Saturday, January 31, 2015
Missouri 53 - 69 Kentucky (No. 2,160)
This post is dedicated to the one guy in the Missouri student section who was wearing a UK tee-shirt, while everyone else was in gold and black. REPRESENT!
I'm also dedicating this post to the folks in Western Kentucky who packed the CFSB Center to watch Murray State play Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night -- even though the game was (1) on ESPN-U, and (2) it started at the same time as the UK/Missouri game. Those people saw a great game -- the Racers were down 70-65 with 1:46 left but won 85-78 in overtime. The Racers are now 8-0 in the OVC, and they have won 16 games in a row. REPRESENT!
I'm also dedicating this post to Hilltop 75, a poster on the HilltopperHaven message board. After WKU's 9-game winning streak ended in a 69-56 loss at Louisiana Tech on Thursday night, a Hilltopper fan named "Topcast" started a thread called "I hate La Tech." I don't blame Topcast, given that La Tech managed to press WKU throughout the game -- forcing 16 turnovers -- but was whistled for only 9 fouls. Most folks responding to the thread got into an argument over the relative hate-ability of La Tech and MTSU. But Hilltop 75 had the right response: "i hated latech since the 1973 Comellia bowl in 1973 my junior year at WKU." REPRESENT!
No place on earth has better sports fans than the western portion of Kentucky. Now, on with the post!
On Saturday, February 19, 1966, the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats showed up at the New Gymnasium in Starkville, Miss. for a game with Mississippi State. The Cats had lost there in three of their four previous appearances, but on this day they pulled out a hard-fought 73-69 victory, thanks to 21 points from Pat Riley. I missed this game, because I was a few weeks away from being born. But the 5000 or so folks who did see it were the last people to see UK take the floor with a record of 20-0. In almost 50 seasons since then, the Cats have done some amazing things. They have won four national titles. They beat Magic Johnson in an NCAA Tournament game. They came back from 34 points down to beat LSU on the road. They came from 18 points down to knock Duke out of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. They beat Louisville in the 2012 Tournament, and then beat them again in the 2014 Tournament. They have won well over 1,000 games, in almost every state of the Union. But until Thursday night, in Columbia, Mo., they had never started a season 20-0.
I know that college basketball teams are remembered for what they do in the NCAA Tournament. I remember when UK started 19-1 in 2009-10, and didn't reach the Final Four. I remember when UK won 26 games in a row during the 2002-03 season, and didn't reach the Final Four. I remember when UK eliminated an undefeated Indiana team in the 1975 Tournament, and an undefeated Wichita State team in the 2014 Tournament. I get it, and I promise that I will be heartbroken if this team doesn't get the National Title that I think they deserve.
But let's take some time to appreciate something that most of us have never seen, and that we may never see again. Ever since I started rooting for Kentucky, 40 years ago, I have dreamed of watching the Cats go through a season without losing a single game. Every time, I have been disappointed when the Cats took that first loss. This UK team has now won more games to start the season than any other I've seen, and I will always remember them fondly for that.
We won't have too many other fond memories of this game, which was one of those games where the officials seemed to worry that everything was getting out of hand, and so they started calling fouls all over the place. Together, the teams were whistled for 54 fouls, and five players (three for Mizzou and two for UK) fouled out. You get games like this in conference play, and this was that type of game.
(However, I should note that so far this year, the officiating in the SEC has been pretty good. For years, the SEC has featured a strong bias toward the home team. Look at these stats from the last three seasons:
2012: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (2d highest percentage of any conference)
2013: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (4th)
2014: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (2d)
But so far this year, home teams have won only 55.1 percent of SEC games -- the 24th highest percentage of any conference. Meanwhile, 30.6 percent of SEC games have been decided by less than 4 points or have gone to overtime -- the 3d highest percentage of any conference.
These are very favorable developments, as they mean that the SEC standings are more likely to reflect the actual quality of teams on the floor, and are less likely to be distorted by some sort of misguided populism designed to give everyone a chance to pick up wins at home.)
Anyway, I didn't feel like the officiating in this game was biased one way or the other -- I just had the impression that the officials wanted to keep everything under control, especially after a confrontation between Marcus Lee and a Mizzou player early in the second half.
To their credit, Mizzou played extremely hard throughout the game, and I thought they had made significant progress at running their motion offense since we last saw them in Rupp Arena a few weeks ago. They also did a number on Devin Booker, holding him to 9 points and forcing him into 4 turnovers in his trip to his dad's alma mater. They also shut down Willie Cauley-Stein, who had 2 points in 23 minutes.
(And here, I have to interject a rare complaint about Tom Leach, one of my favorite play-by-play announcers ever. Leach was doing his usual excellent job when early in the first half, WCS went to the line for two free throws. At this point, Leach commented that the Cats were feeling better about WCS at the line, as he had made 12 of his last 14 free throws. This was an obvious jinx -- as Leach himself quickly realized, saying something like "Now we'll see if I've jinxed him." Sure enough, WCS missed all four of the free throws he took in this game. Here's my request to Tom Leach: don't say something that's a jinx, especially if you know it's a jinx.)
Soon after Tom Leach's comments on WCS, Mizzou took a 17-16 lead with 7:25 left in the first half. But to their credit, the Cats responded with their usual brand of relentless effort. I think Coach Calipari is convinced that his biggest challenge on offense is to make sure that the Cats are attacking the basket, and are not relying so much on their outside shooting. In this game, UK took only seven three-pointers, and shot 37 free throws, which gives you a sense of how they kept attacking the basket.
Psychologically, attacking the basket is much more difficult than most of us realize. The other night, Duke led Notre Dame 65-55 with 10:58 to go, but the Blue Devils scored only eight points the rest of the way -- and lost 77-73. A big part of the trouble for Duke was that their players kept settling for jump shots instead of going to the hoop. It's very understandable -- if you get close to the basket, there's a good chance that large and strong people will hit you, slap you, or do other painful things to you. Why not take a little jump shot and avoid all that difficulty?
This temptation has to be especially strong when you have guys who don't shoot that great around the basket. In seven SEC games, UK has made only 42.4 percent of its two-point shots -- putting UK 10th in the league in that category. Still Calipari has them going inside over and over. It's not always pretty, but it's probably necessary.
Anyway, the Harrison Twins did a good job of showing the rest of the team how to play inside. On a night when beauty was rare, and fouls were common, the Harrisons did exactly what they should -- shooting only four three-pointers, and getting to the line for 15 free throws. Aaron Harrison finished with 11 points, while Andrew chipped in 15, as the Harrisons led the team in scoring. No one (outside their immediate families) like Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker more than I do, but I think the Harrisons are the most important players on this team.
Led by the Harrisons, UK led 34-25 at the half, and built a 67-47 lead with less than 2 minutes before taking its foot off the gas.
20-0. 7-0 in conference. 11 games left.
On Saturday, a sell-out crowd at Rupp (and a bunch of us watching on TV) will get to see a 20-0 UK team for the first time since 1966. I'm looking forward to it.
I'm also dedicating this post to the folks in Western Kentucky who packed the CFSB Center to watch Murray State play Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night -- even though the game was (1) on ESPN-U, and (2) it started at the same time as the UK/Missouri game. Those people saw a great game -- the Racers were down 70-65 with 1:46 left but won 85-78 in overtime. The Racers are now 8-0 in the OVC, and they have won 16 games in a row. REPRESENT!
I'm also dedicating this post to Hilltop 75, a poster on the HilltopperHaven message board. After WKU's 9-game winning streak ended in a 69-56 loss at Louisiana Tech on Thursday night, a Hilltopper fan named "Topcast" started a thread called "I hate La Tech." I don't blame Topcast, given that La Tech managed to press WKU throughout the game -- forcing 16 turnovers -- but was whistled for only 9 fouls. Most folks responding to the thread got into an argument over the relative hate-ability of La Tech and MTSU. But Hilltop 75 had the right response: "i hated latech since the 1973 Comellia bowl in 1973 my junior year at WKU." REPRESENT!
No place on earth has better sports fans than the western portion of Kentucky. Now, on with the post!
On Saturday, February 19, 1966, the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats showed up at the New Gymnasium in Starkville, Miss. for a game with Mississippi State. The Cats had lost there in three of their four previous appearances, but on this day they pulled out a hard-fought 73-69 victory, thanks to 21 points from Pat Riley. I missed this game, because I was a few weeks away from being born. But the 5000 or so folks who did see it were the last people to see UK take the floor with a record of 20-0. In almost 50 seasons since then, the Cats have done some amazing things. They have won four national titles. They beat Magic Johnson in an NCAA Tournament game. They came back from 34 points down to beat LSU on the road. They came from 18 points down to knock Duke out of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. They beat Louisville in the 2012 Tournament, and then beat them again in the 2014 Tournament. They have won well over 1,000 games, in almost every state of the Union. But until Thursday night, in Columbia, Mo., they had never started a season 20-0.
I know that college basketball teams are remembered for what they do in the NCAA Tournament. I remember when UK started 19-1 in 2009-10, and didn't reach the Final Four. I remember when UK won 26 games in a row during the 2002-03 season, and didn't reach the Final Four. I remember when UK eliminated an undefeated Indiana team in the 1975 Tournament, and an undefeated Wichita State team in the 2014 Tournament. I get it, and I promise that I will be heartbroken if this team doesn't get the National Title that I think they deserve.
But let's take some time to appreciate something that most of us have never seen, and that we may never see again. Ever since I started rooting for Kentucky, 40 years ago, I have dreamed of watching the Cats go through a season without losing a single game. Every time, I have been disappointed when the Cats took that first loss. This UK team has now won more games to start the season than any other I've seen, and I will always remember them fondly for that.
We won't have too many other fond memories of this game, which was one of those games where the officials seemed to worry that everything was getting out of hand, and so they started calling fouls all over the place. Together, the teams were whistled for 54 fouls, and five players (three for Mizzou and two for UK) fouled out. You get games like this in conference play, and this was that type of game.
(However, I should note that so far this year, the officiating in the SEC has been pretty good. For years, the SEC has featured a strong bias toward the home team. Look at these stats from the last three seasons:
2012: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (2d highest percentage of any conference)
2013: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (4th)
2014: Home teams won 69.8 percent of SEC games (2d)
But so far this year, home teams have won only 55.1 percent of SEC games -- the 24th highest percentage of any conference. Meanwhile, 30.6 percent of SEC games have been decided by less than 4 points or have gone to overtime -- the 3d highest percentage of any conference.
These are very favorable developments, as they mean that the SEC standings are more likely to reflect the actual quality of teams on the floor, and are less likely to be distorted by some sort of misguided populism designed to give everyone a chance to pick up wins at home.)
Anyway, I didn't feel like the officiating in this game was biased one way or the other -- I just had the impression that the officials wanted to keep everything under control, especially after a confrontation between Marcus Lee and a Mizzou player early in the second half.
To their credit, Mizzou played extremely hard throughout the game, and I thought they had made significant progress at running their motion offense since we last saw them in Rupp Arena a few weeks ago. They also did a number on Devin Booker, holding him to 9 points and forcing him into 4 turnovers in his trip to his dad's alma mater. They also shut down Willie Cauley-Stein, who had 2 points in 23 minutes.
(And here, I have to interject a rare complaint about Tom Leach, one of my favorite play-by-play announcers ever. Leach was doing his usual excellent job when early in the first half, WCS went to the line for two free throws. At this point, Leach commented that the Cats were feeling better about WCS at the line, as he had made 12 of his last 14 free throws. This was an obvious jinx -- as Leach himself quickly realized, saying something like "Now we'll see if I've jinxed him." Sure enough, WCS missed all four of the free throws he took in this game. Here's my request to Tom Leach: don't say something that's a jinx, especially if you know it's a jinx.)
Soon after Tom Leach's comments on WCS, Mizzou took a 17-16 lead with 7:25 left in the first half. But to their credit, the Cats responded with their usual brand of relentless effort. I think Coach Calipari is convinced that his biggest challenge on offense is to make sure that the Cats are attacking the basket, and are not relying so much on their outside shooting. In this game, UK took only seven three-pointers, and shot 37 free throws, which gives you a sense of how they kept attacking the basket.
Psychologically, attacking the basket is much more difficult than most of us realize. The other night, Duke led Notre Dame 65-55 with 10:58 to go, but the Blue Devils scored only eight points the rest of the way -- and lost 77-73. A big part of the trouble for Duke was that their players kept settling for jump shots instead of going to the hoop. It's very understandable -- if you get close to the basket, there's a good chance that large and strong people will hit you, slap you, or do other painful things to you. Why not take a little jump shot and avoid all that difficulty?
This temptation has to be especially strong when you have guys who don't shoot that great around the basket. In seven SEC games, UK has made only 42.4 percent of its two-point shots -- putting UK 10th in the league in that category. Still Calipari has them going inside over and over. It's not always pretty, but it's probably necessary.
Anyway, the Harrison Twins did a good job of showing the rest of the team how to play inside. On a night when beauty was rare, and fouls were common, the Harrisons did exactly what they should -- shooting only four three-pointers, and getting to the line for 15 free throws. Aaron Harrison finished with 11 points, while Andrew chipped in 15, as the Harrisons led the team in scoring. No one (outside their immediate families) like Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker more than I do, but I think the Harrisons are the most important players on this team.
Led by the Harrisons, UK led 34-25 at the half, and built a 67-47 lead with less than 2 minutes before taking its foot off the gas.
20-0. 7-0 in conference. 11 games left.
On Saturday, a sell-out crowd at Rupp (and a bunch of us watching on TV) will get to see a 20-0 UK team for the first time since 1966. I'm looking forward to it.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
S. Carolina 43 - 58 Kentucky (No. 2,159)
OK, I want you to ask yourself: Are you enjoying this season as much as you should? You don't get too many teams like this one. I'll give you an example. The other day folks on the Kentucky message board were arguing about whether the 2010 Wildcats (with Wall and Cousins) could beat this year's squad. Here's the relevant data from Ken Pomeroy:
2010 Wildcats:
Offensive Efficiency: 111.7 (27th in the country)
Defensive Efficiency: 88.0 (5th)
2015 Wildcats (so far):
Offensive Efficiency: 114.9 (16th in the country)
Defensive Efficiency: 80.2 (1st)
On paper, at least, this year's team is quite a bit better than a team that featured John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson. That's how well these kids have played.
Here are some other facts to keep in mind about this year's team:
In six SEC games, the Cats have made 43.9 percent of their three-point shots.
In SEC play, the Cats have made 73.1 percent of their free throws.
In SEC play, the Cats' opponents are shooting less than 40 percent from two-point range.
These are statistics that you don't normally see even from very good teams.
Now let's talk about South Carolina. The Gamecocks were 1-4 in SEC play going into Saturday's game, but that record was driven by three close losses that could have gone the other way. Earlier this year, South Carolina crushed a good Oklahoma State team 75-49, and the Gamecocks beat Iowa St. (currently 5-2 in a strong Big XII) on a neutral court. In short, this is a solid squad coached by a guy who took Kansas State to the NCAA Tournament four times in five years. Plus they were playing in front of their first sell-out crowd since UK came to town in 2011. And with 4:03 left in the first half, they led UK 24-23. The place was going nuts.
And then Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker happened.
I've already written quite a bit about both of these players, especially Ulis. But Devin Booker is my favorite type of player, a true shooting guard with a nose for the basket. As a fan, I'm an offense-first sort of guy -- if I could coach, my teams would probably struggle to defend, but they would be able to shoot. Of course, this is not actually a good strategy for college basketball -- you're better off to build a rugged defense and then try to grind out the points you need. (Just ask UConn.) So the Cats tend to play a lot of guards who are strong and athletic -- but who are somewhat challenged in the shooting department. Any time we get a player who can really shoot -- Travis Ford, Tony Delk, Jeff Shepherd, Tayshaun Prince, Doron Lamb -- that guy goes on my list of favorite Wildcats.
(Here's an aside. I constantly overrate the chances of teams that can shoot. I was a great believer in the 1993-94 Wildcats, which featured both Ford and Delk. That squad averaged almost 87 points per game, and beat two Final Four teams (Arkansas and Florida) to win the SEC Tournament. But in the second round of the tournament, they went 10-38 (!) from three-point range, and lost to Marquette. I was a big believer in the 2000-01 team, which Prince, Keith Bogan and Gerald Fitch. They scored only 24 points against USC in the first half of their Sweet 16 game, and lost to USC 80-76.)
Anyway, Booker can really shoot. But he likes to score in other ways as well. He's the best Wildcat in terms of finishing on a run-out. He's a great free throw shooter. He can make that little jump shot from the baseline. He can draw fouls. He always seems to be thinking about how to score. And so, for me, he is a joy to watch. With the Gamecocks up 24-23 in the first half, here's what he and Ulis did:
1. With 3:33 left, Ulis stole the ball and got a layup. (UK leads 25-24)
2. With 3:06 left, Booker is fouled and makes two FT's. (UK leads 27-24)
3. With 2:39 left, Ulis grabbed a layup and threw a long outlet pass to a racing Booker, who dunked the ball (UK leads 29-24) (This was one of my favorite plays of the year).
4. A few minutes later, Ulis made two free throws to cap off an 11-0 run and give UK a 34-24 lead.
And with that, the game was basically over. UK continued to play excellent defense, holding the exhausted Gamecocks to only 19 points after the break. Meanwhile, the Cats were more interested in running out the clock than running up the score. Time after time, UK would easily beat South Carolina's press -- only to hold the ball instead of attacking the basket. There was one moment of inspired brilliance, where Ulis broke into the middle of the Gamecock defense, and then made a pass that seemed to go through most of the South Carolina team to find Booker, all by himself in the far corner. Booker then made a three pointer. This was another of my favorite plays of the year.
But for the most part, UK just rode its defense and waited for the game to end. SC never got close again, and the Cats had another solid victory.
19-0. 6-0 in the SEC. 12 games left.
This week, the Cats play two teams that they have already beaten -- Missouri and Alabama. We will hope for two more wins.
2010 Wildcats:
Offensive Efficiency: 111.7 (27th in the country)
Defensive Efficiency: 88.0 (5th)
2015 Wildcats (so far):
Offensive Efficiency: 114.9 (16th in the country)
Defensive Efficiency: 80.2 (1st)
On paper, at least, this year's team is quite a bit better than a team that featured John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson. That's how well these kids have played.
Here are some other facts to keep in mind about this year's team:
In six SEC games, the Cats have made 43.9 percent of their three-point shots.
In SEC play, the Cats have made 73.1 percent of their free throws.
In SEC play, the Cats' opponents are shooting less than 40 percent from two-point range.
These are statistics that you don't normally see even from very good teams.
Now let's talk about South Carolina. The Gamecocks were 1-4 in SEC play going into Saturday's game, but that record was driven by three close losses that could have gone the other way. Earlier this year, South Carolina crushed a good Oklahoma State team 75-49, and the Gamecocks beat Iowa St. (currently 5-2 in a strong Big XII) on a neutral court. In short, this is a solid squad coached by a guy who took Kansas State to the NCAA Tournament four times in five years. Plus they were playing in front of their first sell-out crowd since UK came to town in 2011. And with 4:03 left in the first half, they led UK 24-23. The place was going nuts.
And then Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker happened.
I've already written quite a bit about both of these players, especially Ulis. But Devin Booker is my favorite type of player, a true shooting guard with a nose for the basket. As a fan, I'm an offense-first sort of guy -- if I could coach, my teams would probably struggle to defend, but they would be able to shoot. Of course, this is not actually a good strategy for college basketball -- you're better off to build a rugged defense and then try to grind out the points you need. (Just ask UConn.) So the Cats tend to play a lot of guards who are strong and athletic -- but who are somewhat challenged in the shooting department. Any time we get a player who can really shoot -- Travis Ford, Tony Delk, Jeff Shepherd, Tayshaun Prince, Doron Lamb -- that guy goes on my list of favorite Wildcats.
(Here's an aside. I constantly overrate the chances of teams that can shoot. I was a great believer in the 1993-94 Wildcats, which featured both Ford and Delk. That squad averaged almost 87 points per game, and beat two Final Four teams (Arkansas and Florida) to win the SEC Tournament. But in the second round of the tournament, they went 10-38 (!) from three-point range, and lost to Marquette. I was a big believer in the 2000-01 team, which Prince, Keith Bogan and Gerald Fitch. They scored only 24 points against USC in the first half of their Sweet 16 game, and lost to USC 80-76.)
Anyway, Booker can really shoot. But he likes to score in other ways as well. He's the best Wildcat in terms of finishing on a run-out. He's a great free throw shooter. He can make that little jump shot from the baseline. He can draw fouls. He always seems to be thinking about how to score. And so, for me, he is a joy to watch. With the Gamecocks up 24-23 in the first half, here's what he and Ulis did:
1. With 3:33 left, Ulis stole the ball and got a layup. (UK leads 25-24)
2. With 3:06 left, Booker is fouled and makes two FT's. (UK leads 27-24)
3. With 2:39 left, Ulis grabbed a layup and threw a long outlet pass to a racing Booker, who dunked the ball (UK leads 29-24) (This was one of my favorite plays of the year).
4. A few minutes later, Ulis made two free throws to cap off an 11-0 run and give UK a 34-24 lead.
And with that, the game was basically over. UK continued to play excellent defense, holding the exhausted Gamecocks to only 19 points after the break. Meanwhile, the Cats were more interested in running out the clock than running up the score. Time after time, UK would easily beat South Carolina's press -- only to hold the ball instead of attacking the basket. There was one moment of inspired brilliance, where Ulis broke into the middle of the Gamecock defense, and then made a pass that seemed to go through most of the South Carolina team to find Booker, all by himself in the far corner. Booker then made a three pointer. This was another of my favorite plays of the year.
But for the most part, UK just rode its defense and waited for the game to end. SC never got close again, and the Cats had another solid victory.
19-0. 6-0 in the SEC. 12 games left.
This week, the Cats play two teams that they have already beaten -- Missouri and Alabama. We will hope for two more wins.
Oh, Kentucky
How many homeless?
Hopefully, the Brent Spence Bridge linking Covington with Cincinnati will still actually meet in the middle.
Regulatory decisions around utility rate reimbursement are going to start getting really interesting now in Kentucky (but not only here).
Madisonville's (getting) ready to rock.
The (first) new Kentucky Dam monolith is (finally) done!
The gov's going to Germany and Sweden.
Hopefully, the Brent Spence Bridge linking Covington with Cincinnati will still actually meet in the middle.
#TBT - AEP
linemen working during a winter storm near Hazard, Kentucky, 1954.
#HugAlineman
pic.twitter.com/WzVUWNh31v
—
Kentucky Power (@KentuckyPower) January
22, 2015
Regulatory decisions around utility rate reimbursement are going to start getting really interesting now in Kentucky (but not only here).
Madisonville's (getting) ready to rock.
The (first) new Kentucky Dam monolith is (finally) done!
The gov's going to Germany and Sweden.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
What's On TV Tonight (1969)?
It's Jan. 28, 1969, and you're running out of chances to catch ABC's That's Life, a weekly musical comedy that is getting rave reviews,
But if you think that sounds highbrow, how about CBS's alternative, an hour of Eric Hoffer's thoughts?
Sorry I didn't think to launch this series until today. You missed Here's Lucy last night.
The Going Thing is on The Joey Bishop Show show late tonight. Here they are singing about Fords.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Oh, Kentucky
Good jobs news from Bowling Green and Paducah.
The state's first utility-grade solar-generating project is going up in Mercer County.
My primary exit will become 116!
Today is filing deadline for state elections, and the Fark.com founder is in!
Arriving in Owensboro to head up 14 News team coverage of Former Sen. Wendell Ford's funeral at First Baptist. pic.twitter.com/5dv17l9Jnr
— Randy Moore (@Randy14News) January 27, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Oh, Kentucky (1969)
Have you been wondering what Joe Namath has been up to since Super Bowl III ended?
Well, the Associated Press reports carried in Hopkinsville's Kentucky New Era in the first days after Jan. 12, 1969 say that he is contemplating retirement. But he's going to be on Ed Sullivan tonight 1969, and he doesn't mention anything about such thoughts during his interview.
Among the other highlights on tonight's Ed Sullivan is Tommy James and the Shondells' performing the No. 2 song in the nation, per Cash Box, "Crimson and Clover."
More from the Jan. 8-26 editions of Hopkinsville's Kentucky New Era:
Sunday, January 25, 2015
XXIII Olympic Winter Games, Pyeongchang 2018 (Preface)
Fifteen "disciplines" across seven "sports," are scheduled to award medals across an still-to-be-determined number of "events" at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 9-25, 2018:
-- alpine skiing,
-- cross-country skiing,
-- ski jumping,
-- Nordic combined skiing,
-- freestyle skiing,
-- snowboard,
-- biathlon,
-- bobsleigh,
-- skeleton,
-- luge,
-- speed skating,
-- figure skating,
-- short-track skating,
-- ice hockey and
-- curling.
Comments flow!
Previous reports:
-- I Olympic Winter Games, Chamonix 1924
-- II Olympic Winter Games, Saint Moritz 1928
-- VIII Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley 1960
-- XII Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck 1976
-- XVII Olympic Winter Games, Lillehammer 1994
-- XXII Olympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014
-- alpine skiing,
-- cross-country skiing,
-- ski jumping,
-- Nordic combined skiing,
-- freestyle skiing,
-- snowboard,
-- biathlon,
-- bobsleigh,
-- skeleton,
-- luge,
-- speed skating,
-- figure skating,
-- short-track skating,
-- ice hockey and
-- curling.
Comments flow!
Previous reports:
-- I Olympic Winter Games, Chamonix 1924
-- II Olympic Winter Games, Saint Moritz 1928
-- VIII Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley 1960
-- XII Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck 1976
-- XVII Olympic Winter Games, Lillehammer 1994
-- XXII Olympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Kentucky 65 - 57 Vanderbilt (No. 2,158)
Ken Pomeroy had the Cats winning this game 72-53, but this prediction did not adequately account for Vandy's obsession with the Big Blue. For decades, the height of the Vandy athletic year was UK's annual trip to Memorial Gym in Nashville. And no Vandy coach in my memory has focused on beating the Cats more than Kevin Stallings. He took a while to get his sea legs against the Cats -- losing 9 of his first 11 contests against the Wildcats. But since then, he has gone 9-11 against them -- which is really good considering how strong the Cats have been in recent years. Stallings also knocked UK out of the SEC Tournament in both 2012 and 2013.
Coach Cal has gone 9-3 against Vandy -- but only once has he beaten the Commodores by more than 9 points.
This year, because of the new SEC schedule, UK will not visit Memorial Gym for the first time since it was opened in 1954. So this was Vandy's only shot at the Cats, and they were ready. Vandy hasn't done much since winning the 2012 SEC Tournament, and this year Stallings has decided to start over with an extremely young line-up. The Dores started three freshmen and two sophomores against UK, and of course none of their guys are projected as future NBA picks. But I think going young will be a good move for Vandy, as their guys showed a lot of ability. Two of their freshmen -- Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher-Davis -- combined to go 7-11 from three-point range, which shows that Vandy is getting back its usual outside stroke.
Stallings also tried something else that was difference -- he had his guys play man-to-man defense against UK for the whole game. In response, Calipari had UK sending the ball inside on almost every possession. For the game, UK shot only six three-pointers, while Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, and Marcus Lee combined to take 18 shots. Unfortunately for the Cats, their inside game wasn't working all that well. UK shot only 16-40 from two-point range, and turned the ball over 13 times. Even more annoying for UK fans, a number of those turnovers were quickly converted into run-outs by the aggressive Vandy frosh.
The result of all this maneuvering was a tortoise and hare sort of game where UK never really seemed to be in danger, but could never put Vandy away. UK led 12-4; Vandy cut it to 14-13. UK led 21-13; Vandy cut it to 27-24. UK led 33-24; Vandy cut it to 33-30. UK led 45-33 with 11:32 left -- surely now the Cats were safe. But with 7:51 left, another LaChance three-pointer cut UK's lead to 50-46. And with 5:06 to go, Fisher-Davis hit another three-pointer to bring Vandy within three: 54-51.
And so it was back to old school basketball: Cauley-Stein, the Harrison twins and some hard-nosed defense:
1. With 4:22 left, Willie Cauley-Stein stole the ball. A few seconds later, his jumper put UK up 56-51.
2. With 3:50 left, Karl-Anthony Towns blocked a shot by Damian Jones. Cauley-Stein grabbed the rebound.
3. With 3:17 left, Aaron Harrison made two free throws to put UK up 58-51.
4. With 2:36 left, one more three-pointer by Fisher-Davis made the score 58-54, but 27 seconds later, Aaron Harrison answered to put UK up 61-54.
5. With 1:07 left, the Cats set a beautiful wall of screens for Andrew Harrison, whose layup gave UK a 63-55 lead. And that was pretty much it.
18-0 for the season. 5-0 in Conference. 13 games to go.
Aaron Harrison had one of his best games of the year: 2-4 from two-point range, 2-3 from three-point range, 4-4 from the line -- 14 very efficient points in only 23 minutes. Shout-outs are also due to Marcus Lee (7 points in 12 minutes) and Cauley-Stein (6 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes).
It will be interesting to see if other teams try to play UK man-to-man. If so, the Cats will need to handle the ball better on the inside than they did against Vandy. But on the whole, this was a solid win over a very scrappy rival.
On the other hand, UK will need to play better in its upcoming road game (at 11 A.M. Central!) against South Carolina.
Coach Cal has gone 9-3 against Vandy -- but only once has he beaten the Commodores by more than 9 points.
This year, because of the new SEC schedule, UK will not visit Memorial Gym for the first time since it was opened in 1954. So this was Vandy's only shot at the Cats, and they were ready. Vandy hasn't done much since winning the 2012 SEC Tournament, and this year Stallings has decided to start over with an extremely young line-up. The Dores started three freshmen and two sophomores against UK, and of course none of their guys are projected as future NBA picks. But I think going young will be a good move for Vandy, as their guys showed a lot of ability. Two of their freshmen -- Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher-Davis -- combined to go 7-11 from three-point range, which shows that Vandy is getting back its usual outside stroke.
Stallings also tried something else that was difference -- he had his guys play man-to-man defense against UK for the whole game. In response, Calipari had UK sending the ball inside on almost every possession. For the game, UK shot only six three-pointers, while Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, and Marcus Lee combined to take 18 shots. Unfortunately for the Cats, their inside game wasn't working all that well. UK shot only 16-40 from two-point range, and turned the ball over 13 times. Even more annoying for UK fans, a number of those turnovers were quickly converted into run-outs by the aggressive Vandy frosh.
The result of all this maneuvering was a tortoise and hare sort of game where UK never really seemed to be in danger, but could never put Vandy away. UK led 12-4; Vandy cut it to 14-13. UK led 21-13; Vandy cut it to 27-24. UK led 33-24; Vandy cut it to 33-30. UK led 45-33 with 11:32 left -- surely now the Cats were safe. But with 7:51 left, another LaChance three-pointer cut UK's lead to 50-46. And with 5:06 to go, Fisher-Davis hit another three-pointer to bring Vandy within three: 54-51.
And so it was back to old school basketball: Cauley-Stein, the Harrison twins and some hard-nosed defense:
1. With 4:22 left, Willie Cauley-Stein stole the ball. A few seconds later, his jumper put UK up 56-51.
2. With 3:50 left, Karl-Anthony Towns blocked a shot by Damian Jones. Cauley-Stein grabbed the rebound.
3. With 3:17 left, Aaron Harrison made two free throws to put UK up 58-51.
4. With 2:36 left, one more three-pointer by Fisher-Davis made the score 58-54, but 27 seconds later, Aaron Harrison answered to put UK up 61-54.
5. With 1:07 left, the Cats set a beautiful wall of screens for Andrew Harrison, whose layup gave UK a 63-55 lead. And that was pretty much it.
18-0 for the season. 5-0 in Conference. 13 games to go.
Aaron Harrison had one of his best games of the year: 2-4 from two-point range, 2-3 from three-point range, 4-4 from the line -- 14 very efficient points in only 23 minutes. Shout-outs are also due to Marcus Lee (7 points in 12 minutes) and Cauley-Stein (6 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes).
It will be interesting to see if other teams try to play UK man-to-man. If so, the Cats will need to handle the ball better on the inside than they did against Vandy. But on the whole, this was a solid win over a very scrappy rival.
On the other hand, UK will need to play better in its upcoming road game (at 11 A.M. Central!) against South Carolina.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Album Review: TALKING IS HARD by Walk the Moon
If you were to go back in time to 1988 and you were to pick out an album that perfectly captured what was happening in the world of indie pop you would pick out Kick by INXS. The lines between alternative and mainstream were beginning to blur by the late 80's but the success of Kick was something else, and in many ways it best represented why the two worlds were melding. If you were to ask me to pick out an indie pop album in 2015 to represent the sound I would be quite tempted to pick this album. I'm not saying this album is going to go to number 1 by any means, but these guys are hitting all the pieces that in 2015 represent the indie pop sound. The 80's influences are all over the place and they, like INXS, are mixing rock, new wave, and alternative pretty seamlessly.
There isn't a bad song on the album, but there also isn't a song that's going to keep you coming back. Ultimately what made Kick such a big hit were the singles and I don't see anything like that on this album. All that aside it's a fun album and I could see throwing this album on to clean the house to on a pretty spring day or for having a fun dance party.
Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Best Albums: 2000 to 2009
2000: Bachelor No 2 by Aimee MannBy far the best album of Aimee Mann's career. My wife and I played this album to death in 2000. 2000 also gave us Lovers Rock by Sade, I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack, Music by Madonna, O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack, Return of Saturn by No Doubt, and Lazy Dog by Ben Watt.
2001: Back to Mine by Everything But the Girl
Back to Mine was a music series where they asked different people to put together a mix tape. The idea was that this would be something you would throw on at your house for entertaining your guests. This particular one from Everything But the Girl is brilliant. 2001 also gave us Fever by Kylie Minogue, M!ssundaztood by Pink, and Rock Steady by No Doubt. If you think the 90's are harder to remember than the 80's try the 2000's.
2002: Easy by Kelly Willis
Finally Kelly Willis broke through and grabbed the top spot. 2002 also gave us Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips, Sea Change by Beck, Come Away With Me by Nora Jones, One By One by Foo Fighters, 200 KM/H in the Wrong Lane by t.A.T.u., A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay, and Let Go by Avril Lavigne,
2003: American Life by Madonna
How bad was 2003 that this was my top album. Pretty bad. 2003 also gave us Elephant by The White Stripes, Fever to Tell by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Metamorphosis by Hillary Duffy,
2004: Beautifully Human by Jill Scott
I absolutely loved this album in 2004, but for me Jill Scott had such a drop off in her music after this album that it actually impacted my listening to this album. Can't remember the last time I put this album on. 2004 also gave us Hot Fuss by The Killers, Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinanad, Thunder, Lightening, Strike by The Go! Team, and Under My Skin by Avril Lavigne,
2005: Love, Angel, Music, Baby by Gwen Stefani
This album came out at the end of 2004, but it dominated by 2005. This was a great album and in many ways set the stage for the 80's influences that are such a part of the mainstream right now. 2005 also gave us Demon Days by Gorillaz, Aerial by Kate Bush, Arular by MIA, and Robyn by Robyn,
2006: The Dutchess by Fergie
So for the second year in a row my year was dominated by a female artist who was the lead in a band releasing their first solo album. In both cases I played the albums to death and now never listen to them. Also neither artists was able to match the success with anything else. One thing I remember from spring 2007 was running in a 10K and this being the only album I had on my MP3 player. 2006 also gave us The Crane Wife by The Decembrists, Future Sounds/Love Sex by Justin Timberlake, St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley, I'm Not Dead by Pink, Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani, Alright, Still by Lily Allen, and Back to Basics by Christina Aguilera.
2007: White Shoes and the Couples Company by White Shoes and the Couples Company
They released this album in 2005, but it wasn't released in the United States until 2007. A great album in a very solid year for music. 2007 also gave us Graduation by Kanye West, Echoes Silence Patience and Grace by Foo Fighters, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon, War Stories by UNKLE, Beauty and Crime by Suzanne Vega, There's An Elephant in the Room by The Noises 10, Tim's House by Kate Walsh, I Am by Chrisette Michele, and One Cell In the Sea by A Fine Frenzy.
2008: Hideaway by The Weepies
This album was a family top pick for 2008. Fun when you and your spouse can both really enjoy an album together and this album filled our house a lot of weekends. 2008 also gave us Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend, Out of the Woods by Tracey Thorn, Meet Glen Campbell by Glen Campbell, Perfect Symmetry by Keane, One of the Boys by Katy Perry, and Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield.
2009: My Guilty Pleasure by Sally Shapiro
Easily my top album of the decade. I still listen to this album a lot. If I haven't written a 5 star review for it, I need to. 2009 also gave us Middle Cyclone by Neko Case, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix, The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga, Fantasies by Metric.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
OVC Update
Here are the latest men's basketball standings in the Ohio Valley Conference, along with Ken Pom's rankings:
EAST:
86. E. Kentucky: 3-1
160. Belmont: 3-2
203. Morehead St: 2-3
214. Tennessee Tech: 1-5
323. Jacksonville St: 1-5
332. Tennessee St: 0-5
WEST:
152. E. Illinois: 6-0
76. Murray St: 5-0
193. UT-Martin: 3-1
248. SE Missouri St: 3-3
275. SIU-Edwardsville: 3-3
307. Austin Peay: 1-3
On Thursday, Murray State travels to Charleston, Illinois for a big game with the Eastern Illinois Panthers, who have won nine games in a row, and who beat Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State -- on the road -- in their last two games.
EAST:
86. E. Kentucky: 3-1
160. Belmont: 3-2
203. Morehead St: 2-3
214. Tennessee Tech: 1-5
323. Jacksonville St: 1-5
332. Tennessee St: 0-5
WEST:
152. E. Illinois: 6-0
76. Murray St: 5-0
193. UT-Martin: 3-1
248. SE Missouri St: 3-3
275. SIU-Edwardsville: 3-3
307. Austin Peay: 1-3
On Thursday, Murray State travels to Charleston, Illinois for a big game with the Eastern Illinois Panthers, who have won nine games in a row, and who beat Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State -- on the road -- in their last two games.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Conference USA Update
So far, so good: the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have yet to lose a game in their new conference. Here are the C-USA standings, with KenPom's ratings next to each team. Western is in the top 100 for the first time since the 2009 team went 25-9:
61. Louisiana Tech: 5-0
97. W. Kentucky: 5-0
43. Old Dominion: 4-1
66. UTEP: 4-1
176. Alabama-Birmingham: 4-1
167. Middle Tenn. St: 3-2
126. Charlotte: 2-3
229. Rice: 2-3
233. Tex-San Antonio: 2-3
258. Florida Int'l: 2-3
211. Florida Atlantic: 1-4
289. N. Texas: 1-4
290. Marshall: 0-5
324. So. Mississippi: 0-5
This week, Western will seek to extend its seven-game winning streak in home games against UTEP and Tex-San Antonio.
61. Louisiana Tech: 5-0
97. W. Kentucky: 5-0
43. Old Dominion: 4-1
66. UTEP: 4-1
176. Alabama-Birmingham: 4-1
167. Middle Tenn. St: 3-2
126. Charlotte: 2-3
229. Rice: 2-3
233. Tex-San Antonio: 2-3
258. Florida Int'l: 2-3
211. Florida Atlantic: 1-4
289. N. Texas: 1-4
290. Marshall: 0-5
324. So. Mississippi: 0-5
This week, Western will seek to extend its seven-game winning streak in home games against UTEP and Tex-San Antonio.
SEC Update
Here are the standings after 4 games, with Ken Pomeroy's rankings next to each team:
1. Kentucky: 4-0
25. Florida: 3-1
86. Tennessee: 3-1
29. Georgia: 2-2
37. Mississippi: 2-2
41. Arkansas: 2-2
44. Alabama: 2-2
59. Louisiana St: 2-2
77. Texas A & M: 2-2
133. Auburn: 2-2
40. S. Carolina: 1-3
65. Vanderbilt: 1-3
165. Missouri: 1-3
220. Mississippi St: 1-3
Two observations:
1. There is only one SEC team in the top 20, but there are seven SEC teams in the top 50. Given that 64 teams make the NCAA Tournament, it's clear that the Cats will play a fair number of games against Tournament-quality competition.
2. On Saturday, Georgia beat Florida, thus ending the Gators' 24-game winning streak against SEC opponents. As a result, the Cats are alone in first place for the first time since the 2012 season.
1. Kentucky: 4-0
25. Florida: 3-1
86. Tennessee: 3-1
29. Georgia: 2-2
37. Mississippi: 2-2
41. Arkansas: 2-2
44. Alabama: 2-2
59. Louisiana St: 2-2
77. Texas A & M: 2-2
133. Auburn: 2-2
40. S. Carolina: 1-3
65. Vanderbilt: 1-3
165. Missouri: 1-3
220. Mississippi St: 1-3
Two observations:
1. There is only one SEC team in the top 20, but there are seven SEC teams in the top 50. Given that 64 teams make the NCAA Tournament, it's clear that the Cats will play a fair number of games against Tournament-quality competition.
2. On Saturday, Georgia beat Florida, thus ending the Gators' 24-game winning streak against SEC opponents. As a result, the Cats are alone in first place for the first time since the 2012 season.
Alabama 48 - 70 Kentucky (No. 2,157)
Since 1969, Alabama has played in Coleman Coliseum, which is (I think) the second-oldest gym in the SEC. It has been a House of Horrors for the Big Blue. Going into Saturday's game, the Cats were 17-17 against Alabama in Coleman. Kentucky teams that went to the Final Four were only 3-3 in Coleman:
02/22/75: Alabama 79 - 84 Kentucky
01/23/78: Alabama 78 - 62 Kentucky
02/04/84: Alabama 69 - 62 Kentucky
01/19/93: Alabama 59 - 73 Kentucky
02/19/97: Alabama 61 - 75 Kentucky
01/18/11: Alabama 68 - 66 Kentucky
Coach Calipari was 0-2 there since taking over the Cats, and the Cats had not scored 70 points in Coleman since 2005. Their all-time biggest win over Alabama in Coleman was a 72-52 victory back in 1995.
So I was expecting a very difficult game when the Cats and the Tide tipped off at 3:15 P.M. on Saturday. Ken Pomeroy had picked a 64-56 UK win, and at tip-off I would have taken that. I was particularly concerned that Dominique Hawkins was out, meaning that UK wouldn't have 10 players for its two platoons. I was annoyed that Alabama was playing in front of a sell-out home crowd for the first time since the last time UK came to town. And I was even more annoyed when UK's first possession ended in a steal and an easy layup for the Tide.
But after that, UK played one of the best halves of basketball I have ever seen. Alabama, like almost everyone we've seen over the last month, came out in a sagging 2-3 zone on defense. On offense, Alabama walked up the ball and tried running out the clock. Under these circumstances, UK had to play with great patience and intensity on both sides of the ball in order to avoid getting sucked into another Texas A & M-type slugfest. And that's exactly what the Cats did. In the first half:
UK held Alabama to 31.8 percent shooting from the field.
UK out-rebounded Alabama 19-9.
UK shot 61.5 percent from 2-point range, 40 percent from 3-point range, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.
The Cats never forced their offense, but let shots come in the flow of attack. As a result, UK's 35 first-half points were scattered among nine different players:
W. Cauley-Stein: 5 points
Aa. Harrison: 5
An. Harrison: 5
K-A Towns: 4
T. Lyles: 4
D. Johnson: 4
D. Booker: 3
T. Ulis: 3
M. Lee: 2
It was beautiful, almost flawless basketball -- one of the best halves of basketball I've ever seen from the Cats. At the half, UK was up 35-17.
In the second half, Alabama junked its 2-3 zone and started pushing the pace. After 7 minutes, Alabama had cut UK's lead to 39-30 and Coleman was going nuts. The Tide was now playing an aggressive man-to-man defense and looking for steals. But there's a reason why most teams don't play man-to-man against Kentucky. Over the next two minutes, UK broke the game open with a devastating 10-0 run -- and then just kept pulling away. The Cats outscored Alabama 31-13, posting a 70-43 lead before the Tide got a few more points in garbage time. It was an awesome performance led by Devin Booker (10 points), Tyler Ulis (8 points), and Dakari Johnson (7 points) -- all guys on the second platoon.
When it was all said and done, therefore, the Cats had hammered Alabama in two different ways. In the first half, they used suffocating defense and great interior play to post a 35-17 lead. In the second half, they carved up Alabama's man-to-man defense, hitting shots from both inside and outside to put together a 31-13 run.
17-0. 4-0 in the SEC. 14 games to go.
I don't know that UK can play much better than they did on Saturday -- that was one of the best games I've ever seen from the Cats. But I look forward to seeing what happens next.
02/22/75: Alabama 79 - 84 Kentucky
01/23/78: Alabama 78 - 62 Kentucky
02/04/84: Alabama 69 - 62 Kentucky
01/19/93: Alabama 59 - 73 Kentucky
02/19/97: Alabama 61 - 75 Kentucky
01/18/11: Alabama 68 - 66 Kentucky
Coach Calipari was 0-2 there since taking over the Cats, and the Cats had not scored 70 points in Coleman since 2005. Their all-time biggest win over Alabama in Coleman was a 72-52 victory back in 1995.
So I was expecting a very difficult game when the Cats and the Tide tipped off at 3:15 P.M. on Saturday. Ken Pomeroy had picked a 64-56 UK win, and at tip-off I would have taken that. I was particularly concerned that Dominique Hawkins was out, meaning that UK wouldn't have 10 players for its two platoons. I was annoyed that Alabama was playing in front of a sell-out home crowd for the first time since the last time UK came to town. And I was even more annoyed when UK's first possession ended in a steal and an easy layup for the Tide.
But after that, UK played one of the best halves of basketball I have ever seen. Alabama, like almost everyone we've seen over the last month, came out in a sagging 2-3 zone on defense. On offense, Alabama walked up the ball and tried running out the clock. Under these circumstances, UK had to play with great patience and intensity on both sides of the ball in order to avoid getting sucked into another Texas A & M-type slugfest. And that's exactly what the Cats did. In the first half:
UK held Alabama to 31.8 percent shooting from the field.
UK out-rebounded Alabama 19-9.
UK shot 61.5 percent from 2-point range, 40 percent from 3-point range, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.
The Cats never forced their offense, but let shots come in the flow of attack. As a result, UK's 35 first-half points were scattered among nine different players:
W. Cauley-Stein: 5 points
Aa. Harrison: 5
An. Harrison: 5
K-A Towns: 4
T. Lyles: 4
D. Johnson: 4
D. Booker: 3
T. Ulis: 3
M. Lee: 2
It was beautiful, almost flawless basketball -- one of the best halves of basketball I've ever seen from the Cats. At the half, UK was up 35-17.
In the second half, Alabama junked its 2-3 zone and started pushing the pace. After 7 minutes, Alabama had cut UK's lead to 39-30 and Coleman was going nuts. The Tide was now playing an aggressive man-to-man defense and looking for steals. But there's a reason why most teams don't play man-to-man against Kentucky. Over the next two minutes, UK broke the game open with a devastating 10-0 run -- and then just kept pulling away. The Cats outscored Alabama 31-13, posting a 70-43 lead before the Tide got a few more points in garbage time. It was an awesome performance led by Devin Booker (10 points), Tyler Ulis (8 points), and Dakari Johnson (7 points) -- all guys on the second platoon.
When it was all said and done, therefore, the Cats had hammered Alabama in two different ways. In the first half, they used suffocating defense and great interior play to post a 35-17 lead. In the second half, they carved up Alabama's man-to-man defense, hitting shots from both inside and outside to put together a 31-13 run.
17-0. 4-0 in the SEC. 14 games to go.
I don't know that UK can play much better than they did on Saturday -- that was one of the best games I've ever seen from the Cats. But I look forward to seeing what happens next.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Best Albums: 1990 to 1999
1990: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic by The SundaysThis was not only my top album of 1990 but probably of the decade. Of all the albums that have come out since 1980 it would easily be in my top 10. 1990 also gave us Well Traveled Love by Kelly Willis, Violator by Depeche Mode, Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins, Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy, Move to This by Cathy Dennis, Language of Life by Everything But the Girl, and the Twin Peaks Soundtrack.
1991: Real Love by Lisa Stansfield
A shout out to Kelly Willis who in 1990 and 1991 put out albums which were my number two albums each year. But in 1991 Real Love dominated everything. I can't really listen to this album anymore because it just drags in too many memories, but man what a great album at the time. 1991 also gave us Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bang Bang by Kelly Willis, Green Mind by Dinosaur Jr., Worldwide by Everything But the Girl, and De La Soul is Dead by De La Soul, Nirvana didn't do it for me.
1992: Love Deluxe by Sade
Sade had always been good, but this album is by far her best. At this point female artists are dominating the decade for me. 1992 also gave us Our Time in Eden by 10,000 Maniacs, Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos, Wish by The Cure, Erotica by Madonna, Into the Skyline by Cathy Dennis, Blind by The Sundays, Acoustic by Everything But the Girl, and Ingenue by KD Lang, All of these were high on my list.
1993: Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We by The Cranberries
Nothing really stands out for me that greatly in 1993. This album was definitely my top play, and I still listen to it on occasion. 1993 also gave us So Tonight That I Might See by Mazzy Star, The Red Shoes by Kate Bush, Star by Belly, Kelly Willis by Kelly Willis, and Four-Calendar Cafe by Cocteau Twins. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff in each of these years. That's why now I have a blog for this stuff so that I'll never forget.
1994: Under the Pink by Tori Amos
I spent much of 1994 learning about jazz and so buying older music. Still there were a few albums that I recall from 1994. Tori Amos is not someone I listen to that often anymore. At least not full albums. Nowadays I'll pick out a song here and there when I'm in the mood. 1994 also gave us Amplified Heart by Everything But the Girl, No Need to Argue by The Cranberries, CrazySexyCool by TLC, and Bedtime Stories by Madonna.
1995: Pieces of You by Jewel
In 1995 I got back into buying new music and learning about new artists in a pretty big way. Funny thing is I don't remember much of the music now or listen to much of it. Besides this album from Jewel, 1995 also gave us Delusions of Grandeur by Fleming and John, Zipless by Vanessa Daou, Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt, Hello by Poe, and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette,
1996: Walking Wounded by Everything But the Girl
Walking Wounded marked a big change for Everything But the Girl, and I completely bought into it. This album has held up very well for me. 1996 also gave us Born on a Pirate Ship by Barenaked Ladies, The Score by Fugees, Boys for Pele by Tori Amos, Slow to Burn by Vanessa Daou, Tidal by Fiona Apple, and Milk and Kisses by Cocteau Twins.
1997: Static and Silence by The Sundays
No album really stands out for me from 1997, but this album has some fun memories for me and so I picked it. 1997 also gave us, well quite honestly I don't have anything else. 1997 for me was a year of change and so most of the new music for me was old music that I was getting to know.
1998: Ray of Light by Madonna
One bad song keeps this album from being perfect. This is the best album Madonna ever made I think and that's saying something as she consistently put out solid albums. 1998 also gave us The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. That's all I got. I spent 1998 learning to program and pretty much listening to Ray of Light every day.
1999: Temperamental by Everything But the Girl
For the third time Everything But the Girl had my album of the year. I miss this band. Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn are good on their own, but they were great as Everything But the Girl. 1999 also gave us No Angel by Dido, Forget About It by Alison Krauss, Magnolia by Aimee Mann, and What I Deserve by Kelly Willis.
Rev. King in Louisville, 1961
"Delivered to the flagship theological institution of the flagship denomination of Southern Culture, Dr. King would never again give another address like this."
Here's the audio, from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
Here's the audio, from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Oh, Kentucky
Grayson County teens arrested in Florida http://t.co/GEp60bAlnm pic.twitter.com/lngaglhRti
— WHOP AM/FM (@WHOPradio) January 18, 2015
Best Albums: 1980 to 1989
So the first album I ever bought was the 1976 release Firefall by Firefall. The choice was inspired by the single "You Are the Woman." Loved that song. If I did buy any albums between 1976 and 1980 I don't remember it, but starting in 1980 I began to buy albums pretty regularly and so I've made a list of my top albums from 1980 to the present. In this post we'll cover 1980 to 1989.1980: Crimes of Passion by Pat Benatar
This was a good choice back in 1980. This album has held up well and I find myself still listening to it on occasion. The only other release I know I bought that year was the Eagles Live album.
1981: Worlds Apart by Saga
This was a breakout year for me in terms of purchasing albums. There were four big ones for me in 1981. Billy Squier's, Don't Say No; Foreigner's, Foreigner 4; ELO's, Time; and Worlds Apart by Saga. I also got my first Walkman in 1981 and so I really started to get more into music at that point.
Worlds Apart was a big deal for me. I liked the album so much I went back and bought up the rest of Saga's library and for a few years they were my go to band. Because this stuff was outside the mainstream it gave me a sense of there being all of this music on the outside.
1982: Lexicon of Love by ABC
I was very heavily influenced by MTV in 1982 and fell in love with this album when the band's movie Mantrap premiered on MTV. I also bought George Throgood's Bad to the Bone album that year.
1983: Pyromania by Def Leppard
It's a shame that this album is not available digitally, but I understand why these bands fight this stuff. They don't get any money out of it, so why let it get released. Still it's a shame because this was a brilliant album.
1984: Diamond Life by Sade
It's hard to remember the timing of things. I know I bought this album, but I believe it may not have been until 1985 after Promise. I know I bought Like a Virgin by Madonna and Aerial Boundaries by Michael Hedges, but I keep thinking it was later as well. I know Reckoning by REM came later for me. A lot of good music in 1984.
1985: Hunting High and Low by A-Ha
In 1985 my music life was mostly about Bruce Springsteen, The Doors, The Who, etc., but I really fell in love with this album. For me this album has held up very well.
1986: Soundrel Days by A-Ha
It's a shame that A-Ha never made it big in the US. These first two albums were very good. Hunting High and Low has held up better I believe, but this is a good second album.
1987: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure
I've written about this album in the past in a 5 star review. Funny to see how I have moved from Pat Benatar to The Cure in only a few years time. So strange the influence of college and all the different music you are exposed to.
1988: Idlewild by Everything But the Girl
My music collection exploded in 1988 as my roommate and I spent most of our paycheck on albums every week. It was a fun time for music, but this album stood out foe me and still does.
1989: Disintegration by The Cure
If you are in college and not really making it, because you are spending all of your time listening to music, and you go back home to live with your folks, you really can't beat The Cure.