[Grassy Knoll Sniper]

Just in case anyone missed the game (maybe you fell asleep), here's a recap of the game by ESPN's Pat Forde.

Here's some interesting quotes from Forde about UK in the article:




The Cats once again came out for the opening tip like a team bored with basketball. For the fourth straight game, Kentucky fell into a double-digit first-half hole.

You literally could see it coming. Before taking the court for pregame introductions, as the Kentucky band got the 23,828 Rupp denizens roaring, the Wildcats gathered limply under the stands. A single player -- senior Lukasz Obrzut -- clapped his hands. Junior Randolph Morris gave a couple of half-hearted whoops in time with the clapping.

And that was it. Nobody else said anything or did anything to give any evidence of enthusiasm.

This was a team motivated to end a three-game losing streak and a frustrating run of soft first halves? Hardly. I've seen more fire from a Tuesday night canasta group.

Little wonder that UK quickly fell behind 28-12 -- against an unraveling opponent that was lacking its best player. Yet Smith said this latest slow start was not attributable to lethargy.

"I thought they played hard," he said.

This disconnect is part of the reason Kentucky fans are reaching the end of their patience with Smith -- a coach with a very good record at a school that long ago developed a craving for greatness. If Kentucky hadn't finished the comeback and won, this could have been the game that tipped the scales of public opinion permanently in favor of a firing.