UK Basketball Preview – Know Your Enemies: The Canadians
By Paul Jordan
UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR LANCERS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 – 7 PM
TUESDAY, AUGUST 17 – 11 AM
SOMEWHERE IN CANADA
TV: The Big Blue Sports Network will televise the games live on FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Ohio; WTVW-TV in Evansville, Ind.; WYMT-TV in Hazard; WSAZ-My Z in Huntington, W.Va.; WKAG-TV in Hopkinsville; WKYT-TV in Lexington; WMYO-TV in Louisville and WDKA-TV in Paducah/Cape Girardeau.
VIEWING ONLINE:
Believe it or not, the Kentucky Wildcats are not the first “big name program” to make the trek to the Great White North to face the Lancers. The Ohio State Buckeyes (by the way, Anthony Davis told me to say “Sup” to Thad Motta) made the trip last August and decimated the Lancers 90-39 and 89-47. Other than that the Lancers compiled a 22-9 record in their regular season and lost in something called the CIS Consolation Final. One of their big wins last season was over the Ottawa Gee Gee’s. Sorry, I really don’t know what that means.
From what I can tell, the Lancers and the Wildcats are linked cosmically as Lancer head coach Chris Oliver had seven new players to his Lancer squad last year and was still ranked in the top 10 in Canada throughout the season. Perhaps he and Calipari can trade recruiting notes, but I kind of think that Oliver and his Lancers will be too busy watching Brandon Knight break ankles to put up a serious threat to the Wildcats.
Since I usually make predictions on these things, I guess I will have to take a look at my crystal ball and shake it out of it’s off season doldrums and say:
GAME 1: Kentucky 88 Windsor 44
GAME 3: Kentucky 89 Windsor 34
These numbers are based on my pulling numbers out of the air, so please … no wagering
WESTERN MUSTANGS
MONDAY AUGUST 17, 7 PM
SAME SOMEWHERE IN CANADA
TV: SAME AS ABOVE
ONLINE VIEWING: HERE
Like the Lancers, the Mustangs played whipping boys to Ohio State last year to the tune of 103-68. In 2008, they managed a victory of a NCAA Division One team (Morgan State 85-78) and suffered a close loss to the Salaki’s of SIU (94-89). Last season’s versions of the Mustangs manged just a 12-11 season however, and I guess we are not supposed to be that impressed by that.
Mustang’s head coach Brad Campbell is a kindred spirit of John Calipari in that he brings in one of the top recruiting classes into Canada to face the Wildcats. The Mustangs will bring in six new players to face UK and in the spirit of being a preview for a game, it is my duty to at least discuss the competition in a somewhat serious mode so here goes:
F – ADAM JESPERSEN – 6’8
Jespersen is the mostly highly touted incoming player for the Mustangs and is a transfer from the Hawaii Rainbows. He played the 2008-2009 season at Hawaii and had 2 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 turnovers in 12 games action. Keep in mind, those numbers is not an average. That was his stat line for the season. be afraid. Be very afraid.
Apparently the Mustangs have a player on their team that can dunk as evidenced by the intimidating, psych-out-Kentucky picture on their website. Don’t worry Mustangs, Kentucky has lots of players who can dunk. Even Jarred Polson.
Kentucky 113 Western 75
And if this preview has yet to fill you with rage and want to watch the Blue and White dismantle everything red-white-and-with-a-Maple-leaf , well that is my fault. I too, am in exhibition season mode. If you really need to hate all things Canadian before this three game series, there is always this:
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