The Goose is Golden

Finally former Yankee reliever, Goose Gossage, finally gets his ticket punched to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He made it on his 9th try (15 possible) and became only the 5th relief pitcher to make it.
Great 'Stache by the Way.

Another HOF Notes:
Jim Rice the former Redsox slugger came up 16 votes shy. He dominated the American League for 11 years but how soon baseball writers forget. He will have only one more chance next year and the ballot will not be full again. Ricky Henderson will be the shoe in newcomer next year.

Andre Dawson's vote total is rising but he comes up short on his 7th try. The Hawk was a great player for the Cubs for so many years.

Exhibition Season is Over

The college football season has finally come to an end. And what do we know: LSU is better than Ohio State. Well thank you Mr. Obvious. This snooze fest was down 17% in viewers from last year. What about USC and Georgia? Both teams are hot and could have beaten Ohio State.

I like college football, mainly for the regular season. For me the BCS and the 741 bowl games are a shame. Only one game really matters, the BCS Championship. The rest are for pride and money.

Just imagine a 6 team tournament, and yes you can call the the names the Rose, Fiesta, Orange, etc, Bowl. The other bowl games will not be affected. We can still have the Kassingers Used Tired Bowl played in early December.

One more stipulation, WIN 7 GAMES. This 6-6 mediocrity is a joke.
There were 32 Bowl games (64 of 120 teams get an invite).
14 additional teams would not get an invite because they did not win 7 games. Bye, Bye.
If the NFL rewarded mediocrity, the NFC would have 9 teams with 500 records, and the AFC with 8.
The NBA already awards poor play.
MLB would have a 15 team playoff instead of 8.

Additional Notes:
If one conference has a Conference Championship we all do. Sorry Kansas you would have been in the Championship, Your Welcome Ohio State. If OSU played that additional game, they might have lost.

Oh yeah, the Bowls should be done by New Years. Teams have to wait months just to play again. Talk about rusty.

Brain Food

Footage from actual Kentucky Practice


How Bad does Kentucky look in the RPI?

• They are 223 in the RPI.
• Oregon St (261) of the PAC 10 is the only other team from a major conference with a worse RPI.
• Of Kentucky's 6 wins, Liberty has the highest RPI of 238.
• The average RPI of the teams Kentucky has beaten is 290.
• G-Webb (6-9) has an RPI of 233.
• Georgia (7-4) is the next closest to Kentucky in the RPI at 184 (SEC).
  

How do they stack up in the SEC?

• Kentucky and LSU are the only 2 teams in the SEC below 500.
• Kentucky is 49th worst in the nation with 17.4 turnovers a game.
• 17.4 turnovers a game is worst in the SEC.
  
• Kentucky leads in fouls with 20.7.
• Kentucky is 9th out of 12 in scoring with 72.4 ppg.
  
• Kentucky is last in rebounding with 34.4 rpg.
• Kentucky is 10th in assists with 14 apg.
• Kentucky leads in FT% with 75.9.

Dream Game: U of L Rips UK, 89-75

This game was pretty bad, not horrible. The first 7 minutes were bad, and the last 20 minutes were horrible. For 13 glorious minutes in the first half, Kentucky played very well. They had Jasper, Bradley, Meeks, Crawford and Patterson on the floor for most of that time.........Then comes the Classic Billy Gillispie halftime adjustment. Kentucky came back after halftime and played some of the worst basketball this year. Screw it, lets get to the Box Score Breakdown:

Team Notes

• Attendance 24386, 4th largest ever at Rupp
  
• Kentucky will enter SEC Play below 500% for time since the Eddie Sutton era (1988-89)
• Kentucky has lost 4 non-conference games at home, they have never lost more than 2.
  
• Kentucky gave up 59 points in the second half. Most this year (49 to UNC 2nd)
• 89 points is the most given up by Kentucky all year (86 to UNC 2nd)
• 89 Points is the second highest total for U of L all year (104 against Havard)
• The 14 point loss is the largest ever at Rupp to the Cards
  
• Kentucky has turned the ball over more than the opponent in 8 of the last 9 games.
• Kentucky had only 11 assist to 22 turnovers (2nd highest number, 23 TO against Texas Southern).
  
• The Cards shot 46 free throws, that is the most by any team this year against Kentucky
  
• In Kentucky 7 losses the opponent has shot 236 free throws, the Cats shot 133
• Still no Zone Defense
  

Players Notes

• Ramel Bradly had a career high 27 points.
• He played all 40 minutes, added 5 assist w/4 turnovers.
• 19 of those points came with 5 minutes to go and the game was out of hand
  
• Jodie Meeks shot 1 of 8 from the floor
  
• Ramon Harris was 3 of 3 from the floor (8 points)
  
• Joe Crawford was 5 of 13 from the floor including 0-5 from 3pt range.
• He had a season tying high in turnovers with 7
  
• He was 9-12 from the free throw line
• He had 19 points and a team high 8 rebounds
• He is 1 of 10 in his last two games from behind the arc
  
• Mark Coury had an impressive Triple-Single, 4 PF, 1 assist, and 6 minutes.
  
• Derrick Jasper had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 0 assist in 31 minutes.
• His 31 minutes is the most this year
  
• A.J. Stewart lives, he had 3 personal fouls, 2 rebounds in 3 minutes of garbage time.
  
• Michael Porter DNP for the first time this season
  
• Patrick Patterson took his first 3 point field goals of the year, he missed both badly.
• He was double teamed most of the day and it showed.
• He had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 6 turnovers, 5 fouls.
• His point total is his second lowest, he scored 4 against Central Arkansas in the season opener.
  

Conclusion
Who knows.........................................God help us.

                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 Bradley, Ramel...... *  8-12   3-6    8-9    1  1  2   4  27  5  4  0  1  40
23 Meeks, Jodie........ *  1-8    1-5    4-4    0  1  1   2   7  2  1  0  3  31
34 Harris, Ramon....... *  3-3    1-1    1-2    1  3  4   3   8  0  0  0  0  14
42 Coury, Mark......... *  0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   4   0  1  0  0  0   6
54 Patterson, Patrick.. *  3-14   0-2    0-0    2  5  7   5   6  0  6  2  1  32
05 Jasper, Derrick.....    2-4    2-3    0-0    0  7  7   3   6  0  2  0  0  31
15 Stewart, A.J........    0-0    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   3   0  0  0  0  0   3
21 Stevenson, Perry....    1-1    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   4   2  0  1  0  1   8
32 Crawford, Joe.......    5-13   0-5    9-12   2  6  8   3  19  3  7  0  0  35
TEAM................                         1  1  2             1
Totals..............   23-56   7-22  22-27   9 25 34  31  75 11 22  2  6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-28 42.9%   2nd Half: 11-28 39.3%   Game: 41.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-9  33.3%   2nd Half:  4-13 30.8%   Game: 31.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-4  100 %   2nd Half: 18-23 78.3%   Game: 81.5%   1,1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Mike Stuart, Jim Burr, Doug Sirmons
Technical fouls: Louisville-Williams, Terrence. Kentucky-None.
Attendance: 24386
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Louisville....................   30   59  -   89
Kentucky......................   31   44  -   75
4th largest attendance ever at Rupp Arena.

Points in the paint-LOU 30,UK 30. Points off turnovers-LOU 25,UK 18.
2nd chance points-LOU 5,UK 5. Fast break points-LOU 6,UK 6.
Bench points-LOU 23,UK 27. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-5 times.
Last FG-LOU 2nd-03:19, UK 2nd-00:14.
Largest lead-LOU by 22 2nd-08:53, UK by 3 1st-19:55.

Super Freshman Updated

Top 15 Freshman to Watch Upadated
Beasley remains on top!
Flynn on the Rise!

1 (1). Michael Beasley, Kansas State - By far the Best Freshman in the Class fo 2007-08. He averaging 24.2 ppg and 13.5 rpg. NBA!

2 (2). Eric Gordon SG, Indiana - Best scoring guard in the field. Averaging an impressive 23.5 ppg with 3.01 rpg and 2.3 apg.

3 (3). Kevin Love PF, UCLA - Is a dominate force down-low averaging close to a double-double (16.3 ppg and 9.9 boards).

4 (7). J.J. Hickson C, N.C. State – Big man is leading the Wolfpack with 17.8 points shooting 71% from the floor. He also leads the Wolfpack in rebounds (8.3) and blocks (1.9).

5 (6). Kosta Koufos C, Ohio State – A European style big man who is averaging 15.5 ppg 6.9 rpg, and 2.1 bpg.

6 (12). Jonny Flynn PG, Syracuse – Maybe the Best Point guard in the class. His scoring has risen to 14.6 ppg. He is also dishing out 5.9 apg.

7 (4). O.J. Mayo SG, USC - Combo guard who is a better shooter. Averaging 20.3 ppg but he has 50 turnovers on the season to 40 assist.

8 (9). Derrick Rose PG, Memphis – A big point guard in the mode of Jason Kidd including the poor outside shooting. Averaging 14.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, but only 4.5 apg.

9 (13). Patrick Patterson PF, Kentucky - He is not receiving much attention nationally but without him the Cats would be doomed. He leads the Cats in points rebounds and blocks. He is averaging 17.7 points and 8.2 boards.

10 (5). Donte Greene SF, Syracuse – A pure scoring wingman is averaging 18.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg.

11 (11). Jerryd Bayless SG, Arizona – Another great young shooting guard for Arizona. He is averaging 18.5 ppg and 4.2 dimes.

12 (10). Blank Griffin PF, Oklahoma - The Big man leads the Sooners in Points (13.5) and rebounds (8.9) and has them on the cusp of a top 25 ranking.

13 (14). Kyle Singler SF, Duke – Leading #8 Duke with 13.4 points and pulling down 6.0 boards per game on a very balanced team.

14 (15). Nick Calathes G, Florida – One of the best Freshman in the SEC is leading the Gators in points with 14.8 and assist with 5.7.

15 (NR) DeJaun Blair PF, Pittsburgh - A big reason the Panthers are ranked in the top 15. The newcomer to the Watch List is averaging 11.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg

NR (NR). DeAndre Jordan C, Texas A&M – Very solid big man for #10 Texas A&M. He is averaging 10.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg as a starter through 14 games.

NR (NR). Jai Lucas PG, Florida – He is not dishing the rock as much as Gator fans hoped. Jai is averaging 8.9 ppg and 2.1 assist.

NR (NR). Austin Freeman SG, Georgetown – He is playing quality minutes (21) off the bench for the #7 Hoyas and he continues to improve. His scoring is up to 9.3 ppg.

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.

Legion Considers 4

"I'm bored with it all."
~~ Famous last words of Winston Churchill before slipping into a comma.

My thoughts exactly. I have kept pretty quite on this subject, but it really irked me. Thankfully the drama has ended and Alex Legion will be moving on. The Cats are going through tough times right now and the Legion Chronicles were not helping the situation. It is better to break it off now than continue down this path with Legion, his mother, and JC. Best of luck at either: Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame and Arkansas. Personally I do not want to see him playing in the SEC.

On a lighter note, Merry Christmas, the Fake Woo is headed home for the holidays. All I want for Christmas is for steroids to go away in Baseball (take Barry Bonds with you).

Keeping up with the NBA Cats

Derek Anderson
Guard, Charlette Bobcats
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 1997, 1st round, 13th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Much like his collegiate career, Anderson's pro career has been plagued by injuries. His best season was in 1999-00 when he averaged 16.9 with the LA Clippers. He is the definition of journey man; he has played on 7 teams in 12 years career. This year while playing limited time with the Bobcats, he is averaging 2.7 ppg while playing about 13 minutes a game.

Kelenna Azubuike
Guard, Golden State Warriors
Left Kentucky after Junior Year
Undrafted
This year he has started 12 of 19 games for the Golden State Warriors. He is averaging 13.4 ppg. This is his second season after spending some time with the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBDL.

Antwain Barbour
Guard, Tenerife, Spain
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
He is currently playing in Spain.

Keith Bogans
Guard, Orlando Magic
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 2003, 2nd round, 14th pick by the Milwaukee Bucks
This is his sixth season, he is now a starter for the impressive Orlando Magic. So far it has been his best season, averaging 10.5 ppg.

Souleymane Camara
Forward, Morocco
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Jules is currently bouncing around Europe and Africa.

Tony Delk
Retired
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 1996, 1st round, 16th pick by the Hornets
The quintessential 6th man for so many years; he played last season in Europe for Euroleague champions Panathinkaikos, Athens. His last season in the NBA was 2005-06 with the Detroit Pistons. Delk has retired and looks to go into coaching. He spent 13 years in the NBA playing for 8 teams. In 2000-2001 he averaged 12.3 ppg.

Erik Daniels
Foward, Lottomatica Roma
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Played for the Sacramento Kings NBDL affiliate, Fayetteville Patriots. In 2006 the NBA stopped fielding a team in NC. Currently Daniels is playing in the Euroleague for Lottomatica Roma. In 2004-05 he played in 21 games for the Kings.

Marquis Estill
Foward, Japan
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Estill is currently playing in Japan, his is averaging 26 ppg and 15 rebounds.

Heshimu Evans
Foward, Lean, Spain
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Since leaving the Cats at the end of the 1999 season, Mu has spent his time playing overseas.

Gerald Fitch
Guard, Abc Cantu, Italy
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Currently he is on the Detroit Pistons Inactive roster. He played in 18 games in 2005-06 with the Miami Heat.

Cliff Hawkins
Guard, Japan
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
After spending time with the Fayetteville Flyers of the NBDL league, Hawkins headed to Japan.

Chuck Hayes
Foward, Houston Rockets
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
In his 3rd year as a pro, he has started every game for the Houston Rockets. He plays about 21 mpg averaging 3.3 ppg and 6 rebounds.

Jamaal Magloire
Foward, New Jersey Nets
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 2000, 1st round, 19th pick by the Hornets
He was a former All-Star in 2004 with the New Orleans Hornets . He is now in his 8th NBA season playing only about 13 mpg with the New Jersey Nets. It appears that his best years are behind him.

Jamal Mashburn
Retired
Left Kentucky after Junior Year
Drafted 1993, 1st round, 4th pick by the Dallas Mavericks
The Monster Mash was always a prolific scorer and he made the all star team in 2003 with the Hornets, but he never reached the next level of stardom. Career averages: 19.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg. He last played in the NBA in 2003-04 after a string of injuries and illnesses. He retired in 2006.

Walter McCarty
Retired
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 1996, 1st round, 19th pick by the New York Knicks
Played 11 seasons in the NBA mostly as a utility player. He retired after the 2005-06 season. He is currently an assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals.

Ron Mercer
Retired
Left Kentucky after Sophomore Year
Drafted 1997, 1st round, 6th pick by the Boston Celtics
Big talent; big disappointment. He was a one-dimensional player; he never played defense, passed or rebounded the basketball. 2000-01 was his most productive season, he averaged 19.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg. Over his career he shot 43% from the field and 25% behind the arc. 2004-05 was his last season in the NBA. At a strip club in Nashville in 2007 Mercer and a friend assaulted a bouncer.

Nazr Mohammed
Center Detroit Pistons
Left Kentucky after Junior Year
Drafted 1998, 1st Round, 29 pick by Utah Jazz
Soft hands, slow feet. Not a good combination in the NBA. Nazr has been in the league for 10 years with 5 teams. He was part of the 2005 San Antonio Spurs Championship team. After the 2006 season, he turned down a 4 year contract extension with the Spurs......Dumb. He signed with the Pistons, where his numbers and playing time have declined. This season is set up to be his worst statically since 2000-01. He is only playing 10 mpg averaging 3.5 ppg, and 3.5 rpg.

Randolph Morris
Center New York Knicks (Inactive)
Left Kentucky after Junior Year
Undrafted
As we all know Morris left directly after last season and signed with the New York Knicks. Things are not going so well, he was placed on the Inactive Roster in November.

Mark Pope
Retired
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
He had a pretty uneventful 6 year career. He played in a 153 games and scored 253 points. He played 9 games in 2004-05, his last NBA season. After being released from the Denver Nuggets, Pope entered medical school at Columbia University.

Tayshaun Prince
Forward, Detroit Pistons
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 2002, 1st round, 23 pick by the Detroit Pistons
The best Cat currently playing in the NBA. He is currently in his 6th NBA season with the Detroit Pistons; he has been a starter for 5 season. His Pistons won the NBA finals in 2003-04. He is averaging 14.6 ppg, 2.9 apg, and 5.2 rpg.

Lukasz Obrzut
Center, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
If you follow this sight, you know about Woo. He is a starter for the Mad Ants, an affiliate of the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. He is dropping in 7 ppg with 5 boards while playing 21 mpg.

Scott Padgett
Forward, CB Granada
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Drafted 1999, 1st round, 28th pick by the Utah Jazz
Spent 7 seasons in the NBA with 4 teams. He last played in the NBA during the 2006-07 season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He is playing this season with CB Granada, a team in Spain.

Andre Riddick
Forward, Charleroi, Belgium
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
After leaving the Cats after the 1995 season, I am not sure what Riddick has been doing. He is currently playing in Belgium.

Rajon Rondo
Point Guard, Boston Celtics
Left Kentucky after Sophomore Year
Drafted 2006, 1st round, 21st pick by the Phoenix Suns
Left after sophomore season because of disagreements with then Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. He is in his second season with the Celtics and he is a good compliment to the superstars on the team. He is averaging 8 ppg, 4 rpg, and 5.2 apg.

Jeff Sheppard
Retired
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Shepard played 1 year in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks in 1998-1999. He played 3 seasons in Italy before returning to the Bluegrass State to set up 15INC, which specializes in the sale of University of Kentucky apparel.

Patrick Sparks
Guard, Giessen Germany
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Sparks is currently playing in Germany.

Wayne Turner
Guard, New Zealand B., Australia
Left Kentucky after Senior Year
Undrafted
Tuner played 3 games for the Boston Celtics in 1999-00. After his brief stint in the NBA he played some international ball, then he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. He is currently playing in New Zealand.

Antoine Walker
Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves
Left Kentucky after Sophomore Year
Drafted 1996, 1st round, 6th pick by the Boston Celtics.
.......Sigh.......His talent outmatches his work ethic. Walker is in his 12th season having played for 6 teams. The 3 time All-Star (including 1 start) has had a very productive career. His best statical years were with Boston. Since his first departure from Boston in 2002-03, he has bounced around the league including a stop in 2006 with the Miami Heat where he won an NBA title.

Heisman Goes to

Tim Tebow: QB Florida Gators (Pictured right)

Indiana Thrashes the Cats, 70-51

Overview
(Sigh)........Hang in there Cats fan, it can only get better.

"Jordans better (Clap, Clap, Clap Clap, Clap)"
That was the understatement of the night by the crowd at Assembly Hall. Jordan Crawford played very well, Joe did what Joe does, disappear when needed. If I were a Hoosier fan, I would be very excited about this young man. Evey aspect of his game looked better than his older brother to the south.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats looked horrible. No one played well. I cannot really put into words how bad they played. I thought the game would go this way:
"I am guessing they come out flat, fall behind and stay behind. IU wins easily 77 to 63."
I was off on the final score, Kentucky never came close to 63 points.

Team Notes

• UK is 2-8 at Assembly Hall, Last loss 1990, Last win 1980.
  
• UK started: Joe Crawford, Michael Porter, Ramel Bradley, Mark Coury and Patrick Patterson. Oh-No.
• IU began game without 2 starters, Eric Gordon and Armon Bassett.
• UK went over 10 minutes in the first and second half without a field goal.
• IU opened the second half with a 9-0 run pushing the the lead to 21.
• This is UK second double digit loss of the season.
• UK was 38.8% from the field, 25% from the 3 point line, and 56.3% from the free throw line.
  
• UK never led in the game, IU's biggest lead was 23.
• UK had 9 assist and 19 turnovers, par for the course. (Season average 12.7 apg, 12.6 TO per game).
  

Player Notes

• Ramel Bradley fouled out midway through the second half, with a grand total of 5 points, 0 assist, and 2 turnovers.
• Jared Carter sighting with 8:10 to go in second half.
• IU's D.J. White won the battle with Patterson, White had his 5th straight double-double, 16 points and 13 boards, Patterson had 15 points and 5 boards.
  
• Jordan vs. Joe (Not even close). Jordan had 20 points, 2 assist and 3 turnovers; Joe had 10 points, 2 assist, and 2 turnovers.
  
• D.J. White became 41st Hoosier to score 1000 points.
  

Player Overview

Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley: One more year. I have logged a number of hours in front of the boob tube watching these two underachievers. I do not dislike either player, nor do I particularly care for either of them. I am trying to think of another Cat who has played as much as Crawford and Bradley that I cared less for. Right now I cannot think of a 4 year player who comes close.

Michael Porter: Dreadful.

Patrick Patterson: Not his best showing, but he was double teamed often and the guards could not get him the ball where he had an opportunity to score.

Mark Curry: He should not start, or play for that matter. He should be right behind Jared Carter and just ahead of Dwight Perry on the depth chart. But Kentucky has few options.

Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson, A.J. Stewart: They all played............Everyone had on the correct jersey, right color and number. Stevenson did manage 1o points and 6 boards but he was pushed around down low all game by the bigger (bigger=fat load) Hoosiers.

Final Thoughts
Kentucky cannot score. Jodie Meeks is a big part of that. Would they win with him in the lineup? Who knows? Right now they need someone who can constantly put the ball in the basket, Crawford, Bradley and Porter are too inconstant. Also they need someone who can get the ball to Patterson, hopefully Derrick Jasper can be the answer when he gets healthy. I am not completely confident that Jasper has the all around skills to help this team get better. One thing I know for sure, he cannot hurt.

Some of the UK faithful are losing confidence in Billy Gillispie while the rest are blaming Tubby Smith. It is neither man's fault. Billy is working with an under talented team, Tubby is gone, let it be. Funny thing, friend of mine wants to know how to set up the firebillygillispie.com website. I still believe that Kentucky will turn this around, the SEC is down and with 2 starters returning around the new year I think they will right the ship and be competitive in the SEC.

Some of the Funnier Message board postings.
Losing faith in Billy G.
Thank Tubby
Losing Season
Our Seniors are Completely Useless
G A R B A G E
Making the NCAA tournament

Quote of the Night
The chant late in the game by the IU fans, "Tubbys Better."
Funny, very funny.

VISITORS: Kentucky 4-3
                       TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
42 Coury, Mark......... f  1-2    0-0    0-0    0  3  3   3   2  0  1  0  1  12 54 Patterson, Patrick.. f  6-9    0-0    3-5    2  3  5   2  15  2  5  0  0  36 03 Bradley, Ramel...... g  2-5    1-4    0-1    0  1  1   5   5  0  2  1  1  23 13 Porter, Michael..... g  1-4    1-2    0-0    1  0  1   5   3  0  3  0  0  21 32 Crawford, Joe....... g  4-15   1-6    1-3    1  1  2   2  10  2  2  0  1  37
15 Stewart, A.J........    0-2    0-0    1-2    0  0  0   2   1  1  2  0  0  12
21 Stevenson, Perry....    3-5    0-0    4-4    2  4  6   3  10  2  2  0  1  26
30 Perry, Dwight.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   4
34 Harris, Ramon.......    2-6    1-3    0-1    2  6  8   3   5  2  2  1  0  25
43 Carter, Jared.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   4
TEAM................                         1  2  3
Totals..............   19-49   4-16   9-16   9 20 29  25  51  9 19  2  4 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  9-21 42.9%   2nd Half: 10-28 35.7%   Game: 38.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-6  16.7%   2nd Half:  3-10 30.0%   Game: 25.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-9  66.7%   2nd Half:  3-7  42.9%   Game: 56.3%   2,1

Officials: Ed Hightower, Zelton Steed, Eugene Crawford
Technical fouls: Kentucky-Crawford, Joe. Indiana-None.
Attendance: 17410
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Kentucky......................   25   26  -   51
Indiana.......................   37   33  -   70
D.J. White becomes the 41st player in IU history to score 1,000 points

Points in the paint-UK 26,INDIANA 24. Points off turnovers-UK 9,INDIANA 14.
2nd chance points-UK 6,INDIANA 13. Fast break points-UK 2,INDIANA 4.
Bench points-UK 16,INDIANA 11. Score tied-1 time. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-UK 2nd-01:00, INDIANA 2nd-02:54.
Largest lead-UK None, INDIANA by 23 2nd-12:03.

What to Watch for Against IU

The unranked University of Kentucky Wildcats (4-2) at #15 Indiana University (7-1)
Bloomington Indiana
TV CBS 4:00 PM est, Verne Lundquist and "The Lovable" Billy Packer

1. Battle of Super Freshman
Even though they play different positions, Indiana University's shooting guard, Eric Gordon will be in action against the University of Kentucky's power forward Patrick Patterson. Gordon is averaging 24 ppg and 3.5 boards a game. Patterson is averaging 16 ppg game and 8.8 boards. Gordon is expected to play after bruising his lower back against Tennessee Tech.

2. Brothers in Action
IU Freshman Jordan Crawford will be going up against his older brother Joe Crawford. Jordan is averaging 12.6 ppg, 2.6 apg and 2.6 boards per game. The senior Joe is averaging 18 ppg, 1.7 apg, and 4.3 rpg. Jordan was suspended for 3 games for violating team rules. He makes his return against the Wildcats. Playing for a coach with NO integrity, Jordan must have done something pretty serious to be suspended.

3. Billy Gillisie vs. "The Cheater" Kelvin Sampson
Two different coaching styles clash in this game on Saturday. The disciplinarian Billy G. will have to be on his game against prolific cheater Sampson. No cell phones allowed.

4. D.J. White vs. Patrick Patterson
These two big man should be going at it down low all game. White is the senior averaging 14 ppg and 8.6 boards, but Patterson will have the athletic edge. Or course Billy G. might send Perry Stevenson out there as the sacrificial lamb to absorb some of the banging and fouls.

5. Calling Alex Legion
Will he be there? Is he on the team? Did Jesus Christ talk to Legion's mother? All questions will be answered hopefully very soon. Latest word is that Legion (and the Lord Our God) asked to be back on the team, Billy G. has yet to render a decision.

Final thoughts
Indiana has a about a 6-8 man rotation. Kentucky has .............Well a variety of players who play sometimes. Coach Gillispie has yet to decide on a starting lineup or a steady rotation for that matter. Will the Cats be able to get into the flow of the game early or will they be unmotivated and fall behind in the first half. I am guessing they come out flat, fall behind and stay behind. IU wins easily 77 to 63.

Worst of the Worst

Congrates to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN. He is the World's least favorite sports announcer alive. On an AOL Fanhouse Poll he received an impressive 80% of the votes (out of 80,000). I have been a longtime fan; keep up the good work.

Jackass Award-Colin Cowherd

There have been some stupid comments about the death of Sean Taylor. No one is the world is a bigger Jackass today than ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd.

Dan Steinberg of the DCSportsBog takes it to Cowherd.

Deadspin will never mention Cowherds name again.

Die Cowherd, my dial will be tuned to Fox Sports' Dan Patrick Show.

Alex Legion Transfers

This sucks. Alex Legion has decided to transfer from the University of Kentucky. More to follow.

UNC Controls UK, 86-77

Team Notes

• UK committed 25 fouls, UNC had 19
• It is the 4th straight loss to the Tar Heels by an average of 14.8.
  
• UK has 1,952 wins / UNC is second at 1,921
• UNC leads series 20-10
• UK did not shoot a free throw in first half.\
• UK had 22 free throw attempts, UNC 34
  
• UNC led by as many as 2o points, mid way through second half
• UK had a 11/19 assist to turnover ratio.
• Early in Second half UNC went on 13-0 run to make score, 57-39
• 5th different starting lineup, 9 different players
  

Player Notes

• Perry Stevenson committed his fourth foul with 8 minutes left in first half. 8 minutes, 5 fouls.
  
• Joe Crawford was the leading scorer with 21, over 1000 points for his career.
• Crawford has a season high w/ 5 turnovers.
• It was Crawford's third game over 20 points.
  
• Mark Coury has no assists and five turnovers in his past two games.
• Patrick Patterson had 19 points and 9 boards.
• First time since Ramel Bradley's sophomore season he hasn't started.
• Michael Porter rebounded from his horrible game, he had 4 assists, 2 turnovers and 4 rebounds.
• Alex Legion only logged 6 minutes after starting against SBU.
  

HOME TEAM: Kentucky 4-2
                        TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
13 Porter, Michael..... *  1-3    1-2    0-0    1  3  4   2   3  4  2  0  0  28
32 Crawford, Joe....... *  7-18   3-8    4-5    0  3  3   3  21  2  5  0  0  39
34 Harris, Ramon....... *  0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  2  0  3  10
42 Coury, Mark......... *  0-4    0-0    0-0    2  2  4   2   0  0  3  2  1  21
54 Patterson, Patrick.. *  6-12   0-0    7-9    4  5  9   5  19  2  3  0  0  33
01 Legion, Alex........    2-3    1-2    2-2    0  0  0   1   7  0  1  0  1   6
03 Bradley, Ramel......    6-13   2-5    5-6    0  3  3   2  19  2  2  0  1  37
15 Stewart, A.J........    3-3    0-0    0-0    1  3  4   3   6  1  1  2  1  18
21 Stevenson, Perry....    1-1    0-0    0-0    1  2  3   5   2  0  0  1  0   8
 TEAM................                         1     1
 Totals..............   26-58   7-17  18-22  10 21 31  25  77 11 19  5  7 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-30 46.7%   2nd Half: 12-28 42.9%   Game: 44.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-8  50.0%   2nd Half:  3-9  33.3%   Game: 41.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 18-22 81.8%   Game: 81.8%   0,1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Mike Stuart, Tom Eades, Karl Hess
Technical fouls: North Carolina-None. Kentucky-None.
Attendance: 24252
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
North Carolina................   37   49  -   86
Kentucky......................   32   45  -   77

Points in the paint-UNC 24,UK 32. Points off turnovers-UNC 33,UK 16.
2nd chance points-UNC 14,UK 15. Fast break points-UNC 10,UK 4.
Bench points-UNC 33,UK 34. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-2 times.
Last FG-UNC 2nd-03:01, UK 2nd-00:22.
Largest lead-UNC by 20 2nd-09:42, UK by 2 1st-15:37.