"Anytime u can get a W like KENTUCKY u smile- MIAMI O made 15 3's yet heroics by
super frosh WALL gets Cats the W!" - Dick Vitale's tweet about UK win
super frosh WALL gets Cats the W!" - Dick Vitale's tweet about UK win
Gomez here... The smoke continues to clear from last night's shoot out with the Redhawks of Miami, Ohio. A victory is a victory, and we'll take it, but there's lots to take away from last night's game. I'll give you my top 3, and then you can give me yours in the comment section below.
:: We are not a top 5 team... yet. Sure, we have top 5 talent on the roster, from top to bottom, but this talent has yet to gel and become the cohesive unit that they need to be in order to have the sort of finish that everyone wants. As Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale have predicted, UK must become a good defensive team to off-set games where the offense is off and shots aren't falling. Last night, their defense was suspect, as was the offense, but they still found a way to win in the end.
:: DDMO needs some work... Cal warned everyone that there would be some early season games like this one. Miami (OH) has veteran players and a good coach. They came ready to play, and it was obivious they were not overwhelmed playing a top five team in front of 24,000 fans. So as the Cats were trying to implement this brand new offense, the Redhawks were raining threes from beyond the arc. On countless trips, Bledsoe and Wall drove the ball into double and triple team traps, and then were left with no option but to throw up a bad shot or throw the ball away or have it stripped as they continued to dribble. Again, it's a work in progress, and we know that it will take some time. Patience is key.
:: Cousins is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.... One concern that was shared by many coming into this season was the work ethic and attitude of DeMarcus Cousins. After a first half performance that left him in foul trouble, and another lackluster start to the second half, Cal sat him on the bench and had a chat. Whatever he said to the young man worked because the Cousins that went back into the game was a different kid. He blocked shots, rebounded with authority and finished plays. At times, he even cracked a smile. Let's hope the Cousnis we saw at the end of the game sticks around for a while.
Overall, it's a win, and we'll take it. As Tom Leach said on the radio last night, you can learn from games like this but it's always better to learn from a win than a loss. I agree.
Leave your thoughts below...
I agree, but I think Cousins hasn't gotten a fair shake. He's been in foul trouble a lot and he hasn't been on the floor long enough to really get it in a rhythm. He'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteI was really happy to see Darius have a good game. We'll need him to continue to improve.
I loved Cousins taking over the game for about a 4 minute stretch. If he can have that intensity all game it would be insane. Talking about like Len Bias or Amare like ceiling
ReplyDeleteI spent the post game with Cousins. He said that the conversation he had with Coach was more about X and O type things and where he needed to be on the floor. Said that it was pretty much the same type thing he does with all of the team. That was the only part of the interview I left out actually because I didn't think it was a big deal and I was tired of typing.. I guess that something was made of it on TV that I didn't realize...
ReplyDeleteI think Cal emphasized his body language at halftime from what I gathered. Read the interview if you haven't yet, Cousins was really entertaining... I get the feeling that you might not want to talk to him after we lose though.. He puts out that kind of vibe.
Cousins has really impressed me with how hard he plays. Coming into the season, I expected him to take plays off and become lazy at times, but that's just not the case. He plays hard nose basketball, maybe too hard at times, which get's him in foul trouble. But he was one of the many reasons we won last night. His large frame came in handy down the stretch.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jeremy, Darius was big last night, that's what we expect from him game in and game out. He doesn't have to be "the star", he just needs to contribute and be a threat offensively. He'll be a big cog in this machine at season's end, we have to remember he is only a Sophomore, but he'll be playing like a experienced vet by season's end. The more confidence he gets, the better he'll perform. Lookn' forward to Thurs. night, the live updates are priceless.