Upset Alert: Kentucky on the ropes

[User 1019]

Don't look now, but Ole Miss has Kentucky on the ropes in Lexington. Rebs up one in OT.

I'm sure there is a college hoops thread, but I figured deskers might want this heads up.

 

[User 1019]

UK up two with 32 seconds left, going to the line for two.

 

[User 1019]

UK survives 89-86.

 

[da man]

You jinxed it.

 

[User 1019]

Ole Miss' terrible play calling with 30 seconds left in regulation jinxed it.

 

[Starman]

Calipari should be fined $100,000 for every game UK doesn't score 100, and he should be sent to Siberia for life if they lose a game.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Calipari should be fined $100,000 for every game UK doesn't score 100, and he should be sent to Siberia for life if they lose a game.

In other words, he should be sent to Mississippi?

 

[Big Circus]

Just a hiccup. No reason to worry. Kentucky is invincible.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Just a hiccup. No reason to worry. Kentucky is invincible.

Yeah, that's the best team college basketball has seen in a long time.

 

[trifectarich]

You jinxed it.

Ole Miss' terrible play calling with 30 seconds left in regulation jinxed it.

Add stupid basketball players and coaches to the things I'm tired of.

 

[Cosmo]

30 seconds left and Ole Miss' point guard just dribbles around at the top of the key for 22 of it, then runs some sort of horrible iso play. No lane, so he takes a step-back 25 footer with a hand in his face. Great possession there.

I think some of Kentucky's close calls will open the door for some voters to rank Duke No. 1 at some point, though I don't think this would be the week for it since the Devils have a relatively weak slate (at Wake, home vs. State).

 

[Big Circus]

Everyone on the other thread seems to want coaches who just roll the ball out and shut up. That last play is what you get.

My man Tony Bennett, one of the dreaded slowdown overcoachers, faced a 3-point deficit late in overtime the other day at Miami. He called timeout, put in a play, and Justin Anderson wound up wide open for the tying shot.

That's not to say that it doesn't go both ways, like when Roy Williams called timeout with one second left and his guard headed toward the basket. But terrible shots are the norm when you get the "just roll the ball out" guys together.

 

[trifectarich]

If you have the ball in a tied game with 10 seconds to go, it ought to be second nature to every player and coach what the play is. It's like a football team that needs a two-point conversion in the final minute; it's a play you've practiced over and over and over again.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

As bad as the SEC is this year, I wonder how good the chances are that Kentucky runs the table. Florida sucks. Arkansas is probably the second best team in the SEC.

 

[SnarkShark]

If Moody doesn't get hurt twice in that game, Ole Miss wins. Kid is a helluva player.

 

[Songbird]

Moody was a helluva punk too till Cliff broke his nose.

 

[Cosmo]

LSU could give Kentucky trouble.

I wasn't even advocating calling a timeout in that situation. Just pass the ball once or twice, try to find something more open than that. Everyone knew they were running iso from the start.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Yeah, Arkansas and LSU are the only teams in the SEC who I could see upsetting Kentucky.

I just wonder if this could wind up being like the 2002--03 season where they rolled off 26 wins in a row and then were upset in the tournament. This team is better than that one, probably a lot better, but I don't think it helps when a team isn't tested during all of conference play. Calipari should be grateful he got a tough game.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Everyone on the other thread seems to want coaches who just roll the ball out and shut up. That last play is what you get.

My man Tony Bennett, one of the dreaded slowdown overcoachers, faced a 3-point deficit late in overtime the other day at Miami. He called timeout, put in a play, and Justin Anderson wound up wide open for the tying shot.

That's not to say that it doesn't go both ways, like when Roy Williams called timeout with one second left and his guard headed toward the basket. But terrible shots are the norm when you get the "just roll the ball out" guys together.

Of course the people who say Virginia slows it down haven't really watched the past few years or maybe only saw the Wisconsin game last year. Virginia games have few possessions, but Virginia players are always moving on both ends of the court, usually quickly. They force the other team to run the shot clock because the defense is so good and they force bad shots, but they don't walk it up the floor or hold it for 20 second before letting somebody go 1-on-1.

UVa's not alone in that, which is why the talk on the other thread about fewer possessions and few points can be a bit misguided.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I just remember when Bennett's dad had the Badgers in the Final Four. That semifinal game against MIchigan State was one of the most horrendously boring I'd seen. There were people on press row who I thought were going to open their wrists. I remember one well-known writer turning around and saying way too loudly, "This is ****ing ridiculous!"

I vaguely remember it getting slightly better in the second half.

I've seen Virginia twice this year on TV and I didn't think it was as slow as his dad's teams.