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Men's Basketball

The Day After: Kentucky vs. Tennessee

Published

6 years ago

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As much as I would like to be watching this SEC Championship game with Kentucky in it, I am instead writing a very depressing post looking back at the loss the Cats suffered against the Vols yesterday. Yes I still take losses like a 5 year old.

The game was maybe one of the best of the year but it was kind of ruined after the SEC refs took control of the game late, making it very hard to watch.  But, the Cats were up 8 with 3 minutes to go and failed to finish the game off.  So, what went wrong?

Kentucky’s defense for the entire game wasn’t great. Tennessee hit 10 three pointers, including three where they were wide open in the final minutes, which can’t happen.

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P.J. Washington was in foul trouble the whole first half, which may have prevented Kentucky from taking a big lead. But, in the second half he was huge, then Reid Travis fouled out (wasn’t a foul), which resulted in Grant Williams getting two huge rebounds in the final minutes.  It also prevented Washington from having room on the final possession where he missed two layups.

Kentucky also struggled in-bounding the ball, which resulted in a Tyler Herro turnover that turned into a 3-point play by Grant Williams.  Herro also helped on a driving Grant Williams, leaving his man wide open, and giving up the winning three.

In the end, as much as I don’t want to say it, Kentucky failed to finish off the game.  They were up 8 with 3 minutes to play and failed to win the game, which is inexcusable.  You can blame out-of-bounds plays, turnovers, and bad defense.  Those three things ultimately defeated the Cats in the end.

Don’t get me wrong though, Tennessee played a great game, shot lights out, fought until the final buzzer, and won a huge game.

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Where do we go from here?

The SEC Championship today.  I would think if Tennessee wins they get a 1-seed, but who knows.  Kentucky’s fate is now in the hands of the selection committee, which is kind of scary if you think about it.

Kentucky is almost guaranteed a 2-seed, but who’s their 1-seed?  I would think Kentucky gets put with either Virginia, Gonzaga, or North Carolina.  Those are potential 1-seeds and it just depends on which of those teams get one. I would think two of them get one. We’ll just have to wait and see.

I like Kentucky’s chances this year.  In 2012, Kentucky got beat by Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship game and went on to win it.  This team has a legit shot at winning it all. It should be a fun couple of weeks.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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