John Clay's Sidelines

John Wall’s search for a 2009-10 college took an unexpected turn on Thursday when the Raleigh, North Carolina guard told the Raleigh News and Observer that he will take an unofficial visit to North Carolina Central in Durham on Friday.

An excerpt:

“I want to find out what a historically black school has to offer,” Wall said Thursday night. “This is a visit to find out some things.”

Wall had planned to trim his list of eight schools to three or four by Friday, but, “truthfully, it looks like it is going to be Monday now,” Wall said Thursday night.

Ex-UK commitment Dominique Ferguson, one of the top forwards in the class of 2010, has narrowed his list to seven schools, and the Cats are among the seven.

Inside the Hall, via IndySportsNation.com, reports that the Indianapolis forward says he is considering Indiana, Kentucky, Arizona, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest and Florida.

Ferguson committed to Billy Gillispie and Kentucky but re-opened his recruiting when Gillispie was fired. New UK coach John Calipari has been in Indiana re-recruiting Ferguson.

Rivals.com ranks Ferguson as the sixth best player in the 2010 class.

Scout.com ranks Ferguson the ninth best player.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes on Mike Casey’s induction into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame last night.
• Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal gives an update on Eric Bledsoe.
• On his WKYT blog, Steve Moss writes on John Calipari’s work with EA Sports, the video game giant.
• A Sea of Blue thinks Rick Pitino and John Calipari are twin sons by different mothers.
• Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel writes that Chris McClendon hopes to provide spark for UK baseball team.
• Bobby Reagan of the Kernel covers the Catspys.
• Bleacher Report writes that Mike Krzyzewski has received unwarranted criticism over John Wall.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Arkansas could be facing a loss of scholarships over poor APR scores.
• Darryl Maxie of the AJC reports on Auburn coaches using limos in recruiting.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that kids think the limos are cool.
• Nate Allen of the NW Arkansas times reports that Andre Clark is leaving the Razorback basketball team.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports that Nick Calathes is at IMG preparing for NBA workouts.
• Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes on Buzz Peterson’s return to Appalachian State.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Arkansas basketball could lose scholarships’

Thanks to alert blog commenter chukas14, who passes along that Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog is reporting that Birmingham, Alabama point guard Eric Bledsoe will visit UK this weekend.

The 6-foot Bledsoe is expected to visit Memphis on Thursday, then continue on to Lexington.

Bledsoe is thought to be second on UK’s wish list behind John Wall, but new coach John Calipari has visited Bledsoe and has kept in close contact. Rivals ranks Bledsoe as the 23rd best player in the 2009 class.

As for Memphis, Zagoria writes:

Meantime, despite the losses of Cousins (to Kentucky) and Xavier Henry (to Kansas) Josh Pastner’s Memphis club will feature Shawn Taggart, JUCO star Will Coleman and 6-10 forward Angel Garcia in the frontcourt with Wesley Witherspoon, Roburt Sallie and Doneal Mack on the wings, making them a formidable outfit.

Alan Cutler

Bad news for WLEX’s Alan Cutler. The Cincinnati Enqurier reports that the Lexington-based sportscaster was among the layoffs announced Tuesday by Clear Channel, the mammoth radio group based in San Antonio.

Alan was doing a morning show on WCKY-AM and had for the last eight years been the host of the Cincinnati Bengals radio network. He was also doing some fill-in work on the Reds network.

Clear Channel also laid off Cincinnati Enquirer sports columnist Paul Daugherty, who for the past two years had been the host of WLW’s nightly sports talk show from 6 p.m. to 9. Doc had also done the Extra Innings show after Reds’ games during the week.

Also laid off were Clear Channel bloggers, including C. Trent Rosecrans, who had worked for the Cincinnati Post.

John Wall tells Tim Stevens of the Raleigh News and Observer that he hopes to have his list cut to three or four schools by Friday.

The schools on his consideration list now are thought to be Kentucky, Duke, Miami, North Carolina State, Miami, Baylor and possibly Kansas.

As for whether North Carolina is on the list, Wall said, “I don’t know where I stand with Carolina now,” Wall said. “I spoke with them one time. I haven’t talked to Coach Williams since.”

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• In the Herald-Leader, Jerry Tipton reports that UK baseball fans showed some love basketball’s Jodie Meeks.
• CBS 42 in Birmingham reports that UK target Eric Bledsoe will visit Memphis. (Hat tip to Spam’s Wildcat Page.)
• Shandel Richardson of the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel blogs that Miami made a good impression on John Wall.
• Mark Maloney of the H-L reports on Louisville baseball’s 11-2 rout of the Cats.
• Joe B. Hall tells Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger that John Calipari totally understands UK basketball.
• CBS Sportsline draft expert Pete Prisco projects Trevard Lindley as a first-round pick in 2010. (Hat tip to Tom Leach.)
• Jon Hale of the Kentucky Kernel writes that Meeks is still undecided on his draft plans.
• Hale also writes that UK baseball still holds its own destiny after loss.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Meeks gets some love; Cards whip Cats in baseball’

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Ron Higgins of the Commercial-Appeal reports that UT basketball coach Bruce Pearl thanked John Calipari for getting the Vols’ staff a nice raise.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports on Alex Tyus pulling a Billy Donovan and returning to Florida.
• The Athens Banner-Herald reports that new Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox has added his first oral commitment.
• The AJC reports that the NCAA has denied Georgia coach Mark Richt a waiver to attend ceremony.
• In the Birmingham News, Ian Rapoport writes that Bama coach Nick Saban is ready to battle for Memphis recruits.
• In the Mobile Press-Register, Paul Finebaum asks if Saban is on thin ice with fans?

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Pearl thanks Calipari; Tyus back at Florida’

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Chip Cosby of the H-L blogs on UK defensive tackle Myron Pryor being drafted by the New England Patriots.
• Jerry Tipton’s Sunday notebook leads with Jodie Meeks. (Didn’t get this link in yesterday.)
• Zagsblog talks to John Wall, who says he will cut his list to two or three teams by end of the week.
• Bluegrass State Basketball claims that Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks will withdraw from the NBA draft.
• Chris Fisher of Kentucky Ink talked to Brandon Knight, a top UK basketball target for 2010.
• Yardbarker has a note on Wall’s visit to Miami.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Wall to cut list; Patterson and Meeks returning?’