Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down-UK vs. LSU--SEC Edition

Kentucky couldn’t put together two good games of basketball and they fall in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament 67-58 to LSU. The Tigers kept Jodie Meeks under ten points for the first time this season.


Thumbs Up

Ramon Harris- Harris was very aggressive early when the rest of the team was flat. He drove to the basket for the first points of the game. He also made the most athletic move I’ve ever seen him make when he followed a missed shot with a wonderful follow slam. He was getting in the passing lanes and trying to make things happen. As the game went on, though, he was less of a factor. Part of that is because Darius Miller was playing most of the second half minutes. Harris finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.

Darius Miller- The freshman was doomed from the time he stepped onto the court with bad calls, but he was able to play through that and make an impact. Miller scored eight points to go along with three boards and a steal. Against Ole Miss he shined in the second half, and he did the same today. He creates a real positive presence when he plays the point because he is a triple threat. He can drive, shoot, or pass.

Michael Porter- Two three-pointers early in the game by Porter helped the Cats stay in the game when it seemed nothing was going right for the Cats. He finished with 9 points on 3 of 6 shooting from three. He didn’t turn the ball over, had two rebounds and one assist. He was solid at the point today, and didn’t have any glaring mistakes.


Thumbs Down

Jodie Meeks- For the first time all season, Meeks was held to a single digit scoring game. Yes, LSU played pretty good defense, but Meeks did not get it done. The Tigers knew early on that Meeks wanted to drive to the hoop, so they collapsed on him every time he got into the lane. That resulted in several stripped balls and easy fast break baskets for LSU. Meeks scored eight points, but had five turnovers.

Loose Balls- I can’t remember any team that has such a hard time getting to the loose ball and holding on to it. The first half was a disaster in this department. LSU was constantly beating Kentucky to the loose ball, which resulted in many extra opportunities for the Tigers.

Rebounding- It all starts on the backboard with this team. We saw yesterday against Ole Miss how important it is for Kentucky to rebound well. LSU pulled down 13 offensive rebounds, and at least ten of those came in the first half. The Cats were lucky to still be in the game at halftime because the Tigers beat them up on the boards. LSU attempted 16 more shots than the Cats.

Referees- How many random nonsense calls can be made in one game? It shouldn’t come as a surprise though that a crew led by Tony Greene be so bad. The same calls were not being made on both ends. The three fouls on Miller in the first half were all questionable. They were touch fouls that probably shouldn’t have been called. Perry Stevenson’s third foul was called by Greene when he was fighting through a screen, yet when Tasmin Mitchell shoved Stevenson to the ground and hit a wide open jumper, there was no call. The straw that broke the camels back was the foul on Porter when Spencer slipped to the ground. At that point, Kentucky still had a chance. It should have been Kentucky’s ball with 1:39 left to play and a nine-point deficit. The refs were out of sync all game, and it’s frustrating when a ref all the way across the court makes a call when the person right in front of the play doesn’t.

Black Uniforms- I've been open to the black uniforms, but I think they should be put into the closet and never come back out. I understand that marketing is a big reason for the decision, and I understand that the players and recruits like them, but we are Kentucky. The colors are blue and white. I don't want to be like Duke and Louisville. If a recruit makes a college decision based on the uniform, then I'm not sure that I want him.


Well, it looks like the Cats chances of making the NCAA Tournament are as low as they could be. It will take a miracle at this point. Perhaps SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, who is the tournament chairman, can work some kind of magic, but it’s not likely. It won’t really hit home until Sunday when the bracket is announced and Kentucky is nowhere to be seen.