Kentucky opens as a 1.5 point dog at Texas

akaukswoosh

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ukcatz12

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
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idk i feel like we should be able to win this game, Texas has not been good and lost to Arkansas at home. We should win this game 100%.
Depends on who plays. If we're without Butler and Robinson then we're playing without our starting PG, backup PG, and third string PG. I don't care who you're playing, if you're doing that in a road conference game it's incredibly tough to win. This is still a Q1 game.
 

mrjuk

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Mar 15, 2008
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Depends on who plays. If we're without Butler and Robinson then we're playing without our starting PG, backup PG, and third string PG. I don't care who you're playing, if you're doing that in a road conference game it's incredibly tough to win. This is still a Q1 game.
Man, we haven’t had to start without all three at the same time. Could be very interesting 🤔
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
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Depends on who plays. If we're without Butler and Robinson then we're playing without our starting PG, backup PG, and third string PG. I don't care who you're playing, if you're doing that in a road conference game it's incredibly tough to win. This is still a Q1 game.

Id take it a step further.. we're stuck using a 4th string PG AND without our star wing/combo guard. Losing Butler and Jrob is essentially losing two starters.
 
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PickSixKing

Heisman
Mar 19, 2008
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I'll be there cheering on the Cats.

This game will say a lot. If we win on the road without arguably our 2 most important players and Kerr that will be huge. We haven't been good on the road against mid teams like Texas.
 
May 31, 2018
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Id take it a step further.. we're stuck using a 4th string PG AND without our star wing/combo guard. Losing Butler and Jrob is essentially losing two starters.
Didn't Travis play the shooting guard position in high school? If so I'd take it another step further and say we are stuck playing with no true PG.
 
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Digger-Cat

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So has Texas. I really hope we can pull this one out. We desperately need to get a 3 seed coz I’m starting to see a 4 seed could be very scary situation. Winning this one is crucial to getting up a seed line.
Yeah, every time we lose to a bad team, we drop like a stone and the big wins are ignored.

But for some reason, Michigan, Michigan State, Texas tech, Arizona, Purdue and several others, can lose to bad teams and stick on the 2 and 3 lines and they don’t have anywhere near the wins UK has.

At some point, injuries have to be considered into this.

But yeah, we have to get these next 2 games.
 
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Dec 12, 2023
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Id take it a step further.. we're stuck using a 4th string PG AND without our star wing/combo guard. Losing Butler and Jrob is essentially losing two starters.
All true but our starters vs subs are not as big of a drop off as we're used to having(disregarding last season)and at this point in time and the season.
It's time for our freshmen to step up. I think this is a game where any one of them can break out but Chandler has a lot of potential and this might be where we see it most.

PG, while not ideal, can be by committee with Oweh, Perry, Brea, Noah, Chandler and Williams. It's gonna be interesting to see how we do this and who steps up. I think somebody has to step up big...but they can. I'm done doubting Pope.

Our frosh are light years ahead of the start of the season. We'll see..
 

RoyKent

Heisman
Feb 3, 2015
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Texas is not good. Cats have to win this game. No excuses not to beat Texas, OU and LSU
 
Dec 12, 2023
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Road game
Injuries

Throw in the fact that we haven’t won more than two games in a row since December.

Everything points to a loss.

BUT, everything has pointed to a loss a few times this year and the guys fought through it and got a W.

🤞🏻
I think we pull this one out but not sure we can take care of the ball enough against Vandy. We didn't before.
 

ImTheVillageIdiot

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Yeah, every time we lose to a bad team, we drop.like a stone and the big wins are ignored.

But for some reason, Michigan, Michigan State, Texas tech, Arizona, Purdue and several others, can lose to bad teams and stick on the 2 and 3 lines and they don’t have anywhere near the wins UK has.

At some point, injuries have to be consideredinto this.

But yeah, we have to get these next 2 games.
Oh I agree with you. I’m over the moon about Pope and the season. I just worry about Duke. I don’t think we match up well against them for a round two and if we get a 4 seed, they are the only one seed we can get matched up with. I’d be happy with a S16 regardless
 
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CondorCat

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Surprised we aren't favored by a couple of points given Texas has lost 4 of their last 5 games, beating only lowly LSU. Then again we have injuries, and they played well at home in January with close losses to good teams: Auburn (5 pts), Tennessee (4 pts).

Their Net/Pomeroy ranking is higher than Georgia and Vandy, and we know how those road games went. Just another grinding Q1 away game in the SEC so we better avoid a slow start.
 

catsfanbgky

All-American
Oct 18, 2006
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Tre Johnson scares me. He can flat fill it up. Averaging over 19 per game and a 39% 3 point shooter. Jordan Pope (no relation to Mark), is a 37% shooter. Kaluma is at 40% and Tremon Mark is at 36% shooter. They play at a slower pace, but we have to run them off the line and stop Johnson's drives.
 
May 27, 2007
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It's funny how the strength of the conference has made us change on who is good/not good.

Texas is 35th in Kenpom.

Which isn't great but it's not like they are some scrub team either and they are at home. There's a reason they are opening up as a favorite. It should be a tough game IMO.
 

FtWorthCat

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This is where I'll be before the game. Tickets dropped after Horns started losing. Cats get a big road victory, shouldn't be too hostile. Might even get an audible "Go Big Blue" chant deep in the heart of Texas if things go well.

 
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TTTblue24

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Feb 1, 2004
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We need to win this game and continue the momentum from Tuesday, dropping this game will take some steam out of the engine regardless of injuries. Need to win the ones we should and try to get as high a seed in the SEC as we can, they’re not awful but take care of the ball and block out. Maybe let Noah run point some, he has played it since 8th grade & trust his decision making way more than Williams lol.
I really will be concerned if I see Perry start at point, he makes a lot of floating type passes and just bad turnovers but he does shoot it well lol.
 

FtWorthCat

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We need to win this game and continue the momentum from Tuesday, dropping this game will take some steam out of the engine regardless of injuries. Need to win the ones we should and try to get as high a seed in the SEC as we can, they’re not awful but take care of the ball and block out. Maybe let Noah run point some, he has played it since 8th grade & trust his decision making way more than Williams lol.
I really will be concerned if I see Perry start at point, he makes a lot of floating type passes and just bad turnovers but he does shoot it well lol.
It would be good to finish in the top 6 to avoid Alabama/Auburn in the SEC quarter finals, assuming they are 1/2.
 
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FtWorthCat

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You know it's going to be a packed arena for UK and rowdy.
It seats about 15k, and I think there might be 2-3k UK fans. It will be interesting to see. There were about 5k UK fans at the football game in November. It is sold out tomorrow.
 

Digger-Cat

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Oh I agree with you. I’m over the moon about Pope and the season. I just worry about Duke. I don’t think we match up well against them for a round two and if we get a 4 seed, they are the only one seed we can get matched up with. I’d be happy with a S16 regardless
Thing about duke is, they run everything through Cooper Flagg. If you can pressure him and make the game tough on him, the cats can win.
They have to defend us too and I think we have quite an advantage there.
 
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TTTblue24

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It would be good to finish in the top 6 to avoid Alabama/Auburn in the SEC quarter finals, assuming they are 1/2.
That’s exactly why we can’t drop games that we should and need to win, like this one. Need to avoid both those teams if we can especially early in the SECT, semis i’m fine with but really don’t want a quarter final matchup with one of these 2.
 

WildcatNC

Heisman
Sep 20, 2004
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Need to get through these next two games while resting guys, and hope we start getting some back after.