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The Wildcats warm up for Valparaiso University on the main floor of the big stage. The Kentucky Wildcats were again on display that proved to little against the UCLA Bruins. The Crusaders were on the big stage with a potential first rounder Alec Peters. The Cats Bam Adebayo will have another chance to prove he can play the type of defense that he cadre of pro scouts are in Rupp Arena to see. The good thing for Adebayo is that he will have several more opportunities as a proving ground but for Eric Peters this is the only opportunity before the NCAA Tournament.
The crowd was less than enthusiastic for the contest. The most noise was made when a Crusader player was at the free throw line. You know a team is over match when they anticipate the shot being blocked on an open snow-bird to the basket is shot to hard for the normal layup. The fans have a cat-whistle when the opposing team is at the free throw line.
One of the most enthusiastic moments was when a representative Allen Birdlander pumping the Taxslayer is at center court pumping the weather in Jacksonville and the cities activities during the bowl. He also displayed the bowl trophy.
De'aron Fox has all the contortionist moves any basketball player would love to have. Calpari expessed his lack of concerned for the Cats three point shooting saying they will be alright. The team is shooting 32.1 from the three point range. So the most consistent shooter is Malik Monk who is shooting 39.7 percent for the three point range and 48.4 percent overall. The rest of the Cats have to come along with the expected improvement of the defense. The final score was the Cats 87 and Valpo 63.
As the Asbury coach once stated, he had never seen a court size change in his coaching career like the UK did the night they were playing the Cats. He was saying this in reference to the speed the Cats were displaying. He said one or two bounces and they were in the basket on the other end the court. The Valpo coach would probably quickly concur with that premise.
Malik Monk once again was efficient scorer making the most of his shots for the Wildcats making just under fifty percent for tonight's game. Coming into the ninth official game of the Cats it was known that he could take most anybody off the bounce and go up over them for the jumper. But once he has gotten comfortable he has shown that he can knock down the open uncontested jumper.
The one thing the Valpo team had going for them is the possible entertainment value their team could supply is their star player Eric Peters. But he was sufficiently stymied by Adebayo. Fans delight in seeing themselves come up on Lexi the Jumbotron in Rupp Arena.
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