John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports that injury and a different team this season has made for a different Terrence Jones.
• Tipton reports in his notes that Doron Lamb at point guard gives Kentucky a different look.
• Michael Grant of the Courier-Journal reports that Terrence Jones is ready for a fresh start with the beginning of SEC play.
• Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel offers three things to watch in today’s Kentucky-South Carolina game.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun reports that Florida is talking to former Kentucky assistant Brent Pease for the Gators’ open offensive coordinator position.
• Mike Huguenin of Yahoo says that in the SEC, everyone is chasing Kentucky.
• Darryl Slater of the Charleston Post and Courier reports that the Kentucky game begins a brutal stretch for South Carolina basketball.
• Brad Senkiw of the Anderson Independent says this is a huge road test for the Gamecocks.
• Herald-Leader staff report says former UK sophomore Stacey Poole has chosen to transfer to Georgia Tech.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports that Brandon Knight exhibited glimpses of his ability in his first start for the Detroit Pistons.

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

It wasn’t just Stacey Poole who was involved in a 2:30 a.m. traffic accident this morning. Terrence Jones was also in the car. So on his website, John Calipari announced that he is instituting a curfew for his players. He writes, “I usually let the actions of my team determine a curfew. However, because of the actions of a select few, this team has showed me an inability to make proper judgment and decisions that they’ve been given the freedom to make. Therefore, going forward, this team will now have a curfew for the rest of the season. I will inform the team of a time later today.”

UK opens its regular season tonight against Marist.

Continue reading ‘Calipari institutes curfew after Jones, Poole in wreck’

With an exhibition game against Morehouse scheduled for Monday night, Kentucky basketball held a media opp today at Rupp Arena. Stacey Poole was not present. The sophomore is still on the roster, said head coach John Calipari, but is in the process of making the decision as to whether he wants to remain on the team. Calipari was asked about what counsel he had given the Florida native.

Here’s the video.

Continue reading ‘Video: Calipari talks about Stacey Poole situation’

Comings and goings in UK basketball? After reports and rumors that Stacey Poole, Jr. had moved out of his UK dorm, his father says this morning that is inaccurate. Meanwhile, Jarnell Stokes not only has Kentucky back on his list, the Memphis forward is visiting the Lexington campus this week. Not sure what this says about Alex Poythress, another Tennessee product of the same size who is also considering Kentucky.

• Jarnell Stokes will be in Lexington this weekend, reports Nation of Blue.
• Stokes is on his way to UK today, tweets Dave Telep of ESPNU.
• Not so fast on Poole leaving UK, reports Kyle Tucker of C-J.
• Poole has moved out, tweets Adam Zagoria.
• Zagoria tweets a Poole correction.

Stacey Poole, the sophomore guard who is thinking of leaving the Kentucky basketball program, has just tweeted about the transfer rumors/stories, saying that he appreciates the support, and the decision will be his. The tweet:

“Thanks for all the support from the #BBN an to everbody out there thats supporting me, This is my decision an im going to make it! If u have nothing good to say dont hit my TL.”

Continue reading ‘Stacey Poole, Jr. tweets about his transfer decision’

Video here of John Calipari working with Jarrod Polson, Stacey Poole and Jon Hood before today’s practice. Included in this one-minute clip is Calipari doing his impression of an errrant Hood shot during Saturday’s game against LSU.

(AP photo/Bill Feig)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Richard Obert: Rex Chapman’s son following own blueprint to success.
• HSH: Shabazz Muhammad says he will visit Kentucky soon.
• Jody Demling: Jon Davis committed to UK, but looking at U of L and Illinois.
• Jim Kleinpeter: UK’s next foe, LSU, holds off Arkansas for 56-53 victory.
• Scott Hotard: LSU led by 17 points in second half before holding on to win.
• Jerry Tipton: Ex-LSU coach and UK nemesis Dale Brown will be at Rupp on Saturday.
• Jennifer Smith: Kentucky women are finding that losing is a team effort.
• T.J. Walker: Kentucky women hope to improve shooting against South Carolina.
• Eric Lindsey: Amber Smith leaning toward sitting out this year, returning next.
• H-L: Three football grayshirts enroll for spring semester.
• Steve Jones: Jabari Johnson among grayshirts joining Cats.
• John Clay: There’s no reason to believe that Joker Phillips can’t get job done.
• Brett Dawson: Phillips says football is heading in the right direction.
• Larry Vaught: Saturday’s UK-LSU game will be special for one family.
• Jason King: Brandon Knight is a mid-season All-American.
• Brian Rickerd: Kentucky got back on track in win over Auburn.
• Alan Cutler: Sherlock Holmes discovers it was Stacey Poole.
• Jeff Drummond: Calipari to be part of ESPN’s MLK celebration.
• Nick Craddock: Kentucky’s defense transitions once again.
• Wildcat Blue Nation: Kentucky basketball expectations never change.
• Ryan Clark: Jones is filling in well for Cousins.

(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’

Kentucky freshman Stacey Poole talks about getting a chance to play, and his coach saying he will get more of a chance to play.

Click here to see this video on YouTube.

Five quick hitters from the Kentucky basketball media opportunity previewing Saturday’s game with Indiana:

1. There were no questions about Mike Hartline. There was a podium, for the first time in the John Calipari Era. Thus the coach joked about legislation questions. The podium was actually in place for we media hacks to position our tape recorders, microphones, etc. I am sure you are fascinated by all of this.

2. There were plenty of questions about Darius Miller. Cal said he needs to get that “wow” out of the junior guard. But Cal keeps saying that Miller barely played as a freshman. Actually, he played 21 minutes a game. He is playing more than that now, so Calipari would like to see more production. And aggression. This has been an on-going theme, but this team has more need for that than last year’s team.

3. Cal loves Tom Crean. The two are buddies. And Calipari spent the last part of this opp praising the Indiana coach, his program, his recruiting, then joking that “this may be one of those series we might have to cancel in a couple of years.” He was kidding, I think. Ok, probably not.

4. Stacey Poole. We got to talk to the freshman who actually played against Notre Dame, and, even better, hit a three-pointer. Afterward, Calipari said he wants to work Poole into the rotation more. But that will come at the expense of Jon Hood. Poole said he was grateful for the opportunity and looking for more. He also kept mentioning “a will to win.” The guess is he has heard that phrase from the head coach before.

5. Last but not least, Calipari said that he had heard from an NBA buddie who said, “I really like your big white kid.”