“Mountain Tops”, by Ira Combs
UK rebounds in Bayou - Set up to make NCAA run with three-game home stand
If the proverbial everyday feline cat has nine lives to live then the 2007- 08 Kentucky Wildcats must of been given a tenth, but that last one was done in an eastern KY chicken neck-ringing fashion down in Nashville last Tuesday by 41 points. Folks, there has never been a dirty rug beat on the back porch of the Combs family home place any harder than Vandy beat on UK last Tuesday. But don’t! On the fire and call the dogs in just yet, cause the hunt isn’t over, sports fans. Thanks to another underachieving effort by LSU or should I say another overachieving effort by UK, the Cats are still alive and in the hunt for an NCAA tourney berth by bouncing back and beating the Bayou Bengals 67 - 63 on the SEC regionally-televised game of the week last Saturday. UK’s triple threat trio of Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, and Patrick Patterson scored in double digits for the 13th time this season, with Crawford leading the way with 21 pts. Followed by Bradley with 16 pts. and Patterson finished off the trio with 14 pts. and six rebounds. Bradley tallied 6 assists along with making all 4 free throw attempts in the last minute and now has made 21 free throws in a row in late-game clutch situations within the last three minutes of a game. Joe Crawford’s offensive talents are becoming just as consistent, with the senior guard scoring in double digits in 12 straight games and averaging 20.3 ppg. in the last 7 road games where his senior leadership has been at a premium. Too quick to judge Cats or SEC down I still can’t figure out if I was too quick to judge this team in late December, or if the SEC is really down as many across the nation have stated, but regardless, I must step up and admit I was wrong when I stated earlier in this column that this team would not win a game on the road in conference play. Truth is after the Louisville game and prior to conference play I wouldn’t have given this team much of a chance against two or three conference teams even at home, especially without a healthy Jodie Meeks & Derrick Jasper. Bottom line is I was wrong and now this team rests at 13 - 10 and of more importance to the NCAA tourney committee are 7 - 3 in conference without a loss at home and looking a three game home stand right in the eye. Can you say 16 - 10 overall and 10 - 3 in conference and meriting serious con-sideration down the stretch going into the SEC tourney? I know the players & coaches can’t look ahead, but I can. Coaching carousel and rumors begin The NCAA Div. 1 basketball coach’s job security is approaching professional coaching cycles and standards, and this particular year may have several direct and indirect associations with UK. John Brady has already been given the boot by LSU and guess who’s name is already popping up in the bayou swamps? Yep, our own little general Travis Ford - wouldn’t that be special to have Travis Ford, John Pelphrey, and Billy Donovan all in the SEC at the same time. I’m talking pressure on one Billy Gillispie similar to what Joe B. had when following Adolph Rupp. Now it looks as though Indiana is a few days away from firing their second coach since Bob Knight was run out of town, (is the IU situation developing into the new basketball version of “Bear Bryant” and the Alabama football job or UCLA and the John Wooden ghost). One Div. 1 coaching job that’s went a little under the radar but looking more imminent each passing day is Sean Sutton and his tenure at Oklahoma State. Just this past week we had a phone conversation with someone close to this situation and his comments were the relationship between coach and administration is starting to widen and fan support is falling more consistently to the negative with each loss. The fan base according to our source has reached the point of making suggestions on the talk show and Cowboy Internet circuit as well. That’s where the UK connection comes in. Yep, seems as though the success that one Billy “Clyde” Gillispie had at Texas A & M has intrigued some of the fan base out in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Now, I know what your thinking it’s just the new modern day fan spouting off at the mouth thru the new technological age of talk shows and the Internet. Why would any rationale-minded coach leave UK, with all its tradition, state-of-the-art facilities and an annual 2.3 million salary for the Midwest and Oklahoma State. Doesn’t even merit a thought does it? Right, just forget I said that, absolutely never going to happen. But then again, I remember last year and a secret plane ride to Minnesota that shook the Bluegrass up before any of us knew the deal had already been cut and that coach had a couple years left on a signed contract, not a memorandum of agreement. In closing this week I’ll remind everyone what General Robert M. Knight said on ESPN just last week two days after his announced retirement. Abe Lemons, who was an ole wily veteran coach from Texas wise beyond his years taught me one thing at an early stage in my coaching career said the legendary Knight, “don’t ever say never.”
If the proverbial everyday feline cat has nine lives to live then the 2007- 08 Kentucky Wildcats must of been given a tenth, but that last one was done in an eastern KY chicken neck-ringing fashion down in Nashville last Tuesday by 41 points. Folks, there has never been a dirty rug beat on the back porch of the Combs family home place any harder than Vandy beat on UK last Tuesday. But don’t! On the fire and call the dogs in just yet, cause the hunt isn’t over, sports fans. Thanks to another underachieving effort by LSU or should I say another overachieving effort by UK, the Cats are still alive and in the hunt for an NCAA tourney berth by bouncing back and beating the Bayou Bengals 67 - 63 on the SEC regionally-televised game of the week last Saturday. UK’s triple threat trio of Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, and Patrick Patterson scored in double digits for the 13th time this season, with Crawford leading the way with 21 pts. Followed by Bradley with 16 pts. and Patterson finished off the trio with 14 pts. and six rebounds. Bradley tallied 6 assists along with making all 4 free throw attempts in the last minute and now has made 21 free throws in a row in late-game clutch situations within the last three minutes of a game. Joe Crawford’s offensive talents are becoming just as consistent, with the senior guard scoring in double digits in 12 straight games and averaging 20.3 ppg. in the last 7 road games where his senior leadership has been at a premium. I still can’t figure out if I was too quick to judge this team in late December, or if the SEC is really down as many across the nation have stated, but regardless, I must step up and admit I was wrong when I stated earlier in this column that this team would not win a game on the road in conference play. Truth is after the Louisville game and prior to conference play I wouldn’t have given this team much of a chance against two or three conference teams even at home, especially without a healthy Jodie Meeks & Derrick Jasper. Bottom line is I was wrong and now this team rests at 13 - 10 and of more importance to the NCAA tourney committee are 7 - 3 in conference without a loss at home and looking a three game home stand right in the eye. Can you say 16 - 10 overall and 10 - 3 in conference and meriting serious con-sideration down the stretch going into the SEC tourney? I know the players & coaches can’t look ahead, but I can. The NCAA Div. 1 basketball coach’s job security is approaching professional coaching cycles and standards, and this particular year may have several direct and indirect associations with UK. John Brady has already been given the boot by LSU and guess who’s name is already popping up in the bayou swamps? Yep, our own little general Travis Ford - wouldn’t that be special to have Travis Ford, John Pelphrey, and Billy Donovan all in the SEC at the same time. I’m talking pressure on one Billy Gillispie similar to what Joe B. had when following Adolph Rupp. Now it looks as though Indiana is a few days away from firing their second coach since Bob Knight was run out of town, (is the IU situation developing into the new basketball version of “Bear Bryant” and the Alabama football job or UCLA and the John Wooden ghost). One Div. 1 coaching job that’s went a little under the radar but looking more imminent each passing day is Sean Sutton and his tenure at Oklahoma State. Just this past week we had a phone conversation with someone close to this situation and his comments were the relationship between coach and administration is starting to widen and fan support is falling more consistently to the negative with each loss. The fan base according to our source has reached the point of making suggestions on the talk show and Cowboy Internet circuit as well. That’s where the UK connection comes in. Yep, seems as though the success that one Billy “Clyde” Gillispie had at Texas A & M has intrigued some of the fan base out in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Now, I know what your thinking it’s just the new modern day fan spouting off at the mouth thru the new technological age of talk shows and the Internet. Why would any rationale-minded coach leave UK, with all its tradition, state-of-the-art facilities and an annual 2.3 million salary for the Midwest and Oklahoma State. Doesn’t even merit a thought does it? Right, just forget I said that, absolutely never going to happen. But then again, I remember last year and a secret plane ride to Minnesota that shook the Bluegrass up before any of us knew the deal had already been cut and that coach had a couple years left on a signed contract, not a memorandum of agreement. In closing this week I’ll remind everyone what General Robert M. Knight said on ESPN just last week two days after his announced retirement. Abe Lemons, who was an ole wily veteran coach from Texas wise beyond his years taught me one thing at an early stage in my coaching career said the legendary Knight, “don’t ever say never.”
