Kentucky Basketball: An Open Letter to Hometown Seniors, Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins

Highlights: UCLA men"s basketball falls to Kentucky in Sweet 16
From one Kentuckian to another, the Big Blue Nation holds a spot in their hearts for Kentucky Basketballs own.

Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis,

Thank you. To those growing up in the state of Kentucky, you have set the ultimate standard for what it means to be a Kentucky Basketball player. The whole state had its eye on you and you have not disappointed.

To the Bluegrass State, Kentucky Basketball is the ultimate pastime. Nothing trumps Big Blue as they hit the hardwood in March. Its refreshing to see just a couple of boys from Kentucky out there running around and making plays.

The best thing about watching you guys play is knowing the hard work and dedication that you have put in up to this point. You didnt just play for Kentucky, you were Kentucky. Also, you guys are the epitome of the spirit that lives in each and every Wildcat fan across this great state and beyond.

For four years, we have had the pleasure to watch you grow and develop as players and young men. Yeah, you could have chosen to play elsewhere and shine as we knew you would. But, you accepted the challenge to play for one of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball.

Its not easy to accept the fact that this will be the last time we see the two of you suit up with Kentucky across your chest. In addition, the spark that you bring to the game will be missed. Its been an unbelievable run for the two of you. It has not gone unnoticed.

Once a Wildcat always a Wildcat

Next season, there wont be a Dominique Hawkins out there making plays and giving the business to someone on defense. There wont be a Derek Willis spotting up on the wing to knock down a three to get the Rupp Arena crowd to its feet.

Just know this, you will forever be a kentucky wildcat. you have paved the road of Kentucky Basketball greats from the Bluegrass State.

Thank you for the memories. But most importantly, thank you for being the blueprint for what it truly means to represent Kentucky on one of the biggest stages while carrying the weight of the state on your shoulders.

Sincerely,

The Big Blue Nation

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGhwmbrRTgTyuq0A6-EgUhF98ZFqg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779438058462&ei=Q2zaWPixDI3I3gHnqoW4BA&url=https://wildcatbluenation.com/2017/03/26/kentucky-basketball-open-letter-hometown-seniors-derek-willis-dominique-hawkins/

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The Good, the Bad and the Sad: Social Media Reacts to Kentucky Basketball vs. North Carolina

Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Final Moments
Kentucky Basketball ends its season to North Carolina. Rebounding could have been the straw that broke the Cats back.

Its never enjoyable when an ex rebounds better than you, even if you broke up with them.

When freshman guard Malik Monk launched that go-ahead three-pointer against the Tarheels inDecember, that was Kentucky Basketball sending them the break-up text. Weneeded it to be over, said, Seeya, and moved on.

But when we met again,UNC forward Kennedy Meeks ripped down 17 boards, helping his team to a healthy 44 (10 more than Kentucky).

Mar 26, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) and guard Nate Britt (0) box out against Kentucky Wildcats forward Isaac Humphries (15) in the first half during the finals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Free throws were an issue

Know whats cool? Free stuff, including throws of various kinds. Whats more, free often implies easy, and in basketball, an uncontested shot from 15 feet is easy. In theory.

First, UNCs Justin Jackson took the games openingfree throws, and he made two of three. Then, sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe took Kentuckys first two attempts of the game, but he missed both. It was a sign of things to come, as the Wildcats finished the contest 12-19, and the Tarheels 18-26.

While thats not a monstrous difference as far as percentages go, the biggest takeaway is that all three of Kentuckys starting guards (you know, the fast guys who are supposed to drive the lane and get to the free throw line) shot 50 percent or worse. At the end of the game,Monk was 1-2, Briscoe 1-4 and DeAaron Fox 1-2.

Humphries Midrange Game Kept The Cats in Reach

The instant Isaac Humphries had his first bucket, all of Big Blue Nation collectively thought the same thing: Kentucky hasnt lost a game when Isaac Humphries scores. Maybe we jinxed ourselves.

But the big man from Down Under had himself a great game. He was seemingly automatic from the midrange, and this neat little play shows that Humphries can step even further from the basket:

Did you see that grin at the end? Humphries was cheesin, and hopefully h**l be out there hitting threes next year.

He capped off the evening with 12 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Big Shot Dom

What a player, what a guy. Senior guard Dominique Hawkins has been such a model teammate over the past four years, and he and fellow senior Derrick Willis deserve our thanks.

He filled in admirably for Fox during the first half, nailing shots and inspiring the crowd. Despite this Elite 8 loss, Hawkins elevated his game all March long, and he proved crucial to the success of Kentucky Basketball.

Hawkins finished with 10 points on 2-3 from downtown and three rebounds. Thank you, Dom. We mean it.

John Calipari and his team did Kentucky Basketball proud

Where success goes, the hate is sure to follow. Its what weve come to expect as Kentucky Basketball fans.

Weve accomplished a lot during Caliparis eight years: six Elite 8s, four Final 4s, two national title games and one NCAA championship. If you ask me, thats pretty d**n good.

Also, who says our freshman dont care?

All of Kentuckys playersfreshman includedfought hard as a team because they wanted to win as a team.

Even though its sad to see this group of young men each go their separate ways, BBN will always look back fondly at this tournament run. It was a h**l of a ride.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEIXz2-gckeOhx7ZJWDPNEolJrnFQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779434400045&ei=9BbaWLj_B8nP3gHi0YcQ&url=https://wildcatbluenation.com/2017/03/27/good-bad-sad-social-media-reacts-kentucky-basketball-vs-north-carolina/

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Kentucky Basketball: Malik Monk finally warmed up and it cooked Michigan State

Kentucky Basketball Champions Classic 2016

NEW YORK Forgive the rest of us if we didnt see Nuclear Monk coming, at least not on Tuesday nights big stage, but Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari did.

So what if hed only made 3 of 12 3-pointers in his first two college games? Freshman guard Malik Monk has always been a streaky shooter, and he started feeling it again hours before the second-ranked Wildcats tipped off against 13th-ranked Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.

He had an unbelievable shootaround, Calipari said. Malik Monk had one of the best shootarounds any of my players have had the past few years, and I expected he would go in and play well.

Good call. Monk buried his first three 3-pointers against the Spartans, signaling to teammates that he was cooking and keep it coming his way. They did, and Monk finished 7 of 11 from deep, dropping 23 points and 6 rebounds in a stunningly easy 69-48 win over Michigan State in the Champions Classic.

Had two other players on the team that had so-so shootarounds, and guess what? They had so-so games, Calipari said. Players not named Monk shot 0 for 10 from beyond the arc. And it was a great lesson.

RELATED:What John Calipari said after beating Michigan State.

Monk, a McDonalds All-American and projected lottery pick, is nothing if not confident. He was never too worried about his stroke. But he did realize it needed a little work after nothing would fall against Stephen F. Austin and Canisius.

With help from Calipari and UK assistant Kenny Payne, Monk said he drilled himself on staying low, stepping into the shot every time, not being casual, like Coach Cal likes to say. Try to focus on every shot being the same and just let it go smooth.

It doesnt get much smoother than what Monk did against the Spartans, swishing open and contested shots alike. More of them were open, thanks to Michigan States defense sagging back to stop Monks backcourt mates, Isaiah Briscoe and DeAaron Fox, from penetrating at will.

That wasnt especially effective, as those other two combined for 33 points and 8 assists, but it did give Monk the green light.

They get in the lane too good, every time they can, he said, so I just had to be prepared. They set me up well and I was able to knock down the shot.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo could only shake his head after the barrage buried his overmatched team. They picked a poison and Monk killed them.

If you look at our game plan, we wanted to somewhat contain Fox, Izzo said. Youve got to give Monk credit.

The scouting report suggested it was safe to leave him alone on the perimeter.That probably wont be the case going forward. Monk is a binge scorer who only needs to see one or two shots drop early and suddenly hes locked in and lethal.

I knew he was due for a big game, Briscoe said. I told him that before the game.

Inside Kentuckys locker room, then, confidence in Monks shooting never wavered. The 6-foot-3 guard with a 42-inch vertical leap had already demonstrated his ability to put opponents on posters with crazy dunks, and now if Monk shoots it like that, theyre a real good team.

There will almost certainly be more cold-shooting nights in his future, but there isa lotto work with.

He is one of the most athletic kids that Ive coached, Calipari said. Hes a little antsy right now. His mind moves really fast. When his feet move fast, his mind moves fast. So I gotta slow down his mind and let him see the game a little differently, and thats all Im talking about to him.

Athletically, jumping, speed, all those things,whew.He can defend, hes tough, hes got a curious mind. Hes got a quick mind, he reacts to stuff. Theres things that I cant teach.

WATCH: Calipari, Briscoe and Monk at the podium after beating MSU.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHm__EWitBtP9naWVCede9I8QAHCQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779271150779&ei=y2UsWKj-F8LapwfT7YWACg&url=https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/kentucky-basketball-malik-monk-finally-warmed-up-and-it-cooked-michigan-state

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John Clay: A sad, sudden ending to Kentucky"s basketball season

Kentucky vs Duke Full game NCAA basketball 2015 / 11.17.2015

Jamal Murray didnt so much sit in his locker room cubicle at the Wells Fargo Arena, as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, a Gatorade towel covering his entire head, his eyes red, his voice barely audible.

Shots I normally make, I didnt, he whispered. I didnt make shots.

There was disbelief in his soft voice, as if the freshman guard couldnt really imagine that this was it, that Kentuckys basketball season had come to such an abrupt end, stopped in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament by a 73-67 loss to Indiana in a second round game of the East Region.

Murray paused, and it looked for a minute as if he was going to say something else, but then he just couldnt. His head lowered again. His face disappeared beneath the towel.

It was that kind of Saturday for this Kentucky basketball team at Wells Fargo Arena. Nothing seemed right or in rhythm or the way it was supposed to be. There was no flow. The nations No. 1 team in terms of offensive efficiency could never find a rhythm, could never find itself.

Credit Indiana. The Big 10 champs stepped to the defensive plate. They cut off any attempts UK made at establishing a post game. While Tyler Ulis played valiantly, the first-team All-American finishing with 27 points, Indiana made Murray work for every one of his 16 points. He missed eight of his nine three-point attempts. As a team, UK missed 12 of 16 threes.

I felt like we had some open looks, said Derek Willis, who missed his only two shots. They just didnt go down.

Some Wildcats said Indiana played UKs pick-and-roll differently and that was a factor. Others, including Ulis, dismissed that as a determining factor.

We had defensive breakdowns, Ulis said. Thats where we lost the game.

And you couldnt help thinking back to six days before, after Kentucky had beaten Texas A&M in a overtime to win the SEC Tournament, when John Calipari, changed out of his suit and tie, predicted that his team would rise and fall with the play of his frontcourt. It plays well, UK advances. It doesnt, UK goes home.

Thats just the way it is, Calipari said.

He was right, of course. Indianas freshman center Thomas Bryant scored 19 points. Kentuckys trio of Alex Poythress, Skal Labissiere and Marcus Lee combined for 14.

And yet, despite five offensive fouls in the first half and six for the game and despite its inability to grab a groove, Kentucky held tightly to the rope for nearly 35 minutes. With 7:44 left, the score was tied at 50. Each team had made 19 of 45 shots for 42.2 percent. It was weird almost. Then the rope started to slip.

A possession later, Willis missed a three-pointer from his favorite spot, just to the left of the key, a spot where hes nearly automatic. At the other end, Indiana freshman O.G. Anunoby made his 13th three-pointer of the entire season. Indianas lead was just 56-50 but it had the feel of fate being sealed.

In the back of our minds, we knew things had to go just right for this Kentucky team. This wasnt last years overpowering edition. It wasnt the lock down defensive team of Calipari past. Instead, it was a team that found ways to accentuate its strengths, to play well enough down the stretch to give its fans reason to believe more was in store.

But then it was over, just like that, with a loss to a border rival, one game short of the Sweet 16, something that had not happened to the previous five UK teams Calipari had taken to the tournament.

Outside the locker room, former players Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Harrison, Tayshaun Prince and Ramon Harris stood and talked. Inside, there wasnt much talking. There were sad faces and bleary eyes and blank stares. Isaiah Briscoe sat in a chair, his legs up against the locker, just sitting, thinking.

Over at his locker, Murray had pulled the towel off his head and onto his shoulders. Someone asked about what he would remember about the fun he had playing with Ulis, with this team, especially over the final weeks.

Im going to miss playing basketball with these guys, he said softly. Its done. Our season is done.

There was really nothing else to say.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article67142337.html

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Bracketology Roundup: Kentucky Basketball in this year"s Group of Death?

1998 NCAA Basketball Regional Final - Kentucky vs Duke

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Rounding up the latest bracketologies from around the net.

The college basketball regular season is over as conference tournaments begin all around the nation.

That means the seedings for the NCAA Tournament are just about set as league tournaments usually don"t dramatically affect seeds outside of those automatic-qualifiers. However, history has shown that winning a conference tournament can boost a team"s seeding by a few spots, not to mention being the difference in leagues where multiple teams are vying for No. 1 seeds.

As for the Kentucky Wildcats, they"re pretty much set on being a 4 or 5 seed in the tournament, regardless of what they do in the SEC Tournament. In order to get a 3 seed, they"ll need to win their league tournament and have other teams ahead of them on the seed line suffer slip-ups this week.

ESPN"s Joe Lunardi has the Cats going out West as the 4 seed with No. 1 seed North Carolina in the West Region. The potential for a 4/5 matchup with California is there if the Cats win their first game. Both the Bears and Tar Heel are very strong on the boards and in the paint, an area where UK has struggled mightily at times this season.

Cal ranks 21st in the nation in rebounds per game (40.3) while UNC ranks ninth (41.5). Not to mention the Heels just out-rebounded Duke by a 64-29 margin. No. 2 Oklahoma is also in this region, which makes this essentially this year"s region of death if this comes to pass.

CBS Sports" Jerry Palm has the Cats getting a slightly more favorable region in the Midwest, but has UK falling to a 5 seed. Purdue comes in as the 4 seed, which is maybe the worst potential 4/5 matchup for UK. The Boilermakers have one of the best frontcourts in America withVince Edwards,A.J. Hammons and former UK targetCaleb Swanigan. This region also has Kansas as the 1 seed and Xavier as the 2 seed.

Shelby Mast of USA Today Sports has UKin the friendliest region of any recent bracketology, putting the Cats as a 3 seed in the South Region with Virginia being the 1 seed. A potential 3/6 matchup with Purdue looms, but Xavier makes this region as a 2 seed while Virginia comes in as the 1 seed.

SB Nation"s Chris Dobbertean puts the Cats in the East Region with Purdue as the 5 seed and Villanova as the 1 seed and North Carolina as the 2 seed.

The guys atBracket Matrix, who round up what every website and national outlet projects, has Kentucky registering an average of 4.00, meaning they"re pretty comfortably getting projected as a 4-seed. That number is down from the 3.84 average seeding UK got last week as it continues to look like the 4 seed is what the Cats are getting.

That is, unless some of those teams seeded ahead of them lose early in their respective conference tournaments this week.

Source: http://www.aseaofblue.com/2016/3/7/11172252/bracketology-roundup-kentucky-basketball-in-this-years-group-of-death

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Unbeaten Cats need last year's NCAA edge back

After ho-hum NCAA opener, undefeated Kentucky basketball needs 2014 tournament edge back

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's John Calipari previews Cincinnati | 20:53

Kentucky's John Calipari talks about playing Cincinnati Saturday in the Louisville NCAA Regional. Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Cincinnati's Larry Davis Previews Kentucky | 15:54

Cincinnati's Larry Davis says John Calipari has done great job of coaching the All-American talents of his players. Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Willie Cauley-Stein on playing at Kentucky | 01:00

Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein on playing at Kentucky

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part I | 08:37

Video | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part I

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part II | 08:34

Video | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part II

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK talks about win over Hampton in NCAA tournament opener | 14:43

Kentucky talks about win over Hampton in NCAA tournament at Louisville Regional Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Kyle Tucker breaks down UK's 79-56 win over Hampton | 02:34

The Courier-Journal's Kyle Tucker talks about Kentucky easy win over Hampton and their upcoming matchup against Cincinnati.

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Aaron Harrison says UK needs urgency | 01:52

Video | Aaron Harrison says UK needs urgency Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Devin Booker on continued cold streak | 01:24

Video | Devin Booker on continued cold streak Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Hampton Coach talks about loss to Kentucky | 11:07

Hampton Coach talks about loss to Kentucky Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Andrew Harrison on UK's NCAA-opening win | 02:54

Video | Andrew Harrison on UK's NCAA-opening win Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Cauley-Stein on ho-hum NCAA opener | 04:51

Video | UK's Cauley-Stein on ho-hum NCAA opener

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Towns on strong NCAA debut | 04:20

Video | UK's Towns on strong NCAA debut

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK Pep Rally | 01:43

University of Kentucky fans hold a pep rally before the game against Hampton. Marty Pearl/Special to The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTNCAA Quick Takes l There's a certain song Karl-Anthony Towns wants to hear | 01:30

Towns, Aaron Harrison, Willie Cauley-Stein and a jovial Dakari Johnson talk hoops, music, and teammates Wednesday at Louisville Regional. Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Like UK, Dominique Hawkins' beard is undefeated | 01:27

Like the University of Kentucky, Dominique Hawkins' beard is undefeated.

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Hampton talks about playing Kentucky...and Jesus | 11:13

Watch as Hampton talks about playing Kentucky...and Jesus

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns makes a half-court shot | 00:10

Video | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns makes a half-court shot

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns does a through-the-legs dunk | 00:18

Video | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns does a through-the-legs dunk

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | Thousands of UK fans flood KFC Yum! Center to watch the Cats practice. | 01:22

Kentucky was greeted by thousands of their fans as they participated in the open practice for the NCAA tournament.

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Aaron Harrison: America vs. Cats is "fun" | 02:55

Video | UK's Aaron Harrison: America vs. Cats is "fun"

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Cauley-Stein previews NCAA opener | 05:49

Video | UK's Cauley-Stein previews NCAA opener

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTVideo | UK's Andrew Harrison on flipping a switch | 02:45

Video | UK's Andrew Harrison on flipping a switch

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENTFormer UK and U of L greats on Christian Laettner | 01:29

Former U of L players Milt Wagner and Derwin Webb, and former UK Wildcat Rick Robey on Christian Laettner. Eric Burse, The C-J

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Last VideoNext Video

• Video | UK's John Calipari previews Cincinnati

• Video | Cincinnati's Larry Davis Previews Kentucky

• Video | UK's Willie Cauley-Stein on playing at Kentucky

• Video | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part I

• Video | UK's Cauley-Stein holds court, Part II

• Video | UK talks about win over Hampton in NCAA tournament opener

• Video | Kyle Tucker breaks down UK's 79-56 win over Hampton

• Video | Aaron Harrison says UK needs urgency

• Video | Devin Booker on continued cold streak

• Video | Hampton Coach talks about loss to Kentucky

• Video | Andrew Harrison on UK's NCAA-opening win

• Video | UK's Cauley-Stein on ho-hum NCAA opener

• Video | UK's Towns on strong NCAA debut

• Video | UK Pep Rally

• NCAA Quick Takes l There's a certain song Karl-Anthony Towns wants to hear

• Video | Like UK, Dominique Hawkins' beard is undefeated

• Video | Hampton talks about playing Kentucky...and Jesus

• Video | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns makes a half-court shot

• Video | Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns does a through-the-legs dunk

• Video | Thousands of UK fans flood KFC Yum! Center to watch the Cats practice.

• Video | UK's Aaron Harrison: America vs. Cats is "fun"

• Video | UK's Cauley-Stein previews NCAA opener

• Video | UK's Andrew Harrison on flipping a switch

• Former UK and U of L greats on Christian Laettner

Kentucky head coach John Calipari was not too happy with his team's play at the start of the first half against Hampton at the NCAA Louisville Regional. By Scott Utterback, The Courier-Journal March 19, 2015(Photo: Matt Stone/The C_-J)

The locker room was quiet, somber even. Top-seeded Kentucky had led its NCAA Tournament opener by 35 points and won without breaking much of a sweat, but maybe that was the problem. This was not the Wildcats' finest effort.

They knew it, too, so the players sat stoically at their stalls inside the KFC Yum! Center late Thursday night, after a wholly unsatisfying 79-56 victory over 16th-seeded Hampton, unsurprised by the "we expected more" tone of postgame interviews.

"We should expect that out of ourselves," said freshman guard Devin Booker, who made just 1 of 6 shots he took. "Coach expects that out of us. He came in here and told us we didn't play our best game and if we keep playing like that, it's going to be trouble."

A much better Cincinnati team awaits in Saturday afternoon's Round of 32. The eighth-seeded Bearcats (23-10) staged a furious comeback to beat Purdue in the game before Kentucky-Hampton. Depending on when they got back out to the court to see the Wildcats, they're either very impressed or totally underwhelmed.

In one 18-minute span in the middle of the game, UK shot 63 percent, held the Pirates to 17.2 percent and outscored them 49-18. The ugliness was in those other 22 minutes the first 12 and last 10 during which the Cats shot 32.3 percent and were outscored 38-30.

Cincinnati has "guys that aren't going to be afraid of us," Kentucky coach John Calipari said, and if they watched the beginning or the end of Thursday's game, "they probably have in their mind, 'We can beat these guys.' "

The Wildcats (35-0) know what that's like to be the underdog who believes it can pull the upset. That was UK a year ago, an eighth seed who knocked off 35-0 Wichita State in the Round of 32. Those Cats had an edge about them in postseason, and these Cats need to rediscover that.

"Last year, it was a different mindset, definitely, because we were an eight seed. We were just fighting for our lives, really," said sophomore shooting guard Aaron Harrison, who missed all five shots he attempted, "and I think we need that mindset this year as well. It's kind of tough to do that when you're undefeated."

That has always been the question, the danger, as Kentucky kept piling up wins without experiencing a single sting of defeat. Would the Wildcats inevitably succumb to complacency? They say no, that Thursday's lackluster performance and the subsequent shredding by their coaching, served as a sufficient wakeup call.

The Courier-Journal's Kyle Tucker talks about Kentucky easy win over Hampton and their upcoming matchup against Cincinnati.

"A lot of guys didn't play well individually, so we're just going to come out the next game and do the opposite," said point guard Tyler Ulis, who had a season-high four turnovers against the Pirates. "We're going to come out with something to prove to ourselves and to Coach because last game we came out flat."

After 12 minutes against Hampton, which lost more games than it won this season, UK led by just four points and had made only 7 of 21 shots.

"You can't start games like this," Calipari said. "You can't do things that we talk about every day and you choose to do something else. You can't do things on your terms in this tournament, because what happens is you'll have a 12-point lead and then you'll turn around and it will be a two-point game. What just happened?"

Lucky for the Cats, in this case it was a 35-point lead that shriveled to 23. But the point remains.

"You've got to follow the script," Calipari said. "Here's how we play. This is what we do. Here's the energy we play with."

Freshman forward Trey Lyles, despite 10 points and six rebounds, was "pretty disappointed" by what he called a lackadaisical tournament opener for Kentucky.

"We gotta start out with our foot on the gas," he said, "and we can't look back at any point."

In the final 10 minutes against the Pirates, the Cats made just 4 of 13 shots, turned it over seven times and got outscored 24-12. The horde of Kentucky fans that have taken over downtown Louisville for the week grew restless. As did the coach and, by the end, the players.

Video | Aaron Harrison says UK needs urgency Video by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

Everyone involved knows the simple truth: play like this again and the season could be over early.

"That's basically what we pulled away from here, is we were fortunate that we were able to get the lead high enough, but if we're playing a big-time school then you can't make those mistakes," said junior 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, who shot 1 for 5. "We're not really worried about what we did; we just gotta take what we did and turn it into something better.

"Me and Book were talking like, 'I wish we played tomorrow. I wish we played now.' Because (it's like) you lost a game. So guys are ready to play again just to redeem themselves."

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.

Video | UK's Cauley-Stein on ho-hum NCAA opener

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Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/03/20/unbeaten-cats-need-last-years-ncaa-edge-back/25073529/

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Chart: Kentucky basketball by the numbers

8: National championships, second only to UCLAs 11.

5: Coaches to win national titles (Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, John Calipari), an NCAA record.

2,171: Victories all-time entering the SEC tournament, the most in Division I history.

3: Final Four appearances in John Caliparis five seasons.

19: Players selected in the NBA draft in Caliparis tenure, including 15 in the first round.

0: Losses during the regular season, making Kentucky the first team from a Power Five conference to enter the postseason undefeated since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.

21.2: Average margin of victory during the regular season, best in Division I.

35.1: Field-goal percentage defense, best mark nationally and just shy of Stanfords record of 35.2 percent in the shot-clock era.

11.2: Aaron Harrisons scoring average during regular season, which led the team and served as the lowest scoring average for a Kentucky team since the 1946-47 season.

Source: http://www.startribune.com/sports/296339981.html

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