And by contest, I mean that loosely -- very loosely.
It seems the game oh-so quickly turned into that Ryan Phillippe, Selma Hayek, Mike Myers and Neve Campbell production of 54.......
Anyways, the game did not resemble anything recognizable from Tennessee's perspective -- and, for that matter, the movie sucked, too.
So I witness all of that, yet I continued to watch as the Volunteers followed poor shots with poorer ones. If Tennessee's game was currency, Big Orange would be on welfare. Food stamps.
And please don't get me started on the Volunteers' defense. If bowing up on D was the Spelling Bee, they acted as if they had never heard the word -- so sorry, Merriam-Webster. Tennessee could not spell the word, could not pronounce it, could not use it in a sentence and the Vols much less knew what it meant. All that drama was especially true when Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks had the rock in his palms.
Well, the junior took shot after shot, and each continued to splash en route to knocking down 54 points. He did all this while taking the lead -- over Kobe, over Oden, HELL, even over Howard and Orlando's NBA-record 23 3s -- on SportsCenter.He broke Kentucky's single-game record, which Dan Issel set versus Ole Miss -- before I was born (my only consolation this night) -- 39 years ago when the Wildcat great messed around to the tune of 53 points.
Anytime someone breaks a Kentucky record -- whether single-game, season or career -- it is saying something. See, the Wildcats have about as storied a program as any school, anywhere.
Meeks hit almost everything he threw up -- treys, free throws, 10-foot jumpers or right at the rack.
With all the brilliant shots Meeks took -- and made -- a good place to begin is the most simple portion of his game Tuesday night -- at the line.
Meeks calmly dropped 14-of-14 from the free-throw line and that was the easiest part for Tennessee fans to stomach.
Because, what the Vols are usually doing -- getting to the line -- Meeks was copping, well, when he wasn't dropping every type of shot there is, at least. It was as if he could just take one step over half-court, pull up and well ....... you get the idea.
Meeks set another Kentucky record from downtown, too. And that also is a part of the Volunteers' game that usually falls in their favor.
But this night, when Tennessee could do nothing right -- and I mean, nothing -- Meeks was like a microwave behind the arc, hitting 10-of-14 3-pointers.
Yeah, I know ..... ho-hum.
Possibly the most frustrating aspect of Meeks' game Tuesday night for Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl
was Meeks was so far gone in the zone that even when Volunteer guards attempted -- feebly, mind you -- defense on Meeks, he still barely hit rim as he dropped bomb after bomb.At the midway mark of the first half, when Meeks had just 17 points -- 17 points!!! -- ESPN color commentator Jimmy Dykes said, tongue-in-cheek (at the time) that Meeks could easily drop 50 on the night. Well, with 26 points at the half, it suddenly became very evident to everyone in Thompson-Boling Arena that Meeks was on the verge of having one of those special nights to the point that each and every ESPN Radio show in the morning will be discussing and dissecting Meeks' game that I will be forced to relive on my drive to work.
Happy, happy! Joy, joy!
Meeks made 15-of-22 from the field as Kentucky upped its record to 13-4 on the year and 2-0 in the SEC's Eastern Division. Tennessee, which started the season ranked among the top teams in the country, playing possibly the nation's toughest non-conference schedule -- splitting two games against Gonzaga and dropping the hammer on a tough, Final Four-caliber Georgetown -- fell to 10-5 overall, 1-1 in the SEC.
Now, all of a sudden, the Volunteers are looking like a team that has lost their identity, personality. As the conference season is just beginning to warm up, that is not a good sign for Tennessee fans.
But for Kentucky fans, coach Billy Gillispie -- who had Big Blue fans grumbling last season until the Cats made a remarkable turnaround, streaking into the NCAA Tournament -- might be turning the corner in Lexington. The coach has turned around UTEP and Texas A&M before venturing into the SEC and Kentucky's storied program and its often unrealistic expectations -- national title each and every season.
The Wildcats most likely will not contend for the NCAA championship this season, but with Meeks, the Gillispie-led squad might surprise some teams and run through the SEC schedule and make a deeper-than-expected Big Dance run.
With the show the guard put on display Tuesday night, it is not a stretch to think in those terms -- for Cats' fans and the rest of us, too.
Meeks didn't just drop ridiculous buckets, either. He grabbed eight rebounds and dropped four dimes, all while just committing one turnover against Tennessee's supposed tough full-court defensive pressure.
There was no drop-off in his game at any point, even after playing 39 of the 40 minutes. In fact, it was the Vols who looked weak and weary.
With 3:50 left in the game, Meeks had 52 points. Tennessee? The Volunteers had just 64. I'm talking the entire team here. One-man wrecking crew? You bet.
Meeks only played just 11 games last season after suffering one injury after another -- hip flexor, a fractured pelvis and a sports hernia, which led to going under the knife during the offseason. If Tuesday night is any indication, Meeks has recovered. He is so well at this point, he is seriously playing his way into National Player of the Year conversations, especially as the Wildcats continue to win and garner headlines.
Sure, Meeks has tough competition with North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, Davidson's Stephon Curry and Notre Dame's Luke Harangody. But the Kentucky guard is fifth in the nation, averaging 25 points per game -- or at least he WAS dropping 25 per before last night's national showcase.
Say hello to Jodie Meeks America. For everyone except the Vols, it is a pleasure to meet him.
It has been just 24 days since Meeks dropped his previous career-high of 46 points against Appalachian State.
Now, hoop junkies want to know how long it will be until he tops Tuesday night.
Because with his game skyrocketing it's not a matter of IF.
Kentucky fans enjoy the ride, because for Jodie Meeks it is now WHEN.
