John Clay's Sidelines

Media attending Kentucky basketball practices are not allowed to tweet or write about what goes on there, but apparently the ban doesn’t extend to Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.net, who has been tweeting out his observations today.

More tweets after the jump.

Continue reading ‘CBS Sports is sending out UK basketball practice tweets’

Video of UK linebacker Avery Williamson talking to media today at UK’s football press luncheon. The sophomore is now sixth on the team in tackles.

Talking to media at today’s weekly press luncheon, UK safety Martavius Neloms said that he dreamed he would score a touchdown on Saturday. And then he did. (BTW, I don’t know why the preview frame is upside down. But once you push play, it rights itself.)

Notes from Joker Phillips’ weekly press luncheon:

- Raymond Sanders is still iffy with a high ankle sprain. Mister Cobble has a shoulder problem. Joe Mansour has an ankle problem.

- Phillips: “The second half of the season got a chance to get ourselves to 2-0 but there needs to be improvement.”

- On Martavius Neloms: “He is probably one of the middle of the field players we’ve had in a while. Get from sideline to sideline. He’s a really good ”

- Phillips said they are still trying to bring true freshman Ashley Lowry along and Glenn Faulkner along to give them opportunity to play alongside Neloms.

- On Mississippi State: “Mississippi State is gonna try and run the ball and run the ball at you. Run more downhill stuff, and that’s been our game. The thing we have had a struggle with is when people try to get out in space.”

- Phillips said he is excited about the future of his defensive line with the development of Mister Cobble and Donte Rumph. Mentioned Christian Coleman, as well. Said that Luke McDermott is more of a finesse player, so the addition of bigger bodies has helped.

- Collins Ukwu played six plays at defensive end on Saturday, after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury. Phillips said Ukwu will play more on Saturday.

Continue reading ‘Notes from UK football press luncheon’

Three minutes before kickoff last Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. (Photo by John Clay)

Saturday’s announced attendance of 54,098 for the Kentucky-Jacksonville State football game drew many a raised eyebrow. By definition, the announced number was for tickets “out” or tickets “distributed.” That includes paid tickets and complimentary tickets, etc.

Still, it was the fifth-smallest announced crowd since Commonwealth Stadium was expanded in 1999. The four lower: 53,463 in 2009 for Louisiana-Monroe; 52,471 in 2001 for LSU; 52,235 in 2006 for Vanderbilt; 51,114 in 2002 for Vanderbilt.

With three home games remaining, including this Saturday against Mississippi State, Kentucky’s average home football attendance is 61,356. That’s the second-lowest figure since stadium expansion. Here are the year-by-year average attendance figures. Only the 2006 season drew fewer average fans, 57,330. And the 2006 season did not have the benefit of a Louisville home game.

Continue reading ‘UK’s football attendance second-lowest in expansion era’

After visiting Kentucky this past weekend, Indianapolis guard Gary Harris will visit Michigan State before making his decision, his father told Garrett Tucker of Bluegrass Hoops.

Gary Harris, Sr., said he took his visit to UK separately from his son this weekend, and had not time to get his son’s thoughts, but from his perspective, the father was impressed with Kentucky.

The facilities were very nice. I didn’t have the opportunity to go to Rupp Arena, but from what I saw from the practice facilities, I was impressed. The weight-room was also very nice. I really liked the campus as a whole.

It’s also nice to know Kentucky isn’t that far away. All of the four schools Gary is looking at (UK, Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan State) are with three-and-a-half hours from where we live, so that is nice. We want to see Gary play, and with younger children, it would be hard to see him way off. But Lexington isn’t too far. Our family is comfortable with the location.

Harris also said his son wants to make an early decision so he can enjoy his senior year. Ranked No. 10 by ESPNU, Harris is a 6-foot-4 guard out of Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indianapolis.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Poythress might wait until spring to sign, reports Jason Smith of C-A.
• Carter will visit either UK or Maryland, reports Michael Carvell of AJC.
• Mullen says UK could be a hot team, reports Brandon Marcello of C-L.
• Sanders unlikely to play against Mississippi State, reports me for the H-L.
• Phillips plays down Clemons rumors, writes Larry Vaught of A-M.
• Laettner to Rupp in villain’s role, says H-L staff report.
• Big Blue All-Stars set to gangle with Villains, writes C-J’s Kyle Tucker.
• Why the Villains are villains, from Aaron Smith of the Kernel.
• Tubby Smith is motivated, writes Amelia Rayno of Star-Tribune.
• Phillips on injuries, UK’s progress, from Tucker of C-J.
• A rapid rewind of UK’s football victory, by Matt May of Cats Pause.
• UK volleyball outlasts Auburn, reports UK Athletics.
• Grid Cats get a fresh start, writes Ira Combs for KSN.
• A crowd of 340 pack coaches clinic, reports CoachCal.com.
• Cal pumps up the coaches, writes KSR.
• Why should UK play FCS teams? asks Nation of Blue.
• Fighting over football attendance, from Wildcat Blue Nation.

SEC links for Monday:

• Alabama’s demolition defense grows, reports Izzy Gould of the Birmingham News.
• Coast is clear for Bama and LSU, writes Michael Casagrande of the Anniston Star.
• LSU gives Bama much to study, writes Les East of The Advocate.
• Miles has LSU right where he wants it, writes Peter Finney of Times-Picayune.
• Muschamp on different side of rivalry, writes Michael DiRocco of Times-Union.
• Georgia healthy for Florida game, reports David Paschall of Times Free Press.
• Gators mystery quarterback a Georgia concern, writes David Jones of Florida Today.
• Ogletree’s return gives Georgia a boost, reports Chris White of ABH.
• SEC East may be a two-horse race, writes Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier.
• Arkansas falls in BCS standings, writes Chris Bahn of Arkansas 360.
• Auburn’s Chizik stays positive, reports Jay Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Auburn expects to bounce back, reports Joel Erickson of the Ledger-Enquirer.
• Ole Miss’ Mackey is gaining respect, reports Hugh Kellenberger of the C-L.
• Worley now in quarterback mix at Tennessee, reports Austin Ward of KNS.

Neal Brown

Former Boyle County star and ex-Wildcat Neal Brown is receiving some positive pub for Texas Tech’s 41-38 upset of then No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman on Saturday night. Brown is Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Says Matt Hinton of Dr. Saturday:

The Raiders got off 94 plays, picked up 28 first downs and finished with a ten-minute advantage in time of possession. In 53 attempts, the most sack-happy defense in the nation put Doege on the ground once. The same defense that ate Texas’ young passers for lunch two weeks ago suddenly found itself being served as the main course.

And:

For Texas Tech, the upset is the first milestone of the Tommy Tuberville era, the first big win that might convince Raider fans to past the Mike Leach fiasco and stop fretting over what Tuberville and offensive coordinator Neal Brown are doing to the offense. Brown comes from the Leach tree, and certainly delivered Leachian numbers tonight in Tech’s toughest test of the season — and in Norman, no less, where Leach’s teams (like most teams) were beaten by an average of 25 points in five trips. For Oklahoma, it’s just another disappointment, the fourth time the Sooners have lost a top-five ranking to an unranked team in the last five years.

Brown played three years at UK under Hal Mumme before transferring to UMass. He was the offensive coordinator at Troy — the youngest in FBS — before being hired by Tommy Tuberville at Tech.