One last look at Wildcats vs. Hoosiers, A HOPE, and other News of Interest
It’s going to take a storybook game like from the image above for the Indiana Hoosiers to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen? I highly doubt it. I have to admit, I’ve been getting more and more anxious as Saturday nears. The nonstop Hoosier boasting and the lame predictions by those at ESPN had me a little worried; until I took a quick look at some stats.
I will share those Cliff’s Notes stats with you now and let Corey knock your socks off tomorrow.
#1. Kentucky (8-0) (5-0 Home) (3-0 Away)
Quality Wins: #13 Kansas 75-65 (RPI 36), #4 North Carolina 73-72 (RPI 27)
Wins Against Top 25: 2
Record Against Top 25: 2-0
Players scoring average in double digits: Anthony Davis (12.3), Terrence Jones (15), Michael-Kidd Gilchrist (12.1), Doron Lamb (14.4), Marquis Teague (10.3)
RPI Rank: 7
RPI Strength of Schedule: 67
Average Margin of Victory: 25.3 points
Indiana Hoosiers (8-0) (6-0 Home) (2-0 Away)
Quality Wins: Butler 75-59 (RPI 205), North Carolina State 86-75 (RPI 55)
Wins Against Top 25: 0
Record Against Top 25: 0-0
Players scoring average in double digits: Jordan Hull (11.3), Victor Oladipo (12.3), Will Sheehey (11.8), Christian Watford (10.4), Cody Zeller (15.5)
RPI Rank: 59
RPI Strength of Schedule: 250
Average Margin of Victory: 23.8
A few things glare at you when you look at this. The main thing being the strength of opponents. Kentucky has played a much stronger schedule and has two wins in the top 25 while IU has played one of the weakest schedules in the nation and have yet to play a ranked team.
The number of double-digit scorers are the same, five each, but UK’s players have put those numbers up against some of the best players in the country.
Long story short: IU’s 8-0 is not in the same building as UK’s 8-0 and neither are their players. And IU has not faced a defense like Kentucky’s so far. UK’s defense is one of the best in the college basketball.
I hope you feel better about this game. Not that there was much doubt anyway.
UK 82-IU 68
Headlines:
– Coach Cal made an appearance on the Dan Patrick radio show and made some comments that we have heard before. Cal said that he won’t be at Kentucky for over 10 years and that this will be his last job. Good News: Put to rest any rumors of the NBA. Bad News: We only have seven years left of Cal. He’s gotta get two titles before he leaves.
– With all of these “Calipari is a cheater” allegations that IU fans are making, they forgot about Kelvin Sampson and Tom Crean’s association with A HOPE. Long story short, A HOPE is a “charity” organization in Bloomington that funnels international (many African) and at risk kids to Indiana. The guy that runs it, Mark Adams, has been alleged to have players deported out of this country for not following his advice and his son had a job on Crean’s staff. UK’s own DeAndre Liggins was living with Adams and was abruptly kicked to the curb when he decided to go to Kentucky. There is a lot more to this, so read the whole story here. The whole thing is very shady and sordid. Keep shaking your fist from your moral high ground, Hoosiers.
– Former University of Louisville football and basketball player Joshua Tinch has been fired from his job at Iroquois High School in Louisville, Kentucky for having sex with a female student that is rumored to be around 17 or 18. I’m not 100% sure what is legal and what isn’t, this is Kentucky, but Tinch may join the illustrious company of these other Cardinal Jail Birds: Jerry Smith, Terrence Jennings, Preston Knoweles, Luke Whitehead, Willy Williams and many others that I am sure I am forgetting. Louisville: Where the standard of excellence is just getting a misdemeanor.
Louisville fans are hard at work trying to say this isn’t a big deal and trying to figure out the actual age limits. They are a regular bunch of Sherlock Holmes’.
– Congrats to the Lady Cats for staying undefeated and for giving the #5 Blue Devils their first loss. Solid work.
– UK opens as a 3.5 favorite over IU. It seems the country is buying into the manufactured Hoosier hype.
– I have a really special post about Tom Crean that I am going to do on Tuesday at midnight if UK wins big. Really special.
– Rick Pitino said in his press conference that Peyton Siva is a lot like Tim Tebow except he doesn’t win as much, he doesn’t win national player of the year awards, he doesn’t win championships and he won’t make a dent in the pros. But other than that, they are a lot alike.
-David Stern must have consulted Mark Emmert on this stellar and totally sensible decision regarding Chris Paul and the Lakers. I thought the NCAA was the only sporting organization that nullified a players eligibility to play for a team for no good reason.
Enjoy the rest of your Friday and the weekend. By this time tomorrow it will almost be game time. Can’t wait. The Cats are about to administer a beating.