John Clay's Sidelines

(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader talks to Mitch Barnhart about the Rich Brooks situation: “Barnhart said he’s been firmly behind Brooks and the football program during his tenure as athletics director. ‘I’ve supported football, the department has supported football in a variety of ways,’ Barnhart said. ‘I supported Rich seven years ago. I supported him four years ago. I’m supporting him this year personally – from a very personal standpoint.’”

Brett Dawson of C-J also writes on Mitch and Rich: “Barnhart said Tuesday that he remains comfortable with Phillips as UK’s next head coach. But he made it clear he’d like to hang on to the current one.”

Larry Vaught of Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that recruits will stay with UK either way: “Standout Georgia running back Raymond Sanders says if Rich Brooks does retire, it won’t change his commitment to the University of Kentucky.”

Herald-Leader UK-Hartford slide show.

Jerry Tipton of H-L on John Wall setting assist record: ” Freshman sensation John Wall – the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature hitting newsstands later this week – added to his already immense renown in Kentucky’s 104-61 victory over Hartford Tuesday. He set a school record with 16 assists before leaving to an ovation with 4:17 left. With his usual flair for the dramatic, Wall broke Travis Ford’s record on Ford’s 40th birthday.”

Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if John Wall will be NBA star of next decade: “While at Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Christian Academy, Wall attended the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, and wowed ‘em. What Wall has done in his freshman season with the unbeaten Wildcats — like his 25-point, six-steal show-stopper against Connecticut a couple weeks ago — has not surprised the Cavaliers MVP.”

Joey Whelan of Slam Online says it’s Wall’s World: “Two things strike me about this performance and both end with the freshman phenom ending up in some pretty high company. After Kentucky took down North Carolina, Roy Williams said that Wall was the most talented point guard he had seen burst onto the college scene since Jason Kidd. Very high praise indeed, but certainly the more I watch Wall, the more I find myself asking if there has been a better freshman point guard since then.”

Matt May of the Cats Pause on Wall’s sweet 16: “The record was part of a banner night for the Cats, who warmed up for their monumental showdown with hated rival Louisville by dispatching the overmatched Hawks. The Cats had 30 assists on the night, none more memorable than Wall’s easy pitch to Stevenson for the record-setter.”

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel writes on the UK win: “During UK’s first defensive posession in Tuesday night’s game against Hartford, freshman guard John Wall chased a loose ball toward the baseline and flung it behind him without looking. He jumped over two rows of cheerleaders seated on the floor, a row of media members in chairs, and landed on his feet on top of a table on press row – almost 10 feet out of bounds. He was just getting started.”

Tipton’s notes from the win over Hartford: ” Although John Wall posted big numbers in a 104-61 victory Tuesday night, something else about the Kentucky freshman impressed Hartford Coach Dan Leibovitz. ‘I’m very impressed with John Wall, not just his ability,’ Leibovitz said. ‘The way he carries himself. He’s respectful of the referees and he’s respectful of the game. He has a bright future here and beyond.’”

My column about UK’s three-point defense: “He didn’t really identify the positions, though the coach did single-out Darius Miller as one player he had to ride for not guarding up to his ability. But you could identify at least one area of concern – Hartford made 12 of 29 three-point shots. That’s the fifth team in 14 games to make nine or more three-pointers against Kentucky. And Louisville is coached by a man who built his reputation on emphasizing the three-point shot.”

James Pennington of the Kernel writes on the Dribble Drive: “Guards were being aggressive, taking the ball into the lane. The dribble never stopped – that is, unless the ball was in mid-flight. The Cats were hitting high-percentage shots and draining wide open 3-pointers – Calipari called it a “turkey shoot” – at a high percentage. If it’s this easy, why don’t all 347 Division I teams run this offense? Because it’s not that easy. These highly talented players are just starting to feel it more often than not.”

Aaron’s UK Football Blog picks an all-decade team.

Michael Grant of the C-J writes on Wall’s assist record: “The lone suspense was whether super-freshman Wall would break the school assist mark. Travis Ford – who turned 40 on Tuesday – had 15 on Dec.8, 1993, against Eastern Kentucky. Wall had 11 assists by halftime, recording many on lob passes to big men DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton, who overmatched Hartford on the interior.”

Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches on Wall’s world: “The freshman sensation finished with 16 assists on the night (and only committed one turnover!), the final one coming when he dropped off a pass to Perry Stevenson at the free-throw line for a 15-foot jumper. Ford’s nearly 17-year-old record was gone. Ironically, it was the first game of the season Wall failed to reach double figures in the scoring column.”

Bluegrass State Basketball has a Doron Lamb update.

Rich Bozich of the Courier-Journal writes that UK football is a daunting task for any coach: “Brooks’ numbers compare well with any coach who has led the Wildcats in the past half-century – and Kentucky remains tucked behind the football-obsessed schools of the Southeastern Conference. I’m not convinced Brooks, Phillips (his confirmed successor), Nick Saban, Tony Dungy or an act of Congress can change that. Some cultural realities just can’t be overturned – or explained.”

Tom Leach has video of John Wall.

Straitpinkie on UK’s whipping of Hartford: “Darius Miller hesitated on his shot in the first half after missing a couple early ones, but I think Cal addressed that at the half. He came out gunning, scoring 13 of UK’s first 17 in the second half. He finished with 16 points and 5 assists.”

A Sea of Blue writes on the win over Hartford: “But it’s hard to worry about a 43 point victory, isn’t it? Pointing out this team’s obvious defensive shortcomings against a team they blew out of the gymnasium is a bit like shouting “fire” in an empty building. Nobody cares, because even if there is a fire, nobody is at risk. Eventually, though, this lack of perimeter defense will mater. Some of you are probably thinking, “Well, by that time, Calipari will have the problem solved.” Maybe. We’ll have wait and see.”

KSR rounds up the Tuesday night trouncing: “For me, I was impressed to see the incredible effort displayed by Kentucky in a completely meaningless (outside of the win, of course) game. When a timeout was called five and a half minutes into the first half, the Cats were already out to a huge lead and DeMarcus Cousins already had six points and six rebounds.”