From the Bluegrass Blog:

For three years I wrote a fan blog covering the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team for The Cincinnati Enquirer. It was the greatest gig ever. I started when Calipari was hired in 2009, and other than the travel, the hours and the few schillings I got paid each month, it was a blast, culminating in the school’s eighth national title in 2012.

After that, I and the Enquirer parted ways, but the blog still lives online. I have to thank my editors and peers at the Enquirer for the opportunity, as it led to access I never would have gotten elsewhere. It helped me write several other books and stories.

Here are a few of my favorites moments from the blog:

10.19.10:
UK upsets South Carolina in football, and Midnight Madness!

Wow.

Back in 1994, Rick Pitino had a basketball squad that pushed me to my limit as a fan. I followed them, screamed at them, loved them, grew frustrated with them and shook my head in disbelief at them. I can only imagine what it was like to coach them. They were an inconsistent bunch, and that is an understatement. Led by Travis Ford, who was an amazingly steady point guard, others on the team – like Rod Rhodes, a young Tony Delk, Walter McCarty in his first season and Jared Prickett, who could be injured for months – made up the core of what would eventually be Pitino’s greatest team. In ’94, however,  they were suffering through injuries (notably to starting juco center Rodney Dent, who was on his way to becoming something special) and they were extremely young.

In the middle of the season the wheels had fallen off a bit, with the Cats  dropping two in a row, the second to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. I decided that was it. I’d had enough – and it wasn’t just that they’d lost, it was how they’d lost –  no rhythm, no excitement or defense, etc.

And when UK traveled to LSU for another game I watched them just long enough to see them get behind by more than 20 in the first half. I was done. Off to bed. I’d written them off.

And then, as I slept, something magical began to happen. My stepfather sensed it first. He kept the game on as background noise really, but he noticed Kentucky, once behind by as many as 31, had begun to rally. He relayed the message to me and I turned on the radio to hear Ralph Hacker describe the most incredible comeback I’d ever heard of. Down 31 with 16 minutes to go, UK managed to win. Somehow.

And in that moment the ’94 team won me back.

In similar amazing fashion, the 2010 UK football squad won me back Saturday night. I’ll admit that at 28-10 at halftime (when the score could’ve easily been much worse) my friend Joe and I were debating how high the score would have to get before we actually left. I think if South Carolina would have scored another touchdown and made it 35-10 we would have headed for the exits. But as the story goes, UK held the Gamecocks scoreless for the second half and we remained in our seats to see what may be one of the two best UK wins in the last 20 years.

And along the way, I fell in love with this team all over again. When Mike Hartline (an amazing effort that will be forever remembered by UK fans) lofted the 4th and 7 pass to a wide open Randall Cobb for the TD, I decided that no matter what – even if the Gamecocks came back to force overtime and win the game – I was so impressed by UK’s grit that I was back. This team deserved it. And they deserved a win over Spurrier, who knew how tough this game could be.

So many times UK had come so close, you figured one of these days we had to get lucky and pull it off, right? Well it wasn’t luck. it was Hartline and Cobb and Chris Matthews and an inspired defense that yes, took advantage of a break (the injury to Carolina’s running back). But they had to make the plays, and they did and it was amazing.

Now you have to look at the rest of the schedule and see there are still a lot of winnable games out there. At worst, this team should be 6-6. At best? Well, who knows?

Amazing job to the team. Thanks for giving me another great memory.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS

This weekend definitely gave the previous best Ultimate Kentucky Weekend a run for its money. So was it the best? Obviously there’s a lot of factors here. The best, as I said, had to be when UK defeated LSU and Midnight Madness kicked off the Gillispie era. We were filled with hope and optimism in basketball and we had a top 10 football team. Now we have a top 10 basketball team and our football team, which was left for dead, beat Spurrier for the first time.

So how was Madness, then? Perfectly maddening. It seems like a lot of the extra stuff they normally feature was stripped away in an attempt to just feature the teams. And for this year, both the men and women will be very highly ranked. Some amazing moments:

1. Matthew Mitchell dances with his ladies. YouTube this now if you haven’t seen it. I would love to play for a coach like this. You can see why his team loves him.

2. Enes Kanter enters UK lore as The Undertaker. His entrance, complete with hat, rivals anything I’ve ever seen at Madness. It was hilarious and amazing and as he slowly walked down the platform with fireworks going off, I couldn’t help but think how cool it all looked. I really hope this kid gets to play at some point. He’s hilarious.

3. Harrelson does the Carlton. Practically dared by the UK fanbase to do this dance, Josh Harrelson comes through to the crowd’s delight.

4. Knight dunks over Harrelson. We already know this team is going to be long and athletic based on their performance in Canada. I remember last year I’d never seen any college player dunk like Wall OR like Bledsoe – and I was so excited to see them get on the court. Knight at two dunks that showed his athleticism and they brought me out of my seat. One in particular over Josh Harrelson was especially sick, as Knight seemed to jump up and over the 6-10 center.

5. Last year’s stars talk to the crowd. All the drafted players from last year’s team videotaped messages for the crowd, with the loudest cheers reserved for Patterson, Cousins and Wall. Each described how they wished they were back in blue, but all were excited about the upcoming NBA season.

6. Spidey outfit guys. I had to talk to the two kids in the Spiderman outfits, who wore them throughout Madness and got on ESPN. And of course, they happened to be from Cincinnati. Say hello to Matt Schaber, a 20-year-old from Fairfield, and Patrick Crace, a 19-year-old from Mason, both of whom are students at UK:

All in all, this was a great weekend, and because of the optimism and expectations surrounding both basketball squads, as well as a football team that shook a 17-year monkey off its back, I think this qualifies as the best Ultimate Kentucky Weekend in history.

What do you guys think?

FINAL WORD ON RANDALL COBB

Yes, I heard what Cobb said about the fans after the game. To a point, I agree with him. I watched as dozens of fans around me got up and left near halftime. I could understand their frustration. And yes, Joe and I were counting down when we would leave, too. But we stayed, hoping for some kind of magic – and we got it.

It’s a lesson to all fans: Don’t leave til it’s over. You may miss the magic.

Now, should Cobb have stated his feelings for the world to read? No. I think it may be wise for Joker to ban social networks from the team. We don’t need to know every little thing our ballers tweet. Still, Cobb has earned the right to say something if he feels slighted in any way.

A bit off topic, but I have to give one last word about Hartline and Cobb. So many times I’ve wondered if Hartline could be an elite quarterback, and each time he’s come back to show me he can. No one can ever criticize him for a lack of effort – he gets the most out of his talent every day. And that’s more than you can say for many players. Cobb, meanwhile, has always been something special, and even though he could have gone other places he stayed at Kentucky.

Now, finally, the two have their moment – something that can always stand for them. Something that will always be remembered.

More later!

GO CATS!

RC

3.17.11:
Luck of the Irish shines on UK

As the clock dwindled, and Darius Miller dribbled off the remaining seconds in Kentucky’s NCAA tourney game against Princeton, I felt good about Kentucky’s chances to win. Why? Well, for one it came down to math: Kentucky had done so poorly in these situations you have to figure one of them would work out for them.

But I also felt good because UK hadn’t surrendered the lead. The worst case here was an overtime – and I was convinced UK could win in OT.

Still, I thought Darius would take a jumper for the last shot. Or, I thought Knight would take it in and kick it back to Miller. Later, Coach Cal confirmed that was the play – unless Knight saw no double-team and thought he could get to the rack.

So Knight, who grew up a free throw away from Tampa, read the defense, saw he had one defender and went to the hole. He threw up a layup off the glass and through the net for the game-winner, which happened to be his first field goal of the game.

As one national write put it, it was a case of one player being miles better than anyone else on the floor. But I think it also comes down to four other things:

1. All those previous failures. At Alabama, a bungled exchange between Knight and Lamb caused a turnover. The fix? No exchanges. Just give it to Knight. At Ole Miss, time was left to let Chris Warren nail a game-winning three. Here, two meaningless seconds resulted in a desperation heave. The team learned from its mistakes.

2. Darius Miller’s superb play. Because Miller had an amazing first half with 15 points, Miller’s man could not leave to help on Knight. Plus, did they feel like they needed to? This leads us to . . .

3. Knight’s uncharacteristic bad day. He didn’t make a shot all day. Why would he take the last one? I thought that. I bet Princeton thought that too. It may have been one of the reasons Knight saw only one defender in his face.

4. Luck. Always good to have luck on your side, right? For a team that seemed so unlucky at times, it was a nice time for UK to be lucky for once. Maybe it was a little St. Paddy’s Day magic.

So who cares, right? Survive and advance, right? Right! West Virginia will pose a significantly better threat – and UK will respond.

As we’ve already said, UK struggles in its first tourney games (see: Ole Miss), then plays better as they go. Look for a much better performance in the next round.

But let’s not forget what the team’s elder leaders did in this game. Criticized all year for their lack opf leadership and production, UK won Thursday because of Liggins, Harrellson and Miller. Miller kept them in the game in the first half, Harrellson helped key the decisive comeback run and Liggins played the best defense of anyone, while also finding Harrellson for key baskets inside.

The good news: The Cats won without Brandon Knight (aside from the last 2 points) and a lot of Terrence Jones (who is rumored to have been sick for the last few games). Both will have to step up to defeat the Mountaineers. The team defense will have to be better, and the overall pace of the game will need to favor UK more.

So will this team be like Florida in 2000 – beats Butler on a last-second shot before rolling to the title game? Or will UK fizzle out even more against a better Big East team?

Who knows and who cares? Wildcat fans just need to enjoy this great game and be happy the Cats won it.

Go Big Blue!

MOREHEAD ST/LOUISVILLE

When Demonte Harper let it fly, I could only wonder if the Cards would get the rebound. I thought NCAA all-time leading rebounder Kenneth Faried might get the rebound and put it back up and in.

Instead, the ball went through for the Eagles, magically, unmercifully, and with it went the Cards season, like that – poof – into the air like so much nothing.

Well, turns out it was a combination of horrible luck for the Cards. Their opponent was an in-state foe pumped to play them, in an arena far from their fan base, in an altitude that’s hard to get used to, against a team that matched up well. Then their star and leader got hurt. And of course, there could have been a missed foul call on the last possession that would have given the Cards a chance to win.

All of that went against them, and it added up to a first-round (I’m sorry, a second-round) exit. So for the second consecutive year the Cards won’t be one of the best 32 teams in the country.

I felt bad for Preston Knowles, a Kentucky kid who was such a gamer, who had to watch from the sideline. And I felt equally wonderful for Kenneth Faried and Morehead, who I think can really give fellow upsetter Richmond (who upended Vandy) a great game. The Eagles played an amazing game and deserved to win.

And the Cards will once again be left talking about next season.

OTHER NOTES:

– Vandy bows out early for the third year in a row, losing to Richmond. I did not see that happening. Call me shocked.

– Temple beats Penn St on a last-second j. Does anyone care?

– Either Richmond or Morehead will be in the Sweet 16. Madness.

– What are the odds Bruce Pearl has his job at Tennessee next year. I think they’re not so good.

– Outlets are reporting former UK coach Billy Clyde Gillispie will take over at Texas Tech. This shocks me more than the Vandy loss.

Well, this could be one of the craziest tourney in years. Happy watching!

More later!
RC

3.26.11:
Cats play perfect game to take out Buckeyes, Heels next

As my grandfather and I hooted and hollered over the phone into the wee hours of the morning after UK’s upset of No. 1 Ohio St, I asked him:

“When was the last time this was so much fun?”

Now, Granddad has seen a lot more than me. “I’d have to go back and check,” he said.

We couldn’t think of a time. I mean, last year’s team was amazing. But they were also No. 1 – and that comes with a certain amount of pressure. They were expected to win, so of course an upset sours things a bit. The 98 title team is a good contender. Seemingly coming out of nowhere to win a title (and defeating Duke along the way) is a pretty great thing.

Still, that was 13 years ago.

Thirteen years since it’s been this fun.

And what I mean by that is, this team is still surprising us. Since the SEC Tourney I’ve been saying in my mind “I don’t know if Kentucky can beat these guys.” Yet they have. Whether it’s Florida or Ohio St, they’ve met every challenge and just surprised me more than any team since that 98 squad.

Friday night they did it by playing the perfect game. They had to in order to win, and that’s what they did. Defensively, the Cats held Ohio St to 60 points – more than 20 below their tourney average.

The amazingly skilled and talented Josh Harrellson held Jared Sullinger in check, negating his double-double with his own. Deandre Liggins was masterful in probably his best all-around game, dropping 15 points, 3 blocks and all kinds of intimidation on the Buckeyes.

In essence, the Cats out-toughed an amazingly tough team.

Their 11 blocks helped offset getting outrebounded, and as the Buckeyes amazingly could not execute down the stretch (save for a desperation Diebler three to tie) UK seemed very comfortable with Deandre Liggins either getting to the line, dishing to Harrellson or pulling up for a bankshot that increased the UK lead from 1 to 3.

So many ridiculous things happened – big plays, weird plays, big misses – and it all added up to the perfect game by UK. Did anything say more in the game than Josh Harrellson falling out of bounds after snaring a rebound, only to come back with a fastball throw off the Buick-sized chest of Sullinger? The ball went out of bounds and went UK’s way. Incredible.

NORTH CAROLINA

– Well, this is a much different Tar Heel squad than the Cats faced earlier in the year. They’re better. But the Cats are better too. Who will win? I honestly have no clue. Both teams are paying their best.

– For Kentucky though, the Ohio St win and the Carolina matchup are icing on what has been an amazing, breathtaking, surprising ride. To make it back to the Elite Eight with this squad is a testament to amazing coaching and amazing individual achievments (looking at you, Jorts). No matter what happens next, this team has found a special place in the heart of the Big Blue faithful.

OTHER NOTES:

– Jared Sulinger says he will stay in school another year. I don’t think I can believe this.

– Doron Lamb says he will stay in school another year. I find this much easier to believe.

– As many others have said, the Buckeye team and their coach were nothing but class before and after the game. I’d have no problem cheering for them if they’d advanced.

– Which brings me to another point: Way too much emphasis is put on a team’s result in the tournament. While it’s true the Buckeyes didn’t make the Final Four, their season should not be viewed as a disappointment. It should still be viewed as magnificent. The general point of view on this has to change.

– Big congratulations go out to the Bellarmine Knights, who defeated BYU-Hawaii Saturday to win the Division II basketball title. Scotty Davenport could even win a few more if he keeps recruiting like he is. Does this mean UofL is now the second-best basketball program in town?

RC

3.27.11:
FOUR all the Marbles: Cats play 2nd straight perfect game, head to Final Four

When Deandre Liggins tiptoed behind the 3-point line for the biggest trey of his life to put Kentucky up 4 with under a minute to play, when Harrison Barnes finally acted like a frosh for once and jacked up a desperation and ill-advised heave with the game still in doubt, when Brandon Knight sealed the win with his free throws down the stretch – that’s when I knew.

I grabbed my 2-year-old in my arms and we danced and laughed as the seconds wound down. She had no idea what was happening (she just learned to count to five; she could care less about the Final Four). But she loved it anyway, and so did I.

It’s something I’ll always remember.

Back when the game began, you wondered how much would be left in UK’s tank.

As I said before, UK was playing with house money. No matter what, this was just icing on the cake for what has turned out to be a great, surprising season.

But you had to wonder if UK gave everything it had in beating No. 1 Ohio St. Turns out it wasn’t a problem.

It’s rare that we see a team reach its pinnacle, the utmost of what it can do. Yet we’re seeing it with this extraordinary group, led by an extraordinary senior.

It’s even more rare that we see a group surpass their abilities. As a group, this team was not in the same league as Ohio St, yet they beat the Buckeyes, they achieved something greater than they should have, and it was amazing and thrilling to see. Then they did it again against North Carolina.

That’s what made all of this so satisfying as a fan. Not only did UK rise up and take out the No. 1 seed, but they then made it count by following it up with a win that was just as big – a win to get to the Final Four. A win over Carolina.

A win over a Carolina team that had beaten UK earlier in the year.

When I saw VCU beat Kansas earlier in the day I thought back to all the people who’d picked NC to beat UK. I thought maybe it might just be the underdog’s day.

But throughout, UK played like no underdog. They got a lead. They kept it and they never relinquished it, even when Carolina threw several haymakers late, UK never got down. When the Heels tied it late, Brandon Knight (who has a great sense of when to score to control momentum) came back with a deadly three.

As far as stellar players go,  Brandon Knight was his stellar self, as was Josh Harrellson, but this game really belongs to Deandre (there’s your UK reps on the all-regional team by the way, with Knight taking MOP honors). Liggins was incredibly diverse in this game: passing, shooting and playing defense like a rabid dog. His three to essentially win the game will go down in lore, along with Knight’s shots against Princeton and O State.

But this game was also about balance: double-figure scoring for all five starters, plus another eight points from Doron Lamb. Plus, UK hung with Carolina in the rebounding department (the Heels held just a 35-30 advantage), limited their run-and-gun transition offense and played outstanding defense.

If you’re counting, that’s four consecutive perfect halves for Kentucky. Not bad for a team that hadn’t played 40 solid minutes until (maybe) the SEC tourney title game. When I say perfect, I mean it. UK shot 12-22 from the three point line against Carolina. In the biggest of games, they came up huge.

Can they carry this momentum over into the final weekend? That’s a question for another day.

For now it’s time to celebrate. To laugh. To dance.

OTHER NOTES:

– Jay-Z stopped by Kentucky’s lockerroom to congratulate the team. That’s fly. Apparently Terrence Jones shouted “That’s Jay-Z!” when he walked in. Ha!

– Backing up my former comments about the Itty Bitty East, I will say it’s nice they got a team to the Final Four. Can UConn win it all? Of course. I always said they could. Does that make them a great team? Of course not. They do have one great player, though.

– Which brings me to the initial thoughts on the UConn/UK matchup. Obviously these 2 teams are vastly different from when they first faced each other at the beginning of the year in Maui. This is probably like every other game in the tourney: down to the wire. So who wins: the more well-rounded team (right now I’d have to say this is UK) or the team with the best player on the court (UConn). I have no idea. All I know is that some team, somebody (Liggins?) has to beat Kemba, so now UK gets to take their shot. Bring him on, I say.

Go Big Blue!
RC

10.14.11:
Expectations highest in long time at UK Big Blue Madness

LEXINGTON – More than 24,000 blue-clad fanatics got their first look at the latest incarnation of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team Friday night.

Saying they liked what they saw would be the understatement of the off-season.

More than 45 minutes before Big Blue Madness started Friday, Rupp Arena was already filling up. Why? Because this year is the year, the one fans have been hearing about and looking forward to since Coach John Calipari arrived in Lexington more than two years ago.

The John Wall/Demarcus Cousins team? That was a pleasant surprise. No one knew Cuz would be that good. Or Bledsoe. Or that Daniel Orton would get drafted in the first round (really Orlando? Really?).

The Brandon Knight/Josh Harrellson team? No one thought that team would gel like it did, or win like it did. Or come within a bucket of playing for a national championship – like it did.

Nope, fans would say. Nope, the so-called experts would say. No chance. Look to that third year, they would say, the year when we get Gilchrist. Now that is going to be a team. Heck, we could have Lamb and Terrence Jones and maybe a third season with Cuz and Bledsoe and Orton, and throw in Darius and DeAndre – and put it all together and you’ve got a title.

Well it didn’t really work out that way, did it? But the funny thing is, even though the situation has changed (no one had even heard of a center named Anthony Davis three years ago) we still have the same expectations. NATIONAL CHAMPS. Right?

But of course. And why shouldn’t we? Even though Cuz and Bledsoe and Knight and Deandre left (not to mention a guy named John Wall) Cal still brought in a third-consecutive No. 1-ranked recruiting class, one that featured the all-around No. 1 player in Davis, the aforementioned Gilchrist, the top point guard in Marquis Teague and a tall, throwback wunderkid named Kyle Wiltjer. Add them to a team that returns Jones and Lamb and Miller, and you’ve got a nice squad. Throw in Stacey Poole and (at Christmas)  Twanny Beckham, and you’ve got the No.2-ranked team in the country.

And let me just say this: They looked like a team that could very well be the second-best in the land.

This team will have more depth than last year, and it will be more explosive. But will they get as far? Yeah – that’s the question, right?

Friday’s festivities did nothing to quell the fans’ hopes.

THEN THE ROOF CAME OFF

Things got loud when the NBA alumni were announced: Cuz, Josh, Knight, Jodie, DeAndre, Nazr, Tayshaun, Rondo and Wall all made appearances to loud ovations.

After the team was introduced (Kyle Wiltjer may have taken the cake for best dance intro), Calipari made a speech talking about the standard UK has set over the past two seasons, and how they hope to go further this season.

Then the 2011 Final Four banner was unfurled. Hey – it looks nice. And Rupp got very loud.

THE SCRIMMAGE

I know I only watched a scrimmage where there was no defense played, but due to the tremendous athleticism on the floor (and the shooters! and the scorers! and the rebounders! oh my!) but I haven’t been this excited about a team in a long while. These guys have so much potential, you can really see this becoming a national championship-type of team.

Random observations:

– This team is big. And long. Maybe more long than big, but wow they look athletic.

– Wiltjer has a gorgeous stroke from three. Just beautiful.

– Davis and Gilchrist are dunk freaks. Can’t even explain it.

– With as many versatile players, this team will give others fits. Will be very hard to guard.

– Gilchrist is everywhere, all the time, rebounding and putting shots back up and in. And he also hit a three.

– Darius Miller shot the ball out of his mind (5 threes), and looked nothing but smooth on the court. Is it his time? Finally?

– Terrence Jones, combined with Davis, could form the best tandem on the low blocks in the country. Hear that Carolina? Yeah, I said it. Jones lobbed two (TWO) passes off the backboard to himself for monster slams. That’s how much non-defense was being played.

– Davis added to his stellar evening of dunks and athletic moves by also canning a three. Nice. (Kevin Garnett, anyone?)

– This team will have no problems scoring. Barring injury, they will score in bunches and bunches. And they will be hard to defend.

– But the big question is: Will they guard anyone? It’s much more fun to win games 100-60 than it is to win 100-99. If this team can play defense even nearly as good as last year’s squad did in the postseason, these Cats will scare a lot of opponents.

WOW. JUST WOW

After I watched the scrimmage, I wondered how long it had been since I was this excited about a UK team. Cal’s first year, maybe? I was definitely excited about Wall, but I didn’t know about Cuz or Bledsoe. I was excited when Tubby brought in a No. 1 class with Randolph Morris, Joe Crawford and Rajon Rondo. Then add in transfer Patrick Sparks and toss in veteran Chuck Hayes and we had a great team.

But I’m really excited about this year. Really excited. With all of the recruits there Friday night, I just kept wondering why wouldn’t a kid want to come to UK?

– MITCHELL CHANNELS KING OF POP

Well, Matthew Mitchell really stole the show. Again.

Last season at Big Blue Madness the UK women’s coach wowed the crowd as he performed the Dougie. (And did it well).

Many wondered how he would top himself – or even if he could top himself. Well he sure did.

Coming out to “Billie Jean,” Coach Mitchell dressed up just like the King of Pop, with glittery silver top hat and one glove. He came out and danced as the faux sidewalk underneath his feet lit up with each step. Then he transitioned to the Dougie and then the John Wall dance. It was a thing of beauty and the crowd was understandably frenzied.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team love its coach the way these ladies love Coach Mitchell. And, to make things even better, he should have a really deep, talented squad this year.

– BAND STEPS OUT OF COMFORT ZONE

Nice to hear some new stuff from the Kentucky band. Loved their take on “All I Do is Win,” and “Forget You” was also very nice. Props.

– BAD NEWS FOR UOFL?

We never want to see a player get hurt, even if he plays for our most hated rival. And, to make matters worse, he’s a Kentucky kid.

Here’s hoping Chane Behanon didn’t hurt himself too bad when he sprained his ankle during UofL’s Midnight Madness Friday night. Ugh.

More later!

Go Big Blue!

RC

12.03.11:
In this case, a UK/UNC rematch for a national title would be a good thing

LEXINGTON – As the buzzer sounded and the fans stood in amazement, still trying to wrap their collective heads around what they saw, my friend leaned to me.

“Don’t you just get the feeling we’ll see them again?”

I nodded. If the basketball Gods have any sense of the moment, any sense of what is wrong and right, then we’ll see Kentucky and North Carolina play again in about four months for the national championship. Unlike in football, where I find a rematch of Alabama and LSU a bit underwhelming, I would welcome a UK/UNC basketball national championship game rematch.

The effort of both teams Saturday was definitely memorable, and the last play of the game summed up the reason why UK won.

With 48 seconds left, Carolina guard Reggie Bullock drained a three with a defender in his face. And with a chance to help seize the game, UK freshman guard Marquis Teague stepped to the free throw line with a chance to push the lead back to three.

I had to be honest – I did not feel confident with him at the line. Gilchrist? Yes. Jones? Sure. Lamb? Definitely. Not Teague.

He missed.

And in the scramble back to the other side, the UK defense was ready. More than 24,000 at Rupp Arena (8th largest crowd in school history in the building) stood cheering as the clock wound down, Kentucky up one. Carolina found Zeller in the paint, and immediately, the Cats collapsed on him, just as they’d done the entire second half. The ball pingponged out of Zeller’s hands, and floated into the waiting arms of UNC center John Henson.

Henson had been a beast all game long, and when the ball fell into arms, he loaded and popped.

I thought I’d be sick if Carolina won on a busted play like that.

But it didn’t happen that way. UK’s Anthony Davis, the No. 1 player in high school (and likely the No. 1 pick in the next NBA Draft) came out to defend Henson, his mirror image. Davis blocked the potential game-winning shot, grabbed the loose ball and threw it to Teague, who dribbled out the remaining five seconds of clock. (or maybe not – replays show he picked up his dribble and started running around with about a second left. Oh well).

UK won, 73-72. It was difficult. It wasn’t always pretty. But UK survived. Somehow.

And the Rupp crowd went bonkers. I thought they were all going to run out on the court. Of course I was going bonkers too.

From tip to the ending block, this was an amazing college basketball environment for early December.

In the first half, it looked as though Carolina was definitely the better team. UK really struggled to match their toughness and hustle, and as I predicted, UNC knew more of their offense and was able to execute it. Still, they were only up 5 at the half – and star Harrison Barnes got 3 fouls in the first half. Terrence Jones kept UK in it with 14 points. Darius Miller again provided he steady hand and instant offense and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a man-kid-Gilchrist, with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

I felt pretty good for UK, actually. Carolina was playing as good as it could play (they hit six of nine threes), and they were only up 5 points. That was it. Could they keep it up? I felt sure UK would play better. Could UNC match the effort?

Yes they could. UNC came out and answered every bucket when UK put together its patented open-the-second-half run. Slowly though, Kentucky started to warm up. Doron Lamb got all 14 of his points in the second half, including two huge threes that kept the score just out of Carolina’s reach.

In terms of excitement, drama, back-and-forth lead changes and two programs really just playing superb and showcasing amazing talent, this game was amazing. Glad UK made it out with a hard-fought win. It took guts and it was impressive to see a young team do it.

OTHER NOTES

– Even 25 min. before the Carolina game, Rupp was rockin’. John Wall was in the house, fraternizing with both UK and UNC players. Celebrities from Ashley Judd to Rasheed Wallace were there (I wonder if they hang out?) But the energy was just electric. The Carolina players looked loose and were joking around during the shootaround. They did not look nervous at all – and played that way.

– Big, big congrats to UofL to the great start they’ve had to their young season. Their victory at Butler did not wow me, but their two-point win in overtime over Vandy was legit because both teams were missing important players. When the Cards were down 5 in OT I thought they were toast. Credit Kyle Kuric with a big 3 and of course Siva with his patented go to the rack layup for the win. Big win for the Cards.

– Ditto that for Xavier. The Muskies may have their most legit shot to make it to the Final Four in a long while. I like this team a lot, and would not be surprised to see them in New Orleans. Their comeback from 19 down to win over Purdue was inspired – and Tu Holloway’s three threes in the last 90 seconds? SICK!

– That said, no team has looked better than Ohio State when they dismantled Duke. I still think Carolina or Kentucky may be the most talented team – but OSU could be the No. 1 team. Their only issue may be depth. I count four consistent players for the Buckeyes. Can that win a title? Maybe.

– One of my more disappointing teams early in the season? Your Cincinnati Bearcats. How do they lose to Presbyterian AND Marshall in the non-conference? I like Mick Cronin a lot, but here’s a newsflash that he already knows: the road ain’t getting easier. Syracuse is good. Louisville is too. And UConn, West Virginia, Pitt, Georgetown and Nova aren’t bad. UC needs to get their act together. They’re too good to be underachieving. This team should be a top 15 club.

– And a personal disappointment has to be called out here: Western Kentucky is 2-6 this season, while rival Murray St flourishes. That’s unacceptable. WKU has brought in good players, but the momentum Darin Horn built is gone under Ken McDonald. Maybe if Horn is ousted at South Carolina, he’ll come back to WKU. The Toppers should take him in a heartbeat.

More later!

Go Big Blue!

RC

12.31.11:
Kidd-Gilchrist plays hero; Ashley and I share a laugh

LEXINGTON – As the annual UK/UofL game began, with the crowd cheering like crazy and booing the Cards I looked over at Rick Pitino as he greeted opposing coaches and players. I couldn’t help but think:

Does he ever wonder, ‘How could I leave all this? How?’

Just throwing it out there. I know he’s got his new palace on the river, new fans, good players at UofL. But it’s just not the same, is it?

Is it?

In the beginning of today’s game, Kentucky looked confident. The crowd was ready. It felt like the Carolina game.

Then the similarities ended. The game started and it was immediately taken over by the officials. I’ve never seen a game with so many fouls. It made it difficult to watch.

And neither team played very well. Great defense had something to do with it. So did the somewhat unending whistle of the referees. But for the most part neither team looked great. Louisville missed shots it sometimes makes. Kentucky was completely befuddled by the Cards press.

There were turnovers. There were fouls. And, we need to say it, there were three great performances: Kidd-Gilchrist, who threw out a herculean 24 points and 19 rebounds, Anthony Davis, who showed us another great performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots, and the Cards super sophomore Russ Smith, who made a ton of shots in a 30-point performance.

It wasn’t enough though, as UK pulled out a 69-62 victory in front of a packed Rupp Arena where more than 50 fouls were called and 2 stars – UK’s Doron Lamb and the Cards’ Chane Behanon – each had 3 fouls before the end of the first half.

The game lasted about 2 hours and 25 minutes.

But both teams showed their mettle. When Kentucky looked as if they were going to make it a rout in the first half, Louisville came back, making shots and forcing turnovers. They made another run in the second, when it looked like UofL had found their rhythm. Kidd-Gilchrist was a monster all night, and when it mattered most, Anthony Davis made all of his free throws (12-13 on the day) and helped score the ball.

Let’s also give a special shout out to Terrence Jones. When others were scoring, he crashed the boards – hard – pulling down 11 rebounds on his road back to production. Great job. UK killed Louisville on the boards by more than 20.

Rick Pitino said afterward that his team was overmatched, especially when center Giorgi Deng found foul trouble. He was right – at each position, UK was more athletic. We knew that. But the Cards still played with fire, making what should have been a rout a much closer game. A 17-5 run to close the first half made sure of that.

Kyle Wiltjer came in to score 4 needed points. Marquis Teague is still a work in progress, and Doron Lamb was out of sorts. Didn’t matter. The Cats did what they needed to do.

It was a fistfight, and they won, especially by rebounding the ball.

And no matter how, a win over Louisville always feels good.

OTHER NOTES:

– Jay-Z was here. He’s cool.

– UK princess Ashley Judd was here, too. You know, we hang.

Happy New Year all!

And Go Big Blue!

RC

4.1.12:
Dream Game lives up to hype; UK should cut down nets Monday

First, I have to say congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals. I like their guys, and their toughness. With a 17-4 run the Cards erased what could have been a fatal 13-point UK lead and tied the game with about 9 minutes to go.

I agree that if all their guys stay on the team they should be in the preseason top 10 next season.

I also liked that Coach Pitino said he, too, liked this UK team and would be rooting for them. I’m not sure I believe him, but I like that he said it.

Simply: This Dream Game lived up to the hype. UK did not play its best, UofL took advantage, and with just a minute to play, this was a ballgame. Ultimately, the difference was UK’s blending of experience (both Darius Miller, a senior came off the bench to score HUGE hoops, and sophomore Terrence Jones rebounded shots when the game was on the line) and freshmen (both Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist not only did NOT shy away from the big moment, they thrived in it, providing big play after another to win the game).

And yes, the Anthony Davis one-handed oop slam will be the moment of the tourney – so far. (Quick shoutout to Davis, who added the Wooden Award to his growing list of Player of the Year awards. He is UK’s first player to win the award).

So bravo to the Cards for showing everyone how good basketball in the state of Kentucky can be. Congrats also to Murray and WKU for doing the same.

BUT UK WAS BETTER

Now, on to other topics: I pretty much sequestered myself from all of the hype surrounding this game. I was just sick of hearing about it all – and that was just last Monday. I couldn’t stand a whole week of it. Friends asked me if I was worried. Not really.

I knew UK was better. I felt they’d win. I actually couldn’t see a situation when they wouldn’t win. I responded that I was worried the team would expound so much energy on the so-called rivalry game that UK would be gassed when they had to play Kansas.

(I don’t think this happened, by the way).

But no, I was not that worried about UofL.

And to the experts on the radio who knew so much and kept talking about how great Louisville is, I’ll say that not much changed: UK was 7 points better in December and they were 8 points better today.

Was it a more satisfying win because it came against the Cards?

Of course. You really, really want to win that game.

I’m glad we did.

THE GAME

Props to Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb for again getting their team off to a fast start. And of course to Davis, who had one of the great performances in UK postseason history – 18 pts, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Louisville is good, though – and they don’t stay down. They made it a great game. Fortunately, UK has Miller and MKG and Davis.

And that was really all we need to say about that game.

ON TO THE TITLE

Kentucky did not play their best Saturday night. There’s a pattern there. UK did not play well against WKU in round two – but played great in round three versus Iowa St. As we said, there is a parallel to last year:

Both years: did not play great in their first games (WKU and Princeton)

Played very well – especially in second half – of their second games (Iowa St and W Va.)

Played well in third games (Indiana and Ohio St.)

Played extremely well in regional finals (Baylor and N Carolina)

Didn’t play great in Semifinals (UofL and loss to UConn last year)

Last year I thought if Kentucky survived the semifinal against UConn, they would have smothered Butler in the final.

So does this season follow the possible pattern? How will UK play in the final?

The interesting point is Kansas has not played their best basketball either, with the exception of maybe in spurts against Carolina.

So who wins? It’s anybody’s game – especially in a one-game scenario. But the Vegas boys like UK by 6.5.

I think that sounds about right: Cats 72-65 for the title. Who plays big? MKG – and, in a surprise, Doron Lamb. Davis is your MOP.

Then we can start talking about whether Cal will stay here until next season.

More on Monday night!

Go Big Blue!

RC

4.3.12:
Gr8ness for Cats

LEXINGTON – It’s 2:30 a.m. and the party continues here in Titletown, on Euclid and State Street, on Limestone and Woodland.

It will keep going for a long while after Kentucky’s eight-point victory over Kansas gave the Cats their eighth national championship Monday night.

So much of this game, like this run, was memorable for Kentucky fans. What other Final Four MOP scores one bucket in the title game? Of course, Anthony Davis also had 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and a couple steals. He was amazing.

Just like to say you heard it here first when I predicted Doron Lamb would have a big game. He was the scorer who had to step up – and he did. Bravo young man.

Terrence Jones and Davis just bullied the Kansas front line. Still, a 14-point halftime lead was not as comfortable as I would have liked.

But again, give Kentucky a lead, and play defense, and I’ll take my chances with this team.

38-2. Simply amazing.

CAN YOU REMEMBER?

Remember this team in November? Remember how Terrence Jones got in that car altercation and it seemed like he could not be the leader he needed to be? Remember his meltdown against IU?

Now watch him pull down every huge rebound in the Final Four.

Remember Marquis Teague looking lost until about February? Remember how none of us could think of making a run in the NCAAs with Teague at the point? Remember how we longed for Brandon Knight?

Watch Teague play steady – and fast – and lead his team to a championship.

And of course Darius Miller. Remember how we questioned his toughness and leadership? We wondered if he could be the guy to make a run and win it all.

Watch Miller make big shot after big shot this season – when we needed a senior, we had one.

And how sweet it is to hop over IU and UofL along the way? I don’t know of a team that ever had a road where they had to defeat their biggest two rivals to win a title. Will it ever be this sweet again? Could it? Maybe.

But this team deserves all the accolades. The pressure they were put under was so intense – beating Indiana and Louisville in the tourney on the way to a title? Are you kidding? But each time this UK team played up to the task, eventually winning it all.

MADNESS

Along the streets here in Lexington people chant players’ names and dance and stomp. It doesn’t feel particularly dangerous, just fun.

I’ll say what they don’t want to hear: UK played the second half not to lose. Luckily, it worked because UK has players who can make plays when needed.

We said it all season: This is the toughest team in the country to beat. It happened twice – barely, both times.

We knew Kansas would have to play their best. They didn’t. But Thomas Robinson (an excellent player) and Tyshawn Taylor fought hard and did what they do – they came back. We all knew they would.

But Kentucky couldn’t be beaten. Too much talent everywhere.

38-2. Incredible.

Like, National Champion incredible.

More later – we’ve got a celebration at 3 on Tuesday.

And we’ve got much more celebrating to do tonight, too.

Go Big Blue!