John Clay's Sidelines

Randall Cobb at SEC Media Days (AP photo)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• After on-line protests, John Calipari cancels his political fundraiser for Gov. Steve Beshear, reports Jack Brammer of the Herald-Leader.
• Calipari’s Facebook page, where he announced the cancelation.
• Derrick Locke thinks Mike Hartline will be UK’s starting quarterback, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• NCAA investigations have coaches fired up about agents, reports Cosby.
• Joker Phillips is keeping Kentucky on its toes, writes Andy Bitter of the Macon Telegraph.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes that UK’s running back isn’t Derrick Locke-jaw.
• Paul Warford’s college football career is over, reports Dawson.
• Warford ruled academically ineligible, reports Nathan Hutchinson of the Richmond Register.
• John Wall’s academic excellence doesn’t fit one-and-done image, writes Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News.
• Randall Cobb is glad that Tee Martin is at Kentucky, writes Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Football meets SEC media, basketball meets politics’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Four UK baseball players are drafted in the first eight rounds, says a Herald-Leader staff report.
• That Alabama high school meeting over Eric Bledsoe has been postponed, blogs Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Daniel Orton has been unimpressive in workouts, says Hoops World.
• DeMarcus Cousins could drop out of the top four NBA picks, says the Detroit Free Press.
• Patrick Patterson is one of six to workout for the Utah Jazz, reports Chris Buckley of the Deseret News.
• John Calipari had nothing to do with those 7-foot twins ending up in Pennsylvania, says Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports.
• Ex-UK star Walter McCarty is about to join the Indiana Pacers’ staff, tweets Goodman.
• Tubby Smith’s name mentioned for Cavaliers post, or at least by Peter Vecsey of the New York Post.
• John Wooden and Adolph Rupp were a lot alike, reports Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun.
• Evan Daniels of Scout on Quincy Miller:

Continue reading ‘BBL: Daniel Orton’s NBA stock may be dropping’

Kenny Payne

Big Blue Links for Monday:

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports on Kenny Payne’s visit to Kentucky:

A move by Payne to Kentucky would come as no surprise given that he’s a close friend of William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley, the basketball powerbroker with longstanding ties to Calipari. It’s also worth noting that Payne has spent years recruiting McDonald’s All-American Terrence Jones, a Portland native who committed to Kentucky last week. Multiple sources told CBSSports.com that Payne’s probable presence at Kentucky was a factor, though not the determining factor, in helping Calipari lure Jones away from Washington, where he publicly committed last month before waffling in the wake of a phone call with Calipari.

Myron Medcalf of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Tubby Smith is ready to take the stand:

Jurors will hear directly from the Gophers men’s basketball coach Monday when he takes the stand to offer his view of what happened the night in 2007 when Williams claims Smith called him and offered him a $200,000-a-year assistant position on the Gophers staff.

(Hat tip to Bluegrass State Basketball.)

Mike Fields of the Herald-Leader on a former UK golfer winning the ADI Classic:

Mark Blakefield calls Maysville home, but the former University of Kentucky golfer ought to consider opening a bank account in Georgetown. On Sunday, Blakefield won the Hooters Tour’s ADI Classic at Cherry Blossom Golf Club for the second time in three years and pocketed another $30,000.

In his Sunday notebook, Jerry Tipton writes that job rumors are part of the Calipari package:

The reader saw a method to his madness, a “beauty” to this “annual rite.” Calipari keeps himself and his program in the media’s crosshairs and, more importantly, in the minds of fans and, even more importantly, in the minds of recruits. Speculation that Calipari might leave for some high-profile job elevates him and his program in the eyes of every high school five-star recruit.

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Pistons may trade up to get DeMarcus Cousins:

The thinking is that Cousins can be had if the Pistons can move into the No. 4-5 range (currently occupied by the Timberwolves and Kings). Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has said several times that all options are open. Pistons officials get excited about Cousins because he’s a legitimate center and would give sorely needed balance to the perimeter-oriented roster.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Kenny Payne visits UK about staff opening’

SEC links for Monday:

• Tubby Smith says he out selling Minnesota, not Auburn, reports Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News.

• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press thinks Tennessee can make the Final Four.

• Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl says J.P. Prince can be tremendous, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

• David Climer of the Tennessean examines Bruce Pearl the salesman.

• Dave Hooker of the News-Sentinel on Kentuckian Luke Stocker, who fits Derek Dooley’s mold for a tight end at Tennessee.

• Monte Hale of the Murfreesboro Daily Journal on Mississippi State women beating MTSU in NCAA play.

• Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register on Vanderbilt avoiding a baseball sweep at Alabama.

• Florida sweeps John Cohen and Mississippi State, reports Arnold Feliciano of the Gainesville Sun.

• Georgia blows out Auburn, reports Chris Starrs of the Athens Banner-Herald.

• South Carolina baseball improves to 3-0 in the SEC, reports Neil White of The State.

• Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier says all eyes are on the South Carolina quarterbacks.

Photo by Charles Bertram.

All kinds of reports and rumors this morning linking Tubby Smith with Auburn’s search for a basketball coach.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports claims Auburn is about to hire Smith: “Auburn is “close to hiring” Tubby Smith as its new basketball coach, a source that I trust told me Thursday night.”

Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News writes on the Tubby rumors: “People familiar with the search process say the university is willing to significantly increase what it has paid former coaches in order to attract someone with a proven record to replace Jeff Lebo, who was fired last Friday. A list of candidates includes coaches who could command high salaries, such as Minnesota’s Tubby Smith, who has SEC experience at Kentucky and Georgia.”

Smith’s Minnesota team, a No. 11 seed in the West Region, plays No. 6 seed Xavier today.

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that UK football seasons have hinged on the Mississippi State game.
• Mark Story of the H-L writes about Rich Brooks’ record against the SEC West.
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune has note on the death of Tubby Smith’s father.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes about the Blackout.
• Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star writes on John Calipari’s salary, and the high salaries of others. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
• Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal writes that UK football is better, but not quite there yet.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes on Darnell Dodson.
• Tom Leach has a video interview with Dodson.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats get ready for crucial football game’

Jimmy Williams

A coach who quit his job at Oklahoma State to join Tubby Smith at Minnesota, only to have the hired rejected by the university, is suing the former Kentucky coach.

Jimmy Williams left the OSU staff in 2007 to accept a Smith offer at Minnesota, only to have AD Joe Maturi turn down the hire because Williams was part of a Minnesota staff that committed NCAA violations in the 1970s.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has this from the suit:

“Between March 30, 2007, and April 2, 2007, Smith did not disclose to Williams that his authority to hire him was anything but complete and final.”

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Chip Cosby of the H-L blogs on UK defensive tackle Myron Pryor being drafted by the New England Patriots.
• Jerry Tipton’s Sunday notebook leads with Jodie Meeks. (Didn’t get this link in yesterday.)
• Zagsblog talks to John Wall, who says he will cut his list to two or three teams by end of the week.
• Bluegrass State Basketball claims that Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks will withdraw from the NBA draft.
• Chris Fisher of Kentucky Ink talked to Brandon Knight, a top UK basketball target for 2010.
• Yardbarker has a note on Wall’s visit to Miami.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Wall to cut list; Patterson and Meeks returning?’

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Jerry Tipton’s H-L blog has Tubby Smith defending the money UK is paying John Calipari.
• Tipton also reports that the recruiting landscape is shifting quickly.
• Mark Story writes on the Pitino-Calipari rivalry.
• Jeff McMurray of the AP reports that letter firing Billy Gillispie cites contract dispute.
• Rick Bailey reports that teammates and coaches are praising fullback John Conner.
• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches has notes on Calipari’s first UK practice.
• Bloomberg News outlines the Calipari contract.
• C. Ray Hall of the Courier-Journal writes that there is a new shark in the Big Blue sea.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Practice and recruiting news in Cal’s first 48′

An excerpt from Myron P. Medcalf’s story this morning in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Minnesota and Tubby Smith reaching the NCAA Tournament:

What transpired following the announcement involved body slams and pop bottles flying in a frantic celebration, according to players.

“You see some teams get in at a spot that we could be at,” senior co-captain Jamal Abu-Shamala said. “When they called our name, it was one of the greatest feelings. We definitely went crazy.”

In the midst of it all was a coach who had been through it all many times before but was still nervous enough to block media from watching the announcement with his team.

“You could feel the energy in the room,” Gophers coach Tubby Smith said. “Just an explosion. And that usually happens.”