[Moderated by Matt Jones]
Bria Goss shows off her ball handling ability.
So if you’re a student at the mystical University of Kentucky, then you’ve undoubtedly seen the really tall women wearing blue that dribble basketballs around our campus. The University of Kentucky’s Women’s Basketball team members are so dedicated to their game, everywhere you see them on campus they’re dribbling basketballs. The first time I observed this on campus activity I was a little taken back. What’s the deal with this? Why would they have to dribble their basketballs to class? I mean, is it really even doing anything? Do they think that Anna Marie Armstrong, Georgia’s strongest defensive player, is going to pop out of the bushes and try to swat the ball away? Probably not, but I’ll tell you what this on campus drill does do for the player’s game.
When Samarie Walker hit campus yesterday for class, basketball in hand, I’ll bet my bottom dollar that not only did people look towards her and be reminded that there is a Women’s Basketball Game Thursday night at 7, but I’ll also bet that it kept Walker herself focused on the fact that in a few hours she would be headed to GA to match up with the Bulldogs (ranked #2 behind the Wildcats in the SEC). Having that basketball in your hands will literally force you to focus on what’s going on around you. So realistically, Armstrong isn’t going to run up on Walker while walking past White Hall, but what about the goofball who refuses to give up his Razor Scooter obsession from 5th grade? Walker will have her head up and her senses aware, ready to dodge or cross over if the Razor Scooter tries to get too personal. Walker will also be aided in her focus by dribbling the basketball in between classes. She will be getting excited about her game the next day, focusing on the skills and drills that the team has been going through since day one, going over plays and recapping past games.
The most compelling thing I noticed about the Lady Hoop team dribbling around campus was something I even compare to any other team at the University of Kentucky. The Lady Hoops team is never unaccompanied from another team member. Never. There are always at least two team members walking together, but more realistically it’s three or four of them, all laughing and always smiling. This dribbling shows a unity that runs far deeper than an on court meshing of talents.
Dribbling a basketball to class may seem kind of silly to the student body at first, but think about it; the dribbling not only helps the players get ready for the game mentally and physically, but also gets the attention of the rest of the student body. After all, these women deserve the attention. With a season that’s 16-2, a number 1 ranking in the SEC standings, and a number 6 ranking nationally, WHY ARENT WE ALL FLOCKING TO THEIR GAMES LIKE A SORORITY GIRL TO SPRING RUSH SHIRTS?!
Ill give you readers a chance for redemption. Sunday afternoon. Memorial Coliseum, at 2 PM. There’s literally nothing you can have as an excuse. Hotdogs and Popcorn will be a fantastic hangover cure, the games are FREE (with a student ID), and they’re playing the Florida Gators. I HATE the gators. HATE. So you already know I’ll be there, with a hotdog AND popcorn, hanging out in the press section, screaming my head off for Walker and her teammates. This Wildcat team has just as much of a chance as the Men’s team to win a national championship, and if they received even HALF the attention and support the men’s team got, they really just might win it all in Denver. Who wants to be able to say that they were a student at UK when the men and women’s teams BOTH WON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS? I do, so ill do my part and get my a$s there to cheer these extremely talented women on. Honestly, if you don’t, what kind of fan are you?
I lead a ridiculously awkward and usually dangerous daily life that you can follow on twitter at @KSR_allHAYL. Not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart.
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January 19th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
obsessed with this article. so glad we get to cover this team together #baller
January 19th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
So if this is a mystical university, do I really not goto college?
January 19th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
You know nothing about the women’s basketball team, or basketball in general. Any UK student could have written what you just did with 5 minutes of research. In addition, you essentially re-wrote the sentence “The UK women basketball players dribble a ball to class” over and over for half of the article. For an English major, I expect better.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
im smart
January 19th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
What zkvols said
January 19th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
This article is BS
January 19th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Roc Anderson
January 19th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Very inspirational and well written. Couldn’t have explained the close team connections and dedication that the women’s basketball team has at UK. Cant wait to read more articles from you
January 19th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Great job Hayley! I really enjoyed reading this article and look forward to more posts by you.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Upon her interview, let’s just say talking wasn’t the only thing we did.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
To deep throat. This is not supposed to be an article to help you learn about basketball? She is simply encouraging the student body to become more involved in the womens team. I you want to learn more about basketball then read a book about basketball, not a post on KSR. Great article that makes me want to go to a womens game. Which was its intention, not to teach me the fundamentals of basketball.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Cool, I can dribble a ball around too, not a big deal…
January 19th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
I’d rather smoke meth for hours on end than read another post by this girl.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
To Bb: I know how to play basketball. I know this article was not trying to teach the fundamentals of basketball. I understand the purpose of the article, because I have a brain. My main point was that I think this article is poorly written for an English major, and lacked real depth. All UK students have seen them dribbling basketballs.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Tough crowd, tough crowd.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
I think that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then you should keep your nasty, insecure mouth shut. Hayley did I very nice job with this article, it made me want to go support our women’s basketball team as well. I can’t wait to read her next post!
January 19th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
nice Job Hayley, nice to see you so involved. Have fun at ksrcollege
January 19th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
A tough crowd is better than no crowd at all. I’m glad to see we have a good audience at such an early stage with the site. Great post, Haley. Keep on truckin, as Jorts would say.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I think you did a great job. Don’t listen to any of these idiots making negative comments, you’re the one writing for KSR, not them. Enough said. And like my mamma said “if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all”. Some of the commenters on this piece should remember that and next time, not read your article if it “was so horrible”. Get over yourselves.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Good first post. Keep it comming.
January 20th, 2012 at 12:48 am
So I guess since nobody has said yet I will. There is absolutely positively not one thing that can be done by any person in the entire world, connected with UK or not, that would cause a respectable amount of people to get excited about Women’s Basketball. Not Cal, not Obama, and after reading this article, not a college (and probably a sorority) girl. I mean seriously, even if Jesus Christ Himself came down from Heaven personally raved about Women’s basketball I still
wouldn’t care. It’s not exciting and never will be. The best thing for everybody to do is to continue to act like we care a little bit about it and applaud the teams accomplishments while knowing if the team didn’t exist tomorrow, you probably would not realize it for months. Sorry. But I’m not sorry.
January 20th, 2012 at 11:34 am
21 – Your ignorance is truly astounding.
January 20th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
21-that’s insane. simply because they’re women they’re impossible to get excited about…?
January 20th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
will you marry me?