Most important game so far this year?

[FurdTerguson]

Was it....

A. Kansas. Let this team know right away it could hang with the big boys.

B. North Carolina. Finished what they couldn't vs Kansas.

C. Auburn. Everyone was down on them. First sign of putting it together.

D. Mississippi State 2. Still struggle to put teams away, but huge after LSU debacle.

E. Tennessee 2. Lot.of UT punches Knechted, but we got back up every time.

 

[KA4Prez]

F. Alabama.

Coming off the loss to LSU, that was a MUST WIN game. I know it was at Rupp. But, the team had lost three big games at Rupp and there was a "fear" in the air had the team lost that game. However, the crowd showed up (best crowd of the season) and it ultimately, helped clinch the tiebreaker that led to the #2 seed.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

C/E

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Auburn. I was at my lowest confidence level going into that game, but we fought like hell and it showed that we are capable in a tough conference.

 

[KA4Prez]

Auburn also proved UK can actually go into a tough environment and win a game by slowing it down and defending. NOBODY saw a 70-59 game when the total of the game was 160+ and UK had been playing every game in the 80's and 90's. One of those anomalies that comes out of nowhere.

 

[Thats An Awful Idea]

F. Alabama.

I agree, F Alabama!

 

[Jeff2Reed]

The most important game of the year is the one directly in front of you. At Kentucky we hold the most top spots in all major ncaa categories. We need to stop finding times where “it doesn’t matter” and get back to everything matters.

If there’s one aspect of Calipari I hate more than anything it’s the apathetic tones he’s set surrounding this topic. It’s meant to do nothing but lower standards for himself.

All of those games mattered.

 

[FurdTerguson]

I bet Cal would say the LSU game. Each loss teaches you things and we haven't lost since

 

[Jeff2Reed]

Although if I were to simply play the topic I’d say Tennessee is always more important than the rest. Clamoring down on those POS is something we need to maintain.

 

[Jeff2Reed]

G. Miami. Yes, they ended up sucking. But at the time they were the #8 ranked team coming off a Final Four. Blowing them out by 20-plus points without any of the three 7-footers opened up a lot of eyes about this team and set the stage for a rise in the national consciousness.

(Actually, I'd probably say UNC-Cheats, or maybe Tennessee. But the above option is worth including.)

Our 3 seven footers just had a game where they combined for 0 points. The same they combined for in your Miami game hoss.

This team runs best without them in the floor anyway. We should have ran the 3 guard lineup all year for majority of minutes and we wouldn’t be a 3/4, we’d be a 1/2.

The Tennessee game we just won is by far the “most important” as it stands now. At their house, away from home, late in the year, most remembered by the committee.

 

[JonathanW]

Auburn, then UT, then Alabama, then UNC, then KU

 

[UKBB4Ever]

We haven’t played it yet

 

[TheBlueMax]

Was it....

A. Kansas. Let this team know right away it could hang with the big boys.

B. North Carolina. Finished what they couldn't vs Kansas.

C. Auburn. Everyone was down on them. First sign of putting it together.

D. Mississippi State 2. Still struggle to put teams away, but huge after LSU debacle.

E. Tennessee 2. Lot.of UT punches Knechted, but we got back up every time.

Interesting, thought-provoking question. Of your choices, Auburn. But, Alabama was vitally important to the stretch run...giving Cal tons of credit for preparing our kids for Bama but also getting us to this point when things were hanging.

Individually, Onyenso inside and Justin's considerable improvement have been keys to us getting a #2 seed, once thought to be totally unrealistiuc for this team. I do wish that they'd teach Onyenso to grab the ball inside, steady himself and get on balance, then go up strong attacking the rim for a dunk. This must and can improve for him to be a force offensively. I do like it when seven-footers shoot off-balance one-foot bank shots.

On Calipari, he does so many great things for this program, the kids, and for this particular team, but his lack of humility (in basketball) and his ability to be a prick and moron combined is conduct unbecoming and unnecessary. I'm frustrated at times with his in-game coaching, but I have determined that I would rather have no others coaching us now...am willing to live with his idiosycrasies knowing that no coach or situation is perfect.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Interesting, thought-provoking question. Of your choices, Auburn. But, Alabama was vitally important to the stretch run...giving Cal tons of credit for preparing our kids for Bama but also getting us to this point when things were hanging.

Individually, Onyenso inside and Justin's considerable improvement have been keys to us getting a #2 seed, once thought to be totally unrealistiuc for this team. I do wish that they'd teach Onyenso to grab the ball inside, steady himself and get on balance, then go up strong attacking the rim for a dunk. This must and can improve for him to be a force offensively. I do like it when seven-footers shoot off-balance one-foot bank shots.

On Calipari, he does so many great things for this program, the kids, and for this particular team, but his lack of humility (in basketball) and his ability to be a prick and moron combined is conduct unbecoming and unnecessary. I'm frustrated at times with his in-game coaching, but I have determined that I would rather have no others coaching us now...am willing to live with his idiosycrasies knowing that no coach or situation is perfect.

I would like to see some examples of poor in game coaching that I read about here.

Of course Cal has complete confidence in his coaching abilities.

No coach will make it if he doesn’t.

If you just don’t like Cal’s personality then just don’t listen to him.

For instance, I can’t stand Matt jones.

I never listen to Matt jones. Or maybe just long enough to hear his screech and turn him off.

 

[bucsrule8872]

UT win on the road last weekend was by far the most important win of the season.

 

[TheBlueMax]

I would like to see some examples of poor in game coaching that I read about here.

Of course Cal has complete confidence in his coaching abilities.

No coach will make it if he doesn’t.

If you just don’t like Cal’s personality then just don’t listen to him.

For instance, I can’t stand Matt jones.

I never listen to Matt jones. Or maybe just long enough to hear his screech and turn him off.

I can cite several examples of costly, in-game coaching errors... discussion for another time perhaps. Cal is great for us now and has been great. Rupp was not always totally successful. I get it. No one is perfect, but for this difficult job, Calipari is one of only a few who can deal with things, maintain some sanity, and continue to do it.

 

[michaeluk26]

Team wise it's gotta be Auburn. They had the weight of the world on their shoulders and basically punked a team of punks from horn to horn. Answered every run and 5 is the closest they got.

Seeding wise it's Tennessee. If you take away the shit show that was the final minute and change we punked them after every big shot we came down and made a bigger shot. Beating a 1 or 2 seed in by far the most hostile crowd of the year shows we're legit contenders.

As far as just a great damn game in December it was Carolina on a neutral court. I hate North Carolina only slightly less than Duke but I love playing them because of the way Roy, and now Hubert, both run uptempo offenses and we fair well in those games. We were up 5-13 most of the game. They made a run and took the lead and we took it back in less than 10 seconds. Never trailed again even though we nearly pissed it away.

 

[gharding07]

Tennessee. I believe we were a 8 point underdog right away.

 

[DraftCat]

UT on the road... shows our squad we can beat anyone.

Also got us right in the seedings.

 

[cats#1again]

Ut on the road is the answer. Auburn was huge aswell but last game.... Go into 1 seed house and lead the whole game

 

[SpamburgerHamburger]

UNC then Auburn. UNC to have a win over a top 5 team, title contender. Auburn cause we'd lost 4 of 6 going into that really tough road environment and righted the ship.

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

Of the regular season: Auburn, followed closely by Tennessee.

None as important as the next one from this point forward. Even the SECT - for this team - keeps the momentum and hype rolling, or exposes the flaws that led most of us to believe they're incapable of beating 4 tourney teams in a row to get to the Final Four.

 

[uky8unc5]

Has to be Tennessee (imho).
We aced our Final Exam. And fixed our 3 Seed.

UConn/Houston and the Talking Heads and everyone else now "KNOWS".
And our Kid "KNOW" too.