John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

FACEBOOK QUESTION — This is Kentucky’s most disappointing team since . . . ?

Quick thoughts after UK’s 77-76 OT loss at Arkansas:

• This team is not getting better. It makes the same mistakes, loses in the same fashion. The mistakes aren’t as troubling as the fact that the same mistakes keep happening at crunch time. Again, a bad turnover near the end, this time with Brandon Knight throwing a bad bounce pass that ultimately turned into the game-winner with Marucs Britt hitting a fast break layup.
• DeAndre Liggins’ technical foul was a momentum-killer. Kentucky led 43-40 at the time. After Liggins was hit with the T for the second straight road game, Arkansas scored seven straight points for a 47-43 lead. Kentucky never got the momentum back.
• Terrence Jones was nowhere to be found for the first 30-or-so minutes. Asked it about it afterward, John Calipari said, “You’d have to ask him.”
• Calipari lamented three rebounds he said his team did not get. He chalked that up, again, to toughness.
• Rotnei Clarke scored 26 points for Arkansas, but Marshawn Powell was the player of the game. The sophomore who refused to comment on his relationship with coach John Pelphrey scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Often, he had his way in the post.
• Kentucky’s key players played too many minutes, but that’s going to happen when you’re in the 27th game of your season and have not developed a bench.

Continue reading ‘Quick thoughts after yet another Kentucky road loss’

Tennessee’s rally for a 60-51 win over host Vanderbilt tonight is just what the doctored ordered for Kentucky.

If UK can win Wednesday night at Arkansas, the Cats will tie Vanderbilt for second place in the SEC East at 8-5.

Then if Georgia can upset Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, the Bulldogs would join the Cats and Commdores in a three-way tie for second at 8-5.

Meanwhile, Tennessee improved to 7-6 in the league by sweeping the Commodores. Bruce Pearl’s up-and-down team may not be dead yet.

The first two teams in each division get a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament, March 10-13 in Atlanta.

John Calipari from his usual day-before-game media meeting today:

Quick one today as Kentucky prepares for Wednesday’s game in Hogville:

• Oh, the road. The Cats are back on the road. Danger! Danger! In his portion of the media meeting, John Calipari said he thought that for the most part his team had played well enough to win on the road, even if it has won just one road game. Doron Lamb said the team needed to carry over their good play at home, especially in the 90-59 thumping of South Carolina on Saturday, to road games. Lamb said the team’s confidence was up.
• Calipari again defended his decision to go with his starters-plus-one through about 38 minutes of the Cats’ crushing of the Gamecocks. Cal pointed out that the team had lost big leads in earlier games, including against Mississippi State the game before. Asked if he now expected to get nothing from his bench, Cal said, “We’ll see.”
• Cal said he didn’t get to see the Kentucky-Arkansas wars of the ’90s, but said his UMass team did play Arkansas the year the Razorbacks won the national title in 1994. Turns out, he was close. Arkansas actually lost to Calipari’s UMass team 104-80 in the Tipoff Classic the next season. The Razorbacks went on to lose to UCLA in the national title game that season. And UMass would make it to the Final Four the next season, 1995-96, where the Minutemen lost to Kentucky in the national semifinals.
• Cal actually said what he remembered about Arkansas was the Arkansas-Texas football game in 1969. Cal did cancel the Arkansas-Memphis basketball series when he was coaching Memphis. He said he wanted more national match-ups, and less regional match-ups. Cal said he would canceled Memphis’ series with Tennessee, but the Vols were giving Memphis $2.5 million to play football.
• Back to Doron Lamb. He did say that that this was part of the season that you have to fight through. The freshman are not used to having played so many games at such a high level. He said he has been getting treatment to help with aches and pains.

UK just released a joint statement from the parents of Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Kyle Wiltjer and Marqius Teague on their decisions to bypass the Derby Classic. Or we presume this is the subject matter behind the statement.

It says:

“We are honored that our sons have been considered for so many prestigious all-star games but the NCAA only allows them to play in two such events. Anthony, Michael, Marquis and Kyle will fulfill their lifelong dreams of playing in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic.”

We’re down to the final four regular season games for each contender in the race for the SEC East title, plus the runner-up spot which also assures a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament. So here’s a look at the schedule over the next two weeks for the five in contention. With predictions.

We’ll start with the easiest schedule then proceed to the most difficult.

Numbers in parenthesis are the team’s RPI number as of Monday.

GEORGIA (37) – The Bulldogs have two almost built-in wins in their final two home games – Feb. 26 against South Carolina (119) and March 2 against LSU (222). It’s the two remaining road games that could keep the Dawgs down. Georgia travels to Florida (13) on Thursday night, though the Gators may be without Chandler Parsons, thanks to a thigh bruise. Then Georgia finishes the regular season at Alabama (77) on March 5. Mark Fox’s team really needs a win over Gators, which beat his team in double overtime in Athens.

Average RPIs of remaining opponents: 107.75.

Prediction: Georgia wins two at home, loses two on road to finish 9-7.

TENNESSEE (33) – If Tennessee can win at Vanderbilt (17) tonight, the up-and-down Vols have a shot at running the table. They entertain Mississippi State (132) at home on Saturday, then travel to a reeling South Carolina (119) on March 3. Bruce Pearl then closes out his unusual SEC regular season with another grudge match against John Calipari and Kentucky (16). This one is at Thompson-Boling, however. Because of its two losses to Florida, even if it wins out, Tennessee could only be the No. 1 seed if there is an odd three-way tie for the division title.

Average RPIs of remaining opponents: 71.

Prediction: Vols win three of four and finish 9-7.

Continue reading ‘Four games to go, predicting the SEC East finish’

NBC just released that it has renewed its agreement to televised the Preakness Stakes, and has reacquired rights to the Belmont Stakes, meaning that the network that telecasts the Kentucky Derby again has all three Triple Crown races.

Here’s an excerpt from the release:

NEW YORK – February 22, 2011 – The NBC Sports Group will broadcast all three legs of horse racing’s prestigious Triple Crown, renewing the rights to the Preakness Stakes and reacquiring rights to the Belmont Stakes. As previously announced, NBC and Churchill Downs, Inc. renewed rights to the Kentucky Derby. This marks the first time that all three races will be on one network since NBC aired them in 2005. The agreements were announced today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group, Tom Chuckas, President and Chief Operating Officer, Maryland Jockey Club, and C. Steven Duncker, NYRA Chairman. Like NBC Sports’ agreement with Churchill Downs, each agreement announced today gives NBC exclusive rights to the Preakness and Belmont through 2015.

The agreements include coverage of the Black Eyed Susan Stakes and other Preakness-day and Belmont-day programming on VERSUS. Additionally, expanded Derby week programming including the Kentucky Oaks and Derby day programming will air on VERSUS. In all, the NBC Sports Group will broadcast more than 25 hours of Triple Crown coverage (detailed schedule to be released at a later date). Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“Everyone at NBC Sports Group is delighted that the Triple Crown has been reassembled. We are now uniquely positioned to significantly expand the reach of these iconic events with extensive coverage on VERSUS,” said Ebersol. “As we previously announced, we are continuing our long-standing partnership with the Kentucky Derby. To add this extension with the Preakness while reacquiring the Belmont gives our new NBC Sports Group the three most important events in thoroughbred racing. And we want to thank Churchill Downs Incorporated and CEO Bob Evans for his leadership in paving the way for the Triple Crown to return to NBC.”

ESPN/ABC had televised the Belmont Stakes from 2006-2010.

Brandon Maye (The State photo/Rick Glickstein)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

ON TAP – Kentucky should hold a basketball media opportunity this afternoon to preview Wednesday night’s game at Arkansas. Check the blog this afternoon for notes and video.

RECRUITING NEWS – Remember all that buzz about Kentucky being interested in Braeden Anderson, the former DePaul commitment. Apparently, there was smoke than fire. At least, right now. Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal reports, “No real news to report but talked with his coach – Chris Sparks – who said that Anderson is having a big-time season for his team. . . . Sparks said he has not talked with UK staff and was uncertain when – or if – they were coming to see Anderson play. The Titans play again on Monday night.”

Meanwhile, Nation of Blue’s Scott Anderson talked with juco big man Stan Simpson, who apparently has gained Kentucky’s attention. Simpson told Anderson that right now his top two schools are Kentucky and Memphis.

KSR has checked with its No. 1 source, the guy on all those TV commercials, says that ”At this point, according to a person close to the team that Matt spoke with, Kentucky feels that those players in order of likelihood are Braeden Anderson, God’s Gift Achiuwa and Stan Simpson. Depending on how their visit goes next week, Simpson could move to the top of the list.”

Heard Chris Fisher of BigBlue247 on Larry Glover Live last night saying there is still quite a bit of optimism that Brandon Maye, the linebacker who abruptly left the Clemson program at the end of last month, could end up at UK, thanks to Tee Martin. Both are from Mobile, Alabama. Maye visited UK earlier this month. As a redshirt junior, he could gain immediate eligibility by entering at a UK graduate program not being offered by Clemson.

Bleed Blue Kentucky has more football recruiting news, including an Ace Wales highlight tape.

Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal says this year’s Derby Festival Classic will lack Kentucky recruits.

Always remember to check in on Next Cats.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Recruiting updates, and Pelphrey’s problems’