Ken Pom has the Tigers winning this game 69-65. I don't see how UK can possibly score 65 points off of Mizzou, but we'll see what happens.
Ken Pom has the Tigers winning this game 69-65. I don't see how UK can possibly score 65 points off of Mizzou, but we'll see what happens.
Typical Kentucky possession: Askew (who is still playing) drives and (of course) misses. But is fouled. He makes the first free throw (yay!) but misses the second. Sarr rebounds the free throw, but misses a two foot shot. One point for all that effort. Mizzou leads 5-4 after 4 minutes.
ReplyDeleteMissouri leads 5-4 with 15:46 left in the first half. UK is 1-5 from 2-point range, 0-2 from 3-point range, and 2-3 at the line.
ReplyDeleteIf Ashton Hagans were playing the point in this game, and nothing else was different, I believe UK would win by about 10 points.
ReplyDeleteMintz is dribbling the ball in the front court from one side to the other. All of a sudden, he loses control and the ball squirts out of bounds. I've never seen a turnover like that before.
ReplyDeleteMintz and Askew both had the ball squirt away from them like this in the last possession of the game. I've never seen anything like it.
DeleteBetween Cuonzo Martin, Bruce Pearl, and Rick Barnes -- the three Tennessee coaches who all have jobs in the SEC -- I can make an argument that Martin is the best coach. After three years at UT, he had the Vols in the Sweet 16. After two years at Cal, he had the Bears in the tournament. Now he has Mizzou as the number 18 team in the country. I'm really curious as to what he'll do if he stays in the same place for about 10 years.
ReplyDeleteWith 11:57 left in the first half, Mizzou leads 17-11. Cats now 3-9 from two-point range, 1-4 from 3-point range, and 2-3 from the line. UK's two-point shooting has to be seen to be believed. It's like watching that 1984 Georgetown game every time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, nothing good ever happens for UK in the last 15 seconds of the shot clock. The longer they hold the ball, the more likely they are to turn it over.
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteI would put them on a 15 second shot clock. Just throw up the first available shot and go chase the rebound.
ReplyDeleteUK's not scoring very often, but when they do, they don't get back on defense. Mizzou has had three or four layoffs right after made baskets for UK.
ReplyDeleteSo far, Mizzou is 5-6 from three-point range. Cats are 2-5, which is like the Warriors for them. Tigers lead 27-21 with 7:31 left in the half. At this rate, UK could get to 65 points.
ReplyDeletePretty good.
DeleteAskew just shot a three-pointer -- and missed. He's now 9-36 for the year. Mizzou makes a three-pointer. They are now 6-8 in this game. Tigers lead 30-21 with 6:22 left. Cal calls time, but unless he's going to bring in some players we haven't seen all year, I don't really see the point.
ReplyDeleteCats come out of the timeout and immediately turn the ball over. They have a genius for dribbling to the free throw line, stopping, and having the ball taken away. That exact play happens about six times per game.
ReplyDeleteWith the score 32-26, Brandon Boston takes a 15 foot shot. I don't think I've seen him make that shot all year. It misses, and Mizzou gets an easy runout going the other way. Tigers lead 34-26 with 3:59 left in the first half. Boston came into this game with the following stats:
ReplyDelete2-point shooting: 59-137 (43.1 percent)
3-point shooting: 9-50 (18.0 percent)
If you're keeping track, Boston and Askew have combined to go 18-86 from three-point range this season. That is unbelievable to me. And these are not contested shots. No one guards them behind the three-point line, so these are basically like practice shots.
ReplyDeleteI think the folks who run these scouting services should have to come to my house, show me the footage that they saw in high school, and explain why they thought Boston and Askew could play in the SEC.
ReplyDeleteBoston looks like the best sophomore basketball player in the Second Region. I'm not saying that to be mean, but, seriously, he looks to me like he might be amid his big growth spurt as a human. I grew about an inch and a half after I went to college--it happens.
DeleteUpdated stats for Boston:
Delete2-point shooting: 61-143 (42.7 percent)
3-point shooting: 11-53 (20.8 percent)
It's weird watching games from this perspective, though, and it helps me understand a lot about what happens to UK when the Cats have a good team. If Mizzou would stay focused, they would beat the Cats by about 30. But they just can't do it. They'll go up about 8 points, then they lose interest and UK is able to hang around.
ReplyDeleteAskew just threw a pass to a UK player who was standing out of bounds.
ReplyDeleteTigers now 7-11 from three-point range. UK has been able to keep close in other games due to poor shooting by their opponents. But they're headed for a regular beat-down tonight. Mizzou leade3 38-27 with 38.6 seconds before the half.
ReplyDeleteWith about 30 seconds left in the first half, Askew went to the line to shoot a one-and-one. He banged the FT off the back rim. In fact, he missed it so badly that UK got the rebound. They tried to hold for the last shot, but of course that turned into a runout for Mizzou as UK is incapable of holding the ball for very long. Tigers lead 40-27 at the half.
ReplyDeleteUK in the first half:
ReplyDelete2-point shooting: 7-18
3-point shooting: 3-10
Free throws: 4-8
Turnovers: 8
Oh, and they aren't getting to 65 points. To get to 65 points, they'd have to score 38 points in 20 minutes. I'm not sure they could score 38 points in 20 minutes if there was no defense on the other side.
ReplyDeleteWell ...
DeleteIf the shoe was on the other foot, and we were up 40-27 after going 7-11 on three-point shots in the first half, I would expect UK to cool off, slow the game down, and win something like 70-61. I've probably seen Calipari's teams win about 50 games like that. But Cuonzo Martin may want to kick us when we're down. In 2013, his Tennessee team beat UK 88-58.
ReplyDeleteCats have 53 points with 8 minutes left. Can they get to 65?
ReplyDeleteBoston makes a three-pointer! Cats have 56 points with 7:41 left. They only need nine more.
65 is the most points the Cats have scored in any loss all year, and it was Ken Pomeroy's predicted number for UK tonight. Can they get there? Here's where they are right now:
ReplyDeleteTwo-point shots: 13-28
Three-point shots: 7-16
Free throws: 9-15
Turnovers: 13
Florida lost at home to South Carolina 72-66. FL has lost at home to KY and SC.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah Jackson gets a dunk! UK has 58 points with 7:11 left.
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite play of the game. I'm glad you noted it, except I think you should've referred to it as a "slam dunk." It was the kind of slam dunk that everybody got excited about in the early 1980s. Isaiah Jackson is probably my favorite player on this team--maybe Mintz--and this might've been my favorite play of the season.
DeleteSarr scores in the lane! Cats have 60 points with 6:37 left. Looking good now.
ReplyDeleteAskew's on the bench after getting a technical, so that's another good sign for the UK offense.
ReplyDeleteMintz misses a three-pointer. Still at 60. 6 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteSarr makes a three-pointer! That's 63 with 5:40 left.
ReplyDeleteCats play Tennessee on Saturday. I'm sure the nation's sports fans can hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteJackson shoots a 15 footer. Not even close. 5 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I'm sorry you noted this play.
DeleteBut then Mizzou turns it over and Mintz gets a runout! That's 65 points with 4:50 left. I apologize; I did not think they could do it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing they got there, because Askew is back in the game. Jackson is open for a potential layup, but Askew throws the ball in such a way that Mizzou is able to foul Jackson on the floor. Of course he bangs the free throw off the back rim.
ReplyDeleteCats scored five points in the last 4:50 of the game.
DeleteAt the other end, Jackson steals the ball and immediately throws it to a UK player who is standing out of bounds.
ReplyDeleteBut the Cats did reach 65 points. I defer to Ken Pomeroy.
Jackson tries some type of alley-oop pass that becomes a turnover. Still on 65 with 3 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteSorry, this was Mintz to Jackson. The pass was way too high and it bounced off of Jackson's hands.
DeleteJimmy Dykes had a lot to say about this play.
DeleteWith three seconds left on the shot clock, Askew tries a bounce pass that goes straight out of bounds. Still on 65 with 2 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteJackson takes the ball, drives on his man, and dunks! 67 points with 1:37 left.
ReplyDeleteThat's a 40-point half.
DeleteSecond-favorite of the night.
DeleteMintz makes a three! That's SEVENTY POINTS with 1:15 left. Only the sixth time all year that the Cats have scored 70 points.
ReplyDeleteMintz has 18 points.
DeleteSecond-favorite of the roster. Maybe first.
DeleteBrooks shoots a three-pointer. Not even close -- bricks off the front rim. Still 70 points with 50 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteUK's last possession was one for the ages. Askew threw the ball to Mintz, who was trapped. So he gave it back to Askew, who fumbled it and had to run it down before it went out of bounds. He gave it to Mintz, who fumbled it driving in the lane and threw up a prayer. The prayer missed, and Ware got the rebound, but then he missed. Game over. 70 points for the Cats. 75 for Mizzou.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on Twitter said that the last possession for UK should be seen to the soundtrack of Yakety Sax. That's about right.
DeleteThat was the theme song for the late, great Joe B and Denny Show! Written by James "Spider" Rich of Millport for a performance at the Hoptown Armory, refined and popularized by Boots Randolph of Paducah/Evansville (Ind.)/Cadiz!
DeleteFinal offensive numbers for UK
ReplyDeleteTwo-point shots: 17-35
Three-point shots: 9-20
Free throws: 9-16
Turnovers: SEVENTEEN
In the second half, UK came out playing the good defense like they did in the second half against Alabama. Eventually, Mizzou figured out that they could win the game at the free throw line. For the game, the Tigers went 18-26 from the line, and the 9-point difference in free throws is the reason they won by five.
ReplyDeleteIn a normal season, if UK did what Mizzou did, we would all be annoyed that they didn't play hard in the second half and let an inferior team hang around. But it's hard to be motivated against a team this bad.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Pomeroy thought it would be 69-65 and it was 75-70, so UK's ranking probably won't change very much.
ReplyDeleteHere are the plus/minus numbers for UK's starters. Some stats are misleading, but these are not:
ReplyDeleteSarr: 1
Boston: 0
Jackson: 0
Mintz: -3
Askew: -12
It has its issues, but I roll with plus/minus.
DeleteKentucky was ranked at 53 when the night began, and is now at 55.
ReplyDeleteCats have an offensive efficiency rating of 105.3 (102d in the country)
ReplyDeleteThey have defensive efficiency rating of 90.3 (14th in the country)
Kentucky is now 353d in luck, and Murray State is 355th. That's a lot of close losses for fans in Western Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteMurray lost at home by one to Belmont on Saturday night--must've been brutal.
ReplyDeleteIt was horrible. Murray led 60-51 with 8 minutes to go. But I always assume that Murray will lose to Belmont.
DeleteOther close losses for Murray this year:
ReplyDelete12/11/20: SIU 70, MSU 66
12/21/20: Austin Peay 74, MSU 70
01/02/21: Morehead St. 61, MSU 56
01/21/21: Jacksonville St. 85, MSU 82
It's been a rough year.
56-66 at Morehead last night.
DeleteYes, but that was never close. They just got pounded.
DeleteUK and Murray are examples of how an unlucky team can also be a team that's not very good.
Delete