John Clay's Sidelines

Hoops links for Thursday:

• At CBS Sportsline, Gary Parrish writes that the college basketball season gets wackier and wackier. Writes Parrish: “Greatness no longer exists. It apparently left the college game with Mario Chalmers and Derrick Rose, exited stage left and hasn’t been seen since. So if you spot it out there wandering around, kindly guide it back to Chapel Hill or Gainesville or wherever it is we are used to seeing it. Because greatness is gone and I’m worried about it. Every time I think I spot greatness, it just turns out to be a false-sighting, which brings me to Wake Forest.”

• In the Winston-Salem Journal, columnist Dan Collins writes that Wake Forest fell flat against Virginia Tech. Collins: “The Hokies knocked the Deacons from their perch atop college basketball by knocking down enough shots to shoot 56 percent in the second half and 50 percent for the game. It was quite a comeuppance for a Wake Forest team that ranked second in the nation in field-goal defense after allowing only four of its previous 16 opponents to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor.”

• At the New York Daily News, Dick Weiss gives his take on Louisville’s win over Rutgers last night. Hoops writes: “This game was a showcase for versatile senior forward Terrence Williams, who scored 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Cards, who were coming off a huge 69-63 victory over then top-ranked Pitt on Saturday. Louisville shot 59% and played with the kind of aggressiveness that catapulted the Cards to a 40-20 halftime lead as they made their sixth straight victory look easy.”

• Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer asks if Xavier has outgrown the Atlantic 10. Paul writes: “Xavier roams the Atlantic 10 Conference like Gulliver, taking tiny arrows to the ankles from the likes of Fordham and La Salle. You know you have it good when in six of the previous seven seasons you’ve won either the regular-season title, the league tournament or both. You know the cotton is tall when, after your most recent A-10 blood-letting ends in a predictable, 20-point blowout, your coach is mad at your free-throw shooting. That’s dominant. Too dominant.”

• In the Detroit Free-Press, Shannon Shelton reports on Michigan State’s upset loss to Northwestern. Writes Shelton: “Northwestern’s victory shattered multiple MSU streaks. The Spartans entered the game on a 28-game home winning streak and had won 11 straight this season. MSU had won the last 12 games against the Wildcats, and Northwestern hadn’t beaten the Spartans since Feb. 6, 2002.”

Continue reading ‘HL: Wake’s loss adds to a wacky season’

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• At Kentucky.com, Jerry Tipton writes that Kentucky reached for its stars in 73-64 win over Auburn.
• Click here for the Herald-Leader photo gallery on the game.
• Here’s my column on Patrick Patterson, who played like a beast despite being bruised.
• In the Courier-Journal, Brett Dawson writes on the Wildcat win over Auburn.
• In the Danville Advocate-Messenger, Larry Vaught writes that home crowds at Rupp are having an affect on basketball team, and it’s not all good.
• Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register writes that Auburn fights, but falls at Rupp.
• In the Opelika News, Andrew Gribble writes on Auburn’s 10th straight loss to the Cats.
• In the Kentucky Kernel, James Patterson writes that Tigers unchain the beast in Patterson.
• Also in the Kernel, Kenny Colston writes that UK’s “forgotten star” is force behind SEC start.
• In the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise, Chuck Jones writes that Patterson’s beastly performances never get old.
• A Sea of Blue gives its post mortem on the Auburn win.
• Kentucky Sports Radio gives its thoughts on beating Jeff Lebo’s club.
• Larry Vaught writes in the Advocate-Messenger that grayshirt is best decision for Aumiller.
• At Kentucky Ink, Chris Fisher writes on the UK victory.
• Straitpinkie.com gives its thoughts on the UK win.
• UK Athletics’ Cat Scratches blog gives its thoughts on the win.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Seth Emerson of The State writes about South Carolina’s buzzer-beating win over Florida.
• Ron Morris, columnist for The State, writes that the Gamecocks are starting to show a new attitude.
• Kevin Brockway of The Gainesville Sun calls it the stunner in South Carolina.
• In the Baton Rouge Advocate, Gary Laney has the rundown on LSU’s rout of Mississippi State.
• In the Clarion-Ledger, Kyle Veazey reports on State being buried in the Bayou.
• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger reports on Ole Miss’ loss at Alabama.
• Ian Rapoport of the Birmingham News reports on the Tide win amidst the turmoil.
• Rapoport also reports that Ronald Steele says foot not reason he’s leaving Bama.
• Andrew Carroll of the Tuscaloosa News reports that ex-South Carolina quarterback Chris Smelley is eligible to play baseball at Alabama.
• Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports that Memphis awaits Tennessee after taking care of Rice.

Photo by Mark Cornelison.

Ten notes from Kentucky’s 73-64 win over Auburn:

• Perry Stevenson recorded his first double-double since the the season-opener against VMI. Stevenson scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in that game. He had 13 and 12 tonight.

• Patrick Patterson’s 18 rebounds are a career-high.

• Darius Miller played a season-low five minutes. His previous low was seven against Florida Atlantic.

• Jodie Meeks has made 18 of 31 three-pointers in his last three games. He scored 31 points, the sixth game this year he’s topped the 30-point mark.

• UK averaged 1.025 points per possession. Auburn averaged 0.879.

• Kentucky outrebounded Auburn 42-22. That’s the largest rebound margin against an SEC foe since UK outrebounded Vanderbilt by 22 (45-23) on Jan. 12, 2008.

• Kentucky made 26 of 32 free throws for 81.3 percent. In games in which the Cats took 30-or-more free throws, that’s the best the Cats have done since making 26 of 30 for 86.7 percent in first-round NCAA Tournament win over UAB on March 17, 2006.

• Kentucky committed 22 turnovers, the seventh time this year the Cats have committed 20-or-more. UK is 4-3 in those seven games.

• Kentucky has held all four of its SEC opponents under 40 percent from the field. Vandy shot 31.6. Tennessee shot 37.9. Georgia shot 31.1. Auburn shot 38.8.

• Auburn coach Jeff Lebo: “There is no doubt that defensively Kentucky is a very good team. Their intensity in the second half certainly got us out of sync. They pressured us very hard and they have some great size in the perimeter and they ahve some great shot-blocking ability and that really hurt us.”

Updates from press row on tonight’s UK-Auburn game:

• Final: Kentucky 73, Auburn 64. Meeks leads way with 32. Patterson finishes with 21 and 18. Stevenson ends up with 12 and 12.

• Kentucky leads 64-57 with 1:09 left.

• At 3:48, UK with 22 turnovers. Auburn with 10.

• It’s 60-51 Cats at 3:48 TV time. UK now up to 50 percent from floor. Cats are 9-of-16 from floor this half. And UK is up 39-21 on boards. Patterson has 21 points and 18 rebounds. Meeks has 24.

• UK leads 53-51 with 7:48 left. Patterson’s old-fashioned three-point play put Cats back in front. He has 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Auburn had gone in front 51-48.

• Kentucky leads 46-44 with 11:59 left in game. Cats had a chance to push the lead out, but now Auburn is right back in it. Cats are shooting 46.9 to 38.3 for Auburn, but UK has 17 turnovers. Tigers have 8. Auburn is 7-of-18 from 3.

• Kentucky leads 44-38 at the 14:48 TV time. Cats came out on fire, but have reverted to turnover bug just when they had a chance for some separation. Patterson has 14 points and 14 boards. Meeks leads all scorers with 17.

• Meeks hits back-to-back threes to open 2nd half and Lebo calls time at 19:00. UK leads 40-33.

• UK minutes: Porter 10, Stevenson 20, Harris 15, Meeks 19, Patterson 19, Miller 5, Galloway 1, Liggins 10, Harrellson 1, Stewart 0+

• UK points: Patterson 12, Meeks 11, Harris 4, Stevenson 4, Miller 3.

• Auburn has been the more aggressive team in the first half. The Tigers have done a good job switching on Meeks. Jodie was 3-of-7 in the first half, including 3-of-4 on threes.

• First half stats:
  FG percentage: UK 45.5; Auburn 38.9.
  3 pointers: UK 3-7 – Auburn 4-12
  FTs: UK 11-14; Auburn 1-2
  Rebounds: Kentucky 23-13
  Turnovers: UK 13, Auburn 5.

• Great pass from Patterson to Harris for layup at buzzer and 34-33 Kentucky lead at half.

• Auburn leads 31-28 with 2:27 left in half and the Tigers are definitely the more aggressive team. Jeff Lebo’s club must have picked up a ton of confidence in win over Alabama. The visitors have forced UK into 12 turnovers. Auburn is shooting 40.6 UK is shooting 40 percent. Patterson has 10 points and 10 boards for Cats.

• At 7:23, UK leads 17-6 on boards.

• Kentucky up 24-23 at the 7:27 mark. UK is 7-of-15 from the floor, but has 10 turnovers. Meeks (9) and Patterson (9) have combined for 18 of UK’s 24. Barrett of Auburn leads all scorers with 10. Auburn is shooting 41.7 percent.

• Kentucky up 16-15 at the 11:46 mark, but this one has been a fight so far. UK is 5-of-11 from the floor. Patterson is 2-of-5. Cats have turned it over six times. UK does enjoy a 12-4 advantage on the boards. Meeks has taken just three shots thus far, as Auburn appears to be doing a bood job defending.

• It’s 12-12 at the 15:11 TV time out and Auburn is fired up. The Tigers fell behind 8-5 but have come back to tie. They’ve hit five of 11 shots. Kentucky is four-of-seven from the floor, but the Cats have already committed four turnovers.

• UK’s starters are the same: Porter, Meeks, Stevenson, Harris and Patterson. Auburn is starting Barber, Reed, Barrett, Robertson and Waller.

• After tonight, UK has one more 9 p.m. start. That’s the UK-Florida game at Rupp on Tuesday, Feb. 10. That’s an ESPN Super Tuesday affair.

• Former NBA star Mel Daniels is in the house. The former Indiana Pacer is now an NBA scout. As I type this, he’s chatting with UK color man Mike Pratt.

• The officials tonight are Joe Lindsay, Anthony Jordan and Michael Stephens.

• If you’re wondering why this game is a 9 p.m. start, it’s the second game of a Raycom television doubleheader. Florida-South Carolina is the first game. That one started at 7. Tom Hammond and Joe Dean are here at Rupp to do the UK-Auburn game.

• Just because Auburn is a 14-point underdog, the Tigers could be trouble. They beat Alabama 85-71 last Saturday. Before that, they led visiting Florida 55-54 with 3:57 remaining, but couldn’t finish the job. Auburn made just 10 of 21 free throws in that game.

• Auburn leads the SEC in steals.

Don’t forget to head back tonight for the liveblog/livechat Cover it Live format, plus a separate updates post on the UK-Auburn basketball game.

I’ll be starting up the liveblog/chat at around 8:15-8:30, possibly before.

Tipoff is 9 p.m.

Hoops Links for Wednesday:

• Sports Illustrated’s Alex Wolff on how basketball shaped Barack Obama.
• In the Austin American-Statesman, Kirk Bohls reports that ex-Texas star T.J. Ford is high on incoming transfer Jai Lucas.
• At ESPN.com, Andy Katz writes that Minnesota needs to get its glass game in order.
• In the Cincinnati Enquirer, Paul Daugherty starts out his Wednesday Morning Line post with an ode to Miami coach Charlie Coles.
• On his blog, C-J columnist Rick Bozich asks if Auburn or Rutgers is worse.
• At SportingNews.com, Mike DeCourcy looks at the Big Ten.
• At SportsIllustrated.com, Seth Davis argues that college players should be allowed to pull out of the NBA draft.
• FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman feels sad for Alabama’s Ronald Steele.
• At CBS Sportsline, Gary Parrish writes on North Carolina coach Roy Williams.
• David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times writes that UCLA doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt.
• Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News previews tonight’s Villanova-Connecticut clash.
• In The State, Paul Strelow previews tonight’s Clemson-North Carolina matchup.

College basketball on the tube for Wednesday, Jan. 21:

Surfing the net for UK news on a Wednesday:

• At Kentuckysports.com, Jerry Tipton talks to Ramon Harris, who says Kentucky has learned how to play Gillispie’s way.
• Tipton also writes that Billy Gillispie is wary of “peppy” Auburn.
• Kentuckysports.com also has the audio from Gillispie’s press conference previewing Auburn.
• In the Courier-Journal, Brett Dawson writes that Patrick Patterson will play through the pain.
• The C-J’s Jody Demling reports that UK football recruit Ridge Wilson may be wavering on his commitment to the Cats.
• In the Kentucky Kernel, James Pennington reports that Gillispie is praising his gritty Cats.
• Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News writes that Jodie Meeks is injecting life into the slumping SEC.
• Andy Bitter of the Columbus Leder-Enquirer writes that Kentucky is a tough task for the Auburn defense.
• Andrew Gribble of the Opelika News writes that stopping Jodie Meeks is no laughing matter.
• Evan Woodbery of the Huntsville Times writes on Auburn’s task of stopping Meeks.
• To continue the theme, Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News writes that Auburn will try to cool Meeks.
• ESPN’s Pat Forde tabs Meeks to be the new Secretary of Energy.
• Tom Leach has an interview with Auburn radio voice Rob Bramblett.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that Perry Stevenson is a big concern for Auburn.
• Straitpinkie.com gives its Auburn breakdown.
• The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that ex-Tennessee quarterback and ex-UK offensive coordinator Daryl Dickey has been named interim athletics director at West Georgia.