Tonight, the University of Kentucky Wildcats take on the University of Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia. The Wildcats come into tonight's game with a depressing 10-6 record. Georgia comes in with a 11-5 record. In conference play, the Cats have lossed both while the Bulldogs have a 1-2 record. The Wildcats currently dominate the series with a 104-21 record.
After starting the season shooting 42% from behind the arc, the Cats are shooting a depressing 24% over the past eight games. Sparks has started 96 consecutive games now. As bad of a slump as Sparks has been in lately, I don't think he should start at all. Maybe he'll play better since Georgia Bulldogs Coach Dennis Felton recruited him. We shall certainly see. Despite the slump, the Cats have managed to continue their streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer with 591 to date.
ESPN will air the game at 9 PM. The Big Blue Sports Network will air the game on the radio with pre-game coverage beginning at 7:30 PM. The Cats are have not won a single game this season when playing on ESPN.
Dave was in Oxford over the weekend covering Mississippi State and Ole Miss which explains why we heard Dick Gabriel on Saturday.
When is the last time we've lost 4 in a row? Dave and Oscar think it was the Eddie Sutton era (not Pitino). Oscar believes that we are very close to setting a new home court record for losses.
Next year will definitely be a rebuilding year. What will happen to recruiting if we are NIT-bound? Oscar has not given up on the Cats season yet. For what it's worth, I still support Tubby Smith.
BREAKING: Pat Riley will not be in the autograph session on Saturday as he is being flown up that morning.
Dave is now talking about the Dick Gabriel DVD. Rumor has it that it will air on KET again in March.
Tom Leach is now speaking with Tubby Smith. The big concerns are offense and defense. The Cats have to be patient and fight the pressure. Tubby has said that they practiced the fundamentals and worked on executing plays. "They're not playing together at all, there's no cohesiveness." Bobby Perry is good to go. Rekalin Sims is doubtful to be playing. When Leach spoke this morning, there was talk of starting Ramel Bradley over Patrick Sparks. If Sparks lost his starting spot, then his streak has ended at 96 games.
Tom Leach just confirmed that Sparks will start, not Ramel Bradley. The tip will be at 9:08 PM.
Mike Pratt's State Farm Keys of the Game:
-I missed all them.
Radio Commentators: Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker, Oscar Combs
ESPN Commentators: Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes, Heather Cox
Starters
Kentucky:
F - Sheray Thomas
C - Randolph Morris
G - Rajon Rondo
G - Joe Crawford
G - Patrick Sparks
Georgia
F - Terrance Woodbury
C - Dave Bliss
G - Levi Stukes
G - Sundiata Gaines
G - Channing Toney
First Half Score Reports:
Georgia controls the tip. Morris loses it but the Cats get it back. Rondo to Morris for the alley oop. Down 6-2. Sparks to the line. Missed both free throws. Cats rebound. Morris with two more. Rondo with the long jumper and misses it. Cats get it back on UGA throwing it out of bounds. UGA steals and gives it back by dribbling on the base line. Rondo on the baseline. Crawford with the rebound. Thomas for 2. Rondo fouls. Crawford rebounds the failed alley oop. Foul and we have a TV timeout. Woo came in for Morris already.
15:47 (TV Timeout) UK 6, UGA 8
Perry is in. Bradley is in. Moss is in. Perry's shot blocked. Perry loses possession again. Tubby is not pleased and calls timeout.
14:57 (UK Timeout) UK 6, UGA 12
Morris is in for Perry. Georgia gets the foul. Rondo misses but Bradley rebounds. Sparks coming back in soon. Georgia is shooting great from the outside. Over and back. UGA ball. Down 18-8. Patrick gets fouled playing offense. Bradley on the drive, makes the basket, and draws the foul. Misses, gets the rebound, and gets the 3. 18-13. Woo fouls. Thomas is in and rebunds. Bradley on the drive, misses, and UK turns it over. Cats rebound and Moss hits the 3. Bradley with 2 more and it's 18-18. Cats on a 10-0 run. Thomas fouls and UGA will shoot 2.
10:16 (TV Timeout) UK 18, UGA 18
Sparks running the point. Cats miss the 3. Perry back in. Sparks misses the 3 and there was a foul on the rebound. Stukes drew his 3rd personal foul - this is big for UK. Perry at the line. Makes both. Cats lost it on a pass. Moss draws the foul on that drive. Looks like Dr. Andrew Weiner, a sports psychologist, was brought in to help the Cats and spent a whole three hours with the team. Crawford is fouled on the rebound. Already in the bonus. Misses and Perry rebounds. Turnover on a double dribble. 8-2 Cats in terms of turnovers. 21-20 UGA. Perry rebounds. Rondo came in sometime. Morris missed. Cats ball.
7:02 (TV Timeout) UK 20, UGA 21
Sparks still running the point. Morris loses it. Bradley with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Rondo for 2. Cats not blocking great. Rondo for 2. Steal! Rondo fouled before the shot. Misses and Morris rebounds for 2 more. 26-26. Moss back in. Sparks on the bench. Bradley in. Bradley misses the shot. Turnover
3:55 (TV Timeout) UK 26, UGA 29
Morris misses but Cats rebound. Long jumper for Morris and he has 8. Illegal screen. Cats ball. 29-28 UGA. Bradley misses it, saved back to the Cats, and knocked out of bounds of Thomas. Just over 2. Bradley steals and UGA intentionally fouls by grabbing Ramel's jersey. Bradley makes bith and it's 30-29. The Cats get the ball back. Foul away from the ball on Morris. UGA ball. Bradley picks up the foul. 1:30 to go in the half. 30-30. Woo is in. Thomas for 2 but he's fouled on and will head to the line for 2. Makes 2. Cats rebound. Moss for 3 after Woo almost lost it. Felton wants a TO for the last shot of the half.
21.3 (UGA Timeout) UK 35, UGA 30
Thomas picks up another foul. 2.9 left in the half. UGA makes 2.
HALFTIME
It's not a big lead but at least we have the lead at the half for a change. Cats lead in turnovers with 11 to UGA's 7. Bradley has done great so far. He has 11 points and ESPN.com actually shows him with 4 or 7 rebounds. Either way, the Cats are looking great. We've continued our streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer. I'm hopeful that we can hold on to the lead. If we can hold Stukes and get him fouled out, we should win. Cats led 52%-29% in shooting. Led 16-4 points in the paint.
Second Half Score Reports
The starters are back in. Turnover. Rondo with an airball. That's not your shot, Rajon. UGA ball. Sparks rebound. Charge on Morris. That would have been 4 on Stukes. Sparks is doing good offensively but no points yet. 36-35 UGA. Crawford miss but UGA threw it out of bounds. Sparks for 3! 38-36 UK. Someone fell asleep. Morris for 2! Cats rebound and Sparks with the jumper!
15:29 (TV Timeout) UK 42, UGA 38
Sparks must have his confidence back with two shots in a row. The Cats are 4-10 from behind the arc today. Cats ball. Perry in. Morris with 2. He has 12. Sparks rebound. No points on that one. Morris rebound but that may have been over-the-back. Cats ball. Sparks missed but the shot wasn't bad. Sparks rebound. Pass to Rondo for 2. Felton wants a TO.
12:51 (UGA Timeout) UK 46, UGA 38
The Cats are on an 11-2 run. Morris fouls Mercer on the dunk. Could be a 3 point play. Moss in. No good from Perry.
11:57 (TV Timeout) UK 46, UGA 41
Rondo with the steal and the dunk for 2! Perry with the foul inside. Rondo rebound. Rondo to Perry for 2. Cats ball as UGA throws it out. Sparks in. Bradley in. Moss loses the rebound. Turnover. Under 10. Perry loses and UGA is down by 4 but they may be calling it for hanging on the rim. Sparks at the line for the free throws. Makes 2 more. 52-46 UK. Cats ball. Bradley for 2. Morris in for Perry. Sparks to Bradley to Sparks for 2 more! Thomas on the floor. Maybe a a foul. 10 point lead. UGA ball. Moss fouls and then Bradley gets called for a technical. Tubby is not happy. UGA makes both. 56-48 UK. Rondo fouls when he tried to steal the pass. Looks like we are in the bonus. Cats rebound on the missed free throw. Moss misses and he gets the rebound and is fouled from behind. 7:39 to go.
7:39 (TV Timeout) UK 56, UGA 48
Rondo for 2. He has 10. Three in double digits. Moss fouls on the pass. Under 7 to go. 58-50. Crawford in. Rondo for 2. Cats ball on the turnover. Just over 6 to go. Gaines drew the foul. Sparks fouled. Cats ball. Thomas loses it but we got it back. Crawford airball. Rondo steals and loses it. Thomas loses it.
4:55(UK Timeout) UK 60, UGA 50
Morris for 2! Cats rebound. Sparks lost it out of bounds. Rondo steals but it goes out of bounds
3:45 (TV Timeout) UK 62, UGA 50
Rondo reound. UK shooting 54%. Patrick for 3! That's 12 points.
2:45 (UGA Timeout) UK 65, UGA 52
The UK Bench was up and standing after that 3! I don't know what Dr. Anthony Weiner did with the Cats but I think he motivated them enough for a victory. Crawford for 2! His first for the night. The movie they saw was Glory Road. Cats rebound. Patrick gets fouled. Tubby is soaken wet from sweat. Sparks to Crawford for the oop. Stukes with the airball. 1:16 remaining. These Cats are back. 69-52. Sparks picks up the foul. UGA makes 1 of 2. Tubby sends Shag, Preston, Jared, Stockton, and Williams in for the final minutes.
END OF REGULATION
KENTUCKY 69, GEORGIA 54
That's the end of that slump.
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