The Elitist Jerks' Sports Information Collective

In the world of big time college athletics, change is the only constant. The night of March 25th, 2009 I was verklempt (you’re welcome) to say the least. I was drunk (not nearly drunk enough, as I still remember the night) and staring at my ceiling, trying to convince myself that Travis Ford really did have redeeming qualities as a human being and a basketball coach. Losing in the NIT when you’re Kentucky is foreign territory to say the least.

Fast forward to October 29th, 2009 and it’s safe to say that things have changed for the Kentucky Wildcats. Out went Billy Bourbon and his “Toughness > Smartness” mentality and in came Calipari and his “Schmoozing > Boozing” approach. Along with his people skills, Coach Cal brought a bag full of highly touted recruits (it’s so… beautiful, isn’t it?) and expectations with him to the Bluegrass. In an onslaught of contracts, settlements, and Emory envelopes (kidding), my beloved Cats have gone from NIT also-rans to a near-consensus pre-season Top 5 team. The contrast from then until now couldn’t be more stark.

Last night, I got the privilege of watching the “debut” (read “glorified scrimmage”) of the aforementioned new and improved Kentucky Wildcats at the annual Blue/White game. After months of build-up, anticipation, and run-ins with the message board hate brigade, it was finally time to see the new Cats in action. Would anyone be able to knock down the trey? Would D-Cus rock the headband and ruin half my Tennessee jokes? Would John Wall poop ice cream and serve it to the crowd?

The answer to all of the above was a resounding YES.

The Cats were impressive in all phases against what was probably the best competition they’ll face until a December 5th match-up with UNC. They pushed the ball with veracity, defended with tenacity, and show-boated with audacity. (High five?)

John Wall was a revelation in a “true” game environment. He cut to the basket and scored at will. He led the break with speed and control. He passed like Magic. He tomahawk jammed like MJ. He fell 3 rebounds short of a triple double to go along with his 25 points. In short… He pooped ice cream all over us all.

Wall wasn’t the only one to shine, though, as a host of Cats put their skill sets on display for the record (for a scrimmage) 14,000+ at Rupp Arena. Patrick Patterson looked faster and more athletic than ever, as he scored from nearly every spot on the floor (including two from 3-point range). Eric Bledsoe looked like the best passer and penetrator in the SEC not named John Wall. Darnell Dodson rained threes from the rafters to the tune of 26 points (not bad for a JUCO add-on to a more highly touted group of true freshmen). Daniel Orton looked like the potential defensive force he was billed to be. DeMarcus Cousins wore a head band and was very large. Outside of DeAndre Liggins and Perry (pronounced “PURR eee”) Stevenson, every player seemed to excel in their projected role. It was a good night.

So, how does all this “potential” greatness funnel down into an in-game rotation, you ask? Based on what I saw tonight, here’s how I see the line-up breaking down.

Starting 5:

John Wall – PG/SG
Eric Bledsoe – PG/SG
Darius Miller – SF
Patrick Patterson – PF/C
DeMarcus Cousins – C

Reserves:

DeAndre Liggins – G
Jon Hood – SG
Darnell Dodson – SF
Josh Harrelson – PF
Daniel Orton – C

For any other system in college basketball, it would seem asinine to start your back-up PG at SG (especially when you don’t have another true PG on the roster). The DDM, however, isn’t any other system. It’s success is based almost solely on penetration, movement, and kick outs (TWSS), so it’s imperative to have the fastest players with the best ball-handling abilities and court vision bringing the ball up the court. Having Bledsoe and Wall on the court at the same time, doubles your chances of getting the ball to the basket before your opponent has a chance to set their (inevitably zone) defense.

Similarly, while Dodson is probably the better outside shooter (ie. Zone Buster), Miller gives UK a guy who can push and deftly pass the ball when need be. He brings a great mid-range game and a tear-drop runner that’s almost impossible to defend. He’s also a far superior defender to Dodson at this point in their careers. Whether Miller maintains this spot on the roster depends on his willingness be aggressive and fight his tendency to fade into the background during the course of a game. If Dodson duplicates his scoring ability from last night’s game, I could see a case being made for him over Miller down the line.

What can be said about Patrick Patterson that hasn’t been said a 1000 times (he’s going to be black Tyler Hansbrough this year, so you might as well get ready to tune out the gushing)? The kid is an amazing player and probably an even better person. What you may not know about Patterson is that he’s expanded his range and his game to new levels over the summer. He (along with Daniel Orton) spent the summer with Hell’s Trainer (seems like a nice guy) getting leaner and meaner in an effort to raise his stock in the eyes of NBA execs. If his recently displayed 3 point range is any indication of what’s to come, mission accomplished.

Probably the most tentative spot in the starting 5, in my mind at least, belongs to the mass of man-ness DeMarcus Cousins. D-Cus (I feel so “Urban” all of a sudden) brings an unreal set of skills to the table for a big man. Aside from being a massive 6′ 11″ and 260+ lbs., Cousins also has impressive footwork and ball-handling skills for a man his size. He can play facing or with his back to the basket with ease, and he’ll knock down a 3 from the perimeter if you leave him open. Sounds like a can’t miss star, right? Well, as has been the case with an enumerable amount of naturally talented players, D-Cus is lazy as shit. He gives 100% effort about 50% of the time and his conditioning leaves a lot to be desired. By contrast, the less offensively minded (and less naturally talented) Orton has displayed a great work ethic and it’s been said, by those observing practice, that Orton is “tearing Cousins’ ass up“. Time will tell who wins out in the end, but Cousins may have too much upside to bring off the bench. We’ll see.

From an overall team standpoint, you have to think the outlook is bright for Kentucky. They have a better, deeper front court than 99% (I hate math) of the country. The combination of Patterson, Cousins and Orton gives the Cats 3 future NBA players anchoring the post. They have two potential All-American level point guards to run the DDM in Bledsoe and Wall (a POY candidate for a lot of people and the probable #1 overall pick). All but 3 players (one of those was a walk-on last year) on their roster were 4 Star recruits or better when they signed with the team. The overall size and speed on the roster suits Calipari’s offense to a T. They can score at will against man defense and the roster is stacked with great defenders. To say that the potential is there for a deep tournament run, might be a gross understatement.

The overall talent level and depth of this Kentucky team hasn’t been seen in Lexington since 1996. Will this team share their final destination or will chemistry issues or inexperience derail the title train to Indianapolis? Only time will tell.

After a near decade of mediocrity, I, for one, will gladly enjoy the ride either way.

Tags: 09-10 Season Preview, Cats, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Final Four, John Wall, Kentucky Players Poop Ice Cream, Kentucky Wildcats, NIT, Patrick Patterson