U of L Victory, SEC Regular Season

Wow. What a couple of weeks it has been to be a UK fan. We're now the number three team in the country and one of only four unbeatens left in Division I. Coach Cal has done far better than anyone could have expected, although everyone is hoping the best is yet to come.

After arguably our best game of the season against Hartford, speculation was rife that the Cats would pummel in-state rival Louisville when the Cards visited Rupp Arena, and the first few minutes of the game seemed to confirm those thoughts. There's been enough talk about the trash talk, elbows, and technical fouls, so let's leave that aside.

Once the game settled down, it became apparent that U of L's only goal was to contain John Wall. Double teams on the press, doubles teams out of the zone, and slap-happy defense served the Cards well in the first half. Kentucky probably would have wrapped the game up early with better shooting, but as luck would have it, U of L made a spirited charge in the second half and actually took the lead briefly.

Enter Jerry Smith. Shortly after Louisville took the lead in the second half, the senior guard decided it would be fun to talk smack to John Wall, arguably the nation's best point guard and undoubtedly its best freshman. After double technical fouls were issued, Smith found out why it's never smart to goad great players in pressure-packed situations.

Wall ripped off six straight points as Kentucky went on an impressive 13-2 run to recapture the lead and finish off the visitors. Despite being contained for most of the game, Wall finished with 17 points and help the Cats make their best start to a season in over 35 years.

The Cats will now open the SEC regular season by hosting Georgia on January 9th. The Bulldogs are a team that shouldn't pose a serious threat to our unbeaten record, but being the third ranked team in the country means every team will give you their best game.

After a full week of practice, I expect the shooting woes we saw against Louisville will disappear, and the Cats will continue their winning ways, this time by at least 15 points.