John Clay's Sidelines

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Sunday:

• Defense pays off as Tennessee surprises visiting Florida 67-56, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Cuonzo Martin changed his starting lineup and achieved the desired results for the Vols.
• Tennessee is buying into Martin’s defense-first philosophy, writes Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel. Florida hardly looked the 13th best team in the nation at Thompson-Boling.
• Arkansas upsets 15th-ranked Mississippi State 98-88 in SEC opener in Fayetteville, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger. Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury is now 4-10 in his 14 trips to Bud Walton Arena.
• Vanderbilt got a complete effort to crush Auburn 65-35, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean. Kevin Stallings’ team hit 13 threes on the way to the win.
• Trevor Lacey scored a career-high 19 points to lead Alabama past host Georgia 74-59, reports Andy Johnston of the Tuscaloosa News. Tony Mitchell added 17 for the Crimson Tide.
• Justin Hamilton and Storm Warren starred as LSU pounded Ole Miss 81-55, reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate. The two combined for 38 points and 27 rebounds.
• Step aside little girls and watch the SEC play big-boy football, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. He’s talking about Monday night’s BCS Championship game between SEC teams Alabama and LSU.
• Running back Trent Richardson holds the key for the Crimson Tide in Monday night’s BCS title game, says Brad Zimanek of the Montgomery Advertiser. “I think it’s difficult for anybody to tackle him,” said LSU safety Brandon Taylor.
• Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart says he’s ready to make the jump to head coach, writes Jeff Schultz of the AJC. The Tide defense allowed 191.2 yards per game this season.
• LSU’s Jordan Jefferson has gone from outcast to center stage, writes Yahoo’s Pat Forde. Jordan’s first game back from suspension was against Kentucky.

Trevor Lacey (Rivals photo)

Mike Easterling of the Huntsville Times reports that Jack Doss, the high school coach of former Kentucky target Trevor Lacey, says the Alabama signee has been cleared by the NCAA and is eligible to play as a freshman this season at Alabama.

The University of Alabama says that reports is premature, however.

Excerpt:

As word spread that Lacey was accepted, Alabama’s sports information department issued an email stating, “The University of Alabama has not received a final decision from the NCAA regarding Trevor Lacey. Rumors and reports to the contrary are inaccurate and premature at this time.”

Contacted after the email was sent, Doss said he couldn’t divulge any sources of the news but was committed to his earlier statement.

“He’ll be in school at Alabama August 24th,” he said.

Jared Lorenzen

This morning’s Big Blue Links is highlighted by the biggest quarterback in Kentucky football history. We’re talking the Round Mound of Touchdown, the Hefty Lefty himself, who, judging by the pictures in the Cincinnati Enquirer, has continued his love affair with food. Lorenzen is playing an indoor team called the Northern Kentucky River Monsters in something called the Ultimate Indoor Football League. The team drew nearly 3,000 for its opener, and has averaged about 1,600 since then. Others are starting to take notice, including those are the people at the Scott Van Pelt Show. Jared seems right down Van Pelt’s alley.

Ryan Harrow, Rodney Purvis, Torian Graham, Brandon Knight and Josh Harrellson are among those in this morning’s Big Blue Links. Click on the continue line to check them out.

Continue reading ‘BBL: The Hefty Lefty is back in the spotlight’

The faithful minority that follow Alabama basketball woke up happy this morning. Trevor Lacey is in the Crimson Tide camp. The shooting guard chose Bama over Kentucky, Kansas and Auburn yesterday afternoon, adding to an Anthony Grant recruiting class already ranked 12th in the country by Rivals. The one question is just how good is Lacey? Is he a difference-maker? Or was his worth enhanced by the fact he was one of the few big names still left on the recruiting board?

Click the continue line for the links.

Continue reading ‘Alabama celebrates Lacey’s decision to stay home’

Yet another update: After thinking it over, I’ve decided to remove the identity of the tweeter.

An update:

This from twitter, before Trevor Lacey announced he had signed with Alabama.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Trevor Lacey will choose between Kentucky and Kansas, reports All Ky Hoops.
• Kentucky looking at Tennessee power foward Alex Poythress, reports Chip Cirillo of the Tennessean.
• Wildcat Blue Nation talks to UK target Perry Ellis.
• Kentucky will play Transylvania in basketball next season, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• John Calipari says UK men’s basketball posted GPA of 3.14, reports Tipton.
• Ex-UK basketball coach Tubby Smith has surgery to remove cancer, reports the AP.
• Ex-UK star Anthony Epps pleads guilty to reckless driving, reports WLEX-TV.
• Luke Winn of SI wonders why Calipari is coaching the Dominican national team.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Lacey down to three; UK looking at Poythress’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Ryan Harrow will be visiting UK today, says Keith Bays of Kentucky Sports Report.
• Trevor Lacey done with visits, will make decision May 18, reports Gary Bedore of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Roy Williams, John Calipari and Dick Vitale join together to fight cancer, reports Robbi Pickeral of the Charlotte Observer.
• Did Terrence Jones make the right decision? asks Mark Story of the Herald-Leader.
• DeAndre Liggins is ready to live with his NBA decision, he tells Cat Scratches.
• Kentucky at No. 2 behind North Carolina, according to Andy Katz of espn.com.
• Jones and Liggins both made the right calls, says Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports.
• Tom Leach gives his take on the decisions made by UK basketball players.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Report says Harrow visiting Kentucky today’

Rodney Cooper (via Rivals)

Trevor Lacey gets all the publicity, but keep your eye on another basketball star from Alabama.

Rodney Cooper, a 6-foot-5 Alabama signee, made the biggest jump in the Rivals rankings released yesterday, catapulting all the way from No. 117 to No. 49.

The Phenix City, Alabama native went from a three-star to a four-star recruit after averaging 31.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in leading his high school team to the State 5A quarterfinals in Alabama.

Lacey was named the state’s Mr. Basketball, and Anthony Grant has a higher-rated recruit in Levi Randolph, a 6-5 guard from Madison, Alabama, but if Cooper keeps coming, he could conceivably end up being the best of the three.

As for Lacey, he is scheduled to visit Kansas this weekend. No word yet on whether he will take an official visit to Kentucky. And, yes, Alabama is reportedly still very much in the mix.

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Trevor Lacey will visit Kansas, reports the Lawrence Journal World.
• Doron Lamb says he will return for sophomore season, reports Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Bob Knight apologizes for making comments about UK personal, reports Tipton.
• Knight’s apology is not good enough, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Which UK football and basketball figures would be statue-worthy? asks my column.
• Western Kentucky rallies to beat UK baseball, says H-L staff report.
• Seth Davis of SI.com thinks Knight or Jones, or both, could return for next season.
• Knight’s apology doesn’t admit inaccuracy, writes Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal.
• Disgruntled Knight stuck in another era, writes Marc Pendleton of the Dayton Daily News.
• Anthony Davis tops MaxPrep’s rankings, reports Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Lacey to visit Kansas; Knight’s pseudo apology’

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’