by Paul Jordan
Once upon a time, it was simply enough to win basketball games. Now, it seems that UK can not win in the court of public opinion unless they are racking up style points as well. Tonight was a game where Kentucky led or was tied for about 31 of the 40 minutes of the game and had the game pretty securely in grasp for the whole second half yet had their game picked apart and questioned ad naseum by the crack broadcasting duo of ESPN-U’s Rob Stone and Jay Williams.
Apparently UK’s 23-1 … yes 23-1 record was so unimpressive to Stone, when the game was firmly in hand, asked Williams “what the Wildcats need to do to become a national contender”. Williams went on a long tangent about what Kentucky needed to do which included such gems as “making correct passes and not turning the ball over”. Are you kidding me? Kentucky is 23-1, 8-1 in SEC play, and ranked #2 in the country — and we are still debating their merits of being a top team?
In the end, this is not the BCS and the wins are all that matter. And UK surpassed their win total of last season with a 66-55 win over gritty Alabama. Was it pretty? No. Was it UK’s best performance? No. But was it a win? Fer sure.
When a team like Alabama comes to town, there really is no way to win in the court of public opinion. The Tide had a not ready for the NIT 13-10 record coming in, but three of those losses were by a single point. It was a game that Calipari was understandably nervous about. It was the classic “trap game” headed into Saturday’s game against Tennessee. On the other hand, Tennessee prepared for their big showdown with Kentucky by getting blown out by Vandy 90-71.
When all was said and done, Kentucky did win their game with the absence of major drama — albeit minus the style points. Kentucky is a team that on a night like this, will win on talent alone. They did not get the flashy 20-0 scoring streak to bury a game like Alabama tonight, but Kentucky broke the spirit of Alabama. They gave the illusion of not playing well and giving the appearance that this was a game, but then you look at the scoreboard and see UK was up 14. It is their ability to “play down” to the level of their opponent yet maintain a comfortable lead that makes Kentucky dangerous in a different way. Whether by the glitz and glamour of a blow out win or the slow steady grind of a game like tonight, Kentucky is doing what it takes to win. And that is something that has been absent from this team’s make up the last few years.
John Wall led the way for Kentucky with a game high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Wall wasn’t Wall when it came to assists tonight, but he made those big baskets down the stretch and “Wall the scorer” returned tonight. DeMarcus Cousins poured in 16 points and had 13 rebounds. DeAndre Liggins is making a push for the starting lineup with 8 points and 7 rebounds while Dodson and Miller put up zeroes. These three were the main bright spots for Kentucky on a night where they were clearly not clicking on all cylinders — yet had enough in the tank to win by double digits. And the Wildcat defense has put two straight teams in the vice defensively and held them to 55 points. Sometimes, it’s the destination that is the most important, not how you got there.
For complete game stats, go here.
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