John Clay’s Sidelines

Update: Everyone under the sun is reporting that Payne is picking Michigan State — Scout.com may  have actually confirmed it first — but we’ll still Liveblog, anyway.

If Adreian Payne is indeed going to make his college choice at 5:30, then we’ll talk about it here. Payne is reportedly down to UK, West Virginia and Michgian State. Buzz this morning is the choice is Michigan State, but people were saying West Virginia last night. Anyway, we can always talk about the Blue-White scrimmage. We’ll start at about 5:15.

Update: UK is No. 4 in the first AP poll.

The initial USA Today coaches’ basketball poll is out this morning, and Kentucky checks in at No. 5.

Here’s the top 10:

• 1. Kansas
• 2. Michigan State
• 3. Texas
• 4. North Carolina
• 5. Kentucky
• 6. Villanova
• 7. Purdue
• 8. Duke
• 9. West Virginia
• 10. Butler

UK junior Patrick Patterson talks about his play, and the team’s play after tonight’s Blue-White Scrimmage. Patterson finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and made a pair of three-pointers.

Update: C-J now reporting that a contract has been signed for a Sunday practice at Freedom Hall that is expected to be open to the public.

WKYT is reporting that Kentucky coach John Calipari is working on practicing at Freedom Hall on Sunday.

UK would neither confirm nor deny the report, but Freedom Hall officials said they have been contacted.

No word yet on wether the workout would be open to fans.

Kentucky Sports Radio spread the Freedom Hall rumor earlier today.

Gary Bedore of the Lawrence Journal-World has a pair of interesting nuggets this morning:

• Ex-UK coach Billy Gillispie, who reportedly checked himself into the John Lucas rehab facility in early September, was in Lawrence to attend former boss Bill Self’s coaching clinic. Said Gillispie, “I came here because I’m great friends not only to coach (Self), but the entire staff. I feel very honored. I’m definitely missing the game, and I love watching practice, those kind of things, but coach has been so good to me. I would never have had any opportunities if not for him. He’s got such a great staff and leadership up top starting with (athletic director) Lew Perkins. This place … what a beautiful facility they’ve built. I’m just having a great time visiting here.”

• And UK target Adreian Payne has canceled his visit to Kansas and will choose among Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia and Michigan State.

Update: And this from one happy customer — @jwh323: After the student only practice, all I can say is @UKCoachCalipari is no doubt the right man for the job and this team is going to be sick.

Update No. 2: This from former Kernel columnist and Facebook friend Jon Hale: “most interesting part was Wayne Turner, technically a student I guess, watching from the front row.”

UK students are at the student-only UK basketball practice — no media — and students being students, they know how to (a) take pictures with their phones, and (b) use Twitter.

BTW, my friends over at Kentucky Sports Radio also have some student-only practice pix.

Eric Lindsey at Cat Scratches, who did nothing to save me when I was nearly flattened at the UK volleyball match Wednesday, has more pictures from the student-only practice.

Photo by @chubbarth)

(Photo by @SIX_EIGHT)

(Photo by @justinmc44)

Continue reading ‘Twitter pix from student-only UK practice’

What about Duke and Ryan Kelly?

That’s the question some Kentucky fans are asking in wake of news that John Wall is facing some eligibility issue because of his dealings with his AAU coach Brian Clifton, who for a time was a certified agent.

Turns out Kelly, a 6-foot-10 freshman at Duke, was a teammate of Wall’s on Clifton’s AAU team.

Did Kelly receive money from Clifton? Did Kelly take any unofficial visits in which Clifton helped pay expenses?

A Sea of Blue, as well as plenty on Twitter, have brought up the Kelly question.

Meanwhile, Duke Basketball Report says there is a difference.

Continue reading ‘When it comes to Wall, what about Duke’s Ryan Kelly?’

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Seth Emerson of The State writes that SEC basketball is rising up.
• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean reports that Vandy’s A.J. Ogilvy is already battling injuries.
• Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Lane Kiffin has just signed his contract.
• Speaking of Kiffin, he says Alabama is better than Florida.
• Tony Barnhart of the AJC thinks it’s time to have a serious discussion about officiating.
• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press asks if Tennessee is ready to rip Tide?
• Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News reports on Mark Ingram’s Heisman hopes.
• Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register writes that pitfalls are still possible for Florida, Alabama.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that the real Gene Chizik is still standing.
• Gary Laney of The Advocate writes that LSU wants to go deep.

(Charleston Daily Mail photo used by permission.)

Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail is reporting that West Virginia compliance officials are looking into whether secondary violations were committed when fans used signs and t-shirts to welcome recruit Adreian Payne to Mountaineer Madness.

WVU officials told Casazza that no violations had been found at this time, but an investigation was proceeding just to make sure.

An excerpt:

One issue likely to be explored is how the T-shirts were supplied. If the Mountaineer Maniacs, the largest student group on campus and part of the Student Government Association supervised by the Division of Student Affairs, paid for and provided the shirts, it could be interpreted as a university entity celebrating Payne’s visit.

Update: Had forgotten this tidbit, according to Raleigh News and Observer, Duke officials removed student signs welcoming Kyrie Irving for fear they would violate NCAA rules.

Update No. 2: Bluegrass State Basketball says/alleges a current WVU player tried to pull Payne onto the court.