[16BBall Fan]

The #6 ranked (13-0) Florida Gators come to Rupp to kick off the SEC schedule with a rare 11:00am tip vs. the #10 ranked (11-2) Kentucky Wildcats. The game is on ESPN at 11:00am. Go Cats!

[Old School Hound]

Better hold service at home in this gauntlet of a conference. 15 of the 16 SEC teams have 2 losses or less. WOW!!! South Carolina is the weak link with 3 losses.

[jetpilot]

Bad news - having beer and Cheerios for breakfast at 10 AM
Good news - saying night night at 8:30 PM

[Bluecat]

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

[jetpilot]

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

Very odd indeed, would normally think it's a break for Florida with the early start but this year I think Rupp will be on fire and Florida goes down.

[16BBall Fan]

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

Very odd indeed, would normally think it's a break for Florida with the early start but this year I think Rupp will be on fire and Florida goes down.

It is because of ESPN hosting the two Saturday NFL games that start at 4:30 and they have the Tennessee and Arkansas game at 1:00pm then the NFL pregame show.

[Bluecat]

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

Florida is very good. Well we will probably say that in most of the SEC games this year. Gonna need to start out of the gate better than we have. And we must fix our rebounding. If Florida gets multiple chances to score on a possession and we come out cold shooting we may be in trouble. However, if the same team that has won the big games come out we can pull this one off.

Why a 11 am start? Very odd!

Very odd indeed, would normally think it's a break for Florida with the early start but this year I think Rupp will be on fire and Florida goes down.

It is because of ESPN hosting the two Saturday NFL games that start at 4:30 and they have the Tennessee and Arkansas game at 1:00pm then the NFL pregame show.

I thought about the NFL games after I posted this. Makes sense just a very odd start especially when you have 2 Top 10 teams going head to head.

[-STAT-]

Definitely going to be different having an 11am start time, but I agree that Rupp will be up for this one no matter what time it would start. First conference game, which happens to be a top 10 matchup.

Verdict is still out on Florida tho, no denying they're a great team, but they've only had 1 true road game and that was against a subpar Florida St team in their non-con schedule. They've yet to be a meaningful opponent, let alone a top 25 ranked team. They did beat UNC but this may be one of the worst Carolina teams we've seen in a long time. Walter Clayton is as good a guard as there is in the country, can score at every level on the court, not afraid to drive to the basket and has unlimited range. Combine that with FAU transfer Elijah Martin, you got a great backcourt duo, plus Martin can play/guard multiple positions.

Kentucky had a much needed break after the OSU debacle, but needed a get right game against Brown. This team is definitely a 2nd half team, only leading by 12 at half, they sure picked it up as the game went on, but again that all boils down to adjustments, and how this team executes. This game will come down to both teams and how they value their possessions, especially Kentucky if the shots aren't hitting. Can they find that go to guy who can get them a bucket in clutch time situations? I think this will be a closely contested game in the first half, but I envision Kentucky pulling away late to stretch it out somewhat.

Kentucky- 84
Florida-75

[King Kong]

This will be a heck of a game as should every other conference game this year.  The SEC is definitely brutal this year.  Good news is,  we have zero conference loses so far    I say we keep it this way after Saturday.  The Cat's start conference play off and get the win vs Florida baby!

[Cactus Jack]

Kentucky wins. I don't know that Florida is a team that would normally look to switch as much as they'll have to in Rupp, and if our shots are falling, it could be a long morning for the Gators.

I'll feel really good about this pick if Carr goes for 16+.

[Bluecat]

Definitely going to be different having an 11am start time, but I agree that Rupp will be up for this one no matter what time it would start. First conference game, which happens to be a top 10 matchup.

Verdict is still out on Florida tho, no denying they're a great team, but they've only had 1 true road game and that was against a subpar Florida St team in their non-con schedule. They've yet to be a meaningful opponent, let alone a top 25 ranked team. They did beat UNC but this may be one of the worst Carolina teams we've seen in a long time. Walter Clayton is as good a guard as there is in the country, can score at every level on the court, not afraid to drive to the basket and has unlimited range. Combine that with FAU transfer Elijah Martin, you got a great backcourt duo, plus Martin can play/guard multiple positions.

Kentucky had a much needed break after the OSU debacle, but needed a get right game against Brown. This team is definitely a 2nd half team, only leading by 12 at half, they sure picked it up as the game went on, but again that all boils down to adjustments, and how this team executes. This game will come down to both teams and how they value their possessions, especially Kentucky if the shots aren't hitting. Can they find that go to guy who can get them a bucket in clutch time situations? I think this will be a closely contested game in the first half, but I envision Kentucky pulling away late to stretch it out somewhat.

Kentucky- 84
Florida-75

Fair point. Kentucky will be their biggest challenge for sure. For me it all depends on how Uk comes out. We have played with fire too much with slow starts. Won a couple but lost a couple due to it. If they come out hitting at the start I am confident in UK winning this one. Of course this is the same conversation we will have all season in the SEC though.

 
Cats finished season 1 11-2, Season 2 (conference) begins Saturday.

[King Kong]

Game starting at 11 this is the cereal/pancake bowl baby! Whoooooo!!!
The Cat's get the W in this one!

Ol Kong is getting ready to go hurl/throw some fruit cakes in the yard. Today is national fruit cake toss day.  This is a holiday that is near and dear to Ol Kongs heart,  I take very serious,  very passionate about. 

If you got any fruit cakes lying around from the last week or so,  I encourage you to take part in this holiday.  Go outside and see how far you can sling a fruit cake.  Be sure to take video documentation. Who knows you might even break the Guinness World Record, longest fruit cake toss 

[rookie57]

Cats in a squeaker

[16BBall Fan]

Cats down 26-18 at the under 12 media timeout. Not playing good defense early on and giving up too many offensive rebounds.

---

Cats come out of the under 12 timeout with what I think is their best 3 minutes this entire season. The defense had a lot more intensity and they only allowed one shot by the Gators and made some shots. They are currently on a 16-0 run and led the Gators now 31-26 timeout Florida with 7:15 left in the first half.

[Old School Hound]

Lamont Butler comes up big late in the first half. 52-42 Cats at halftime.

On a side note, Todd Golden has an incredibly "punchable " face. I don't know the guy but I want to hit him.

[Old School Hound]

Terrific ballgame. Very high level play by both teams. Brea was huge with those long range bombs.

[jetpilot]

Jeff Borzello
@jeffborzello
·
22m
Mark Pope becomes the first Kentucky coach since Adolph Rupp to win his first three games against AP Top-10 opponents, via
@ESPNStatsInfo
. Rupp won his first seven such games from 1948-51.

[jetpilot]

Lamont Butler comes up big late in the first half.  52-42 Cats at halftime.

On a side note, Todd Golden has an incredibly "punchable " face. I don't know the guy but I want to hit him.

Looks like the prototypical All-American boy to me...

[Old School Hound]

Lamont Butler comes up big late in the first half.  52-42 Cats at halftime.

On a side note, Todd Golden has an incredibly "punchable " face. I don't know the guy but I want to hit him.

Looks like the prototypical All-American boy to me...

Like I said, very punchable.

[Granny Bear]

Some people hit me that way too. I always wanted to smack Grayson Allen's face...hard.
This was even before he started the Grayson Flops!

[Old School Hound]

Some people hit me that way too.  I always wanted to smack Grayson Allen's face...hard.
This was  even before he started the Grayson Flops!

Grayson absolutely was one. Not only a punchable face but he was just flat out a dirty player.

[Old School Hound]

Somebody punch this face . This is the 39 y.o. man who has been the subject of a Title IX complaint, including allegations of sexually harassing and stalking female students at the University of Florida. While some may see sexual offenders and stalkers of women as prototypical All-American boys , I see them as people I'd like to punch.

GO CATS!!!


[Image: https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sid...?width=300]

[Van Hagar]

We give up wayyyy too many offensive boards. And some of our guys couldn’t guard a corpse. But when we are making threes………this has been a fun year. That was a fantastic game. We will win some and lose some of these, but it’s gonna be an exciting ride.

[Old School Hound]

We give up wayyyy too many offensive boards. And some of our guys couldn’t guard a corpse. But when we are making threes………this has been a fun year. That was a fantastic game. We will win some and lose some of these, but it’s gonna be an exciting ride.

Yeah, you can't make a deep run in the tourney rebounding like that and guarding like that. In games we are not shooting well, it's gonna end in a loss.

What final SEC record would you be okay with for these Cats?

[Granny Bear]

I'm good with whatever their season is. I am so happy with Pope and the way he's coaching this team!! His positivity and the way he adjusts is so impressive to me. This man didn't even have a team when he got here; I think he's done a marvelous job.

I'm embarrassed to admit this but the truth is the truth. I was glad today to see Cal get his ass handed to him. And Wagner STILL can't hit a 3.

Go on, yell at me. I deserve it.

[Old School Hound]

I'm good with whatever their season is.  I am so happy with Pope and the way he's coaching this team!!  His positivity and the way he adjusts is so impressive to me.  This man didn't even have a team when he got here; I think he's done a marvelous job.

I'm embarrassed to admit this but the truth is the truth.  I was glad today to see Cal get his ass handed to him.  And Wagner STILL can't hit a 3.

Go on, yell at me.  I deserve it.

I wanted to see Cal's team spank the Vols, although I didn't think it would happen. I want to see Cal's team get spanked on Feb 1. I thought Pope made a good adjustment today when he brought Carr and , I believe, Williams out on the high post, opened up the side, and had a dude cutting for the basket. Really opened up the offense. Also, I loved the out of bounds play with Butler taking the ball out and throwing in to Carr, who sets a screen and tosses right back to Butler for the three from the corner.

[Cactus Jack]

I'm taking the policy of not complaining about any SEC wins this season. One down.

As Van Hagar and Old School Hound said, we have to rebound the ball and defend better to advance deep in March. There's still time.

[Jarons]

I'm good with whatever their season is.  I am so happy with Pope and the way he's coaching this team!!  His positivity and the way he adjusts is so impressive to me.  This man didn't even have a team when he got here; I think he's done a marvelous job.

I'm embarrassed to admit this but the truth is the truth.  I was glad today to see Cal get his ass handed to him.  And Wagner STILL can't hit a 3.

Go on, yell at me.  I deserve it.

I'm always glad when Cal loses. My dislike for him goes back to his UMass days. Every game he coached at UK was a bittersweet for me. It was difficult for me to root Kentucky basketball for 15 years.  Nice to  root for UK without guilt again.

[Bluecat]

Another slow start but this time Pope adjusted halfway through the first half instead of halftime. Big time momentum change. Still gotta work on the rebounding end of the game but they are finding ways to overcome it. Gritty team and each night someone different is going to be the guy. There are going to be some losses during the SEC play but this is a big start.

---

Really enjoy having a coach that will actually change things in game.

[rookie57]

I'm good with whatever their season is.  I am so happy with Pope and the way he's coaching this team!!  His positivity and the way he adjusts is so impressive to me.  This man didn't even have a team when he got here; I think he's done a marvelous job.

I'm embarrassed to admit this but the truth is the truth.  I was glad today to see Cal get his ass handed to him.  And Wagner STILL can't hit a 3.

Go on, yell at me.  I deserve it.

Hell no I agree with you, 52 points, and Cal crying, u loved it