More bad memories for UK in Memorial

By John Clay / Herald-Leader Sports Columnist

NASHVILLE — In Billy Gillispie's second tour around the Southeastern Conference, there may be some particular league arenas the Kentucky coach has enjoyed visiting.

Memorial Gym sure ain't one of them.

UK's 77-64 loss to Vanderbilt on Tuesday night might not have packed the same punch as the 41-point embarrassment the Commodores gifted Gillispie's Cats with last year, but it had much the same uphill feel, the same frustration.

In fact, it made you remember a great point Gillispie himself made last year when then-freshman center Patrick Patterson went down with that stress fracture in his left ankle. Gillispie said a team usually rallies when it loses an important player, but over time the loss tends to take its toll.

Last year, it took about four or five games before the Cats felt the full effect of losing their top inside presence. This year, with Patterson sitting thanks to a right-ankle sprain, it took two.

There was no 45-point performance from Jodie Meeks this game. Unlike Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena, Memorial Gym apparently doesn't have a phone booth for a Superman quick change. Instead, the nation's hottest scorer was held —emphasis on "held" — to 26 points on 6-for-21 shooting from the field, and 4-for-11 from three-point range.

Vandy is young, and limited, but the Commodores played with a couple of advantages. The first was Memorial Magic. The second was head man Kevin Stallings, a shrewd strategist who ran enough defenders at Meeks to throw off his rhythm.

"I didn't see him get a lot of open looks," admitted Gillispie.

Not that that's where the Cats lost it. Not entirely. Look to the boards. Vandy won the glass easily, 37-26. Gillispie pointed to UK's 15 defensive rebounds, total, and noted that Pitt's DeJuan Blair had grabbed 23 rebounds all by himself the night before in the Panthers' win over top-ranked UConn.

And then there was that start to the second half.

The score was tied at 30-30. Round Three of the Gillispie-Jeannine Edwards halftime bout had been a non-starter, what with the ESPN sideline reporter choosing to chat with Stallings instead. But the extra time to spend with his team did Gillispie little good. Vandy opened the second half with a 9-0 run.

Brad Tinsley scored on a drive. Jermaine Beal nailed a three. Jeffrey Taylor made one of two free throws. When Tinsley drained a three less than three minutes into the second period, the Commodores were up 39-30 and the Cats were back on their heels.

They stayed there.

Josh Harrellson, who started for Patterson and played seven first-half minutes, never saw the floor the second half. "He didn't play hard enough," explained Gillispie.

A.J. Stewart scored 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting, but he didn't get enough rebounds and played poor defense, said the coach. "I don't need a 6-9 two-guard," said Gillispie. "I need a 6-9 bruiser."

Others missed assignments, ran to wrong spots, failed to finish. "I didn't think I played very well at all," was Perry Stevenson's blunt self-assessment after three points and two rebounds in 23 minutes.

Thing is, it doesn't get any easier from here on out. Five games remain, and Georgia is the only one that resembles a breather. Tennessee (Feb. 21) and LSU (Feb. 28) come to Rupp the next two Saturdays. Visits to South Carolina (next week) and Florida (March 7) are also on the docket.

If you feel sure the SEC can place as many as five teams in the NCAA Tournament, your nights are no doubt restful. The more realistic fear a four- or three-team showing is a better bet. That means one or more conference contenders are likely to be squeezed out of the NCAA mix.

If the Cats found themselves on the outside looking in, this Tuesday night might be the night they remember. And lament. To them, Memorial is far from magical.

Reach John Clay at 859-231-3226 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3226, or jclay@herald-leader.com. Read his blog at Kentucky.com.