by Paul Jordan
There’s quite a debate going on in the Bluegrass right now and that is how to “fix” what is “wrong” with Coach Calipari’s 2nd ranked and 18-0 Wildcats. Whaaaa? Yes, I know, in a way it seems like nitpicking to want more from a perfect record but this is Kentucky and basketball excellence is a birthright. And even with the perfect record right, now, UK basketball has been far from perfection.
Once again, I feel silly bringing this up. We could be Louisville Cardinal (12-6) or North Carolina Tarheel (12-6) fans today and have our problems painfully obvious to us. But there is a lot of concern about the problems the Wildcats have had in going 3-0 in the SEC against teams that are a combined 1-8.
A win is a win, I say, but obviously the Wildcats are having a problem maintaining a lead in games these days. Why? I am not really sure, but there are some prevalent theories out there like the other teams are not scared of the Wildcats anymore or maybe the pressure of a perfect season is starting to show.
Larry Vaught had a column today and said that “SEC teams will not ‘fear’ UK”. It included the quote by Auburn’s Frankie Sullivan where he said that Auburn respects Kentucky, but they don’t fear anyone. I don’t really think there is anything wrong with Sullivan’s comments. If a player on a team that I supported said he “feared” a certain team, I would totally lose respect. And I think that once you get into SEC play, all the teams are going to be fearless.
Gone are the games when Drexel wanders into Lexington awed by the banners, and gets a 88-44 memory of the time they got to play in Rupp Arena. Or when Hartford got that fat check, a 104-61 beatdown and a “thanks for playing”. I don’t think you can play another SEC team and be assured of victory any more, so of course these teams are going to want to take Kentucky down. Don’t you think these SEC teams are tired of reading UK’s press clippings?
Kentucky has been on the road for two of the three SEC wins, and I feel pretty safe saying that last year’s edition of Wildcat basketball would have lost both of those games. Regardless of the records, the O’Connell center has been a virtual house of horrors for UK the last five seasons. Yet we left with a 12 point win. And Auburn has been a tough road win for the last several seasons. And like the last few trips to Auburn, Kentucky came out with the W. And what about the Georgia Bulldogs? Although they have an average record, lets take a look at the Bulldogs last few games: beat #18 Georgia Tech by 7, lost to #2 Kentucky by 8, lost to #23 Ole Miss by 4, and lost to 15-3 Mississippi State by 3. Only in the SEC can cellar dwelling teams like Georgia be so fearless.
I would say they main reason that these teams are giving UK such problems is “Kentucky is Kentucky” and everyone wants to take the top dog down. You can say that Georgia gave UK the best game they could give them and lost by 8. Florida played their hearts out and lot by 12. and Auburn played the best game they have played in a couple of seasons and they lost by 5.
Face it, UK is going to get nothing but the “A++” games from all the other teams on their schedule the rest of the way, so get used to it. With all the press attention UK has gotten from Calipari, Wall, Patterson and company, there is a deep seeded desire to be the one to hang that first “L” on Kentucky. If Kentucky eventually ascends to the number one spot, the target on their back will get that much bigger. Fact is, Kentucky is back and every game we play is another team’s “Super Bowl”.
With all the media attention on UK and a 18-0 perfect record, you also have to wonder if the pressure of perfection is starting to show. The UKAA hosted a web chat recently with John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe and at various times, all three players mentioned that the UK fans can be “overwhelming”. Add to that, a perfect record and walking into an ultra ramped up away arena looking to “knock off Kentucky” and you get an idea of the pressure.
#1 Texas is the only other undefeated team and they have had their share of close calls recently against “inferior teams”. They defeated the 8-8 Texas A&M-CC Islanders 76-70 in a home game. The Longhorns needed a 12-3 run the last 2:27 to finish off the 8-9 Arkansas (who Kentucky plays Saturday) 96-85. Texas trailed at the half and had to come from behind to beat 11-5 Iowa State. And just Saturday, the Longhorns were taken to overtime on their homecourt
by Texas A&M. Like Kentucky, the Longhorns are finding that it is a lot harder to win those conference games than the non conference games.
The Kansas Jayhawks eeked out a 71-66 win over the Cornell Big Red in the last game they won in their quest for perfection. You can see that the pressure gets to any team the longer they remain undefeated. Ask the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints how hard it is to go undefeated. There is a reason that no college basketball team has gone undefeated in 34 seasons. So maybe, just maybe, part of the reason UK has not been able to hold onto a lead is not just because of the huge target on their back and the opposing team living to “knock out UK”, but because of the obvious pressure being undefeated puts on a team.
And the time will come when Kentucky will lose a game this season (most likely) and maybe that time is the time to scrutinize Calipari’s Cats. Perhaps the big question for is not how well they play while continuing to win, but how they will respond after suffering a loss?
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