And so, the Cats got their revenge. The 82-61 win over South Carolina Thursday night in front of packed Rupp Arena was mighty satisfying for a Kentucky team that continues to improve, gel personnel wise and find all sorts of lethal weapons with which to punish the opposition.
As usual, we offer you our thoughts on what’s developing with this special group of Wildcats.
First off, let us just say that Rupp Arena is becoming the place to be seen in college hoops. After hosting such illustrious spectators as LeBron James and Ashley Judd earlier this season, Ben Roethlisberger and Magic Johnson showed up to watch the Cats hoop Thursday night. Says a lot about the state of basketball in Lexington.
DeMarcus Cousins is ridiculous. The big man hasn’t even grown into his body yet, has very little vertical leap at this point, and yet he is already nearly unstoppable, showing amazing touch, a variety of moves and a fierce desire to score and dominate games. Enjoy him for another month, Cat fans, this guy will be taking his road show to NBA millions soon and, barring something unexpected, a long and fruitful pro career. Maybe HOF?
Darius Miller is back…again. When Darius gets a good start, he plays with confidence and is capable of knocking down any shot. UK will need this production big time in March.
We thought Patrick Patterson had completely disappeared just two weeks ago. We were wrong. PP is back in the NBA lottery pick hunt, and his soft hands and scoring ability are coming up big. He finally showed up with a nice all-around game against a South Carolina squad that had become his nemesis over the past couple seasons. That up and under move in the early second half when he scored with the left hand was the real deal.
One quick thought. Patterson and Cousins would be the starting power forward-center tandem for 20 NBA teams right now.
South Carolina made the game interesting at multiple points and remained within striking distance for far too long. But as has become customary with this team, you never really got the feeling that Kentucky was letting it slip away. It was just a matter of when the next big run would be. It’s that kind of confidence and swagger that separates this UK group from any other since the Pitino era.
DeAndre Liggins is flat out all over the court. Guy has become a totally different person. His length and lateral quickness make him a nasty defender and excellent garbage rebounder. He just gets better with every game. As much as the complexion of this team will change next season, the BBL can’t wait to see what happens when Liggins becomes a featured option. We’re calling it now. He’ll be an Evan Turner-esque stat stuffer and all-SEC standout next year.
John Wall is still the catalyst and it’s hard to find too much bad to say about him. But he and Eric Bledsoe are still too out of control. They push the ball when it doesn’t need to be. It makes us wonder if both of these superb talents being on the floor at the same time contributes to them pressing too hard. Next year, sans Wall, it will be interesting to see if Bledsoe can improve his grasp of game tempo. Right now, EB is sort of lost. His jumper is broken and his sense of awareness on the court is at a season low.
South Carolina is in good hands under coach Darrin Horn. They have some active, athletic big men who block shots and get a lot of buckets around the goal. If Horn can keep recruiting like he has, and word is his next class is top 25 caliber, then this team will be a force in the SEC East for the next few years.
If you doubted that the diminutive Devan Downey could play in the NBA, that pull up 35-foot jumper before halftime should probably make you think differently.
As we stated last week, sometimes Brad Nessler seems to be the superior analyst to Dick Vitale. Thursday night, a few possessions into the game, Vitale claimed that South Carolina had no answer for Cousins on the interior. To this, Nessler responded, “I don’t think anyone has an answer for that, Dick.”
Good win for the Cats. Now do the John Wall.
Kentucky went into a hostile arena Tuesday night and, with the eyes of a national TV audience upon them, showed serious moxie in beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs 81-75 in overtime.
The game was officiated very closely, as both teams were called for a number of ticky-tack contact fouls from the start. MSU center Jarvis Varnado missed 16 minutes of the second half after picking up his second, third and fourth fouls right around the 18:00 minute mark.
With Varnado sitting most of the game, DeMarcus Cousins was a man child around the goal, finishing on a number of put back offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, he also was unable to play for long stretches due to foul trouble. Without him playing consistent minutes, UK once again struggled to score in the halfcourt set.
Thankfully for the Wildcats, Patrick Patterson decided to show up Tuesday, scoring 19 points and pulling in 10 boards. His highlights included a number of solid, low-post offensive moves as well as a game-tying jumper from the baseline that sent the game into overtime.
UK also received good play from Darius Miller in typical unsuspecting fashion. He made some huge shots in the second half, including a stretch of seven straight points at a time when the Cats had fallen behind by four.
MSU’s Dee Bost played a sensational game, seemingly driving by UK’s big men and scoring layups all night long. The Bulldogs also got clutch shooting from Barry Stewart and some key offensive rebound stick backs from Romero Osby.
As we’ve stated in the past, it’s obvious to the BBL that UK’s inexperienced guards will struggle significantly against veteran backcourts. They are easily pushed around when screened and routinely give up back door cuts due to a lack of concentration and focus. This is a recipe for disaster in a closely guarded and officiated NCAA tournament game.
Ultimately, Kentucky fought valiantly to win this game. The Cats outscored MSU 7-0 over the final three minutes of regulation, triggered by a huge three from DeAndre Liggins with about 2:00 to play. In overtime, UK’s size and depth overpowered MSU, which by that time was without Varnado, who had already fouled out.
We would be remiss not to mention that, as if on cue, John Wall became superman in the last two minutes of OT. Wall broke a 72-72 tie with a hanging, acrobatic layup, where he got fouled and hit the free throw to put UK up three. On MSU’s ensuing possession, he pinned a Bost layup attempt against the backboard to deny the Bulldogs a chance to get within one. Wall barely missed a triple-double on the night, ending up with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
Mississippi State also played their hearts out and kept the pressure on Kentucky by hitting some incredibly deep three pointers late in the game. The Bulldogs, desperately in need of a win to bolster their NCAA tournament resume, were playing without leading scorer Ravern Johnson who was suspended for breaking team rules.
UK was lucky to get out of Starkville with a win, proving how difficult it is to win on the road in a BCS conference. In fact, the BBL predicted a loss here earlier in the season. Now, at 25-1, Kentucky’s season is beginning to look historic. But Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt should be another huge challenge.
It’s now looking more and more likely that UK will receive a No. 1 seed in the tournament. This would be an absolutely tremendous achievement in Coach Calipari’s first season at UK.
The stage is set for a memorable night in Lexington, Kentucky.
If you didn’t see it, the Kentucky faithful created a scene this morning at ESPN’s College Gameday, putting 20,000 plus fans in Rupp Arena by 10 am.
Kentucky will meet Tennesee in less than an hour, in what should be one of the Cats stiffest tests, on paper, of the entire season. This is an excellent chance for the Cats to solidify their No. 1 seed resume in the eyes of the nation, and send a message to the rest of college basketball that they are for real.
Here are the keys to the game:
John Wall and Eric Bledsoe must make good decisions. One of the BBL’s concerns all year has been the mistake prone styles of the freshman backcourt duo. Sometimes it seems as if these two haven’t progressed very much with their ability to recognize what the defense is giving them. Both seem to have only one speed—turbo—and it has gotten them into trouble. If Wall and Bledsoe can manage tempo and take only what’s available on offense, Kentucky will be in good shape. Tennessee is sure to run some fullcourt pressure, but that could be a recipe for highlight reel, fast break funk for the Wildcats.
Kentucky will need to keep Tennessee from getting easy transition buckets and points in the paint. The Vols simply do not have a good shooting team. They have no pure shooters who can beat you consistently from deep. And their bigs are mostly finesse players. But they are long and athletic and have some guys who can slash and create shots around the rim. UT will likely pull Wayne Chism and Kenny Hall away from the basket on offense, and force DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton to defend on the perimeter. If Tennessee consistently penetrates and sends guys to the rim to crash the offensive glass, they could make things interesting.
Kentucky should work the low post on offense in every halfcourt set. There is currently no one in the college game with a back to the basket offensive game like Big Cuz. No one. UK should feed him early and often. Cousins is a good passing big man, too, and if he is doubled, UK could have a field day getting cutters open in the paint. The overall team size and rebounding ability of Kentucky will play an important role, too. This is the type of game where even Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson could get some easy garbage buckets and layups as UT tries to collapse on Kentucky’s big men.
UK needs to show swagger and killer instinct. The Cats are confident. There will be a truly historic crowd on hand tonight and an environment capable of showing America the absolute height of college hoops excitement. The young Cats will need to overcome any early jitters and play with a sense of urgency and high energy. If they can build a big lead, we expect John Calipari to step on the gas to make a statement. There is no love loss between Coach Cal and Tennessee head man Bruce Pearl. This could be a golden opportunity for UK to show they can put even good team’s away.
BBL’s Take. Kentucky has every advantage. Tennessee plays an up-tempo pressing style. They want to run and showcase their athleticism. But they are lacking good ballhandlers and have no dead eye shooters. If they try to press UK into mistakes, they may see things get ugly, considering Kentucky’s track team personnel and what should be a raucous home crowd. If UT elects to slow it down and zone the Cats in a halfcourt game, DeAndre Liggins and Darnell Dodson will need to shoot well and the backcourt will need to keep mistakes to a minimum. We think even in this style of game, the Vols will struggle to score enough to win. We like the Cats chances of a big double digit victory, and frankly don’t see Tennessee being able to keep this one tight to the final horn. But stranger things have happened.
Jay Williams said it after the game and we’ll say it, too. When this Kentucky team is knocking down shots from the perimeter, they may be unbeatable. Ironic considering one of the single biggest concerns entering the season was whether this Wildcat edition could shoot the ball.
Looks like the question is answered. The Cats hit 9 of 19 from deep, and shot 50% from the floor overall en route to a 10-point victory over Ole Miss at Rupp Arena Tuesday. On the season, Kentucky is now shooting 39% from three and just a shade below 50% from the floor.
Here are some other takeaways after the Mississippi win:
After failing to get out on the break much vs. South Carolina and Vandy, the Cats got back to running a bit Tuesday, throwing down some monster dunks and bringing back the aerial theatrics that have marked their play for much of the year.
Big Cuz was a man beast in the paint again tonight, ripping down boards and going to the rack relentlessly. The amazing thing about Cousins is that he can complement his strength and size with some amazing athleticism and body control.
Darnell Dodson appears to have taken the starting spot from Darius Miller, and he promptly made good on it by dropping 14 points on 4-5 shooting from deep. Dodson’s release is quick and he holds the ball high on his 6-7 frame, making it incredibly difficult to defend. Right now, he is a stone cold assassin.
It was good to see Miller knock down a three and put in a few good minutes off the bench. We were beginning to worry that he might be psychologically broken. He still looked a little clueless at times, but when he’s aggressive and looks for his shot, he is a different player. It will be interesting to see him next season when some of the superstar potential clears off the roster.
Speaking of potential, it was also nice to see Orton showing a couple strong offensive moves around the basket. He’ll need to work on his touch and overall court awareness, but this is a kid who has struggled with injuries the past two seasons. He’s just now coming into his own.
The BBL has mentioned it in the past, but we’ll say it again. It would not shock us to see this team produce four first round NBA draft choices later this summer in Cousins, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson. Bledsoe’s ridiculous speed and jumping ability make him a distinct first round possibility in a PG-weak draft. A bigger question might be whether Patterson is still first round material (he almost certainly was last year).
Ole Miss fought hard despite being undersized and outmanned. If they get starting center Reggie Buckner back healthy and avoid an SEC stretch collapse, they could be a tough out in the tourney. According to Coach Calipari, more than 20 NBA scouts were in attendance tonight to watch two of the best backcourts in the nation.
We don’t like to broadcast when a UK player gets shown up, but this dunk is frankly outrageous.
UGA’s Travis Leslie is a high wire act.
UK’s incoming frosh recruiting class is storied to say the least. Two of the top HS point guards in the country and the highest rated low post player in DeMarcus Cousins. But potentially the guy to make the biggest impact to the team right away is Daniel Orton.
As a rising 10th grader Orton was rated in the top 5 players in his class. He is a man-child physically and reminds many observers of a young Patrick Ewing. His play in high school was the stuff of Oklahoma legend, including tearing a backboard down his junior season (see video clip). Orton possesses a 7′4 wingspan and a 9′1 reach. Known for defensive prowess and shot blocking, he is a beast under the goal.
Maybe the most amazing thing about Orton is that, after hurting his knee during his senior year, doctors discovered that he had played his entire junior season with a torn ACL. Explosive off the bounce and offering UK a true back to the basket game, he will be the first bona fide impact center recruit on the UK campus since Sam Bowie.
It may sound ridiculous to call a McDonald’s All-American and consensus top 10 national player a diamond in the rough, but given recent media hyping of the depth and talent on UK’s roster this season, DeMarcus Cousins may be exactly that.
The 6′10, 250-pound Cousins, though lauded by many as the best big man coming out of high school this past season, faces stiff competition at the 4 and 5 positions where Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson, Josh Harrellson and fellow super frosh Daniel Orton will all be vying for minutes. But as demonstrated in the highlights below, it may be hard to imagine Cousins not having immediate success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-yCp9I85aE
Cousins uses his big body and long arms to out-muscle interior opponents while demonstrating the ability to finish around the rim. It may also come as a surprise to many Wildcat fans that the big man displays a good perimeter game, having shown the ability to knock down threes and handle the ball outside the paint.
The true question will be how well Cousins translates his game from dominating smaller, weaker opponents to matching up against top-flight SEC-caliber talent. He’ll need to get physically stronger and improve his explosiveness beneath the hoop–issues that a big-time program like UK should have no problem shoring up.
