On the KSR post-game show, Matt pondered whether or not alternative remedies exist for helping with cramps beyond eating bananas. Most people are aware of bananas as a potential solution, but apparently there's another popular (well, maybe...) solution out there: PICKLE JUICE. As showcased by the picture above, pickle juice provides the body with the essential electrolytes to help avoid painful cramps and prevent dehydration. Why are we talking about pickle juice? Well, because honestly we are all growing a little tired of seeing Julius Randle make his way to the locker room between halftime and the end of the game.
In 2008, nearly a quarter of all athletic trainers interviewed for BYU study said that they regularly administer pickle juice as a way to relieve cramps once they've struck an athlete. Many trainers reported that not only does pickle juice work, but it works quickly.
In the study conducted by BYU, pickle juice apparently "relieved a cramp 45 percent faster" than drinking no fluids and 37 percent faster than water. So, people are using pickle juice and not just bananas.
Need proof?
And now on to the news and views from the day...
Kentucky passes its first SEC road test
Vanderbilt is certainly not going to be Kentucky's toughest SEC opponent this season. Vandy is a team on the ropes, as we heard all week. Not only did Vandy lose their leading scorer, but the Commodores are working with only 7 scholarship players right now. With that said, Vandy is never the easiest place to play and teams tend to play their best game against Kentucky. This young Kentucky team faced its first SEC road test today, and regardless of how the outcome came about-- Kentucky got the win on the road. A win on the road in conference play will not always be pretty, but it's more important to obtain the result.
For those who are whining that we didn't beat this Vandy team by 20+... this was Kentucky's biggest win AT Vanderbilt since 2003. Let's keep things in perspective (and yes, I know Vandy was bad, but still). The Cats move to 2-0 in SEC play.
Kentucky didn't start quite as slow...
Well, Kentucky didn't find itself down 10 points in the first few minutes of the game-- much like the starts against Louisville and Mississippi State. Kentucky didn't come out of the gates swinging, but they didn't whimper either, or dig themselves a huge hole. Even with a somewhat slow start, Kentucky managed to avoid putting themselves in a deficit. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
Cal thinks that Kentucky has the most "upside" of any team in the country.
Kentucky has been taking steps in each of the games as of late. John Calipari sees it, too. Even though the game wasn't perfect, Calipari thinks his team is moving in the right direction and has a very high ceiling. In fact, Cal said in his post game comments that Kentucky has "the most upside of any team in the country."
And even though Kentucky isn't quite there yet, Calipari sees the struggles across the board in college basketball this year. "We're still not there, but I look around the country and I don't see anybody there. So this is all good."
Someone needs to give Julius Randle some bananas Pickle Juice
"Opponents are playing him like he's Shaq. They've got nine guys on him," Calipari joked after the game. This is the 3rd game now in which Julius Randle has struggled with cramps either in the second half or after the game. This is becoming a bit of a problem. Kentucky has managed to do quite well even without Randle late in these games, but there will almost certainly be an instance down the line in which the Cats will need to count on Randle in a late game situation. Imagine the second half against Michigan State if Randle hadn't been on the court for most of the minutes? Get the guy some bananas.
Cal compares Andrew Harrison's growth to that of Tyreke Evans
Andrew Harrison had a very good game today for Kentucky. Today was the first game in which Harrison didn't register a single turnover. Harrison ran the offense well, got his teammates involved and took care of the basketball. Harrison finished with 10 points, 4 assists and 8 rebounds in 34 minutes. Harrison not only dished the ball well, but he was often the role of the guy passing the ball to the man who picked up the assist. Harrison was solid from start to finish and his coach took notice. "I thought he was terrific today, and we need him to be terrific for our team to elevate."
Calipari compared Harrison's growth to Tyreke Evans, his former Memphis point guard. "Well, he reminds me of the progress and process with Tyreke Evans. It's really similar. Both of them had habits that you had to crack. Both of them had a mentality of how to play the game that was kind of the opposite of the way it needed to be. And now when you begin to seem him thinking differently and playing a little different, you're seeing a guy with that kind of size, can make shots, can make free throws, is a good passer and handler, has great speed."
Stallings labels Kentucky's team accurately, "very physical"
Kevin Stallings didn't have much to whine about tonight. Stallings described Kentucky as a team that is "very physical," and in fact more physical than athletic. Kentucky tends to exhaust teams with the level of physical play and size they bring at every position.
Pleasant surprise quality minutes off the bench: Jarrod Polson and Derek Willis
The Kentucky bench has been really important over the past couple of games. Jarrod Polson and Derek Willis both came in today's game and contributed some surprise quality minutes. Neither player has played a significant role, and won't likely play a significant role in every game moving forward... BUT for today, both stepped up. Polson came off the bench to hit two three pointers, giving Kentucky a spark at critical points in the first half. Calipari also applauded Polson for his effort on the defensive end.
Willis also earned some praise from Calipari, which was displayed best when Cal walked over to Willis as he exited the game and gave him a huge high 5 on the bench. Willis fed the post well, although he missed on open 3-point opportunities. Willis held his own though, and proved that he might be a viable option when a team plays zone against Kentucky-- especially if he can gain some confidence in hitting the deep ball. "Derek Willis did well," Calipari said. "What a post feeder he is." Indeed.
Tuesday night will be a BIG road test for these young Cats against Arkansas
Kentucky passed its first road test, but the next one will be a much more difficult task. Arkansas was undefeated at home until they lost in OT to Florida earlier today. The Razorbacks almost got the win against a 10th ranked Florida team, but narrowly missed on the opportunity. Arkansas is always tough at home, and Kentucky ran into a buzz saw in Fayetteville last season. Today was a good warm up game for Tuesday night.
Tyler Ulis' Dad has some shopping to do while in the Bluegrass
Tyler Ulis is playing in Kentucky this weekend, and according to Larry Vaught, he is anxious to show "Kentucky fans what I'm all about."
Duke lost, again.
Duke lost to Clemson. Is that really relevant? Not so much. But don't act like it didn't make you feel a little warm and fuzzy inside.
And last but not least, Vegas is good.
Seriously though. Vegas gets it so close, so often. That game was a tough one to predict. Kentucky was obviously way more talented, but Vandy can be a tricky place to play. Many people had a hard time knowing whether or not Kentucky would pull off the blowout or whether or not it would be close. Vegas basically nailed it with the 8 point spread.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard