John Clay's Sidelines

ESPN is reporting that Bruce Pearl will receive a multiple-year show-cause ruling by the NCAA when penalties are officially announced tomorrow.

The World Wide Leader is reporting that Pearl’s assistants will receive a one-year show-cause ruling.

A show-cause ruling means that prospective employers would have to go before the NCAA and explain why a coach should be allowed to coach at that institution.

Pearl admitted lying to NCAA investigators about a picture taken at his home with recruits during an impermissible period. The NCAA also alleged other violations by the basketball program. The coach was fired after Tennessee’s first-round loss in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Just because the NBA is in full-lockout mode, doesn’t mean there won’t be NBA 2K12.

Here’s the trailer.

Click here for the photo gallery from Kentucky women’s basketball picture day.

Continue reading ‘Check out UK women’s basketball picture day gallery’

In combination with Jen Smith’s story today on Kentucky’s running backs, decided to look back at recent years in which the Cats either graduated their leading rusher or that rusher was no longer on the team.

How did the team run the ball the next season?

Not so well, it appears. Over the past 15 years, this scenario has happened eight times. Of those eight times, only twice has the new rushing leader gained more rushing yards than the old rushing leader.

Here are the eight:

1996 – Moe Williams rushed for 1,600 yards then decided to leave early for the pros. Of course, topping 1,600 yards was a pretty tall order.

1997 – New coach Hal Mumme dismissed leading returning rusher Derrick Logan, who ended up at EKU.

Continue reading ‘UK has had tough time replacing leading rushers’

WAVE in Louisville is reporting that the evidence for a trial there is pointing fingers at some high-profile people.

One is former UK basketball star Derek Anderson.

The case involves alleged murder suspect Ricky Kelly and Francois Cunningham, a former Fern Creek star.

Excerpt:

In interviews, Cunningham’s claims even go as far to try and implicate former University of Kentucky and pro basketball player Derek Anderson as being involved in some way in the drug running cash flow.

Butler:

“Was Derek Anderson ever present when you all bought narcotics?”

Continue reading ‘Derek Anderson accused of financing drug ring’

For our UK fans on twitter feature today we spotlight Matt Powell. He is known on twitter as @SirMattPowell. As of this morning, Matt has 6,712 tweets to his credit and 140 followers.

Recent tweet: “I see the Bengals are just now catching onto what I already know. @DQcalikid55 is The Truth” BTW: @DQcalikid55 is DeQuin Evans.

Sir Matt submitted the following bio:

I am a 29 year old life long UK fan from Corbin, KY and am employed by FedEx. I have been on twitter since the beginning of 2009 but really got started tweeting heavy towards the end of that year. I bleed blue for all sports but despite the “basketball state” stereo type, Kentucky Football has always been my #1 passion. As long as I can remember, I have been attending UK football games. My earliest memories begin with my grandparents taking us over to the corner of Cooper and University in their RV early Saturday mornings and sometimes Friday nights to get the tailgating started. I think it is safe to say that I’ve bled blue since I was in the womb. Although I have always went to games, this is my 9th year as a season ticket holder. There is nothing better than Purple Lot tailgating all morning followed by watching the Cats with my Big Blue Family in Section 118. (Shout Out to Pinky, Flounder, and Naitch!)

Continue reading ‘Spotlighting UK fans on twitter: @SirMattPowell’

Former Miami AD Paul Dee (AP photo)

In case you don’t remember, Paul Dee was the head of the Committee of Infractions when the NCAA ruled that Memphis under head coach John Calipari should vacate its record-breaking 38 victories in its 2007-08 season because a testing service invalidated Derrick Rose’s standardized test score.

“Strict Liability” was the reason given by the NCAA.

Turns out Dee was the athletic director at Miami when much of the Nevin Shapiro mess was going down, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

Calipari did put out a nefarious “strict liability” tweet not long after, but Long Beach State president F. King Alexander has not been so subtle. In 2008, Long Beach was placed on three years probation for self-reported violations. Alexander has not forgotten who was head of the COI at the time.

Continue reading ‘COI head who rendered Memphis decision gets blasted’

Chris Lofton

Former Tennessee and Mason County star Chris Lofton has signed a one-year deal to return to Spain.

Eurobasket reports:

sefa Estudiantes announced signing of a one-year deal with their former player Chris Lofton (188-G-86, college: Tennessee). It means that the American scoring machine is back to Estu after one season. He spent in NBA D-League and Russia. Lofton started last season with Iowa Energy. He appeared 34 times with them averaging 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals. In March this year he signed a deal with Lokomotiv Kuban. There Lofton had just 3.3 ppg for 6 Russian league games. They parted ways in May.

It has been going on four years since Lofton graduated from Tennessee, where he was the 2007 SEC Player of the Year.

(h/t All KY Hoops)

More of Joker Phillips after Monday’s second practice. Here, the UK coach discusses the running backs and kickers.

(H-L photo/David Perry)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Brazil beats Calipari’s Dominicans in scrimmage, reports All KY Hoops.
• Will Dominican experience end up hurting UK? asks Ira Combs.
• Kentucky football commitments rank 9th in league, says Mr. SEC.
• ESPN projections have Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
• UK running backs are a solid group, reports Jennifer Smith of H-L.
• Depth chart starting to take shape, reports Smith.
• All options on table for Rupp, report Beverly Fortune and Jerry Tipton of H-L.
• Has UK missed best chance to beat UT? asks Mark Story of H-L.
• Two key basketball prospects list UK and U of L, reports Jody Demling of C-J.
• Kentucky’s DBs are going all-out, reports Kyle Tucker of Courier-Journal.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Dominicans lose scrimmage; UK commits rank 9th’