John Clay's Sidelines

Patrick Towles (AP photo)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• UK signee Towles wins Mr. Football award, reports AP.
• Chuck Hayes undergoing more health tests, reports Sacramento Bee.
• Chattanooga coach expects a sharp UK, writes Jerry Tipton of H-L.
• Mocs bring a 3-7 record to Rupp, writes Brendan Quinn of nooga.com.
• UK signee Poythress makes Naismith list, reports H-L.
• Terrence Jones has room to improve, writes Kyle Tucker of C-J.
• Cat Scratches has television information for UK-Chattanooga.
• Daniel Orton not ready, says Brian Schmitz of Orlando Sentinel.
• Paul deal is good for Bledsoe, says Jeff Sentell of Birmingham News.
• Rondo most hated player in NBA, reports Tom Curran of Celtics Town.

(H-L photo/Joseph Rey Au)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Morgan Newton relishes chance to be starting quarterback, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Jon Davis still committed to UK but will take U of L visit, reports Cosby.
• A 96-year-old Kentucky fan still bleeds blue, writes Mark Story of the Herald-Leader.
• Missing big man leaves hole in Calipari lineup, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Bleed Blue Kentucky does a football recruiting rewind and review.
• New assistant Steve Pardue believes in UK running game, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Doron Lamb anything but a bench player, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Kernel also charts the percentage of the team’s shots each UK player takes.
• Kentucky on the verge of being dangerous, writes Alan Cutler of WLEX.
• Andy Katz of espn.com on the Enes Kanter non-updates.

Continue reading ‘BBL: With no Enes news, football links lead the way’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

Winthrop faces tough challenge in Cats, writes Karl Lyles of the Rock Hill Herald.

There’s no question tonight’s game at 13th-ranked Kentucky represents the best opponent Winthrop will see in this regular season. Kentucky (8-2) is one of the least experienced teams in the country, and one of the most talented. The team is young because five players off last season’s NCAA Elite Eight squad were drafted in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. But don’t feel too bad for Kentucky. Coach John Calipari has restocked the team with point guard Brandon Knight and forward Terrence Jones, both freshmen, leading the way. Another freshman guard, Doron Lamb, is a key reserve.

Tough defense leads to playing time, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.

When Kentucky freshman Stacey Poole took a turn applying single-minded defense on Notre Dame shooter Ben Hansbrough, he earned a promotion. His three-pointer in the same game, the only shot he’s made this season, was purely coincidental when Coach John Calipari said Poole would be the second perimeter player off the bench. Then UK played Indiana, a game that saw Poole nearly match his season’s total of four shots by launching three times in seven frantic minutes. Not so coincidentally, he never got off the bench in the next game as the Cats beat Mississippi Valley State last weekend.

UK basketball signee Michael Gilchrist is on ESPNU tonight, reports H-L.

Barnhart knows bowl date is difficult, writes the Advocate-Messenger’s Larry Vaught.

Kentucky fans have flocked to Nashville, Tenn., for the Music City Bowl in three of the last four years and took a hefty crowd to Memphis, Tenn., for the 2008 Liberty Bowl. But Birmingham to see a 6-6 team play that lost again to Tennessee after schools are back in session and holiday breaks are over? “The date is a little more difficult, to be real honest,” Barnhart said of the BBVA Compass Bowl. “We have sold a few thousand tickets so far, which is really good. We are doing OK. We are asking our fans to support a couple of things down there. This is our way of saying ‘Operation Thank-You.’”

UK women beat Arkansas Pine-Bluff by 72, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.

The Kentucky vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff game didn’t seem like a good matchup on paper, and it wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean there was no value for Coach Matthew Mitchell in his team’s 107-35 win over the outmanned Lady Lions. With a road trip to No. 3 Duke and the start of the SEC schedule looming on the horizon in January, Mitchell wanted to see his 11th-ranked squad maintain a high intensity level for 40 minutes. And while the winless Lady Lions didn’t offer much resistance, the Wildcats did just that.

Herald-Leader photo gallery from UK women’s win last night.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Winthrop knows Kentucky a tough task’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Kentucky floor installed at Freedom Hall, reports Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Badgoneblog has a picture of the floor. (Hat tip All Kentucky Hoops)
• Jason Jordan of ESPN tweets that Shabazz Muhammad and Rodney Purvis will visit UK together.
• Looking ahead, Indiana believes it can beat Kentucky, reports Pete DiPrimio of the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel. (Hat tip Spam’s Wildcat Page)
• Terrence Jones vs. Tyrone Nash will be battle of similar styles, writes Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Kentucky provides the first of two Notre Dame tests, writes Brian Hamilton of Chicago Breaking Sports.
• Irish needs Nash’s versatility, writes Hamilton for the Chicago Tribune.
• Cats say lesser bowl is not a letdown, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky is dreaming of bowls beyond goals, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Mark Story of the H-L says back off the Mike Hartline bashing.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Muhammad and Purvis to visit UK together’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Click here for Herald-Leader photo gallery of last night’s game.

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Mitch Barnhart says he has unfinished business at UK, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky crushes Boston 91-57, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Cats are young like last year, but have fewer guns, says my column.
• Cats awaken in second half to bash Boston, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Kentucky breezes past Boston University, reports Will Graves of the AP.
• Boston’s halftime celebration inspired Cats, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Cats turn torrid in win over Terriers, reports Matt May of the Cats Pause.
• Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal writes that things don’t look good for Enes Kanter.
• Doron Lamb knows how to play, writes Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun.
• From Operation Win to Operation Whine, writes Paul Jordan of Wildcat Blue Nation.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Barnhart’s business; Cats’ roll; Kanter’s chances’

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Bleed Blue Kentucky reports that Randall Cobb’s High School will retire his jersey on Friday.
• Terrence Jones gets a trip home in second game of college career, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Jones relishing his trip back home, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel on the Jones’ homecoming trip to Oregon.
• Portland pit stop is the highlight of Jones’ trip, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Jones is ready for the return home to Portland, writes James Day of the Statesman-Journal.
• Jones wants to prove John Calipari wrong, says Mary Jo Perino of WLEX-TV.
• Enes Kanter giving UK’s big men tests in practice, writes Tipton.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that Harrellson and Vargas are both benefiting from Kanter’s presence.
• UK’s Josh Harrellson says the Cats are looking forward to road trip:

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cobb’s jersey to be retired; Cats ready for trip’

Raymond Sanders (H-L photo)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Randall Cobb is tried of opponent’s cheap shots, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Again, the Cats turn out to be good, but not great, says my Monday column.
• Kentucky is better than it showed against Georgia, writes Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal.
• Cats switch focus from East title to bowl bid, reports Brett Dawson of the C-J.
• The NCAA Clearing House is irrelevant, says a Kentucky Kernel editorial.
• Mississippi State wants a cleaner effort against UK, writes David Brandt of the AP.
• Sluggish win over UAB irks MSU coach Dan Mullen, writes Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Tom Leach says Kentucky got killed by the run Saturday night.
• Kentucky searching for answers, writes Brett Carney of WLEX-TV.
• Patience is the key for Daniel Orton, writes Sam Gardner of Fox Sports Florida. (Hat tip to allkyhoops.com)

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Scott Howard-Cooper of nba.com writes about Sacramento Kings’ rookie DeMarcus Cousins, one in which he talks to one former Cousins teammate.

Named Daniel Orton.

An excerpt:

Teams called the University of Kentucky before the draft and got positive reports of a good kid. A 19-year-old wandering through games, a freshman who did not handle criticism well, a major prospect who lacked discipline to where it cost him big money — yes, yes and yes — but mostly a nice guy with the right intentions who just needs to grow up. That temper, though.

“I’ve seen it get out of hand,” said Daniel Orton, one of DeMarcus Cousins’ college teammates last season.

Out of hand?

“It’s kinda like watching a little kid throw a temper tantrum,” Orton said. “But it’s a big little kid, so you’ve got to kind of control it before he gets way out of hand. He may hurt somebody, to tell you the truth.”

The story goes on to say that the person who could get hurt is New Jersey rookie Derrick Favors, who was drafted in front of Cousins.

(Hat tip to KSR.)

Lamar Dawson (H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Wildcat Wally Clark missing this year’s Madness camp out, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• John Calipari downplays and welcomes high expectations, writes Tipton.
• Cats will need discipline to stop dangerous Masoli, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• UK football target Lamar Dawson getting plenty of attention, writes Mark Story of the H-L.
• Brandon Knight is UK’s workhorse, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Kentucky football practices getting ugly, reports Dawson of the C-J.
• Enes Kanter impresses Calipari and his teammates, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Banged-up Ole Miss seeking an improved defense, writes Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Houston Nutt suspends a backup linebacker, reports Veazey.
• Senior Day plays a big part of Mark Krebs’ new book, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.

Continue reading ‘BBL: No Wildcat Wally this year for Madness’

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Tennessee lineman Shaquille Love big pickup for football Cats, reports Jesse Smithey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• NCAA deems Eric Bledsoe a closed case, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky defense revisits the art of tackling, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Mississippi working on its pass defense, reports Parrish Alford of the NE Mississippi Daily News.
• Injuries taking a toll on Ole Miss football, writes Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Winchester rolls out the red carpet for John Calipari, reports Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun.
• Chris Matthews is making strides, reports Nick Craddock of the Kentucky Kernel.
• A Kentucky football recruiting roundup from Bleed Blue Kentucky.
• New bats could affect the college baseball season, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• At Orlando Magic’s media day, Daniel Orton talks about his knee and the D-League, reports the Orlando Pinstriped Post.