John Clay's Sidelines

(H-L photo)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• A source close to prized recruit Jarnell Stokes believes the forward from Memphis will enroll at Tennessee in January, reports Zagsblog. Kentucky is one of the six schools Stokes is reportedly considering.
• Alex Poythress continues to tear it up for his high school team, reports the Leaf Chronicle. The UK signee is averaging 30 points and 16 rebounds per game so far this season.
• On CoachCal.com, the Kentucky coach gives his five keys to building a culture of success. First, he starts with his players first motto. He says that means creating a family.
• As a follow to that, Glenn Logan of A Sea of Blue digs deeper to see if this year’s team is following those five keys to building success.
• Good news on the television front: Insight will carry Saturday’s Kentucky-Chattanooga game, says a Herald-Leader report. The game is to be carried by Comcast, which is unavailable in Lexington.
• Twany Beckham will be eligible to play in Saturday night’s game for Kentucky, reports Mary Jo Perino of WLEX-TV. The Louisville native transfer at mid-year last season from Mississippi State.
• Darnell Dodson could be in uniform for Southern Miss, reports Al Jones of the Biloxi Sun-Herald. You remember Dodson, played at Kentucky two years ago?

Ex-UK basketball player Darnell Dodson was arrested for disorderly conduct early this morning, just hours after Calipari said on UK Basketball Media Day that Dodson was no longer a part of the program.

(Hat tip to blog readers and Nation of Blue and Walter’s Wildcat World.)

Click on the image below to view it at full size.

(Courtesy of jail.lfucg.com)

Anthony Davis

Update: UK’s official response to Sun-Times story.

I didn’t know anything about the Chicago Sun-Times flap until the 6 o’clock news.

I worked on a football column this afternoon. I attended a meeting at the newspaper at 4 p.m. (Yes, there are times when I actually visit Main and Midland.) I drove home, shot a glance at the TV and there was Mary Jo Perino talking about Kentucky and Anthony Davis and $200,000.

WTF?

As fans of Phil on Modern Family know, WTF means “Why The Face?”

Thanks to the excellent recruiting web site Next Cats – that’s an H-L plug — I know more now. More than I wish I knew. The Sun Times posted a story which included the rumor that UK paid $200,000 for a commitment from the fast-rising 6-foot-8 star from Chicago. I know the Sun-Times has deleted the rumor from its posted story. I know that Jeff Goodman, Mike DeCourcy, Gregg Doyel and Gary Parrish each blasted the Sun-Times. Even Dan Wolken took a shot. (Wolken is not on John Calipari’s Christmas Card list.)

I know that on his Sports Dagger blog for Yahoo, Matt Norlander ripped the Sun-Times, and included the original.

Continue reading ‘Anthony Davis, Darnell Dodson and rumor-mongering’

UK football coach Joker Phillips at women's clinic. (H-L photo/David Perry)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

Agency’s tie may limit William Wesley’s influence, writes Pete Thamel of the New York Times.

Now that he has more formal ties to C.A.A. coaching clients like Kentucky’s John Calipari, Auburn’s Tony Barbee and Rutgers’s Mike Rice, many are wondering if Wesley’s ability to engage with top recruits will become more limited.

During a summer when agent issues have provided the dominant story line in college football, Wesley’s new role has generated some buzz on the summer basketball circuit.

“I really don’t know if there’s an issue yet,” Georgia Coach Mark Fox said of Wesley’s role with C.A.A. “But you can see the potential for one.”

Herald-Leader report on Darnell Dodson not playing for the Cats this season.

Dodson, a transfer from Miami Dade Community College who had earned a reputation as a good outside shooter, averaged 6.0 points in 14.5 minutes per game during an inconsistent first season at UK. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound guard shot 50-for-144 (34.7 percent) from three-point range.

Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger on Dodson’s summer saga.

On July 19, Kentucky assistant basketball coach John Robic emphasized that Dodson would be playing for the Wildcats next season at the UK Ohio Convention in Middletown, Ohio. “Dodson is eligible. Don’t believe everything you hear,” Robic said then even though rumors had swirled that Dodson would not be back.

Kentucky is after can’t-miss prospect Perry Ellis, writes Candace Buckner of the Kansas City Star.

Even before he enters his junior year of high school, Ellis can have his pick of eight Division I colleges. Kansas offered first, Kansas State came sixth. Oklahoma, Memphis and Kentucky are also suitors. Ellis says he wants to play one year and then enter the NBA draft. There hasn’t been a Kansas high schooler with such options since Wichita East’s Korleone Young – who burned out after one NBA season and is now known as a cautionary tale.

Continue reading ‘BBL: New role could limit World Wide Wes’ influence’

Updated with Calipari comments on first practice.

John Calipari just announced, via his Facebook page, that Darnell Dodson will not be on the UK basketball team this coming season.

The announcement:

Practice is underway as we prepare for our Canada trip & I’m pleased with the energy everyone brought. I do want to let you all know that junior Darnell Dodson will not be playing for UK this season. If Darnell, who is academically eligible, decides to return, he could practice with the team if he meets our standards.

Update: Calipari tweeted several comments about his team’s first practice today in preparation for the trip to Canada later this month. Here’s a compilation of those tweets:

• Glad 2 get started today. There was an adjustment period w/ all the normal things that freshmen don’t do, but they all had a skill level…

• …that I’m pleased with. Eloy is not here yet, but the returning players (all four of them) were so much better than a year ago.

• They responded great without me saying anything when they didn’t do things right. They knew they needed to do it again.

• It was a great lesson for the young guys, watching that. I’m seeing a vast improvement in DeAndre’s shooting already this year and…

• …Darius has really impressed with his athleticism. Jon Hood looks more comfortable on the floor and I think he’s grown an inch.

• Josh is lighter on his feet & w/ the way we are gonna play it was good to see him run the floor. We went about 1:40 in both sessions today.

• Looking forward to seeing how they bounce back tomorrow.

(AP photo)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Kentucky basketball manager Zachary Lipson’s story inspires others, writes Bryan Mullen of the Tennessean.

• Bluegrass State Basketball is hearing Darnell Dodson will not play next season.

• Joker Phillips and Randall Cobb form UK football’s power couple, writes Cory McCartney of SI.com.

• Jason Hatcher and Kyle Bolin are a couple of football names to remember, says Kentucky Sports Network.

• John Calipari tweets a pic from his July 4 picnic.

• Don’t forget that there’s more than basketball, argues Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Is Darnell Dodson sitting out next season?’

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Alabama officials have rescheduled their meeting on Eric Bledsoe, blogs Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• More on those pre-season UK basketball games in Canada from Tipton’s blog.
• Canadian coach talks about his team facing the Cats, reports Mary Caton of the Windsor Star. (Hat tip to Tom Leach.)
• John Wall will be the No. 1 draft pick by the Wizards, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
• Patrick Patterson benefited from his extra year, reports Tim Buckley of the Deseret News. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• Daniel Orton’s draft journal, as told to The Oklahoman.
• A UK softball signee has an impressive hit streak, reports Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Bluegrass State Basketball on a prospect who literally trashes Calipari.
• Kentucky Sports Radio looks at the future of Darnell Dodson.
• Aaron’s UK Football Blog is previewing all 12 games on the Cats’ football schedule.

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Terrence Jones tells Nick Daschle of the Oregonian that he will definitely sign a letter today with either Washington or Kentucky.

• Jones’ high school coach tells Percy Allen of the Seattle Times he thinks Washington will be the choice.

• Patrick Patterson tells Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader that he’s confident John Calipari will return next season.

• Paducah Tilghman wide receiver Josh Forrest has committed to Kentucky, reports Mike Fields of the H-L.

• Mark Tupper of the Decatur Herald-Review on Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard and the UK opening. (Hat tip Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog)

• Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Wizards can start rebuilding with John Wall.

• While in Bevery Hills, John Wall talks to ESPN’s Andy Katz about the possibility of being the top pick.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Coach says Terrence Jones to Washington (again)’

World Wide Wes sat in front row of end zone in front of Kentucky cheering section. (Photo by John Clay)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes that John Calipari and rumors are a package deal: “Yet on Monday, UK fans awoke to find that both The Chicago Tribune and New York’s Newsday were reporting that the ubiquitous basketball power broker William Wesley – Worldwide Wes – was working back channels to facilitate a LeBron James/Calipari package deal to NBA franchises in financial position to bid on the Cleveland Cavaliers star.”

Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal reports that Arizona’s Book Richardson is one of three candidates for UK’s assistant coach opening.

Coach tells Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger Darnell Dodson will return to UK: “Darnell Dodson will be back at Kentucky for his junior season. Matt Eisele, the head coach at Miami Dade College, says his former player “will be back” with the Wildcats next season even though UK coach John Calipari proclaimed several times in the last month that UK would have only four players back off this year’s team.”

Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago thinks Jerrance Howard will remain at Illinois: “Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber would rather Kentucky hadn’t recently tried to sway away Illini assistant Jerrance Howard, but Weber does realize there was significance to it. ‘In a way, it’s a compliment to our program and him,’ Weber said on Monday night. ‘If we’re struggling and not doing a good job recruiting, they wouldn’t contact him. He’s very loyal to the Illini and appreciates everything. At the same time, you always listen to things and see what’s out there.’” (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)

Charles Pierce writes for Slate on Rajon Rondo: “Under Rivers’ guidance, Rondo has become the most unstoppable point guard in the NBA and, in the postseason, very likely the best one. The only one still with an argument is Steve Nash in Phoenix, and Nash has proved himself completely incapable of guarding Rondo at all. There will be people who will argue for New Orleans’ Chris Paul, who shoots better, and Utah’s Deron Williams, who is bigger and stronger, but neither of them have done what Rondo has done when games truly begin to count.”

Continue reading ‘BBL: Book Richardson newest name on UK assistant list’

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Fabian Lyon of the Miami Herald talks to top guard prospect Brandon Knight, who is considering UK.
• Bluegrass State Basketball says Tobias Harris made his decision just before midnight. (He announces it today at 5:30 on ESPNU.)
• Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Harris sat in Thompson-Boling’s upper deck on Tuesday.
• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader writes that John Calipari has found plenty wrong with his Cats heading into tonight’s game with Sam Houston State.
• Tipton’s notes lead with some info on Sam Houston State.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes that Darius Miller fits the dribble-drive.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger reports on Darnell Dodson’s spot in Calipari’s doghouse.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky isn’t fooled by Georgia’s sub-par football status.
• Chris Low of espn sings Rich Brooks’ praises.
• My column saying Kentucky’s best football efforts have come on the road this season.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Tobias Harris’ midnight decision’