 |
| (AP Photo/Ed Reinke) |
Without Brandon Knight’s slashing layup with two seconds remaining against a feisty Princeton team, Kentucky may have never made it to the Final Four. Princeton hung around throughout the entire game and almost staged the upset over the heavily-favored 4th-seeded Wildcats.
It wasn’t Knight’s night until the closing seconds. Kentucky’s most prolific offensive player went 0/7 from the field and was benched until the waning seconds. Then the NBA-bound star burst by a Princeton defender and laid the ball up and in, propelling the Wildcats to a 59-57 victory.
Despite the near upset, the Wildcats were able to bounce back and embark on an impressive tournament run. After beating West Virginia 71-63, Kentucky flipped the spectrum, successfully completing one of the upsets of the tournament by knocking off previously-dominant, 1st-seeded, Ohio State 62-60. Knight exceled in the clutch yet again, nailing a jumper with five seconds remaining to stun the Buckeyes. Josh Harrellson, a ferocious animal in the paint, contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
After beating an athletic North Carolina team, the Wildcats lost to eventual champion Connecticut by a mere one point in a blood bath of a game. Kemba Walker did it all for the Huskies, while Terrence Jones paced the Kentucky offense with a double-double.
While Jones and pesky Doron Lamb return for the Wildcats, it will undoubtedly be difficult to cope with the losses of Knight and Harrellson. Knight paced the offense, averaging 17 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Harrellson made his presence felt in the paint and essentially beat up opponents in the harshest way possible without warranting an ejection.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Knight 8th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, while the Knicks took Harrellson with the 45th pick in the second round.
Kentucky’s recruiting class is potent as usual. Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague will attempt to fill the void left by the two departing key players. While Coach John Calipari will seek to cultivate new chemistry and help players find their roles, it will be a daunting task with these departures.
Knight and Harrellson came up in the most crucial moments for the Wildcats and guided them to the Final Four. Kentucky is still the favorite in the SEC, yet it will be intriguing to see how they respond now that Knight and Harrellson have moved on to the NBA.
It wasn’t Knight’s night until the closing seconds. Kentucky’s most prolific offensive player went 0/7 from the field and was benched until the waning seconds. Then the NBA-bound star burst by a Princeton defender and laid the ball up and in, propelling the Wildcats to a 59-57 victory.
Despite the near upset, the Wildcats were able to bounce back and embark on an impressive tournament run. After beating West Virginia 71-63, Kentucky flipped the spectrum, successfully completing one of the upsets of the tournament by knocking off previously-dominant, 1st-seeded, Ohio State 62-60. Knight exceled in the clutch yet again, nailing a jumper with five seconds remaining to stun the Buckeyes. Josh Harrellson, a ferocious animal in the paint, contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
After beating an athletic North Carolina team, the Wildcats lost to eventual champion Connecticut by a mere one point in a blood bath of a game. Kemba Walker did it all for the Huskies, while Terrence Jones paced the Kentucky offense with a double-double.
While Jones and pesky Doron Lamb return for the Wildcats, it will undoubtedly be difficult to cope with the losses of Knight and Harrellson. Knight paced the offense, averaging 17 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Harrellson made his presence felt in the paint and essentially beat up opponents in the harshest way possible without warranting an ejection.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Knight 8th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, while the Knicks took Harrellson with the 45th pick in the second round.
Kentucky’s recruiting class is potent as usual. Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague will attempt to fill the void left by the two departing key players. While Coach John Calipari will seek to cultivate new chemistry and help players find their roles, it will be a daunting task with these departures.
Knight and Harrellson came up in the most crucial moments for the Wildcats and guided them to the Final Four. Kentucky is still the favorite in the SEC, yet it will be intriguing to see how they respond now that Knight and Harrellson have moved on to the NBA.
No comments:
Post a Comment