John Clay's Sidelines

(Online Athens photo)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Kentucky to be in Hall of Fame Tipoff field next year, reports the Tampa Tribune.
• Billy Gillispie says Wyoming a great place, reports Casper Tribune.
• Lady Dogs slam visiting UK women, writes Roger Clarkson of the Banner-Herald.
• Kentucky women just outhustled, reports Jen Smith of the H-L from Athens.
• Lady Dogs cruise past Cats, writes Ryan Black of Red and Black.
• Georgia’s collapse against Vandy did UK no favors, and other notes, from me.
• It’s the battle for the bye, says Tom Leach.
• Expect faster, lower-scoring UK baseball games, says Mark Maloney of the H-L.
• Kentucky baseball looking for fresh start, writes Ethan Levine of the Kernel.
• Baseball newcomers need to make impact, writes Eric Lindsey for Cat Scraches.
• L.J. Rose will visit Kentucky, reports High School Hoop.
• Cats need to come out on fire, says Larry Vaught of the Danville A-M.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Kentucky to be in 2011 Hall of Fame tipoff field’

(H-L photo/Jonathan Palmer)

Click here for Herald-Leader photo gallery from UK-LSU women’s game.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Kings say Cousins is not suspended and altercation is under review, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
• Without Cousins, Kings win at Phoenix, reports Jones.
• Brittany Henderson’s shot with 1.1 seconds left gives UK women 49-47 win over LSU, reports Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader.
• My column off UK-LSU says UK women have endgame figured out.
• Women’s game featured more fouls, timeouts and turnovers than total points, reports T.J. Walker of the Kentucky Kernel.
• John Calipari makes a trip to see Michael Gilchrist, reports Zagsblog.
• Eric Crawford of the C-J writes that the road is a bridge of the Kentucky men’s basketball team.
• Liggins’ decision-making hurt Kentucky at Vandy, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• John Wall helps Wizards break 26-game road losing streak, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cousins not suspended yet; UK women pull out win’

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• In Christmas surprise, UK basketball target Ricardo Ledo commits to Providence, reports Brendan Hall of espn.com.
• Calipari showing interest in 2013 recruit Chris Walker, reports Nation of Blue.
• What happened to SEC basketball’s great expectations? asks Glenn Logan of A Sea of Blue.
• Josh Clemons gives UK football a Christmas commitment, reports Chris Fisher of BigBlue247.
• Louisville-Kentucky not likely to follow the script, writes Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal.
• It’s time to start talking Cats and Cards, writes Ira Combs for Kentucky Sports Network.
• Brandon Knight’s parents gave him options, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Ex-Vanderbilt player gives orphans a home, reports Tipton.
• Derrick Locke has a soft side, but he’s no softy, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Wizards fall, even with John Wall back in lineup, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Some Christmas recruiting surprises’

(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’

(AP photo/Al Behrman)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Pitt hires Miami of Ohio’s Michael Haywood as football coach, reports Paul Ziese of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Chris Dufrense of the Los Angeles Times ranks the BBVA Compass Bowl as the worst of the 35 bowls. (Hat tip Nation of Blue.)
• You can check out UK basketball signee Anthony Davis on television tonight.
• Keyla Snowden is getting a jump on her television career, reports Jen Smith of the H-L.
• Sean Woods makes his home on the road, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• John Calipari is nominated for U.N. peace award.
• Calipari is proud of DeAndre Liggins, writes Richard Skinner of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Pitino expected to accept Puerto Rico national team coaching job on Monday, reports Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. (Hat tip All Kentucky Hoops)
• John Wall’s latest frustration is a knee ailment, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
• Billy Gillispie may give Pat Knight a reason to worry at Texas Tech, writes Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World. (Hat tip Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: L.A. Times picks UK’s bowl as worst of 35′

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Lamar Dawson making official visit to UK this weekend, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Tim Patterson plans on joining UK football team soon, reports Vaught.
• UK coaches checking out Shabazz Muhammad, reports Ray Brewer of the Las Vegas Sun.
• Nation of Blue writes that its sources say DeAndre Daniels will end up at Kentucky.
• Randall Cobb named first-team All-American, reports the Herald-Leader.
• On Cat Scratches, Tom Leach catches up with ex-UK player and assistant Scott Padgett.
• A look at UK’s recruiting on defense, by Bleed Blue Kentucky.
• Kobe Bryant tells an injured John Wall to buy Nikes, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. (Hat tip Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog)
• Sean Woods is still unforgettable, writes Wildcat Blue Nation.
• Gainesville Sun has a preview of the Kentucky-Pittsburgh bowl game.

Here’s a chart comparing John Wall’s first seven games at Kentucky to Brandon Knight’s first seven games at UK. If you remember, Wall sat out Kentucky’s first game last year as part of his punishment for receiving extra benefits while an amateur. You will also notice, that Wall played 13 more minutes than Knight to this point, but took 23 fewer shots. Wall had 30 more assists, but two fewer turnovers than Knight at this point. And Brandon has had a harder time getting to the foul line. Wall had taken nearly twice as many free throws by this point. That’s the main reason why Wall had scored 11 more points.

Mitch Barnhart

Big Blue Links for Monday:

SportsbyBrooks.com: “Two SEC school administration sources have told me in the past 48 hours that University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart will interview for the Kansas University Athletic Director position in early December. Joining Barnhart as a finalist for the position is current Tulsa Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. Cunningham will also interview with Kansas for the job next month, which was recently vacated by the retirement of Lew Perkins. I’ve been told Barnhart and Cunningham are two of three finalists targeted by the six-member Kansas AD search panel, which is chaired by the managing partner of Pegasus Capital Management, Ray Evans.” (Hat tip to A Sea of Blue.)

(AP photo)

Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader: “In just its second game of the season, on the road at Miami, Kentucky learned a lot about itself. The ninth-ranked Cats figured out they were capable of grinding out a win even when things don’t go as planned. “They really impressed me with some plays they made coming back from some negative circumstances,” Coach Matthew Mitchell said after UK escaped Millett Hall with an 84-71 victory.”

Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog: “The 6-foot-10, 280-pound (DaJuan) Coleman is the No. 3 center in the Class of 2011, per Rivals. He initially said his “top five” consisted of Syracuse, Ohio State, North Carolina, Kentucky and Louisville.”

Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader: “After a rough October and early November, the Kentucky football team finally has some good vibes going into its open date this week. The Cats have a modest two-game winning streak, and though neither win was over a powerhouse (Charleston Southern and Vanderbilt), the tone in the locker room following a 38-20 win over Vandy was a far cry from the somber mood of the previous six weeks.”

Chris Low of espn.com: “Chick-fil-A Bowl (Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET): Mississippi State vs. ACC team. Gator Bowl (Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m. ET): Florida vs. Big Ten team. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, 6:40 p.m. ET): Tennessee vs. ACC team. AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ET): Georgia vs. Conference USA team. BBVA Compass Bowl (Jan. 8, noon ET): Kentucky vs. Big East team.”

Continue reading ‘BBL: Blog report says Barnhart finalist at Kansas’

(AP photo/Jim Prisching)

John Wall has succumbed to the injured list. The ex-UK star and current Washington Wizard hurt his left foot in Washington’s loss to Chicago on Saturday night.

An excerpt from Michael Lee’s story in the Washington Post:

While Rose and his former Chicago Bulls teammate Kirk Hinrich joked with each other in front of the Wizards’ locker room after the game, Wall was in the back getting treatment and having his foot taped up. Rose eventually got tired of waiting and left the arena around the time Wall slipped his left shoe into his backpack.

Wall hopes that his foot will feel better once he gets some rest, but he didn’t want to leave the game on Saturday. “As much as I put pressure on it, it just got worse and worse,” Wall said after scoring 16 points with six assists. “I just took myself out.”

(AP photo/Nick Wass)

That radio guy for ESPN? What’s his name? The one on in the morning who is about to pull a hammy the way he goes out of his way to goad Kentucky fans? You know, the one who said that John Wall will never amount to anything in the NBA?

The one the cute and fun Michelle Beadle has to put up with on TV? (As Letterman told Beadle on a recent Late Show appearance: That guy with you, what’s his deal?)

I can’t seem to think of that radio guy’s name.

Anyway, wonder if ol-what’s-his-name was watching John Wall last night.

The ex-UK point guard put up a triple-double in Washington’s win over the Houston Rockets.

From Scott Gleeson of USA Today:

With Magic Johnson in attendance Wednesday, No. 1 overall draft pick John Wall of the Washington Wizards became the second rookie to post a triple double with at least six steals within his first six games – joining the Los Angeles Lakers great.

Wall’s 19 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, six steals, one blocked shot and one turnover came in 42 minutes of the 98-91 home victory vs. the Houston Rockets.

“I wasn’t forcing it too much, just finding my teammates and making the right read,” Wall said. “Sometimes I get too excited and try to make a spectacular play instead of a simple play.”

From Gene Wang of the Washington Post:

Not that Wizards brass necessarily was demanding more evidence it made the correct decision, but on night’s such as this, it’s clear why optimism reigns despite the team’s early travails.

“It’s fun to watch,” Coach Flip Saunders said of his star pupil. “The thing tonight he did is that he did it very much under control. One turnover is impressive, to have as many assists as he had to just one turnover, so it does show you one, his intelligence and how coachable he is.”

What was that? Did Saunders say coachable?