John Clay's Sidelines

Kentucky freshman Brandon Knight was among the trio of players made available to the media today. He was asked about the team going back on the road, and the improvement it made in the win over South Carolina last week following the loss to Alabama. Knight talked about how the team knows it won’t get calls on the road, and “We’re the only people there for us.”

Brandon also says he doesn’t pay attention to the polls — Kentucky is now 10th in the AP — and that he doesn’t think fatigue has been a factor in the way the team has had trouble closing out its last two wins.

He was also asked about the motivational message John Calipari placed in the locker of each player.

(H-L photo/John Clay)

Ryan Mossakowski’s father has confirmed to WKYT that the redshirt freshman quarterback has decided to transfer. This is something of a surprise considering that Mossakowski was expected to compete in spring practice with junior-to-be Morgan Newton for the starting quarterback spot.

The Texas native came to UK with a reputation as being a big-time passer, but his progress was curtailed by shoulder surgery. Still, in talking with UK offensive coordinator Randy Sanders, it was clear that Kentucky liked Mossakowski’s intangibles and quarterback skills. He appeared to be the best pure pocket passer of the quarterback candidates.

Newton has a leg up in experience, however, after making eight starts as a true freshman after Mike Hartline got hurt in 2009. This past season, when Hartline was suspended for the bowl game, Newton started and played the entire game in UK’s 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

(The video is after the jump.)

If you know John Calipari, you know he has themes-of-the-moment, and he will relentlessly drive home those themes in an effort to make his point with his team. Themes-for-the-team. Today’s media opp previewing Tuesday night’s game with Ole Miss was a good example of the Calipari Way.

A prevailing Cal theme these days is his insistence that while his freshmen are good, the team really belongs to upperclassmen Josh Harrellson, DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller. (It’s the same thing Mike DeCourcy wrote from Saturday’s win over Georgia for Sporting News.) Cal said he met with his veteran trio again and told them they need to take control now that the team is going on the road again.

“If the freshmen play well, great, we’ll win,” Calipari said. “If they don’t play well, we’ve got to win anyway. . . . You, the two juniors and a senior, this is your team.”

His other theme is that this team has yet to play to its potential. He knows he’s asking a lot, that some guys are close to their potential. But he still wants more. He thinks Terrence Jones played good defense and rebounded well on Saturday, but that at times when the ball comes to him “it just stops.” He wants Jones to be the most well-rounded player in America. He wants Brandon Knight to be the best point guard who scores. He wants Darius Miller to be one of the best players in the conference. He wants Doron Lamb to play with motor. He wants it all, in other words.

Continue reading ‘Video: Calipari drives home his talking points’

With reports that last week’s guest, Larry Brown, may have overstepped NCAA rules while watching UK practice, coach John Calipari jokes with Joe B. Hall on Monday about Hall watching/participating in the team’s practices. Joe takes a little rib at our own Jerry Tipton, who is off camera, but Jerry did laugh.

(H-L photo/David Perry)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

The Kentucky women rally to beat Alabama 82-69, reports the Tuscaloosa News. It was the final women’s game at Coleman Coliseum. The women are moving to newly-renovated Foster Auditorium. Victoria Dunlap keyed the Kentucky comeback and finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds. After losing their first two SEC games, the Cats have reeled off six straight wins. They play host to Auburn on Thursday. Both teams are 6-2 in the league, and tied for second with Georgia behind first-place Tennessee. Matthew Mitchell’s team plays host to the Vols a week from tonight.

Coach Cal’s site has an interesting tidbit about a motivational tool John Calipari left in his player’s lockers on Friday. Nation of Blue picked up on it, as well. It’s the “Law of the Price Tag.” Be prepared for some jokes from the Louisville message boards on the “price tag” angle. The U of L boards also had a field day with the video of Ashley Judd talking to Terrence Jones. One prize comment said that Jones seemed to be thinking, “Coach Cal told me there would be hot girls in our locker room, not middle-aged cougars.”

Tom Leach writes that Saturday was a good day for the Big Blue Nation on a pair of fronts. He sites UK’s basketball win over Georgia, of course. But he also applauds the efforts made to keep Tee Martin on the Cats’ football sideline. And Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches also chimes in with the “couldn’t-afford-to-lose” Tee Martin angle. As for football recruiting, Bleed Blue Kentucky reports that hopes of stealing one recruit from Alabama were dashed over the weekend.

After Saturday’s basketball win, John Calipari said he would like some of his nice guys to be meaner. The toughness angle has been a season-long theme with Cal. Now, the finishing angle has to be the focus. You have to wonder how much the longer minutes Cal’s super six are getting contributes to the lack of focus down the stretch. The coach’s newest kick is to say that the old guys are telling him that’s the way they used to do it, that Rupp only played five guys. But that was a different game. Meanwhile, Wildcat Blue Nation thinks Cal is the master at making do.

Continue reading ‘BBL: UK women now 6-2; Men need more work’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Monday:

Ex-Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom has interviewed for the wide receivers coach opening at Alabama. That’s the same one that UK wide outs coach Tee Martin was reported to be in the mix for filling. Martin turned that into a hefty raise and a new job title. Mike Groh is also a possibility for the position,reports the Tuscaloosa News.

On the women’s basketball front, Tennessee won at Arkansas 72-53. Georgia fell into a second-place tie with Kentucky after losing 47-41 at LSU. Vandy’s Angela Puleo hit six three-pointers as the Commodores beat Ole Miss 71-42. Auburn beat South Carolina 54-47. Kentucky beat Alabama 82-69.

We’re coming down to the final days of college football recruiting for 2010. The Montgomery Advertiser has stories on both Alabama and Auburn and their respective recruiting efforts. The Birmingham News has a report on a four-star cornerback who is now in the mix at Auburn. The Tigers are also focusing in on a four-star defensive tackle.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Croom interviews at Alabama; Women’s results’

Reds Caravan stop in Lexington from John Clay on Vimeo.

(H-L photo)

Keeping Tee Martin in the Kentucky football fold with a contract extension and the new title of passing game coordinator has been termed as “huge.”

Wrote Kentucky Sports Report’s Brian Eldridge for Wildcat Blue Nation, “Kentucky had to show a commitment to the football program and re-up Martin’s contract, even though he saw his contract upgraded just several weeks ago. Joker Phillips and AD Mitch Barnhart stepped in and made the necessary move to keep the up-and-coming coach on staff.”

My take: When backed into a corner, sometimes you have to overpay.

This has nothing to do with Tee Martin and his coaching abilities, or his recruiting prowess. It has everything to do with giving a new contract, a hefty raise (to $400,000-a-year reportedly) and enhanced job title to someone who has been a Division I college football assistant coach for two years.

That’s right, two years. In 2006, Martin was the passing game coordinator for Morehouse College. In 2007 and 2008 he was out of coaching, serving as an analyst for Comcast Sports Southeast. In 2009, he was quarterbacks coach on Mike Locksley’s staff at New Mexico. Martin joined UK last year as wide receivers coach.

Continue reading ‘Is keeping Tee Martin a “huge” deal for UK football?’

Forget the actress. This video has an excellent shot of the back of my head.

Attended the Reds Winter Caravan stop in Lexington this morning. Jay Bruce, Yasmani Grandal, Tom Browning, Walt Jocketty, Bob Castellini, Phil Castellini and Joe Morgan were on hand. Big crowd at the Lexington Center Shops. Reds estimated attendance at 700, but I’d say there were probably more than that. The line stretched all the way back to the door. Talked to Bob Castellini for a column for Monday’s paper.

(Photo by John Clay)

(Photo by John Clay)