Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne will be joining us in a few minutes (approx 2-2:15 ET) to discuss the Cats' matchup with Missouri on Tuesday night in Columbia. Stay tuned for all the latest news, notes and tidbits...
* Team notes: Cats moved up to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 poll and to No. 5 in the NCAA NET ratings this week. That second one is big. Still an outside shot at a No. 1 seed.
* Payne said the LSU game helped some of their kids understand that they are not unbeatable. It took mistakes from that game in order to play the way they did against Tennessee. He acknowledged that LSU is a good team, but a lot of it was on UK. "It's normal. As a human, you're going to have lapses. It's our job as coaches to show them that."
* Mizzou is struggling with turnovers (25 in last game). Cats are aware of that, Payne said. Defensive pressure will be important in this game. When UK is the aggressor defensively and swarming, "we're really good," Payne said. It creates a lot of transition buckets, where the Cats thrive. "When we're getting transition baskets and playing free, it's a totally different atmosphere."
* According to Payne, the Cats still need to learn that, when they get into the NCAA Tournament, every possession matters. Every possession can make the difference in win or lose.
* Did the fallout from the Duke loss linger longer than he expected? Probably to people surrounding the program more than the actual players, Payne said. It took a while to re-establish that confidence, both in the players and the fans.
* Payne said he thinks one of UK's biggest strengths is having four of the most unique big men in the country, and that they can mix three of them together on the floor at the same time.
* Nick Richards played really well in the first half against UT, Payne said. Had a couple of mental lapses with cheap fouls, maybe a ticky-tack foul that hurt him. But can never foul a 3-point shooter like he did.
* Was it important to get Ashton Hagans back on track against Tennessee? Yes, Payne said. Maybe even more so because it was against the guy (Bone) that a lot of people in the conference think is the best overall point guard in the league. Staff is still trying to get him out of some young player habits. Tends to pout a bit when things don't work the way he wanted it to go.
* Payne loves the way PJ Washington has responded to Cal pushing his buttons and holding him to a higher standard. He's done everything they've asked of him. "As the world has given him all this praise, Cal has said, 'I want more.'" Washington has tried to go out and do it.
* Payne said he doesn't even want to imagine where the Cats would be without Reid Travis this year. He's made a huge difference. They'd be a totally different team without him. He has sacrificed a lot of personal stats to be part of a team that has a chance to win championships.
* On the overrated chant and Cal asking that it stop: "We're Kentucky. We don't have to do that." Says UK staff has a ton of respect for Vols team and its coaching staff.
SEC NOTES...
* SEC Player of the Week – Kentucky forward PJ Washington, a 6-foot-8, 228-pound sophomore from Dallas, Texas, averaged 21.5 points, seven rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals against No. 19 LSU and No. 1 Tennessee. Washington posted a game-high 20 points to go along with a game-high-trying nine boards, three assists and steal against LSU. He tallied a game-high 23 points in addition to five boards, two blocks, two steals and an assist in a 16-point win against top-ranked Tennessee. He shot 75 percent (9-of-12) against the Vols and connected on 64 percent (16-of-25) from the field for the week.
* SEC Co-Freshmen of the Week – Florida guard Andrew Nembhard, a 6-foot-5, 191-pound freshman from Aurora, Ontario, and Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith, a 6-foot-6, 213-pound freshman from Charleston, S.C., were named SEC Co-Freshmen of the Week. Nembhard averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in wins over Vanderbilt and at Alabama. Nembhard shot a team-best 92.8 percent (13-of-14) from the field for the week, including a perfect 9-for-9 performance at Alabama. Nesmith averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals against Florida and Auburn. He had a career-high 26 points against Florida and a career-high 14 rebounds against Auburn.
GAME NOTES...
* Mizzou enters game 12-12, 3-9 SEC
* UK leads the all-time series 11-1
* With a win, John Calipari would move into a tie with Joe B. Hall (297) for wins at UK.
* Team notes: Cats moved up to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 poll and to No. 5 in the NCAA NET ratings this week. That second one is big. Still an outside shot at a No. 1 seed.
* Payne said the LSU game helped some of their kids understand that they are not unbeatable. It took mistakes from that game in order to play the way they did against Tennessee. He acknowledged that LSU is a good team, but a lot of it was on UK. "It's normal. As a human, you're going to have lapses. It's our job as coaches to show them that."
* Mizzou is struggling with turnovers (25 in last game). Cats are aware of that, Payne said. Defensive pressure will be important in this game. When UK is the aggressor defensively and swarming, "we're really good," Payne said. It creates a lot of transition buckets, where the Cats thrive. "When we're getting transition baskets and playing free, it's a totally different atmosphere."
* According to Payne, the Cats still need to learn that, when they get into the NCAA Tournament, every possession matters. Every possession can make the difference in win or lose.
* Did the fallout from the Duke loss linger longer than he expected? Probably to people surrounding the program more than the actual players, Payne said. It took a while to re-establish that confidence, both in the players and the fans.
* Payne said he thinks one of UK's biggest strengths is having four of the most unique big men in the country, and that they can mix three of them together on the floor at the same time.
* Nick Richards played really well in the first half against UT, Payne said. Had a couple of mental lapses with cheap fouls, maybe a ticky-tack foul that hurt him. But can never foul a 3-point shooter like he did.
* Was it important to get Ashton Hagans back on track against Tennessee? Yes, Payne said. Maybe even more so because it was against the guy (Bone) that a lot of people in the conference think is the best overall point guard in the league. Staff is still trying to get him out of some young player habits. Tends to pout a bit when things don't work the way he wanted it to go.
* Payne loves the way PJ Washington has responded to Cal pushing his buttons and holding him to a higher standard. He's done everything they've asked of him. "As the world has given him all this praise, Cal has said, 'I want more.'" Washington has tried to go out and do it.
* Payne said he doesn't even want to imagine where the Cats would be without Reid Travis this year. He's made a huge difference. They'd be a totally different team without him. He has sacrificed a lot of personal stats to be part of a team that has a chance to win championships.
* On the overrated chant and Cal asking that it stop: "We're Kentucky. We don't have to do that." Says UK staff has a ton of respect for Vols team and its coaching staff.
SEC NOTES...
* SEC Player of the Week – Kentucky forward PJ Washington, a 6-foot-8, 228-pound sophomore from Dallas, Texas, averaged 21.5 points, seven rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals against No. 19 LSU and No. 1 Tennessee. Washington posted a game-high 20 points to go along with a game-high-trying nine boards, three assists and steal against LSU. He tallied a game-high 23 points in addition to five boards, two blocks, two steals and an assist in a 16-point win against top-ranked Tennessee. He shot 75 percent (9-of-12) against the Vols and connected on 64 percent (16-of-25) from the field for the week.
* SEC Co-Freshmen of the Week – Florida guard Andrew Nembhard, a 6-foot-5, 191-pound freshman from Aurora, Ontario, and Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith, a 6-foot-6, 213-pound freshman from Charleston, S.C., were named SEC Co-Freshmen of the Week. Nembhard averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in wins over Vanderbilt and at Alabama. Nembhard shot a team-best 92.8 percent (13-of-14) from the field for the week, including a perfect 9-for-9 performance at Alabama. Nesmith averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals against Florida and Auburn. He had a career-high 26 points against Florida and a career-high 14 rebounds against Auburn.
GAME NOTES...
* Mizzou enters game 12-12, 3-9 SEC
* UK leads the all-time series 11-1
* With a win, John Calipari would move into a tie with Joe B. Hall (297) for wins at UK.
