Tonight's SEC match-up of your own Kentucky Wildcats and the Mississippi State "Budogs" (as my 4 year old cousin calls them) was one of high anticipation from my stand point. My roots were split with this one. Of course I was rooting for the home team, but having my older cousin be a former player and current assistant coach for the visiting Bulldogs , I have a reasonable amount of personal connection to Mississippi State.
That being said, allow me to get on to the focal point of this here cherry buster for my "Daly" fix experience. This UK Basketball team is one of the most timid group of pure athletes I have ever witnessed. We can, for the most part, put a line-up consisting of 5 guys who can run and jump with any other 5 in the country. However, of the 15 guys who dress on this team, only 3 or 4 of them will take a shot when it is given to them, which usually is a key aspect of the game of Basketball. Ol' Lew III and I were in attendance of tonight's ball game here at the great Rupp Arena and to say we left when we did with disappointment would probably be an understatement. I cannot even count the number of times one of our three "shooting" position players would have a wide open look at a 3, and not take it (Obviously not applicable to Jodie). It is pretty damn bad when your home crowd is yelling at the top of their lungs for our guards to shoot the ball when the closest defender is guarding them almost from the key and our play of choice is to force something in to one of our bigs and watch 3, maybe 4, defenders collapse on the ball with no worries of giving up a 3. Not only that, they can COMPLETELY take Meeks out of the ballgame. Fuck it, nobody else is going to shoot. It would be one thing if that took place during tonight's game only, but no...that has been the story of definitely the last three SEC losses, and for most of the season prior to.
Following tonight's embarrassing display of talent, there seems to have been a teamwide confrontation in the home locker room questioning one anothers' desire and heart for the game. I am not going to go into detail about what went on inside the locker room, but you should check it out yourself by clicking on the title of the post.
To say what was said by P. Pat regarding what is known as a "Do or Die" situation is what we call hitting the nail on the head. We started our SEC play most impressively, only to give in to 3 straight complete letdowns. This is not the same dominant conference that has sat at the top of College Basketball for most of my life. This year, the SEC is slightly above mediocre, and to not be at the top of the conference is not very promising for a long run in March. Our Wildcats need to find an identity quick. If Meeks isn't pouring in 30+ and P. Pat is getting double teamed down in the post, we have no offense. Nobody will make the defense pay for playing off and we are completely exposed as a one-dimensional offense. Things need to change quick, or March Madness may not just be the nickname of the NCAA tourney in the Bluegrass. And one last thing...for fuck's sake Billy G, get out of your damn crouch and get up and do some on the fly coaching. Quit letting our inexperienced, timid freshman run around with hopeless abandon.
Now let's go Wildcats.
