John Clay’s Sidelines

Here’s SEC basketball roundup after first weekend:

• Mississippi State, ranked 18th, passed out SEC Tournament title rings in a pre-game ceremony, then went out and lost to Rider 88-74 before 7,421 at Humphrey Coliseum.

• Remember, Rider plays Kentucky next Saturday in Rupp.

• In Kyle Veazey’s game story for Clarion-Ledger, Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said, “I know that most of you don’t know much about us, about Rider, or even the MAAC conference, but we have a good basketball team and we play in a great conference.”

• State coach Rick Stansbury: “Everybody understands now when I said how good Rider is, how good they are. They were just better than us.”

• Rider made 10 of 16 of its 3-point shots and committed all of six turnovers.

• Kodi Augustus, who scored nine points and had five rebounds in 15 minutes after starting, told reporters after the game that he wasn’t pleased with his playing time. “I played all these minutes in the exhibition games and I played 15 minutes? Wow,” Augustus said.

• Alabama lost to Cornell 71-67 in Anthony Grant’s debut. Cornell is the two-time defending Ivy League champion.

• Ex-Kentucky forward Mark Coury had six points and five rebounds for Cornell, which had not beaten a current SEC team since 1972-73.

• JaMychal Green led the Tide with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

• Crowd was listed at 10,135 fans, and attendance was surely hurt by football team playing 90 minutes away Saturday night at Mississippi State.

Continue reading ‘SEC basketball roundup after first weekend’

Here are some Media Approval Rating scores up to this point:

(AP photo/Jeff Chiu)

Kelenna Azubuike poured in 31 points last night in Golden State’s 146-105 win over the miserable Minnesota Timberwolves. The former UK star just missed his career-high of 33 against the L.A. Clippers in November of 2007.

In six games this year, Kelenna is averaging 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

An excerpt from Rusty Simmons game story in the San Francisco Chronicle:

(Don) Nelson has said he’s going to keep Azubuike in the starting lineup “for a while,” and the forward made sure it’ll be a long while. He had 31 points - two points off his career high - in 29 minutes.

Post-game video interviews with Morgan Newton, Trevard Lindley and La’Rod King after Kentucky’s 37-12 win over Eastern Kentucky. Newton completed 20 of 29 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Lindley sat out the second half after having his ankle stepped on near the end of the first half. King caught four passes for 41 yards.

Continue reading ‘Video: Morgan Newton, Trevard Lindley and La’Rod King’

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Sunday:

Florida 41, Georgia 17

• Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun writes that Tim Tebow and Gators found themselves again.
• Dooley also writes that Florida clinched the SEC East.
• David Jones of Florida Today writes that Gators tell message boards to keep right on bashing.
• Peter Kerasotis of Florida Today writes that it was a special win for Tebow.
• Tim Tucker of the AJC writes that black helmets didn’t help the Georgia cause.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia was revealed as second-rate.
• Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald writes new uniforms, same results.
• Ron Higgins of the Commercial Appeal writes that Florida must now maintain its focus.
• Mark Schlabach of espn.com has the story on the Gators victory.

Tennessee 31, South Carolina 13

• David Climer of the Tennessean writes that UT’s win wasn’t just a fashion statement.
• Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that were plenty of Tennessee treats.
• Dave Link of the News-Sentinel reports that black jerseys were requested by Tennessee players.
• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that black was grim for South Carolina.
• Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that treat do the trick for Tennessee.
• Joe Person of The State writes that it was a Halloween horror show for South Carolina.
• Ron Morris of The State says a season’s worth of breaks caught up to the Gamecocks.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Black works for Tennessee, not for Georgia’

The man who casts this state’s vote in this year’s AP college basketball poll has placed Kentucky fourth on his pre-season ballot.

OK, the voter is my friend Rick Bozich, over at the Courier-Journal.

Rick has put his ballot on his blog, and has the Cats ranked fourth, with Louisville at No. 13. (That’s too high, by the way.)

You can see his entire Top 25 here.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Zagsblog reports that Doron Lamb enjoyed UK visit, but the prospect says he still has tough choice to make.
• Shira Springer of the Boston Globe reports on Antoine Walker’s financial troubles.
• Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Michal Gilchrist has taken a second unofficial visit to Villanova. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader reports that UK is banged up heading into Mississippi State game.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes about the injury list.
• T.J. Walker of the Kentucky Kernel reports on UK volleyball’s five-set win over No. 20 LSU.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Doron Lamb likes UK, but says he has tough choice’

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