Alabama?!!!!!

Ok, BIG BLUE NATION, the Hossscat20 is pissed today.  Coach Cal didn't win coach of the year honors tonight.  We stunk the place up.  I mean we really looked like a team that was lost.  Down 20 points at one time and fought back to bring the game within 1 point. Coach Cal goes into his regular dribble drive offense, but why?!  There are 10 seconds on the clock, we don't have time for a lot of passing.  You put the ball in Brandon Knights hands and let him take his man and hope for the bucket or the foul.  We try that dribble drive crap and Ala takes the ball from us.  I just don't get it coach!? We had a chance to win that ball game even though we played terrible.  Another thing the Hosscat20 was highly upset with was the decision to full court press this team or any team for that matter.  Come on coach!  We don't have the bench to press anybody.  You can't take their legs early like that and expect them to play hard down the stretch.  Oh yeah, Terrance Jones is the best player you got right now because he is the most consistent.  You can't keep bringing 25 points off the bench coach, I'm sorry.  Plus he mouths back at after every play any way, so are your disciplinary methods working? I don't think so coach.  Stop coddling his big butt and let him know who runs the team.  Your teams talk back way to much, and they are freshman.  It looks bad and it shows that your control is limited.  Plus whatever your trying to do on the court will not get done with that attitude because your team has a opinion.  I bet you Coach K's team does not have an opinion.  One more thing coach, you have never had a good free throw shooting team in your tenure as a coach.  Don't you think its time to change that?  With the team you have, man you guys need to shoot 90% from the line as a team.  You got good shooters this year, why can't they make a free throw?  If the 40 year old Hosscat20 can out shoot your team from the line, you have a problem.  Lets learn from our mistakes and get better.  Just wanted BIG BLUE NATION to know that that was poorly played and coached game tonight.  We are better than that.  Lets go BIG BLUE!

Long Hard Road Ahead

OK BIG BLUE NATION, so we stumbled out the gate in conference play.  We didn't look good on D at all.  The refs gave us some bad calls and they called it close in GA favor.  All that is to be expected though, they don't call it home cooking for nothing.  We don't understand what it takes to win in the SEC.  We are so young on top of not having a deep bench, when we get in foul trouble we really break down because at certain position we don't have anyone to take up the slack. Yep, its going to be a long hard road for the Kentucky team.  But I think when guys start to step up and understand their roles we will be fine. Darius Miller is playing out of position and that hurts us.  He is not aggressive enough to play the post.  Terrance Jones occupies the perimeter and he needs to play more with his back to the basket.  Deandre Liggins is a hustle player and a defender.  His offense needs to be his defense, not chucking up three point shots all day.  He is better going to the goal, getting fouled, and making plays.  The rest is just learning how to play in the SEC.  Everyone is gunning for UK, we will get their best game.  Our freshmen have to learn to play more physical without fouling, and they have to play smart especially on the road.  All that said, its just one game.  Lets not concentrate on this lost.  We took our lump and now maybe we learned something from it.  On to the next game.

From Threatening to Thrashing

Did you see the first half BIG BLUE NATION yesterday against Penn?  We looked awful.  Throwing the ball away, I think we made 7 turnovers, we didn't play good defense, and we were barely winning the battle on the glass.  The Hosscat20 believe that we might have been under estimating Penn a little.  I think we believed that all we had to do was show up and we would win.  Well that win came a lot harder then they thought.  Gotta give up to Penn, they are a tough, gritty bunch who knows how to execute their offense and get down a play hard nose defense.  Kentucky woke right before the half with a 16-2 run and took the lead.  From then on we mashed the gas and started raining 3's to widen the gap.  After UK stretched the lead to 20, I forgot how we struggled in the first half.  Good thing it doesn't matter how you start, its how you finished, we definitely finished strong. One of  BIG BLUE NATIONS finest told me today that Josh Harrellson is starting to steal Terrance Jones spotlight. He seems to think Josh is a better player than Terrance.  Let's get a couple of things straight BIG BLUE NATION. First, Josh is one of 3 big men on UK's team,  Sense Vargas is not playing good ball right at all right now, Big Josh is all we got.  Lastly, It is not only Big Josh who is taking away from Terrance's usual big game, we have 5 guys putting up double figures now.  The scoring is spread out more which is a good thing because a balanced attack is hard to stop.  Plus, Josh does not create his own shot, so guess who gets most of those assists, Terrance Jones! Last time the Hosscat20 checked, Terrance is being double teamed every game.  I'm glad Josh is play well, believe me, I am a Josh Harrellson fan.  He is getting better and more confident at the right time for UK. I love to see it because that shows what four years of playing against the best talent can do for a player.  Experience is the best teacher and Josh has learned a lot.  But don't get it twisted BIG BLUE NATION, Terrance Jones is a Pro playing college ball.  Don't compare Josh and Terrance because right now one is making the other. Oh yeah! if I don't post anything before Saturday, beat Pitt this weekend!  C   A   T    S!  CATS! CATS! CATS! Let's Go!

Big Josh Harrellson

This Blog is for the Big Man of UK basketball, Mr Josh Harrellson. Big Josh played the best game of his college career at UK. Josh had 23pts and 14reb against the cards and he also gave notice that his play is essential to the success of UK basketball this season.  The Big Hosscat20 believe sincerely that Josh can make us or break us. We are lacking in the paint area and Josh is not expected to put up numbers like that, his job is to play solid D and rebound, rebound, rebound.  He has been doing a good job on the boards this year averaging about 8 rebounds a game. Defensively, Josh does his job. He plays good solid defense, hands up high, holds his position, and stays out of foul trouble.  We only have Vargas coming off the bench and he is just a freshman who is still learning the college game. Josh is a vet who has played against some great big men in his time at UK in games and in practice, so he is ready to compete against anybody now. The Hosscat20 was thoroughly impressed with Josh and if he can keep that level of play up for the rest of the season, watch out BIG BLUE NATION, we might on our way to another final four. I also know what your thinking BIG BLUE NATION. What if we had Kanter right now? That would be nice, but if Josh Harrellson keeps getting better as the season progresses, we may not need Kanter this year. I see ya Big Josh!!!