4 of our toughest games have been at home to much inferior teams

[SilentsAreGolden]

What does that say about us? Is it that we play down the competition as some are saying? Is it just a coincidence? Or could it be that some teams just figure out how to play us and execute their game plans well? Also, the at home part isn't really surprising since we've only played 5 games so far away from Rupp. I think it's a little bit of both. Teams figuring out how to play to give them their best chance, combined with us not being as up for the game given the opponent. Just thought it was noteworthy that most of our toughest games were against teams you wouldn't expect it from.

 

[UKSlim]

We win at home...no question... but we are rarely razor sharp at home...to many distractions to lose focus when you are at home.

 

[WACB]

I think we're just spoiled. We've really only had three bad games at home: Ole Miss, Vandy, and Columbia.

Only 5 games at Rupp have been under 19 points, and two of those were Texas and UNC, leaving the three above.

Of those three, only the Ole Miss game was in doubt at the 1:00 mark.

We are so used to big wins, that anything under 10 points has us fans in a frenzy.

 

[stonethecrow]

By your logic, if we can suffer through a couple of nail biters against a 16 and 8\9 seed the first weekend in March, the following 2 weekends we will be riding on a gravy-train with biscuit wheels...and I'm o.k. with that!

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

I can live with it if it's a matter of getting up for the big games, as all of them in the post-season are big. Also, it's better for them to go through games like this anyway, or else real complacency sets in and you get bounced in the big dance.

 

[Joneslab]

I thought last night was similar to TAMU. There was a stretch in the game where it looked like we were on our way to a comfortable--albeit not that well-played--win, and then we started making mistakes.

It was Towns at TAMU with the three consecutive turnovers. Dakari last night. But in both games there was a swing of about four or five possessions that made the game scary.

The similar thread in both those games was the pace. Vandy really tried (and succeeded) to grind that game down last night, starting from the first few possessions. When you're playing that slow then a handful of possessions can radically transform a game.

This is why I thought Cal's obsession with getting the ball on the block was a mistake, because we tried to rockfight a team that had prepared for a rockfight. In hindsight we probably should have spread them out and gone small and attacked them from the wings rather than trying to grind with them in a post game.

 

[IL Wildcat]

This shouldn't be surprising. Most of the prognosticators said that it's unlikely for UK to get beat in a game against a high quality and highly rated opponent. It would seem clear that against those teams the Cats would be focused and would be unlikely to get beat. The kind of game UK could lose would be a game everyone believes they will win with relative ease, like a home game against Vandy or Ole Miss.

The only other way the Cats would lose is a similar scenario on the road against a team UK is expected to beat easily, such as TX A&M.

What it says about our team is that they are human. It's tough to get up for a team that comes in 1-3 in the league and when you're favored by 23 and playing at home. Getting hyped for such a game is tough. I think that was our trouble last night. But we still found a way to win.

 

[Baldcat1]

The fan's are spoiled with expectations, I know I am. So it's disappointing when we don't live up to what is expected.
I should probably wait until the next day when I become rational before talking. lol

 

[SmyrnaCatFan]

Originally posted by Baldcat1:
The fan's are spoiled with expectations, I know I am. So it's disappointing when we don't live up to what is expected.
I should probably wait until the next day when I become rational before talking. lol

Best of your 35 posts, kudos!