UK to go undefeated?

[mgtr]

Looking at the balcne of their schedule, it is hard to see where they will lose. Louisville, maybe. They have already played the tough part of their OOC schedule, so may be smooth sailing from now on. What do you folks think -- any surprises in that schedule?

[Bob Green]

I'll take the field. Playing on the road in conference is tough and Kentucky has to play @ Florida, @ Tennessee, @ Vanderbilt, and @ South Carolina for starters. Then you have the SEC tournament and NCAA Big Dance. I say there is no way Kentucky goes undefeated.

[Grey Devil]

Ain't no way Kentucky is going undefeated. It's a long, long season and someone will catch them on an off night. I'd pick Florida and Tennessee (at home) as the most likely ones to beat them, but there are other candidates, too.

Grey Devil

[sleepybear]

I bet they have three or four losses going into NCAA tourney. The team is so young and is only a bad break or two a way from already having a couple losses. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them lose tomorrow at Indiana.

[brevity]

What do you folks think -- any surprises in that schedule?

This question assumes a preset schedule, which means regular season only.

Bear in mind that Kentucky's schedule (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/clubhouse?teamId=96) has a clean separation between nonconference opponents (first 15 games) and SEC opponents (last 16 games). That's a long time to wear a target on your back. While most people believe that the SEC slate is less of a grind than the ACC slate, it's still a grind, and not one that Kentucky's freshmen are used to seeing.

Aside from the road opponents already suggested, I think that LSU has a good chance on their own floor.

[moonpie23]

they DO have that john wall guy......which means it's possible for them to win ANY game..

[tbyers11]

Looking at the balcne of their schedule, it is hard to see where they will lose. Louisville, maybe. They have already played the tough part of their OOC schedule, so may be smooth sailing from now on. What do you folks think -- any surprises in that schedule?

I agree KY doesn't have an imposing OOC schedule left but we are talking about a very young team that could have easily lost three games (Miami (OH), Stanford and UConn) if one possession in the last 20 seconds of each game had gone differently. The same KY team that hasn't played a road game yet. They could easily lose at Indiana or against Louisville.

[whereinthehellami]

UK plays to the competetion and to the lights. They are the kind of team that could get upset by teams that can't fill their stadiums. In other words if its not a big game than they don't always show up.

[DukieBoy]

They won't go undefeated. They're losing to IU tomorrow :)

[ChicagoCrazy84]

There is talk seemingly every year of a team going undefeated and it never happens. There is no chance Kentucky goes undefeated. I actually think KU has a better chance, but they'll be playing @Texas, @Texas AM, Oklahoma so that will not happen either. It'd be hilarious if Kentucky started out like Clemson did 2 years ago and finished like them as well. Anyway, way too many good players spread out across the country for anyone going undefeated these days.

[Kedsy]

Last year at this time people were suggesting UNC could go undefeated, and though that team was light years better than this Kentucky team (and though they did unfortunately win the national championship), they didn't come close to going undefeated (4 losses). IMO, this conversation should never be held (with a straight face, anyway) about any team before mid-February.

[RoyalBlue08]

There is no way that team goes undefeated. The can't even play consistantly for 40 mins in any one game. They are so young, and freshmen are nothing if not inconsistent. And it's not like they have been blowing people out. They have already won a number of close games. I put the under/over at 4 losses before tournament time.

[jv001]

Teams that can make Kentucky play a half court game will have a chance to beat them. They're very talented but really young and that will probably catch up with them sooner of later. Go Duke!

[airowe]

There is no way that team goes undefeated. The can't even play consistantly for 40 mins in any one game. They are so young, and freshmen are nothing if not inconsistent. And it's not like they have been blowing people out. They have already won a number of close games. I put the under/over at 4 losses before tournament time.

I'll take the over on that one. We've already seen how much different of a team UK is without Wall on the court. A couple more leg cramps or some foul trouble and that team will look as lost as they did in the 2nd half against the pUNCs.

What a short memory we have too. As someone noted earlier in the thread, that shot by John Wall at the end of the Miami(OH) game is off and they already have a loss.

I don't trust Cousins either. His lack of maturity will come back to bite them during tourney time.

[sagegrouse]

Looking at the balcne of their schedule, it is hard to see where they will lose. Louisville, maybe. They have already played the tough part of their OOC schedule, so may be smooth sailing from now on. What do you folks think -- any surprises in that schedule?

Kentucky is probably the fastest car on the race course. I would be concerned about its rough steering and balky brakes.

I think a spinout can occur at any time -- likely to a huge underdog.

sagegrouse
'Five loss team, but very dangerous come NCAA time'

[crimsonandblue]

If any three good teams commit to zoning them, they'll lose one or two of those games. When Dodson and Miller aren't connecting from deep, Wall's balky jumper is about all they have.

I don't think, as a team, they're a good enough passing team to consistently beat a zone without stretching the defense with perimeter shooting.

But they are pretty solid.

As for Kansas, we're coming to a stretch of games against kids with two arms and two legs. We'll see how we fare against those guys before worrying about any long winning streak.

[BlueintheFace]

Four losses at least. Most likely more. If you have seen them play a few times, there is no reason to believe they will go undefeated.

[KenTankerous]

I'm a UK fan in love with a Dukie. I come here for intelligent, above the rim chat about college hoops bent strongly toward the ACC and Duke in particular.

And you wanna talk about KY going undefeated?

What next, a John Wall first overall pick in the draft salary speculation love thread?

UK's going to drop the ball @ Auburn, @South Carolina and then @ home to Vandy.

At least...

[1999ballboy]

5 losses minimum. The SEC is weak, but KY has already had too many close games to breeze through that conference like, say, Memphis through C-USA the past few years.

[jipops]

I'm betting this thread ends today at IU.

[moonpie23]

doesn't look like that now.....cats up 18

[dukelifer]

doesn't look like that now.....cats up 18

Looks like Bledsoe is unstoppable today.

[jipops]

I'm betting this thread ends today at IU.

I'm wrong again, SHOCKER!

[FerryFor50]

The more I watch Kentucky, the angrier I get. Wall, Patterson, Bledsoe... all pursued by Duke. All great players. Sigh.

[Bluedog]

The more I watch Kentucky, the angrier I get. Wall, Patterson, Bledsoe... all pursued by Duke. All great players. Sigh.

Bledsoe was NEVER offered a scholarship (due to academic concerns). So, while Duke looked at him, you can't say we were ever in contention as the coaching staff wasn't interested enough to give him a scholarship. The other two....yeah....

Getting back to the main topic, there's no way UK will go undefeated. Not experienced enough, not good enough. Probably talented enough though, but no matter how talented a team is, they almost always slip up at some point. I would be absolutely SHOCKED to see them stay undefeated through the regular season.

[_Gary]

The more I watch Kentucky, the angrier I get. Wall, Patterson, Bledsoe... all pursued by Duke. All great players. Sigh.

It is a tad hard not to at least sigh a little. But I love our guys and like what Gene Hackman said, "I would hope you will support who we are, not who we are not."

[FerryFor50]

It is a tad hard not to at least sigh a little. But I love our guys and like what Gene Hackman said, "I would hope you will support who we are, not who we are not."

Oh absolutely. But Patterson especially seems like such a great kid, just like Dejuan Blair, who I think we also pursued.

[Kedsy]

Oh absolutely. But Patterson especially seems like such a great kid, just like Dejuan Blair, who I think we also pursued.

I've never heard we pursued DeJuan Blair. Where did you hear that? He wasn't very highly rated coming out of high school.

[Indoor66]

I've never heard we pursued DeJuan Blair. Where did you hear that? He wasn't very highly rated coming out of high school.

I don't think we ever pursued him. He was overweight and had serious ACL questions in High School.

[FireOgilvie]

Oh absolutely. But Patterson especially seems like such a great kid, just like Dejuan Blair, who I think we also pursued.

We didn't actually go after Blair, but I heard that he would have strongly considered Duke if he was offered. I'm not sure when he said that, but I remember hearing about it before we played Pitt.


Wall only had 1 turnover today and 8 assists as he was not forced to be the go-to scorer on offense. He played very much in control and didn't really force anything too much. I think the key to Kentucky's success is their defense. They didn't hustle at all in the first half on defense. There were several times when Wall was lazy and played off his man too much, which led to multiple points.

[GLTBD]

"I would hope you will support who we are, not who we are not."

Great quote.

[dukelifer]

The more I watch Kentucky, the angrier I get. Wall, Patterson, Bledsoe... all pursued by Duke. All great players. Sigh.
Why have you elevated Bledsoe to the status of great already?

[ScreechTDX1847]

To think UK will go undefeated is silly. ;)

[SMO]

Why have you elevated Bledsoe to the status of great already?

Probably because Duke might have been interested in him at some point, so now he's considered a "lost" recruit, which by definition means he will be great. That's the tone on the board these days!

[juise]

Louisville, maybe.

I know it's a rivalry game, so anything could happen but...

Louisville lost to Western Carolina (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=293460097) at home(!) today. The Cardinals' other losses are to Charlotte (by 22, also at home) and UNLV. I'm not optimistic about them handling the 'Cats, but you never know.

Speaking of UK, do we think that three threads about them on the first page is enough?

[FerryFor50]

Why have you elevated Bledsoe to the status of great already?

Have you not watched him this year? Looks pretty good to me...

[phaedrus]

Probably because Duke might have been interested in him at some point, so now he's considered a "lost" recruit, which by definition means he will be great. That's the tone on the board these days!

Seriously. How else can you explain why people think of Wall, Patterson, and Monroe as "great"?

[weezie]

Probably because Duke might have been interested in him at some point, so now he's considered a "lost" recruit, which by definition means he will be great. That's the tone on the board these days!

Yeah, quite a few hair-shirt orders here lately. Woe is 'dem.

[FerryFor50]

Seriously. How else can you explain why people think of Wall, Patterson, and Monroe as "great"?

Either I'm missing the sarcasm here, or you haven't been watching these guys.

And maybe the word "great" is hyperbole. But so far, they've looked like they'd have fit right in at Duke.

[DukieBoy]

Coming from an IU student, Kentucky looked good in many different ways.

First, John Wall didn't play like his NPOY status he's been elevated too. Even then, he still directed the team magnificently and hit some momentum ending shots.

Second, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins are great big men. They tore up the offensive boards and in general were great big men. Both made great offensive and defensive plays.

Lastly, Eric Bledsoe looked very good. He is a great complement to Wall and made a name for himself today. He made some great plays, taking Wall's place.

Overall, Kentucky's a well-rounded team, but it didn't seem like the bench got much playing time. I might not have been payin much attention, but I do recall that Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, and Patterson were in the game with a minute left and the team up 20, which I thought was ridiculous. The game was over with about 4 or 5 minutes left, but Calipari left his starters in and kept running up the score. He lost more respect points from me today.

[ScreechTDX1847]

Coming from an IU student, Kentucky looked good in many different ways.

First, John Wall didn't play like his NPOY status he's been elevated too. Even then, he still directed the team magnificently and hit some momentum ending shots.

Second, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins are great big men. They tore up the offensive boards and in general were great big men. Both made great offensive and defensive plays.

Lastly, Eric Bledsoe looked very good. He is a great complement to Wall and made a name for himself today. He made some great plays, taking Wall's place.

Overall, Kentucky's a well-rounded team, but it didn't seem like the bench got much playing time. I might not have been payin much attention, but I do recall that Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, and Patterson were in the game with a minute left and the team up 20, which I thought was ridiculous. The game was over with about 4 or 5 minutes left, but Calipari left his starters in and kept running up the score. He lost more respect points from me today.

I have never subscribed to condemning a team for "running up the score". You can either defend the team or not. If I was a coach I would try to score as many points as possible every time out. There should be no mercy in sports.:D

[ScreechTDX1847]

I have never subscribed to condemning a team for "running up the score". You can either defend the team or not. If I was a coach I would try to score as many points as possible every time out. There should be no mercy in sports.:D

P.S. I am not defending Calipari. He still sucks in a myriad of other different ways.:p

[sagegrouse]

I have never subscribed to condemning a team for "running up the score". You can either defend the team or not. If I was a coach I would try to score as many points as possible every time out. There should be no mercy in sports.:D

I agree. Play every possession as though the world depended on it. Put your best players on the court. Tell the team to play the way they've been coached, no matter the score.

Billy Tubbs, when coaching at Oklahoma, beat a team by something like 112-32.

"What," the reporter asked, "do you say to coach when you have beaten his team by 80 points?"

"Can you come back next year?" answered Tubbs.

sagegrouse

[DukieBoy]

I have never subscribed to condemning a team for "running up the score". You can either defend the team or not. If I was a coach I would try to score as many points as possible every time out. There should be no mercy in sports.:D

Well I'm all for players continually playing hard, but why have the starters in when your up 20 with 3 minutes left?

[dynastydefender]

I'm a UK fan in love with a Dukie. I come here for intelligent, above the rim chat about college hoops bent strongly toward the ACC and Duke in particular.

And you wanna talk about KY going undefeated?

What next, a John Wall first overall pick in the draft salary speculation love thread?

UK's going to drop the ball @ Auburn, @South Carolina and then @ home to Vandy.

At least...

Long time no see kentank!!! I agree.....you can't win them all and this year's UK team won't. Although an undefeated UK team would be nice....It is just too early to tell and Tennessee isn't going to lay down. In fact...Louisville may just be the team to dish out the humble pie to the Wildcats. I wouldn't mind that at all. It's an in-state thing.

[KYtotheCore]

I'm betting this thread ends today at IU.

Well, we all see how the IU thing turned out,yet I am still unable to believe that KY goes undefeated. We've beaten the ones I thought would be the ones we'd lose to. Based on that, I can't pick a specific team in our future that is going to do it, yet I feel like it's unlikely to go undefeated. Possible, but unlikely.

[chris13]

My question isn't how many Kentucky will win, but what the odds are that their wins will be vacated 3 to 5 years hence when Calipari ends up doing what he did at UMASS and Memphis.

[mus074]

Kentucky will beat themselves this year. They simply cannot go undefeated. While the opposition has appeared tough so far, Kentucky generally plays to the level of their competition. Their SOS is ranked 242nd by Pomeroy and 226th by Sagarin. Frankly, UNC is mostly hype and potential. The Heels' "body of work" so far ranks them 47th (Pomeroy) and 23rd (Sagarin). I am just not convinced the Cats are the real deal. Wall is a major talent for the next level, no doubt, and Patterson provides some much needed poise. But they are turning the ball over 23.5% of the times down the floor, ranking 280th. That number needs to be well below 20% for them to run the table in the regular season. If a team can combine creating UK turnovers with decent defensive rebounding, any team stands a shot against them.

UK will beat themselves this year.