Begley

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Yesterdays game against Vanderbilt was a hot topic of discussion across the Big Blue Nation. After an impressive 19-0 run that berthed Kentucky its first number one seed in over eight years, fans across the state were able to exhale a sigh of relief. Finally, our Cats were living up to the standards we’d come to see and expect. All those years of struggles and shortcomings were seemingly behind us, and our team, much like our fans were jubilant and proud. It seemed as if all was well in the land of the Wildcats as we rolled into South Carolina to face a seemingly unthreatening, unranked Gamecock team. Surely, South Carolina was just another stop along the way on the road to the NCAA Championship—another showcasing of the human-highlight reels that are John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe. The certainty of a win, much like our morale, was at an all-time high; that is, until the unthinkable happened. Our number 1 Cats were dissected and destroyed by a super-human performance from All-SEC guard, Devan Downey.

[video=youtube;3uhpY8chybA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uhpY8chybA[/video]

While watching the game and chatting with Scott, Billy, and 137 in the Nation of Blue Live Chat, I made the remark that Downey was obviously channeling Dwyane Wade from his Marquette days, as he picked apart our defense and seemingly knocked down every shot he threw up. At one point during the second half, Downey put together a run that can only be described as God-like—slashing through the paint and making his way to the rim, throwing shots off the glass at unconceivable angles only to watch them drop through the basket. To top off that miraculous onslaught, Downey, with only two seconds left on the shot clock, hit a baseline jumper while being fouled, and then converted the extra point for the three point play. The Gamecocks went on to win the game, with Downey earning his fifth thirty-point performance of the season. Needless to say, the Big Blue Nation was in a state of shock.


With so many questions as to how and why things panned out the way they did in that game, there was one certainty—that certainty being that DeMarcus Cousins is an absolute star. Putting up a game high 27 points, nearly half of our combined total of 62, and pulling down 12 rebounds, it became perfectly clear that DeMarcus Cousins was the real deal. Already showing tremendous growth in his low post game since the start of the season, his passion is unmatched and he could very well become the best big man we’ve ever seen on our roster. If only the rest of the team were able to contribute the way Cousins did, we surely would have emerged from that game victorious. Unfortunately, John Wall, though scoring 19 points, had only 2 assists to go along with his 4 turnovers. Eric Bledsoe scored a disappointing 4 points to go with his 5 assists, and Patrick Patterson put up 5 points after taking only 4 shots the entire game, and pulling down 8 rebounds to go along with his 2 blocks. As for the rest of our team, well, simply put, they were missing in action. Fortunately, with a team as deep as ours, and a coach that is fully aware of the pressures and distractions that come along with being a number one ranked team, it didn’t take long to move past last weeks disappointments, and once again focus on the tasks and goals at hand. With a squad poised and ready to show that they are indeed a top-notch team of the highest caliber, our boys rededicated themselves to their work ethic, and pressed on as they prepared to face their next challenge, a Vanderbilt team boasting a 10-game winning streak and being undefeated in conference play.

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With Lebron James in attendance, sporting UK blue, the Cats took the court and came out in a flurry. Over the course of the game, the Cats shot 12 for 23 from the three point line and completely dominated the rebounding category, amassing 41 total rebounds to Vanderbilt’s 22, which lead to 20 second-chance points. DeMarcus Cousins tallied in 21 points to go along with his 10 rebounds that resulted in his 12th double-double of the season—the most ever by a Kentucky freshman. Of Cousins’ performance, Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said the following: “He is really quickly becoming a dominant inside player, maybe the best dominant inside player in our league.” “We were trying to double-team him and we told our players what he would do when he was double-teamed, and he did." Of course, Coach Stallings is referring to how Cousins reacted when drawing the double team. Whenever Vanderbilt made the mistake of putting two men on DeMarcus, he would either spin toward the baseline for an easy shot, or dish it out to the open man on the wing. Cousins also had 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 assist to go along with his 21 points and 10 rebounds. As for the rest of our Wildcats, Patrick Patterson finished the game with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Darnell Dodson, in only his second start of the season logged 16 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. Eric Bledsoe scored 13 points, had 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Current Number 1 overall projected NBA Draft pick John Wall finished the game with 13 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.

[video=youtube;5xdNJ5piiDY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xdNJ5piiDY[/video]


Clearly, yesterdays win shows that we are more than capable of making a legitimate run at the NCAA Division I Championship—if we remain focused. We have a team of superstars and role players alike, who understand the roles they are meant to play, and if they can live up to the expectations being cast upon them, the sky truly is the limit on how far we can go. Of course, this means remaining focused on improving not only individual skills, but teamwork as well. Study each opponent as they stand before you. Do not overlook teams you feel are not a threat, as this kind of thinking can only serve as a detriment to your ultimate goal. Remain humble, even when standing in the glamour of the spotlight. Maintain your composure. Emotions can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Remember that while intensity can encourage and inspire, it can all-too-easily consume you if mismanaged. Keep your cool in tight situations. Most importantly, remember that despite being a team full of superstars, no one player is above the team. Play as a team, as basketball is a team sport. Let that competitive desire culminate into a team effort, and victory will surely be ours. As our season continues, we, the Nation of Blue, will be supporting you! Good luck, guys, and God speed!