John Clay's Sidelines

Kevin Ware

It’s the end of the fall/winter semester at most institutions of higher learning, which means those mid-year transfers and those in need of a little academic fine-tuning are ready to leave the library and head to the basketball court.

For Louisville, that means standout recruit Kevin Ware is eligible. And Rick Pitino told the media today that he will not hesitate in using the 6-foot-4 guard on Saturday when the Cardinals play Memphis at the Yum Center.

Out of Rockdale County High School in Coyers, Georgia, Ware originally committed to Central Florida, but backed out of that commitment after reports the NCAA was investigating the Orlando school. He then signed with Tennessee, only to be released from his letter when Bruce Pearl was fired.

Ware enrolled at U of L, but his appeal for immediate eligibility was rejected by the NCAA. It was then ruled that he could gain eligibility after the fall semester.

Ware will start out as the backup to Peyton Siva at point guard. He also provides a boost for a roster hurt by injuries and is still waiting on the debut of heralded freshman Wayne Blackshear, who has been sidelined by shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, Ware was rated as the nation’s 70th best prospect last year by Rivals.

Continue reading ‘Pitino says newcomer Kevin Ware will play right away’

On his personal blog, Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino gives some individual workout news about his players.

But he also acknowledges that heralded freshman Kevin Ware has still not been cleared to play.

Ware is the 6-foot-4 guard from Georgia who originally signed with Tennessee but was released from the letter-of-intent when Vols’ head coach Bruce Pearl was fired. Ware subsuquently committed to Central Florida, but quickly de-committed after stories surfaced that alledging that Central Florida used street agents in his recruitment.

He then committed to Louisville in May after visiting Georgia.

Rivals ranked Ware as the 70th best player in the Class of 2012.

(h/t Card Chronicle)

SEC links:

• Kevin Ware will visit Georgia and Louisville, reports Michael Carvell.
• Cuonzo Martin’s challenge at Tennessee just got tougher, writes John Adams.
• Scotty Hopson says his game is ready for the NBA, reports Mike Griffith.
• Tennessee basketball looking to regroup, reports Patrick Brown.
• Georgia looks ahead at quarterback, writes Seth Emerson.
• APR scores headed in right direction at Georgia, reports Marc Weiszer.
• UGA golfer wins on Nationwide tour, reports Jonathan Heeter.
• Caldwell committed to the LSU cause, writes Scott Rabalais.
• LSU football’s last four not as good as previous four, says Glenn Guilbeau.
• Stephen Garcia is a college graduate, reports Travis Haney.

Kevin Ware, the former Tennessee signee who talked to Louisville but committed to Central Florida, just before the New York Times ran a story that questioned the circumstances of his recruiting, among others, has U of L is back on his short list.

Excerpt from the AJC:

Kevin Ware had kept a profile since telling the AJC last Thursday that he was de-committing to Central Florida.

On Tuesday night, the 6-foot-4 guard from Rockdale County High School was active again on his Twitter account and announced “Got my list of schools.”

The world awaited.

Ware tweeted “no order kstate, kansas, uga, ucla, uofl” – which we did our best to translate to Kansas State, Kansas, Georgia, UCLA and Louisville.

Apparently, Central Florida is still a possibility.

Former Tennessee signee Kevin Ware, who was released from his scholarship after Bruce Pearl’s firing, has decomitted from Central Florida and could end up either at Louisville or Georgia.

Ware, a 6-foot-4 guard from Georgia, is ranked No. 56 by Rivals.

He told Michael Carvell of the AJC:

“Louisville and Georgia are my [frontrunners]. I just have to talk to the coaches and see if they are still interested in me. I really don’t know where things stand.”

Rick Pitino visited Ware after he was granted his release, but the guard then made a public commitment to Central Florida, which is coached by former Florida assistant Donnie Jones.

Ware also told Carvell he has not heard from Tennessee since being granted his release.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• John Calipari visited Trevor Lacey on Sunday after the star guard visited Alabama’s A-Day on Saturday, reports Nation of Blue.
• Josh Selby’s departure puts Kansas in thick of Trevor Lacey sweepstakes, reports Real GM.
• Joseph Uchebo would listen to Kentucky, reports Garrett Tucker of Nation of Blue.
• Larry Warford could be one of nation’s best lineman, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• New Kentucky basketball arena a tough sell for Mitch Barnhart, writes Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal.
• Ole Miss baseball sweeps Kentucky to take lead in SEC West, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Rick Pitino met with Tennessee recruit Kevin Ware on Sunday, reports the AJC.
• ESPN’s announcers were impressed by Kentucky recruits at Jordan Brand, says All Ky Hoops.
• Calipari thinks UK freshmen should put name in draft, but not sure they should keep them there, reports the AP.
• Josh Harrellson thinks NCAA was hard on Enes Kanter because he went to Kentucky, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Calipari visits Trevor Lacey; Uchebo would listen’