean Smith F 6’6” Sr. (PPG-7.2)
John Williams F 6’4” Jr. (PPG-8.8)

Other Key Players

D.L. Cunningham C 6’10” Fr. (PPG-(4.4)
Eric Stubbs C 6’8” Jr. (PPG-(4.0)

UNC-Asheville arrives in Freedom Hall with an 0-5 record including a 75 point loss to Tennessee. The Bulldogs have only 2 players averaging over 10 points a game and the team is shooting a dismal 37.7% from the field…..25.2% from the 3 point line…..and 57.7% from the free throw line. Simply put, UNC-Asheville is not a very good team. They are mostly undersized and not very experienced. Unless there is remarkable improvement, the Bulldogs are facing a very bad season. Suffice it to say…..UNC-Asheville will soon be 0-6 after facing UK in Louisville Monday!

UK is fresh off of winning the Cancun Challenge….barely….with an OT win over Stanford. In this early season, these young Cats have been tested with tough wins over Miami, OH and now Stanford. These early tests have hopefully added to the needed maturity and experience of these very talented Cats. Obviously. The development of this young UK team remains a work in progress, but there are positive signs that improvement is occurring….especially defensively.

The game against UNC-Asheville should provide a good opportunity for UK’s bench to get some significant playing time. It’s good to see Dodson out of the doghouse and I suspect that Liggins will soon be playing as well. I would think that with Patterson having hurt his ankle at Cancun, that coach Calipari might consider holding him out against the Bulldogs so as to have Patterson at full strength when the Tarheels come to call next Saturday.

This game against UNC-Asheville should simply provide UK the opportunity to work on their execution of the DDMO and improving their defense. This should be a very easy win for the Cats over a far less talented Bulldog team. GO CATS!

UK vs. Tennessee 2009 Football Preview

Marooncat79
WT Member

This week the Kiffins (Monte and Lane) roll into Lexington to take on those pesky Wildcats from the Commonwealth. As most fans know, the Vols have had the CATS number for quite some time, and look to exact this years beating on the historically bad kittens of Rich Brooks and Company.

When the Big Orange shows up on Senior Day, the heat will be on the CATS to end this stupid losing streak and make a special mark in Wildcat lore. During this streak, the CATS have found novel ways to lose this competition in ways most CAT Fans would love to forget.

Tennessee seems to always have one of the Top 10 recruiting classes of College Football Talent in the Nation. Their talent and history is well known. The CATS on the other hand have upgraded talent at every level, and look to show The Big Orange that it is a New Day in Town and things may look the same, but are in fact quite different.

This year, the teams stack up better than usual. The CATS seem to be peaking at the right time, the Vols struggle away from home; the CATS are tired of hearing about the Vols and their dominance over previous Wildcat teams.

On offense, the Vols have a dominant O-Line, running game (led by Hardesty and Company) and an improving QB in Crompton. The CATS have a young, and improving D-Line led by C Peters which looks to take away the running lanes, and make Tennessee 1 dimensional with the passing game. Crompton is easy to rattle, the running game is not. If Tennessee controls the line of scrimmage and the running game, the day could get long and tiresome for the Wildcats. If the Kittens hold the point of attack, and get heat on Crompton, the CATS can end this silliness called “The Streak”. If the CAT D plays up to its potential and gets them out of their comfort zone, the CATS will be tough to handle—just ask Georgia!

The CATS Offense is much like the Vol’s Offense in that they both like the run game. As usual, look for Joker to keep Tennessee off balance with the “WildCobb Formation”. This years Wildcat O-line is the best it has been in many years, and can control the UT Front 4 due to its depth and talent. For the CATS to win, they will have to keep Eric Berry in check by mixing the passing game and running game with equal deadliness. If a UK quarterback (especially Newton) can hit 3-4 long balls to a receiver and keep the Tennessee defensive backs honest the CATS can definitely ride off into the sunset victorious over the prima donna Vols.

The other key to a Wildcat Victory will be special teams. The CATS will have to keep the special teams “Clean” meaning no penalties or bad plays which can spin the game in favor of Lane’s team. The most important player will be Ryan Tydlacka, it will be up to him to make the Vols have a long field each time he punts the ball. This game may actually come down to a field goal, and if that happens Lones Seiber will be able to atone for all of the past with 1 kick which would put him at the top of the UK Mt. Rushmore for the last 30 yrs.

Almost every game, fans hear coaches speak of “all 3 phases of the game” IE Offense, Defense, and Special Teams being important in victory. This is very true of this years game for the “Beer Barrel (yeah, but it will always be that to me). If the CATS win the game, it will be because they win all 3 phases and nothing else.

This years edition of the Volunteers is very beatable, for that to happen the Wildcats must play clean and tough from beginning to end. As stated before, look for the game to come down to a field goal. This is the one year that I am counting on Lones to ride off into the sunset not only as UK’s leading scorer of all time, but also as “The Hero who Broke the UT Streak”! I am also looking for Brooks to be on someone’s shoulders for the simple reason that he led the team in victory over UT!

CATS 31-30

Kentucky vs Cleveland St.....A Preview

Lwcat
WT Administrator

Kentucky vs Cleveland St. Vikings (11/24/09-Tuesday at 4:30pm)

Cleveland St.

Location-Cleveland, OH
Enrollment-16,245
Arena-8,500

Head Coach-Gary Waters
Career Record-228-180 (55.9%) 13 Seasons
At Cleveland St.-57-45 (55.9%) 3 Seasons

2008-09 Record-26-11
2008-09 Horizon Record-12-6
2008-09 Postseason-1-1 (Lost in NCAA 2nd round)

2009-10 Record

St. Bonaventure 72 Cleveland St. 62
Cleveland St. 99 Wilmington, OH 74
Cleveland St. 78 Florida A&M 64
Cleveland St. 80 Sam Houston St. 65

PPG-79.8
FG%-46.7%
3 Point %-36.8%
FT%-75.7%
Assists PG-13.5
Rebounds PG-35.3
TO’s PG-14.5
Steals PG-10.8
Blocks PG-1.3

Probable Starting Lineup

Aaron Pogue C/F-6’9” Soph (PPG-8.0)
Jared Cunningham F-6’9” Jr. (PPG-10.0)
Norris Cole G-6’1” Jr. (PPG-21.0)
D’Aundray Brown G-6’4” Jr. (PPG-8.5)
Trevon Harmon G-6’0” Soph (PPG-10.3)

Other Key Players

Jeremy Montgomery G-6’2” Soph (PPG-7.5)
Tim Kamcyc F 6’6” Fr. (PPG-5.0)
Nigel Ajere F-6’6” Soph (PPG-4.7)

Last season Cleveland St. defeated Butler at Butler….Syracuse in the Carrier Dome….took down Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA. Although the Vikings lost 3 starters from last season’s team, this year’s team promises to be dangerous to any opponent that overlooks them. Coach Waters in only 3 seasons has turned the Vikings program around from a 10-21 record his first season to 47-24 over the past 2 seasons including 26 wins last season. Coach Waters is on a mission to take the Viking program to a higher level and he is off to a very good start.

This season, Cleveland St. is led in scoring by Norris Cole who is shooting 56.5% from the field and 58.3% from 3 point range. Coles also leads the Vikings in assists and steals. Aaron Pogue leads in rebounding for Cleveland St. The Vikings are starting 3 juniors and 2 sophomores and mostly bring 2 sophomores and one freshman off the bench, so while there is some experience, it is a fairly young team….but, the Vikings certainly have talent and any opponent that takes them lightly risks defeat.

Importantly, the Cats made solid improvement defensively in defeating Rider 92-63. The Broncs were held to 23.5% from the 3 point line. Through 4 games, UK is shooting a solid 52.8% from the field and a bit surprising 36.8% from the 3 point line. Certainly, much of the credit for UK’s better than expected 3 point shooting thus far is due to Eric Bledsoe’s 9-18 for 50%. Also, it is great to see that the Cats have 5 players averaging double figures….which is terrific balance for this young team. Unlike last season, when teams often double teamed Jodie Meeks, this year’s team scoring balance makes it dangerous for any team to try and double team a UK player without paying a price.

The Cats did curtail their TO’s to 15 with Bledsoe still committing 5 TO’s. Bledsoe is a terrific player, but needs to be more careful with the ball….and he will. Offensively, the tremendous athletic ability coupled with great talent have made these young Cats a joy to watch. Obviously, there remains lots more improvement offensively and defensively, but UK is definitely taking some positive steps forward.

Hopefully, the situation with Dodson and Liggins will soon be cleared up…..Dodson especially….as his offense will certainly be needed against tougher opponents.

I think the Miami scare sobered up these young Cats and I look for UK to respect and defeat a feisty Cleveland St. team. GO CATS!

Kentucky vs Rider Broncs....A Preview

Lwcat
WT Administrator

Kentucky vs Rider Broncs…A Preview(11/21/09-1PMEST/NoonCST-Saturday)
TV-Fox Sports South(Live)/BBSN(Tape Delayed)

Rider

Location-Lawrenceville, NJ
Enrollment-6,011
Arena-8,600

Head Coach - Tommy Dempsey
Career Record - 146-51 (74.1%) in 8 seasons
At Rider - 58-39 (59.8%) in 3 seasons

2008-09 Record-19-13
2008-09 MAAC Record-12-6
2008-09 Postseason-None

2009/10

Rider 88 Mississippi St. 74
Rider 86 Lehigh 71
Virginia 79 Rider 46

PPG-73.3
FG%-44.8%
3 Point %-48.5% (33-68)
FT-%58.9%
Assists PG-15.3
Rebounds PG-35.0
Steals PG-6.0
TO’s PG-13.0
Blocks-3.7

Probable Starting Lineup-

Ryan Thompson G-6’6” Sr. (PPG-14.7)
Justin Robinson G-6’2” Jr. (PPG-11.3)
Novar Gadson G-6’7” Soph (PPG-14.7)
Mike Ringgold F-6’7” Jr. (PPG-11.7)
Jermaine Jackson F-6’8” Soph (PPG-1.7)

Other Key Players

Jhamar Youngblood G-6’1” Jr. (PPG-6.0)
Jonathon Thompson G-6’4” Fr. (PPG-1.7)
Patrick Mansell G-6’1” Jr. (PPG-6.0)
Brandon Penn F 6’7” Soph (PPG-4.0)

The Rider Broncs arrive in Rupp arena with an impressive win over a solid Miss. St. team in Starkville….a win over Lehigh….and a bad loss to Virginia. Rider has been shooting lights out from the 3 point line….hitting 48.5%, but hit only 7-23 (30.4%) against a tough Virginia defense. The Broncs starting lineup has 2 seniors and a junior along with 2 sophs…they return 4 starters from last season plus several players with experience from last season. Overall, Rider has good size with 4 starters being 6’6” or better and the Broncs are a veteran team. Ryan Thompson, the Broncs 6’6” guard, is considered one of the top mid-major players in America. Thompson is shooting 50% from the field and 52.6% from the 3 point line. Thompson gets plenty of scoring help as 3 other starters are scoring 11 points or better. Ringgold and Gadson are the Broncs leading rebounders. Rider will look to rebound from their disappointing loss to Virginia, but their early victory at Starkville reveals that the Broncs can be a very tough opponent!

The young inexperienced Cats did get a win over SH St., but once again defensive problems allowed far too many 3 point shots. In the past 2 games, UK has allowed 33 3 pointers which is simply inexcusable. Coach Calipari is exceedingly disappointed in the overall defense exhibited thus far by these Cats. The Cats also had 23 TO’s….most caused by carelessness and poor decisions by Wall and Bledsoe. On the plus side, there were solid offensives games from Cousins, a real stud, Patterson, Wall and Bledsoe. Importantly, Darius Miller finally got untracked and added 15 points.

Unfortunately, UK got zero points from their bench…..and both Liggins and Dodson appear to be in Calipari’s doghouse as neither saw action. Hopefully, Dodson, who is arguably the Cats best shooter, will learn his lesson and soon be back on the court. Unquestionably, UK will need Dodson’s offense in the coming games. Certainly, coach Calipari is sending a clear message to his young team that if anyone violates team rules or is not following coach’s practice instructions…..you will be sitting on the bench.

The Cats are a shaky 3-0 and it is imperative that they start playing much improved defense as well as minimizing TO’s…..because the upcoming competition will be much tougher. Everyone knows that this UK team is the most talented in years, but to achieve great success this season….they must learn to follow Calipari’s instructions offensively and defensively. Coach Calipari appears to be not as concerned with the execution on the floor, but rather, players simply not following his instructions. Those are two different things and must be corrected ASAP. Youthful mistakes are one thing….but doing the opposite of what coach has instructed is quite another. Coach Calipari is a great coach and he will mold these incredibly talented Cats into a terrific team, but….in the meantime….he will be a strict taskmaster insisting on players following his instructions….if they don’t….look for them at the end of the bench.

The game against Rider will test UK’s defense…as the Broncs can shoot the 3 ball and will likely be the toughest opponent for these young Cats so far this season. I look for increased improvement by the Cats on the defensive end. This could be a close game, but I look for the Cats to come away with their 4th win in this young season. GO CATS!

What I Saw vs. Sam Houston State

UKFreak00
WT Member

There are a lot of things that need to be worked on, but I'll start with the positives, again.

* I saw our starting 5 put up 102 points between them. That's impressive.

* I saw DeMarcus Cousins get Coach Cal's message from the second half of the Miami game. He can be a dominate big man. 27 points and 18 boards in only your 3rd regular season college game. WOW!

* I saw this team finally begin to run the DDM offense effectively.

* I saw 50% 3 point shooting. If we can shoot even close to that throughout the year, we'll be tough to stop.

* I saw the Eric Bledsoe/John Wall combination show glimpses of greatness. These two on the court together is going to be fun to watch.

* I saw Daniel Orton, once again, play very good, physical defense.

* I saw 10 blocked shots. We are such a long team, we are going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams when they drive to the paint.

* I saw Eric Bledsoe show that he is more than capable of being a 3 point threat, which is something we'll need from him at the 2 guard spot.

* I saw John Wall show that he's not just a highlight reel player, and play a solid, smart game. 19 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds. I'll take that out of our point guard every game.

* I saw Patrick Patterson be Patrick Patterson. There's not much you can say about the guy that you don't already know.

* I saw Patrick Patterson move very well inside the lane, and position himself for a lot of rebounds.

* I saw DeMarcus Cousins SMILE! Amazing what happens when you just go out and play the game, and have fun doing it.

* I saw Darius Miller begin to play with a little more confidence, and even knock down some outside shots. He will be huge to our success this year.

* I saw DeMarcus Cousins show a lot of hustle. He was hitting the floor for loose balls more than anyone on the court.

* I saw Coach Cal show a lot of intensity on the sideline. Like they said before the game, no more Mr. Nice Guy from Coach. I was scared for his heart after the 3 they hit when he called the timeout in the 1st half.

* I saw John Wall show just how basketball smart he is. There were many times when we began to look sloppy, and he would back it up, and slow the game down. Very impressive for a freshman.

Now for the negatives...

* I saw our 3 point defense, once again be abysmal. However, it got better in the 2nd half. 12 in the first half, cut down to 6 in the 2nd half. Don't get me wrong, 6 in a half is still not good, but it's improvement. Also, a lot more of the 3s in the 2nd half were at least contested.

* I saw 0 points from our bench. There's really no way I can try to justify this. That's unacceptable.

* I saw too many turnovers. We need to protect the ball better. 20+ turnovers against a good team, and we'll get beat, bad.

* I saw a few times where we tried to make the highlight play rather than making the simple play for a bucket. We need to play more fundamental basketball.

* I saw Daniel Orton, once again, be soft on the offensive end of the court. I don't understand it. He's very physical on defense, then soft on offense. Might be a confidence issue.

* I saw very few times where we actually boxed out for a rebound. Once again, that comes down to needing to play more fundamental basketball.

Overall, this is what you get with a young team most of the time. They will pick up one side of the ball very early, like we have done offensively. But struggle with one side of the ball, like we have defensively.

It's shown that Cal has put more emphasis on offense in practice so far, but I think that will change after the performance last night. I'm not worried yet about our defense, because every year, Cal's teams are near the top in the country in defense, and I think in time, we will be too.

We have a long way to go to show we deserve that #5 ranking, but we definitely have the potential to be a top 5 team this year.