John Clay's Sidelines

Danny Travathan picked up an award during Saturday's game. (H-L photo/Jonathan Palmer)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Kentucky tops Ole Miss 77-62 for 50th consecutive home win, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Terrence Jones’ first double-double came out of necessity, reports Tipton as part of his post-game notes.
• Practice habits help Kyle Wiltjer deliver when called upon, says my game column. The freshman provided a lift with 10 first-half points.
• Wildcats prove to be too much for Ole Miss, reports Hugh Kellenberger of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy is a Wildcat believer, writes Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal.
• UK easily defeats Ole Miss, reports Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal.
• Cats do just enough to beat the Rebels, writes Matt May of the Cats Pause.
• Ole Miss on wrong side of Kentucky streak, reports the AP.
• The list of ways to beat Kentucky are dwindling, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Wiltjer sparks the Kentucky win, says Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal.
• Ole Miss coach has no doubts about how good Kentucky really is, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Super Subs Miller and Wiltjer propel Cats past Rebels, writes Guy Ramsey of Cat Scratches.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

Despite those reports that Shabazz Muhammad is UCLA’s to lose, Muhammad says that he is a long way from deciding. “I don’t think I’m that close at all,” the 6-foot-6 Muhammad out of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman told ESPNU after he was named a McDonald’s All-American. “I really havne’t been looking at it. Just been working on this season for high school, but when I get down to it it’s going to be really stressful for me. But I’m just going to talk to my family and talk it over with them.”

The Providence College students newspaper thinks that Nerlens Noel could join his friends on the Friars. James Kirby writes, “Without a doubt, Cooley has already made an impact that is yet to be felt in Friartown with the acquisitions of Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo, both of whom are in ESPNU’s Top 25.  . . . And now, Cooley wants even more. Enter Nerlens Noel. . . .  In fact, reports that have neither been confirmed nor denied state that he may be leaning to team up with his good friends, Ledo and Dunn, and bring the Friars back to the forefront of college basketball.” (H/T Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog)

Greg Kocher of the Herald-Leader reports that UK has asked people to stop selling those Anthony Davis wingspan posters on the internet. UK can ask all it wants. It can send out a cease-and-desist order. But it can’t stop people from selling them. I have the poster. There is nothing printed on it that says it cannot be re-sold. This appears to be a simple case of the school trying to cover itself in case the NCAA gets its nose out of joint.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Shabazz, Nerlens Noel and that Davis poster’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Shabazz Muhammad talks about recruitment. (Mass Live)
• Kuran Iverson likes Connecticut and Kentucky. (Zagsblog)
• UK, Syracuse and UConn all after Nerlens Noel. (Syracuse Post-Herald)
• Arkansas looks to run Cats ragged. (LHL)
• Calipari bemoans referres’ stance on charges. (LHL)
• UK’s Anthony Rossi wins SEC Indoor tennis title. (LHL)
• Kentucky basketball foe might push tempo. (C-J)
• Hogs don’t intend to slow pace against Wildcats. (Cats Illustrated)
• The hare and the hare. (Cats Pause)
• Anthony Davis needs two blocks to set record. (Advocate-Messenger)
• Kentucky players up for an up-tempo game. (Kentucky Kernel)
• Arkansas’ style offers a welcome change. (Cat Scratches)
• Hogs to get a glimpse at Kentucky’s wondrous freshmen. (Arkansas 360)
• Traveling to No. 2 Kentucky, Arkansas eyes first road win. (AP)
• Calipari turns UK into NBA expansion team. (David Climer)
• Mike Anderson looking for a Super Tuesday win at Kentucky. (Baxter Bulletin)

Nerlens Noel dominated Michigan signee Mitch McGary in a head-to-battle at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

Rated No. 3 by Rivals and Scout in the Class of 2013, Noel scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds and blocked seven shots. John Calipari was in the crowd, and Noel listed UK, Connecticut and Syracuse as his top three choices at this point.

Meanwhile, Bullitt East star Derek Willis will make known his college choice on Friday. The former Purdue commitment is reportedly down to Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana and Purdue.

Click the continue line for Monday’s Big Blue Links.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Noel dominates McGary; Willis to announce Friday’

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports that injury and a different team this season has made for a different Terrence Jones.
• Tipton reports in his notes that Doron Lamb at point guard gives Kentucky a different look.
• Michael Grant of the Courier-Journal reports that Terrence Jones is ready for a fresh start with the beginning of SEC play.
• Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel offers three things to watch in today’s Kentucky-South Carolina game.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun reports that Florida is talking to former Kentucky assistant Brent Pease for the Gators’ open offensive coordinator position.
• Mike Huguenin of Yahoo says that in the SEC, everyone is chasing Kentucky.
• Darryl Slater of the Charleston Post and Courier reports that the Kentucky game begins a brutal stretch for South Carolina basketball.
• Brad Senkiw of the Anderson Independent says this is a huge road test for the Gamecocks.
• Herald-Leader staff report says former UK sophomore Stacey Poole has chosen to transfer to Georgia Tech.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports that Brandon Knight exhibited glimpses of his ability in his first start for the Detroit Pistons.

Kentucky’s matinee victory over Loyola of Maryland on Thursday lead to many Kyle Wiltjer stories. After all, the freshman did come off the bench to score a game-high 24 points. Now John Calipari has to find a way to improve Wiltjer’s defense to keep him on the floor. In other news, UK football signs a junior college safety and UK soccer hires a new coach and Chuck Hayes gets some good news.

• Second-half spurt helps Cats whip Loyola, reports Jerry Tipton of H-L.
• UK signs junior college safety, says H-L staff report.
• Kidd-Gilchrist is UK’s pre-Christmas MVP, says me.
• UK hires new men’s soccer coach, says H-L report.
• Doctors clear Hayes to play, reports Sacramento Bee.

(H-L photo)

From UK media relations:

Kentucky Volleyball Caps Season Ranked No. 13

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second time in three seasons the Kentucky volleyball team has finished the season ranked among the nation’s top-15 according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. UK closes out the 2011 season as the nation’s No. 13 rated team.

UK coach Craig Skinner has led three teams to a final ranking with all three coming in three of the last four seasons. Kentucky was ranked No. 12 according to the AVCA in 2009. During Skinner’s tenure, the Wildcats have been ranked for 41 total polls including 10 consecutively this season.

Kentucky is one of three Southeastern Conference teams that finished the season ranked among the nation’s top 25. Florida capped the season at No. 11 and Tennessee was ranked No. 19.

Continue reading ‘Kentucky volleyball finishes season ranked No. 13′

Kentucky volleyball coach Craig Skinner, plus players Ashley Frazier, Stephanie Klefot and Christine Hartmann talk to the media after losing to top-seed Texas 3-1 in a regional semifinal of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament before a crowd of 4,022 at Memorial Coliseum on Friday night.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• New rule banning non-scholastic sports events from college arenas being called the “John Calipari Rule,” reports Greg Sullivan of the Tennessean.
• Kentucky women knock off another top 10 team with win over Duke, reports Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader.
• With plenty of talent in the wings, Kentucky women are thinking Final Four, writes Mark Story of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky’s Azia Bishop comes up big in win over Duke, reports Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal.
• Indiana freshman center Cody Zeller is carrying on the family basketball name, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Scrutiny intensifies as Marquis Teauge develops, writes Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star.
• Volleyball Cats undaunted by rugged regional, writes Mark Maloney for the Herald-Leader. Four-time defending national champion Penn State plays UCLA at 5 p.m., followed by Kentucky and tournament top seed Texas at 7 p.m.

The only thing standing between Kentucky and its first trip to a regional final in the Craig Skinner Era just happens to be the No. 1 team in the country, Texas. The two meet at 7 p.m. on Friday at Memorial Coliseum in the second semifinal match of the Lexington Region in Memorial Coliseum. Defending national champ Penn State plays UCLA at 5 p.m. in the first match.

Making it seventh straight trip to the tournament in Skinner’s seven years as the UK coach, Kentucky has been to the Sweet 16 twice, in 2009 and 2011. This time it has the advantage of playing at home, but the opposition just happens to be the top team in the country.

Skinner and seniors Becky Pavan and Ann Armes met the media on Thursday to talk about the match.

Continue reading ‘Video: UK volleyball is hosting a power-packed regional’