Kentucky vs. Alabama

That time of week again. Let's hope today has a better result than this past Tuesday and last Saturday. I'll be tuning in to the pregame show like I did on Tuesday.

Kentucky enters the game with a 10-5 record. The Alabama Crimson Tide come in with a 9-6 record. Happy Birthday to Shagari Alleyne who turns 22 today. Kentucky is the favorite by 7 1/2 points and leads the series 94-33.

In other Kentucky news, the Miami Heat have guaranteed former Wildcat star Gerald Fitch a contract for this season.

I spoke with Kentucky play-by-play man Tom Leach with regards to Tom Boyd's firing and the line-up shake up. Leach thinks that "time will tell on how the changes impact the season." I certainly hope something gets done. Give me a few more games and we'll see if I join the legion of fans that call for Tubby to get canned.

Alabama's key player, Chuck Davis, is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL. This is big for the Wildcats who have not played so well. If we take advantage of this, we may be able to win.

Randolph Morris and Ravi Moss are expected to start for he Wildcats. If Moss is replacing Patrick Sparks as many fans are expecting, Sparks' streak of 96 consecutive starts will come to an end. Sparks scored 26 points the last time we played Alabama with 7 three-pointers.

Bobby Perry turned his ankle on Thursday. Joe Crawford missed practice with tendinitis in his knee.

Sparks needs to get on a roll today or else he will be screwed for the rest of the season. Moss and Morris should play better than they did on Tuesday against Vanderbilt. Tubby needs to recruit some first-tier players. We have to box out and DEFEND if we want to win. We need clean shots. If we shoot under 50%, we'll probably lose.

Radio Announcers: Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dick Gabriel, Oscar Combs
CBS Commentators: Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery

Starting Lineup:
Kentucky
F - Sheray Thomas
F - Randolph Morris
C - Lukasz Orbzut
G - Rajon Rondo
G - Patrick Sparks

Alabama
F - Evan Broc
F - Richard Hendrix
C - Jermareo Davidson
G - Ronald Steele
G - Brandon Hollinger

Breakdown:
-Confidence-building
-Get everyone on the same page
-Trust
-Moving the ball

Mike Pratt's Keys to the game
-Inside play
-Confidence and a good shooting game
-Cheap baskets
-Get Morris running the floor

CBS Analysis:
-What's the point?
-Blue Book Value

Getting started soon. "Bittersweet Symphony" followed by "Right Here, Right Now."

First Half Score Reports
Bama controls the tip but Morris quickly defends the basket and the Cats get the ball. Sparks still slumping. Jump ball gives it to Bama. Sparks throws it away as Rondo moves away from the pass. Morris steals it, loses his shoe, and lays it in for 2 plus a foul. Morris makes the shot. Bama's inbound pass gets turned over. Thomas misses from outside. Sparks misses another 3 and Woo follows up with some points off the rebound. Tied at 5. Morris blocks again.
15:41 (TV Timeout) UK 5, Alabama 5
No subs for the Cats. Foul away from the shot. Alright! Sparks makes the 3. Morris rebound. Sparks to Morris and the foul! 2 shots. Makes both. 10-7 Cats. Charge! Hendrix has 2 quick fouls. Sparks misses again. Rondo misses the 3. Rebound on the other end. Thomas picks up the foul on a rebound. Bradley and Moss are in for the Cats. Sparks and Rondo go to the bench. Alleyne comes in for Morris. Crawford is in. Jump ball. Foul. 11-10 Bama lead.
11:58 (TV Timeout) UK 10, Alabama 11
Thomas is the only starter still in. Moss picks up the foul. Moss missed the three. Jump ball to Bama. 14-10 Bama. Morris coming back in for Alleyne. Rondo comes in for Thomas. Morris makes the lay-up. Charge! Broc has 3 fouls. Hendrix now has three fouls. Mark Gottfried cannot be happy at all. Morris at the line and makes both shots. Cats steal and Morris dunks. The Cats are back!
8:45 (Alabama Timeout) UK 16, Alabama 14
Morris rebounds. Morris misses and Rondo scores off the rebound. 8-0 run for the Cats. Four guards and Morris. Crawford with the jumper. 10-0 run. 20-14 Cats. Foul on Ramel Bradley.
6:35 (TV Timeout) UK 20, Alabama 14
Sparks back in. Crawford out. Morris rebound. Turnover on a bad throw. Charge. Crawford in. Rondo out. Crawford for 2 and a collision. He'll shoot 2. Makes both. 22-16 Cats. Crawford misses 3. Bradley saves it. Crawford takes it to the rim. Ravi knocks it out of bounds and there is a time out on the floor.
3:32 (TV Timeout) UK 24, Alabama 18
The Cats are playing much better than they did on Tuesday and last Saturday. We have to keep it up through the next 23:32 minutes. Sparks fouls and UK is not even at the bonus yet. Scratch that. Sparks picks up a quick foul and that takes it to the bonus one and one. Bradley knocks that one in. Foul and Rondo picks that one up. Foul on the rebound and Crawford goes to the line for two. Good bounce on the first one. Makes the second. 28-21 lead for the Cats. Morris with the short jumper. Rondo rebounds. Bradley underneath and it's 32-23! Crawford steps on baseline.
5.5 (UK Timeout) UK 32, Alabama 29
Tubby wants to set up for the final seconds. No shot off.
HALFTIME

Kentucky played better than the past two games. Kentucky is shooting 42.3% from the field. Bama is shooting 40%. From behind the arc, UK is only shooting 14.3% while Bama is shooting 44.4%. If UK cannot make shots from behind the arc, then they have to go to the post. Morris has 13 points and 5 rebounds. The Cats need more confidence from behind the arc.

Second Half Score Reports
Bradley missed the 3. UK struggles in the opening of the 2nd half. Rondo for 2 or 3, misses, and Woo saves it. Morris loses it and again. Foul under the basket. 33-32 Bama after the shots. Bama 10-0 run. Bradley goes in for 2. Woo picks up the foul. Thomas comes in for Woo. Cats throw it away. Thomas picks up a foul. Cats rebound. Bradley missed 3, Cats rebound, and Crawford makes the 3. 37-36 UK. Morris makes the short jumper. Morris gets called for a foul and we have a time out on the floor.
14:45 (TV Timeout) UK 39, Alabama 38
We're seeing several lead changes so far. UK needs to go on a run. Morris has 3 fouls and is now on the bench. Woo and Sparks are in. Rondo sits. Charge. Woo for two! Woo picks up the foul. Two quick fouls from Woo and that's his third. Morris comes back in. UK has six team fouls in the 2nd half. Crawford misses the three. Travel on Bama! Bradley for 3! Cats rebound. Bradley for 2 and the foul. He'll go to the line. Davidson now has 3 fouls.
11:49 (TV Timeout) UK 44, Alabama 40
UK is perfect from the free throw line. Thomas picks up a foul on the alley oop. One and one from here on out. Morris rebounds the second attempt and scores on the other end. Morris with another short jumper. He has 19. Bradley misses the 3 and Moss rebounds. Turnover and Bama answers with a three. Thomas misses. Moss makes a 3!
8:58 (Alabama Timeout) UK 53, Alabama 48
UK steals it. Bradley misses the 3. Block by Morris but it went in. That was a foul or goaltending. Fould was on Bradley.
7:41 (TV Timeout) UK 53, Alabama 50
Thirty-one rebounds. Still shooting at 42% but have been 50% for the most part in the 2nd half. Rondo back and the Cats lose it. Sparks fouls and 1. That's his 3rd. Rondo loses the pass from Morris. Crawford misses the lay-up. Cats falling apart.
6:03 (UK Timeout) UK 53, Alabama 58
Moss can't hit the 3 and no one boxes out for the Cats. Charge! Brock has four fouls now. Cats lose it again. Bama on a 12-0 run. Rondo scores 3! Bradley gets fouled in route to the goal.
3:30 (TV Timeout) UK 56, Alabama 63
With a bit over three minutes, the Cats are down by 7. Bradley hits 3! Down by 4. Less than 3 remaining. Davidson throws it away! Moss makes 3! Down 1. Rupp errupts as the fans are on their feet!
2:10 (Alabama Timeout) UK 62, Alabama 63
The Cats have made 3 straight 3's. Bama is shooting 71% in the 2nd half. UK shooting 46%. Randolph Morris on the bench. Charge! Cats get the ball back. Morris comes in for Thomas. Less than 2 remaining. Moss misses 3. Cats rebound. Rondo to the basket for two and 1! 64-63 UK. Thomas for Morris. Rondo misses. One minute remaining. Davidson heads to the line with foul. Morris for Thomas. UK down 2. Bama throws it out of bounds on the pass.
51.5 (UK Timeout) UK 64, Alabama 66
Kentucky cannot make any mistakes. UK is 44% of the field. UK has made 6/14 from behind the arc currently. Kentucky gets the ball as Bama tried to steal it but went out of bounds.
32.2 (UK Timeout) UK 64, Alabama 66
Two points. Kentucky has the ball and the shot clock is down to 6. Rondo is an idiot! How could anyone not know that the clock wasn't reset? Jump ball but Bama gets it.
23.2 (Alabama Timeout) UK 64, Alabama 66.
We cannot afford any fouls. Both teams have 1 timeouts remaining. The Cats have 10 team fouls. Crawford fouls Steele with 19.7 seconds left. Steele misses the first attempt. UK needs to rebound the second attempt but the second attempt is good. Bama is up by 3. Bradley for the tie and missed it. 9.1 seconds remaining and the Cats are going to drop their third in a row. Foul. Missed the first shot. Makes the second. Two possession game.
9.1 (Alabama Timeout) UK 64, Alabama 68
Unbelieveable. For the first time since December 1999, UK has lost 3 straight games.
END OF REGULATION

UK 64, Alabama 68

This is pathetic. Kentucky basketball does not lose. Next up is Georgia on Tuesday at 9 PM on ESPN.