John Clay's Sidelines

John Calipari tweeted out this pick earlier tonight, with caption “two national title winners with a guy who’s trying!”

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.

Tony Wroten

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• My Herald-Leader column on the TMZ report claiming NCAA is looking into UK basketball.

• Greg Nord coming back to Lexington as a UK assistant, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.

• Tony Wroten has narrowed his choices to Kentucky and Washington, reports Diamond Leung of espn.com.

• Kentucky finishes 29th in the Directors’ Cup standings for overall sports programs, reports Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.

• Mary Jo Perino of WLEX reports that Steve Ortmayer was shocked by his firing from UK football staff.

• Scott Padgett may be leaving UK for Manhattan, blogs Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal.

• Bozich also writes on TMZ spreading the dirt on Kentucky basketball.

• Louisville sports agent questions validity of TMZ report, says Maria Ansari of WAVE-TV in Louisville.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Tony Wroten down to Kentucky and Washington’

My counterpart Rick Bozich over at the Courier-Journal reports hearing that Scott Padgett will soon be leaving John Calipari’s support staff at Kentucky to be an assistant coach at Manhattan.

Barry Rhorssen is the head coach at Manhattan, and a Calipari friend. In fact, when Calipari first took the Kentucky job last year, there were reports that he was trying to convince Rohrssen to give up his head coaching gig and become an assistant on Cal’s staff in Lexington. Rhorssen decided to stay in New York.

Padgett and Tony Delk both expressed to Calipari an interest in coaching when the former Memphis coach took over the program here. Cal said he wanted to help, but that both would have to start out at the bottom and work their way up. It didn’t hurt to have a couple of ex-NBA players around. And Delk’s name got considerable play for an assistant’s opening at Western Kentucky, but is still at UK.

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Doug Smith of the Toronto Sun reports on a good deed done by ex-UK center Jamal Magloire.
• Chip Cosby and Beth Musgrave of the H-L report that UK is addressing grad assistant case.
• Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe on Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen meshing for success.
• Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post writes that Rondo has seized his time to shine.
• Mitch Lawerence of the New York Daily News writes that the Lakers have to slow down Rondo.
• Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun writes that Rondo has been putting on a clinic.
• Eamonn Brennan of espn.com writes that schools are ultimately responsible for eligibility.

(Hat tip to Cat Scratches.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: Jamal Magloire does a good deed’

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that the title changes among UK’s offensive staff won’t affect Saturdays.
• Mark Story of the H-L writes on UK center Marcus Davis.
• Jerry Tipton of the H-L reports that John Calipari’s gift to Obama draws fire.
• On Jerry’s blog, Rex Chapman sticks up for Ed Davender.
• Richard Skinner reports for the Cincinnati Enqurier that Calipari’s appearance turned into midday madness.
• Zagsblog reports that Terrence Jones will receive an in-home visit from Kentucky.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes on Scott Padgett.
• Tom Leach has a video interview with Joker Phillips about UK’s receivers.
• Cat Scratches has a Jesse Witten update at the U.S. Open.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel reports on UK quarterback Mike Hartline.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Nothing official from UK, but WLEX is reporting that Matt Pilgrim and Kevin Galloway will not be on the UK basketball team next season.
• WKYT is also reporting that Galloway and Pilgrim are out.
• Herald-Leader’s Jerry Tipton reports that Martin Newton is now officially UK’s director of basketball operations.
• Tipton also reports that Scott Padgett is happy to be a coach in training.
• Herald-Leader’s Mark Maloney writes on UK discus throwers Rashaud Scott and Chase Madison, who are among the favorites at the NCAAs.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that UK’s football camps are booming.
• Zagsblog writes that if Jodie Meeks does return, Kentucky will be loaded.
• In the Voice-Tribune, Earl Cox writes that Mike Pratt would be a TV winner.
• Bluegrass State Basketball writes it source says Meeks will reluctantly return to UK.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports that John Calipari is confident Demarcus Cousins will deliver.
• Tipton reports that Calipari says he is not a lifer.
• Calipari confirms that Scott Padgett and Tony Delk will be on his staff.
• Beverly Fortune of the H-L broke the story on Calipari’s house.
• John Wall tells Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger that he’s not interested in the NBA.
• Christopher Lawlor of espn.com writes that Xavier Henry’s decision could come soon.
• Casey Keefer of the University Daily Kansan also reports on Henry’s recruitment.
• Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel writes on Calipari’s journey to the top.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Calipari, Calipari and more Calipari’

Tony Delk

I’m hearing that a couple of former UK players could end up with positions on John Calipari’s first staff at Kentucky. Word is both Tony Delk and Scott Padgett are both under consideration. Padgett is being considered for a full-time assistant’s spot while Delk could be chosen for an administrative post.

Three of Calipari’s Memphis staff members have already arrived in Lexington. John Robic and Orlando Antigua will be assistant coaches. Rod Strickland was Calipari’s director of basketball operations at Memphis, and may fill a similar role at UK. All three were at UK’s open practice on Thursday at the Craft Center.

Word was that Nazr Mohammed called Calipari to put in a good word for Padgett as an assistant candidate. Friends have said that Delk would like to get into coaching now that the former Cat has retired from the NBA.