This year's SEC Tournament is being held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. It is supposed to be a neutral sight, but by the huge Sea of Blue present, you would have thought they just moved Rupp Arena a few miles south. Nobody in the country supports their team like the fans of Big Blue Nation.
The Kentucky Wildcats were matched up in Friday's game with Ole Miss and even though players and coaches don't talk about it, revenge from an earlier season loss by 2 points in Oxford had to be part of the day's agenda.
The Friday afternoon session was electrifying from the start. Watching Georgia blow a 13 point second half lead to end up losing to Alabama in OT. As exciting as that game was, during half time of the Georgia/Alabama game, The Big Blue Nation started the chant Blue/White/Blue/White/Blue/White.
Then the UK pep band and UK cheerleaders came into the Dome to take their seats and the crowd goes wild. the cheers over shadowed anything else that was going on. At this point Big Blue Nation was ready for the CATS to take the floor.
If you have never been to an SEC Tournament then you have missed the true meaning of basketball parity. The SEC Tournament brings out the best and the worst in teams. For the most part, you see teams playing above their normal potential. It has truly showed me how this conference is among the best from top to bottom. We have seen nothing but great games.
Kentucky came ready to play, but so did Ole Miss. The CATS started out shooting the ball well, playing excellent defense and taking an early 10 point lead. But Ole Miss came roaring back with points and defense of their own. Kentucky took a 7 point lead into the locker at half time, but for me I was never comfortable.
The game was filled with great and not so great plays. Some of the best plays was watching Knight and Lamb dribble driving to the basket and flipping off a pass underneath to Harrelson for an old fashion dunk or lay in. Lamb went off on hitting some key threes and Miller stood tall getting some inside buckets just when we needed them. Liggins kept Warren in tact as he only shot 5 for 20 from the field.
Even though Knight scored 17 points and was a key to UK winning the game, his outside shot would not fall on this day. He was 0 for 6 from three point range. Terrance Jones was not much of a factor due to a sprained ankle. Hopefully he can get healthy quick. We need everybody to remain healthy down the stretch.
OK- YOU MAKE THE CALL!! Somebody tell me the rule on this following play: Ole Miss has the ball and shoots for a three, but misses off the rim. An Ole Miss player goes up for the rebound, but taps the ball in to back court. Ole Miss goes and retrieves the ball, brings it back into front court for another opportunity to score. Is that not a back court violation? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But it is funny how the Ole Miss player who retrieved the ball almost let it roll out of bound before picking it up and then 20,000 Big Blue Nation fans booed. How does 3 officials miss that call? Fortunately - Ole Miss did not score on the following possession.
The final score does not tell the whole story of the game. With about 1:47 left in the game, Ole Miss had fought back to within 2 points- 68-66. But the CATS stood tall once again and fought off those pesky Rebels to go back up 4 points 70-66 and finally pulled away in the end to win by 9. 75-66.
A great revenge win by the CATS. Now it is Alabama that stands in the way of UK making it to the SEC Tournament finals for the 2nd year in a row.
GO CATS - BEAT BAMA!!!!
The Kentucky Wildcats were matched up in Friday's game with Ole Miss and even though players and coaches don't talk about it, revenge from an earlier season loss by 2 points in Oxford had to be part of the day's agenda.
The Friday afternoon session was electrifying from the start. Watching Georgia blow a 13 point second half lead to end up losing to Alabama in OT. As exciting as that game was, during half time of the Georgia/Alabama game, The Big Blue Nation started the chant Blue/White/Blue/White/Blue/White.
Then the UK pep band and UK cheerleaders came into the Dome to take their seats and the crowd goes wild. the cheers over shadowed anything else that was going on. At this point Big Blue Nation was ready for the CATS to take the floor.
If you have never been to an SEC Tournament then you have missed the true meaning of basketball parity. The SEC Tournament brings out the best and the worst in teams. For the most part, you see teams playing above their normal potential. It has truly showed me how this conference is among the best from top to bottom. We have seen nothing but great games.
Kentucky came ready to play, but so did Ole Miss. The CATS started out shooting the ball well, playing excellent defense and taking an early 10 point lead. But Ole Miss came roaring back with points and defense of their own. Kentucky took a 7 point lead into the locker at half time, but for me I was never comfortable.
The game was filled with great and not so great plays. Some of the best plays was watching Knight and Lamb dribble driving to the basket and flipping off a pass underneath to Harrelson for an old fashion dunk or lay in. Lamb went off on hitting some key threes and Miller stood tall getting some inside buckets just when we needed them. Liggins kept Warren in tact as he only shot 5 for 20 from the field.
Even though Knight scored 17 points and was a key to UK winning the game, his outside shot would not fall on this day. He was 0 for 6 from three point range. Terrance Jones was not much of a factor due to a sprained ankle. Hopefully he can get healthy quick. We need everybody to remain healthy down the stretch.
OK- YOU MAKE THE CALL!! Somebody tell me the rule on this following play: Ole Miss has the ball and shoots for a three, but misses off the rim. An Ole Miss player goes up for the rebound, but taps the ball in to back court. Ole Miss goes and retrieves the ball, brings it back into front court for another opportunity to score. Is that not a back court violation? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But it is funny how the Ole Miss player who retrieved the ball almost let it roll out of bound before picking it up and then 20,000 Big Blue Nation fans booed. How does 3 officials miss that call? Fortunately - Ole Miss did not score on the following possession.
The final score does not tell the whole story of the game. With about 1:47 left in the game, Ole Miss had fought back to within 2 points- 68-66. But the CATS stood tall once again and fought off those pesky Rebels to go back up 4 points 70-66 and finally pulled away in the end to win by 9. 75-66.
A great revenge win by the CATS. Now it is Alabama that stands in the way of UK making it to the SEC Tournament finals for the 2nd year in a row.
GO CATS - BEAT BAMA!!!!
Jimmy Dykes explained it on tv, since no one had possession after it hit rim, then anyone could tap in backcourt as long they don't get possession first.
ReplyDelete