[16BBall Fan]

Final. A great win! I think their best all-around game this season and one of Cal's best coaching game in several years.

[Wildcat_blue]

Say what you want!!!!! We have a national championship contending basketball team! I’d rather give up a 1,000 now to buckle down when it matters. I know we got Sheppard lovers and I am one of them but hear me out, he isn’t a point guard. Wagner is our point guard! Sheppard is so vital in other ways while on the floor and has to be on the floor for us to win the big games. Big O is our guy and we need to ride or die with him. Excellent win but it’s over. Onto the next! Go CATS!!!!!!

[Granny Bear]

Agreed!!! I hope and pray THIS teams sticks around. Not only were they hitting on all cylinders, they were physical! I counted 7 fouls on one drive, and none of them were called. Love it!!

[RunItUpTheGut]

Credit where it’s due. Good game plan. I do think auburn had a very unusual bad night but Pearl sucks and is overhyped.

It was by far the best defensive performance we’ve had in a long time. They just couldn’t hit a shot when they needed it either. So many missed threes.

Kentucky can beat anybody in the country. That is true. They just can’t beat anybody in the country several games in a row. And that’s why the tourney will be next to impossible.

[rookie57]

Say what you want!!!!!  We have a national championship contending basketball team!  I’d rather give up a 1,000 now to buckle down when it matters.  I know we got Sheppard lovers and I am one of them but hear me out, he isn’t a point guard.  Wagner is our point guard!  Sheppard is so vital in other ways while on the floor and has to be on the floor for us to win the big games.  Big O is our guy and we need to ride or die with him.  Excellent win but it’s over.  Onto the next!  Go CATS!!!!!!

I agree on Sheppard not playing the point, but I’ll take him anywhere on the floor over Wagner! Wagner was the best player on the floor for auburn tonight, yes his defense is OK, but he had probably 5 turnovers in the second half and probably 5 NEARLY TURNOVERS!

[Wildcat_blue]

Say what you want!!!!!  We have a national championship contending basketball team!  I’d rather give up a 1,000 now to buckle down when it matters.  I know we got Sheppard lovers and I am one of them but hear me out, he isn’t a point guard.  Wagner is our point guard!  Sheppard is so vital in other ways while on the floor and has to be on the floor for us to win the big games.  Big O is our guy and we need to ride or die with him.  Excellent win but it’s over.  Onto the next!  Go CATS!!!!!!

I agree on Sheppard not playing the point, but I’ll take him anywhere on the floor over Wagner! Wagner was the best player on the floor for auburn tonight, yes his defense is OK, but he had probably 5 turnovers in the second half and probably 5 NEARLY TURNOVERS!

I couldn’t agree more, he’s got to clean up things and it’s his 2-3rd game back.  I just see in March him being our dude (I hope).  His dad was that dude so it’s in him.  Shep has to be on the floor, just makes me nervous with the ball in his hands at the point, seems out of rhythm sometimes.  Dillingham I hope never does drugs lol, except maybe ADHD medicine.  He can help us so much and kill us all in one

[Bluecat]

Probably the best all around game all season. Let's hope this is the start of a new trend.

[rookie57]

Final. A great win! I think their best all-around game this season and one of Cal's best coaching game in several years.

I agree, even with your assessment of Cal.

[Old School Hound]

Finally...some TOUUGHNESS, by gawd !!!   Great win for a mid tier program like Kentucky. LMAO   Great gameplan , kids play tough, didn't back down at all. Proud of this team. I think they learned some things about themselves tonight...HUGE!!!  I've enjoyed this season. The valleys make these highs even more enthralling.

[rookie57]

Finally...some TOUUGHNESS, by gawd !!!   Great win for a mid tier program like Kentucky. LMAO   Great gameplan , kids play tough, didn't back down at all. Proud of this team. I think they learned some things about themselves tonight...HUGE!!!  I've enjoyed this season. The valleys make these highs even more enthralling.

Been a while, but although I wouldn’t have been happy if they had lost, I would still have been proud of the fight in the cats tonight had they lost. And I still don’t care for him, but Calapari finally coached a really good game.

[jetpilot]

Big win. Vintage UK, vintage Cal. Auburn not being able to throw it in the ocean helped as well. Should be huge confidence booster. Play like that consistently and it could be a fun March.

[Spud6]

Mitchel coming back I swear thinks it messes up our rotations. Cal tries too much stuff when everyone is a available

[jetpilot]

Kyle Tucker
@KyleTucker_ATH
·
14h
Bruce Pearl: "If Kentucky guards like this, they can beat anybody." Hard agree.

[Old School Hound]

Mitchel coming back I swear thinks it messes up our rotations. Cal tries too much stuff when everyone is a available

Have to admit, Spud, I've worried about that, too. I like Mitchell but, let's be honest, he's hindered more than helped in the latter half of the season. I hope he gets healthy and can help us down the stretch but I hope it doesn't come at the expense of momentum and chemistry.

A few takeaways from last night:

1.  WE'LL DANCE 

This one will pretty much put to rest the notion that we might not make the tourney. With, now, 18 wins at home over Vandy and Auburn still on the schedule, plus wins over UNC and Auburn in the bag, being left out of the tourney can be put to rest. The Cats also likely went up a seed line with yesterday's win put themselves in position to finish in the top four of the SEC, which would allow them to not have to play a Thursday opening round game. Big advantage.

2. FAST START FELINES

It's so important to jump on a team early, especially in a hostile road environment like Auburn. The Cats kinda took the crowd out of the game in those first few minutes and the Auburn faithful fought all game to get that energy and momentum from pre-game back and could just never blow the roof off the joint. Every time you thought it was gonna happen, UK pushed back and kept the crowd ay bay. I'd like to see these fast starts become a pattern from here on out.

3.  UGO & ADOU

The duo of Ugo and Adou(say that five times really fast) were difference makers.  The Nigerian Nightmare played more minutes than anyone(36) and had 11 boards, 2 blocks, and 7 points. He was a perfect 3 for 3 from the field. He was a true rim protector and, maybe most importantly, forced Auburn to shoot from the outside, where they connected on just 4 of 22 three-pointers. Also, he didn't allow himself to be bodied into oblivion in this one. He hung in there and fought. How many thought Ugo would ever log 36 minutes in a game?

Adou is one tough son of a buck. He's physical, plays great defense, and was a human highlight reel. The crowd went quite(in astonishment) at that one dunk. Thiero played 32 big minutes and scored 14 big points.


4.  ROAD WARRIOR REEVES (say that five times really fast)

Simply put, the guy has made himself into an All-American.  Early on at UK , he was a catch and shoot sniper. Now there's much more to his game. That little floater in the lane is as pretty as a peach and as sweet as Taylor Swift's cookies. Also, he can get to the rim and finish, with some physicality. He can also grab rebounds(had 5 against Auburn) and has become a pretty good defender.  On the road, the guy is clutch. In seven true road games this season, Reeves has scored 15, 19, 21, 22, 22, 24, and 30. He has nine 20+ games on the road the past two seasons. Only two other UK players since 2000  scored 20+ nine times on the road ---  Keith Bogans and Jody Meeks. Reeves is a road warrior.


5. OLD SCHOOL CAL

This is how my guy likes to win ballgames. This is how Cal won the majority of his 400+ wins at UK. He had the Old School blueprint implemented for this one and his players bought into the plan and executed.  We just made four 3 -pointers . If I had told you before the game that we would make just four 3-pointers, you'd say we'd lose by 20.  But we won this game the Old School Cal way, with defense, determination, effort, TOUGHNESS, rebounding, controlling the pace, getting to the rim and drawing fouls. It was an Old School Cal gameplan, and it worked!!! The Cats learned they could go toe to toe with a top 15 team on the road and win a tough low-scoring defensive-minded basketball game. I think they got an lesson in Old School Cal last night and they passed the test. Lesson learned. Cal stuck to his plan and believed in his guys to carry it out. Pearl, on the other hand, seemed put of sorts all night, after Kentucky jumped on his team from the get go.  Slimy Bruce spent more time arguing with the refs than he did coaching his team. Old School Cal definitely came out on top in this one.


6. BY THE TIME WE GET TO PHOENIX

Okay, okay, I'm an Old School , old fart. There's probably very few Glen Campbell fans here besides me . 

"By the time I get to Phoenix

She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door..."

The Cats left a note on the door of every college basketball fan last night. Fans arose this morning to a new dawn, knowing that Kentucky is no mid tier basketball program. They are STILL Kentucky and they are still your daddy!!!  The note says that we are on our way to Phoenix , and you can like it or not.  The blueprint on how to get there is Exhibit A--- Auburn.   The path is clear.  Avoid a slip up at Baton Rouge on Wednesday. Take care of business at your home lair next Saturday against Bama. Do to Mississippi State what you did to Auburn and crush Vandy and Arkansas at home. Even if they take a loss in Knoxville. they finish the regular season at 23-8 with a lot of momentum heading into the SEC and NCAA tournaments. A couple of SEC Tournament wins gives them at least 25 victories heading into Selection Sunday and firmly in contention for a Top 4 seed.

And by the time my Cats get to Phoenix,  to the skeptical faction of the Kentucky fanbase, I'll say:

"Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
[color=#000000][size=medium][font=Verdana, Arial]I (We) would really go."

[Granny Bear]

Most of you guys don't want Sheppard at point. Who would you play at point?

[Old School Hound]

Correction to point #1 : "With , now, 18 wins and games at home against Vandy and Arkansas still on the schedule, plus wins over UNC and Auburn in the bag, being left out of the tourney can be put to rest."

---

Point #3 : The crowd went quiet. "   

The five minute edit time is so frustrating.

[Old School Hound]

Loved Cal's post-game presser. Taking some not-so-subtle shots at his critics. LMAO

[jetpilot]

I'm not listening to it but he should shut up before his critics have to remind him he hasn't won sh!t in years.

[Van Hagar]

Most of you guys don't want Sheppard at point. Who would you play at point?

I really think it’s more Sheppard isn’t really a natural point guard. But he is 100% the guy I want with the ball in his hands down the stretch. As you could see yesterday, he was the calming influence as we were milking the clock on possessions inside the last 6-7 minutes or so. As for who, I guess Wagner, at least at the start of games, but the honest truth is he hasn’t been nearly as good as the hype suggested. Dillingham is just too wild to trust at the point for long stretches.

As sweet as this win was, I’d pump the brakes a little on what happens next. MAYBE we continue with this new-found focus on defense, I’m sure we will try. But man, we still have Tennessee, Miss. St. and LSU on the road, plus Alabama at home. If you could guarantee me three wins in those four games, I’d take that in a heartbeat. I’d say the ceiling for us now is a three seed, but that would probably have to be either none or one loss the rest of the way. The realistic floor is probably say a 7 or 8 if we take four more losses. (and that could happen, lose three of the four I mentioned, plus one in SEC tourney.) I’m gonna say now we do go 5-1 the rest of the regular season, plus at least two wins in SEC tourney and wind up with a four seed.

[Granny Bear]

I agree about Sheppard.  Not only does he have a calming influence, he has so much floor intelligence. 

[Old School Hound]

Most of you guys don't want Sheppard at point.  Who would you play at point?

  I really think it’s more Sheppard isn’t really a natural point guard. But he is 100% the guy I want with the ball in his hands down the stretch. As you could see yesterday, he was the calming influence as we were milking the clock on possessions inside the last 6-7 minutes or so. As for who, I guess Wagner, at least at the start of games, but the honest truth is he hasn’t been nearly as good as the hype suggested. Dillingham is just too wild to trust at the point for long stretches.

  As sweet as this win was, I’d pump the brakes a little on what happens next. MAYBE we continue with this new-found focus on defense, I’m sure we will try. But man, we still have Tennessee, Miss. St. and LSU on the road, plus Alabama at home. If you could guarantee me three wins in those four games, I’d take that in a heartbeat.  I’d say the ceiling for us now is a three seed, but that would probably have to be either none or one loss the rest of the way. The realistic floor is probably  say a 7 or 8 if we take four more losses. (and that could happen, lose three of the four I mentioned, plus one in SEC tourney.) I’m gonna say now we do go 5-1 the rest of the regular season, plus at least two wins in SEC tourney and wind up with a four seed.

This is exactly how I see us finishing as well.

[jetpilot]

4-2
1-1 SEC tourney
1-1 NCAA

That’s where the expectations stand taking into consideration last few years.

But, go beat LSU and take care of a very good Alabama team at Rupp, I will be much more excited.

I still think Wagner will come up big and make the team even more dangerous in March.

[Van Hagar]

4-2
1-1 SEC tourney
1-1 NCAA

That’s where the expectations stand taking into consideration last few years.

But, go beat LSU and take care of a very good Alabama team at Rupp, I will be much more excited.

I still think Wagner will come up big and make the team even more dangerous in March.

Very realistic. And I definitely hope you’re right on Wagner. He’s certainly shown flashes, just hasn’t been that dominant guy his hype would have led us to believe. Edwards is playing better, Onyenso and Thiero have been revelations, and Sheppard has been a rock all year. A really good Wagner could make us a serious contender. This LSU game scares the hell out of me though. It’ll be another one of those ‘game of the year’ situations for the home team, and in watching them some, they are talented, just inconsistent. A loss there would derail a lot of the good the last two games have produced.

[Old School Hound]

4-2
1-1 SEC tourney
1-1 NCAA

That’s where the expectations stand taking into consideration last few years.

But, go beat LSU and take care of a very good Alabama team at Rupp, I will be much more excited.

I still think Wagner will come up big and make the team even more dangerous in March.

  Very realistic. And I definitely hope you’re right on Wagner. He’s certainly shown flashes, just hasn’t been that dominant guy his hype would have led us to believe. Edwards is playing better, Onyenso and Thiero have been revelations, and Sheppard has been a rock all year. A really good Wagner could make us a serious contender. This LSU game scares the hell out of me though. It’ll be another one of those ‘game of the year’ situations for the home team, and in watching them some, they are talented, just inconsistent. A loss there would derail a lot of the good the last two games have produced.

I think this LSU game might be the most important one going forward. A loss on the Bayou could set into motion some fall back after the good vibes from the last two games. REALLY need to beat LSU. If they do I think they go into the NCAA Tourney with at least 25 wins and a top 4 seed in a region.

[Granny Bear]

Did you notice that Bruce Pearl agreed to be wearing a microphone during pre-game and time outs? Made me sick!!! What a performance in pre-game!! And all that aggressive posturing and fist bumping. Had he put as much time and energy in his coaching as he put in his performance, things may have worked out better for his team.

[Old School Hound]

I was so glad to see Cal get the better of Bruce Almighty. I can see that Auburn slimeball wanting to appear on that TV show, " Naked and Afraid"?
I just hope he never ends up on the UK bench. I can't imagine the disgust of viewing his Big Blue titties.

[jetpilot]

4-2
1-1 SEC tourney
1-1 NCAA

That’s where the expectations stand taking into consideration last few years.

But, go beat LSU and take care of a very good Alabama team at Rupp, I will be much more excited.

I still think Wagner will come up big and make the team even more dangerous in March.

  Very realistic. And I definitely hope you’re right on Wagner. He’s certainly shown flashes, just hasn’t been that dominant guy his hype would have led us to believe. Edwards is playing better, Onyenso and Thiero have been revelations, and Sheppard has been a rock all year. A really good Wagner could make us a serious contender. This LSU game scares the hell out of me though. It’ll be another one of those ‘game of the year’ situations for the home team, and in watching them some, they are talented, just inconsistent. A loss there would derail a lot of the good the last two games have produced.

Agree with all that. Also agree with OSH, even though "most important game of the year" is very overused, LSU is it for this UK team IMO.

[Wildcat_blue]

LSU is just as or more important than Auburn to get a win IMO. We will loose 1-2 more games I sure hope not but can’t loose this one off a big win. Trap game so we better be ready to play

[Old School Hound]

Did you notice that Bruce Pearl agreed to be wearing a microphone during pre-game and time outs?  Made me sick!!!  What a performance in pre-game!!  And all that aggressive posturing and fist bumping.  Had he put as much time and energy in his coaching as he put in his performance, things may have worked out better for his team.

The guy is a narcissist.  He spent way too much time and energy playing to the TV cameras and fussing with the referees than he did coaching up his team. Very poor performance from Bruce Almighty.

[Cactus Jack]

One of the better performances of the year but still one where UK had too many unforced errors. Auburn didn't have their best game. I'm unsure how much of that was Kentucky and how much was being a bit due coming off their win against South Carolina and considering their year overall.

Thiero had some very athletic plays. Reeves being effective enough to leave out there despite his defense. Dillingham didn't have his best games. Too many simple things that he can do to take himself out of it-- Saturday was one of those days between the untimely fouls and overall turnovers.

Wagner is going to have to play plenty of minutes for this team to hit it's ceiling. Auburn wasn't the most physical team. Still holding out hope for Edwards as well. Think that this could be one of those seasons where the light bulb comes on late. Ron Mercer didn't have the biggest regular season in 1996 but exploded in the tournament.

Onyenso eats up most of the minutes at center in an attempt to shore up the defense with Ivisic and Bradshaw basically playing spot duty-- I think it's probably time to say that Cal has thrown in the towel on Bradshaw. Not ready to write off Tre Mitchell. Think we relied on him too much early on (and those extended minutes are a large part of what's contributed to his current injury situation).