Kentucky’s Anger Keeps Louisville Close

Hate does strange things to athletes.

Had Louisville been able to hit the side of a barn in the first half, Kentucky would be bemoaning the end of  a 14-game win streak. Someone had the UK players on edge, spoiling for a fight. The inexplicable, misplaced venom  was the only thing that kept Louisville in the game.

The UK players wanted to administer severe pain to U of L as much as they wanted a win. If they had stuck to basketball, Louisville would never have posed serious threat. Offsetting their claims of superiority, UK suffers from a severe inferiority complex.

Apparently the UK zealots have more than a little pent-up anger after two consecutive losses in the series. Probably has more to do with a Rick Pitino-coached Louisville team dishing out the losses to their heart throbs. Forgive and forget? Not in Kentucky fans.

Speaking of pent-up anger, what’s with Eric Bledsoe? An intentional foul in the first 20 seconds. Mouth running, veins popping, unable to stop jabbering, not even with John Calipari hanging all over him. That mouth is still running wherever it is. With his negative attitude and anger problems, Bledsoe will be lucky to see a sophomore season.

John Wall a decent player and a factor in the game, but not that big a factor. Most impressive perhaps about Wall, in this game, was that he wasn’t mad at somebody.

Maybe next season Samardo Samuels will be able to hit an uncontested layup,  Preston Knowles a couple of twisting jump shots, Jared Swopshire a couple of clutch free throws, Peyton Siva  one or two assists, and maybe Mike Marra will get off the bench.

That could be make a difference, playing decent basketball. One suspects Kentucky will still be insecure and angry for whatever reason.

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