Kellan Grady hopes he can smile a lot again tonight against Tennessee like he did in Rupp Arena last month. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Sometimes I understand that players — and even coaches — feel like they have to say even a big game is just another game on the schedule. That’s why I like what Tennessee junior guard Josiah-Jordan James said about tonight’s home game with Kentucky.
“I think it’s really big. It is huge for both programs,” James said Monday. “We definitely go out each and every game trying to win every game but this one is especially special just because of the rivalry and history that we have between these two programs.”
“It is always good when we get to meet up either here at Thompson-Boling or at Rupp Arena. It’s always special.”
Well, it wasn’t too special earlier at Rupp Arena when UK won 107-79 even though the Vols hit 11 3-pointers and shot 53 percent from the field. Kentucky’s defense forced turnovers that it converted into easy points, something Tennessee coach Rick Barnes says cannot happen tonight.
“You’re not going to win basketball games anywhere doing that. Transition defense is also important because they play as fast as any team does in the country. If you’re late getting back or not on edge, they’re going to score quickly, so we have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball,” Barnes said.
The Tennessee coach said “careless passes” led to many of Tennessee’s 20 turnovers at Kentucky.
“I’m not taking anything away from Kentucky, but we made some plays that you absolutely can’t make against a team that is terrific at capitalizing on mistakes,” Barnes said. “We weren’t in a position where we got better moving the ball, it was too much one-on-one and guys taking quick shots.
“You must give them credit because you can say they put us in that situation, but we have to do a better job in that area.”
Kentucky assistant coach Bruiser Flint believes UK’s offense has been so effective and fun to watch that it has totally overshadowed what the Cats are doing defensively.
“I think the thing that goes understated is how good we play on defense. Our defense is as good as anyone in the country,” Flint said.
3 Responses
Need another big win tonight to separate us from everyone else
This is a huge game for both programs, and I sure hope Calipari treats it just that way.
If the SEC front office is going to put the "fix" on a game that would have otherwise had a negative effect on the conference’s tournament bids, we might as well play as an independent school in both basketball and football.
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