Kentucky sports and beyond.
Just wanted to let the readers of this blog know that I’m currently dealing with a family member’s medical issue, so my posts here will probably be few and far between over the next few days. Thanks for your patience. I hope to be able to return to regular posting soon. Thanks again. John.
(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)
Big Blue Links for Wednesday:
Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader writes on Devan Downey: ” After leading South Carolina to an unprecedented three straight victories over Kentucky, Devan Downey has a good idea of the bad reception he’ll receive in Rupp Arena on Thursday night. ‘I’m pretty sure I’m going to get a not-too-warm welcome,’ he said with comedic understatement on Tuesday. ‘I know it’s all in fun. But I’ve gotten my share of hate mail and Facebook messages from Kentucky fans.’”
My column about how UK is nationall ranked in several sports: “I mentioned in Monday’s column that UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart had gotten one right in hiring Matthew Mitchell to head the women’s basketball program after Mickie DeMoss’s surprising resignation. Also wrote, “And that’s not the only one.” I wasn’t kidding.”
Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News shows DeAndre Liggins some love: “Let’s hear it for Kentucky’s DeAndre Liggins, who began the season outside John Calipari’s good graces and is ending it as an essential member of a title contender.”
Tom Leach makes John Wall’s case: “Kentucky’s John Wall was the early favorite to win some or all of college basketball’s player-of-the-year awards but Ohio State’s Evan Turner is coming on strong. If you make your choice based on numbers, then Turner’s case is as strong or stronger than Wall’s. But if you base it on impact, that’s where I think Wall gets the edge and Saturday’s 58-56 win at Vanderbilt was a good example of why.”
Nick Craddock of the Kentucky Kernel on the bond shared by Matthew Mitchell and Pat Summitt: “The UK women’s basketball coaching staff is comprised of UK employees, but they all were Volunteers at one time. UK head coach Matthew Mitchell and his assistant coaches Kyra Elzy, Matt Insell and Shalon Pillow all share, in an ironic twist, a connection to one of UK’s most-hated rivals: the Tennessee Volunteers.”
Continue reading ‘BBL: UK men prepare for USC; UK women prepare for UT’
(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)
Big Blue Links for Tuesday:
Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader on the bond shared by Kentucky’s new football coaches: “Charlie Strong was happy when he heard the news that Joker Phillips would take over for Rich Brooks as head football coach at the University of Kentucky, and Phillips had the same sentiment when Tom Jurich tabbed Strong to rebuild the program at the University of Louisville. And both Phillips and Strong were glad to see young up-and-comer Willie Taggart get his shot as the head coach at Western Kentucky University in November.”
A Sea of Blue on Calipari taking a break from basketball to visit someone in need: “Calipari did them one better. Unbeknownst to Kevin, Calipari, touched by the story related to him by Ed Schilling, took a plane to Indianapolis and surprised the youngster by personally visiting him in the hospital. As Cal walked through the door, tears began streaming down the cheeks of the extremely ill young man.”
Mark Story of the H-L on Mark Coury, ex-Wildcat now at Cornell: “When he picked Cornell, Coury became the first men’s hoops player ever to leave the basketball factory here in Lexington for the hallowed academic halls of the Ivy League. Yet that’s not the most unlikely part of the story.”
The Big Lead catches DeMarcus Cousins watching at Erin Andrews. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
Wildcat Blue Blog looks at what UK does for SEC attendance: “Some SEC schools struggle to fill their seats year in and year out, except when the Kentucky Wildcats come to town. Then, the entire community seems to want to have a ticket and cram into the arena like sardines. UK has played 6 road games in the SEC so far this season and I looked at the average home attendance in conference play of those 6 teams and then compared it to the attendance for the Kentucky game.”
Inner Circle wants to forgive Billy Gillispie: “Many people say he only has himself to blame. He was the cause of his own demise. Nobody told him to drink and possibly neglect his players. Nobody told him to treat the media with disregard. Nobody told him to think narrow-mindedly offensively and defensively. Nobody told him to recruit the players he was recruiting.”
Continue reading ‘BBL: Calipari takes a break to visit someone in need’
SEC links for Tuesday:
Continue reading ‘SEC links: Big vote today on mascot at Ole Miss’
So how does this 2009-2010 Kentucky basketball team compare to Rick Pitino’s 1995-96 national championship team? Well, a look at the stats says the ’95-96 team would still have a slight edge.
Eric Bledsoe’s shove ov Vanderbilt’s Jeffrey Taylor, added to the actions of some UK players in previous games, raised the concern of some Kentucky fans, even the die-hard fans who are regular visitors to my game liveblog. Some even referred to it as “thug-ish.” Then I received this e-mail in my in-box today:
I am not a letter writer but I feel I have to comment on the behavior of some of our Kentucky Cats during the past couple of games. KY. has always been a class act and I don’t remember ever hearing a player being booed. Have we gotten so caught up in winning that we accept any actions? The Cats are role models for thousands of young people and that’s a huge responsibility. Someone needs to make these young men realize that they are not entitled to act that way just because they happen to be blessed with a talent. I’m sure there are many young men that would be proud to wear the KY uniform and not disgrace it. Let’s get the pride back into KY basketball-not this degrading behavior.
I’m curious to what you think. Are you becoming concerned about the on-the-court behavior of the current UK team? Is this just a maturity issue that will take care of itself over time? Or is this a problem that needs to be dealt with?
(H-L photo/Joseph Rey Au)
Big Blue Links for Monday:
Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader reports on a record-setting Senior Day for UK Hoops: “He was even more pleased with the show his No. 16 Kentucky team put on for the season-record 7,742 that showed up on Sunday for Senior Day. What the fans saw was a 71-50 drilling of South Carolina, a team that had beaten UK by eight points in January.”
A Sea of Blue tackles the issue of Patrick Patterson and Senior Day: “I think he should get to do the senior stuff on senior day. Just because he didn’t go to UK for four years doesn’t mean he should be penalized for it. He is getting a degree and deserves to get the recognition. He has meant a lot to the University of Kentucky. Not many athletes of his caliber even get a degree much less do it in three years. I think he should get to do it. Now of course there is still the question of whether he comes back, but honestly … he doesn’t need to.”
ESPN’s Andy Katz says UK has locked up a No. 1 seed: “John Wall’s block on the perimeter against Vandy was another example of the type of defensive play that the Wildcats are making at opportune times. Patrick Patterson’s baseline jumper against Mississippi State was another example of the type of offensive play the Wildcats are making late in games to win.”
My column on how the UK women finished unbeaten at home: “That says something right there. If you’re going to be a program that matters, you have to have the ear of your fan base. You ask them to come out, they come out. Kentucky’s women basketball fans responded. They came out. Their team said right back at ya. They turned crowd pleasers. They drove. They spun. They kept the ball away from South Carolina’s 6-foot-5 freshman Kelly Bone. They took off in transition.”
UK target Terrence Jones attended the Washington-UCLA game, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
Matt Moore of Pro Basketball Talk on Calipari’s development of NBA players: “Coach John Calipari of Memphis has produced two top-two players out of the last two drafts, and likely the last two Rookie of the Year award winners. He’s likely to have three of his players in the top ten this year (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson). And if you need any further proof of Calipari’s ability to develop pros, you should take a look at Antonio Anderson.”
Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch on the John Wall-Evan Turner debate: “Justice would be served if Kentucky point guard John Wall was voted college basketball’s player of the year. But there would be no injustice if Wall came in second.”
Andy Hutchins of Sporting News Blog on Wall: “No one has slept on John Wall. College basketball’s flashiest freshman has delivered on his hype, with speed and shooting, defense and leadership. He seems more mature than previous freshman point guards under John Calipari, more reliable than Derrick Rose and more polished than Tyreke Evans. It doesn’t hurt that he’s got NBA talent to dish to, but Wall has been the catalyst for Big Blue, and he’s going to be the reason Kentucky wins or loses the NCAA Tournament.”
Continue reading ‘BBL: Wall, Patterson, UK hoops and many more links’
SEC links for Monday:
Videos from post-game press conference after Kentucky women completed its home season undefeated with a 71-50 win over visiting South Carolina. On top is UK coach Matthew Mitchell. In the middle is Victoria Dunlap, Amani Franklin and Lydia Watkins. At the bottom is a none-too-happy South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
