Archive for the 'joe crawford' Category

Crawford: Peaking as retribution

Published by jtipton on March 11, 2008 in joe crawford. 0 Comments

Senior guard Joe Crawford interprets the idea of Kentucky peaking as retribution for a season of hard work.

“I really don’t know hiow it starts to turn that way,” he said on Tuesday. “It’s a blessing. Things just have to be going right for us.  Someone is repaying us.”

Kentucky rolls into Atlanta, or Cat-lanta as its called here, for the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The Cats play either Ole Miss or Georgia

UK Coach Billy Gillispie expressed his affection for post-season tournaments in generally, and this one in particular.

“I’ve heard so much about our fan participation,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to advance. But it helps.”

When asked what he’d heard, Gillispie said, “Like a home away from home.”

Gillispie downplayed the notion of a long-range goal of winning the tournament or preparing for the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re going down to play the winner of Ole Miss-Georgia,” he said. “And we’re going to try to advance. If they’re keeping score, we’re going to try to win.”

To win the SEC Tournament, UK would have to win three games within a 42-hour period. Gillispie rejected the notion that a lack of depth might catch up to the Cats.

“That’s why we practice as hard as we do,” he said. “If your mind is tough, your legs are fine.”

The UK coach also saw his team peaking at the right time.

“You should be gaining steam every single game,” he asid. “We’re definitely a team that’s getting better.”

Crawford apparently not 100 percent

Published by jtipton on January 25, 2008 in joe crawford and Injuries. 1 Comment

Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie expressed doubt about senior Joe Crawford being able to play against South Carolina on Saturday.

Whether that was coach-speak or a genuine concern about Crawford’s availability remains to be seen.

Foot pain associated with a plantar fascia condition caused Crawford to take himself out of UK’s game against Tennessee on Tuesday. Crawford did “a few things” in practice on Friday, Gillispie said. “But not much. I don’t know if he’ll play.”

[Hear Gillispie’s Friday press conference.]

Meanwhile, Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks participated fully in practice on Friday.

Jasper pronounced himself 75 percent recovered from the mid-June microfracture surgery he underwent on his left knee.

Even at less than full capacity, Jasper has contributed to UK’s 2-2 start in league play.

Gillispie expressed concern about Jasper continuing to limp.

“Sometimes it hurts,” Jasper said. “Every once in a while, there’s a sharp pain.”

Bradley, Crawford play in second half

Published by jtipton on December 22, 2007 in joe crawford. 0 Comments

Seniors Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford finally got in Kentucky’s game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Each entered the game early in the second half.

Much speculation had the two sitting out the first half as punishment for some undisclosed violation of team rules.

Crawford came in at the 16:55 mark of the second half. Cheers erupted. Six seconds later, he fouled a three-point shooter, a cardinal sin in Billy Gillispie’s system.

Bradley came in at the 16:49 mark.

Crawford takes charge

Published by jtipton on November 25, 2007 in joe crawford. 0 Comments

It isn’t every day that Kentucky guard Joe Crawford takes a charge. So when he took one against Texas Southern with 10:56 to play and UK ahead 63-26, that qualified as noteworthy.

“We have to compete every play,” Crawford said to explain his motivation to take the charge. “Coach really stresses that. You don’t think of the score when you’re out there.”

When asked how many charges he’d taken in his UK career, Crawford smiled and said, “I probably can count them on two hands.”

UK Coach Billy Gillispie was not overjoyed by the sight of Crawford taking a charge.

“It said somebody got beat on a straight-line drive (to the basket),” Gillispie said. “That shouldn’t happen.

“We’re proud of Joe for putting his body in there and sacrificing his body for the team. But when you give up straight-line drives, it makes you need to take a whole lot of charges.”

Kentucky slaughters Texas Southern

Published by jtipton on November 24, 2007 in joe crawford and Game stories. 0 Comments

Joe Crawford returned to the starting lineup last night. He used the occasion to remind everyone he was Kentucky’s leading returning scorer from last season.
Crawford scored a career-high 32 points to lead UK to a 83-35 victory over Texas Southern.

Crawford’s scoring balanced a suffocating defensive performance. Coach Billy Gillispie had said he wanted his team to be unrelenting. That the Cats were in holding Texas Southern to the fewest points scored by a UK opponent since a 96-32 victory over Morehead State on Dec. 16, 1995.

Kentucky, 3-1, provided a salve for fans still hurting from the 52-50 overtime loss to Tennessee at Commonwealth Stadium earlier in the day.

This game was no contest as Kentucky won by the widest margin since a 106-44 humiliating of Vanderbilt on March 5, 2003.

Freshman Patrick Patterson, who was coming off a 23-point, 10-rebound performance against Liberty, contributed 21 points and seven rebounds.

Ramel Bradley flirted with a triple-double. He had 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Kentucky plays next against Stony Brook on Tuesday before making a big-time step up in class against North Carolina next Saturday.