The Big Blue Lowdown

When SEC play began back last month, many fans circled tonight's game as one of perhaps three potential roadblocks to the Kentucky Wildcats running through the conference unbeaten.  The other two were Vanderbilt (a 69-63 win) and at Florida (March 4).  A road trip to Starkville is never easy, and frankly begs the question of why ANYONE would want to go to Starkville, Mississippi in the first place!  But I digress...

Tonight's game against Mississippi State does cause concern for the Cats...

The Kentucky Wildcats put on a clinic at South Carolina and reaffirmed why they are the top-ranked team in the nation with an overwhelming 86-52 win on Saturday.  The devastation of the Gamecocks was so thorough that the outcome of the contest was never really in doubt past the 17:00 mark of the first half.  As Coach John Calipari stated after the game, "It didn't matter who we played today, someone was getting beat by 30."  While many may try to downplay the win due to the opponent, the...

It's fair to say I'm not a big fan of programs like Kentucky beating up on teams like Arkansas-Little Rock, but I am a realist and accept that this is the way of big time college basketball.  For UK, these types of games are no more than glorified practices that sell tickets and provide needed breaks in a very impressive pre-conference slate of games.  I realize you can't play North Carolina and Louisiville every night out, and for teams such as UALR, these games provide financial support of...

Rumor has it that there is a big basketball game in Lexington tomorrow, and one would have to agree. While I certainly thought the North Carolina game was a little better barometer for where UK stands on a national level, certainly there aren’t many more bitter rivalries in college basketball than the one that exists between Louisville and Kentucky.
I tend to put rivalries in two categories-there are some rivalries that are good ones simply because the rivalry is competitive, the competition...

Tonight is the official tip-off of the 2011-2012 season, and what is not to be excited about?  This edition of the Wildcats should be strong contenders to not only win the SEC, but make a push toward the Final Four in New Orleans.  Kentucky is in a small group of truly elite teams this season that includes North Carolina (who will visit Rupp Arena on December 3), Ohio State, and UCONN.

First up, however, is the Marist Red Foxes, who will invade Rupp for tonight's opener.  I confess to not...

There are a million ways to look at this game and a number of possible options Kentucky can pursue to defeat Connecticut. We'll simplify it. Kentucky must keep up their confidence and chemistry, make shots and play good defense. That's it. They have as much as or more talent than anyone left in the Final Four, and they have the best odds according to the handicappers in Vegas. But above all else, we see three critical areas UK must focus on to come out victorious and get a chance to hang...

It's been quite an amazing ride this year. Since none of us including yours truly expected UK to be here at this point, we're essentially playing with the house's money.

It feels good. It feels better we have a Warlock and a Jorts.

Now onto the game.

I've looked at the players, I've looked at the coaches. I've analyzed common opponents. I've thought out who would guard whom. I've even considered writing out a long and detailed post breaking down each individual player matchup. But...

Bob Huggins owns John Calipari, as the pundits say. The Huggie Bear is 8-1 lifetime against Calipari. UK fans still cringe when they look back at the masterful coaching display the Huggie Bear put on when his team advanced past one of the most talented Cats teams ever assembled in the Regional Final last year.

                So, how do you beat WV this year?

1)      Speed the game up and dictate the tempo. WV is athletic and can fast break when the opportunity arises, but their bread and...

While half the Big Blue Nation is busy complaining about UK’s poor NCAA tourney seeding and the other half is licking its chops for a potential shot at revenge vs. West Virginia in the next round, a scrappy Ivy League team known for tournament upsets is hatching a plan to pull off a stunner Thursday.

No, we do not believe the Princeton Tigers have the juice to beat this Kentucky squad, but in March, just about anything can happen. So we approach with caution, and offer you this mini-game...

Kentucky escaped the SEC Quarters with a nine-point win over a game Ole Miss team in Atlanta Friday behind a strong 19-point showing from Doron Lamb.

The 75-66 final score belies how close the game was. The bottom line is that Cal’s teams struggle with the rugged style employed by Ole Miss head coach and Bob Huggins disciple Andy Kennedy.

Despite the Cats’ struggles in this one, it keeps alive a recent and very positive trend—UK is now winning close games and doing it away from home. For...

The Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., Wednesday night to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Kentucky is now 1-5 on the road in SEC play. But four of those losses came down to the last possession.

Arkansas is coached by former UK great John Pelphrey, but the Hogs have never beaten the Cats on his watch.

Find out why that trend won't change in the BBL's guest post over at WildcatBlueNation.com.

We’re going to play Devil’s Advocate with the Big Blue Nation here and say, “uh oh” with regard to the Kentucky Wildcats next opponent in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The team of which we speak is the Cornell Big Red.

Banner Carrier of the Ivy League
Cornell just overwhelmed and discombobulated two teams who spent the entire season in or around the Top 25. The games weren’t close. They dictated their style and their amoeba defensive zone prevented both Temple and Wisconsin from entering the ball...

The Kentucky Wildcats will battle Wake Forest tonight in a second round matchup that should be plenty entertaining to a primetime national TV audience.

Here are a few of the BBL’s thoughts on this game.

1) Wake Forest’s chances start and end with point guard Ish Smith. Smith, fresh off a game winning jumper to beat Texas in OT Thursday, is the playmaker and pace setter for the Demon Deacons. He is athletic and quick and should be a fine challenge for Kentucky’s young guards. Keep an eye on...

The Vols and Cats play their rubber match today, and a lot more is on the line this time.

Both teams are securely in the field of 65, but a shot at an SEC tournament championship hangs in the balance Saturday.

Kentucky needs to shoot well and control the paint if they are to pull off the big W.

We’ll have coverage after the game.

And so the regular season comes down to this. The Kentucky Wildcats, 24-1 overall and 9-1 in the SEC, embark this week on a brutal six-game stretch that will test the mettle of this young team and go a long way toward dictating the fate of the 2009-10 season.

Four of the games will be on the road, and five out of the six come versus teams still deserving strong consideration for NCAA tournament bids. None figure to be cake walks.

Murderer’s row starts off Tuesday night in Starkville...