1311Free Fire Zone: Winning the War on Terrorism One First Down at a Time

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What in the world happened at Lexington last Saturday?

No way we would have predicted the Alabama Crimson Tide would beat 10-6 Kentucky at Rupp Arena, 68-64.

But the math shows pretty clearly 'Bama's 2-3 zone works against even good teams such as Kentucky. They held Kentucky to 42 percent from the field and 31 percent from three point range, while the Alabama's front court shot 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range.

Kentucky's only bright spot in the game was their blazing hot free throws at 91 percent.

Kentucky is a young team with only three seniors. And those seniors are not much help. Two of the three have played less than eight games. Kentucky head basketball coach Tubby Smith is apparently trying to give his top scorers, both sophomores, Rajon Rondo and Randolph Morris, experience for a run at the title next year.

Kentucky has, with the Alabama game, dropped six games so far. Of those games, three have been double digit trimmings, against West Virginia, Indiana and Kansas. Two of those games, West Virginia and Kansas, were road games.

During the CBS broadcast of the Michigan State Ohio State game, CBS and Yahoo! sports analyst Clark Kellog said that Smith's guards weren't doing their jobs and that was at the heart of the problems Kentucky is having winning basketball games.

Statistically, however, Kentucky is holding opponents to 62 points per game but scoring only 67 points per game, near last in the SEC. Kentucky is first in the SEC with 3 point percentage defense.

Kentucky is also dead last in the SEC in field goal percentages. To us that indicates if their guards have a problem this isn't necessarily the only problem the Wildcats have. In blocked shots, where poor guards play could have an impact Kentucky is dead last in the SEC with only 3 blocked shots per game.

A lack of aggressive guards would account for that.

We have yet to catch Kentucky on TV so we can't say with any certainty what the guards are doing.

But there is a problem in Lexington, and it may well affect the Wildcats the deeper they get into conference play. This is only the second week of conference play for Kentucky. The season is still young.

Kentucky is having a bad year, unable to compete with great teams and find it hard to win the close game.

Alabama hosts 12-4 Arkansas next Tuesday and then goes the 10-5 Louisiana State Saturday.

Kentucky goes to 11-5 Georgia next Tuesday and then hosts 9-7 South Carolina.

Kentucky is on a three straight game losing streak against Kansas, Vanderbilt and Alabama.


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