Box Score Breakdown 2007

Mid-Season Grades

Well I am back from vacation and I was hoping Kentucky would have turned things around by now. Since the break Kentucky lost to UAB at Freedom Hall, lost to Houston on the road, beat Tennessee Tech, lost to San Diego State and destroyed FIU at home. Not really the turnaround I was hoping for but the entire team is back. Lets take a second and pass out Mid-Term grades for the team:




Ramel Bradley: D
(13.8 ppg) It is hard to give Bradley a D to this point because he is playing out of position. He is not a point guard and everyone knows that but he has been the primary ball handler. On the season he has 2.9 apg, with 2.4 turnovers per game. With the return of Jasper, Bradley should be able to get free in his more natural position, shooting guard. As a shooting guard he should be more consistent.

Michael Porter: F
I am not sure what Porter's role should be, but I am certain he should not start or handle the ball. I think he plays tough defense but superior athletes have been able to go off on him (see UAB game). Porter has 28 turnovers on the season to 26 assist. Not good for any position. I expect his minutes to decile dramatically with the return of Meeks and Jasper.

Joe Crawford: D
Mr. Inconstant and the second leading scorer (15.8 ppg). One game he looks clueless, the next he looks like an NBA prospect. When needed this year, he has disappeared. Joe also has 28 turnovers, tied for a team high with Porter. Crawford should be in the starting lineup no matter how bad he practices.

Jodie Meeks: I
An incomplete because he only has a small body of work. He is Kentucky's best scoring threat off the dribble or from behind the arc. It appears that he has gotten his game legs back. SEC beware!

Derrick Jasper: I
In just 2 games Jasper has shown Kentucky fans what he can do. Hopefully his knee gets stronger because the Cats will need his ball handling and leadership to make any noise in the SEC or for an NCAA bid.

Patrick Patterson: A
Without him, Kentucky is screwed. He is by far the MVP to this point. He was out with an ankle injury against Houston; the Cougars were able to come away with 16 offensive rebounds. That wouldn't had happened if Pat was in the game. His 17.7 ppg and 8.2 rpg make him one of the most dominant players in the SEC.

Mark C0ury: F
I think he gives great effort and I was hoping that he would be a hard nose defender and rebounder but so far he is neither. Coury is averaging 3.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, while playing 15.1 minutes per game. He has started all but one game. He is so bad and awkward it is hard to find a bright spot for him.

Ramon Harris: C+
Harris does enough things OK to earn a passing grade. He plays tough defense, can rebound, and drive to the basket at times. He plays 20 minutes a game with 4.0 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Like all Cats but 3 (Mills, Jasper, & Bradley), Harris has more turnovers (18) than assist (8). Harris has also shot the ball poorly from the 3 point line; he is 3 of 14 from behind the arc.

A.J. Stewart: C-
Almost an incomplete because he plays eradicate minutes. Stewart has not played in 4 games, but has started 2. He plays 15.9 minutes a game when he is not sleeping but he plays with energy, contributing 4.4 ppg and 3.1 rpg. He should be able to provide a spark off the bench for remainder of the season.

Perry Stevenson: D
Like every player on the team except Patterson, Stevenson has played inconstant. He is playing 16.5 minutes a game averaging 4.3 ppg and 3.8 rpg. It is hard to contribute when you have welding gloves on your hands. He still gets pushed around by bigger players and they are only going to get bigger in the SEC.

Coach Billy Gillispie: F
Coach has used 11 different starting lineups in 12 games. The players have yet to respond to his methods. Gillispie seems more concerned about practice than putting the best team on the court. They do not hang banners in Rupp for the guys who practice the hardest. I could spend hours on Gillispie alone, but the bottom line is I believe he can turn it around now that all the players are back.

Team: I
How can you evaluate a team that has missed 2 of its best players all year? Hopefully the game against FIU is a sign of what is to come. We should know how good they are in the next 10 days. I think we are still looking at about a .500 team, even with the talent we have.

Tubby Smith: NA
For all of you out there in big blue nation who believe that Tubby Smith is to blame, I say this, "Get over it." The talent is better this year:
2006-07
Randolf Morris 16.04PPG 7.76RPG 1.08APG
Lukasz Obrzut 1.97 1.06 0.06
Sheray Thomas 2.52 3.27 1.33
Bobby Perry 8.44 3.50 1.44
28.27 15.53 3.91

2007-08
P. Patterson 17.7 8.2 2.0
*Mark Coury 3.1 3.0 0.8
*Ramon Harris 4.0 3.8 1.0
A.J. Stewart 4.4 3.1 0.8
29.2 18.1 4.6
(* indicates that they were on last years team but only played a combined 52 minutes)

So there you go Tubby haters, the guys from this years team are actually contributing more than the four seniors from last year. Bradley and Crawford are not playing like seniors and Kentucky has been hit by the injury bug........Damn you Tubby Smith.