John Clay's Sidelines

Update: Tweet from @UKCoachCalipari — Now, do I have to respond to these rumors too?

Big Blue Links for Monday:

Jerrance Howard

John Supinie of the Journal Star on UK talking to Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard: “When national power Kentucky comes calling with a fat checkbook, any coach has to listen. Kentucky contacted Howard on Friday about the vacant assistant coaching position. With Howard playing a key role in Illinois’ recent recruiting surge, the thought of possibly losing him sent Illini fans into a nervous frenzy.” (Hat tip Aaron’s Uk Basketball Blog.)

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune says Calipari to NBA rumors still alive: “League sources said Sunday that noted NBA power broker William Wesley continues to work back channels to sell John Calipari and James as a package deal to franchises such as the Bulls, Nets and Clippers with coaching vacancies and salary cap room. Another league source confirmed that an unknown Calipari connection contacted Bulls management over the weekend.”

Mark Maloney of the Herald-Leader on UK baseball sweeping its way into SEC tournament picture: “With the top eight teams qualifying for the tourney, UK vaulted from 10th place on Friday and into a four-way tie for seventh Sunday with Alabama, LSU and Tennessee. The Cats (29-23, 12-15 SEC) finish league play with games at last-place Georgia on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

Fabian Lyon of the Miami Herald on Eloy Vargas: “Vargas’ decision will reunite him with Pine Crest star guard Brandon Knight, who is headed to Kentucky and played alongside Vargas and Florida guard Kenny Boynton Jr. on the 2007 AAU national champion Team Breakdown. Team Breakdown coach Kenny Gillion, who has stayed close to Vargas since he graduated from American Heritage, said Vargas was not able to show his true worth at Florida due to an ankle injury.”

Kadeem Jack talks recruiting:

Nick Craddock writes for Herald-Leader on UK tennis advancing to Sweet 16: “The Cats (25-8) defeated Georgia Tech (18-8), ranked No. 24 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, 4-1 on Sunday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex to advance to the NCAA Tournament round of 16 in Athens, Ga. UK, ranked No. 11 by the ITA, was appearing in the second round of the NCAA championships for the seventh time since 2000. However, the Cats hadn’t made it past the opening weekend since 2002, when UK reached the NCAA quarterfinals.”

In a special to the Advocate, James Pennington reports on UK baseball win over LSU: “Sunday, Ott entered the game with a 4-2 lead and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Kentucky senior catcher Marcus Nidiffer worked the count full, fouled off a pitch and connected with his 10th home run of the season – a game-deciding grand slam in his final home at-bat.”

Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader on Calipari contracts of the past: “Speculation about John Calipari leaving surfaces. His bosses rework his contract. This exercise was repeated again and again in Calipari’s nine seasons at Memphis. So no surprise that when Calipari-to-the-NBA rumors swirled this spring, Kentucky officials began restructuring the coach’s contract.”

Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger reports that Daniel Orton will not work out at combine: “His son will go to the NBA combine in Chicago May 19. However, he will not work out for NBA teams then. ‘He has to be there to get weighed and measured. I think teams will talk to him then, too. But he is not going to work out then,’ said Larry Orton.”

Wildcat Blue Blog on how Kentucky is turning Florida blue: “Things started to get worse for Donovan last season when John Calipari moved into his conference and in the span of about a month and a half, bested Donovan in a pair of high profile recruiting battles for John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, both of which Donovan felt he had a very good shot at, especially Bledsoe. Then came a Wildcat season sweep of the Gators and you had to wonder how worse things could get for Donovan.”

Cat Scratches on UK softball returning to the NCAA Tournament: “Coincidentally, the Cats will head to Columbus, Ohio, for the second straight season for the first and second rounds of the tournament. UK will take on the host Buckeyes on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament. Opposite UK in the regional are No. 11 overall seed California and Bucknell.”