John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

Kenny Colston of the Kentucky Kernel gives a running diary of the UK ticket lottery: “7:25 p.m. – One lone guy is pushing a car down Euclid Avenue while a girl steers inside. 6,000 people watch him. He fakes the turn up Lexington Avenue before stopping. 4 people offer to help, 5,996 keep watching. Eventually, they call a tow truck, a UK athletics member stops traffic on Euclid and four guys He-man the car into the Student Center parking lot. Only at the lottery.”

Jerry Tipton of the H-L writes that DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t a fan favorite in Alabama: ” While repeatedly insisting that playing against home-state Alabama on Tuesday night represents “just another game,” Kentucky forward DeMarcus Cousins acknowledged that many of his fellow Alabamans might be watching with special interest. ‘Probably the whole state,’ he said.”

Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register on Cousins and Bama: “Alabama really never showed Cousins the love deserving of a top in-state prospect, and that thought process seemed to stretch through two different coaching staffs. My understanding is that (unlike what was said on the above interview) the Crimson Tide’s past coaching staff didn’t really recruit Cousins. Obviously, that wasn’t because of talent. Not to put words in others’ mouths, but we can safely conclude it had more to do with attitude than ability.”

Tipton’s notes focus on Alabama’s adversity: “Grant has made defense a priority. The Tide lead the SEC in holding league opponents to an average of 60.1 points and 25.4-percent shooting from three-point range. Alabama also ranks fourth in overall shooting accuracy by SEC opponents (39.6 percent). Only Arkansas (71) and Ole Miss (74) have scored more than 70 points against Alabama.”

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that coming close and Anthony Grant: “Given the fragile mental and physical state of his self-proclaimed ‘undersized and underskilled’ team, bet on more suffering. And hasn’t the man suffered enough? The last three defeats have taken him deeper and deeper into Dante’s inferno. Losing by a point at Auburn in the final seconds. Losing by a point to Florida in the final minute. Losing a big lead at Ole Miss in the second half.”

Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register writes that it doesn’t get any easier for Bama: “Even in the best of times, Alabama would not be favored to beat Kentucky on the road. And these clearly aren’t the best of times. The Crimson Tide has dropped three in a row and is coming off arguably its most disappointing result to date under first-year coach Anthony Grant, blowing a 23-point second-half lead Saturday to fall 74-67 at Ole Miss.”

Here are two videos of John Calipari before Monday’s practice, talking about UK’s tough schedule the rest of the season. Asked if that will help come tournament time, Cal says no, because they are not neutral site games. But then we the media inform Cal that UK in NCAA Tournament games are not neutral site games. Kentucky fans find ways to get tickets.

Continue reading ‘BBL: A trip through the UK student ticket lottery’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Tennessee keeping first place in women’s hoops.
• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean covers the Lady Vols win over host Vanderbilt.
• Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel writes that the Tennessee men start a big week tonight.
• Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal writes about the Arkansas rebound.
• Seth Emerson of The State offers a mid-season SEC basketball report.
• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennnessean writes on the scoring spree by Vandy’s Jermaine Beal.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Tennessee women hold on to first’

Jay Williams

Former Duke star Jay Williams will be teaming with Rob Stone when ESPNU telecasts the Kentucky-Alabama game on Tuesday night. That makes it a good time to put Jay up for our Media Approval Ratings.

So what say you on Jay, thumbs-up or thumbs-down?

Previously: Seth Davis, Greg Anthony, Clark Kellogg, Bill Raftery, Jimmy Dykes, Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale

Before practice today, John Calipari made his case that there is, in fact, parity in the SEC.

Before today’s practice, Kentucky coach John Calipari talks about Alabama’s tough losses, how the Crimson Tide is playing tough defense, and DeMarcus Cousins.

John Calipari on johnclay.bloginky.com from John Clay on Vimeo.

Videos of DeMarcus Cousins talking about (a) his feelings about Alabama, Kentucky’s opponent on Tuesday night, and (b) the beating he takes underneath the basket. Cousins is from the great state of Alabama, but says it was a “bad situation” as far as himself and the Crimson Tide. In the second video, Big Cuz talks about how opponents are playing him.

Kentucky basketball states updated in Excel files:

• Kentucky basketball game-by-team team stats in an Excel file using Google Docs.

• Kentucky basketball game-by-game individual stats in an Excel file using Google Docs.

(AP photo)

Some SEC East team-by-team notes:

Kentucky (7-1)

• UK’s 81-55 win at LSU, coupled with Vandy’s surprising loss to Georgia, gave Cats sole possession of first place in division.
• Kentucky held LSU to a points per possession average of 0.727, lowest since Drexel posted an 0.674 vs. the Cats.
• Eric Bledsoe has made just two of 13 three-pointers his last five games.
• DeMarcus Cousins is the first UK player since Chris Mills (1988-89) to post six consecutive double-doubles.
• In his last five games, Cousins is averaging 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in the first half.
• DeAndre Liggins had a career-high eight rebounds on Saturday.
• Darius Miller has failed to score in three of his last four games, including Saturday.
• Kentucky is home twice this week — Tuesday vs. Alabama and Saturday vs. Tennessee.

Tennessee (6-2)

• Tennessee held South Carolina to just 27.6 percent shooting in the Vols’ easy win Saturday.
• UT has held five of its eight SEC foes under 40 percent this year.
• Wayne Chism had the best game of any SEC player on Saturday, scoring 30 points, blocking three shots and making three assists. Chism was 11-of-17 from the floor.
• The Vols turned the basketball over just six times Saturday.
• Steven Pearl has played double-digit minutes in six straight games.
• Billy Kenny Hall grabbed 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes on Saturday.
• Tennessee has a tough week, at Vanderbilt on Tuesday and Kentucky on Saturday.

Vanderbilt (6-2)

• Vandy shot just 32.8 percent in its 72-58 loss at Georgia. The Commodores’ previous SEC low was 39.2 percent at Alabama.
• So the Commodores posted an 0.84 points per possesion average, the second time in three games they have dropped below 1.0.
• Vandy led 26-23 at the half, but gave up 49 second-half points.
• Vandy’s problem is defense. Six of its eight SEC foes have averaged at least a point per possession.
• Freshman John Jenkins had a nightmare in Athens. The normally accurate shooter missed all nine of his shots, including all seven of his three-point attempts. That’s easily the worst shooting performance in the league this year. The previous worst was 0-for-6.
• A.J. Ogilvy scored just six points, the first time this year the center failed to crack double-digits in an SEC game.
• Vanderbilt plays host to Tennessee on Tuesday, then LSU on Saturday.

Continue reading ‘Tennessee now at Kentucky’s heels in SEC East’

(AP photo)

Some SEC West team-by-team notes:

Arkansas (5-3)

• The Razorbacks picked up their fourth straight win by beating visiting Auburn 82-79 in overtime on Saturday, boosting Arkansas to first place in the division.
• John Pelphrey’s team has shot 47.5 percent or better in each of its last three games.
• Courtney Forston turned in another big effort, scoring 24 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing seven assists in 40 minutes.
• Forston is averaging 23.4 points per game over his last five games.
• He had seven assists and just three turnovers against Auburn, the first time his assist-to-turnover ratio has posted a positive number since the Florida game on Jan. 21.
• Julysses Nobles had two assists and two steals in just five minutes on the floor Saturday.
• Freshman Marshawn Powell is averaging 16.3 points per game over his last three games.
• Arkansas plays host to LSU on Wednesday, then travels to Alabama on Saturday.

Ole Miss (5-4)

• Nice comeback win for Rebels on Saturday, rallying from a 20-point halftime deficit to beat Alabama.
• The Rebels posted a 1.14 points per possession average, the fifth straight game Ole Miss has topped 1.00.
• Andy Kennedy’s team has outrebounded five of its last six teams. The loss at UK was the lone exception.
• Terrence Henry had a terrific game against the Tide, producing 20 points and eight rebounds in just 26 minutes.
• Chris Warren also played well, scoring 21 points. Warren made three three-pointers.
• Ole Miss was without Reggie Buckner for a third straight game.
• The Rebs won despite an off night from Terrico White, who was 2-of-9 from the floor, including 0-of-5 from three-point range.
• The Rebels are at Mississippi State on Thursday.

Mississippi State (4-4)

• Kodi Augustus had a tough game in Gainesville, making just one of seven shots in loss to Florida.
• Ravern Johnson had a nice game, 20 points, on 8-of-11 shooting in Gainesville.
• Dee Bost has made just 11 of 47 shots over his last five games. That’s 23.4 percent.
• Jarvis Varnado had 16 points and 13 rebounds at Florida, but missed 10 of his 16 shots.
• State shot 38.3 on Saturday, the fourth time in its last five games it has shot under 40 percent.
• The Bulldogs are home for their next three — Ole Miss on Thursday, Auburn on Saturday, then Kentucky on Feb. 16.

Continue reading ‘Razorbacks rise leads SEC West basketball notes’

(H-L photo/David Perry)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• My column handicapping Kentucky’s competition for a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.
• Herald-Leader report on Kentucky women winning at Arkansas.
• AP report from Fayetteville on the win by the Kentucky women.
• Jordan Hall of the Kentucky Kernel on students’ search for UK basketball tickets.
• Tom Leach talks to a famous Lexingtonian, NBC’s Tom Hammond.
• DeAnte Mitchell of the Bleacher Report on Brandon Knight. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
• Kentucky Sports Network goes thumbs-up/thumbs-down on UK-LSU.
• A Sea of Blue’s postmortem on Kentucky’s rout of LSU in Baton Rouge.
• Straitpinkie looks at Kentucky basketball by the numbers.
• Big Blue Lowdown calls Darius Miller an enigma wrapped in a riddle.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Kentucky men and women keep on rolling’