Three in a row—Kentucky Falls to Mississippi State 66-57

For the third time in as many games the Kentucky Wildcats once again fell. This time Mississippi State was able to handle the Wildcats, just as Ole Miss and South Carolina did---slowing down Jodie Meeks and forcing Kentucky to win in other ways.

The shutting down of Meeks, has proved to be key for Kentucky opponents. In the last 3 games Meeks is well below his points per game average with only 18 points a game. That falls nearly 8 points below his average during the win streak that saw the Cats stock rise to #24 in the nation just a week ago.

If Kentucky is to get back on the winning track they will be forced to find some other type of offensive production. Big Blue is now 3rd in the SEC East trailing Tennessee, South Carolina, and the Florida Gators.

The Rebels seemed to find the answer to defeat the Wildcats and teams have used the same formula.

Coach Billy Gillespie now has a week’s worth of time to try and find an answer before the Florida Gators come to Rupp.

Kentucky Loses Two Straight and Needs Answers

Just a week after being ranked in the AP poll, Kentucky has lost two straight and is looking to rebound against a tough Mississippi State team.

The past two meetings with the Bulldogs, the Wildcats have struggled; losing both in 2007 in the SEC tournament and last year in Starkville.

Following the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky players and Coach Billy Gillespie were visibly upset with their performance and lack of quality play.

“You bet I am mad,” said Jodie Meeks after the game.

“We aren’t going to win too many more games with the way we handle the ball,” said Coach Gillespie.

And Patrick Patterson also summed up his frustrations with, “We aren’t doing the right things to win games.”
Now with a two game losing streak how will the Cats rebound?

They have faced adversity before, as they started the season 0-2 by being dominated by VMI and North Carolina. Following the two losses, the Wildcats did go on a tear winning 15 of 17 games.

Once again, Kentucky has hit a snag losing another two games in sucession. The once unbeaten in coference team needs to get better as a team.

National pundits, local media, and South Sporting News blog has been saying for weeks the Kentucky Wildcats need to find a third scorer, they need to limit turnovers, they need to stop relying solely on Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson.

And win after win, it seemed that although they needed to be more complete, Kentucky seemingly was doing enough to win and win handily over opponents. Now, Kentucky has been exposed, Jodie Meeks has been limited, and no one anywhere else on the court feels the need to step up.

Someone will have to step up Tuesday, or the Wildcats will fall further down the ladder in the SEC.

Game tips off Tuesday @ 7pm.

KEYS TO VICTORY-
1) Slow the Pace- South Carolina is a fast pace, score-at-will team. The last time Kentucky played a team with that style they lost---VMI. Kentucky must focus on getting the ball down low to Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson. The slowing of pace, will get South Carolina’s three-point hungry team to slow down.

2) Play Smart- The Wildcats seem to lack basketball IQ. They turn the ball over 20 times a game and have been lucky enough to not be caught by the negative differential. If Kentucky is to take control of the SEC, they need to limit turnovers….

PREDICTION—
Kentucky is coming off a loss that is either a wake-up call or the truth. The Cats lead the overall series with the Gamecocks going 41-7 and 22-1 in Lexington. BUT history rarely plays a factor in the ‘here-and –now’ and so that is why I am less than optimistic for the Wildcat chances today.
The Gamecocks are playing very well right now and want to make a real statement. A win would create a three way tie in second place and a ½ game edge over the Wildcats and Gators….

KENTUCKY- 70

SOUTH CAROLINA- 74

Kentucky hosts Gamecocks

Gamecocks head to Lexington with something to prove

Fresh off the loss to the less athletic Ole Miss Rebels, the Wildcats begin a three game home stand with an upstart South Carolina Gamecocks squad that is riding a three game win streak.

Kentucky was ranked , for the first time in two years, Monday. The Wildcats were at #24 in the AP top-25 poll and 28th in the ESPN?USA Today poll. However, Tuesday’s loss will kick them out of the poll likely for the remainder of the season.

Kentucky’s stuggles Tuesday were an accumulation of the struggles and poor play in the week prior. Kentucky nearly lost to both Auburn and Alabama due to poor exectution on offense, lacking of a third scorer, and turnovers.

Tuesday, Ole Miss held junior guard Jodie Meeks in check and was able to force the Wildcats to just 38% shooting percentage from the field. With the poor shooting and lacking the presence of Jodie Meeks, the Cats were outplayed and overmatched.

Now, with the Wildcats in a three way tie in the SEC East with Florida and Tennessee, they have no more room for error. The Gamecocks should be a formidable opponent for the Cats. South Carolina is 2nd in the SEC in scorings per game.

The reason for the high scores for the Gamecocks is because of their ability to shoot the three-ball. South Carolina shoots nearly 40% from behind the arc leading the SEC in that category.

If South Carolina is to pull another SEC upset (they have already beaten Florida to begin their current win streak), they must stop one of Kentucky’s main scorers and continue their hot scoring.

The game will match the two leading scorers in the conference with Jodie Meeks for Kentucky and junior Devon Downey for South Carolina.

Game begins @ 3 pm EST.

Ole Miss Tackles a Win over the WIldcats

One day. Exactly one day the Wildcats were ranked. That will likely be all for the Cats as the unthinkable occurred Tuesday night.

After receiving national respect(a #24 AP Poll ranking) and being deemed the top team of the SEC, the unthinkable happened in Oxford—Kentucky fell to the Rebels 85-80, snapping a nine game win streak over Mississippi, and ending an unbeaten mark in conference play.

When asked Monday of how much longer the Wildcats would last as an unbeaten SEC school, Coach Billy Gillespie said, “It’s not going to last much longer if we continue to do that(make turnovers).”

And their win streak ended up not lasting. Kentucky struggled to get into a groove.

Mississippi stopped scoring standout Jodie Meeks by holding him to six points in the first half and forcing him to make bad decisions which forced Meeks to go 0 for 6 from the field.

With Meeks’ early struggles, the Wildcats were able to hold their own early. The Cats entered halftime with a narrow 39-37 lead.

The Cats were also limiting turnovers. After two straight nights of having more than 20 turnovers, Kentucky took care of the ball only turning the ball over 10 times.

However, the Wildcats struggled were not linked to an inability to hold onto the ball but the ability to keep up with an Ole Miss team effort.

Four of the starting five for the rebels scored in double digits. With such an output of scoring, the Cats were unable to contend with, basically, two players—Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks.

Meeks and Patterson ended the game combining 45 of the Wildcats 80 points. With a lack of production from the rest of the team, Kentucky could not make it and ended up losing their first in conference play.

With the loss, Kentucky, like every other team in the SEC has at least one loss. And now, there is a three way heaping tie in the East division with Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky all with one loss.

Kentucky’s next opponent will not be an easy bounce back game. The Cats will return to Rupp to take on an upstart South Carolina Gamecock team that has their eyes set on shaking up the SEC East landscape. They have beaten the Gators and sit in second place with two conference losses.

Keys To 6-0...

KEYS TO VICTORY

1) Support Continues…- Against Alabama, Patrick Patterson was obviously not having a good day. He shot only twice in the first half and ended the game with a season low of 6 total points. With Patterson struggling, the Wildcats supporting players were able to pick up the slack, something Wildcat-fans have wanted all year. Perry Stevenson appeared to have regained his last season form by scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 boards. Also freshman DeAndre Liggins played exceptionally scoring 11 points of his own. For the Wildcats to continue their dominant play in the SEC, they need more contribution from the supporting cast. Look for more Perry, Liggins, and maybe some others to have a big one tonight.

2) Keep the scores coming- With Kentucky now in the top-25 and playing in a conference with no other ranked teams, it is important for the Wildcats to win in style. The Cats have beat teams, on average, by 15.2 points a game. Look for Big Blue to have little trouble scoring in Oxford.

3) Continue to build- College sports in general are about growth. This is Billy Gillespie’s second year as Kentucky’s head man and things appear to be going well for the program. Each win and milestone reached this season will continue the growing process for the Kentucky basketball program. For the Wildcats to return to the promise land and get that elusive #8, Kentucky needs to continue playing hard and taking steps for future years and recruits.

Kentucky #24 in AP Poll, 28th in USA/ESPN Poll

How Sweet it is…

Kentucky is 5-0 in a down SEC and has finally gotten a little bit of national respect. In the latest AP Poll for the top-25 teams, the Kentucky Wildcats are ranked as the 24th team in the nation.

The Wildcats have not been ranked since the 2007 preseason poll, which listed the Cats in the low twenties.

Kentucky is also third in vote getters for the USA/ESPN top-25 poll. The third vote getter means that USA Today and ESPN feel that Kentucky should be ranked at 28 nationally.

As the hype machine continues in the bluegrass, the Cats can only add to their resume this week as they prepare to take on a dismal Mississippi Rebels team in Oxford.

Ole Miss has lost three straight conference games and is last or near last in the conference in every statistical category. Add the Rebels dismal play to a historical disadvantage; the Cats hold a 95-11 overall record against Ole Miss, and chalk up another win for the Cats…

Game time Tuesday @ 7 p.m. EST

Kentucky Stays Unbeaten

Kentucky finds a Way

In the second of the Alabama schools, Kentucky took down the Crimson Tide 61-51 to become 5-0 in conference play.

The first half of play, Kentucky looked abysmal. Shooting 30.8% from the field and leaving the court off an Alabama last second jump shot, the Cats entered the half down 25-19.

In the first half, sophomore stand out Patrick Patterson was virtually invisible shooting just two shots and only scoring 2 total points. His lack of scores and Kentucky’s ineptitude on offense (they had 9 turnovers) looked to be too much to overcome in the 2nd half.

But, somehow and someway, Kentucky came out of the break on a tear. Scoring sensation Jodie Meeks again went on the offensive and put the Wildcats on his back by scoring 27 points.
Kentucky also played stellar defense against the Tide, holding Alabama to just 29.3% from the field all game long. And forcing 18 turnovers

With Patterson obviously ailing from a hand injury, the Big Blue supporting cast emerged.
None was more evident than Perry Stevenson, whom seemed to regain his last season form-- by being a force down low. Stevenson scored 16 points, added 12 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot.

Also emerging and coming into his own was true freshman Darius Miller. Miller scored 11
points and added 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

The emergence of the Cats supporting cast, with Patterson down, was very encouraging for the Big Blue faithful. If the Wildcats can get consistency from these players the Wildcats could be a very formidable opponent as we near the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky is 5-0 in conference play and the past 5 times that has happened, Kentucky has went onto to at least a share of the SEC title. There is a lot of season left, but the Cats are the on the top of the East division and conference as a whole.

Next up for the Cats is yet another West division road game against the Ole Miss Rebels.

KEYS TO VICTORY-

1) Limit Turnovers- The story of the season has yet to bite the Wildcats, however, if this team wants to get where they want to go; an SEC Championship and a run in the NCAA tournament, Kentucky must take better care of the ball. Big Blue averages a -2.7 turnover differential and is ranked at the bottom of the conference in this category.
2) Keep Riding Jodie Meeks- The junior guard out of Georgia has really been something special this season. Meeks is third in the nation averaging 26 points per game. Kentucky needs to continue letting Meeks shoot and shoot often.
3) Block those shots!- Kentucky is ranked in the top-10 nationally in this category. Both Patrick Patterson have frustrated opponents by blocking shots.

**Kentucky has been dominant over the SEC thus far this season. The Wildcats are beating opponents by an average of 15 points a game. Alabama is clearly on the rebound in losing senior leader Ronald Steele for the rest of the season. If the Cats can go up early, the Tide should falter and give the Cats their 5th straight win.**

PROJECTION
Kentucky- 75

Alabama- 60

Kentucky Heads to Alabama

The Wildcats roll into Coleman Arena in Tuscaloosa the hottest team in the SEC with a show down with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Entering the season, it was the Tide were chosen to win the West division behind the sure shooting and leadership of Ronald Steele. However, Steele recently left the team and the program in search of an identity.

With Steele’s departure the Tide have lost 2 of 3 games. In those losses, the Tide appeared outmatched and undermanned. But Wednesday night, Alabama was able to revamp and win against Ole Miss.

Head Coach for Alabama, Mike Gottfried needs this win and wants to build some momentum which was lost due to the Steele departure.

“We had a good win against Ole Miss and we need to make sure we continue to improve” said Gottfried on Thursday.

Alabama does have some playmakers on offense including senior guard Alonzo Gee. Gee is the team’s leading scorer averaging 14.3 points and grabbing nearly 8 rebounds a game.

Complementing Gee and finding his niche as Steele’s replacement is junior Mikhail Torrance who scored 24 games against the Rebels Wednesday and has averaged 22.7 points a game in the past three games.

Alabama should prove to be strong competition for the unbeaten Cats. Although Kentucky is on a roll, they appeared drained against Auburn and everyone knows that how hard it is to go unbeaten in conference play.

GAME BEGINS @ 3 pm EST.

Kentucky Wins Again, and Covets 1st place in SEC

The game was ugly. Kentucky played sloppy and kept a lesser-qualitied Auburn Tigers in the game from start to finish, but when it counted the Wildcats pulled out another conference win 73-64 to become the only unbeaten team in conference play.

The first half went back and forth between the two teams and Auburn would have entered the half with a one point lead, but off a rebound and the seconds weaning, Patrick Patterson drove the ball half way down the court tossed the ball to Ramon Harris in stride to make a layup as the buzzer went off to take a 34-33 lead into the half.

Out of the half, Kentucky jumped out early with two 3-point shots made by Jodie Meeks with in the first minute. The Cats pulled ahead even more with a jump shot by Patrick Patterson. But, again sloppy play, mishandling of the ball in transition, and poor passing allowed the Tigers back into the game.

The Cats turned the ball over an atrocious 22 times and even allowed the Tigers to take lead 48-46 half way through the second half.

Again, however, with Kentucky trailing, the two stars for the Wildcats shined brightly, creating their own shots, playing stellar defense, and taking over the game.

Jodie Meeks ended the game with 31 points and went 5 for 8 from the 3-point line. Meeks’ 31 was the smaller part of the story today, as sophomore forward Patrick Patterson stole the show.
Patrick Patterson dominated the game for the Cats and put his team on his back to carry the Wildcats to a victory.

Patterson had a double-double in the first half and finished the game with 21 points and 18 rebounds.

“Pat was a beast. This was probably the best game we have seen of him all year,” said Coach Billy Gillespie after the game.

And the word ‘beast’ was repeated in the opposing locker room with Auburn’s Jeff Lebo echoing the sentiment, “Patrick Patterson is a heck of an athlete. He dominated the game…he is just a beast.”

Patterson willed his Wildcats to the narrow victory and now sees hois team atop the SEC as the only unbeaten team in conference.

With a 4-0 start Billy Gillespie knows there is still a lot of work to do, however said of the game, “It was a good win for us.”

Kentucky Keys to Win over Auburn

--KEYS TO VICTORY—

1) Play Hard- One thing the Cats have done in the past few weeks is play hard. Diving on the floor, hustling on the defensive end, and battling for rebounds, Kentucky has played tenatious. Their opponent, the Auburn Tigers are weak inside and TOUGHNESS is key to continue on the winning path.

2) Limit Turnovers- The Auburn Tigers are not great at much, BUT they do lead the SEC averaging 10.5 steals per game. Kentucky plays carelessly with the ball and needs to tighten up against a less talented team.

3) Find that 3rd Guy- It’s late in the season and pretty much, you are what you are. But in a hopeful since, someone other than Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson need to make a presence on the offensive end.

---Kentucky has the edge in every statistical category and is playing hotter than anyone else in the nation. With the Wildcats now eyeing a possible SEC title and national ranking, Kentucky must come out and dominate again.

-FINAL PREDICTION-

KENTUCKY- 78
AUBURN- 57

Kentucky Preps For Tigers

Kentucky Prepares to Take on Auburn

Not since the SEC opener on January 10, have the Wildcats played at Rupp Arena. Wednesday night, the Big Blue Nation will welcome back one of the hottest teams in the nation with hopes that seemingly appear to rise with every day.

After the opening losses to both VMI and North Carolina, Wildcat fans were less than optimistic for the coming season; however the Wildcats clicked into gear following those two losses to rip off 14 of 16 games and appear to be the favorite in a down SEC.

On the stretch of wins, Kentucky has outscored opponents by 15.2 points a game and in the 3 conference games, the Wildcats have taken down opponents by an average of 17 points a game.
The clicking of the Wildcat team appears to be the shooting and play of junior guard Jodie Meeks. Meeks is near the top in scoring across the nation with 25.7 points a game.
Meeks’ hot shooting, he attributes to his mentality.

“I always think they are going in and you can’t really have a caution because if you do you will probably not ever score because you think too much or make bad decisions. “

Bad decisions shooting-wise are not in Meeks forte, however bad decisions in turnovers are another story.

When asked what he could improve in his game he commented; “Sometimes I don’t make the smartest decisions with shots or passes.”

If Meeks can limit the turnovers, his stock will continue to rise as will Kentucky’s heading down the stretch to the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky Wins Over Georgia 68-45

Favorite Role Doesn’t Phase Cats as Kentucky Claws the Dawgs

In the third straight Eastern division showdown, the Kentucky Wildcats flexed their muscle again and dominated the Georgia Bulldogs 68-45.

The Wildcats began the game going on a quick 7-0 run before the Bulldogs could even catch their breath.

Then, with 8 minutes remaining in the first half, the hottest player in the nation Jodie Meeks was once again at the right place at the right time. Following a Perry Stevenson missed jumper, Meeks was able to take the rebound in mid-air and jam it home to put the Cats up 20-9.
The rest of the half was more of the same type of luck for the Wildcats; they entered the half with a dominating 38-19 lead.

Out of the half, Kentucky again picked up where they had left off. Both Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks continued their stellar play by each scoring in double digits. Meeks scored 22 points and went 3 of 8 from the three-point line, while Patrick Patterson put up a solid 15 points of his own. Patterson also added 4 blocked shots and 5 rebounds.

With all the high-fly-scoring put up by the Wildcats, Kentucky continued to be sloppy with the ball. Kentucky turned the ball over 18 times. With the massive amount of mistakes and chances the Cats gave Georgia, they were unable to capitalize which led to another Kentucky victory.

With the victory, Kentucky is now 3-0 in SEC play and has outscored SEC opponents by an average of 17 points.

Next up for the Wildcats is a match up with the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena Wednesday…and with the top-25 rankings coming out tomorrow, the Wildcats might be welcomed to Rupp with a national ranking for the first time in over two years.

Kentucky v Georiga Keys to Victory

KEYS TO A WILDCAT VICTORY—
Here we go. The Wildcats are in Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Kentucky is 2-0 in conference play, while the Bulldogs have lost their first two conference games and have dropped four straight. To make matters worse for the Dogs, Kentucky has won three straight regular season meeting.

The Wildcats enter the game as a favorite and have gained a lot of public recognition for the defeating of the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville on Tuesday. For the Cats to stay on the winning track, this is what Kentucky must do…
KEYS TO VICTORY-

1) SCORE- Kentucky is second in the SEC in scoring and 12th in the nation in points per game. Kentucky needs to keep their scoring high. The Georgia Bulldogs have struggled in making baskets as they rank dead last in the SEC and near the bottom of the country in points per game averaging only 67 points a game.

2) Don’t Get Over Confident- It has been a while since the Wildcats have gotten such recognition in the national media. With the win Tuesday, Kentucky has emerged as an SEC favorite and can possibly reach the top-25 for the first time in over two years with another victory. With a team that has yet to experience EXPECTATIONS, it will be a necessity for the Wildcats to stay the course, play hard, and play one game at a time.

3) Continue to improve with the ball- Kentucky has struggled all season with turnovers and at this point in the season, you are what you are. However, Tuesday the Wildcats were again careless with the ball turning the ball over 15 times, yet won. The turnover problem will be more detrimental as the season progresses. Mid-season should be the time where the freshmen learn to be more careful with the ball and should be more adjusted to the college game. Turnovers must be CUTDOWN.

The Wildcats have not started an SEC sleight 3-0 since 2004-2005 season. That 2004-2005 season, the Wildcats went onto win the SEC, got ranked as high as 7th in the country, and made a deep run into the NCAA tournament.

A 3-0 start is beneficial to the Wildcats and might get them into the national rankings. If the Cats can score (like they have all season), stay level headed, and limit turnovers, Kentucky should be on their way to a 3-0 marking heading back to Rupp Arena.

PREDICTION—
**Kentucky has beaten opponents by 15.2 points a game and look for nothing different today. Kentucky should be able to handle the Dogs soundly and win by double digits.**

Kentucky- 82
Georgia- 60

Kentucky Heads to Athens to take on the Dawgs

Last year was quite a scene. A tornado rolled through the Atlanta area to post pone the Cats opening round match up against the Georgia Bulldogs…the rest was history.

The game was moved to Georgia Tech’s basketball arena, fans were restricted to attend, and the winner would be forced to play two games in one day. Kentucky entered the tournament on a roll, winning 12 of their last 16 and looking to make a mark in the SEC to make the NCAA major tournament.

The Dawgs on the other hand, had finished the regular season with a less than impressive mark 4-12 in the SEC and 17-17 overall. But somehow, in all lthe turmoil and uncertainties surrounding the teams, the Dawgs were able to knock off the Wildcats and make an improbable run through the SEC tournament to eventually win and gain the conference’s automatic bid.

“It was something I dream for,” said Zac Swansey after the game. Swansey, the freshman, had hit a 3-point shot in overtime to seal the Wildcats fate and give new life into his Georgia Bulldogs.

That, however, was last year. This new Wildcat team has been on a roll winning their first two games in the SEC, one of the wins coming against the preseason selection to win the conference, Tennessee in their own building.

With all the attention the Wildcats have received in recent weeks it comes from Jay Bilas of ESPN where he thinks the Wildcats should and could land.

“I think they are right there to be and wind up as the best team, in what I consider in SEC standards a down league.”

Dealing with the title of ‘frontrunner’ is new for the Wildcats and playing with this new title begins Saturday as the Wildcats head to Athens to take on a struggling Bulldog team that has lost their last four games.

Game begins at 12 pm EST.

Kentucky Wins in Knoxville 90-72

Meeks Shines as Cats Knock off the Vols

North Carolina, #1. Kentucky losses big. Miami Hurricanes, #20. Kentucky losses but gives hope. Louiville Cardinals, #18. Kentucky loses in the last seconds, but gives hope. Yesterday, Knoxville, Tennessee- Tennessee #24. Kentucky wins, dominantly.

In a down SEC, which no team other than Tennessee was ranked, the Wildcats had to win in Knoxville to gain RPI for selection day in March. Needing a win and wanting to make a statement, the Wildcats did in a big way by taking down the Volunteers in the Smokey Mountains 90-72.

A huge statement game and a huge statement made by junior guard Jodie Meeks. Meeks entered the game the 4th leading scorer in the nation and left Thompson-Boiling Arena a Kentucky legend by scoring 54 points in route to the victory.

“I was just going out there to win”, said Meeks.

Win he did, but also he dominated. The junior guard went 15 for 22 from the field and 10 for 15 from the three point line.

Other than the scoring, Meeks limited his turnovers; something he has struggled with all season averaging nearly 4 turnovers a game. Today though, was Jodie’s day as he only gave the ball up once, grabbed 8 rebounds and added four assists.

Kentucky’s win puts the Wildcats RPI rankings higher and more importantly, places them as a new front runner in the SEC.

Momentum must maintain however, as the Cats will now travel to Athens to take on a Georgia team which knocked Kentucky out of the SEC tournament last year. If the Wildcats are to win again, Monday the Big Blue Nation might just wake up to find their Cats in the top-25 for the first time since preseason of 2007.

Kentucky heads to Tennessee in hopes of an upset

Showdown in Knoxville-
Early in conference play, the second game in fact, Kentucky travels to Knoxville to take on a bumped and bruised Tennessee Volunteer team that have dropped out of the USA Today Top 25 for the first time all year.

Adding to the hurt ego of being dropped out of the rankings, star player and preseason ALL SEC Player of the Year, Tyler Smith is nursing a bruised knee and will be playing at less than 100%.
Tennessee has seen a lot of struggles of late dropping two of their last three games and nearly faltering to Georgia in the conference opener. The Vols trailed by more than 10 points mid way through the second half, but were able to eek out a victory 86-77.

Radio voice Bob Kessling sees a lot of turmoil in this Volunteer team.

“ The freshmen, for whatever reason, have had a hard time in buying into the defensive philosophy”, as he continued to say “Sometimes they have got into the position where they have four guys playing great defense and one freshman that is lost out there and that has hurt them in several occasions.”

With a weaker than past years Volunteer team the Kentucky Wildcats look to win in Tennessee for the first time since March 1, 2006. Since that loss, Tennessee has not lost a home SEC game since and is riding a 16 game win streak into this colossal match up.

Kentucky and Tennessee should be exciting as the match-up pairs the top two scoring offenses in the SEC. Tennessee is 6th in the nation in scoring with nearly 85 points a game, while Kentucky is 25th respectively, averaging 80 points a game.

With scoring to be at a maximum, the game will be based on limiting errors, something Kentucky knows all to well.

In the four losses Kentucky has suffered this season, the Wildcats average 21.75 turnovers per game. In order to have a chance in Knoxville, this stat must get better.

Yesterday Jodie Meeks said, “ We need to cut down turnovers in conference play if we want to do much of anything this year.”

And this year, needs to start tonight with Tennessee. A win would give the Wildcats an early edge in the wide open SEC and maybe a slot in the top-25.

Game starts at 9 pm EST.

Kentucky Takes Down Vanderbilt in SEC Opener 70-60

Pretty? No. Dominant? No. Efficent? EH…. That is the the best way to sum up the Kentucky Wildcats SEC opening victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

In front of the largest crowd of the season, over 24,000 rabid blue grass faithful, the Wildcats went into half time on a 7-0 run and a 31-27 lead. Kentucky then came out and stretched that lead to 55-35 with only ten minutes left in regulation. The route appeared to be on, as the Wildcats looked to pour it on their East division foe and send a statement to the rest of the SEC, but Kentucky began to relax and pull back.

Vanderbilt began to pull closer and with less than two minutes left, it appeared that the ‘Dores were primed to pull out an upset and make a game against the Wildcats.

“I think we got comfortable. Then all of a sudden it got closer than it should have even been,” said point guard Michael Porter following the game.

Within six and momentum swung to the Commodores, the Kentucky Wildcats were able to regroup quickly and keep their lead, squeaking out a 10 point victory 70-60.

“Any win is good in this conference. I am proud of the way we played today, but need to get better,” Head Coach Billy Gillespie said after the game.

With the win the Kentucky Wildcats stretch their win streaks at home in SEC play to 9-0 in the Billy Gillespie era.

“We knew this would be a battle and we are just happy to come out with a win. Every win is important to get to where we want to be,” said Billy Gillespie.

And where they want to be is SEC champions. Kentucky did not dominate the entire game but did show signs of brilliance. The Cats limited their turnovers to only 13 and made plays often enough to pull in front by 20, and scored 32 of their 70 points in the paint.

With the win Kentucky has some momentum heading into a HUGE WEEK in conference. The Cats will head to Knoxville and take on the defending East season champion and preseason choice Tennessee Volunteers.

“I am excited to hear the Rocky Top chant and play there,” said freshman Darius Miller. And he will get his chance Tuesday in a showdown for a early SEC East division lead.

Keys To Kentucky Victory

KEYS TO a KENTUCKY VICTORY
1) NO HANGOVER- A week off a heart breaking loss to Louisville, the Wildcats must bounce back against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The SEC appears to be up for the taking and with a road trip to Tennessee looming in the week; Kentucky must get off to the right start against Vanderbilt.

2) LIMIT TURNOVERS- The Wildcats Achilles heal has been turnovers. The Cats are last in the SEC in turnover differential with -2.47 per game. Kentucky must be smarter with the ball with conference play starting up against a stingy and aggressive Vanderbilt defense.

3) Make it a high scoring game- Kentucky is 15th in the nation is scoring, while Vanderbilt tends to be successful in low scoring affairs. Vanderbilt is 11th of 12 in the SEC in scoring averaging only 71.1 points a game. If Kentucky can score and score often, the should control the tempo and come out with a victory.