This Team just......

[dbe]

.....does not play well in Rupp Arena.. This has gone on for several years. We play better on the road than we do at home.

I am not sure why, but Rupp is not much of a home court advantage to us.

[cbc317]

Dude, this team is just not that good! We can't match up with anyone that has a decent front court and if we don't shoot like 75% we struggle to even compete. Rupp or no Rupp.

[dbe]

Amazing....We had a bad game...true. But we played LSU tough on the road... Beat Tennessee at UT.

I say this team will surprize in the NCAA with any kind of decent draw.

But before that.....I think they have a legit chance at making the SEC final game.

THE SEASON IS NOT OVER.

[scars.of.grace]

It's going to be amazing to see the types of responses every Wildcat forum will get between now and Thursday. I've never seen so many people go from a tremendous high after the Tennessee game, saying so many great things about the coach and the players, to what I'm starting to see transpire now after this loss to Florida, once again demeaning the coach and players, etc. Oh well ...

Sorry, off-topic a bit :D

I don't know what it is about Rupp Arena; maybe it's the size, maybe it's the lack of adrenaline that is injected by the fans, I don't know. I can't be out there to figure it out. I'll tell ya though, I've never like the fact that they practice at Memorial Coliseum more than they do at Rupp. I understand the convenience it offers for the players, but it just doesn't allow the players to get a great feel for the rims and things like that.

[Brian McCat]

scars.of.grace wrote: I don't know what it is about Rupp Arena; maybe it's the size, maybe it's the lack of adrenaline that is injected by the fans, I don't know.
All the bragging UK made about our high winning percentage in Rupp's 30th Anniversary didn't help. Suchstatements make players too overconfident.

[cats4lifenc]

correct me if i am wrong but the visiting teams do not practice at Rupp either....it sure doesn't seem to bother them.....we just stink...that win at UT was fools gold...we tried 3 times to throw that one away at the end and Tenn didnt take advantage....thanks to all the players and coaches for another embarassing loss....this team doesn't deserve to be in the big dance

scars.of.grace wrote:
It's going to be amazing to see the types of responses every Wildcat forum will get between now and Thursday. I've never seen so many people go from a tremendous high after the Tennessee game, saying so many great things about the coach and the players, to what I'm starting to see transpire now after this loss to Florida, once again demeaning the coach and players, etc. Oh well ...

Sorry, off-topic a bit :D

I don't know what it is about Rupp Arena; maybe it's the size, maybe it's the lack of adrenaline that is injected by the fans, I don't know. I can't be out there to figure it out. I'll tell ya though, I've never like the fact that they practice at Memorial Coliseum more than they do at Rupp. I understand the convenience it offers for the players, but it just doesn't allow the players to get a great feel for the rims and things like that.

[Zakk Wyldcat]

Didn't seem to be a disadvantage in the years preceeding Orlando.

FEBUK's home record: 107-7(93.9%), 14-5(73.7%)v. ranked opponents, 93-2(97.9%)v. unranked opponents.

Orlando's home record: 105-17(86.1%), 21-8(72.4%)v. ranked opponents, 84-9(90.3%)v. unranked.

[Will Lavender]

Zakk Wyldcat wrote: Didn't seem to be a disadvantage in the years preceeding Orlando.

FEBUK's home record: 107-7(93.9%), 14-5(73.7%)v. ranked opponents, 93-2(97.9%)v. unranked opponents.

Orlando's home record: 105-17(86.1%), 21-8(72.4%)v. ranked opponents, 84-9(90.3%)v. unranked.

Well, it has to be said that "Orlando" doesn't play a style like Pitino does. You have to like the nuances of the game to get into Tubby's type of play. And also - and more importantly - the fans have never liked Tubby the way they liked Pitino in a general sense.

I think the original poster makes a decent point: we haven't been a good home team this year. When Rupp clams up and gets quiet, we seem to really put pressure on ourselves.

That's the sign of a leaderless team.

And Patrick Sparks never did have a very good game in Rupp, did he? He never put up 20+ in the building as far as I can remember. We needed him so badly yesterday, but I just think his legs weren't there from dogging Chris Lofton all over the court Wednesday night.

Let's hope he comes to play Thursday.

[Classof93]

scars.of.grace wrote

I don't know what it is about Rupp Arena; maybe it's the size, maybe it's the lack of adrenaline that is injected by the fans, I don't know.


PRESSURE!!!!

Way too much pressure, imo.

[poodoo]

FWIW, Tubby mentioned on his radio show last night that Rupp just gets so quiet when the other team does something well or we do something poorly. From his remarks, Isurmisedthat he prefers this team to be playing away from Rupp. Well, that's where they will be playing now, so let's hope that helps.

Too, I think Rupp has been quieter this season as the home losses have mounted. I could not believe the almost eerie quiet for such a huge game against Florida. It was quiet when we were still very much in the game. :(

[Coldstream]

Tradition can be double-edged sword from the fans' perspective. With tradition, you get high-expectations of winning most of your games, if not all of them, as well as winning championships (Regular season, Conference Tourney, NCAA Tourney, etc.). It is a good feeling to know what you are part of when you bleed blue.

But, when the team is not winning the games it normally wins and after much patience in this disappointing season, the fans' are resigned to just accepting that we are not going to 'win'. Not going to go far in any tourney. Instead of acting like fans of the 'underdog' against Florida which we were IMO, the fans instead just gave up, period.

Ironic how throughout the season we lament how lazy this team looked and disinterested at times and here we are against Florida, we the fans, can't seem to get our own spirits up and support this team.

[poodoo]

Coldstream wrote: Tradition can be double-edged sword from the fans' perspective. With tradition, you get high-expectations of winning most of your games, if not all of them, as well as winning championships (Regular season, Conference Tourney, NCAA Tourney, etc.). It is a good feeling to know what you are part of when you bleed blue.

But, when the team is not winning the games it normally wins and after much patience in this disappointing season, the fans' are resigned to just accepting that we are not going to 'win'. Not going to go far in any tourney. Instead of acting like fans of the 'underdog' against Florida which we were IMO, the fans instead just gave up, period.

Ironic how throughout the season we lament how lazy this team looked and disinterested at times and here we are against Florida, we the fans, can't seem to get our own spirits up and support this team.



Well-said, Coldstrea, particularly your last paragraph. Too, I think you are right that part of the quietness of the crowdSunday against Florida was fans' having given up, not believing the team could beat Florida. I've witnessed the same many times at Commonwealth stadium.

Ironically, I witnessed it in Commonwealth when UK was losing an eighteen-point fourth quarter lead against a top-ranked Florida team. UK football fans did not believe we could hang on for the victory and became eerily quiet after having cheered loudly while we were getting that lead. Again, I think you may have hit on part of the reason for the quietness in Rupp Sunday (and, yes, I agree we were an underdog). Fans gave up, rather than loudly cheering their Cats to pull off the "upset."

[Athens2005]

I think these guys should start sleeping at Rupp Arena.

Make them get more familiar with the surroundings until they start owning their home court again.