GIRLS GONE: WILDCATS

UK and KSU — Chicks with Bricks?  Shocking — Pullen and Wall were so good up until Saturday.

Nice Brack:  The Wildcats of K-State get exposed by sizzling-hot Butler, then the Wildcats of K-Y get exploited by the Mountaineers’ tight-at-first Butler, who shakes it off and helps the cheeky West Virginians bump off Calipari’s Barely Legal pussycats

Hot Freshman co-eds takin’ off… for home.  The #1-Seeded Kentucky Wildcats can start their Spring Break now, after John Calipari’s line-up — which features THREE Freshmen Starters — couldn’t score a threesome of points in their first 20 Treys, and despite a fast start and a furious comeback, got polished off by 2-seed West Virginia, 73-66.

The Mountaineers went the entire 1st half without making a SINGLE 2-point shot, but still led at the Intermission 28-26, because they hit EIGHT three-pointers.  Their star player Da’Sean Butler started out an ice cold 0-for-5, and WVU got stuffed every time they tried to drive to the hoop.  Conversely, Kentucky was having no problem getting inside, with almost all of their 1st Half points coming in the paint.  Kentucky was able to build their early-game lead to 7, but then Butler caught fire.  Da’Sean made four straight three’s, to bring WVU all the way back.  With Kentucky missing badly from the perimeter, WVU Coach Bob Huggins got his Defense to clog up the middle, and the Wildcats were in trouble.  There is a REASON why Huggins is now 8-1 against Calipari.

After the Break, with UK still unable to hit an outside shot, WVU started to pull away.  Thanks to FIVE Turnovers EACH by Kentucky Freshmen Starters John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, and FIVE out of five Free Throws MISSED by the Wildcats’ other Freshman Starter Eric Bledsoe, WVU built a 15-point lead with 4:25 left.

But with WVU missing their injured Starting Point Guard, Kentucky was able to increase the pressure dramatically, force Turnovers, and get back into the game.  They narrowed the deficit all the way down to FOUR points, with 29 seconds left, but WVU made a few Free Throws, and Kentucky missed their final three Three-point attempts (making them 4-32 for the game, or 12.5%) to end the Wildcats’ season… prematurely, if you look at most brackets.

West Virginia, who will be going to their FIRST Final Four since Jerry West took them in 1959, missed their injured Point Guard during the frenetic comeback, and for the first eight minutes, when his replacement, Joe Mizzulla started the game with a Turnover, two blown lay-ups, and a foul, but no Points.  Then he finally hit a shot from behind the arc, and he settled down.  He went on to score a career-high 17 Points, with 3 Assists and 2 Steals.  He “guided” the team to victory, but Butler “powered” them, with a team-high 18 Points, and 6 Boards.

And another “Butler” ended another Wildcat season, when the 5th-seeded Butler Bulldogs upended 2-seed Kansas State, 63-56.  The hot ‘dogs are THE most en fuego team in the Country, having now won 24 straight games.  Hard to believe that a team that barely eeked out a last-second, 2-point win against UCLA this year is now going to the Final Four, and what’s more, it’s the FIRST Final Four in Butler History.  Not only that, but this year’s Final Four is being held in Butler’s home city, Indianapolis, so they now have the Homecourt Advantage throughout.

Kansas State overcame their worst 1st Half of the season to make Butler really earn the victory.  KSU has been scoring about 90 Points a game, but had only 20 at the Half, and trailed by 7.  Their two Star Guards Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen, who had been the most Dynamic Duo of March Madness so far, both went cold — or Butler’s smothering Defense KNEW how to shut them down.  Neither one scored a single bucket until Clemente got a lay-up right before the Half.

Pullen was ice cold, but kept shooting.  The extremely talented Guard could get to the hoop, but his touch was off, and even short shorts were rimming out.  Pullen ended up 4-for-13 on the day, Clemente 7-for-17.  But they were tenacious, and didn’t quit.  Butler led by about 8 for most of the 2nd Half, but Pullen hit a Three and a couple of Free Throws and Clemente followed with a Three of his own that actually gave the lead to KSU with 4:51 to go.

But Butler doesn’t know the word “quit” either.  Led by Gordon Hayward (22 pts) and Shelvin Mack (16), the Bulldogs came right back with a 12-2 run after they coughed up the lead.  With Clemente (who IS related to the late, great Roberto) missing a huge Free Throw and committing a key Turnover and Pullen missing a jumper and committing a Turnover himself in the stretch, it was the Wildcat Stars who just couldn’t come through.

#5Butler has now beaten the #1 and #2 seeds in their region, and is going home to Indy to face 6-seed Tennessee or 5-seed Michigan State.  2West Virginia gets the winner of 1Duke vs. 3Baylor, with Duke now being the only #1 left.  Hopefully Baylor can take care of that.

Below are 22 more photos of the UCLA Spirit Squad, from the last Football and Basketball games against Oregon.  This time, the Dance Team IS in evidence, but every single photo includes at least one member of the Cheer Squad.  Click on the photos to enlarge, and rollover to disclose the hidden captions.

Sure hope John Wall flies to the NBA this year.

  How about if all three Kentucky Freshmen leave, and Calipari misses the Tourney next year?

   Prepare for Lift-off!

KSU was a victim of the O.T. Curse:  10 straight teams have lost in the Dance, AFTER AN O.T. WIN.

51 years ago, when WVU last reached the Final Four, Jerry West and the Mountaineers lost to Cal, 71-70.

During the game, Dick Enberg thanked UCLA and Coach Wooden for letting him call their games for 9 years.  He said that they won 8 Championships, so people thought Enberg was good!

Dick Enberg was also amusing when he realized that a Kentucky player had just accidentally slapped a Mountaineer right in the Enberg.

The replay showed that the Kentucky player did not get “all ball.”

Well.I hope at least THESE guys wear cups — One misplaced kick or off-target basket toss landing, and the pain could be epic.

My cup runneth over…

… with never-before-seen Cheer Shots, of course.

She’d be good as a model for those drawings, of people posed in the shapes of letters.

Amazing dexterity, with a smile.  I’d love to show you the guy underneath, but if I didn’t cut this off, Mollie would cut off my… privileges.

The season is pushing up daisies, but the Cheer Squad always comes up roses.

Braided, but never jaded.

C’mon, Baylor — Crush Duke, and CBS’ hopes for good Final Four ratings.

If Duke gets their usual preferential treatment from the Refs, the Network Conspiracy theories are going to fly.

Can MSU overcome a huge injury like WVU did?  Can you remember another year with this many crucial injuries?

Did you notice that I don’t talk about my bracket any more?

All the upsets have left bracket fans in a haze.

The real Madness is that UCLA almost beat Butler, but couldn’t even park cars outside the Dance.

[Last one for today]  Too bad Kentucky lost — Now what is Calipari going to vacate next time he’s busted?

Comments

3 responses to “GIRLS GONE: WILDCATS”

  1. Jake Avatar
    Jake

    http://beatsc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ore09fb-24cs.jpg

    What is her name and how much longer is there until she graduates? 🙂

    [T-H’s Note: I’m not positive, but I believe you are referring to “Katie E.” I don’t know what year she’s in, but her major is undeclared, so she is probably not graduating any time soon.]

  2. UCLADal Avatar
    UCLADal

    Pic #2 is one of your best ever T-H! Keep up the good work and keep ’em coming!

  3. BillyJoeRayBob Avatar
    BillyJoeRayBob

    Not to disagree with UCLADal but any picture you’ve taken that has Brianna or Katie has to have been one of your best. Man are we going to miss them!!