John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Check out the Herald-Leader photo gallery from the Kentucky-Louisville game.

Three things Kentucky must do today to beat Louisville:

1. Get off to a good start. Louisville is coming off its first losing effort of the season, its unbeaten bubble burst by J.T. III and Georgetown on Wednesday night. The Cards’ confidence has to be wavering. No need for the Cats to stumble out of the gate and provide the visitors a pick-me-up. Plus, the Rupp Arena crowd is normally loudest at the start of a big game. Kentucky needs to keep it loud.

Continue reading ‘Three things Kentucky must do today to beat Louisville’

((H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Kentucky expects a physical challenge from Louisville
• Me: Kentucky a big favorite, but don’t count out Pitino
• Mark Story: Cats-Cards a chance for Calipari to match Pitino
• Darius Miller a key factor for the Cats
• Louisville’s Behanan excited to face “best friend” Kidd-Gilchrist

I’m cranking up my best Colin Cowherd voice and subbing for the vacationing Larry Glover tonight from 6-8 p.m. on WVLK-590 in Lexington.

At 6:10, we’ll have my colleague Mike Fields on to preview tonight’s Lexington Catholic-Trinity final of the Republic Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic.

At 6:35, we’ll have the Cats’ Pause Jeff Drummond to talk recruiting and Kentucky-Louisville from the UK perspective.

Then at 7:05 we’ll have my former colleague Chip Cosby to talk about his new TV show and Kentucky-Louisville from the U of L perspective.

The numbers to call are (859) 253-5959, toll free 1-877-777-0590, or *590 from your AT&T wireless phone.

Or you can post a question here on the blog, or send me a comment or question via twitter at @johnclayiv.

This from twitter:

Hat tip to Nicole Auerbach.

The line is out and Kentucky is a 12.5-point favorite over Louisville. Do you take the over or the under?

That seems a little high to me, but perhaps you disagree.

Click the continue line to vote in the poll.

Read comments on his post via my Facebook page.

Continue reading ‘With UK a 12.5-point favorite, take over or under?’

ESPN’s Andy Katz starts his three-point shot post with the UK-U of L game.

An excerpt:

Kentucky coach John Calipari said the Wildcats aren’t where they need to be at this stage in the season, especially with Louisville on deck Saturday. “We’ve got a ways to go,’’ Calipari said. “I would have hoped in the (Lamar) game we would have shown improvement. We’re not executing the way we need to be right now. Indiana executed better than us. Louisville can be that same kind of team.’’

Of course, Indiana handed Kentucky its lone loss of the season, 73-72 in Bloomington. The venue is one noticeable difference right there. UK-IU was played in front of a mob of rabid, profane pro-IU fans at IU. UK-U of L will be played in front of a mob of rapid, and hopefully not-profane, pro-UK fans at UK.

Kentucky senior Darius Miller talks to the media Friday about Saturday’s Cats-Cards showdown.