For the Manic-Depressive/Bi-Polar UK fan......Chill Out!!, You're embarrassing the rest of us!!!

[UKTopherdad]

"Hey!, pay attention"....says Coach......listen to Dad...he'll see you through these times.......

Oh, how the numbers comfort me…….

The 2008-2009 UK Basketball season has not gotten off to the greatest of starts. Last year was Billy Gillispie’s first season as head coach at the most storied program in NCAA History. However, he screwed up; he went ahead and started improving the team immediately. It was going to be a bye year, especially after early losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego. He lost Jodie Meeks to injury and still took the team to a 12-4 SEC record. Why is this a “screw-up”? Because UK fans are salivating at the idea of returning to our thrown atop the NCAA Basketball world, so much that we lose sight of plain truth.

All 13 scholarship players last year were in their first season under Gillispie’s coaching style. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley graduated, taking 48% of the offense with them. Add transferring Derrick Jasper, and now you have lost 52% of your scoring and 54% of your assists. Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson, Michael Porter, and Ramon Harris are the only returning players that logged more than 300 minutes (10mpg) last year. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks are coming off of injuries and while they are healthy, they are still a little rusty.

So basically, Billy Gillispie is starting all over again.

When you take all of this in and process it, you can understand why we are struggling. We just replaced Crawford, Bradley, and Jasper with Liggins, Miller, and Galloway. Two true freshmen, a JuCo xfer, and Porter, who is on most nights outclassed in quickness and ability. Now ask yourself…..Why am I shocked we are struggling with turnovers? Easy to see isn’t it?


A Tale of two halves…….

Now comes the part where you can start holding players and coaches accountable. The players that we have….CAN perform at a much higher level. They just seem to wait until the 2nd half. Statistics do not lie…and here they are:

These are statistics from games vs. VMI, UNC, Kst, WVU, and Miami. Longwood, Lamar, and Delaware St. were excluded due to the blowout effect on statistics. (MVSt also not included in any statistics)

In the 1st half:

• UK has been outscored by 42 points. (151-193) vs. all OPPs UK is +25
• UK has 71 Turnovers vs. all OPPs 89 TOs
• UK is shooting 42.1% from the floor (56/133) vs. all OPPs 96/228 42.1%
• UK has been to the FT line 41 times vs. all OPPs 78 FTAs

These first half numbers have spelled our doom in each of our three losses.

In the 2nd half:
• UK has outscored the OPP by 22 points (205-183) vs. all OPPs UK is +60
• UK has only 50 Turnovers vs. all OPPs 79 TOs
• UK is shooting 52% from the floor (65/125) vs. all OPPs 106/215 49.3%
• UK has been to the FT line 89 times vs. all OPPs 113 FTAs


Now, let’s break these down as much as we can, as simply as we can. In order of importance and significance.

• UK is doubly aggressive in the 2nd half leading to more than twice as many trips to the FT line, where UK is converting at just under 80%.
• UK is taking better care of the ball in the 2nd half which leads to more scoring opportunities and better looks at the basket. This is apparent in the 10% increase in FG%.
• Taking care of the basketball also keeps the other team from transition and fast break points and allows UK to set up their half-court defense which has been stellar and is getting better with each game/practice.

This is a classic sign of youth and inexperience, IE, growing pains. One area for improvement is 3pt shooting. UK is only shooting 31% from behind the newly elongated arc. This is allowing teams to sag down on Patrick Patterson and close down passing and driving lanes.

If DeAndre Liggins can continue to use his ability to get to the basket and Jodie Meeks can find his rhythm after essentially a full year with little/no shooting…things will begin to loosen up inside for Patterson. But for now, it appears to be on Coach and the players to come out in the 1st half with the same kind of intensity that they seem to bring in the 2nd half.

UKTopherDad