Kentucky faces Arkansas

The age-old quote in American literature by F. Scott Gerald says, “There are no second acts in American lives.”

This quote has been used in every sport, with various teams and in various multitudes.
Kentucky basketball can also attempt to disprove the monacre through the remainder of the season.

The Wildcats began SEC play undefeated and reached the national rankings at #24 in the nation.

Then, the Cats fell to a porous Ole Miss, last in the last seconds at home against South Carolina, and were outplayed at home by Mississippi State. The three straight losses had a lot of the

Wildcats questioning themselves and their chances to make a statement to the nation that the program is back on the rise.

When Tuesday came around, Big Blue was in dire need for a win. The season rested on the showdown with the Florida Gators, whom they had lost 7 of 8 against.

Back and forth the game went, until the final seconds Jodie Meeks hit a three point shot to win the game and maybe even save Kentucky’s season.

Following the emotional win, the Cats now head to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Arkansas had little hopes at the beginning of the season, having lost four of five starters. But this young team shocked the nation early by defeating two top-10 teams in a week—Oklahoma and Texas.

But following the huge wins, the Razorbacks fell back down to earth, losing all but one game in SEC play. Pig-Su- eee is 1-8 in conference play and averages 75 points a game.

The Razorbacks have traditionally given the Cats trouble in Fayetteville, the series is knotted at 4-4 in the Bud Walton Arena.

The Cats do have their hands full with the Razorbacks, but another win will be another step in disproving; “There are no second acts in American lives.”

For Big Blue nation, they can only hope.

Game tips off at 1 pm on CBS.

Kentucky faced a must win Tuesday night and with less than 20 seconds left, the score was tied at 65
Kentucky had the ball.

Of course the last shot would go to Kentucky’s shooter and SEC’s leading scorer- Jodie Meeks.

The capacity crowd, ESPN’s national audience, and the Florida Gators all knew it.

But somehow, as the seconds ticked away Meeks threw up an ugly shot which landed in the basket.

“That was the first time since I was in eighth grade that I made the game winning shot”, said Jodie Meeks.

The miraculous shot put the Wildcats up 3 with less than 10 seconds to go. Keep the ball out of Florida’s playmaker Nick Calathes’ hand and the Cats would win and all would be happy in the Bluegrass.

However, as Florida drove the court, Calathes threw up a three point shot of his own, missed but was fouled. Three free throws—for Florida’s leading scorer—made overtime a guarantee.

“After the foul I thought we would go to overtime. Calathes is a great player that normally makes those shots”, said Meeks after the game.

But, Calathes missed the first, the second, and the third.

Kentucky won 68-65, forced a four way tie atop the SEC East, and snapped a three game losing streak.

Following the game, outside the Florida Gator locker room, words of anger reverberated out of the Florida locker room. A frustrated Billy Donnavan screamed at his team and his players shared their displeasure with the outcome.

Keeping his head down, lacking eye contact, and obviously frustrated, Nick Calathes who scored 33 points in the game explained; “I would rather have scored 5 points and won.”

Kentucky showed heart and seemed to come together Tuesday night.

With Patrick Patterson unable to find his shot down low and Jodie Meeks unable produce all the offensive production, the rest of the Cats were able to pick up the slack.
Josh Harrelson, Kevin Galloway, and Michael Porter(Yes, Michael Porter), scored in double digits to help the Cats ge the victory.

The most impressive player had to be Kevin Galloway. The freshman drove the floor and made his way to the basket with such confidence all game. His play helped spark Kentucky’s late 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter.

The win was huge for the Wildcats as they are now in a four-way tie for first place in the SEC East. Kentucky’s back in the NCAA possible teams to make the big tournament in March and seem primed to make a run the remainder of the season.

Showdown in the Bluegrass!

KEYS TO KENTUCKY WIN-

With three straight losses and Kentucky status going from contender to pretender, Tuesday, it is essential for the Cats to get back on track.

1) Guard the picks- Billy Donovan’s Gators are a notorious pick and roll team. A majority of their points come off screens. Kentucky must stick with a strong defensive attack, get off the screens, and guard their men.

2) Be Physical- As Gator radio voice, Mark Wise sums up, the Gators do not have a real post presence. Lacking a big man, Kentucky must get the ball down low, be physical, and dominate the boards. Florida’s lack of size has them ranked in the bottom of the SEC in rebounds per game.

3) Hit the shots around the perimeter- This season, the Gators have struggled in guarding teams that shoot well outside—Florida State, Tennessee, and Syracuse. Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks needs to be on the mark, as he has shown to be explosive from behind the arc.

4) Team Up- Patrick Patterson said that the team needed to come together and be a family. Family…well, after Mississippi State, family was NOT the word used with this team as chairs, words, and pointed fingers were flying. This game is a true test to the team’s character as they face adversity and a must win situation.

A lot must happen for the Cats to win against the Gators tomorrow. The Wildcats must be on the mark and regain the first half of their SEC play, that had them reach #24 in the polls and dominate opponents by a margin of 15.2 points a game. The Gators are a formidable opponent and will be a good litmus test for Kentucky’s chances to reach the Big Dance that is 5 weeks away!

Prediction

Kentucky 82

Florida 79

Florida v Kentucky has a lot riding on the game...

As Saturday concluded and Tennessee lost to the lowly Auburn Tigers, there is now, no doubt in my mind that maybe two or three teams will make the NCAA tournament.

With the SEC a clear laughing stock, basketball wise, Kentucky is fighting for a slot to the dance, which might only take a few bids from their conference.

Coming in with a three game losing streak, everyone is looking answers.

“We need to come together, regroup, and get back to being a family,” said Patrick Patterson.

The sentiment of “family” was not shown following the loss to Mississippi State last Tuesday night. Following the loss in which they were clearly dominated, a locker room mutiny occurred. Chairs were thrown, voices were raised, and fingers were pointed. Obviously frustrated, the Wildcats are at a cross roads and are in need for answers quickly.

Cats must regain composure and it must start Tuesday night against the Florida Gators.

Historically, Florida Gator basketball did not strike fear in the heart of the Big Blue faithful; the Wildcats have dominated the series winning 85 and only losing 31 times.

But in the past four years, Kentucky has been outmanned, out played, and out willed by Billy Donavan’s team.

Florida has won 7 of 8 games against the Cats and blames the 8th game (last year which Kentucky won at the end of the regular season), to the reason for them missing the NCAA tournament.

With a new basketball rivalry emerging, two teams in turmoil, someone will have to make a statement and for a legitimate case to make the dance in March.

This game means a whole lot for both schools.

Game time Tuesday 9 pm ESPN