UK vs Ohio State 2011

[Jireh]

Man, what a game that was. Not just because it was a huge win for UK, but it was just a classic, well-played game. Josh Harrellson will go down as one of my all-time favorite cats. And we could use a defender like Liggins now - wouldn't that be nice? And this may be an unpopular take, but I was never a huge fan of Brandon Knight. And his reaction after hitting the winning shot in that game soils the win just a little. I know he was flashing the jersey, but he literally fought off his celebrating teammates to flash his jersey by himself. I never liked that. But the other 99.9999% of that game is one of my favorite memories. Two hours of gut-wrenching tension followed by euphoria!

 

[STL_Cat]

You said the thing out loud about Knight that I was thinking. Forever grateful for that huge shot and a fun season at PG, but I was also never his biggest fan.

Also one of my favorite tournament games of the Cal era here.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

You said the thing out loud about Knight that I was thinking. Forever grateful for that huge shot and a fun season at PG, but I was also never his biggest fan.

Also one of my favorite tournament games of the Cal era here.

Knight crapped the bed against UConn and ended up having one of the worst shooting performances in Kentucky history. 6/23 from the field, and he was 5/22 up until the point where he made that meaningless three to end the game.

If the dude had just been "awful" instead of "abysmal", we would have won it all that year. It's a shame Calipari let him have a green light in that game. More offense through Jones or Lamb is the way they should have gone once it was clear Knight wasn't on. Calipari has a bad habit of letting certain guys shoot us out of tournament games (Reeves, Knight, Ty Ty, Grady, Murray, Herro).

 

[Ripcord65]

Well, I'm glad to take a contrary position in this thread, for at least three reasons. First, we don't even get to the final game against UConn without Knight's winning jumper against Ohio State ! Second, Knight led us to the win in the next game against UNC with a game-high 22 points on 5-11 from deep. I think Knight was a great player and is underappreciated for the very reason cited in this thread - that he had a bad shooting game against UConn. Third ... and this is almost as important to me ... during that entire season and the season before it, I got sick and tired of all of the commentators talking about how great Aaron Craft was - particularly as a defender. Listen ... I'm old and white, and when I play a little high school ball I was white and slow, no unlike Aaron Craft. With that said, I'll always think the only reason Craft got all of those kudos was because he was a smaller white guy (as happened many times in many instances for many years before 2011). I never, ever saw anything out of Craft that justified all of the commentators praising him all the time. So when Knight absolutely took Craft to school and hit that game-winning jumper right over Craft, it immeasurably enhanced my enjoyment of that win over Ohio State !

 

[Lempface]

This thread is pretty humorous to me. Game was great and even though 99.9999% of it was perfect let me also bring up the 0.0001% of the game I found fault with. Bizarre.

 

[Jireh]

Well, I'm glad to take a contrary position in this thread, for at least three reasons. First, we don't even get to the final game against UConn without Knight's winning jumper against Ohio State ! Second, Knight led us to the win in the next game against UNC with a game-high 22 points on 5-11 from deep. I think Knight was a great player and is underappreciated for the very reason cited in this thread - that he had a bad shooting game against UConn. Third ... and this is almost as important to me ... during that entire season and the season before it, I got sick and tired of all of the commentators talking about how great Aaron Craft was - particularly as a defender. Listen ... I'm old and white, and when I play a little high school ball I was white and slow, no unlike Aaron Craft. With that said, I'll always think the only reason Craft got all of those kudos was because he was a smaller white guy (as happened many times in many instances for many years before 2011). I never, ever saw anything out of Craft that justified all of the commentators praising him all the time. So when Knight absolutely took Craft to school and hit that game-winning jumper right over Craft, it immeasurably enhanced my enjoyment of that win over Ohio State !

My opinion of Knight has nothing to do with any particular game, including the UConn game. It's just a personal preference. He was a good college player, I just never developed any affection for him like I have some of the other one-and-done's.

 

[Jireh]

This thread is pretty humorous to me. Game was great and even though 99.9999% of it was perfect let me also bring up the 0.0001% of the game I found fault with. Bizarre.

Glad I was able to bring a little humor to your day.

 

[SosaUK1987]

Knight crapped the bed against UConn and ended up having one of the worst shooting performances in Kentucky history. 6/23 from the field, and he was 5/22 up until the point where he made that meaningless three to end the game.

If the dude had just been "awful" instead of "abysmal", we would have won it all that year. It's a shame Calipari let him have a green light in that game. More offense through Jones or Lamb is the way they should have gone once it was clear Knight wasn't on. Calipari has a bad habit of letting certain guys shoot us out of tournament games (Reeves, Knight, Ty Ty, Grady, Murray, Herro).

Well, I'm glad to take a contrary position in this thread, for at least three reasons. First, we don't even get to the final game against UConn without Knight's winning jumper against Ohio State ! Second, Knight led us to the win in the next game against UNC with a game-high 22 points on 5-11 from deep. I think Knight was a great player and is underappreciated for the very reason cited in this thread - that he had a bad shooting game against UConn. Third ... and this is almost as important to me ... during that entire season and the season before it, I got sick and tired of all of the commentators talking about how great Aaron Craft was - particularly as a defender. Listen ... I'm old and white, and when I play a little high school ball I was white and slow, no unlike Aaron Craft. With that said, I'll always think the only reason Craft got all of those kudos was because he was a smaller white guy (as happened many times in many instances for many years before 2011). I never, ever saw anything out of Craft that justified all of the commentators praising him all the time. So when Knight absolutely took Craft to school and hit that game-winning jumper right over Craft, it immeasurably enhanced my enjoyment of that win over Ohio State !

Agree with you both. Lol

 

[FurdTerguson]

My two lasting images of that game...
1. That last Ohio State shot. Just like the last Duke shot in 98 and the last Wichita State shot and last Wisconsin shot in 14, it was Pucker Time.
2. Harrelson throwing that ball off of Sullinger. That and the play where he went after a UNC player the next game, Jorts looked like a crazy man.

 

[Jireh]

My two lasting images of that game...
1. That last Ohio State shot. Just like the last Duke shot in 98 and the last Wichita State shot and last Wisconsin shot in 14, it was Pucker Time.
2. Harrelson throwing that ball off of Sullinger. That and the play where he went after a UNC player the next game, Jorts looked like a crazy man.

Yes! It's like those shots were in the air forever! But the one in the Ohio State game, you could see it was a little off, but I was still puckering and praying! And yes, Jorts was a crazy man in that tournament. I'd take him back in a heartbeat!

 

[gbl97]

If the dude had just been "awful" instead of "abysmal", we would have won it all that year.

Isn't it crazy how often our seasons have ended with player(s) having not just a bad game, but their worst of the whole season? Unthinkably bad in some cases.

2010: Team shoots 4-32 from three (and still almost wins)
2011: Starting guards shoot 8-37 from the field (lost by one)
2016: Best shooter Jamal Murray 1-9 from three
2017: * Higgins
2018: PJ Washington 8-20 from the FT line (lost by 3)
2019: Team shoots 5-21 from three (loses in OT)
2022: Best shooter Kellen Grady 1-9 from the field
2023: Best shooter Antonio Reeves 1-15 from the field

Just suck a little less and we advance.

 

[FurdTerguson]

Isn't it crazy how often our seasons have ended with player(s) having not just a bad game, but their worst of the whole season? Unthinkably bad in some cases.

2010: Team shoots 4-32 from three (and still almost wins)
2011: Starting guards shoot 8-37 from the field (lost by one)
2016: Best shooter Jamal Murray 1-9 from three
2017: * Higgins
2018: PJ Washington 8-20 from the FT line (lost by 3)
2019: Team shoots 5-21 from three (loses in OT)
2022: Best shooter Kellen Grady 1-9 from the field
2023: Best shooter Antonio Reeves 1-15 from the field

Just suck a little less and we advance.

True, but that's the tournament for you. Works both ways. Remember the Wofford kid who had the most career three pointers and was something like 0-for-14 against us?

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

My favorite thing of the Ohio State win was how Clark Kellogg was somehow elevated to be with Nantz as the #1 team and he went silent...didn't say a damn thing..just deafening silence after that loss.

 

[ManitouDan]

Well, I'm glad to take a contrary position in this thread, for at least three reasons. First, we don't even get to the final game against UConn without Knight's winning jumper against Ohio State ! Second, Knight led us to the win in the next game against UNC with a game-high 22 points on 5-11 from deep. I think Knight was a great player and is underappreciated for the very reason cited in this thread - that he had a bad shooting game against UConn. Third ... and this is almost as important to me ... during that entire season and the season before it, I got sick and tired of all of the commentators talking about how great Aaron Craft was - particularly as a defender. Listen ... I'm old and white, and when I play a little high school ball I was white and slow, no unlike Aaron Craft. With that said, I'll always think the only reason Craft got all of those kudos was because he was a smaller white guy (as happened many times in many instances for many years before 2011). I never, ever saw anything out of Craft that justified all of the commentators praising him all the time. So when Knight absolutely took Craft to school and hit that game-winning jumper right over Craft, it immeasurably enhanced my enjoyment of that win over Ohio State !

As someone who loathes Tosu and dishes out the trash talk AND was living in Ohio at the time I literally went screaming down the street .. me neighbors knew I bled blue ..I flew a Kentucky flag from my front porch !!!! So to torch that Pee Wee Hermann looking prick Aaron craft and horrifically over rated grab your ass defense .. and stick the game winning J over his face .. one of my favorite moments ever . Suck it Tosu . Forever !!!

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

 

[SkyPrince1]

I loved the Knight jersey pop myself.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Knight crapped the bed against UConn and ended up having one of the worst shooting performances in Kentucky history. 6/23 from the field, and he was 5/22 up until the point where he made that meaningless three to end the game.

If the dude had just been "awful" instead of "abysmal", we would have won it all that year. It's a shame Calipari let him have a green light in that game. More offense through Jones or Lamb is the way they should have gone once it was clear Knight wasn't on. Calipari has a bad habit of letting certain guys shoot us out of tournament games (Reeves, Knight, Ty Ty, Grady, Murray, Herro).

That is a coach thing, not a Calipari thing
You trust your best scorers to makes something happen. You can adjust, sure but at end of the day those guys have to perform.

Look back at UNC in '95, Arizona in '97, heck, UCLA in 1975.

Delk- 7/21, 5/14
Padgett- 5/16, 3/12

Cal has had several all systems failure games though. '10, '19 2H, '22

 

[UkMccurdy]

The short memories on here are unreal. We DONT even beat 13 seed Princeton in the first round without a Brandon Knight game winning runner.

Brandon Knight was epic that postseason run. He struggled shooting in that cavernous dome in Houston, but he was hardly alone in not being at one’s best.

Jones went 0-5 from the ft line. Think that might have hurt any? Harrelson had the flu that week and wasn’t 100%. It was a bad day and the Cats blew it. That was hardly on Brandon Knight.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

I'd forgotten how unlikeable that OSU team was...from their pukey little, cherub faced, wojo-esque p.g. to their over-rated, flat-footed, josh harrelson punked center.

EDIT: also forgot how much I loved Liggins' game. Worth 10 points just on the defensive end when guarding the opponents p.g.

 

[ukfan041]

Knights layup vs Princeton made that whole run possible! Always been a huge Knight fan!

 

[TopCatCal]

Isn't it crazy how often our seasons have ended with player(s) having not just a bad game, but their worst of the whole season? Unthinkably bad in some cases.

2010: Team shoots 4-32 from three (and still almost wins)
2011: Starting guards shoot 8-37 from the field (lost by one)
2016: Best shooter Jamal Murray 1-9 from three
2017: * Higgins
2018: PJ Washington 8-20 from the FT line (lost by 3)
2019: Team shoots 5-21 from three (loses in OT)
2022: Best shooter Kellen Grady 1-9 from the field
2023: Best shooter Antonio Reeves 1-15 from the field

Just suck a little less and we advance.

The 2011 team in it's loss to UCONN also was only 4-12 at the free throw line

 

[king of cali]

The short memories on here are unreal. We DONT even beat 13 seed Princeton in the first round without a Brandon Knight game winning runner.

Brandon Knight was epic that postseason run. He struggled shooting in that cavernous dome in Houston, but he was hardly alone in not being at one’s best.

Jones went 0-5 from the ft line. Think that might have hurt any? Harrelson had the flu that week and wasn’t 100%. It was a bad day and the Cats blew it. That was hardly on Brandon Knight.

Perfectly stated. Knight gets all the blame for shooting poorly when the entire team couldn’t throw it in the ocean. Someone stated below that they were 4/12 from the free throw line in a 1 point loss. Jones was 0/5 by himself.

Knight was the best player on that team. Of course he’s gonna get some leeway when it comes to trying to get himself going.

 

[michaeluk26]

Perfectly stated. Knight gets all the blame for shooting poorly when the entire team couldn’t throw it in the ocean. Someone stated below that they were 4/12 from the free throw line in a 1 point loss. Jones was 0/5 by himself.

Knight was the best player on that team. Of course he’s gonna get some leeway when it comes to trying to get himself going.

That was the worst shooting % over 3 games in final four history so it wasn't just us. The sight lines and depth perception were horrible and messed up all four teams and all 3 games. They've had a whole different setup for regional and final fours since.

Totally agree about Knight. He hit the game winner vs Princeton, dropped 30 something in a very close game vs West Virginia, game winner vs Ohio State and our leading scorer in another thriller vs UNC. He also had the unfortunate spot as the guy after John Wall. I'm not about to blame him for UCONN.

 

[kyjeff1]

True, but that's the tournament for you. Works both ways. Remember the Wofford kid who had the most career three pointers and was something like 0-for-14 against us?

Yeah, Fletcher Mcgee, but here’s the thing, Cal put tall athletic defenders on him and they smothered him.

The abysmal shooting performances spelled out earlier are from guys simply missing shots they had hit all year. Nobody was guarding PJ when he went 8-20 from the ft line.

 

[kyjeff1]

I loved the Knight jersey pop myself.

Yeah, I did too. He wasn't flashing his own name, he was popping the KENTUCKY part of his jersey to the crowd that undoubtedly taunted him all game long. I never knew that was an issue.

If he was pointing to his own name, that would be different.
These guys have to realize, he had just hit a game winner to take down the overall one seed, I mean, if that was any of us on here, we would go bonkers too, I know I would and I would shove that UK jersey right into the cameras.

I don't understand the hate here.

 

[kyjeff1]

I guess I don't understand how a UK fan could hate this, Knight is repping KENTUCKY with his actions. Isn't this what we want our players to do???

 

[Wonky]

I'd forgotten how unlikeable that OSU team was...from their pukey little, cherub faced, wojo-esque p.g. to their over-rated, flat-footed, josh harrelson punked center.

EDIT: also forgot how much I loved Liggins' game. Worth 10 points just on the defensive end when guarding the opponents p.g.

Liggins was such a dog. Talked so much shit… stayed in opponents heads all game. Lamb same way. When was the last time we had a guy like that?

 

[postmodernprimate]

I guess I don't understand how a UK fan could hate this, Knight is repping KENTUCKY with his actions. Isn't this what we want our players to do???

A-fing-men

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

As someone who loathes Tosu and dishes out the trash talk AND was living in Ohio at the time I literally went screaming down the street .. me neighbors knew I bled blue ..I flew a Kentucky flag from my front porch !!!! So to torch that Pee Wee Hermann looking prick Aaron craft and horrifically over rated grab your ass defense .. and stick the game winning J over his face .. one of my favorite moments ever . Suck it Tosu . Forever !!!

After beating them in basketball?? I lived in N. Ohio for years, and I barely remember anyone following them.

Maybe I’m not up on how good TOSU was that year in hoops.

 

[Wonky]

After beating them in basketball?? I lived in N. Ohio for years, and I barely remember anyone following them.

Maybe I’m not up on how good TOSU was that year in hoops.

They were very good. They were the #1 overall seed, full of upperclassmen. They made the FF the following year when we won it all.

 

[Nubb16]

So BK crapped the bed in a bug game, and now let’s crush him for it LOL. BK carried them to that FF. and he hit the final shot that would’ve won the game but we were a point shy due to phantom foul. BK got us there no wonder Cal allowed him to shoot it. That team overachieved with 3s and small ball. Super fun team to watch. And btw I loved his reaction. If you didn’t love him flashing that KENTUCKY on the front then you must not love Keith Bogans and Fitch either. Shitty take by a few in this thread and I can’t even put the kid gloves on and tell you I respect your rake while disagreeing lol. BK was the Fonzerelli of that team. Doron couldn’t create his own shot or get down on D like BK, that’s why he never stayed in the league.