Is Big Cuz a liability?

I know this may be a unfavorable question to ask, but it has to be done.

For all the double-doubles and strong performances that DeMarcus Cousins has had so far, how big of a chance does he have to hurt these Cats when it matters most?

Everyone knows what I’m talking about — the temper, the attitude, the elbows.

Sure, UK head coach John Calipari is downplaying the issue and so far Cousins hasn’t elbowed himself out of a game. But the laundry list of complaints against the freshman is growing. It started with the elbow/forearm against Louisville, putting Cousins in a clear bull’s-eye for officials. Then Cousins was accused of punching a fan at South Carolina, to which he denied and it now seems may have been overplayed.

“Nothing happened,” Cousins said about the alleged punch. “We were pushing people out of the way. I never threw a punch. I don’t know where that came from. Nothing happened.”

And then there was another elbow thrown during Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt and a technical foul that Cousins drew. One incident can be chalked up to a rivalry game. A second one leaves a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. A third and fourth in the same game starts a bad trend.

The fact of the matter is officials are starting to watch Cousins. Watching every elbow, every word, every facial expression. He’s a target, fair or not. And he’s starting to get caught and charged with more and more things. At some point, he’s going to get tossed out of a game.

What if it happens in the first or second round of the NCAA tournament? It’s no secret that for everything John Wall and Patrick Patterson do, Cousins has been the driving force for the last few weeks. He commands a double-team in the post and still finds ways to score. The offense, no doubt, runs through the big guy.

So what if a coach or player finally gets under Big Cuz’s skin and an elbow is clearly seen and Cousins is ejected? In Southeastern Conference play, the Cats probably survive. In the NCAA tournament, when every team has a chance to knock each other out, I’m not so sure.

A temper is something that one consistently has to work on. Cousins has made strides in that area, Calipari said.

“He got punched in the head today and the official came over and said I should have called it,” Calipari said. “He (Cousins) did not respond to it. DeMarcus is growing up. He is going to do dumb things at times, but out here with all of those young guys, it’s all freshman stuff.”

Freshman stuff or not, Cousins should realize that calls aren’t going to go his way and his emotions will be targeted. If he has any hope of a professional career, let alone a possible championship at UK, Cousins will need to keep it all in check.

Or else the probability of Cousins being tossed at a time UK needs him most will increase by every game.