John Clay's Sidelines

Video of UK freshman Terrence Jones talking to media after his 29-point, eight-rebound night at the Blue-White scrimmage at Rupp Arena.

Provided by UK Athletics:October 26, 2010

COACH CALIPARI

Q. Can you talk about the play of Terrence Jones, what you saw and what you liked?

COACH CALIPARI: He’s pretty good. Pretty good. Did some good stuff. One of the things you’ve got to have is you’ve got to score the ball, and that kid right there can score the ball. But we are still ‑‑ if you watch, we are still trying to figure out how we are going to have to play.

Look, I’m not the kind of guy that recruits players and says, you must play like this and if you can’t, you’re not going to be a player. I try to look at a kid and say, how does he play, what’s the best style for him to play.

Even Brandon, I grabbed him after and I said, “Brandon, we have to just define your game a little bit. I haven’t had a point guard shoot like you.” So we have to define a little more of how we play. And to stay with Doron (Lamb); I thought he did some stuff with the ball, got really quick with the ball where he wanted to.

But we had not worked on switching. We had not worked on any trapping. We had not worked on any ball screens. So when it looked like we didn’t know what we were doing ‑‑ that’s right, we didn’t. We had no idea. I was trying to talk them through it and scramble it up a little bit just to see what we would look like, but got a ways to go.

Q. Is this a good two hours, or two hours better spent in practice format?

COACH CALIPARI: No, I’ll tell you why it’s good. I want to know: When you’ve got numbers on your back, and the lights turned on, how you play now. And let’s put 10,000 people in the seats. Now how do you play? How do you shoot? How do you make free throws? It’s important.

The other thing was, we went 40 minutes without a sub. So every kid played every minute. So we got the conditioning we wanted. I get to see, all right, who is a little panic-stricken; and I also get to watch tape of us in that environment and see where the breakdowns were.

But obviously, look, guys, I’m not lying to you when I tell you, we are a ways away. I like my team. We have got to get, you know, Josh (Harrellson) is getting like 24 rebounds. I don’t think he’s ever done that in a rebounding drill, like by himself, with a zone ‑‑ I don’t know what that means. Does that mean, wait a minute, and I switch to Eloy (Vargas), because I’ve got to get some fight out of Eloy. He loves the chance, but it’s not just playing; in that position, you’ve got to battle.

So, but he was ‑‑ but that’s his first (game). You’ve got to give Eloy (a break), first time‑out of the gate. He’s never played in front of 10,000. Wait until it’s 25,000. Never played in front of 10,000. So how about the beginning of the game, we had a lot of anxiety. But that’s to be expected. That’s why you do these things. That’s why it’s important that you do them.

Continue reading ‘Full transcript of Caliapri’s post-scrimmage presser’

I’ll be liveblogging from the UK Blue-White Basketball Scrimmage tonight at Rupp Arena.

(AP photo)

Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger reports that Mississippi State has been informed by the SEC that its fans are violating the league’s cowbell policy.

Of course, Kentucky visits Mississippi State on Saturday night.

Writes Marcello:

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State University’s cowbell compromise for home football games might be finished after a one-year trial.

The Southeastern Conference has told MSU officials of violations of legislation the school introduced in June that allows cowbells to be used during certain times during games at Scott Field.

The SEC is expected to levy financial penalties against MSU at the end of the year, MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said.

Stricklin says fans “have not managed it right to this point,” when discussing cowbell etiquette during MSU’s first two SEC home games.

The AP also has a story on the cowbell controversy.

Jared Cunningham of Madison, Wisconsin sends along the following message and pic.

I may live in Wisconsin now but my wife and I still bleed blue!

From @UKpharmer2 comes this Halloween treat. Click on the photo for the full-size view.

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Kentucky football’s new goal is a better bowl, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky receiver Matt Roark charged with DUI, report Chip Cosby and Jennifer Hewlett of the H-L.
• Former Cats will help out with tonight’s UK basketball scrimmage, reports Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Run game paves UK’s road to success, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• A lot for Calipari to learn from tonight’s scrimmage, writes Dawson of the C-J.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger talks to UK target Trevor Lacey.
• Eric Quigley on pace to become UK’s top tennis star, reports Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Missed opportunities have proved fatal for UK volleyball, reports Ethan Levine of the Kentucky Kernel.
• It’s win and in for UK women’s soccer, reports Chandler Howard of the Kernel.
• Suspensions and injuries are marring UK’s receiving corp, reports Jeff Drummond of BigBlue 247.

Roy Skinner and Adolph Rupp (Photo Vanderbilt athletics)

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Roy Skinner, a Paducah native and the winningest basketball coach in Vanderbilt history, has died, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Derek Dooley compares Tennessee to Germans awaiting American invasion, reports Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Auburn not ready to say its defensive problems are fixed, writes Charles Bennett of the Anniston Star.
• Gus Malzahn making most of his shot at Auburn, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• Alabama-Auburn could be a historic Iron Bowl, writes Paul Finebaum for the Mobile Press-Register.
• Better practice, better performance in games, says Urban Meyer, reports Edward Aschoff of the Gainesville Sun.
• Jeff Schultz of the AJC has an early Georgia-Florida primer.
• Ole Miss looking for a stretch run just like 2008, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Vanderbilt changing offensive coordinators, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• LSU turns focus to Alabama, writes Randy Rosetta of The Advocate.

Matt Roark

At his weekly press conference today, UK football coach Joker Phillips said today that wide receiver Matt Roark was suspended for the Mississippi State game for a violation of team rules.

Now we know why.

WLEX is reporting that Roark was arrested on a DUI charge Sunday morning.

Phillips said the suspension was for one game.

A one-game suspension for a DUI? Or did Phillips not know of the DUI when he spoke Monday?

Update: Brett Dawson reports via Twitter through a UK spokesman that Phillips did know of DUI when he announced the suspension.

Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline made a rare appearance at the weekly UK Football Luncheon today. He talked the offense, his play, his relationship with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders, and this week’s game with Mississippi State.