John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Some after-lunch random notes:

According to a Tom Leach tweet, John Calipari said on his radio show last night that Darius Miller is questionable, at best.

I’ll be on ESPN 680 in Louisville with Bob Valvano today at 2:15.

Old reliables Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes and Shannon Spake will be ESPN’s broadcast team for tonight’s Kentucky-Mississippi State game at 7. No word yet if Nessler will be sporting a maroon tie. And let me know on the liveblog if Dykes starts talking about that nail again.

All four of UK’s signees will play in the Jordan Brand Classic. You can find the rosters here.

Alex Legion was dismissed from the Florida International team. You have to remember his mother right? She was quite the trip.

Tweet from Joe Lunardi: “Kansas still the fourth No. 1 seed. Second line (in order): Duke, BYU, San Diego State, Notre Dame. Do not overreact to a single game.”

My H-L colleague Mark Story had a fun column on Sunday, listing the top 25 coolest Cats. Heard Mike Cameron on WLXG say Monday that he would have picked two Cats who played in the 1960s. Mike said he would have listed Cotton Nash at No. 1, and Pat Riley at No. 2.

BTW, Mike now has his own blog. You can find it here.

After all that talk this winter that the Phillies would surely deal Joe Blanton, the ex-UK pitcher is back in camp with the Phils.

Continue reading ‘Miller’s status leads some after-lunch random notes’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Some leftover UK basketball notes heading into tonight’s game with Mississippi State:

• Vandy’s 1.248 points per possession second-best showing against UK this season.
• UConn averaged 1.253 in beating Kentucky in the Maui Invitational final.
• Kentucky averaged 1.193 points per possession, and lost.
• With a PPP of 1.19 or higher, UK had won 34 straight before losing at Vandy.
• On Feb. 13, 2007, UK had a 1.197 PPP and lost 89-85 at Tennessee.
• Kentucky shot 46.7 percent to Vandy’s 46.3 percent from the floor.
• Using the effective FG formula ((FG+0.5*3p)/FGA), Vandy shot 56.5 to UK’s 52.5.
• Vandy’s 11 made 3s most against UK since Hartford was 12 of 29 on 12-29-09.
• Josh Harrellson’s 10 rebounds Saturday his most since 14 against LSU on Jan. 15.
• Harrellson’s three assists vs. Vandy were a career-high.
• Terrence Jones’ nine field goals at Vandy most since he was 11-of-17 vs. Auburn.
• Jones’ 25 points most since his 35 in that Auburn game.
• Brandon Knight has made 10 of 19 three-pointers over his last three games.
• After scoring 20 points at Ole Miss, Doron Lamb has scored 22 in last three games.
• DeAndre Liggins’ 12 shots at Vanderbilt second to his 14 against Indiana.
• Because of his groin injury, Darius Miller played a season-low 18 minutes Saturday.
• Miller’s previous low was 19 minutes in blowout win over Boston U.
• Stacey Poole has not played since the LSU.
• After 14 minutes at Florida, Eloy Vargas has played 12 minutes in last two games.

(AP photo/Kerry Smith)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Red-faced Mississippi State faces steep climb, reports Brandon Marcello of C-L.
• State’s will to be tested in Rupp Arena, writes Jim Mashek of Biloxi Sun-Herald.
• Calipari dismisses importance of meeting, reports Jerry Tipton of Herald-Leader.
• Ex-UK star Craig Yeast named coach at Bryan Station, reports Mike Fields of H-L.
• Steve Brown to UCLA picking up steam, reports Bleed Blue Kentucky.
• UK QB situation 10th-best in SEC, says Seth Emerson of the Ledger-Enqurier.
• Weaker bats fit Kentucky’s style, writes Ethan Levine of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Trevor Lacey scores 31 points in three quarters, says Next Cats.
• Kentucky could be looking at Braeden Anderson, says Kentucky Sports Radio.
• J.P. Tokoto narrows list to eight, reports Nation of Blue.
• Michael Gilchrist plays hard every night, reports Brian Nash of Fox Sports.
• Kings fine Cousins after altercation, reports Jason Jones of Sacramento Bee.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Steve Brown rumors, QB ranking, hoops recruits’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Pelphrey answers growing criticism, reports Robbie Neiswanger of Arkansas News.
• Florida could be without Parsons at LSU, reports Kevin Brockway of Gainesville Sun.
• Parsons could be out indefinitely, reports Mike DiRocco of the Florida Times-Union.
• South Carolina wins on Clowney Day, reports Barry Byers of the Rock Hill Herald.
• South Carolina students thrilled with choice, writes Jason Chisari of Rock Hill Herald.
• Clowney avoids father’s obstacles, writes Ron Morris of The State.
• Does South Carolina now own SEC East? asks Jeff Schultz of the AJC.
• Clowney exposes recruiting process, reports Thayer Evans for Fox Sports.
• Clowney’s impact stretches beyond field, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• UT safety allegedly tried to strangle woman, reports Austin Ward of News-Sentinel.
• Defense wins close ones in SEC, says Mike Herndon of Mobile Press-Register.
• Injury keeps Goins out at Tennessee, reports Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Pelphrey answers growing criticism at Arkansas’

Seth Davis talks to NBA scouts about 56 college basketball players who may or may not be available for this year’s NBA draft. Two of those UK’s Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight.

On Jones:

He’s a lottery pick. He scores inside and in transition. His shot is low, but if he takes his time he can make shots. He needs to be a little less selfish with the basketball, but he’s a talented kid. He’s a poor man’s Michael Beasley. I’m not sure I trust his shot yet, but man, he competes. People ask, What position is he? I say he’s a basketball player.

On Knight:

Mature personality, fantastic worker, can really shoot the basketball. Winning matters to him. He’s in the first round if he comes out, for sure. People try to compare him to Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, but he’s not at their level. The one thing I will say about him is he’s an absolute gym rat. He loves being in the gym and working on his game. He may not be a prototypical point guard, but with his work ethic, size, speed and ability to shoot, you have to take a chance on him.

Kentucky coach John Calipari was late meeting with the media, then said he didn’t have much time to get into practice. Maybe the Kentucky coach had some Valentine’s Day shopping still left to do. Or maybe, considering his team has lost three of its last four, he has plenty of work to do.

Anyway, asked about the team’s players meeting on Saturday, Cal said he didn’t know there was a meeting. He said he hoped it brings about change, but didn’t seem to put much stock, positive or negative stock, into the meeting.

When asked it it was a bad sign for the team to have a players-only meeting this late int year, Cal said, “No, we’re doing great. I’m excited about my team.”

He then went back to repeating much of what he’s been saying, that he still likes his team. He pointed out that Kentucky is 14^th in the RPI, and its strength of schedule is 10^th. He said the team has hit a lull and now it’s time to bust through it. He also spun that losing these games has made him confront their problems, instead of sticking his head in the sand after close wins.

He claimed that Tuesday will be “Mississippi State’s breakout party.” He pointed to the Florida tape where the Bulldogs beat the Gators in Starkville.

He also said he had no idea about Darius Miller’s status. If Miller can’t go, he said someone would have to step up. Asked who that might be, he said, “I don’t know.”

Before Calipari met with the media, ex-Tennessee star Allan Houston came through the Craft Center. Houston is now assistant general manager of the New York Knicks.

Doron Lamb talks about what he said at Saturday night’s meeting. He told the team he would change and work harder. The freshman said he would “dig in for the last couple of the games of the season.” He talked about displaying more energy, and focusing on defense. He was also asked about Calipari’s talk to him at halftime when he didn’t get back down the floor on a Vandy fast break.

“After that, he didn’t say nothing bad about me,” Lamb said.

Here is Terrence Jones, talking about that players-only team meeting. He said it was the second time this year that there has been a players-only meeting, though the first time was before the season started – not sure that counts. As for subject matter, Jones said the team talking about being serious on and off the court, about being prepared better for practice and staying focused.

He said that Josh Harrellson called the meeting. When the team got off the bus in Lexington on Saturday night, Harrellson texted everyone telling them to meet in the lodge. Jones said everyone had something to say in the meeting. He said he talked about not making excuses.

Jones also said that he thinks the team gets nervous when it’s crunch time, especially after the previous losses. He said it’s something they have to overcome by playing and not looking at the scoreboard.

Kentucky helds it basketball media opp for Tuesday night’s game with Mississippi State and the first player made available was Justin Bieber. Ooops, Jarrod Polson, whoi was a good sport talking about the Vanderbilt students chanting “Jus-tin Bie-ber” when Polson entered the game in the first half on Saturday in Nashville. Polson said he took some ribbing from his teammates, but seemed to take everything with a smile.

He also revealed a bit of news, reporting that the team held a players-only meeting when the returned from Nashville on Saturday night. Polson said the team agreed to really focus on basketball off-the-court and on-the-court from here on in.

(H-L photo/Jonathan Palmer)

Click here for Herald-Leader photo gallery from UK-LSU women’s game.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Kings say Cousins is not suspended and altercation is under review, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
• Without Cousins, Kings win at Phoenix, reports Jones.
• Brittany Henderson’s shot with 1.1 seconds left gives UK women 49-47 win over LSU, reports Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader.
• My column off UK-LSU says UK women have endgame figured out.
• Women’s game featured more fouls, timeouts and turnovers than total points, reports T.J. Walker of the Kentucky Kernel.
• John Calipari makes a trip to see Michael Gilchrist, reports Zagsblog.
• Eric Crawford of the C-J writes that the road is a bridge of the Kentucky men’s basketball team.
• Liggins’ decision-making hurt Kentucky at Vandy, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• John Wall helps Wizards break 26-game road losing streak, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cousins not suspended yet; UK women pull out win’