National Championship: Kentucky vs. Connecticut

[gametime]

Do you do that by giving Randle some ball handling responsibilities. He did that some against UL if memory serves me right.

 

I could see it some, but that is more of a way to beat a press than running half court offense. I can see Randle getting it on the wing and trying to just over power Daniels on the way to the rim as the focal point of the offense...

[Hellbird]

My greatest fear about the game.

 

Arizona 1997 all over again.

 

Super fast guards that can dominate a game. Great eraser or two on the back line to harass UK front court and guard drives. (Like our chances if WCS were healthy but he's not)

 

Just had to share my pessimism. Hope I'm wrong. Xanex awaits if I am right. :thumb:

That game still kind of troubles me. I think UK wins if Pitino plays Derek Anderson. He was healthy at that point but Pitino didn't want him to re-injur and hurt his chances at the NBA. I have mixed feelings and think we could of won 3 in a row if Anderson played.

[gametime]

I think Andrew will be able to use his size, which the previous 2 opponents didn't have that advantage. I think he can simply back the defender down. High ball screens would be my guess to rub the defender off, and Andrew has the size to dump it. I have to wonder if either Boatright or Napier can stay over top of those screens because if they don't, and he gets his hips past, as the saying goes, "if he's even, he's leavin'"

 

Boatright is maybe the best in the country at defending the high ball screen, but fighting over Randle or Dakari is obviously a tough task...

[George Amberson]

That game still kind of troubles me. I think UK wins if Pitino plays Derek Anderson. He was healthy at that point but Pitino didn't want him to re-injur and hurt his chances at the NBA. I have mixed feelings and think we could of won 3 in a row if Anderson played.

 

Can't fault him for not playing him and looking out for him. I agree with you though, like 2010, I thought we had the best team that year.

[TTS_JF]

All this reading on the game has me thinking of cutting out of

work early watching the rain postponed Nascar race and getting

ready for the game.

[CincySportsFan]

Zero chance the Cats lose this one. Too big, too deep, and of course, they'll have home court advantage with the presence of the BBN. Foul trouble inside will help spell the doom for the Huskies, and Randle will go off for 28 tonight. Harrison will have a pretty decent night too, going 4-4 from 3pt. range, as the UConn guards will have to drop off in help-D inside, but the Cats won't need any of his last second heroics. Kentucky cuts down the nets and justify all the preseason hype. Cats 84 Huskies 69.

[spindoc]

All this reading on the game has me thinking of cutting out of

work early watching the rain postponed Nascar race and getting

ready for the game.

 

I think there's a little baseball game this afternoon too.

[nkypete]

I love reading this stuff. The information is better than the CBS and TBS pre-game shows!

[TTS_JF]

I think there's a little baseball game this afternoon too.

 

That puts it over the top. I can't focus under these conditions.

Nascar up until Reds/Cards then onto National Championship.

I'm out at 12.

[4chs]

If UK can't get in the lane to get shots up, then the rebounding edge is negated. That's where the ball pressure comes in to play against UK and why I mentioned it being so tough to get going downhill against UConn. Andrew is excellent at playing that way, but if he can't get his shoulders past the defender it is taken away. Would almost like to see Cal invert the offense some and try to get the twins posting up Napier and Boatright...

 

UConn's pressure on the ball really concerns me, but I also think that UK can get them into foul trouble by going straight at them and trying to bull their way to the goal. There are a couple of bad outcomes for the Cats in doing this though, one being UConn creating turnovers leading to run outs and the other being offensive fouls.

 

I can't see Cal trying to post the guards up at this point, I can of expect Randle to get the ball a lot at the top of the key with him trying to drive it from there, the key to this working may be if he is willing to distribute it instead of automatically trying to score the ball himself.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Would almost like to see Cal invert the offense some and try to get the twins posting up Napier and Boatright...

 

It would be interesting. I'm not sure I've seen either really do that all year.

[TheDeuce]

UK by 13.

[George Amberson]

It would be interesting. I'm not sure I've seen either really do that all year.

 

I can't think of a time that either one of them did it. Unless there was a new "tweak" installed since the other night I can't see it happening.

 

On a related note to the game, I think Hawkins is going to play some huge (not a ton, just important) minutes hounding Napier/Boatright.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Is this the first time that two teams have squared off in the Championship with neither being in the tournament field the year before?

[UKMustangFan]

^Since 1966 I believe.