5 Thoughts

Now, five thoughts on the SEC Final against Mississippi State:

1. What a great game! Given that Mississippi St. was squarely on the bubble entering the contest, you had to know that it was always going to be a very hotly contested matchup. The refs let most of the physical play go which certainly helped the Cats down the stretch, specifically when the Bulldogs got tired.
2. A lot has been said about John Wall's refusal to lose games and will to win, but I think the entire team showed that attitude today. From Wall's steal to cut the lead to three, Patterson tipping the ball out on Bledsoe's missed free throw and Cousins putting the game-tying bucket in as time expired, every single player gave 100% today.
3. What is Rick Stansbury thinking not putting anyone on the line when his team is shooting free throws down the stretch? Instead of sticking one guy on the block, Stansbury had everyone back at half-court, allowing Kentucky to grab three uncontested rebounds on three crucial missed free throws in the final minutes. Utterly stupid.
4. Did the team think we had won the tournament when Cousins tied it at the end of regulation? As soon as the ball went through the basket, the Cats celebrated like they had won the national title, with Cousins ending up on the bottom of a cat-pile that ended up down at the far end of the floor. Great to see that kind of energy, but I was worried they forgot about the overtime period.
5. Simply put, the seniors on the team deserve this title.