John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo/Joseph Rey Au)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Ryan Meyer wants to know if Kentucky basketball is hated by America? (Hat tip to Danny Jett’s Inner Circle.)
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that Kentucky basketball copycats Alabama football.
• Ray Melick of the Birmingham News writes that C-USA is haunted by the ghost of John Calipari.
• Jennifer Smith of the H-L on Kentucky women’s win over Auburn.
• Bluegrass State Basketball reports that Bowling Green’s Chane Behanan has UK third on his list.
• My column on guessing when UK’s first basketball loss comes, if it comes.
• Tom Luicci of the Newark Star-Ledger on whether UK can keep the top spot in the polls.
• Andrea Adelson of the Orlando Sentinel says UK is the story of the college basketball season.
• Tom Leach has a podcast with ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes.
• Robbie Nieswanger of the Arkansas News on new UK line coach Mike Summers.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Is Kentucky basketball hated by America?’

SEC links for Monday:

• Evan Woodbery of the Huntsville Times puts together a list of the southeast’s top 120 football recruits, led by running back Marcus Lattimore.
• David Jones of Florida Today reports that Florida football recruiting class being hailed as one of the best of all time.
• Roger Clarkson of the Athens Banner-Herald reports that Georgia women’s collapse leads to Ole Miss win.
• Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Tennessee was a-Twitter after loss at Georgia.
• David Climer of the Tennessean thinks Peyton Manning may be the best ever.
• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that Super Bowl is Archie Manning’s worst nightmare.
• Scott Hotard of The Advocate reports that Tennessee was too much for the LSU women.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Lattimore leads list of top football recruits’

(AP photo/Eed Reinke)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Jerry Tipton’s game story on Kentucky’s 101-70 romp over Arkansas.
• Tipton’s notes lead with John Wall saying he has no choice but to go to the NBA.
• Herald-Leader photo slide show from the Kentucky victory.
• Beverly Fortune of the Herald-Leader on the Calipari/Judd dinner winner.
• My column on Calipari hitting the No. 1 ranking head-on.
• Chip Cosby of the H-L writes that Joker Phillipis is trying to beef up the 2010 class.
• Jennifer Smith writes that UK women have big assignment in store today.
• Mark Story of the H-L on an SEC basketball season without Tom Hammond.
• Tipton’s Sunday notebook leads with Calipari’s successor at Memphis.
• Pat Forde of espn.com on Kentucky’s happy welcome back to No. 1.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J reports on Kentucky’s rout on the way to being No. 1.
• Matt May of the Cats Pause reports on the Cats cooking the Hogs.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes Kentucky shows why it should be No. 1.
• Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun writes on Darius Miller’s career game.
• Brian Rickerd of the State Journal wants to know if there is anyone better than the Cats?
• Jon Hale of the Kentucky Kernel writes that Kentucky sure looked like a No. 1.
• Metz Camfield of the Kernel has the game story on Kentucky’s whipping of the Hogs.
• Jeff McMurray of AP reports on Kentucky’s demolition of Arkansas.
• Tom Leach talks to RPI guru Jim Sukup.
• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches has video interviews with UK’s new football coaches.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Presenting the presumptive top-ranked Cats’

SEC links for Sunday.

Florida 58, South Carolina 56

• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports on Florida’s last second win over the Gamecocks.
• Pat Dooley of the Sun on Chandler Parsons’ second miracle shot.
• David Jones of Florida Today reports on the buzzer-beater that beat South Carolina.
• Seth Emerson of The State on Parsons trumping Devan Downey in late-game heroics.

Vanderbilt 82, Auburn 74

• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean reports that Vandy stays perfect in the league.
• David Climer of the Tennessean says a grueling road trip is about to test the Commodores.
• Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News writes that Auburn came up short at Vandy.
• Montgomery Advertiser report on Auburn’s loss to Vanderbilt.

Georgia 78, Tennessee 63

• David Ching of the Athens Banner-Herald on Georgia’s win over Tennessee.
• Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that the Vols fell flat in Athens.
• Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel writes that Georgia’s success is not good for Tennessee.
• Jeff Schultz of the AJC says it was a great atmosphere in Athens.

Ole Miss 73, LSU 63

• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger writes that Ole Miss makes a statement at LSU.
• Jim Kleinpeter of the Times-Picayune reports on LSU’s loss to the Rebels.
• Randy Rosetta of The Advocate writes that frustration is setting in for Trent Johnson.
• Gay Laney of The Advocate writes that the Tigers aren’t ready for prime time.
• Parrish Alford of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal on Chris Warren’s impact.

Alabama 62, Miss State 57

• Tim Gayle of the Montgomery Advertiser on Alabama’s win over Mississippi State.
• Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News writes that defense made the difference for Alabama.
• Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger writes that after living by the three, State died by the three.
• Don Klauser, Jr. of the Birmingham News writes on Bama’s perimeter defense.
• Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal writes that cold Bulldogs suffer loss.

Other links

• Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Urban Meyer plans to return for spring drills.
• The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Tennessee’s athletic budget was in the red last year.
• Dave Hooker of the News-Sentinel writes that the Kiffin fallout won’t be known for a while.

With the NFC and AFC championship games on tap, there’s a small roster of college basketball games on the tube today. Best of the bunch is the Louisville-Cincinnati matchup, 12 noon on FS Ohio. You can also see the UK women, ranked 25th, take on visiting Auburn on the Big Blue Network.

Video of Daniel Orton talking to the media after UK’s 101-70 win over the Razorbacks on Saturday.

Kentucky’s 101-70 pasting of a hapless Arkansas today at Rupp Arena was the first time the Cats topped the century mark in an SEC game since humiliating Vanderbilt 106-44 way back in 2003. The 31-point margin today was half that 62-point beatdown. So here are Kentucky’s 10 largest margin of victories in conference games since the Cats crushed the Commodores.

UK’s Eric Bledsoe compares DeMarcus Cousins to “Curly of the Little Rascals.”

Courtsey of the Martin Brothers: