UK vs. Liberty: Cats by 23
With a 3-1 record, and a win over a top 20 team under their belt, Kentucky returns to the friendlier confines of Rupp Arena for a couple of gimme games against Liberty and High Point before embarking on a series of high-profile, nationally televised contests against a young North Carolina and an improved Indiana. But first, Jerry Falwell's Liberty comes calling...
It would be useless to do a position-by-position analysis of the two squads because, frankly, Kentucky has the edge at every one, with the possible exception of shooting guard, where Liberty's best player does his work. Thus, here's a look at what both teams hope to accomplish, and what to expect from the game tonight.
Liberty
Flames head coach Randy Dunton is realistic about his team's chances against the powerhouse Wildcats at home, noting: "For us, it's truly about growth."
Led by do-it-all guard Larry Blair, a junior, Liberty was picked by the media to finish fourth in the conference, and with 10 new faces on the roster, they'll have work to do to reach the level of conference bully Winthrop. Blair (18.0 ppg, 4.5 reb, 5.5 ast) is only 6'1", but uses a variety of release point on his shot to shoot around taller defenders, and could use a strong game against a high-profile team like Kentucky to burnish his highlight reel for pro scouts. Blair had 23 points and added 10 assists in Liberty's one win on the season, an 88-to-54 victory over Cincinnati Christian College.
Helping out Blair this season will be several key sophomores and a JUCO. A transfer from Frederick Community College (Md.), Damien Hubbard is Blair's running mate in the backcourt, and he'll fill a variety of needs tonight, spelling both Evan Risher at the point and playing swingman. At 6'6", 210 pounds, Hubbard (10.0 ppg, 6.5 reb, 3.5 ast) is a versatile piece of the Flames' puzzle. He had a double-double in the win over CCC.
In the middle, watch for sophomore Russell Monroe, a 6'11" center, who has had a strong start to the year. His 12.0 points a game and 6.0 boards have helped keep defenses honest, and opened scoring lanes for Blair and Hubbard. Fellow sophs Doug Stewart and Rell Porter, along with JUCOs Eric Bigby and Jeremy Eck, help coach Dunton's troops in the paint. Also pay attention to freshman Anthony Smith, a 6'4" wing from Texas who could add some pop.
Liberty fell, 79-44, in its only other game, at Virginia.
Kentucky
Despite the 14-point win over West Virginia on Tuesday, all is not well with the Wildcats. Tubby Smith has people playing out of position at several spots on the floor, most notably Bobby Perry at power forward and Sheray Thomas/Rekalin Sims at the 5. The small lineup has worked for Kentucky in the past, specifically the 03-04 Cats, who rode Erik Daniels and Chuck Hayes to a #1 overall seed in the NCAAs.
But that team played small because it had to. This edition is the tallest team in UK history, with three seven footers, including two over 7'2". Freshman Jared Carter could see more minutes today as Tubby experiments with different lineups again. The fine-tuning will continue until a rotation becomes clearer, something that will no doubt send UK fans into panic mode when scoring droughts inevitably occur.
Joe Crawford has been battling injuries -- to his knee and hip, apparently -- and could use some easier opponents to prepare for bigger games ahead. While Rajon Rondo's eye-popping rebound numbers belie a lack of rebounding by UK's bigs, unlike most pundits (and the coaching staff), I look for the string of high rebound games to continue for Rondo, who's knack for the ball and leaping ability make him a powerful weapon on the D-glass.
The real key for UK tonight will be to see whether their junior center tandem of Shagari Alleyne and Woo Orbzut can get into the flow of the game. While going small can help at times, and while a strong matchup zone can flummox some teams for stretches, UK will not succeed in the long run without production from the pivot, something that even a fast-improving Carter cannot ultimately give them. Shagari is an excellent position to get the starting nod, and has a spot waiting for him. All he has to do is get his act together and grab 7-10 rebounds a game while continuing to block shots. It would appear to be an easy task for a man standing 11' tall with his arms outstretched, but judging from results thus far, appearances can be deceiving.
The sum of the Cats' parts will be too much for even a scrappy Blair and Co., and the UK reserves should see lots of action in a blowout at home during the holidays. I predict a 23-point win, but it could be less if Tubby decides to (a) make another point or (b) tinker throughout the game with his deep lineup. Hopefully, he can find a rotation that works so fans can keep the paper bags at home and avoid the hyperventilation that 10-12-point wins over lesser teams occasionally bring.
It would be useless to do a position-by-position analysis of the two squads because, frankly, Kentucky has the edge at every one, with the possible exception of shooting guard, where Liberty's best player does his work. Thus, here's a look at what both teams hope to accomplish, and what to expect from the game tonight.
Liberty
Flames head coach Randy Dunton is realistic about his team's chances against the powerhouse Wildcats at home, noting: "For us, it's truly about growth."
Led by do-it-all guard Larry Blair, a junior, Liberty was picked by the media to finish fourth in the conference, and with 10 new faces on the roster, they'll have work to do to reach the level of conference bully Winthrop. Blair (18.0 ppg, 4.5 reb, 5.5 ast) is only 6'1", but uses a variety of release point on his shot to shoot around taller defenders, and could use a strong game against a high-profile team like Kentucky to burnish his highlight reel for pro scouts. Blair had 23 points and added 10 assists in Liberty's one win on the season, an 88-to-54 victory over Cincinnati Christian College.
Helping out Blair this season will be several key sophomores and a JUCO. A transfer from Frederick Community College (Md.), Damien Hubbard is Blair's running mate in the backcourt, and he'll fill a variety of needs tonight, spelling both Evan Risher at the point and playing swingman. At 6'6", 210 pounds, Hubbard (10.0 ppg, 6.5 reb, 3.5 ast) is a versatile piece of the Flames' puzzle. He had a double-double in the win over CCC.
In the middle, watch for sophomore Russell Monroe, a 6'11" center, who has had a strong start to the year. His 12.0 points a game and 6.0 boards have helped keep defenses honest, and opened scoring lanes for Blair and Hubbard. Fellow sophs Doug Stewart and Rell Porter, along with JUCOs Eric Bigby and Jeremy Eck, help coach Dunton's troops in the paint. Also pay attention to freshman Anthony Smith, a 6'4" wing from Texas who could add some pop.
Liberty fell, 79-44, in its only other game, at Virginia.
Kentucky
Despite the 14-point win over West Virginia on Tuesday, all is not well with the Wildcats. Tubby Smith has people playing out of position at several spots on the floor, most notably Bobby Perry at power forward and Sheray Thomas/Rekalin Sims at the 5. The small lineup has worked for Kentucky in the past, specifically the 03-04 Cats, who rode Erik Daniels and Chuck Hayes to a #1 overall seed in the NCAAs.
But that team played small because it had to. This edition is the tallest team in UK history, with three seven footers, including two over 7'2". Freshman Jared Carter could see more minutes today as Tubby experiments with different lineups again. The fine-tuning will continue until a rotation becomes clearer, something that will no doubt send UK fans into panic mode when scoring droughts inevitably occur.
Joe Crawford has been battling injuries -- to his knee and hip, apparently -- and could use some easier opponents to prepare for bigger games ahead. While Rajon Rondo's eye-popping rebound numbers belie a lack of rebounding by UK's bigs, unlike most pundits (and the coaching staff), I look for the string of high rebound games to continue for Rondo, who's knack for the ball and leaping ability make him a powerful weapon on the D-glass.
The real key for UK tonight will be to see whether their junior center tandem of Shagari Alleyne and Woo Orbzut can get into the flow of the game. While going small can help at times, and while a strong matchup zone can flummox some teams for stretches, UK will not succeed in the long run without production from the pivot, something that even a fast-improving Carter cannot ultimately give them. Shagari is an excellent position to get the starting nod, and has a spot waiting for him. All he has to do is get his act together and grab 7-10 rebounds a game while continuing to block shots. It would appear to be an easy task for a man standing 11' tall with his arms outstretched, but judging from results thus far, appearances can be deceiving.
The sum of the Cats' parts will be too much for even a scrappy Blair and Co., and the UK reserves should see lots of action in a blowout at home during the holidays. I predict a 23-point win, but it could be less if Tubby decides to (a) make another point or (b) tinker throughout the game with his deep lineup. Hopefully, he can find a rotation that works so fans can keep the paper bags at home and avoid the hyperventilation that 10-12-point wins over lesser teams occasionally bring.
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