Hey! Down here. You’re just in time, I didn’t think you were going to make it.

The lights flash out, the spotlights circle 23,000 of your best friends.  The strobes fire up, and The Who’s “Teenage Wasteland” begins to blare.

On the big screen we see Delk 3’s, we see Kenny sky-walking, Tayshaun bombing the Tar Heels, the Comeback Cats exercise the Blue Devils, the “Goose”, Rex, Kyle touch his socks, and countless other moments that make us proud to tell everyone our favorite colors baby: Blue and white!

The hair on your neck stands up, you jump up and down, Rupp starts to rock, your heart races, and just when you can’t stand it any longer; it finally happens.

“And now, your University of Kentucky Wildcats!!!”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Miss Lippy…let’s go back and find out how we got here.

This past offseason was one of the most eventful in the storied history of Kentucky basketball.

The most recent edition of UK basketball finished 22-14, and earned a berth in the NIT.  They were bounced from the not-so-big dance by Notre Dame, and Digger Phelps probably almost died from joy.

This also meant that the coach of said Cats would be under some heat.  Billy Gillispie was arguably the most polarizing person in Lexington. Love him, hate him, either way, everyone had an opinion, even ESPN’s Jeanine Edwards.

Billy G repeatedly started postgame pressers by saying he wouldn’t throw any of his players under the bus; which he followed by throwing his players under the bus.

All the rumors of his off-court antics and the stories of how he treated his players led to his demise.

Mr. Gillispie (I almost wrote Coach Gillispie there, but remembered a press conference were the media simply called him Billy) was eventually fired by Kentucky and the circus added another ring.

Who would ride over the nearest hill and save the poor Wildcats?

Well, that depended on who you asked. Jay Wright of Villanova, Mark Few of Gonzaga, John Calipari of Memphis, Tom Izzo of Michigan St.,  Bruce Pearl of Tennessee, Billy Donovan of Florida, even Rick Pitino?

The same Pitino who left the Cats to coach the Cards was rumored to be walking through that door.

After the dust finally settled, UK convinced Calipari to leave Memphis and take the reigns of a beaten-down program. He kissed babies, walked on water, and said all the right things when introduced by Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart.

John Cal hit the recruiting trail hard and brought some major reinforcements to Lexington.  Ranked as the No. 1 class by most media outlets, Calipari immediately raised the bar in the SEC. J.C. did lose out on one key player, Jodie Meeks, the fifth leading scorer in the country last year, when he declared for the NBA.

Well, that pretty much brings you up to speed.  Where was I???  Oh, right.

(You have to pretend I’m using my announcer voice here.)

“And now, your University of Kentucky Wildcats!!!

At guard, a 6′7″ sophomore from Maysville, Ky., No. 1, Darius Miller,

At guard, the 6′7″ sophomore from Greenbelt, Md., No. 3, Darnell Dodson,

At guard, standing 6′6″, a freshman from Madisonville, Ky., No. 4 Jon Hood,

Another guard, standing 6′7″, a senior from Anchorage, Alaska, No. 5, Ramon Harris,

At guard, coming in at 6′4″, a freshman from Raleigh, N.C., No. 11, John Wall,

At forward, a towering 6′11″, a freshman from Mobile, Ala., No. 15, DeMarcus Cousins,

At forward, standing 6′9″, the senior from Lafayette, La., No. 21, Perry Stevenson,

Again at guard, a 6′1″ freshman from Birmingham, Ala., No. 24, Eric Bledsoe,

At forward, 6′10″ freshman from Oklahoma City, Okla., No. 33, Daniel Orton,

The last guard, 6′6″ sophomore from Chicago, Ill., No. 34, DeAndre Liggins,

At forward, 6′10″ junior from St. Charles, Mo., No. 55, Josh Harrellson.

At forward, last but certainly not least, 6′9″ junior from Huntington, W.Va., No. 54, Patrick Patterson.

—And your head coach, John Calipari!!!!!!!!”

Now all the players gather in a circle and rock side-to-side.  They bring it in and break the huddle. It’s game-time.

Your starting five are: Patterson, Miller, Wall, Cousins and I’m going to guess, and it is a guess, Dodson. I might take some heat for the Dodson pick, but I like his jump-shooting ability to help them early in the season. I’m sure the lineup will be fluid for the first month or so.

Front-court: Patterson anchors this group. He returns for his junior season hoping to actually get to play in an NCAA tournament game.  Cousins, Orton, Stevenson and Harrellson add good depth.  Patterson, Orton, and Cousins should be interchangeable parts.  I still like Stevenson’s length around the basket.

Easily the best front-court in the conference.

Back-Court:  Meeks is out, but many talented others will step in. Wall, Bledsoe, Hood and Dodson were all big catches this offseason.  This gave immediate help to a back-court that was desperate. Liggins, Miller and Harris all are capable players too.  Easily the best back-court in the conference.

Liggins will shine more in the “dribble-drive offense” than he did under the Gillispie “get it to Patterson no matter what offense.”  Miller is coming off of a good showing in the Under-19 World Championships, where his US squad brought home the crown.  Ramon Harris is an above average defender and is capable on offense too.

Prediction time: The Cats will go 13-3 in conference.  I don’t want to make some dumb claim that they will go undefeated, but they really could. We don’t have the schedule yet, but games against Louisville and U.N.C. are marquis. Anytime you play the champs it’s a big deal, and Louisville is well, Louisville.

Not to mention it’s Pitino v. Calipari.

The Cats will be back in a big way. Kentucky enters March no lower than a No. 2 seed.  I like their chances of playing into April and maybe even placing ladders on the court in Indy.

Close your eyes one more time.

The clock’s at zero, the streamers have fallen, everyone is going nuts.  Indianapolis has gone blue.  The scissors come out and the tears start to flow.  Just when you think it can’t get any better, the band strikes up “My Old Kentucky Home.”  That’s when you remember why you’re a Kentucky boy, or girl.

Seven was heaven, and as a certain cereal tiger might say, “Eight sure feels Grrrreat.”

Hey, there you are, I didn’t think I would find you in this mess.  You got here just in time.

“For my old Kentucky home, far away.”

Ed. note: This is my column, running in today’s newspaper. Thought you might enjoy it.

Let’s not forget about Patrick Patterson.

You wouldn’t think you could, when the sophomore forward consistently turns in a double-double, although not always in the same way he did during Wednesday night’s 73-64 win against Auburn.

How could you forget a player that had 21 points and 18 rebounds? But people forgot about Patterson. Sometime during Jodie Meeks’ explosion in the past week, people forgot how such an explosion could even occur — the constant double and triple teams Patterson faces in the post, the sagging defenses, the special attention opposing coaches have to give him.

In the past week, Meeks has gotten all the attention, which is well deserved, and has been put into everyone’s National Player of the Year discussion. On Wednesday, Meeks again delivered with 31 points, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc.

But that kind of production has become expected from Meeks. People knew that if healthy, the junior would be a huge scoring machine. This year, it has finally shown. But in college basketball, no one player can carry a team by themselves. Good teams have a superstar player (Meeks fits that bill), but there has to be someone else.

The Cats are lucky enough to have two superstar players. Everyone forgot about the other. On the road, Meeks has dominated in almost every game. At home, Patterson has been King of the Bluegrass.

No one works harder than Patterson in the post. The Tigers pushed, elbowed and muscled Patterson all night long, treatment he has to be used to by now, and yet Patterson turned in a huge night. Everyone knows Patterson is going to touch the ball almost every possession down the court. Almost every possession, Patterson still puts the ball in the hoop. The term both UK head coach Billy Gillispie and opposing players like to use to describe Patterson is flattering to the sophomore — “beast.”

“That man’s a beast,” Auburn guard Rasheem Barrett said. “Plain as day, he’s a beast. You can double and triple team him and he still scores.”

Nothing against Meeks, but Patterson is the reason UK is still undefeated in conference play. His defense has limited the opponent’s lead post player since Southeastern Conference play opened. His rebounding — Patterson’s 18 rebounds were almost half of UK’s total — both on the offensive and defensive glass gives UK a major edge.

There is not a better example of this than Patterson’s play in the Auburn win. Sure, Meeks was lights-out again, but when Auburn took the lead or when UK couldn’t pull away, the Cats looked to Patterson for rebounding, defense and points.

“Tonight was the best I’ve seen Pat play all year,” Gillispie said. “Bless his heart. He has a hurt finger, and it doesn’t affect him one bit. Yeah, ‘beast’ is a good word for it.”

Jodie, your scoring ability may be impressive, but UK’s return to national prominence relies on one man and one man only.

Patrick Patterson.

Trust me,

If any of Billy Gillispie’s peers in the SEC have votes in the USA Today coaches poll, you just gave UK some great motivation. I’m not kidding.

One week after the absolute trashing of Tennessee, who has beat such teams as Marquette and Georgetown this season, in Knoxville and then easily dismantling Georgia at home, UK goes from no votes to…. 12?

Really, 12?

You already have Jodie Meeks trying to show everyone how much of a superstar he really is (and he is, especially if he drops a few more 40, 50 point games. We could be speaking about the best UK player, ever). Patrick Patterson COMMANDS sagging defense and double, triple teams.

Do you really want to give these guys anymore reason to go off?

Well you did.

Here’s the thing, in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology (which is usually almost 100 percent right, down to the seeds every year) has UK as a six seed. That would put them somewhere between the 21st and 24th best team in the nation. Right now, the AP has them as the 28th best. The coaches? 34th.

Gentlemen of the SEC, be prepared. Your fellow coaches just starved a hungry, hungry monster.

And the double-headed dragon of Patterson and Meeks has you in their sights.

It was February 12, 2008.  It was a cold night in Nashville, Tennessee, especially inside Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym for the visiting Kentucky basketball team.  The Cats entered the game riding a five game winning streak and left with wounded pride.  The Commodores came into the game looking for blood after the Cats had given them their first loss of the season in January.  With ten minutes gone by, the Cats were already down 17 points.  By halftime, the game was no longer in doubt, as Vanderbilt led 41-11.  The second half saw Kentucky score more frequently, yet the final margin of victory was the only thing in doubt.  The game ended with Vanderbilt winning by 41 points and Kentucky.  As a true Cat fan, I made myself watch the entire game, taking in the scene, as gruesome as it may have been.  My reasoning was that this team would hopefully remember that night and come back the next time they played Vanderbilt and exact their revenge.

That time has come, as Vandy will be in Rupp Arena on Saturday in the conference opener for both teams.  Now, it is Kentucky’s time to embarrass the Commodores.  To do so, the Cats will have to jump on the Dores early and shoot the ball well.  Kentucky must challenge the tenacity of Vanderbilt very early in the game and see if these young guys can react to it.  This time, there is no Shan Foster or Ross Neltner to lead the charge for Vandy.  In fact, Vanderbilt doesn’t have a senior on the roster.  For seven of the Commodores, it will be the first time they will step into Rupp Arena as a player.

Vanderbilt has relied heavily on their defense this year.  The Dores lead the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 58.4 points per game this year.  They have forced their opponents to shoot an average of 36% from the field for the year, ranking them fourth in the country.

To beat the Commodores, Kentucky will have to focus on a few key points.  First, the Cats must limit their turnovers and force Vanderbilt into giving the ball up.  Kentucky has struggled this season with turnovers, including 21 against Louisville on Sunday.  In Vandy’s first 11 games, they averaged 16 turnovers a game.  In their last three, they have only turned it over 9 times a game.

Next, the Cats must control the boards if they want to win on Saturday.  In their 11 wins, Vanderbilt has a +9.5 rebounding margin.  In their three losses, the Commodores were outrebounded by an average of 8 boards a game.  It’s pretty obvious that attacking the boards will be crucial to winning this game.

Finally, Kentucky must have a third scorer emerge beside Patterson and Meeks.  Vandy plays real good defense and will most likely double team Patterson when he touches the ball and probably do the same to Meeks.  The Cats need a third threat to step up and force the Dores to limit their double teams on Patterson and Meeks.  I look for someone like Perry Stevenson or Josh Harrellson to step into that role.  With Patterson getting the main focus, these guys can slip away from the basket and get points from 15 foot jumpshots.  In doing so, the interior defense will be forced to play honest and Patterson will be able to have another big game.

If the Cats can focus on thes three keys to the game, they will be able to serve Vandy that cold dish of revenge on Saturday.

Ed. Note: This is the column I wrote for the newspaper following the UK/U of L game. I feel that it still sticks. I honestly don’t know what is with this team.

LOUISVILLE — UK needs a third scoring option.

Or the Cats need to learn how to handle the ball in order to stop committing so many turnovers. Maybe tougher defense would be the solution.

But honestly, none of that may be the solution. This UK squad is an absolute enigma.

No one can have the final say on a UK team that has only played two road games —one a blowout loss to North Carolina in the second game of the season, and the other being Sunday’s three-point loss to Louisville. What judgment could be made on a team that committed 21 turnovers but came within seconds of forcing overtime in a game they had no business being in?

Let’s say junior guard Michael Porter is the answer. Porter played 33 minutes of error-free basketball, never turning the ball over once. As a point guard, coaches expect more than one assist. Porter only had one Sunday, but has anyone really expected Porter to be able to lead UK this season anyway?

Or maybe Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris should increase their scoring, like they did to finish last season. Stevenson had seven points and six rebounds. Harris has been plagued by various injuries. But a third option means Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks don’t score in the 20s every game. UK’s offense just isn’t designed for three people to get 20 points unless it’s a blowout.

“Sometimes when you have several guys playing well we know what guys are suppose to do what,” Gillispie said. “But we need to expand that to seven or eight guys. It’s not that they don’t know what to do, it’s just they have to expand.”

But does Gillispie want more production from his bench? Of course, it’s just not the magic answer.

“If you have two getting 22, 24 then I’ll take six or eight from the rest,” Gillispie said. “Instead of developing one guy and not the rest.”

Limiting turnovers would be a good start. But despite 21 turnovers, UK almost knocked off the No. 18 Cardinals at home. UK is going to turn the ball over this year. That seemingly is the biggest fact of Gillispie’s second year. Not because Gillispie can’t teach ball-handling skills, but because what experience do the Cats have? And despite the excessive turnovers, UK still wins or at least puts itself in position to win.

Maybe it’s the defense? Louisville shot plenty of open 3-pointers, and Gillispie pointed to his team’s lack of transition defense as part of the reason for the loss. But overall, UK plays defense. The Cats are third in the nation in blocked shots per game. Darius Miller, Porter and Harris are seen as defensive stoppers.

Simply put, there is no magic potion for this team. Not the words anyone wants to hear going into Southeastern Conference play, but it’s the truth. This squad is good enough to play with top-25 teams — that much has been shown. They have one of, if not the best, one-two punches in the nation. And the play of UK’s support players — Porter, Stevenson, etc. — has been exactly what should be expected.

Anyone who says they have the key to UK should be met with the same hesitance as working on mortgages with IndyMac.

Sunday’s loss comes down to one fact: The UK-UofL matchup is unlike any other in college basketball. There is no special meaning to UK’s fourth loss of the season. The Cats were just beat by a team that played better with a career night from a hot-and-cold opposing point guard. After the game, Gillispie made the point that it wasn’t just one player that lit up the Cats. It was a team effort. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino praised the Cats in the loss, saying he liked the way UK plays basketball under Gillispie.

“They know what to do. They take high-percentage shots. The key to playing Kentucky is to pressure the ball,” Pitino said. “If you don’t, all of your guys will foul out.”

UK has the same team effort that the Cardinals used to beat them. The Cats have the pieces in place. All that waits is for all that to finally click and make sense. When it does, UK will be a top-25 team again. Until it does, they’ll stay an enigma.

With the unofficial midseason break known as Christmas now in the past, its time to look at some of the things I will be expecting from the basketball Cats for the rest of this year. 

First, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson could both break the 1000 point mark for their UK careers by the end of the season.  Meeks is currently 100th on the list with 689 career points.  Using only the remaining regular season games and not the SEC tournament or NCAA tournament, Jodie needs to average 17 points per game to hit the 1000 point mark.  Patterson currently ranks 107th all-time with 639 points.  His task is a little taller than Meeks’ but he needs to average 20 per game to reach the 1000 point club.  This brings up a good question:  Where would these guys be if injuries hadn’t hindered their play last season?  I think its safe to say that if these two stars were healthy all of last season, they would be knocking on the 1000 point club’s door already if they hadnt already got there, especially Meeks. 

This brings up something to look forward to if the stars align.  If Patrick Patterson remains at Kentucky for two more years and graduates in 2011 and remains healthy for the remainder of his career in Lexington, he has a chance to break the scoring record at Kentucky.  I know its a long shot to see all of the above to happen but stranger things have happen. 

Next, how long will it be before Kevin Galloway is averaging 20+ minutes a game?  Its obviuos that he is becoming more familiar with playing Division-1 basketball with every game.  He has started the last four games for the Cats and in each game the Cats have gotten off to good starts as a result of Galloway’s play.  He only has 10 points this season but he also has 16 assists including 8 in his last two games.  He is more of a true point guard than Porter or Liggins in that he doesn’t look for his shot when he is in.  If it’s open he will take it but he doesn’t try to create on his own.  He is more concerned with creating opportunities for his teammates.  The best part is that he will only get better as the season goes on. 

Now, with New Year’s coming in less than a week, I’ve decided to put together a wish list for the rest of this basketball season.

1. The most important item is to beat Louisville on January 4th.  This is important, not only because it is Louisville, but because it will continue to build the confidence of this team and prove that they can beat a ranked team on the road, something they couldn’t do last year.  It might also get them back in the Top-25 rankings, a place they haven’t been since the Gardner-Webb fiasco last season. 

2. Win or share the SEC Regular Season Championship.  The conference is down this season compared to some of the other major conferences so winning or claiming a share in the regular season title is a neccessity if this team wants a good seed going into March. 

3. Return to glory and win the SEC Tournament in Tampa.  Last year was a bad experience all around for this team.  From having their game delayed because of a tornado hitting the Georgia Dome to playing in Georgia Tech’s empty arena, these guys were glad to leave Atlanta after their overtime loss to Georgia.  This year, the tournament is in Tampa so it will be a fresh start for this team.  Winning the SEC Tournament will once again improve their seed in the NCAA Tournament.

4. Finally, the last thing I wish for this team is to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 when Patrick Sparks’ heroics almost beat Michigan State in Austin.  To get this done, the team has to do all of the above to secure themselves a good seed in the tournament.  The higher the seed, the less likely the chance is that they will play a top 5 seed in the first or second round.  Winning two games in the tournament will build confidence for these guys and possibly carry them to more wins in March.  We’ve seen recently how they play when they have confidence.

Hello everyone,

You’ve probably wondered where I’ve been and why I randomly re-appeared on Friday to introduce the SEC Power Poll All-SEC team. There’s been numerous reasons why I have had lessen my role, posting-wise, in the last 3 months, but never fear. Kenny is here.

And I’m here to pose a really tough question: Has UK turned a corner?

Seemingly, yes. Turnovers aren’t popping up by the minute, as they were early in the season. Jodie Meeks is becoming an absolute scoring monster and Patrick Patterson is doing his normal thing, quietly getting a double-double most night.

Blowout wins over a depleted Indiana squad, trashing an overmatched Appalachian State. In fact, the Cats have won 8 out of their last 9, their lone blemish a close loss to a ranked Miami squad. So that team that lost to VMI and was mocked by North Carolina, is it still around?

Most of you would say no.

And most of you would be wrong, as of now.

Want evidence? Look at the past two second halves UK has played. There were sloppy, turnover prone and basically the same bad team that started the season. Why is this? Because of a few reasons, all of with you probably already know.

First, while Michael Porter has turned into a solid, decent point guard, he is the Mike Hartline of the basketball team. In essence, he doesn’t create anything on his own, but he’ll get everyone in place, run the place to perfect execution and UK will come up with zero points on the board. Throw whatever stat you want at me, just watch a game. Porter doesn’t create anything.

Second, DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway try to create too much. They are the opposite of Porter, making quick, sometimes sloppy passes that turn into fast breaks for the other team. They are too raw, push UK at too frantic a pace and turnovers abound.

As much as I hate to say it, this UK team wil not be tested again until they face Ricky P and the Cardinals on Jan. 4. And until then, there is no way to say they have turned a corner. They may be peeking around it, after two dominate first halves. But until UK puts in a full 40 minutes, finishing the way they started… I’m not convinced this isn’t the VMI team just beating up on inferior talent — like they should be.

Oh and no, my name isn’t the Grinch. Happy Holidays.

Hello everyone,

You’ve probably wondered where I’ve been and why I randomly re-appeared on Friday to introduce the SEC Power Poll All-SEC team. There’s been numerous reasons why I have had lessen my role, posting-wise, in the last 3 months, but never fear. Kenny is here.

And I’m here to pose a really tough question: Has UK turned a corner?

Seemingly, yes. Turnovers aren’t popping up by the minute, as they were early in the season. Jodie Meeks is becoming an absolute scoring monster and Patrick Patterson is doing his normal thing, quietly getting a double-double most night.

Blowout wins over a depleted Indiana squad, trashing an overmatched Appalachian State. In fact, the Cats have won 8 out of their last 9, their lone blemish a close loss to a ranked Miami squad. So that team that lost to VMI and was mocked by North Carolina, is it still around?

Most of you would say no.

And most of you would be wrong, as of now.

Want evidence? Look at the past two second halves UK has played. There were sloppy, turnover prone and basically the same bad team that started the season. Why is this? Because of a few reasons, all of with you probably already know.

First, while Michael Porter has turned into a solid, decent point guard, he is the Mike Hartline of the basketball team. In essence, he doesn’t create anything on his own, but he’ll get everyone in place, run the place to perfect execution and UK will come up with zero points on the board. Throw whatever stat you want at me, just watch a game. Porter doesn’t create anything.

Second, DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway try to create too much. They are the opposite of Porter, making quick, sometimes sloppy passes that turn into fast breaks for the other team. They are too raw, push UK at too frantic a pace and turnovers abound.

As much as I hate to say it, this UK team wil not be tested again until they face Ricky P and the Cardinals on Jan. 4. And until then, there is no way to say they have turned a corner. They may be peeking around it, after two dominate first halves. But until UK puts in a full 40 minutes, finishing the way they started… I’m not convinced this isn’t the VMI team just beating up on inferior talent — like they should be.

Oh and no, my name isn’t the Grinch. Happy Holidays.

What a weekend!  Madness, the loss to USC and Daniel Orton commits.  Quite a bit of happenings in Lexington this weekend.

USC Game and Quarterback Questions

Holy Crap what an awful game that was Saturday.  It was by far one of the worst games I’ve seen two teams play in a while.  Although the final score was 24-17, it shouldn’t have been nearly that close.  South Carolina tried to give it to the Cats but the Cats, being the nice guys that they are, wouldn’t accept the gift.  They knocked it away like a receiver trying to catch a Mike Hartline pass.  I cannot remember the last time I watched so many balls hit receivers in the hands and then fall to the ground or into the opposition’s hands. 

Now, I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Hartline has to be blamed and that the Cats cannot win unless he is benched in place of Randall Cobb.  I have arguments both ways for that but I continue to return to the belief that this team can win with Hartline behind center.  Before you jump on me with insults hear me out. 

Hartline did make a few mistakes in the USC game.  Some of his passes were not thrown where they needed to be and he did throw two interceptions that hurt.  However, I think he still gives this team the best opportunity to win right now.  With Randall Cobb still not completely healthy, I think it’s better to have him in only sparingly at receiver.  Plus, he seems to be one of the only guys who can catch the ball consistently when he is in there. 

The dropped passes have to stop.  I do not care if a ball is high or low or thrown to far or behind a player.  If it hits them in their hands they must catch the ball.  These guys are at Kentucky to catch balls.  That’s what they do.  They were not given scholarships to swat at balls and just get their hands on them.  That’s why we have defensive backs.  It is their job to bail their quarterbacl out and come up with any ball that is thrown anywhere close to near them.  Mike Hartline would be a good quarterback and this post wouldn’t exist if he had the receivers from last year’s team. Those guys made plays for Woodson and caught anything near them.  Maybe this year’s team should go back and look at the film to learn something. 

Another reason you can’t take Hartline out just yet is because the running game still sucks.  A defense that is not made to fear the run will play the pass every down until they are shown they must stop the run with more than the front four.  Part of this problem falls on the offensive line.  Blocking and creating holes have not been strong points so far this year.  If a running back has no hole to get through or the quarterback has to hurry his decisions, problems will arise.  Being that Hartline is very young, our o-line has to give him more time to make decisions and then execute them.  I think several of his passes that may not have been on the mark were due to him rushing to avoid a sack.  One think Andre Woodson had last year was time and he made good choices when he had it. 

Another factor in this weekend’s debacle was the fact that USC’s defense is pretty good, one of the best in the SEC in fact.  The true test of the Mike Hartline era will take place this weekend when Arkansas comes into Commonwealth.  If he has another game like the USC one, we should probably let Cobb see a little more time behind center.  If he excels, then he stays the quarterback and the fans should shut up.  It’s that simple. 

Dicky Lyons Jr.

We don’t know much about it right now (waiting on MRI results) but I think that Dicky is the type of kid that unless his leg falls off, he feels like he should be on the field for his team.  I wouldn’t be suprised to see him back on the field in a few games if no mjor damage was done.  BTW, why was there no flag on that play for a horse-collar?  So much for protecting players, NCAA.

Big Blue Madness and Daniel Orton

I was there and thought the players were pretty pumped and it showed in their performances.  Not a lot to talk about.  Everyone seemed tight at first and then by the time they got loose the practice was ending.  I’m glad to see Patrick and Jodie back healthy again.  I expect a big year from both like everyone else.  Meeks has one of the best jumpers around and should see a lot of shots this year.  I’m glad the crowd got into the recruiting mix with their chants.  As it turned out, it must have worked because Daniel Orton liked his weekend here so much he committed on Sunday afternoon.  Nice work Big Blue Nation.

So, the Kentucky basketball team held an open gym on Saturday afternoon before the football game. Thanks to a few of my friends at my other favorite UK site, TCP, I managed to compile some firsthand accounts of how the guys played. The total amount of information is seven pages, so I’ll condense it into some main bullet points on select players. Keep in mind that Patrick Patterson had not been cleared to play yet, but according to Jerry Tipton, as of today, he can start practicing again.

KEVIN GALLOWAY

“He played PG today and was matched up with Liggins. He was very vocal and I can see him being a leader. Watching him in shoot arounds and during the game, it appeared his shot is definitely suspect and his strength is driving to the basket and using his athleticism (which he has tons of). I hate making comparisons to former players, and you may disagree, but I have to say he reminds me of Antwain Barbour (that’s not a knock, btw). He’s going to be a solid player for us.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“He had great D and drove hard to the basket. He will be a great addition this year.” – PRPCATS

“Galloway looks like he could be a power foward. He has a very strong, athletic body but moves very fluidly out on the court. He sees over the defense with ease. He likes to take the ball to the hole and finishes well around the rim. He had a couple plays where he would take it inside for a layup in traffic and tuck the ball down low while he jump to avert a blocked shot and then come back with a smooth scoop finger roll to finish the play. He also backed his defender down in the post a couple times and then converted the layup.” – VernHatton52

JOSH HARRELLSON

“Solid, but not a spectacular player…Think a notch below (Mark) Pope. Nice shot and can bang, but Pilgrim wore him out. Footspeed a tad slow, but he will mix it up underneath. Like his work ethic and attitude he will help keep the D honest on PP.” – ErupptionZone

“Harrellson: was sort of low-key yesterday ala Miller but you can tell he is skilled, had some nice up and unders and some good 5-7 foot jumpers off the glass, he positions himself very well on the boards and on defense to make up for any lack of athleticism, that’s not saying he isn’t athletic, very solid and I thought he did the best job at guarding Pilgrim, seemd to pester him a bit, I think Perry starts over him but he will be off the bench before Stewart.” – VernHatton52

RAMON HARRIS

“Ramon looked like he was trying to do a lot more this year. He was penetrating a lot and taking it to the hole a lot more aggressive. He is like Perry in a way where you will get about the same as you did last year but maybe a tad bit more.” – PRPCATS

“Wow! If Ramon plays like this when the lights turn on, he would be all SEC. If practice turns into gametime production, Ramon would be an offensive weapon. Just got to get him to relax when the lights turn on. James Blackmon had the same problem when he was here. You’d watch him in pickup games, and scratch your head when the season started. Ramon just needs to believe in himself.” – ErupptionZone

“He still has all of the qualities we love: good on d, hustles, team player. What has seemed to change is his confidence level. He looked like a veteran player out there. Handled the ball a lot for him team without turning it over much. He routinely dribbled through traffic and many times initiated the offense for his team. He attacked the rim with more control too helping him finish off more plays.” – VernHatton52

JON HOOD

“Another absolute stud. He is tall at 6′6 or even 6′7. Watching him play brought back memories of a UK legend and I don’t want to stir up anything or put pressure on the kid but he was knocking down the three and had a breakaway power dunk like the King Rex did back in his days. John has a Cameron Mills type release where it is out in front of him and he releases quick, which will help against the defense.” – PRPCATS

“This kid has the skills. Looked like he could have taken over the game if he wanted to. Looks like he might have grown an inch as well. Put a little muscle on this kid, and he will play in the pros for years. He will be a star and fan favorite very soon.” – ErupptionZone

DEANDRE LIGGINS

“I’ve been saying I thought Gillispie would start out the season with Porter at PG, but it will be tough to keep Liggins off the court. He is as advertised: Very long, very good passer, extremely quick. His hands are lightning quick and I think he will excel on defense.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“Such fast feet and hands for his size. Oh, btw, 4-5 from three point land, and a couple of those contested. All net too I might add. Nothing wrong with this kid’s shooting ability folks, he didn’t have to shoot it as much at Findley. People forget he shot it very well in Chitown. He’s a 5* player…I’ve seen 5* that didn’t have his talent. Team player and great defender.” – ErupptionZone

“I know it was only a pick-up game but I firmly believe Liggins is ready to go at the point guard spot right now. He is so fluid and effortless while handling the ball that it seems like he’s not using any energy. He always has his head up and is very alert of the defenders around him. Very good passer and also a good defender. He was really being scrappy yesterday all over the floor. He is also very vocal on the court, seemed to have a very high bball IQ. We all have heard numerous complaints about his shot but yesterday there were no complaints. He hit about 4-5 long range shots off the dribble, a couple with a hand in his face.” – VernHatton52

JODIE MEEKS

“He is back 100% I would say. He looked absolutely beautiful. He ran the court well and knocked down at least 7 threes with pressure D while I was there.” – PRPCATS

“He’s baaaaack! Man did he look good. The speed is back, no limping, and IS in shape. Was one of the studs of the day. Shots were fallin’ and couldn’t be guarded.” – ErupptionZone

“But the most impressive aspect of Meeks’s game yesterday was his tenacity when taking it to the hole. Twice he tried to throw down vicious dunks in traffic but couldn’t convert b/c he was fouled or just missed it. But it was evident that he is more than capable of converting such plays. He also seemed the most upbeat out of all of the players.” – VernHatton52

MATTHEW PILGRIM

“Very quick and great moves down low. His athleticism and leaping ability were off the charts as he ripped down any rebound near him. He also stepped outside and knocked down jumpers. It appeared his jump shot wasn’t very consistent, however. Anyway, after sitting out a year under Gillispie he will be something very exciting to look forward to next year.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“An absolute stud. He was a man down low even when he was doubled and tripled.” – PRPCATS

“If he were eligible this year, we would be a Final Four lock. This manchild is the player we’ve been looking for. No one could guard him, and he was a total beast on the boards. Great explosiveness and touch around the basket. Mashburn like skills, folks…no kidding. Has Mash type guns and can muscle anyone around the basket. Has great speed to beat you off the dribble.” – ErupptionZone

“He looks more like a tight end/linebacker than a bball player. His game looks even stronger than he does. As soon as he gets the ball in the post he operates immediately with an arsenal of post moves. With his back to the basket he is most impressive. He can hit you with a head fake/ up and under, he can hit the turn-around J, or he can just back a man down and power it up over him. Plus, he’s an absolute warrior at following his own shot usually resulting in him putting back his misses.” – VernHatton52

I realize that this is just pickup basketball, but it is still basketbal
l,
which is the game I know and love the most. I advise you to take all this information with a grain of salt, but at the same time, feel free to be excited about the talent Kentucky has coming in for 2009. Madness is getting closer and closer, and I can’t wait.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and this next month will feel like a century.