Wildcats Defense Ready for Gamecocks
By Brian Smith
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday’s game against South Carolina is, as the old cliche goes, the most important game of the season. Kentucky’s defense, ranked 25th in the nation, will need to have another big game if the Wildcats are to have a shot at winning, something of which Defensive Coordinator D.J. Eliot is aware. Jen Smith writes:
"“On traits of a Steve Spurrier-coached offense: ‘Coach Spurrier has had a lot of success and he has a lot of experience, and he’s an excellent coach. And he will get you. So you’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs and you got to have your guys ready to play, because he knows how to get you and he’s an excellent football coach. We’re gonna have our (work) cut out for us this weekend.’”"
Before the college football season kicked off, conventional wisdom seemed to be that UofL was the safe pick to beat Kentucky at the end of the season. But, coming up on the halfway point of the season, has the conventional wisdom changed? Adam Himmelsbach writes:
"“Kessler said that if Kentucky continues to perform well in the SEC, the Wildcats would likely be favored against the Cardinals even if UofL hits its stride. The game is still two months away, of course, and plenty can change between now and then. Regardless, it appears that the gap between these two teams has narrowed, and it has happened quickly.”"
Are signs pointing to Isaiah Briscoe committing to the Wildcats? The 2015 point guard, after recently visiting UConn and Kentucky, might be nearing a decision sooner, rather than later. Adam Zagoria writes:
"“After taking official visits to UConn and Kentucky in recent days, Roselle (N.J.) Catholic point guard Isaiah Briscoe is moving toward a possible fall decision after originally planning to sign in the spring.‘I might push it up a little bit,’ Briscoe said of his timetable for a decision during a phone interview Wednesday evening.Asked if he might sign in the fall, Briscoe said, ‘Yes.’”"
It’s not too often that 5-star recruits stick around for more than one year in college. Of course, Kentucky has a roster full of them but which one of these Wildcats is likely to impact college basketball this upcoming season the most? Kerry Miller writes:
"“John Calipari‘s primary shooting guard will lead the team in minutes played and points scored as the one player the Wildcats cannot afford to live without.Whether you believe in a “clutch gene” or not, there’s no denying that Harrison was the one they wanted with the ball in his hands when it mattered the most—even though they had what would eventually be the 7th and 17th overall draft picks at their disposal.”"
With Kobe Bryant’s career presumably nearing its end in Los Angeles, could the Lakers become Julius Randle’s team? Does Randle have the skill set necessary to become elite? D.J. Foster writes:
"“In a mostly empty gym in the middle of the Vegas desert, Julius Randle barreled down the floor with purpose, his mind made up that he was going coast-to-coast. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound runaway train of a forward bore down on the smaller defender between him and the basket with what seemed like a sole intention before, at the last second, delivering a gorgeous no-look lefty dish to an open teammate at the rim.Two points went up on the board, and confused looks were shot around the gym. Who is this guy?But we know this guy. It’s Randle, the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, and the newest breath of hope for the Los Angeles Lakers.”"