The First Important Late-Season Game

By D.K. Wilson
for HOOPSADDICT.com

Published: March 2, 2008

For SEC ball, this is the game I was waiting for. March 2, Kentucky at Tennessee.If Tennessee put their energy into proving they could beat Memphis, which they did, they would lose to Vanderbilt. If Tennessee lost to Memphis, they’d turn around and clamp the Commodores. With the quick turn around time, neither game was the best barometer by which to judge their progress this season under Bruce Pearl.

For Kentucky, Billy Gillespie suffered through a horrible beginning of the season start. College coaches are not known for their adaptability (perhaps explaining why they are college coaches and not NBA coaches).

They have a coaching style and they recruit players to fit that style. For better or worse, Gillespie was dealt Tubby Smith’s hand. His teams play relentless defense and a grind-it-out style of offense that requires a deep team with everyone being in impeccable shape. It took nearly three months of play for the Wildcats to get Gillespie, to comprehend the method to his madness. Then they lost their best player, freshman forward Patrick Patterson (stress fracture, left ankle).

For Kentucky’s players, today was a game of trust - of self and of Gillespie.

So today’s game - this game on March 2, 2008 against each other - was, more than any other this season, the barometer for both the Vols and the ‘Cats.

Sunday’s meeting would show how far the Wildcats have come and, even without Patterson whether or not they are Big Dance worthy. Sunday’s would prove Pearl’s method: athletes, shooters and more athletes - we’ll throw it all at you for 40 minutes and if you can handle it, fine. If not we will beat you down.

Even after the Vols jumped out to an early 15-point lead, you could tell that the Wildcats were still patient, just trying to find their footing in a hostile environment. And once they got in a groove, once their grinding defense took hold, you could tell they’d get to within striking distance and test the Volunteers.

Kentucky came back. Tennessee responded and hung tough, the crowd imploring them to maintain their high level of intensity and execution. Kentucky inched ahead. The Vols hung tough. Even with two minutes remaining in the game when short-handed Kentucky ran out of gas, fell behind by four, and were forced to play defense, they somehow regrouped. Guard Joe Crawford still had enough in his legs left to hit a fade-away baseline three to get the ‘Cats to within one.

Though Kentucky could get no closer than that one-point deficit and though the ‘Cats ended up on the wrong end of a 63-60 score, they showed that, if they follow Gillespie and trust themselves, they can beat anyone. Should the Wildcats reach the semi-finals of the SEC conference tournament, it will be tough to keep them out of the final 64.

Though Tennessee barely escaped with a victory, they showed that they are balanced, resilient, can trust players other than Chris Lofton to score in tight situations, and can maintain their cool down the stretch. That cool was forged through the Memphis win followed by the Vandy loss. And the Vols gained this understanding of themselves in the nick of time as they have one last regular-season test against a young, talented Florida team in Tallahassee on March 5. After a home finale against South Carolina, Pearl wants his charges to at least reach the finals of their conference tournament to secure a high seed for the Big Dance; attainable goals all.

But this was a good one, this game. And it is the first of many similar tests in the very near future for many teams around the country.

Let’s hope they respond with performances like Tennessee’s and Kentucky’s

Chris Lofton Photo Credit: Icon SMI

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The First Important Late-Season Game

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