Well, I can't say we didn't see that coming, but it doesn't make it any more tolerable. After controlling game one almost all the way through, Kentucky alumni team La Familia went on the road to face The Ville in a potential closing duel. The result was a blowout loss, 82-62, that had Kentucky fans checking their watches in the second quarter.
The writing was unfortunately on the wall for this one. Willie Cauley-Stein entered the contest with a questionable ankle injury (for which he'd later exit again), and both Archie Goodwin and Marcus Lee remained out. The Cats' shorthanded roster survived in Lexington, but the story was different this time around... and a little more angry, too.
From the jump, the pendulum simply wasn't swinging La Familia's way. Following a tight first quarter that saw the former Wildcats lead narrowly most of the way through, The Ville took control on the back of what was essentially a one-man run from Montrezl Harrell.
And as Harrell led the way with a ridiculous 35 points, Russ Smith picked up a flagrant foul and, on more than one occasion, players were mouthing at one another and being pulled away by their respective teammates. I suppose we all expected this, but it'd have obviously been more enjoyable if La Familia led the way.
With Cauley-Stein reeling from his injury and Lee having yet to join the team, Harrell had little to no consistent competition in the post. The result was a series of physical battles in the paint that La Familia were the underdogs in every time around.
La Familia Didn't Have the Manpower Down Low
At one point in the third quarter, the blue and white were even triple-teaming Harrell in the paint; that led to sending him to the line, of course, but it's better than being slammed on.
I'm not talking trash when I say that I don't ever remember Harrell being that great an emphasis during his time at Louisville, and he went on to have a respectable NBA career. This is just a different scene, and Harrell had the circumstantial upper hand all night long.
And while failing to stop Harrell was the night's biggest note, La Familia's struggles to score piled on top of their inability to mount a comeback.
Struggling to Score From Anywhere
Andrew Harrison again led the way in a reliable performance, with 19 points, but essentially nobody else (save for Chris Coffey's 14) managed to contribute consistently.
On the whole, La Familia's numbers are the sort that simply won't cut it. The team shot 33.9% from the field, with a particularly dire 32% clip from long range explaining the bulk of their struggles. Headed back to Lexington for game three, it's either recover fast or get some help for La Familia; that's assuming Cauley-Stein is able to run it back, which is unsure at best.
At this point, I'm not even sure the Big Blue Nation are all that worried about the next round. It's beat Louisville season, and by any means.
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