John Clay’s Sidelines

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader writes that UK’s first exhibition win was an eye-opener.
• Mark Story of the H-L writes that we can try and judge the Cats on an exhibition victory.
• Here’s Herald-Leader photo slide show from last night’s game.
• Video interviews with Darius Miller, Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton.
• Here’s audio of John Calipari’s post-game press conference.
• Chip Cosby of the H-L reports that UK football hopes to salvage its season.
• Zagsblog says Doron Lamb will visit UConn on Nov. 15.
• Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline writes that UK is cleared to play off the Wall.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes that Kentucky showed sloppy offense in its exhibition opener.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that Eric Bledsoe and John Wall are better together.
• Matt May of the Cats Pause writes that UK has a long road ahead.
• Chuck Jones of the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise says don’t rush to judgment on these Cats.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats sloppy in win; Doron Lamb to visit UConn’

Here is John Calipari’s post-game press conference after UK’s 74-38 win over Campbellsville at Rupp Arena.

Calipari said that UK played about 10 good possessions of defense out of 48 possessions. He lamented his team’s turnovers, and said that players weren’t trying to take it to the basket like he wants. He praised Mark Krebs for being the only one who did that. But he said it was pretty much expected.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader previews tonight’s UK-Campbellsville exhibition game.
• Tipton also reports on how games were chosen for John Wall’s suspension.
• Chip Cosby of the H-L writes that team focus worries Rich Brooks.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J writes that Cats are competing for starting lineup.
• Matt May of the Cats Pause writes that John Calipari wants to change UK’s approach.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Basketball Cats get ready for exhibition opener’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Update: The Shiver reports Payne will announce at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman tweeets that Adreian Payne will make his announcement today, with UK West Virginia and Michigan State the finalists.
• Kyle Nagel of the Dayton Daily News confirms that Payne will announce his choice tonight.
• Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star also reports that Payne may announce today.
• Bluegrass State Basketball thinks Payne is headed to Michigan State.
• Best of the Best thinks that Payne is headed to East Lansing. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• Wildcat Blue Blog goes rumor-mongering with Payne.
• Jerry Tipton reports that the Cats showed their star power in basketball scrimmage.
• Tipton reports that John Calipari downplayed the John Wall eligibility questions.
• My master-of-the-obvious column that the Cats are much more athletic than in previous years.
• The Herald-Leader slide show of the scrimmage.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Is Adreian Payne headed to Michigan State?’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that UK football seasons have hinged on the Mississippi State game.
• Mark Story of the H-L writes about Rich Brooks’ record against the SEC West.
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune has note on the death of Tubby Smith’s father.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes about the Blackout.
• Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star writes on John Calipari’s salary, and the high salaries of others. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
• Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal writes that UK football is better, but not quite there yet.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes on Darnell Dodson.
• Tom Leach has a video interview with Dodson.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats get ready for crucial football game’

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky’s fast start helped put away ULM 36-13.
• Chip has the report on Micah Johnson’s strained MCL.
• Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes that UK quarterback plan is working, but needs work.
• My column saying that UK is starting to show a little wear and tear.
• Herald-Leader slide show from the UK-ULM game.
• Jerry Tipton writes that John Calipari and fans look beyond vacated games.
• Andy Mead of the Herald-Leader writes about the possible Wildcat Coal Lodge.
• Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal writes that Randall Cobb is Mr. Do-It-All for the Cats.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J writes that UK was good early, good enough late.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger reports that Joker Phillips was not happy with UK’s play.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats, Cobb, coal and a cadre of other links’

Jeff Goodman over at Fox Sports reported last night that his sources say that John Wall will be cleared of any eligiblity issues before the season opener.

Meanwhile, it’s amazing how many, especially on Twitter, are trying to make this a Calipari problem.

Examples:

• @ResJudicaca: love that wall may b ineligible 4 kentucky. loved what calipari did 4 memphis but he left 2 go 2 ky after he left memphis in trouble w/ ncaa

• @Bruz1: Wait. John Wall might be ineligible? So Calipari may have cheated? No way! I’m shocked, he’s the cleanest coach out there. Whoa.

• @JAlexanderH: And now ninjas say John Wall can’t play this year. I’m laughin cuz its Calipari again, but I wanted to see the ninja play…

• @billyliucci: John Wall’s eligibility at UK in question? Imagine that from a recruit who committed to Scott Drew and John Calipari.

• @chriswilliams2: All part of the deal you make with the devil when you hire Calipari.

And those are just a few.

(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?’

So Louisville fans have their noses out of joint because John Calipari omitted Rick Pitino’s name during last Friday’s KISS concert, er, Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena.

As Dana O’Neil reported for espn.com: “On Friday night, the introductory video included a montage of images, from black and white to color, from old legends to new, while Calipari’s speech invoked beloved late manager Bill Keightley and the great line of coaches — Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall and Tubby Smith, noticeably skipping over Eddie Sutton and Rick Pitino.”

But as the Courier-Journal’s Eric Crawford rightly points out on his blog, Calipari would no doubt have received a negative reaction (i.e. monstrous booing) had he mentioned the former coach. And as Eric also points out, Pitino has played his own game of revisionist history. Rick did it at UK, acting as if the program didn’t truly begin until he set foot on campus. He’s doing it at Louisville. As Eric points out, there are pix of Antoine Walker and Jamal Mashburn on the wall where U of L practices, not Rodney McCray or Pervis Ellison.

Interesting Q&A with John Calipari on the web site The Big Lead, in which, among other things, the coach is asked about the negative reaction concerning his sending a Kentucky basketball jersey to President Obama.

An excerpt:

Calipari: The thing you learn when you occupy this seat is that nothing is minor. Everything you say or do is major and I now know that. My whole thing is I’m not going to support anyone while they’re running but once they are in office - once the electorate has spoken - I’m going to be behind that person. When it’s all said and done, I’m betting on America and that means supporting the officials who are elected.

I wouldn’t say I was mixing politics and basketball - I had an opportunity to get the President of the United States a copy of “Bounce Back” and I thought it was a good idea to get some Kentucky Blue into the White House at the same time. It was nothing more than that.

Cal also said he thought the Cats are “overrated” for this season, and he has never had a problem with a one-and-done team.