John Clay's Sidelines

Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News is in Las Vegas, and writes on Quincy Miller, who may or may not be a UK target.

He wants to be a target when he gets to college, he tells DeCourcy.

An excerpt:

“Once I get in college, I definitely want to be a rival,” Miller said. “I want to be somebody that everybody hates.”

Oh, that’s coming.

If he chooses Kentucky, he’ll be the biggest villain in Louisville since, well, John Calipari. If he chooses Syracuse, he’ll be as popular in Connecticut as the letters N-C-A-A.

A 6-8 forward from Chicago who is playing at Westchester Academy in High Point, N.C., Miller is considering UK, U of L, UConn, Baylor, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Texas, Tennessee and Oklahoma. He’s got a long way in choosing a college, but it’s only a year until he gets there.

Rajon Rondo speaks at USA workouts. (Hat tip to Tailgate Review.)
Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Will Anthony Davis join Teague and Gilchrist at Kentucky? asks Zagsblog.
• Davis’ team is scheduled to play in the Hoops City Classic this weekend, reports Candace Buckner of the Kansas City Star.
• Tony Wroten has been energized by his summer, writes Mason Kelley of the Seattle Times.
• Ed Davender is accused of promising Final Four tix he didn’t have, reports Josh Kegley of the Herald-Leader.
• SEC Media picks Kentucky to finish fourth in East, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• UK players like Morgan Newton’s competitive attitude, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Bobby Petrino talks up Greg Nord to Larry Vaught.
• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches has the Joker Phillips transcript from SEC Media Days.
• Bleed Blue Kentucky talks to South Carolina running back prospect Brandon Wilds.
• Joker Phillips wants to be proactive on agents, says WLEX’s Mary Jo Perino.

Mark Richt at SEC Media Days. (AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

• Vandy’s interim coach puts on an entertaining show, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Arkansas embraces expectations, reports Cosby in the H-L.
• Steve Spurrier is not so cocky now, writes Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Spurrier has to win at South Carolina this season, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Tennessee gets ready to answer questions about the Vols Brawl, reports the AP.
• Mark Richt says he’s learned to expect issues at Georgia, reports David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Arkansas happy to have high hopes, writes Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.
• Ryan Mallet’s right arm and left foot are important parts, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine in the SEC, writes Scarbinsky.
• You have to hand it to the humorous Robbie Caldwell, writes John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Does Steve Spurrier have to win now?’

Randall Cobb at SEC Media Days (AP photo)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• After on-line protests, John Calipari cancels his political fundraiser for Gov. Steve Beshear, reports Jack Brammer of the Herald-Leader.
• Calipari’s Facebook page, where he announced the cancelation.
• Derrick Locke thinks Mike Hartline will be UK’s starting quarterback, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• NCAA investigations have coaches fired up about agents, reports Cosby.
• Joker Phillips is keeping Kentucky on its toes, writes Andy Bitter of the Macon Telegraph.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes that UK’s running back isn’t Derrick Locke-jaw.
• Paul Warford’s college football career is over, reports Dawson.
• Warford ruled academically ineligible, reports Nathan Hutchinson of the Richmond Register.
• John Wall’s academic excellence doesn’t fit one-and-done image, writes Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News.
• Randall Cobb is glad that Tee Martin is at Kentucky, writes Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Football meets SEC media, basketball meets politics’

(AP photo/Butch Dill)

SEC links for Thursday:

• As expected, Agent-gate consumes SEC Media Days, writes Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Maurkice Pouncey says he didn’t take money, reports Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Now Georgia is on the NCAA investigation list, reports Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.
• Tim Tucker of the AJC writes that NCAA is calling its trip to Georgia an “inquiry.”
• Saban’s pimp-slap won’t change unjust system, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Saban shot from the hip, and drained his ammo clip, writes Joe Biddle of the Tennessean.
• Complaints over agents sound rich to John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Unscrupulous players, not agents, is the problem, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
• David Ching of the Athens Banner-Herald believes that money is ruining the college game.
• SEC media overload at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, writes Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Forget blocking and tackling, it’s all about agents’

Today’s chart deals with the Kentucky-Louisville football series.

The bad news for Big Blue Nation is that even though the first four games were played in Lexington, and the fact that Kentucky is on a three-game win streak, Louisville still holds a 9-7 series lead.

The good news is that the Cats have a chance to match the longest win streak in the series. Louisville won four straight from 2003 through 2006. Those are known as the Bobby Petrino years. Since Petrino split the River City, Kentucky has won three in a row. The Cats can make it four on Sept. 4.

Kyle Wiltjer, No. 14, is in hte middle of back row. (Photo Oakland Soldiers)

Zagsblog posts about a number of stars on the Oakland Soldiers AAU team, a team sponsored by Drew Gooden, which recently competed at the Peach Jam in South Carolina. One is Kyle Wiltjer, a 6-9 forward from Portland, ranked 22nd in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com., from Portland, who has Kentucky on his list.

Excerpt:

As far as schools, the No. 4 power forward in the nation is looking at a ton of high-academic progams such as Kansas, Gonzaga, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, USC, Stanford, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Texas.

“Pretty much everyone’s equal right now,” he said.

Wiltjer said he plans to narrow his list after the July evaluation period.

The Shiver has some more background on Wiltjer.

ESPN.com has some Wiltjer video.

Dwayne Schintzius

In case you missed it in the SEC Links, former Florida center Dwayne Schintzius is now cancer-free after being diagnosed with leukemia 10 months ago, reports Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun and Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune.

Excerpt from Johnston’s column:

The doctors and staff at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute pushed him, along with his parents, Ken and Linda, who kept a constant vigil.

But it was also strength gained from words and messages of friends, former NBA players such as Rick Mahorn and Rik Smits, even perfect strangers.

“There were certainly times growing up when I acted like a pompous jerk and I did a lot of things wrong,” Schintzius said. “There were times when I didn’t like myself at all.

“But you know what? You’ve got to enjoy every day you’re on this planet. I never knew there were so many people who cared about me. I’d tell anybody to tell people you love them and make up with the ones who you feel have done you wrong. Relationships keep you going. They kept me going. I never felt alone.”

With his gawky frame and trademark mullet haircut, Schintzius was a whipping boy for fans around the SEC, especially Kentucky fans. In fact, Schintzius was probably the first Gator UK fans loved to hate, a tradition that has stretched through Matt Walsh and Joakim Noah. But it’s good to hear that Schintzius is beating his battle with a deadly disease.

(H-L photo)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Chris Low of espn.com ranks Kentucky No. 8 among SEC quarterbacks in league position ratings.

• DeQuin Evans is happy to represent his family, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.

• Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb make pre-season All-SEC first team, while Evans is a second-team choice, says H-L staff report.

• Writing for Kentucky Sports Network, Ira Combs asks if Mike Hartline is the leader at UK quarterback?

• Darrell Bird of the Cats Pause previews SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama.

• Joker Phillips shares some insights on this year’s football team with Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.

• Alan Cutler of WLEX-TV says that as head coach, Joker is the boss.

• Kentucky has plenty of competition for Boyle County linebacker Lamar Dawson, reports Dan Rieffer of WTVQ,

• Ken Howlett of A Sea of Blue believes that UK football has a favorable 2010 schedule.

• Aaron’s UK Football Blog looks at the status of the Kentucky redshirts from 2009.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Locke, Cobb, Evans, Hartline, Joker, Dawson’

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register thinks Nick Saban is on to something about agents.

• More on Alabama’s Marcell Dareus being investigated by NCAA from Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.

• Chase Goodbread and Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News on the Alabama link to a Miami agent’s party.

• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says that Alabama is football’s most consistent cheater.

• Off-the-field problems have reared their ugly heads before media days, writes the AP.

• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press says welcome to SEC Media Days, otherwise known as Agent-gate.

• Ryan Mallett gives hope to the Hogs, writes David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

• Ex-Florida basketball star Dwayne Schintzius is now cancer-free, reports Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.

• Mr. SEC thinks 2010 conference football season rests on these 30 men.

• After severe neck injury, Auburn’s Zac Etheridge has been cleared to play, reports Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.

Continue reading ‘SEC: League Football Media Days turn into Agent-gate’