From the pressbox with Tom Leach (notes from March 26)

From the pressbox with Tom Leach (notes from March 26)

By Eric Lindsey on March 26, 2010 9:55 PM | No TrackBacks

Kentucky has played its most consistent basketball in the postseason, culminating with a spot in the Elite Eight against West Virginia on Saturday.

After watching his alma mater from a courtside seat as a radio analyst for the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Kevin Grevey marveled at how far the Cats have come since the beginning of the season.

"I saw them early in the year, especially when they played Miami of Ohio, Rider, North Carolina," Grevey said. "As the season progressed, they got better, individually and as a team. DeMarcus Cousins isn't even the same player as far as where he was when he started the year to where he is now. I think John Calipari is starting to get to know these guys better and they are starting to know strengths and weaknesses and know where to put them in substitutions.

"Some guys are emerging from the bench and others are beginning to hide. And one thing I love is their defense. Their defense has improved. When they started the year, remember, they are giving up three-point shots. Now they are going out and guarding them. They force people into Patterson and Cousins and Orton and they are able to block shots.

Grevey particularly likes how Kentucky rebounds, calling the Cats a "tremendous" rebounding team.

"When you got John Wall rebounding from the point guard spot and you have all your bigs, Patterson, Demarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and Bledsoe, who is becoming a better rebounder at guard, I think if they can eliminate teams to one shot, that is huge," Grevey said. "I also like their pro style of offense. They really spread the court and set a lot of high pick and rolls for Bledsoe and Wall to utilize their speed. They can stick it to another gear and take it right into the paint and right into the teeth of the defense and are very creative when they get in the air.

"I can tell you, these guys don't make up their minds with what they are going to do. They will read the defense and fly to the basket and if the defense recovers and is there, they will make the necessary pass. If not, they can finish at the rim. John (Calipari) has allowed these guys to play to their talents and I like that about them."

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Who is Kentucky's all-time best guard? Now, there's a tough question. If John Wall leads UK to the Final Four, he's certainly in the conversation, along with the likes of Kyle Macy and Tony Delk, who were voted to the school's all-century team by the fans a few years ago.

But in an unscientific poll at tomleachky.com, in which more than 1,000 fans cast votes, Ralph Beard, a two-time All-American in the late 1940s, was the overwhelming choice.

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When Grevey was working the SEC Tournament, it gave him a chance to experience something he had not seen firsthand in a long time -- how well the Big Blue nation travels to follow the Cats.

"I forgot how great these Kentucky fans are," Grevey said. "I go to Rupp Arena and I see it and I don't get to a lot of road games and that SEC Tournament was unbelievable. It made me proud to say you are either from Kentucky, love Kentucky or played at Kentucky, or you are a Kentucky fan. I know that the economy in Nashville can be very grateful to those Kentucky fans. It was unbelievable and really something to witness."