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Top-5 Kentucky games of 2009-2010 seasons
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(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
(#1) Louisville @ Kentucky (Jan. 2nd, 2010: CBS, 3:30p.m.) - The game will have taken place after several highly touted games in their own respect, but let’s face it. This one is the end-all, be-all in Kentucky’s regular season matchups. The two rival schools hate each other already and now UK brings John Calipari into the mix? Former UK head coach Rick Pitino and Calipari have never gotten along ever since Calipari’s UMASS days. The Cardinals come into Rupp Arena this year having lost a lot of core players from last year’s Elite 8 team that lost to Michigan State. There is no Earl Clark or Terrance Williams to rely on in this one and it could be a very long night for the Cards. Kentucky’s college basketball resurgence is led by the de-facto “Don” of the UK mafia: John Calipari. Since his arrival in Lexington, he has done nothing but position the 2009-2010 Wildcats team to get to the Final Four and win a National title all in his first season. With his #1 ranked recruiting class led by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, as well as the return of All-American Patrick Patterson, the Big Blue Nation is hell-bent on an 8th National Championship. A victory over Louisville would be a defining victory along the journey to the top.
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
(#2) UNC @ Kentucky (Dec. 5th, 2009: CBS, 12:30p.m.) - December 5th marks the day North Carolina and Kentucky tip-off, both vying to be the first collegiate basketball team to 2,000 victories. Both are enriched with tradition dating back hundreds of years. Boundless amounts of coaches, players, and memorable games have littered the history of each basketball program and the victor will be one step closer to this elusive 2,000 mark. UNC comes in as the defending national champions, a team that was stacked with four future NBA Draft picks. In most instances, teams have a down period after such an instance but head coach Roy Williams never stops recruiting. He has brought in a top-5 recruiting class and has reloaded with another group of star studded players. UNC has the advantage in experience with leaders like Marcus Ginyard and Deon Thompson. North Carolina could boast the best front-court in the nation and the game should feature some of the best low post matchups of the entire collegiate season. Kentucky post players Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Perry Stevenson will have their hands full but should be more than capable of staying up to the task. Most important factor will be point guard play. Will UNC point guard Larry Drew II be able to contain UK’s John Wall? Wall has other-worldly talents and it will be up to Roy Williams to figure out how to stop him.
(AP Photo/Wade Payne_
(#3) Tennessee @ Kentucky (Feb. 13th, 2010: ESPN, 9:00p.m.) - The game in Knoxville between the two teams is more interesting where Calipari must deal with his squad being in a harsh atmosphere but the first meeting will be just as good. Bruce Pearl and Calipari have tango’d before, both squaring off against each other during Calipari’s Memphis days. If it weren’t for Calipari moving to his new residence in Lexington it would be the Vols and head coach Bruce Pearl expected to win out in the SEC East. That isn’t quite the case, so now the two will meet again in Lexington to decide the rights to the SEC East crown. Pearl brings in a talented group headed by forward Tyler Smith and guard Scotty Hopson, a former Kentucky high-school All-American. The Vols are experienced and add depth to an already talented team. A big question is will Pearl’s pressure defense and full-court press distract UK enough to make a difference? Kentucky guards John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are both lighting quick and can maneuver around defenders with ease. It will be interesting to see if these two freshmen are bothered by a different approach from an opponent. The guess is that by this time, Wall and Bledsoe will be overwhelmingly prepared for any SEC competition. It will be loud and nasty in Rupp that night but the best will be Pearl in his hideous orange blazer, sweating away the minutes until he gets whopped in Rupp.
(#4) Kentucky @ South Carolina (Jan. 26th, 2010: ESPN, 9:00p.m.) -This might surprise some of you because you’re asking where the Kentucky/Mississippi St. matchup is at. The focus on the SEC East is extremely important but that matchup is very exciting as well. The South Carolina matchup is something to note because of the fact that head coach Darrin Horn and the Gamecocks beat the Wildcats twice last season, further bringing Billy Gillispie’s days in Lexington to a close. Calipari taking over has drastically changed the circumstances for this season’s matchup, as the talent level is completely different after just one off-season. The point guard matchup between Devan Downey and John Wall/Eric Bledsoe will be the highlight of the game. Downey torched the Cats last season solidifying himself as one of the nation’s best point guards. Both Wall and Bledsoe come in looking to garner that same attention and will take it to the senior South Carolina guard. Downey won’t back down against the newcomers making this all the more enticing. South Carolina boasted some surprising post-play last year further piquing everyone’s interest.
(#5) Kentucky vs. UConn (Dec. 9th, 2009: ESPN, 9:30p.m.) -Once again, the Mississippi State game doesn’t find its way onto this list because of the early season matchup between UK and UConn. The Huskies are down after the departure of several highly talented players like Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien. With that said, it doesn’t mean the matchup won’t be worthwhile. The fact that the stage is Madison Square Garden in New York will be enough, but because both teams are stacked with talent, it will make it even better. You can bet your bottom dollar than John Wall and the rest of the Cats will be amped up to put on a show for those in attendance at the SEC/Big East Invitational. Connecticut is ranked in the Top-15 in preseason rankings, so they are no slouch themselves. The guard matchups will be extremely interesting to watch with UConn having Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker, both explosive guards in their own right. Add forward Stanley Robinson into the mix and you’ve got quite a trio on the perimeter. This game is the second game of a scary three game stretch for the Wildcats which pit them against UNC, UConn, and then upstart Indiana only three days after playing the Huskies. It will test the will of the young Wildcats and could very well determine how good UK will look for the rest of the season.
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