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It looked like Travis Ford

The 2nd half of the Arkansas game I swear Reed Shephard looked like Travis Ford. It took 30 years straight to EVER say to myself:
"Hey that looked like Travis Ford on that layup, on that steal, on that assist, on that 3 pointer."
Anyway just wondering if anybody else felt the ghost of the Great One, Travis Ford, in Reed recently.

FB Recruiting UK a very strong option for Lakota West LB Grant Beerman


Kentucky's very strong here. Two visits to UK and Marrow/White checked in on him recently.

Former UK player Will Mahome is on staff there, and he fistbumps all the players with a UK bowl ring as a pregame ritual every time out.

UGO - Silver Lining

For all of you that said UGO wouldn’t give us anything this season, yall were way off. Unbelievable stat like for him in last night’s game. Hell, he almost fvcked around and got a triple double: 13 points, 16 boards, 2 steals and 8 blocks, while shooting 5/6 at the line. Wow!

He’s our best big. We desperately need one of the three 7 footers to be good, and it looks like he’s answering the bell.

I was so wrong, were you?

I fell for it once again. Looking at this teams deep roster of talent, and Cal finally starting Ugo and Reed seemed like not only would the Florida game be a run away but that this is/was a championship level team. Plus, I believe I read here that Cal was having the team practice a zone defense with Big Z in the middle.

Well, instead of a run away easy game it was once again a one-dimensional defense although Ugo was fantastic. We allow opponents to comfortably run their offense without any effort to change their tempo (no press, no zones, no nothing different). Unfortunately, Mitchell was not hitting outside shots in this game. Is the combination with Ugo not favorable for him? Typical again that Cal made what seemed like no adjustments or my continued issue I post where he does not appear to ever coach a player to stop during a game to stop doing something clearly not working. After the first half, why not instruct Mitchell to take the ball inside and not shoot the open 3's he is not hitting for this game. Remember Anthony Davis in the Championship game in the second half said he was not on target offensively so he would defer. Why he had to figure that out and not Cal is an example of what I mean. In fact, Cal has even been quoted suggesting the player needs to "figure it out."

I know many are down on Cal and I have resisted that impression for many years. But, whatever he is doing is not working and hasn't for a number of years. I know some suggest (including him) that the Covid cancellation was a team that may have won it all. Really? Easy to say but that doesn't make it true. If not this year then when? Our future recruits don't include some over the top elite elite elite recruit and with many of the current one and done, I don't see where there's a true championship shot again in the foreseeable future. It may be scary and a step back temporarily, but Cal has to go. I never thought I would reach that conclusion but it is the case for our program.

Basketball Postgame Press Conference - UK vs. FLORIDA

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UK HEAD COACH JOHN CALIPARI Q&A:

* Asked about why they didn't foul on the 3 at the end of regulation, Calipari says he thought there was too much time left and they wanted to play it out. I *think* he says he wanted to force them to take a 2. (I need to go back and listen to that again, but not sure what that means.). Says that's basketball. Whatever decision you make, you're a genius or it goes the other way.

* Asked about lack of subs the final 10+ minutes of regulation, says it was just kinda how they needed to play it. Says he used to play guys 39 minutes a lot at UMass. Hard to mentally stay engaged in a game like that with guys playing so many minutes. Whenever you ask a guy if he's OK, they'll all say they want to play.

* Thinks Reed played great, probably a bit tired at the end on the defensive breakdown.

* Ugo was exhausted, but he really played great. That's why I left him in. The way he played, we needed to win that game. Didn't really have many options for subs. Had no choice.

* On not getting the stops they did at Arkansas: This is a better team. Two pretty evenly matched teams to be honest, and we needed a full roster tonight.

* Gators had 7 more makes at the FT line than us, probably the difference.

* On health for Saturday: No idea, but we have no choice. Vols are really good, really veteran, can break you down and score.

* This was a fun game to watch. It was not a fun game to coach.

* We've got stuff to work on. I haven't lost faith in them. We just need to get our full roster. Can't have guys playing 45 minutes. If Antonio hadn't got in foul trouble, he would have likely had to play 40+

*****

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Soft team

Let me preface this by saying I do think there are a few tough kids on Kentucky's basketball roster. Cal pre-season described this group as a bunch of hungry, motivated animals. Alphas. We have guys playing major minutes who in my opinion are soft as charmin and I am not necessarily talking just about the young players. On another note he has gotten nothing out of pre-season projected lottery pick Bradshaw. Z had his moment and nothing since. Edwards I won't even get started. I may get hammered but I think Mitchell is one of the softest on the team. Why was Sheppard taking the ball out when we were trying to ice the game at the free throw line? Ignorance.

Basketball INSTANT ANALYSIS: Second unranked foe wins in Rupp

Tough loss for Kentucky tonight. We're at a point in the season when you have to start wondering if they're tough enough or going to become good enough defensively to become what everyone hoped they would. They still have time, but at times they just don't look tough enough on defense.

We're entering February and as impressive as Kentucky looks on offense, they just don't get enough stops and it's a huge concern. This team is n ow 15-5 (5-3), which is fine, and they're still interesting, but when you have home losses to Florida and UNC-Wilmington (both unranked teams), you have to wonder where they really stack up in the big picture now.

Thought the defense took a step forward against Arkansas but maybe it was just Arkansas not being good at all. They didn't look improved tonight. Too much bucket trading.

Reed Sheppard made the most of his start. It was the most aggressive we have seen him on offense and he scored a variety of ways, making some jaw-dropping passes. But his defense is severely lacking in some ways other than anticipating blocks and steals. Ugo Onyenso had his best moment as a Kentucky player. He left some points on the board with easy misses around the rim but all the blocks and the rebounding were huge. Calipari probably gained a good bit of trust in him tonight. But again, even Kentucky's best players tonight were incomplete in some respects.

Kentucky was down DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards and the Wagner absence was significant.

Kentucky was up 83-79 right toward the end and Florida still got the game to overcome. In that context it's a brutal loss. They are just lacking in the top tier so the resume has less margin for error.

Talk about missing in big man Evals

Once all our big guys were available. Coach Cal continued to start Bradshaw with Z coming in. UGO got 2 minutes mop up. After a month it is painfully obvious to anyone with a brain UGO is our best big, Bradshaw now is still in front of Z. Z does everything better. Shoots, rebounds and defends better than Bradshaw. Cal got to evaluate these guys in practice every day for months and went Bradshaw-Z -UGO.
The best players end up being UGO-Z-Bradshaw
You just can’t miss in your eval any worse than that. If anyone ever doubted Cal only cares about the number of stars next to you name. Remember this.

FB Recruiting UK visiting 4-star RB right now

Can report that UK is currently visiting 4-star RB Bo Jackson from Ohio.

Rivals250 prospect. Vince Marrow is checking in on him. Georgia, Ohio State, many others pursuing, UK making a strong pitch on the basis of their rushing attack in general under Stoops and Davis as a pro-style success this year.

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A new reality

Offenses are better than they were. And the mindset that if they hit 12 threes, we shake their hand and get ready for the next game is a losing mindset. That starts at the top. Defending shooters that are set and ready to shoot by running at them isn't working.

Guys can shoot. Every Florida three when it mattered looked good. Headband couldn't miss. I don't know, stay on him?

The offense was behind and that is mostly fixed. Now fix the antiquated we are going to let them have threes defense.

Lets help these kids out in Lexington

Hey HOB friends

The school furniture manufacturer I represent here in Kentucky is doing a national contest to give away a $40,000 classroom renovation to a deserving school. Northern Elementary School (Bryan Station) here in Lexington is a finalist, and they're leading by 1% with two days to go.

Their STEM teacher (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Ms Wilkerson is incredibly passionate about her kids and their community, and she put a lot of time into their design and video submission.

I could go on and on about all the reasons this would make a huge impact for the next 15+ years of students to come through that school, but for now I simply ask for you to take 5 seconds and vote at the link below for Ms. Wilkerson's STEM Classroom so these Kentucky kids can have the kind of classroom they deserve.

If they win, HOB members can have a beer on me in the red lot next fall. (Legal disclaimer....if thats illegal I don't mean it.)

Thanks everyone!

LINK TO VOTE

KI Classroom Giveaway Contest

FOX56 Story

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