John Clay's Sidelines

Kentucky offensive guard makes the league’s most underrated player list as selected by ESPN’s SEC Blog.

Chris Low writes:

9. Kentucky OG Stuart Hines: The Kentucky guard getting all the love right now is Larry Warford and deservedly so. He’s an excellent player, but don’t sleep on the Wildcats’ “other” guard. The 6-foot-4, 296-pound Hines is one of the better pulling guards in the league and has made 24 starts during his career. It’s no secret that Kentucky will lean heavily on its offensive line in 2011, and Hines — rock-solid in every way — is a big reason why.

The 6-foot-4, 296-pound senior from Bowling Green also has one of the better sense of humors on the team, and a three-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Gabe Correll

Cincinnati.com’s preps coverage has a nice story on the family legacy of Kentucky tight end Gabe Correll.

The junior from Anderson High School in Cincinnati is the son of Steve Correll, who played football for UK in the 1970s. Gabe’s grandfather, Ray Correll, was a first-team All-American for the Cats in the 1950s.

An excerpt from Nick Dudkovich’s story:

It’s for that reason he believes Kentucky has a chance to make noise in the tough SEC this fall.

“I think we’ve got a lot of potential, and we’ve got the best coaches around… Everyone seems headed in the right direction,” he said. “I really think we have the potential to win a lot of games, and obviously, people overestimate us, but we can come in and play with any team in the country. We lost to Auburn by three points last season. Nothing is impossible for us.”

Now as one of the squad’s upperclassmen, Correll has fulfilled his destiny by continuing his family’s legacy at Kentucky.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Josh Harrellson plays tennis, talks lockout at Fifth Third event
• No timetable for when Jon Hood will have surgery on torn ACL
• Buzzard’s luck appears to be still with Jon Hood
• What Hood’s injury means to him and Kentucky
• Hood injury won’t mean much, says CBS Sports
• Bill Gillispie’s wallet, the sweet return of football and more random notes
• Jonathan Davis’ son wants to make a name for himself
• If you liked blitzing, you will like the new Kentucky defense
• Kentucky football target commits to Memphis
• What SEC football coaches think, but do not say

“I’m just trying to get my Ochocinco on and explore new sports. Maybe next I’ll try golf or something.”

- Josh Harrellson

SEC links for Wednesday:

• SEC probations grow, writes Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News
• LSU is sullied but avoids big penalties, writes Scott Rabalais
• Kevin Scarbinsky writes that LSU could become the next BCS champ with asterik
• LSU showed how to handle the NCAA, writes Mark Bradley
• Mike Slive says welcome NCAA adjustments are on the way
• Memphis athletic director wants to keep playing Tennessee in basketball
• David Climer writes that Tennessee is facing a growing gap in Neyland crowd
• When it comes to football, it’s time for the real talk in the SEC
• Ole Miss chancellor gives his athletic director strong support
• Florida cancels 40-year tradition of Civic Luncheon

Jon Hood

Brian Hood, the father of UK junior Jon Hood, said tonight that his son’s torn ACL was the result of a non-contact injury that happened during a pick-up game late Monday nignt.

“He wasn’t hit or anything,” said Brian Hood via phone. “It was a non-contact injury where he just came down wrong, apparently. It was just a freak thing.”

Brian Hood said his son was “a little frustrated and a little upset” but that, “We’ll just try to find something positive out of this and move forward.”

UK announced the injury on Tuesday saying that Jon Hood would undergo surgery once the swelling subsides.

“I think he has a pretty bad bone bruise, which you get from a torn ACL,” said Brian Hood. “I think they just want things to calm down before they do the surgery. There’s no real timetable right now.”

He also said that it was disappointing in that Jon had worked hard all summer, getting his weight up to 215 pounds  while putting on some muscle.

“But there’s been no tears, no pity part,” he said. “He’s taken a lot better than a lot of people would have, probably a lot better than I would have.”

Sports Illustrated is reporting that former Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie lost as much as $2.3 million in the Ponzi scheme that entrapped several basketball coaches.

An excerpt:

More than a dozen current and former college coaches — including Texas Tech’s Billy Gillispie, Arizona’s Lute Olson, Baylor’s Scott Drew and Gonzaga’s Mark Few — are believed to have lost investments most recently valued at over $7.8 million combined with the late Houston-area businessman and AAU basketball operator J. David Salinas, sources close to the matter tell SI.com.

According to documents reviewed by SI.com, the value of Gillispie’s investment alone was purported to be $2.3 million; Olson’s, $1.17 million; Drew’s, $621,000; Few’s, $353,000.

Salinas committed suicide on Sunday.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Here is football topic No. 2.

It may be my imagination, but seems as if when Louisville football is up, Kentucky football is down. When Kentucky football is up, Louisville football is down. Kentucky’s motto for this football season is “rise,” but can both programs rise at the same time?

When Ron Cooper rose, Bill Curry fell (out of a job). When Hal Mumme rose, Cooper fell (out of a job.) When John L. Smith rose, Mumme fell (out of a job). When Guy Morris rose, Smith fell (into another job). When Bobby Petrino rose (all the way to another job), Rick Brooks fell. When Brooks rose, Steve Kragthorpe fell (out of a job). And now we have Joker Phillips and Charlie Strong, entering their second year, too early to see a solid trend.

Consider that since the UK-U of L series re-started in 1994, only three times (1998, 2002 and 2006) have both programs posted winning records in the same year. Only four times (1998, 1999, 2006 and 2010) have both schools gone to bowl games in the same year.

What about winning the actual game, does that truly forecast the rest of the season. The school that has won the game has gone to a post winning season 13 of the 17 years. That’s 76.4 percent. Not bad. But let’s break it down another way.

Continue reading ‘Can Kentucky and Louisville “rise” at same time?’

UPDATE: LSU gets one-year probation and scholarship restrictions.

Apparently, LSU football is next up for the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports: “The NCAA has a 3 pm conference call today to discuss a committee on infractions decision regarding LSU. Stay tuned.”

Back in March, Jim Kleinpeter of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans reported that the school was in the final stages of the NCAA investigation. It was to go before the COI in April.

Kleinpeter excerpt:

The response came after an NCAA Notice of Allegations received in December of 2010 asked for additional information pertaining to seven of the violations. Four of the violations included impermissible transportation, free lodging, discounted lodging and impermissible telephone calls involving (assistant coach D.J. McCarthy) and (junior college transfer Akiem) Hicks.

Continue reading ‘Update: LSU football gets one-year probation’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Kentucky and Louisville football currently tied in their recruiting duel
• Western Kentucky football coach Willie Taggart says Hilltoppers must think big
• Calipari’s web site has a virtual tour of new Wildcat Coal Lodge
• Calipari says student-athletes should receive living expenses
• Kentucky coach gets his wish with UK paying first game in Nets’ new arena
• Jacob Tamme’s Swing for our Soldiers an impressive event
• Josh Harrellson will be part of celebrity match at Fifth Third Tennis Classic tonight
• ESPN breaks down top players at the Under Armour Challenge
• Looking at Kentucky football’s new crop of playmakers
• Large response causes DeMarcus Cousins’ camp to be moved

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Gainesville Sun ranks Alabama’s Trent Richardson as best player in SEC
• Georgia’s Carlos Thomas suspended for opener with Boise State
• Will the West be best again? and four more questions before Media Days
• UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie ready to help Mississippi State basketball
• Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner says he has no desire to play Tennessee
• Clemson is hoping to end its long drought against Auburn
• South Carolina’s season football ticket sales have picked up since title
• Mark Richt’s recruiting and what it means for his future
• Georgia linebacker remains eligible during investigation
• LSU’s basketball recruits will try to fill pieces of puzzle