UK no dummy: Cornell can play ball

UK no dummy: Cornell can play ball


UK no dummy: Cornell can play ball
By Eric Lindsey on March 24, 2010 5:15 PM | No TrackBacks

kentucky.wake_14.jpgKentucky-Cornell is being billed as David vs. Goliath, the powerhouse vs. the Cinderella, the smart kids vs. the dumb kids.

DeMarcus Cousins believes that categorization is both ignorant and "stupid." And he's right.

"We're here to play basketball," the freshman forward said. "This isn't a spelling bee."

No, DeMarcus it's not. When Kentucky, a longtime powerhouse of college basketball and seven-time national champion, faces Cornell, a proud Ivy League school with little basketball success, Thursday at 9:57 p.m. in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, an Elite Eight berth - not a spelling bee - will be on the line.

In spite of the differences in the programs, the seeding and the styles, Cornell has become a trendy upset special, a media darling if you will, to knock off the second No. 1 seed of the tournament.

"They're ball players and they're here for a reason," Cousins said. "They've earned their way into the Sweet 16, so that means they can play basketball. I'm not getting into smart kids, dumb kids - I'm not getting into that. They can play ball and they're a good team."

Cornell advanced to the Sweet 16 by way of wins over No. 5 seed Temple and No. 4 seed Wisconsin. The seeding would indicate upsets, but the Big Red's style of play and record (29-4) would suggest otherwise.

Cousins, fittingly dressed with a hat and glasses (when asked if he had the Cornell look going, he said, "Nah, I'd probably have a little piece of tape in the middle") said if UK (34-2) comes out sluggish and without energy, it could fall victim to Cornell's third straight upset.

"We've seen the damage that they can do," Cousins said. "We saw earlier in the year when they played Kansas. They've got a chance to win it."

Most of Cornell's damage has come from the three-point line. The Big Red lead the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (.434), rank third in three-point field goals made (9.7) and stand 12th in field-goal percentage (.486).

"They're kind of like Princeton," freshman guard John Wall said. "They can lull you to sleep and go backdoor. If you're not watching, they can hit threes from anywhere if you're guarding the ball screens. They're a perfect team. It's hard to get them out of what they want to do (because) they execute so well."

Guards Ryan Wittman (17.8 points per game, 107 three-pointers) and Louis Dale (12.6 points per game, 4.8 assists per game) pace the Big Red offensively, but 7-foot center Jeff Foote (12.4 points per game) has become a presence down low for Cornell.

Wall said the key for Kentucky will be establishing and enforcing an up-tempo rhythm.

"We want to play at our game pace," Wall said. "Our game pace is going up and down. If we go half court, we can run that type of style, but we want to play at our pace and what's best for us and that's getting up and down the court."

But what if the Big Red continues to knock down perimeter shots like it did in the first two games when it buried a combined 17 triples?

"If they go nuts and we're doing a great job of guarding them and we're making them take tough threes and they're shooting through rafters and they're going in, it's been a heck of a season," UK head coach John Calipari said. "The issue becomes we are so inexperienced that can we sustain possessions? In other words, if you stop with 30 on the shot clock, if you stop, they're scoring. You have to play the entire shot clock."

There's been a tendency to stereotype the game as contrasting styles, teams and backgrounds, and to a point, there are some significant differences:

- Before entering this year's Big Dance, Cornell had never won an NCAA Tournament game. UK is looking for its 101st win.

- The Big Red has never signed a McDonald's All-American and probably never will. Kentucky churns them out like a factory.

- Cornell, like the rest of the Ivy League, does not offer athletic scholarships. UK, like most of Division I, is allotted 13 per year.

But the Big Red is legit. Cornell has outrebounded its opponents in 29 of its games this season and lost by just five to Kansas earlier this season.

More than anything, the Big Red and Big Blue are both out to prove once again that this isn't about academics, IQ or "spelling bees." Thursday is for a chance at the Elite Eight and an opportunity to prove who has the better basketball team this year.

"There is a stereotype that because we are an Ivy League team, that we fit a certain mold," seldom-used Cornell forward Eithan Chemerinski said. "We are a very intelligent team, but at the same time there are a bunch of great athletes and great players (on this team)."

Kentucky knows. Kentucky has been warned. Will Kentucky respond?

To the Cats' credit, every time they have been doubted this season, they've responded with an unbeatable swagger.

"You're talking about seniors that have been through wars," Calipari said. "(Cornell has) won three Ivys and NCAA Tournaments. They're going to play how they play. We're going to try to play how we play. So I can see people looking at this and saying, 'Wow, let's see how this plays out. Is it fast? Is it slow?' I think they play fast.

"I think they throw it ahead. They like to shoot quick threes. I think they'll score and look to score off the first or second pass if you let them. If not they'll wind it down. And if they have to shoot a late three over the top of hands from beyond the NBA line and swish it, they will. I mean, they're good."

They're basketball players, and darn good ones at that.

Uh oh. Wall said they're kind of like Princeton.

Now I know we're gonna lose because UKFreak00 said we can't beat Princeton style.

I'm gettin soo nervous bout this one after reading this...it's gonna be a whole bottle of Moscato nite, I can already see it!!

Cornell can play some ball. I really enjoy watching them play. They don't make mistakes and they can shot the heck out of the ball. It might be some of the smartest basketball I have seen in a while. Needless to say, I don't think they can play with UK. I do worry the boys will over look Cornell, though. If they take them for granted Cornell has the ability to light them up.

BK

Kentucky is gonna blow them outta the water!

Seriously, if we play like we have been we win this game for fun.....so the question I ask:With all of the upset talk from national media, Does Cal keep the starters in and blow them out to prove a point? I can't decide.

UK will cover that 9.5 spread with ease, and most likely double it. This is such a joke.

I say we make em run, and take it right at em, I don't see these guys being able to slow down Wall and Bledsoe when they are going full speed. Cal might have a lot of players coming in and out keeping them fresh, We need to be in their face big time where they can't breath and have 50 blocks this game. We need to put fear in them right off the bat.

After seeing Patterson take a spill at the end of the last game I say we beat them early and rest the starters. Don't let anyone get a stupid injury. At least tell the boys to play off, especially if we are up by a bunch.

BK

Bho wrote:Seriously, if we play like we have been we win this game for fun.....so the question I ask:With all of the upset talk from national media, Does Cal keep the starters in and blow them out to prove a point? I can't decide.

Cal won't risk taking out the starters until the game is well in hand. I'd expect to be up 30 with 10 to go before you see Stevenson and Hood. As far as proving a point - the media will recognize a blowout when they see it. They dare not try to spin the score, even if the subs cut it to 20 before the buzzer. They know the deal.