Seriously, this guy is not the man for UK. Send him back to Texas. I am sick of people still blaming Tubby.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090204/SPORTS03/902040499/1002/SPORTS
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- That perfect league start seems like a faded memory.
The University of Kentucky men's basketball team suffered another head-scratcher last night -- a 66-57 setback to Mississippi State, which had not won in Lexington since 1995.
The announced Rupp Arena crowd of 21,940 booed the Wildcats, who trailed 37-24 at halftime and saw their second-half comeback fall short.
Now the team is searching for answers.
UK (16-7) started its Southeastern Conference schedule 5-0 but has followed with three straight losses -- at Mississippi, at home against South Carolina and now this.
It was painful game all around for the Cats. Forward Ramon Harris left in the second half with a left shoulder injury, although coach Billy Gillispie said he could have returned. Star guard Jodie Meeks broke a tooth before exiting late in the game. Michael Porter is wondering about the team's heart.
"Right now it seems like we don't care out there," the junior point guard said. "Like we're not playing with any heart and desire. We're not competing. If we can change that maybe things will turn around. We just have to care a little bit more and have a little more fight in us."
Gillispie said on Monday that the Cats needed to take competing more personally, but last night Mississippi State (15-7, 5-2) displayed a lot more bite.
It never trailed while torching UK with 14-of-27 three-point shooting.
"We have to play a lot tougher," said UK forward Patrick Patterson, whose team missed its first 10 shots. "We also have to play with a lot more heart. We have to play a lot more competitive. We have to want it more than the opposition does. We have to play together, play as a whole, play as one, play as a family."
UK used a 10-0 second-half run to get back into the game but never got closer than three points. With Mississippi State leading 45-42, the Bulldogs' Jarvis Varnado -- who finished with six points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks -- scored on a dunk and Barry Stewart followed with a three-pointer.
The momentum seemed to permanently shift in Mississippi State's favor when UK's Perry Stevenson was called for an offensive foul after grabbing a rebound. The Bulldogs got the ball back and Dee Bost scored to move the margin to 52-45.
Mississippi State then made three straight three-pointers, including one by Phil Turner while he was falling down, to push the lead to 61-45.
Ravern Johnson had five three-pointers and finished with 17 points. Turner made four threes and had 18 points. Stewart had three threes, and Bost hit two.
"When teams spread you out and make shots like they were, they usually get you on penetration and pitch," Gillispie said. "But they didn't. They got most of their threes on back screens, out-of-bounds plays and those kind of things. Those are things we should have done a better job of defending because we knew all of their plays. We weren't quite tough enough when they screened us."
For a long time, the loudest ovation wasn't for the UK basketball team but for Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and former UK star Joe Blanton. The Cats' second-half rally got the fans excited for a bit. Trailing 43-30, they reeled off 10 straight points, capped by Meeks' breakaway dunk with 11 minutes to play. Varnado broke the run with two free throws with 10:40 to go.
Meeks and Patterson finished with 15 points each. No other UK player scored in double figures, and the Cats shot just 21 of 59 (35.6 percent).
UK will have plenty of time to think about its losing streak. The Cats' next game will be next Tuesday, when they host Florida.
"We have to get back to practice," Stevenson said. "We have to practice like we know and get back to playing like we were at the start of the conference."
Michael Grant can be reached at (502) 582-4069.
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