John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Calipari wants Cats to script a better ending, writes Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Kentucky wants to prevent a South Carolina bombing run, writes Tipton.
• Two big innings spoil Kentucky’s baseball opener, says H-L report.
• Gamecocks will try to bounce back, writes Anderson Independent Mail.
• Cats facing a shooting machine in South Carolina, writes Michael Grant of the C-J.
• Kentucky fans have a chance to impress Trevor Lacey, says Larry Vaught of the A-M.
• Ten points from UK’s basketball media opp, by way of Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Cats still lacking confidence, writes Alan Cutler of WLEX.
• It might be a home game today, but A Sea of Blue examines the road losses.
• Kentucky Sports Network offers a South Carolina preview.
• Cousins is conversial, but Bledsoe is revealing, reports Sacramento Bee.
• ESPN gives UK football season a C-, reports Nation of Blue.
• Wildcat Blue Nation looks at South Carolina and three-pointers.
• John Wall wins MVP and sets assist record, reports Washington Post.

Before today’s practice, Kentucky coach John Calipari told the media he had not talked to his team about NCAA Tournament seedings. Instead, Cal said he thought his team’s RPI was high enough they would be fine. He’s more interested in finishing games and avoiding the shaky start his team had against Mississippi State.

Asked about three-point defense, Calipari said it was not a concern. He did say, however, that South Carolina is a team that takes a lot of threes. The Cats play South Carolina on Saturday. He also talked about he never downplayed his teams, and that may mean he is asking them to do too much. But he said that’s the way he has always coached.

Before Friday’s practice, Kentucky players Brandon Knight, Darius Miller and Josh Harrellson talked to the media in prep work for Saturday’s game against South Carolina. Knight talked about the team trying to play a full 40-minute game. Miller talked about getting better. Harrellson talked about his birthday, and the team finishing.

Continue reading ‘Videos: UK players talk in preparation for Gamecocks’

The NCAA mock selection process for the NCAA Tournament has been going on in Indianapolis. That’s where writers, TV personnel, conference officials, etc., are invited to go through the selection process much as the NCAA tournament selection committee will do next month. I was fortunate enough to be invited and go through the process last February.

This year, Andy Glockner of SportsIllustrated.com has been among those participating in the process. The exercise wrapped up today, and Andy tweeted the results.

aglock Andy Glockner Seeds 1-16: Ohio St, Texas, Pitt, Kansas, Duke, BYU, SDSU, Gtown, UConn, ND, Purdue, Wisconsin, Florida, Villanova, Kentucky, Vandy

aglock Andy Glockner Seeds 17-32: UNC, Xavier, St John’s, A&M, Louisville, Syracuse, Mizzou, Arizona, WV, Tenn., Temple, Mason, Washington, UCLA, Illinois, ODU

aglock Andy GlocknerSeeds 33-44 (final at-larges): UNLV, Memphis, K-State, VT, Cincy, SMC, USU, Minnesota, UGa, Butler, FSU, Gonzaga. First 2 out: Marq, Mich St

Note: Andy sent this tweet before the teams were actually put into the pairings. So Kentucky could go up to a No. 3, or even down to a No. 5 once the teams are actually placed on the bracket. Sometimes, conflicts, game sites, etc., change a team’s seed.

(Online Athens photo)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Kentucky to be in Hall of Fame Tipoff field next year, reports the Tampa Tribune.
• Billy Gillispie says Wyoming a great place, reports Casper Tribune.
• Lady Dogs slam visiting UK women, writes Roger Clarkson of the Banner-Herald.
• Kentucky women just outhustled, reports Jen Smith of the H-L from Athens.
• Lady Dogs cruise past Cats, writes Ryan Black of Red and Black.
• Georgia’s collapse against Vandy did UK no favors, and other notes, from me.
• It’s the battle for the bye, says Tom Leach.
• Expect faster, lower-scoring UK baseball games, says Mark Maloney of the H-L.
• Kentucky baseball looking for fresh start, writes Ethan Levine of the Kernel.
• Baseball newcomers need to make impact, writes Eric Lindsey for Cat Scraches.
• L.J. Rose will visit Kentucky, reports High School Hoop.
• Cats need to come out on fire, says Larry Vaught of the Danville A-M.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Kentucky to be in 2011 Hall of Fame tipoff field’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

• Alabama pulls away late to beat LSU 67-56, reports Don Kausler of the News.
• Bama can clinch share of West title Saturday, writes Tuscaloosa News’ Cecil Hurt.
• LSU plays well, but falls at home, writes Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times.
• Toomer’s trees just latest SEC debacle, says Seth Emerson of the Ledger-Enquirer.
• Poison has filled the air in Alabama, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the News.
• Time for the voice of reason to speak up, says Joe Medley of the Anniston Star.
• Air of sadness at Toomer’s Corner, reports Christian Boone of the AJC.
• Could the SEC be destroying itself, a la the SWC? asks Mr. SEC.
• A new low in Iron Bowl rivalry, writes Mark Schlabach of espn.com.
• Lady Vols roll over South Carolina 82-60, reports Dan Fleser of the News-Sentinel.
• Alabama women win at Auburn, reports Evan Woodbery of the Press-Register.
• Bats with less pop bode well for college baseball, writes Rick Cleveland of the C-L.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Alabama beats LSU; Air of sadness at Auburn’

Kentucky fans shot down the SkyCam, and with good reason. To the boys in Bristol, Tuesday night was a fun experiment, hanging a remote-controlled camera from the bottom of Big Bertha high atop the Rupp Arena floor. To the people who were actually interested in watching the Cats play Mississippi State, it was no fun at all. They let ESPN and UK know. Now Mitch Barnhart has revoked the network’s playground privileges.

Now, while the boys in Bristol are at it, they can cut the silly in-game coaches interviews, too. These things reveal nothing, except maybe annoyed coaches. One was John Calipari on Tuesday, who was keeping his appointment with ESPN’s Shannon Spake when the horn sounded signaling the end of the time-out. Cal cut the interview short, and gave-an-over the shoulder answer.

Next game, just for fun, think maybe we should interview Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes while the game is in-progress? We can ask Nessler about his color choices in tieware. We can ask Dykes the real story behind “The Nail.” And we’ll have someone stand on a ladder and shoot it with an overhead camera.

(H-L photo/Jonathan Palmer)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• UK women have evolved since first loss to Georgia, writes Jen Smith of the H-L.
• Kentucky hoops playing for seeding, writes T.J. Walker of the Kernel.
• The Jasmines clicking for Georgia women, writes Roger Clarkson of Banner-Herald.
• Dunlap’s family never far away on game day, writes Mark Story of the H-L.
• Kentucky on L.J. Rose’s list, reports Dime Magazine.
• Cal says Cats need to avoid late-game extremes, reports Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Cats having trouble with foes’ three-pointers, reports Aaron Smith of the Kernel.
• The numbers when it comes to guarding the perimeter, provided by Tailgate Review.
• Cats won Tuesday because they were home, says State-Journal’s Brian Rickerd.
• Mitch Barnhart bans the SkyCam, reports Tipton.
• Hopefully, that’s last we see of that camera, writes Jeff Eisenberg of The Dagger.
• Minutes are adding up for UK’s players, writes Richard Skinner of the Enquirer.

Continue reading ‘BBL: UK women at Georgia; UK men need to stop the 3′

Toni Rich holds her son Gabriel, 5, as students and supporters gather to pay tribute to live oaks at Toomer's Corner on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday, after word spread that the trees were poisoned recently. (AP photo)

UPDATE: Arrest made in Toomer’s Corner tree poisoning case.

UPDATE: The man is wearing an Alabama hounds-tooth cap on his Facebook profile.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Oaks poisoned at Auburn’s famous Toomer’s Corner, reports Auburn’s Plainsmen.
• We all should feel ill about Toomer’s Corner, writes Mark Bradley of the AJC.
• NCAA expanding its Auburn investigation, reports Thayer Evans of Fox Sports.
• Alabama AD responds to poisoning story, reports Izzy Gould of the News.
• More on the poisoned oaks from Tim Chitwood of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
• Vanderbilt denies Georgia upset, wins 64-56, reports Telegraph’s Seth Emerson.
• An ugly loss for Georgia Bulldogs, writes Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Tennessee ends skid by beating Carolina, reports Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel.
• South Carolina drops its fourth straight, reports Beth Rucker of the AP.
• Ole Miss rips Auburn in Oxford, 90-59, reports Evan Woodbery of Press-Register.
• Grant says Bama-LSU rematch won’t be easy, writes Cecil Hurt of Tuscaloosa News.
• Arkansas hopes to sustain effort, writes Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.

Continue reading ‘SEC basketball results; poisoning at Toomer’s Corner’