John Clay's Sidelines

Pat Knight, son of Bob, coaches the Lamar Cardinals tonight against UK at Rupp Arena. That brings to mind Bob Knight’s annual on-the-floor battles with the Cats. A recap:

- As a young coach at Army, Knight’s team lost to Adolph Rupp and Kentucky 80-65 in the finals of the 1968 UKIT at Memorial Coliseum. After becoming coach at Indiana, Knight beat Rupp 90-89 in overtime in Louisville in 1971.

- Knight won his first four games against Joe B. Hall, but then ended up just 9-9 8-8 against the Kentucky coach. There was the infamous head-slap game in 1974 in which IU routed the Cats 98-74 and Knight either tapped or slapped Hall on the back of the head, depending on your interpretation of events. Kentucky got revenge later that same season by knocking off an undefeated IU 92-90 in the Mideast Region final in Dayton. Hall won five of the last seven meetings between the two coaches, which may have had something to do with their relationship going south.

Continue reading ‘A look at Bob Knight’s coaching record against Kentucky’

On the Dan Patrick Radio Show on Friday, UK coach John Calipari said he envisioned himself coaching at Kentucky for 10 years. He said that Joe B. Hall advised him that would be a good run. He was asked about those comments at his press conference previewing Saturday’s game at Indiana. Here’s the video. (2:41)

Continue reading ‘Video: John Calipari on his “10 years here” statement’

Video from last night of John Calipari, Joe B. Hall and Denny Crum talking to media after Tuesday night’s exhibition game at the Yum Center.

Current Kentucky coach John Calipari and former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall talk to the media after the Dominican Republic National Team, coached by Calipari, defeated the Kentucky Pros 106-88 at Rupp Arena.

Oscar Combs

UPDATE: Steve Moss of WKYT tweets: “John Calipari says move to make Joe B a Dominican assistant opens the door for Hall to coach the NBA players. More with Cal on WKYT at 6.”

When I was talking to Joe B. Hall on Friday, while the former UK coach wouldn’t say it, I got the feeling that Hall wasn’t convinced that it was the NCAA that ruled he and Sam Bowie could not coach the Kentucky Pros in the August 15 exhibition game against the Dominican Republic National Team.

“I can’t get anyone to tell me who made the decision,” Hall kept saying. “I don’t understand that.”

Continue reading ‘Did the NCAA make the decision on Joe B., or did UK?’

John Calipari has just tweeted:

Continue reading ‘Joe B. Hall joins Cal’s Dominican Republic coaching staff’

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

DeWayne Peevy, acting as spokesman for Pro Camps, confirms that neither Joe B. Hall nor Sam Bowie can coach in the Kentucky Legends vs. Dominican Republic National Team game on August 15.

“The University of Kentucky can not have any affiliation with the event, therefore no former players or coaches will be honorary coaches,” Peevy responded by e-mail to a question about reports that Joe Hall would not be allowed to coach in the game, as previously announced.

In fact, it was UK coach John Calipari, who is coaching the Dominican Republic National Team, that tweeted on Wednesday night that Hall and Bowie would be coaching the “Kentucky Pros” team. But the NCAA says that UK cannot be affiliated with game, so the team cannot be called UK Legends and that Hall and Bowie, since they are not playing in the game, are considered honorary participants and cannot be involved.

This game is not similar to either the recent North Carolina Alumni Game or the Illinois Legends game. Those events featured teams made up only of former players from the same school playing each other. The Aug. 15 game has former Kentucky players playing an outside team.

Though officially an Associate Athletics Director at UK, Peevy is working for ProCamps for the exhibition game.

Continue reading ‘Confirmed: Hall and Bowie cannot coach in Legends game’

Joe B. Hall was at the Governor’s Cup Luncheon today, but what people wanted to talk to the former UK basketball coach about was coaching the UK Pros in the upcoming exhibition game against the Dominican Republic National Team.

Continue reading ‘Video: Joe B. Hall talks about coaching UK Pros’

With reports that last week’s guest, Larry Brown, may have overstepped NCAA rules while watching UK practice, coach John Calipari jokes with Joe B. Hall on Monday about Hall watching/participating in the team’s practices. Joe takes a little rib at our own Jerry Tipton, who is off camera, but Jerry did laugh.

Winston Bennett and Joe B. Hall at Melvin Turpin

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Fans and friends remember Melvin Turpin, report Karla Ward and Josh Kegley of the Herald-Leader.

• North Carolina may join the mix for UK target Anthony Davis, reports Zagsblog.

• UK receiver Chris Matthews finds his safety away from Los Angeles, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.

• Rick Bozich of the C-J writes that the “First Four” is likely to be a first bore.

• Wall’s Wizards best Bledsoe’s Clippers in Las Vegas Summer League, with report by AP.

• DeMarcus Cousins was impressive in his summer league debut, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

• The Oklahoman reports that Daniel Orton was a summer league dud. (Hat tip Bluegrass State Basketball.)

• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches says UK’s NBA draft crop proving they were worth the hype.

Continue reading ‘BBL: North Carolina now after Anthony Davis’