This Saturday, John Pelphery will attempt to play Superman as he leads his team into Rupp Arena to hand the Kentucky Wildcats their first loss. With the #1 ranking on the polls in the waiting, Pelphry can play the role of spoiler and truly leave his mark as an unforgettable.
We shouldn’t take this team lightly. The way the CATS played defense against Auburn, we should be worried about anyone that can shoot. Arkansas has just the person to really give UK problems. Rotnei Clarke is the leading three point shooter in the country at 48.8% If he gets hot, UK could be in for a long day.
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Here’s what I’ll be looking for from UK…
[B]Patrick Patterson[/B] – Patterson really needs a complete game. He leads the team in scoring but he always seems to leave something on the table. I’m looking for Patterson to have a break out game leading up to the Tennessee game. It will help if our guards can start looking for him once and a while, when they’re driving out of control to the rim.
[B]Demarcus Cousins[/B] – Boogie just needs to be Boogie! If Cousins can just keep his cool and stay focused even when things don’t go his way, he’ll be unstoppable!
[B]John Wall[/B] – I can’t pick too much on the best player in the nation. I would like to see him start being a little more carefully with the ball. Against Auburn, Wall had seven turnovers and four assist. It wold be nice if he could at least flip those around.
[B]Erick Bledsoe[/B] – SLOW DOWN!! There’s a time to turn it on and there’s a time to be smart and don’t force anything. Against Auburn, Bledsoe only had three turnovers and a slew of forced “circus” shots that resulted in quick transition bucket for Auburn. Bledsoe is a freshman, but if UK is going to win a national championship, he must get things under control.
[B]Darius Miller[/B] – Miller is definitely the fifth starter and needs to be productive if he wants to keep his spot. He must play with high energy, be a defensive stopper and hit his shots. He’s not playing with the same amount of forgiveness as the other starters, so there’s little room for error.
[B]Darnell Dodson, DeAndre Liggins and Romon Harris[/B] – All three of these guys are in the same boat as Miller. They’re all on a very short leash. Liggins has emerged as the front runner because he’s more of an offensive threat that Harris and he plays better defense and takes care of the ball better than Dodson. Look for Liggins to be the first person off the bench on Saturday.
[B]Daniel Orton and Perry Stevenson[/B] – These guys are settling into their roles very nicely. Both are providing solid, productive minutes. As long as they take care of the ball and continue to block shots, Cousins and Patterson will be able to get some much needed rest throughout the season.
Kentucky is definitely the favorite and many of us have already claimed that #1 spot on Monday. I really think we have nothing to worry about, as long as we play defense for entire game.
If you’re an Arkansas fan, don’t get too down on yourself on Saturday after you’ve lost the game. There’s still lot’s to be proud of. [B]This video is a great example of one of Arkansas finer moments.[/B] Enjoy!!! ([I]There’s just something about that video that disturbs me…just can’t place it[/I])
[youtube_sc width=430 url=wDPEzrdSCrs]
