I expected Alabama to come out of the gate very strong but it took them a little while to get going. UK knocked down some three-pointers early and built up a 30-18 lead about halfway through the first half. Then they stopped scoring and Alabama went on the attack, leading to a 20-4 run over six minutes that totally changed the complexion of the game.
For Alabama, Nelson wasn't what he was in the first game but Mark Sears had himself a night. He was difficult for Kentucky to deal with minus their two main "point of attack" defenders.
Thought Travis Perry gave them some solid minutes and played hard. Andrew Carr had a great game and that could be big if he can play more like that. Oweh having one of his worst games of the year didn't help the cause. Really, beyond the players we thought would be top guys going into the season, only Perry played well. Noah, Chandler, and Almonor each left things to be desired. Needed better across the board contributions to win in that environment.
Down the stretch I don't think the officiating helped Kentucky. In the big picture, this is about what I expected given the absences. May be slightly more disappointing because of how the game started but given available personnel it's hard to be surprised at how it played out.
Kentucky missed a lot of shots around the rim and the game could have been more interesting otherwise.
For Alabama, Nelson wasn't what he was in the first game but Mark Sears had himself a night. He was difficult for Kentucky to deal with minus their two main "point of attack" defenders.
Thought Travis Perry gave them some solid minutes and played hard. Andrew Carr had a great game and that could be big if he can play more like that. Oweh having one of his worst games of the year didn't help the cause. Really, beyond the players we thought would be top guys going into the season, only Perry played well. Noah, Chandler, and Almonor each left things to be desired. Needed better across the board contributions to win in that environment.
Down the stretch I don't think the officiating helped Kentucky. In the big picture, this is about what I expected given the absences. May be slightly more disappointing because of how the game started but given available personnel it's hard to be surprised at how it played out.
Kentucky missed a lot of shots around the rim and the game could have been more interesting otherwise.
