John Clay's Sidelines

Alfonso Smith

Thanks to injuries, former Kentucky running back Alfonso Smith was the featured back for the Arizona Cardinals in their 13-10 loss at Seattle today.

Smith carried 17 times for 54 yards. After spending much of last year on Arizona’s practice squad, it was the 24-year-old’s first carries as a professional in a regular-season game.

Here is the interesting part: Just once in his college career did the Louisville native get as many as 17 carries in a game. That was 2006, Smith’s freshman season, when he subbed for the injured Rafael Little and carried 17 times for 92 yards and a touchdown against Mississippi State.

After that, Smith never got more than 12 carries in a game. He carried 12 times for 60 yards and a TD in a blowout win over Eastern Kentucky in 2009.

Smith played his high school football at Louisville Waggener.

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Stuart Hines is the quiet leader of Kentucky’s offensive line
• UK softball’s Brittany Cervantes meets her hero Erin Andrews
• Kentucky basketball thinking outside the luxury box
• Collinsworth says Towles is as good a high school player as he’s been around
• Cousins in negotiations with multiple European teams
• Arizona injury could provide chance for Alfonso Smith
• Cat fights continuing in football position battles
• Kentucky football coaches are fired up over freshmen
• UK receiver LaRod King gets a grip on things
• New lights make a difference at Nutter Field House
• Notes from Kentucky’s final football scrimmage
• Joker Phillips makes the all-card team

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• “I can always say I shot it well against Kentucky,” Windsor’s attorney-to-be Monty Hardware tells Mary Caton of the Windsor Star. (Hat tip to Tom Leach.)
• Kentucky says Winston Guy is more than ready to live up to his packed potential, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Notre Dame at home and Duke in Cameron Indoor highlights the UK women’s basketball schedule, writes Jennifer Smith of the H-L.
• Highly-ranked freshman left off UK women’s roster, and unfortunately it’s not a typo, writes Smith.
• Larry Conley tells Mark Maynard of the Ashland Daily Independent that the NCAA may cease to exist in 5-8 years. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
• Brandon Knight shines, shines, shines, writes Fabian Lyon of the Miami Herald.
• My column on how grayshirting has worked for Kentucky football both ways.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger does a Q&A with UK’s first-year but strong-legged kicker Joe Mansour.
• Kyle Wiltjer has a scholarship offer from Kentucky, says Percy Allen of the Seattle Times.

Continue reading ‘BBL: “I can always say I shot it well against Kentucky.”’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

Sports Blog Nation’s Andrew Sharp writes about his trip to Rupp: “A game between the most successful program in college basketball’s recent history (and my favorite team in sports) and a program that looks primed to rule the immediate future. North Carolina and Kentucky. Two of college basketball’s titans for the past 30 years, going head-to-head on national television. A blockbuster event, sure, but given the context, it’d take a whole lot for the hoops to match the hype. I was prepared to come away a little disappointed. But that didn’t happen.” (Hat tip to A Sea of Blue.)

Jerry Tipton of the H-L reports that John Wall could be the SEC Freshman of Every Week: “The latest recognition made it necessary to find historical context to capture the start to Wall’s UK career. He became the sixth player to win the SEC’s Freshman or, as it was previously known, Rookie of the Week Award in back-to-back weeks.”

Chip Cosby of H-L reports on Randall Cobb’s SEC honor: “University of Kentucky sophomore Randall Cobb has been named first-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. Cobb, who has 1,656 total yards on the season, made the team as an all-purpose player.”

Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel writes on one-and-dones: “In his introductory press conference Calipari said coming to UK presents him with the ability to recruit “the best of the best” and that’s one of the perks of coaching at UK. Bobby Perry, who played basketball for UK from 2003-2007, said coaches should take players regardless of whether they’ll leave after one year or not if the player is that talented.”

Wildcat Blue Blog on DeAndre Liggins: “It has been the great mystery this season: is DeAndre Liggins a victim of John Calipari’s doghouse or is his inactivity this season the result of something more nefarious? Truth be told, no one really know what is going on with Liggins except for Liggins, the team, and the UKAA.”

Continue reading ‘BBL: A North Carolina fan enjoys his trip to Rupp Arena’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Update: Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports reports that sources say Wall is likely to be cleared before the Sept. 13 opener.

Update: Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal adds a thought about the Wall situation.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• The ESPN story on John Wall’s eligibility issue.
• Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline reports that UK is confident that Wall will be eligible, but may miss 3-4 games.
• My two cents on the Wall story.
• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports that Patrick Patterson embraces the leading-man role.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader gives the UK football team mid-season grades.
• Chip also reports that Derrick Locke has been upgraded to probable for Saturday.
• Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on the SEC Media Day back-and-forth between John Calipari and Bruce Pearl.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Is John Wall issue no big deal?’

Update at 5:40 p.m.: As expected Irving committed to Duke.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Dan Wiederer of the Fayetteville Observer writes that Kyrie Irving only visited UK and Texas A&M as favors.
• Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline thinks Irving will pick Duke today at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
• Bob Herzog of Newsday reports that Tobias Harris will announce Nov. 19 on ESPNU.
• Ken Tysiac of the Raleigh News and Observer writes it’s going to be an interesting week for Duke.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes on UK linebacker Danny Trevathan.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal also writes on Trevathan.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel writes on running back Alfonso Smith.
• Larry Vaught of the Advocate-Messenger writes that UK has a true Kentucky offensive line.
• My column on the seventh-ranked UK volleyball team, which was upset by Tennessee last night.
• T.J. Walker of the Kentucky Kernel reports on Tennessee’s upset of the volleyball Cats.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Irving announces today; Harris to announce Nov. 19′

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Let’s break it down to three highlights from the Rich Brooks’ press conference today:

• 1. Derrick Locke is doubtful for Saturday’s game with Louisiana-Monroe because of a nagging knee problem. In fact, Brooks said the running back, coming off a 126-yard game, is probably out. Locke has a slight tear of the MCL that will take three or four days to “calm down” said Brooks. That means Alfonso Smith and Moncel Allen are likely to share the load. True freshman running back Donald Russell will also get some playing time.

• 2. Brooks said Morgan Newton will most likely make his second start. Brooks admitted that wasn’t fair to Will Fidler,  but the coach likes the idea of bringing in Fidler off the bench if things aren’t going well. That worked Saturday at Auburn, when Fidler, the junior, engineered those two fourth-quarter scoring drives.

• 3. Last Saturday’s game may have been one of the better ones in UK linebacker history. Micah Johnson was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, thanks to his 14 tackles. But Danny Trevathan could have received the honor, as well. Trevathan was credited with 14 tackles, as well, by the Auburn stat crew. Trevathan has been leaving the field when UK goes to an extra defensive back, but the Cats played a more conventional defense Saturday, leaving Trevathan on the field.

UK senior running back Alfonso Smith talks about the offensive improvement after Saturday’s scrimmage.

Mark Krebs

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• NEW: EDSBS notices the Mike Hartline mustache craze.
• John Calipari announces on his site that Mark Krebs will be on scholarship this season.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader previews UK’s kickers.
• Cosby also reports that Randall Cobb has returned to practice.
• Jennifer Smith of the H-L reports that there are two no-shows among UK women basketball’s rookie class.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes on UK running back Alfonso Smith.
• Nothing But Net thinks Kansas is the front-runner for Brandon Knight. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• Lawrence Journal World reports that Doron Lamb will also be at Kansas’ “Late Night with Phog.”
• Bluegrass State Basketball reports that Shagari Alleyne has signed with Norway team.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Krebs on scholarship; Kansas leads for Knight?’