Man, have I been busy at work. Its been 2 weeks since I have posted anything on here (not that anybody probably even noticed).
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Well, the Kentucky Wildcats lost to Marquette on Thursday and thus ended the college careers of Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. It was a tough game to watch but I felt that the Wildcats put forth a valiant effort. Especially Joe Crawford. I'll miss you Joe.
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Speaking of Kentucky basketball, Thursday's game has me a little worried about where the scoring is going to come from next season. You would think that with Marquette focusing so much attention on stopping Crawford and Bradley that somebody else would have scored some points for the Wildcats. Crawford played out of his mind and scored 35 and Bradley added his usual 19. Perry Stevenson is the only other Cat that even scored a field goal in the game against Marquette. Porter hit 2 free throws and that was it for the rest of the team. Nobody else scored a point. Hell, there were only 5 shots taken by Wildcats who weren't named Crawford, Bradley, or Stevenson.
With Crawford and Bradley graduating, it looks like there will be a lot of pressure on Patterson and Meeks to score the majority of the points next season. I'm hoping the Cats will be able to rely on Stevenson for double digit points around the basket every game next season, but Perry's range is limited. I'm also hoping that Jasper, Harris, and Porter will take some more shots next year. Those three are all capable of scoring if they would just take a few more shots. Miller and Liggins (if he is academically eligible) will probably also get a chance to contribute.
Another concern I have about UK next season is who's going to be the point guard? I think the most logical answer to that question would have to be Jasper or Porter, but I'm just not sure either is a good enough ball handler to be really successful in the SEC. Jodie Meeks could be a possibility at the point, but I think he makes more sense at the 2 guard because he is the best shooter UK will have from the perimeter. I've also read that Galloway and Liggins are both decent with the ball. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
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The Cincinnati Reds start their season on March 31st against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It sure looks like Wayne Krivsky's moves to improve the pitching staff in the off season may just pay off this year. I think there will be a lot of new faces on the mound for the Reds this year.
Right now it looks like the starting rotation will be Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Josh Fogg, and Edinson Volquez. Cueto and Volquez have had some impressive outings this spring. Matt Belisle has been hurt, but may end up back in the rotation before long.
The stars in the bullpen this spring have been Francisco Cordero, David Weathers, Jeremy Affeldt, Todd Coffey, and Mike Stanton. Jared Burton has had a poor spring, but I think he will probably make the opening day roster because of the way he pitched last season. Todd Coffey has looked great this spring by all accounts, but I personally am not sure I will ever feel confidant with him on the mound ever again after the season he had last year.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Galloway Commits To UK
The Louisville Courier Journal is reporting this morning that 6'6" guard/forward Kevin Galloway has verbally committed to Kentucky. You can read Jody Demling's story here.
Galloway is a 2006 graduate of Sacramento High School in California. He averaged 17.4 points and 8 rebounds per game as a senior in high school. Kevin was a 4 Star recruit coming out of high school and originally committed to the University of Southern California. He played in 13 games for the Trojans his freshman year and then went to the College of Southern Idaho (JUCO). At Southern Idaho this season he averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
Kevin is considered to be a very athletic "slasher" with "high major potential."
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While I would have liked to see Gillespie bring in another big man, I think Galloway looks like a perfect fit for Gillespie's system. And at 2.5 steals per game in JUCO it looks like Kevin may be a pretty good defender as well.
Galloway is a 2006 graduate of Sacramento High School in California. He averaged 17.4 points and 8 rebounds per game as a senior in high school. Kevin was a 4 Star recruit coming out of high school and originally committed to the University of Southern California. He played in 13 games for the Trojans his freshman year and then went to the College of Southern Idaho (JUCO). At Southern Idaho this season he averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
Kevin is considered to be a very athletic "slasher" with "high major potential."
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While I would have liked to see Gillespie bring in another big man, I think Galloway looks like a perfect fit for Gillespie's system. And at 2.5 steals per game in JUCO it looks like Kevin may be a pretty good defender as well.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Date For The Dance?
I have been struggling all year to think of who it is that Nick Calathes of the Florida Gators reminds me of. It suddenly hit me during today's game that Nick reminds me of the character Chuck Sherman from the American Pie movies. Does anybody else see a resemblance between Nick Calathes of the Florida Gators and the character Chuck Sherman, aka The Shermanator, from the American Pie Movies? Take a look at the above picture. The face on the left is Nick Calathes, the face on the right is the Shermanator. Sherman is played by actor Chris Owen. I guess if Calathes' basketball career doesn't work out he may have a future on the big screen.Of course, I make this comparison with all due respect to Nick Calathes. That guy is one heck of a basketball player who will haunt UK until he moves on to the NBA or runs out of eligibility at Florida.
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The University of Kentucky Wildcats finished an unbelievable regular season today with a 75-70 victory over the Florida Gators. The win gave Kentucky an SEC regular season record of 12-4 in Conference and an overall record of 18-11 on the season. Next up is the SEC Tournament.
The Wildcats' 12-4 conference record earned them a a second place finish in the SEC East and a first round bye in the SEC Tournament. They will face the winner of the Mississippi/Georgia game on Friday, March 14th. You can check out the SEC Tournament bracket here.
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My thoughts on the Florida/Kentucky game:
1) It was proven today that Bradley and Crawford don't have to both play great games in order for Kentucky to win. Crawford had a rough day from the field, only hitting 7 of his 17 shots. Joe did, however, continue to play great defense. Ramel only hit 5-12 from the field and uncharacteristically struggled at the free throw line missing 3 of his 5 charity tosses. Still, Joe finished with 16 points and Ramel finished with 14 points.
2) Jasper, Harris, and Stevenson really stepped up. Jasper didn't miss a shot from the field and went 4-4 from behind the arc. Harris played stellar defense and knocked down 2 big 3 pointers en route to a 9 point outing. Stevenson looked like an All-American going 6-6 from the field, 6-8 from the free throw line, and grabbing 10 rebounds with 5 blocked shots. My hat is also off to Stevenson for making the 2 big free throws at the end of the game that sealed the victory.
3) Stewart and Porter deserve a lot of credit for turning in some valuable minutes as well. Porter didn't score any points and Stewart only had 4 points, but they both played extremely well while they were on the floor.
4) I thought Kentucky played pretty well overall, but I was a bit concerned by the Wildcats' sudden failure to produce at the free throw line. The Cats only hit 9-20 from the charity stripe. This game wouldn't have been as close as it was down the stretch if Kentucky had shot their season average from the stripe.
5) My other concern was Kentucky's difficulty handling Florida's press. I'm sure Kentucky will see the press again in the NCAA Tournament if they are lucky enough to get there. I personally think the Wildcats will be Dancing.
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Has Kentucky already done enough to guarantee a date for the Big Dance? I think they have, but I also think it would be a good idea for the Wildcats to win their Quarterfinal Game in the SEC Tournament just to make sure.
Go Big Blue!!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Joe, Joe, And More Joe!!!
My good friend Aaron made the comment to me at the beginning of the season that he thought Joe Crawford would be the key to Kentucky's success this season. I must admit that I wasn't as optimistic about Kentucky's success this season as Aaron seemed to be. I just didn't think UK was returning enough proven players in the low post to pose a serious threat in the Southeastern Conference or even to make the NCAA Tournament.
When Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb in their second game of the season, I feared that my prediction for a tough year was going to be proven true. The Wildcats struggled with Coach Gillespie's new system early in the year and seemed completely doomed when they started their conference season. Injuries plagued the team and it seemed like every week the Wildcats had to depend on someone else to help carry the load. The only constant through it all seemed to be Patrick Patterson. The true freshman showed up every night and continued to put up consistent numbers no matter the competition.
Then, an interesting thing happened. The Wildcats, as a team, suddenly seemed to understand what Billy Gillespie wanted them to do. Joe Crawford, who started the season in Coach Gillespie's dog house, suddenly became the team's best all around player. Joe played through injuries and started leading by example with his stellar defensive efforts and his uncanny ability to make a basket when the team really needed it. Ramel Bradley suddenly realized that he was playing a team sport and quit trying to do it all by himself. Perry Stevenson became a reliable shot blocking and rebounding machine, and Ramon Harris suddenly became a consistent player off the bench. Derrick Jasper, although hobbled by injury all season, started making more than just cameo appearances. Jodie Meeks, also injured all season, has played through the pain on more than one occasion to provide some much needed minutes when coach Gillespie had no where else to turn. And even much maligned Michael Porter has given nothing short of maximum effort every time he has been on the floor.
Maximum team effort is what I think has turned this Kentucky team around this year. I know the comparisons have been tossed around by just about everybody, but I'm going to go ahead and say it as well. I've seen a lot of effort put in by a lot of guys wearing Kentucky Blue over the last 10 years, but I don't know that I have seen this kind of effort by an entire team wearing Kentucky Blue since back in the days of the "Unforgettables." I know it is almost sacrilegious to think that any team should be compared to the likes of Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, and Sean Woods. But, I can't think of any other Kentucky team in recent history who has overcome and persevered on the same level as this years version of the Boys in Blue. I don't think there is any chance that we will ever see Joe Crawford's or Ramel Bradley's jerseys ever hanging in Rupp Arena, but I know they have already earned a special place in my blue blooded heart.
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The latest setback for the Wildcats has been the loss of Patrick Patterson for the remainder of the season. When I first heard the news about Patterson, my initial thought was that any hope Kentucky had for making the NCAA Tournament was surely gone. But, within minutes of hearing the news of Patterson's injury I came to the realization that there was no way this team would give up on their season. They simply had too much grit and too much heart. I knew they might lose all their remaining games, but I also knew they wouldn't give up without a fight. Those guys then went down to Knoxville on Sunday and almost knocked off the number one team in the country without the aforementioned Patterson on the floor. I don't know about anybody else, but I thought for sure that Crawford's jumper was going in as soon as he let it fly. Joe's jumper didn't find its mark and Kentucky didn't win the game, but these "Alley Cats," as they have come to be called, sent a clear message to the rest of the Southeastern Conference and to the NCAA Selection Committee as well.
The 'Cats are back, and win or lose, they're going to leave it all on the floor no matter who the competition happens to be.
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South Carolina was the latest victim of the "Alley Cats" last night. Joe Crawford stole the show with a career high 35 points. I was listening to the game on the radio and actually found myself silently chanting, "Joe, Joe, Joe!" every time Kentucky had the ball. Ramel Bradley chipped in with 20 points as well. But, the Wildcats' team defense again stole the show. The victory over the Gamecocks improved the Wildcats' record to 11-4 in Conference and 17-11 overall. If Kentucky wins their final regular season game against Florida on Sunday afternoon they will finish the Conference schedule as the 2nd place team in the SEC East.
A 2nd place finish in the East would earn the Wildcats a bye in the 1st round of the Conference Tournament. The Wildcats would then have to play the winner of the 1st round SEC Tournament game between the West's #3 team (currently Ole Miss) and the East's #6 team (currently Georgia) in the 2nd round. You can check out the SEC Tournament schedule here.
I'm not sure if the Wildcats have done enough to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament yet, but I think a victory over Florida in their regular season finale and at least one victory in the SEC Tournament should guarantee them a date for the Big Dance. How many people would have predicted that after the Gardner-Webb game? I know I didn't.
When you play as team it doesn't matter what name is on the back of your jersey, all that matters is what name is on the front.
Go Big Blue!
When Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb in their second game of the season, I feared that my prediction for a tough year was going to be proven true. The Wildcats struggled with Coach Gillespie's new system early in the year and seemed completely doomed when they started their conference season. Injuries plagued the team and it seemed like every week the Wildcats had to depend on someone else to help carry the load. The only constant through it all seemed to be Patrick Patterson. The true freshman showed up every night and continued to put up consistent numbers no matter the competition.
Then, an interesting thing happened. The Wildcats, as a team, suddenly seemed to understand what Billy Gillespie wanted them to do. Joe Crawford, who started the season in Coach Gillespie's dog house, suddenly became the team's best all around player. Joe played through injuries and started leading by example with his stellar defensive efforts and his uncanny ability to make a basket when the team really needed it. Ramel Bradley suddenly realized that he was playing a team sport and quit trying to do it all by himself. Perry Stevenson became a reliable shot blocking and rebounding machine, and Ramon Harris suddenly became a consistent player off the bench. Derrick Jasper, although hobbled by injury all season, started making more than just cameo appearances. Jodie Meeks, also injured all season, has played through the pain on more than one occasion to provide some much needed minutes when coach Gillespie had no where else to turn. And even much maligned Michael Porter has given nothing short of maximum effort every time he has been on the floor.
Maximum team effort is what I think has turned this Kentucky team around this year. I know the comparisons have been tossed around by just about everybody, but I'm going to go ahead and say it as well. I've seen a lot of effort put in by a lot of guys wearing Kentucky Blue over the last 10 years, but I don't know that I have seen this kind of effort by an entire team wearing Kentucky Blue since back in the days of the "Unforgettables." I know it is almost sacrilegious to think that any team should be compared to the likes of Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, and Sean Woods. But, I can't think of any other Kentucky team in recent history who has overcome and persevered on the same level as this years version of the Boys in Blue. I don't think there is any chance that we will ever see Joe Crawford's or Ramel Bradley's jerseys ever hanging in Rupp Arena, but I know they have already earned a special place in my blue blooded heart.
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The latest setback for the Wildcats has been the loss of Patrick Patterson for the remainder of the season. When I first heard the news about Patterson, my initial thought was that any hope Kentucky had for making the NCAA Tournament was surely gone. But, within minutes of hearing the news of Patterson's injury I came to the realization that there was no way this team would give up on their season. They simply had too much grit and too much heart. I knew they might lose all their remaining games, but I also knew they wouldn't give up without a fight. Those guys then went down to Knoxville on Sunday and almost knocked off the number one team in the country without the aforementioned Patterson on the floor. I don't know about anybody else, but I thought for sure that Crawford's jumper was going in as soon as he let it fly. Joe's jumper didn't find its mark and Kentucky didn't win the game, but these "Alley Cats," as they have come to be called, sent a clear message to the rest of the Southeastern Conference and to the NCAA Selection Committee as well.
The 'Cats are back, and win or lose, they're going to leave it all on the floor no matter who the competition happens to be.
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South Carolina was the latest victim of the "Alley Cats" last night. Joe Crawford stole the show with a career high 35 points. I was listening to the game on the radio and actually found myself silently chanting, "Joe, Joe, Joe!" every time Kentucky had the ball. Ramel Bradley chipped in with 20 points as well. But, the Wildcats' team defense again stole the show. The victory over the Gamecocks improved the Wildcats' record to 11-4 in Conference and 17-11 overall. If Kentucky wins their final regular season game against Florida on Sunday afternoon they will finish the Conference schedule as the 2nd place team in the SEC East.
A 2nd place finish in the East would earn the Wildcats a bye in the 1st round of the Conference Tournament. The Wildcats would then have to play the winner of the 1st round SEC Tournament game between the West's #3 team (currently Ole Miss) and the East's #6 team (currently Georgia) in the 2nd round. You can check out the SEC Tournament schedule here.
I'm not sure if the Wildcats have done enough to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament yet, but I think a victory over Florida in their regular season finale and at least one victory in the SEC Tournament should guarantee them a date for the Big Dance. How many people would have predicted that after the Gardner-Webb game? I know I didn't.
When you play as team it doesn't matter what name is on the back of your jersey, all that matters is what name is on the front.
Go Big Blue!
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