John Clay's Sidelines

Normally UK’s assistant basketball coaches are off limits to the media, but after Saturday’s win over West Virginia we got to talk to both Kenny Payne and Orlando Antigua. First Payne, then Antigua.

With John Caliapri leaving quickly for his mother’s memorial service, assistant coach Orlando Antigua also took questions from the media.

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Kentucky could shake things up in unusually unsettled SEC East, writes Brad Ziamenek of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Mike Freeman of CBS Sports names John Calipari among the top 50 jerks in sports. (Hat tip to Steve Moss of WKYT.)
• Joker Phillips and Lee Todd were among those meeting UK freshmen on Friday, writes Jim Warren of the Herald-Leader.
• Timing of ACL injury tough for UK women’s point guard Amber Smith, writes Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader.
• Danny Trevathan taking charge at linebacker for Kentucky, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Elliott Porter and Donte Rumph look to bolster Kentucky’s defensive line, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Randall Burden is ready for a starring role, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Chris Low of espn.com answers a mailbag question about the UK quarterback situation.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Writer thinks UK could make noise in SEC East’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader reports on UK women’s exhibition basketball win.
• Mark Story of the H-L thinks UK should keep Morgan Newton as the starting quarterback.
• Jerry Tipton writes on UK’s new shooting guard, Patrick Patterson.
• Chip Cosby reports that Rich Brooks sure doesn’t think Vandy is a gimme game.
• Wildcat Blue Blog is tracking the race to 2,000 wins.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J writes that Kentucky isn’t taking Vanderbilt lightly.
• Matt May of the Cats Pause writes on the UK quarterback quandry.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel writes on the Kentucky quarterbacks.
• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches writes that UK is banged up, but not broken.

Continue reading ‘BBL: The race to 2,000 basketball wins’

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• NBA Draft Express’ latest mock draft, updated at 1:25 a.m., has Jodie Meeks as the 47th pick overall.
• WLEX’s Alan Cutler talked Sunday night to Orestes Meeks, who said Jodie has still not made a decision about whether to stay or withdraw from the NBA draft.
• Harrison Goodman of the Washington Times has Meeks atop his list of five players who need to withdraw.
• ESPN draft expert Chad Ford thinks Jodie Meeks will pull out of the draft.
• Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News says that after rumors Meeks would withdraw, all is quiet.
• Bluegrass State Basketball thinks that without a last-minute surprise Meeks will return.
• Gary Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles John Calipari.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Decision day for Jodie Meeks’

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports that walk-on Landon Slone is leaving the UK basketball program along with Donald Williams, A.J. Stewart and Jared Carter.
• John Calipari sends a tweet apologizing for not meeting with Slone.
• My column on new UK assistant basketball coach Rod Strickland.
• Tipton also reports that ex-UK player Dale Brown would like an exhibition game with UK.
• Beverly Fortune of the Herald-Leader reports that Billy Gillispie’s house is back up for sale, with a $1.5 million asking price.
• David Climer of the Tennessean writes that Kentucky is showing what’s wrong with NCAA scholarship rules.
• James Quinn of espn.com reports that UK target Roscoe Smith is looking at all his options.
• Calipari tells Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News that the dribble-drive offense does have room for two point guards. (Hat tip to Tom Leach.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: Four departures, house for sale, and recruiting news’