Loading ...UK Survives Pesky Miami OH
CHECK IT OUT: WEEK 1 OF THE OSF TOP 25 AND A DEUCE
It was one year ago, almost to the exact day, that Blake Hofstad and I watched a very tough Miami OH squad take #4 UCLA all the way to the wire during a 64-59 loss. That night Michael Bramos went for 22 points (7-16 on FGs) for the Redhawks.
John Wall hit the game winner on Monday, as the Wildcats survived Miami OH.
Tonight, the same storyline seemed to develop. #5 Kentucky was a questionable top five team coming into the game (just as UCLA was last year at this point) because they missed the NCAA Tournament last season, and their ranking is based solely on recruiting.
Miami OH, coming off an 11 point loss to Towson, took the Wildcats to the wire in a two point loss. Nick Winbush hit 8 of 10 three point attempts and scored 26 points. At one point the Redhawks had an 18 point lead, but Kentucky is too talented to stay behind a team their vastly superior to for too long. John Wall, the freshman that has extremely high expectations, hit the game winning shot with 0.5 left for Kentucky.
What did we learn?
Kentucky is not a top 5 team. The new OSF Top 25 And a Deuce, will tell you that (we have KY #14). The Wildcats have all the talent in the world, but were completely outplayed by Miami OH. To be honest, Final Four teams just don’t usually find themselves in a tight game with Miami OH.
One of the main issues for the ‘Cats was the play of freshman DeMarcus Cousins. The big man went just 5 of 15 from the floor, but did collect 10 rebounds. Kentucky won the rebound battle by 10, but was outscored by 27 from the three point line.
Good teams find a way to win these types of games. It’s not very often you can give up 45 points from behind the arc and still win a game, but the Wildcats did. Maybe that’s the silver lining for those in Lexington right now.
For Kentucky fans, this has to look like other recent seasons with high expectations that are crashing down. The only thing I can tell them is that Kentucky is 2-0, despite their struggles with the Redhawks. It’s a long season, and a lot will happen before March.
