(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)
FACEBOOK QUESTION — This is Kentucky’s most disappointing team since . . . ?
Quick thoughts after UK’s 77-76 OT loss at Arkansas:
- This team is not getting better. It makes the same mistakes, loses in the same fashion. The mistakes aren’t as troubling as the fact that the same mistakes keep happening at crunch time. Again, a bad turnover near the end, this time with Brandon Knight throwing a bad bounce pass that ultimately turned into the game-winner with Marucs Britt hitting a fast break layup.
- DeAndre Liggins’ technical foul was a momentum-killer. Kentucky led 43-40 at the time. After Liggins was hit with the T for the second straight road game, Arkansas scored seven straight points for a 47-43 lead. Kentucky never got the momentum back.
- Terrence Jones was nowhere to be found for the first 30-or-so minutes. Asked it about it afterward, John Calipari said, “You’d have to ask him.”
- Calipari lamented three rebounds he said his team did not get. He chalked that up, again, to toughness.
- Rotnei Clarke scored 26 points for Arkansas, but Marshawn Powell was the player of the game. The sophomore who refused to comment on his relationship with coach John Pelphrey scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Often, he had his way in the post.
- Kentucky’s key players played too many minutes, but that’s going to happen when you’re in the 27th game of your season and have not developed a bench.
- This is the first Kentucky team to lose six conference road games since the SEC expanded in 1991-92. And the Cats still have to go to Tennessee for the regular-season finale.
- “I have a good team,” said Calipari, but the problem is that this was a good team at the start of the season.
- It’s also a tremendous missed opportunity, given Tennessee’s win at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The Cats had a chance to tie the Commodores for second place. Now, it’s not too difficult to come up with a scenario in which Kentucky ends up in fifth place heading to the SEC Tournament.
- Kentucky forced just eight turnovers.
- The Cats posted a points per possession average of 1.132. But Arkansas’ was 1.140.
- Cal said his team needs to get angry after so many close losses, but didn’t seem convinced that it was in fact angry. Asked which player it could look to for angry leadership, Cal said that Brandon Knight was probably the only candidate.
- Expect more of the “Cal can recruit, but he can’t coach” talk.
- Knight scored 26 points, but needed 23 shots to do so. The freshman was 1-of-8 from three-point land.
I just don’t understand. I don’t know if it’s personalities or what but sometimes certain players (and it’ll change per game) just don’t show up to play. On a game where Knight scored 26 points Harrellson had a double-double, we have how many players in double figures it seems like we should be able to manage to win doesn’t it? Hustle and heart seem to be missing from players who are key parts to this team and I just don’t understand it at all.
NIT bound.
That main upperclassmen player leader that is needed for young players is not there. The coach can get on them all they want. But there has to be that one player who helps calm everyone down when the coach gets on them to much and puts it in to perspective. That is not there until Billy G’s recruits are gone. Also putting all your eggs in a basket for the big man was a big mistake. Not sure how many scholarships are available, but could have brought in a quality big man and if Canter was reinstated then this player could be his back-up. And now we see that Canter can’t play then this player could have been the main big man. The backup big man could have been developed early in the season while waiting on the NCAA’s decision and be ready for this time of year. But that is water under the bridge now, and I hope a learning experience for Calipari. And I am actually starting to wonder if he really isn’t a x and o coach and just a good recruiter. Only time will tell when these freshman have to start staying a few more years because they are not getting the attention with losing now and there draft stock goes downward.
Keep hoping for a lockout it’ll save these kids from embarassing themselves in the NBA. They ALL, repeat ALL need at least another year in college.
They are and I want to be clear on this point, stupid in a basketball sense. Like John wrote they keep making the same, stupid, dumb mistakes as soon as the clock gets under four minutes and they are in a close game.
Like I wrote last night they are mentally weak. And they want to go to the NBA?
Mark Liptak
As Mama Always Said: Stupid Is As Stupid Does. Coach keeps making ths same mistakes for the past twenty years. Wonder who took Calipari’s ACT?