John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Some afternoon notes from the great state of New Jersey, where I have yet to run into Snookie, however.

- Charles Pierce’s blog in the Boston Globe picks up on Zagsblog report that people from New Jersey were not crazy about John Calipari and the Cats. This may or may not go back to Cal’s brief 2-and-a-half year reign as coach of the Nets, where some still hold it against him for not drafting Kobe Bryant.

- Cal’s record as Nets coach was 26-56 in 1996-97, 43-39 in ’97-98, then 3-17 before being fired in ’98-99.

- After Calipari was fired, Larry Brown hired him as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers. Cal had been on Brown’s staff at Kansas.

- Some UK player notes to digest as you wait for tipoff

• Josh Harrellson is 14 of 18 from the floor in the tournament, but just two of nine from the free throw line.
• Josh is averaging 12.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in the post-season.
• Jon Hood has played eight minutes in the post-season.
• Kentucky is 8-0 when Terrence Jones has three-or-more assists.
• Brandon Knight has 26 assists and 13 turnovers in the post-season.
• Since spraining his ankle in the SEC Tournament semifinal against Alabama, Doron Lamb has scored 19 points in three games. He’s one-of-six from three-point land in those games.
• DeAndre Liggins is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game in the post-season.
• Darius Miller’s seven field goal attempts against West Virginia, in which he made just one, was his fewest attempts since the Tennessee game in Rupp on Feb. 8.
• Eloy Vargas has nine rebounds in 25 post-season minutes.

- The great Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer has a good column on the problem for Cincinnati and Xavier fans. Do they hate Kentucky more, or Ohio State more?

- Doc does go a little overboard on Jared Sullinger, however, writing, “Sullinger has Charles Barkley’s center of gravity, Bill Walton’s ability to pass out of a double team and Bill Russell’s unselfishness.” Wow.

- Kentucky has not played a Big Ten team not named Indiana since losing to Iowa out in Kansas City on Nov. 21, 2005. The previous March was when the Cats lost that overtime game to Michigan State in the finals of the NCAA’s Austin Regional.

- My predictions for tonight: In San Antonio, Kansas over Richmond and Florida State over VCU. In Newark, Marquette over North Carolina and Ohio State over Kentucky. (Sorry.)

- Did you see where both Ole Miss’ Andy Kennedy and Mississippi State’s Rick Stansbury were denied contract extensions. Mississippi has a state law where public employees can not have more than four years on their contracts.

- After Duke’s loss to Arizona last night, Mike Krzyzewski interrupted a question to Kyrie Irving about the guard’s NBA plans. Coach K said the question was inappropriate.

- One warning sign for Florida: The Gators missed 12 free throws in the win over BYU last night.

- The Gators have won three straight overtime games.

- Connecticut’s Jeremy Lamb, who scored 24 points in win over San Diego State last night, is a product of Norcross High School in Georgia. That’s the same school that produced a pretty good shooter by the name of Jodie Meeks.

- Arizona coach Sean Miller on the win over Duke: “That (second half) was like a second game.” Arizona outscored Duke 55-33 in the second half.

- Kentucky was 5-5 in the SEC at one point this season. Butler was 6-5 in the Horizon League at one point this season.

- Brad Stevens is the anti-Calipari in one regard. He wants his team to know everything the opponent is doing.