Once again, games like this usually don't offer much to analyze. Kentucky fans expected a blowout and that is what happened. Here, however, is what I did take away from this game on a player by player breakdown.
Patrick Patterson: Patterson showed he is no longer feeling the effects of the surgery. Though he will still improve, his foot work looked better and did a better job of creating his own shots. He also showed he has a great eye for the court and what is going on around him.
Jodie Meeks: Once again showed he is the best athlete on the team and a knack for anticipating on defense. His shot from 3-point range was off tonight, but did a good job of taking the ball to the basket and getting to the free throw line.
Perry Stevenson: Perry is as good as he will get. He shows an ability to pass and play defense against smaller players, but gets pushed around by bigger players and has a hard time finishing plays underneath. He is a good player to have coming off the bench (even though he is a starter) and can contribute in small doses.
Ramon Harris: Harris plays hard and may still improve, but he doesn't have much talent. His shot is mediocre and passing and movement on the court are average. His defense is fairly solid, but still has holes.
Michael Porter: Once again Porter confirms he'd be good as an off-guard playing around 15 minutes a game. He plays hard, but god bless him...he's just not that good.
Darius Miller: Miller didn't play as much tonight as he did Saturday. He didn't match the game he had Saturday, but that is to be expected as a freshmen. He will be good and get more consistent over the year.
DeAndre Liggins: This "colt," as Gillispie called him, showed he is the point guard of the near future. Still a few mistakes, but they were errors due to hustle. He has great court vision, knows how to pass the ball and can knock down the open 3 pointer. I am excited to watch him play over the next few years.
Josh "Jorts" Harrellson: I like Harrellson's hustle underneath. He has good hands (which you can't teach) and a good shot. Sure, maybe he can't jump over a folded piece of paper, but he can be an effective player in a half-court game.
Kevin Galloway: Galloway must be pathetic in practice. He showed in his brief appearance tonight he also has the ability to pass the ball and handle the ball well. It looks like Gillispie may just be waiting for his defense to catch up to his offensive skills.
A.J. Stewart: Once again, Stewart must really be in Gillispie's doghouse. He still makes mistakes that he immediately comes out of the game for, but he brings energy on defense and goes after loose balls just as well as anyone on the team. I get the feeling he still gets lost...no to mention the off court mistakes he makes to tick off Bill Clyde.
I won't go over any other players, however, an interesting note in the last 5 minutes of the game. At one point, the lineup was: Jared Carter, Josh Harrellson, Michael Porter, Mark Krebs & Landon Sloane. That is the first "all-white" lineup I've seen for Kentucky in a long time. I just thought it was interesting.
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