Jodie Meeks Explodes for 54 Points to Break Kentucky Single-Game Scoring Record
Wow.
While I was writing the Eagles-Cardinals preview that I posted last night, I briefly turned on the TV for a moment and saw that Kentucky was playing Tennessee on ESPN. The Wildcats (who, as a die-hard Hoosier, I personally hate) were leading by about 10 so I quickly flipped off.
Until I got into the car this morning and listened to the radio, I had no idea what I missed: Jodie Meeks scoring 54 points in Kentucky’s 90-72 victory, breaking the all-time single scoring record at Kentucky that had previously been held by Dan Issel (53 points).
Meeks went 10-15 from downtown en route to the single scoring record, as well as 14-14 from the free throw line. Sprinkle in five other field goals and you’ve got 54. And as Pat Forde of ESPN.com noted this morning, if you are looking at Meeks’ performance purely from the perspective of the proportion of his team’s points scored, then the performance of Meeks easily dwarfs that of Issel:
The 54 points broke the 39-year-old school record of Dan Issel, who scored 53 against Mississippi. It should be noted that Kentucky scored 120 points that day, which means Issel scored 44 percent of the Wildcats’ total. Meeks racked up a ridiculous 60 percent of Kentucky’s points here — an extraordinary display of shooting and stamina stretched over 39 jaw-dropping minutes.
If you have not seen the video or highlights yet, they are pretty amazing. Take a look:
As a former three-point gunner myself way back in glory days of high school, I can certainly appreciate a 10-15 performance from downtown. The most I ever made in a game was 7, and I don’t think too many people who have ever played the game of basketball can say that they scored 50 or more points in a regulation game.
It stinks that Kentucky won, as it always does when they are victorious…but congratulations to Jodie Meeks. From one shooter to another, that was an absolutely amazing performance.
(On a quick side note, I would like to take this opportunity to extend both of my middle fingers into the air in the general direction of wherever Kelvin Sampson is. Do you realize what has happened this morning? Indiana played Ohio State last and I did not even consider posting about it. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 33-10 lead and cruised from there. Yet, I am writing a story about a Kentucky player. Something is very wrong here, and it is all the fault of that snake Sampson. Thanks for letting me vent.)
Tags: College Basketball, jodie meeks, kentucky wildcats, records
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Wow 10 -15 from downtown. That is very, very impressive.
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JRod Reply:
January 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am
@Chris Thompson, yeah I did a double take when I saw that. It’s funny, I randomly heard something on SportsCenter the other night about how Bruce Pearl was pissed because UT’s defense had been so bad this season. I guess so! How do you let a guy take 15 threes when he is that on fire? That’s just a complete unwillingness to compete. But you still have to make them. 10-15 is excellent just shooting around, let alone at game speed.
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SEC basketball eludes me. It seems so weak…there are no ranked teams, and since Florida has started to slip and Tennessee is in question this year, you believe it…SEC basketball is weak, then you are reminded that they produce more pure athletes than any other college conference. And meeks is beyond an athlete, he is a pure shooter.
91% from the line and 45% from deep…those are averages, wow. maybe we need to look at the SEC again.
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JRod Reply:
January 14th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
@Kaner,
The SEC is actually historically weak this season. In the latest ESPN coaches poll, there was not one SEC team in the top 25. I think they said it was the first time since Dick Vitale had hair that any major conference had been completely shut out of the top 25. Not even the Big Ten has been that bad recently!
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Yes this was way more impressive than Danny Ferry’s 58 he poured on Miami (FL), when he was a Duke. Matching his NBA career total that night.
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JRod Reply:
January 15th, 2009 at 11:28 am
@KVB, please don’t ever make fun of Danny Ferry again on this website. He’s bald and his last name is Ferry. There is no need to pile on.
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