Wildcats outlast Ohio 76-73
Kentucky jumped out to 16-point lead, then held on to make debut of 'Pitino Ball' a successful one
by TCP associate editor Mike Estep
Welcome to the Rick Pitino era. An exciting brand of basketball unlike anything you've seen around these parts in quite a while. A wonderful mixture of in-your-face, pressure defense and racehorse, up-tempo, fast-breaking offense, regardless of the count on the scoreboard or the time on the clock.
But be advisedwhether you're wearing an opposing jersey or a striped shirt, or sitting in the stands or on press rowyou'd better stay awake.
Because if you turned your head away from the action, even for a split second, during UK's 76-73 season-opening victory over Ohio University last Tuesday night, there's a good chance you missed something. Something unconventional. Like, for instance:
Senior guard Derrick Miller, leading a 2-on-l fast break, pulling up from 22-feet, launching a rainbow of a jumper...and hitting nothing but net.
Freshman forward Jeff Brassow, finding himself open for a three-pointer at the top of the key...and banking it in.
The Wildcats, enjoying one of the few size advantages they will encounter all season, being outrebounded by 18 and outshot from the field (43.5 percent to 40.0 percent, overall: 38.5 percent to 23.8 percent on three-pointers)...and still finding a waymostly by harrassing the Bobcats into 23 turnoversto win.
Even Pitino, the inventor of all this structured mayhem, was taken aback at times.
"We did some things tonight I've never quite seen in basketball." Pitino said with a laugh. "(Walk-on) Nehemiah (Braddy) left his man one time when the guy was dribbling the ball to go find some other guy. They showed me some things I've never see:: before. So they're very innovative, the players."
And, believe it or not, all you nay-sayers, full of potential.
The 'Cats, given up for dead by many before the season ever started, came out of the gate against Ohio in mid-season form, forcing the Bobcats into turnover after turnover. Kentucky scored the game's first 10 pointsall of them the direct result of an Ohio miscueand eventually stretched that margin to 44-30 at the half.
"I thought we played Kentucky's style of basketball in the first half," Ohio coach Larry Hunter said. "The first half for us was just an absolute nightmare. We didn't handle the press, the pressure, very well. I think out of their first 16 points, maybe all 16 of 'em were off turnovers off their press."
Even in the ragged second half, when Ohio took advantage of UK foul trouble, went to a confusing matchup zone and slowed the tempo to cut what was a 16-point lead at one stage to just two midway through the final half, the young 'Cats kept their composure.
"They went to a 3-2 matchup, which they did against Rider, and they played that very well," Pitino said. "We have got to go inside on that. It hurt us with Reggie (Hanson) out of the game. Deron (Feldhaus) did get a few points inside the paint, but Reggie's the guy that scores (down there). We don't have a very good big man in the low post that we can go to against a matchup, but they did a good
enough job."
Bobcat star Dave Jamerson, who poured in 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, both game highs, came off a pick to bury a three-pointer from the top of the key that whittled the UK lead to 56-54 with 11:34 remaining to be played. And with Hanson, who led UK in scoring with 24 and rebounding with 14, on the bench in foul trouble, the wobbly Wildcats needed someone to step forward.
Enter sophomore point guard Sean Woods, playing in his first college game after sitting out last season because of Proposition 48.
Woods kissed a 15-footer off the glass on the next trip down to make it 58-54. Then, after he missed both ends of a two-shot foul, Woods grabbed his own board and fed sophomore Johnathon Davis, who scored a career-high four points for the game, for a layup that made it 60-54 with 7:23 remaining to play.
That key stretch by Woods stopped Ohio's momentum and gave Kentucky the confidence it needed to stay out in front the rest of the way.
"I think Sean, for a freshman guard, did very well," Pitino said. "And that's what you have to look at. He sat out (last year), so he's really a freshman guard (in experience, not eligibility). He really is, he didn't play. And he did very well. It's very, very tough at that position, doing all the things we want them
to do. And he had a tough night at times, but he spurred us on and made a lot of good plays when we needed it, when we were in a little bit of a drought."
So even though UK lost the 16-point lead, was beaten on the boards, was outshot from the field and only converted 19 of 29 free throws, the 'Cats found a way to win. And Pitino said that was all he was looking for Tuesday.
"I just wanted a one-point victory tonight and get out," Pitino said. "We had no exhibition game. Obviously, we were really nervous at the start of the game and we just wanted a victory. I didn't care about anything else. I'll waive my blue pom pons later, but I just wanted to get out of the house with a victory. That's the only thing I wanted.
"I think if we had made our free throws it would have been a different game tonight, but we did not and they were smart enough to foul. Normally, you make those foul shots and you go up 12, 14 points and you keep attacking, keep attacking. And that's where you get fouled.
"I think we will make those free throws in time. But most of the people on our basketball team have never played (many quality minutes) in Rupp Arena, never played with the people yelling. And this was great tonight. It was great for them to play in front of this type of crowd."
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