Pope Update

In what I regard as a stunning upset, Kentucky went to Arkansas and won 85 to 77.  The Cats run their record to 6-3 in the SEC and 15-7 overall.  They move to number 30 on Ken Pom, and Ken Pom now has the Cats finishing 11-7 in the SEC and 20-11 overall.  That record would certainly get them into the NCAA's and win another year for Mark Pope.

It was a crazy game.  Doug Shows was there as one of the officials, and UK got the full Doug Shows experience.  There were four technical fouls called on UK early in the second half to help Arkansas take the lead, but then we had make-up technical fouls on Arkansas that helped even things out.  The Cats blew a 13-pioint lead, fell behind by 4 points with 11:28 left (thanks to the technical fouls), and then outscored Arkansas 32-20 the rest of the way.  Cal's team did Cal stuff -- they were 3-14 from three-point range, and 16-26 from the line, and all those missed shots really hurt.  But UK also pounded Arkansas at the line -- outrebounding them 35-26, and that usually does not happen to Calipari's teams.  This game was the first time all year where I really felt like the UK players were as angry as the UK fans.

Anyway, under different circumstances I would have a lot to say, but I don't think I'm going to be that invested in Kentucky for a very long time.  So I will say only that I'm happy to have been wrong, and I'm genuinely happy for all the folks in Kentucky who stay loyal to the Cayts, and who think the job of a fan is to support the team, win, lose or draw.  It's not my philosophy, and sometimes it drives me nuts, but it's a beautiful dream, and I certainly understand its appeal.