AllKyHoops.com

John Calipari Talks About Win Over Vandy and More

2012-02-25T19:27:00.003-05:00

Here are John Calipari's postgame comments following Kentucky's win over Vanderbilt this afternoon:

Q. We are used to what Anthony (Davis) does defensively; what about the way he played offensively today?

COACH CALIPARI: I've been holding him back. I'm trying to get him to stay in school another year.

After the game, I just told everybody, they did what they did, and how good, and I said, "You were pretty good, too." And the whole team started laughing. They thought it was hysterical.

He's a good kid. He's just unselfish. He only took 11 shots; he made 10. You tell me, if you're that kid, blocking shots, rebounding balls, you're not trying to take 20 shots?

And then I couldn't get mad at Marquis Teague for holding the ball to get two more points. You understand, he held that ball to get fouled. He could have thrown it to Darius (Miller), and he's like, no, I'm getting two more myself.

And when I called him over, I said, "I know what you just did, you'd better make these two free throws. That's why he started laughing, and he made them. And after the game I said, you played so well, I'm good with that. Let the kids score a couple baskets. Let them score a couple points. But you know, it was a good effort.

And let me say this: You see how good Vanderbilt is? Can you see how good they are? I mean, in the NCAA Tournament, they are going to advance. I mean, that is a ball team, and they shoot it; they make their free throws. They had seven turnovers, and we are a pretty good defensive team. They had seven turnovers. Are you kidding me? They are turning people over 15 times. We didn't press a whole lot but that's not how we play. They are good.

Q. Can you talk about the way Marquis (Teague) came back and played after three turnovers in the first three minutes and you sat him down?

COACH CALIPARI: I said it, one turnover the rest of the game. I just felt our shoot around was just so-so, and I felt at the pregame, when I talked to them before they went on the court, I didn't like the stare I got from two or three of the guys.

So at the beginning of the game, I knew what was happening. And I just told them, I said, hey, I took guys out, I sat Terrence (Jones) out, and you know, you've got to be ready to play every game. You've got to figure it out.

Here is what the deal is. Noon games, hard to play. So? Guess what. In New Orleans, when will we be playing? Noon. Okay. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, probably noon. We play early games. So, be ready for it. You can't use that as an excuse, it's an afternoon game.

Q. Veteran teams often make plays at the end of shot clock, come up with big plays. Your team has done it consistently despite being relatively young. How rare is that and how often do you see young guys continue to make those plays over and over again?

COACH CALIPARI: This team is the most efficient team in the country on offense and defense and it's really only because they are talented.

They play together, they play off of one another, they make easy plays defensively. They are talking more. But we just have to have everybody ready to go to war, every game. We don't have many left. Two more league games, hopefully some in the tournament, and then we play on the real stage. We don't have many left.

Q. You talk about guys maybe not being ready to play at the beginning of the game. You've always talked about how they have a will to win. Can sometimes you rely too much on will to win?

COACH CALIPARI: That was my fear to start this game. But the way we finished, and we played so well down the stretch, I wasn't going to get upset with them.

The other side of it, I looked at my staff and I said, you know, I'd like to let this one go, the way they started, to prove a point. I'm about to let this one go, and then I said, I can't. I just don't have that in me.

But, believe me. I said to my staff, because you've got to learn a lesson from it. But their will to win; their ability to execute down the stretch and defend and take everything up a notch, you know, is pretty amazing.

Q. Yet again Darius (Miller), zero points, 10 minutes ago and then he turns it on. What is it about him that he does that?

COACH CALIPARI: I don't know. I mean, I was upset with him in the first half because I thought he had passed up two shots, and he did, because he was 0 for 5. I said, that's the old you. You've got to keep shooting. You can't keep doing that to your team.

Doron (Lamb), I thought he played a poor first half, too. Couldn't make a shot but then again defensively in a three-minute span, gave up three baskets. And I didn't think Darius (Miller) played well in the first half -- or Terrence (Jones). I thought Michael (Kidd-)Gilchrist fought like crazy.

You know what's good about this one? Just like down at Mississippi State where Marquis Teague sat and watched the end of the game, Michael Gilchrist probably played a minute in the last seven, eight minutes of the game and we won without him on the court. And he cheered just like Marquis Teague. He cheered harder than anybody on that bench. And I also thought, which was good, Eloy (Vargas) did a good job, went in there and banged and did some good stuff.

Q. What did Mike (Kidd-Gilchrist) do on the play where -- did he bang knees, or did he do something else what was that injury?

COACH CALIPARI: He just hit knees. But I said -- I'm in the time-out, I said, "Is Michael okay?"

"Yeah, he's ready to go."

I went, "What?" He acted like he got shot. "Ready to go?" I said, "Run up and down the court." I wanted him to run to see that he wasn't fooling me. I'm like, I shook my head, I said, Oh, my gosh, okay, go back in.

Q. I know you don't put too much significance on conference achievements, but how do you look at this in terms of the way it sets you up for March?

COACH CALIPARI: Every game we play, it's all about seeding. And that's -- we are just playing for that. I mean, we have won over the years a lot of conference championships and tournament championships, but I'm telling you, my teams have never -- that isn't what we are playing for. It's all about that seed.

So hopefully we are doing what we need to. Getting better. It's nice, I told him, congratulations, but you all know, this is not why we are playing, and they know that.

Q. RE: On if he cares about being the overall No. 1 seed or just a No. 1 seed ...

COACH CALIPARI: Somebody told me out west, they said we are the favorite. Somebody said that to me. And I obviously don't follow that stuff. But the crazy thing is, they don't have any emotion out that way. It's all based on green dollars. They have no emotion. There's no, I don't like this guy, and I like that guy, and I don't like this program and I like that program. It has nothing to do with that.

So, I don't know. Let me just tell you, Syracuse is outstanding; Missouri is outstanding; Kansas is outstanding, Ohio State is outstanding; Duke and North Carolina, outstanding, Michigan State is playing their butts off. Everybody could be a 1-1 seed. We are just trying to do what we do.

The Donnie Tyndall Show - February 24th Edition

2012-02-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

Check out The Donnie Tyndall Show for this week as the Morehead State head coach talks Eagles basketball:

Career Day from Davis Propels UK to Win Over Vanderbilt and SEC Regular Season Title

2012-02-25T14:34:00.005-05:00

(1) Kentucky 83
Vanderbilt 74

Final from Lexington, Kentucky

The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats sealed up the Southeastern Conference regular season championship with an 83-74 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon.

Vanderbilt (20-9, 9-5 SEC) trailed 66-65 with 4:22 remaining before Anthony Davis nailed a critical jumper. The Wildcats made free throws late to pull away for the final margin.

Davis scored a career-high 28 points to lead Kentucky (28-1, 14-0 SEC). Davis also pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked 6 shots.

Marquis Teague added 16 points and 6 assists for UK. Terrence Jones chipped in 12 points. Darius Miller scored all 9 of his points in the second half.

Kentucky was an impressive 32-56 (57.1%) from the field and 17-20 (85%) from the free throw line. The Wildcats our-rebounded Vandy 33-23.

Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 19 points and 9 boards. John Jenkins added 18 points. Festus Ezeli finished with 15.

Kentucky returns to action on Thursday for a senior night game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

KCU Advances to NCCAA Mid East Regional Title Game

2012-02-25T14:12:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Christian 96
Crown College 79

Final from Louisville, Kentucky

NCCAA Mid East Regional Tournament

Game recap by KCU:

The Kentucky Christian men’s basketball team had to face Crown College on Friday afternoon in the semi-final game of the Mid East Regional Tournament. The game was going to be a tough one, the Knights and Crown split their two regular season games, each winning on their opponent’s home court. If the Knights wanted to win they knew they had to play hard and smart against a deep Crown bench.

Crown got an early five point lead on KCU and it started to look like Crown was going to pull away with the victory but the Knights buckled down and went on a 12-0 run to get a seven point lead and the Knights did not look back. To maintain the lead the Knights needed every player to step up and play their best, and they did. The three leaders of the team really stepped up with their offense, Clay McKinzie score 23, Drew Johnson had 25, and Blandon Clemons 27 to lead the Knights to the 96-79 victory.

Complete Recap

Transylvania to Play Anderson in HCAC Tournament

2012-02-25T14:04:00.004-05:00

Transylvania University will battle Anderson in the semifinal round of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Anderson defeated fourth-seeded Bluffton 69-67 on Friday night.

AS regular season conference champions, Transy is hosting the tournament in Lexington. The winning team earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.

Men's Conference Tournament Schedule

Friday, Feb. 24 (Opening Round at Transylvania)

Game 1: #6 Defiance vs. #3 Rose-Hulman Rose-Hulman, 76-67
Game 2: #5 Anderson vs. #4 Bluffton Anderson, 69-67

Saturday, Feb. 25 (Semifinals at Transylvania)

Game 3: #3 Rose-Hulman vs. #2 Hanover 5:00 PM
Game 4: #5 Anderson at #1 Transylvania 7:00 PM

Sunday, Feb. 26 (Final game at Transylvania)

Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner 2:00 PM

TICKETS

Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students 12 and over and for senior citizens (per session). Students, faculty, and staff from HCAC schools will be admitted free with a valid college ID. Students and 11 and under are also admitted free.

Tournament Site

Former Wildcats Play Well in Rising Stars Challenge

2012-02-25T13:20:00.004-05:00

Former Kentucky stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins played well in the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

Wall and Cousins helped lead Team Chuck to a 146-133 win over Team Shaq, which included former UK point guard Brandon Knight.

Wall had 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in just under 27 minutes of action. Cousins added 18 points and 11 boards.

Kyrie Irving was named MVP of the game after going 12-13 from the field, including 8-8 from long range, to finish with 34 points.

Knight finished with 14 points and 7 assists for Team Shaq.

Watch this insane dunk by John Wall:

Centre College Downs Austin in SCAC Quarterfinals

2012-02-25T12:10:00.004-05:00

Centre College 56
Austin College 52

Final from Birmgingham, Alabama

SCAC Tournament Quarterfinals

Game recap by Centre:

The Centre men's basketball team will move on to the semifinals of the SCAC Tournament after holding off an Austin comeback to capture a 56-52 win Friday in Birmingham, Ala.

The Colonels appeared to have the game well in hand, leading by as many as 16 points on four occasions in the second half, but a cold shooting stretch would allow Austin to get back in the game.

Centre was leading 45-31 just inside of 11 minutes to play when Austin went on an 18-3 run, briefly taking back the lead at 49-48 with 3:23 to play. During the eight minute stretch, Centre managed just a 3-pointer from Bryon Ellis (Russell Springs, Ky.) as the team went 1-for-8 from the field and 0-for-3 at the line.

Just as quickly as they had lost the lead though, the Colonels were able to take it back for good on the other end on the other end on a layup by Chris Taylor (Louisville, Ky.) who led the team with 13 points off the bench. Centre was able to force turnovers on the next two Austin possessions and go up by three on a layup by Greg Ross (Cincinnati, Ohio) with 1:25 to play.

After Ross blocked an Austin shot, Donovan Whiteside (Knoxville, Tenn.) buried a pair of free throws to put Centre up 54-49 with 31 seconds to play. Austin's Walter Phillips made a 3-pointer, but Whiteside buried two more free throws to get the margin back to two possessions with just 10 seconds remaining. Those free throws were key for a Centre team that struggled at the line, shooting an uncharacteristic 8-for-21 from the line after coming in as the top free throw shooting team in the conference at 76 percent.

Complete Recap

Kentucky Players Are Ready for Vanderbilt

2012-02-25T09:53:00.004-05:00

Here are pregame comments from Kentucky's Darius Miller, Anthony Davis and Marquis Teague as the Cats prepare to host Vanderbilt:

#1 Darius Miller, G, Sr.

On his thoughts coming into this game …
“It’s going to be a tough game. They played us really well last time and we have to come out ready to go.”

On what he knows about Vandy having played them already …
“I know they’re going to be ready to go. They can shoot the ball extremely well, so we’re going to try and take that away from them and we’re going to have to keep them off the glass too.”

On if they continue to use that Indiana loss as motivation when games get close …
“Definitely. That was a tough loss for us, especially at the end like that when we thought we had a chance to win. We felt like we battled towards the end of the game to get in position to win, so we don’t want to feel that again. I know we don’t need another loss for us to stay motivated. We stay motivated each and every day in practice going up against each other. So I don’t feel like we need a loss – hopefully we can keep it going.”

On what it means to have that will to win especially with so many young guys on the team …
“It means a lot for us especially how you said with how young the team is; for them to want that bad and be hungry for wins, it helps us a lot. We all feed off of each other and it seems like towards the end of the game, we all focus in on what we need to do to get a win.”

On where Vanderbilt ranks among the top teams in the SEC after having played everyone this year …
“Definitely one of the top teams. They shoot the ball extremely well. We can’t allow them to be comfortable or they’ll continue to knock down shots which is where they are going to hurt us. We also have to do a better job of keeping them off the glass.”

#23 Anthony Davis, F, Fr.

On what they can expect from Vanderbilt …
“Physicality. The same way we went in there making shots and being physical around the rim, rebounding. Same way we played down there the same way it’s going to be here. We’ll just have our crowd instead of theirs.”

On what he knows now about Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli …
“He’ll try to use his strength to get around the rim. When you double team the post, it’s hard for him to score from the outside – he has to be near the rim. So that’s what we did the whole game when we went down there. Just trying to keep him away from the basket and keep him outside the paint.”

On how they deal with all the expectations they’re facing individually and as a team …
“Just keep working. There are a lot of expectations for me and for this team, so we just have to keep working. You can never take days off, that’s why we’re always in here before practice getting work in.”

On if their mind is “National Title or Bust” at this point in the season …
“I mean, we have a chance of doing it. We’re playing excellent right now. We just have to keep coming out and playing the way we know how to play.”

#25 Marquis Teague, G, Fr.

On how well opponents play against Kentucky …
“We know every team that we play is going to hit a lot shots that they normally don’t make because they’re pumped to play us. They’re going to play out of their minds and we know that’s coming. Some games a team might do like Mississippi State and do more than normal. Some other games, they might not go in. We’ve just got to be prepared for whatever happens.”

On fighting through stretches where opponents are making difficult shots …
“That’s what Coach Cal says before every game, ‘See if they can do it for 40 minutes.’ We’re going to defend and make it tough on them. If they make tough shots, we got another game next week.”

On whether John Calipari’s message of UK being a big game for every opponent helps prepare the team to face it …
“We know what to expect every game. We’re going to get everybody’s best shot. Everybody’s going to come pumped to play us and wanting to knock us off. We’ve got to come prepared every game.”

Thomas More College Advances to PAC Title Game

2012-02-25T09:02:00.004-05:00

Thomas More 75
Saint Vincent 70

Final from Crestview Hills, Kentucky

Game recap by TMC:

(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Junior small forward Phil Feinberg (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol) scored a career-high-tying 25 points to lead the third-seeded Thomas More College men's basketball team to a 75-70, win over fourth-seeded Saint Vincent College tonight (Thursday, February 23, 2012) in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament semifinal game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints improve to 20-7 and advance to the PAC Championship Tournament's championship game where they will play top-seeded Bethany College on Saturday (February 25) at 7:30 p.m. in Bethany, West Virginia. With the loss, the Bearcats end the season at 19-8.

Saint Vincent jumped out to an early 17-8 lead when Tauvon Pettiford made a jumper with 14:36 to play in the opening half. Thomas More answered with a 14-2 run capped by a lay-up by junior shooting guard Ross Renken (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) to take a 22-19 lead with 9:16 to play in the first half. The Bearcats closed out the half on a 16-10 run to take a 35-32 lead at halftime when Chris Klimchock made a jumper with 1:26 to play in the half.

Complete Recap

Calipari is Best Coach in America at Recruiting and Player Development; Rick Pitino Ranks No. 37

2012-02-24T21:46:00.006-05:00

Kentucky head coach John Calipari tops RealGM.com's 2012 Recruiting and Player Development rankings.

Here are the top 10 coaches in America (click to enlarge):

Louisville's Rick Pitino ranks No. 37 on the list.

How the Rankings Were Compiled

John Calipari Talks About Vanderbilt Game and More

2012-02-24T20:55:00.003-05:00

Here are John Calipari's pregame comments as Kentucky gets ready to host a good Vanderbilt team on Saturday:

On the technical fouls against Mississippi State …
“I guess (Anthony Davis) held on to the rim, I just moved on. My point is, he is running so fast he needs to hold on to the rim. If anybody touched him and don’t say you should know if the guy is behind you because you don’t. If you are running that fast you should have the right to hold on to the rim and he was. They called it, it’s too bad, it didn’t affect the game, it almost did but it didn’t. We move on. All I’m telling you is when you are running that fast, let go, the guy clips him and he breaks his head open to never play basketball again or he can hold on to the rim. If there is any doubt you should let it go.”

On Marquis Teague …
“He did OK, he made some shots, he made some lay-ups, he had a couple turnovers at some inopportune times but the only reason he didn’t play the last six, seven minutes is how we played, it had nothing to do with him. The greatest part of it is how he cheered. He was in to every possession down the stretch, cheering his team on. Here is a guy that has been out there in every one of those situations all year and in this situation we didn’t need him out there because the team was playing well and he did great and was great about it. I told the team right after the game, he wasn’t out because of him, he was out because you all played well. But that’s happened to Terrence (Jones), Doron (Lamb), Darius (Miller), it’s happened to Michael (Kidd-Gilchrist). It’s good.”

On Vanderbilt …
“They’re good, Vandy is good. I watched their game with Mississippi, they were up by 40. (Jeffery) Taylor was unbelievable, (John) Jenkins did his thing, they all did, (Festus) Ezeli did his thing. They are a good team; they are a really good team. They dropped one or two that they shouldn’t have but everybody does that, they are not machines. It’s like Mississippi State, after our game they said, if we play like this we will be fine. Vandy, believe me, they are coming here with one thought, they are winning this game, they are going to beat the team that is leading the league. We are just going to come in and play as hard as we can and hopefully play well.”

On if it would be good to suffer a loss before the NCAA Tournament …
“It depends on how you lose, if another team comes in and plays out of their minds and you play well and they beat you then its fine and you just move on. Now if it’s because you were flat and you weren’t ready to play and you got sand kicked in your face and that’s how you lost then no it’s not a good loss. But to have somebody come play really well and we play really well and they squeeze a game out somehow it is not that big of a deal. We’d move on to the next game. This is about my team getting better, that’s all we need to deal with, that’s all I’m having them deal with.”

On peaking too soon …
“No, we’re doing fine. Our numbers the last six games are ridiculous. So from the beginning of the season to that frame to this frame, now we have three games left so let’s see if we can edge it up a little bit more.”

On learning from the comeback against Mississippi State …
“No, what has been interesting thinking about it is Darius has been a big part of those finishes. When we’re down he has been making shots, making plays, making defensive plays and I think he is more calm than anyone else out there. He did the thing offensively that we needed to have done; they were in a zone and sagging in and he made those shots. The other thing I liked in that is if we have to go with Doron (Lamb) extended minutes at point guard we’re fine. Again, Terrence (Jones) in the second half, we showed tape to the team of him just absolutely aggressive, vicious, clapping. Play like that all the time, why do you choose not to? Because it is easier to stand there. Hard to do that and for 28-30 minutes; I’ll be really tired after the game. He laughed and we all laughed and when they see him that way they are looking like, you know how good you are, you are as good as anyone in the country, just play like that. The great lesson on the tape is the tape never lies, the stats indict, the tape convicts.”

On what has changed helping Darius Miller gain confidence …
“There was one shot he passed and I subbed him. So I think now he understands if I don’t shoot the ball I’m going to get my head ripped off and I might as well shoot it and if I miss it, I miss it. It’s a lot easier to make it if you know whether I make it or not, I must shoot this ball. It takes time for some guys; they have never been in this situation. It is amazing our freshmen are reacting the way they are but we still don’t know how they are going to react in tournament play when you lose it’s over. We think we know, but we really don’t. I’m not satisfied to this point, I’m happy with (Miller’s) growth but I’m not satisfied. I’m going to tell you, I think he is an NBA player when he plays with aggressiveness; he dunks balls, he plays hard, he gets in there and rebounds in traffic. When he plays that way, that guy is an NBA player, the other guy is not, he’s just not. He’s shown us that he can do it, it’s just harder to do that, it is rougher, it is more taxing. You have to focus and concentrate every possession; it is hard for players to play that way.”

On the seniors at Vanderbilt having not won at Kentucky …
“It doesn’t matter, they are playing, come on now, everybody we play after the game says my team played good, now if we continue to play like this we are going to be good. You’ve heard it over and over. This game is going to be the same, they are going to play out of their minds, it is going to be a hard game for us to win. I don’t care that we are at home; they are a senior-dominated team. They make nine or 10 3s a game, if they do that against us we lose the game, we go on to Thursday. Ezeli is a physical guy, last time he was in this building I think he had over 20 points and must have had 10 dunks. We have a challenge ahead of us and our guys, hopefully by the time the game starts at noon hopefully our guys will realize they have a challenge ahead of them.”

Bellarmine Earns Impressive Win at NKU, Inside Track to No. 1 Seed

2012-02-24T19:40:00.004-05:00

(1) Bellarmine 86
(8) Northern Kentucky 75

Final from Highland Heights, Kentucky

Game recap by BU:

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.— The No. 2 Bellarmine University Knights got a career high 28 points from Senior Luke Sprague to earn a hard-fought 86-75 road win over the No. 8 Northern Kentucky Norse in the regular season finale for both teams.

The Knights up their record to 24-2 on the season, which ties last year's squad for best regular season record in school history. Bellarmine finished the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season 16-2 to take the league regular season crown as well.

Northern Kentucky falls to 21-5, 13-5 GLVC, and the Norse must await late results to find out their seed in the upcoming Scheels GLVC Championship Tournament.

Of perhaps bigger importance than conference seeding for Bellarmine is the fact that Northern was ranked second behind the Knights in the Midwest Region. With the win tonight, Bellarmine would seem to have the upper hand for a No. 1 seed and the right to host the Midwest Regional. NCAA selections will be announced Sunday, March 4.

Complete Recap

John Calipari Asks UK Fans to Be Respectful to Vandy

2012-02-24T14:56:00.002-05:00

Kentucky head coach John Calipari posted a request for UK fans on Twitter earlier this afternoon.

UKCoachCalipari #BBN please be respectful of our visitors Sat. We reviewed the Tchiengang-Teague play from our 1st game & concluded it was not malicious.

UKCoachCalipari Let’s not make something bigger than it needs to be and show everyone why we have the best fans in the country. #WeAreUK

Here is the play in question:

Preview: SCAC Tournament Opens Friday in Birmingham

2012-02-24T14:11:00.004-05:00

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament is underway in Birmingham, Alabama.

Centre College, the No. 3 seed in the East, takes on Austin College today at 4:00 p.m. ET.

With a win, the Colonels would likely face Birmingham-Southern, the top seed from the East, on Saturday.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:

Friday, February 24

Bill Battle Coliseum | BSC Campus | Birmingham, Ala.
Men's Game 1: #1 East Birmingham-Southern vs. #4 West Dallas - 1 p.m.
Men's Game 2: #2 West Austin College vs. #3 East Centre - 3 p.m.
Men's Game 3: #1 West Trinity vs. #4 East Sewanee - 6 p.m.
Men's Game 4: #2 East Rhodes vs. #3 West Colorado College - 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 25

Bill Battle Coliseum | BSC Campus | Birmingham, Ala.

Men's Game 1 Winner vs. Men's Game 2 Winner - 1 p.m.
Men's Game 3 Winner vs. Men's Game 4 Winner - 3 p.m.

Sunday, February 26

Bill Battle Coliseum | BSC Campus | Birmingham, Ala.
Men's Championship Game - 12 p.m.

Admission to all games is FREE.

Bracket (click to enlarge):

Rick Pitino, Reggie Miller Head List of Hall of Fame Candidates

2012-02-24T13:40:00.004-05:00

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and former NBA star Reggie Miller headline the list of finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2012.

The 12 finalists are Pitino, Miller, All American Red Heads, Katrina McClain, Maurice Cheeks, Bill Fitch, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Don Nelson, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson and Jamaal Wilkes.

Here is an excerpt about Pitino:

RICK PITINO: Pitino is the only coach in men’s history to lead three different schools to NCAA Final Four appearances as he did with Providence College, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville. He led Kentucky to the 1996 National Championship and then reached the title game again with the Wildcats the following year. He has won over 600 games in his collegiate career, reached the Final Four five different times (1987, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2005), led his teams to 20 postseason appearances and won nine conference tournament championships. He earned Coach of the Year honors from different sources three different years. Pitino also held two stints as an NBA head coach with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, leading the Knicks to two playoff appearances.

The Class of 2012 will be announced on April 2 in New Orleans prior to the NCAA’s men’s championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election. The inductees will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass. on Sept. 7.

Complete Article

Price is Right for Hilltoppers Against Arkansas State

2012-02-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

Western Kentucky 79
Arkansas State 76

Final from Bowling Green, Kentucky

Game recap by WKU:

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — T.J. Price knocked down a three-pointer in front of the WKU bench with two seconds left, breaking a 76-all tie and propelling the Hilltoppers to a 79-76 win over Arkansas State in a character-building game that featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes. The win, WKU's fifth in the last nine games, improves its record to 10-18 overall and 6-9 in the conference this season. Arkansas State drops to 12-18 and 6-9 in league play.

After Arkansas State made four-straight free throws with under 25 seconds left in the game to tie it at 76, the Hilltoppers brought the ball up the court on their final possession with the shot clock turned off. Derrick Gordon was trapped near half court but found an open Kahlil McDonald near the free throw line, who dished it out to Price on the wing for the game-winner with just over two seconds left on the clock. Arkansas State's half-court heave at the buzzer was no good, and WKU captured its fourth-straight home win.

Four Hilltoppers were in double figures, led by George Fant's 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Gordon added 16 and six assists with just one turnover, and Teeng Akol and McDonald each had 14. Arkansas State was led by Malcoln Kirkland's 22 points, and Darion Griswold had 15. Trey Finn contributed 14 points but just four in the second half and no field goals, and Brandon Peterson had eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Complete Recap

Kentucky's Senior Night Game to Air on ESPN

2012-02-24T13:19:00.004-05:00

Kentucky's Senior Night game against Georgia has been selected for broadcast on ESPN.

Here is a release from UK:

LEXINGTON, KY – The Kentucky-Georgia men’s basketball game on Thursday, March 1 has been selected for broadcast on ESPN, the network announced.

Prior to the game, UK will celebrate Senior Night honoring seniors Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas.

The game is scheduled for a 9:00 p.m. ET tip.

Kentucky Recruits Think They Could Compete in NBA All-Star Game

2012-02-24T11:29:00.005-05:00

Several Kentucky basketball recruits think they have the ability to compete in the NBA All-Star Game.

Here are some comments from Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel:

When asked if he thought he could make a significant impact in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 26 (8 p.m. ET on TNT) at the Amway Center in Orlando, Randle responded with a resounding, “Yes!”

“I just think that I could do my thing in that setting,” Randle said. “I’m not saying I’d be the best player on the court, but I could contribute. I could definitely contribute.”

Don’t be so quick to chalk Randle up as a silly teenager whose confidence is further along than his game, because he’s not the only elite high school player who thinks he’d fare well at the NBA All-Star Game.

Nerlens Noel, a senior center at Tilton (N.H.) who is the top ranked player in the ESPNU 100, said that he’d bypass contributing and dominate in the laid back setting.

“I mean, think about it, they don’t really play a whole lot of defense anyway in the All-Star Game,” Noel said. “They don’t contest dunks or anything. Oh yeah, I think I could get in there and drop a 30-piece on the low.”

HS players say bring on NBA All-Stars

Photo: Rivals.com

Murray State Avenges Only Loss, Thumps Tennessee State

2012-02-24T11:23:00.004-05:00

(12) Murray State 80
Tennessee State 62

Final from Nashville, Kentucky

Game recap by MSU:

The Murray State Racers stayed undefeated on the road this season with an 80-62 win Thursday against Tennessee State at the Gentry Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Isaiah Canaan led the way for MSU with 24 points, while Donte Poole added 16 as the hot shooting duo was a combined 9-of-15 from three point range.

The Racers (27-1) had already clinched the Ohio Valley Conference title and moved to 14-1 this season in league play and gained a win over TSU after dropping their only game of the season to the Tigers at home (Feb. 9).

MSU used a 14-0 run in the final 2:30 of the first half to get control of the game

Leading 31-28, the Racers' defense came up with four straight stops and cashed in on the offensive end with an amazing four threes including one at the buzzer by Poole. Latreze Mushatt, Zay Jackson and Canaan also hit threes in the Racers' blitz to the half. The Racers tied their season-high going 12-of-22 and held TSU to 2-of-15.

Complete Recap

Rajon Rondo to Replace Curry in NBA Skills Challenge

2012-02-24T10:43:00.003-05:00

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will replace defending champ Stephen Curry int he NBA Skills Challenge during All-Star Saturday night in Orlando.

Curry is dealing with a strained tendon in his right foot.

The rest of the field includes Kyrie Irving, Tony Parker, John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.

Rick Pitino Rips Officials After Loss at Cincinnati

2012-02-24T10:30:00.005-05:00

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino ripped the referees following his team's 60-56 loss at Cincinnati last night.

Here are his comments via CBSSports.com:

The officials “are really starting to get under my nerves,” Pitino said. “I don’t know who the hell they think they are. The level of arrogance, I just cannot believe it.”

And more, according to our RapidReporter Evan Hilbert: “I have a problem with the officials. They thought they were the three guys going into the Referee Hall of Fame the way they talked to me. I don’t know what they’re looking at sometimes, but they’re so positive, they should really go into the Referee Hall of Fame.”

Complete Article

Tell us how you really feel, Rick.

Cincinnati Holds Off No. 17 Louisville

2012-02-24T10:22:00.003-05:00

Cincinnati 60
(17) Louisville 56

Final from Cincinnati, Kentucky

Game recap by U of L:

CINCINNATI (AP) - Point guard Cashmere Wright scored 22 points, matching his career high with six 3-pointers, and Cincinnati pulled away from No. 17 Louisville 60-56 on Thursday night.

Cincinnati (20-8, 10-5 Big East) went 11 of 27 from behind the arc, a place where Louisville (21-7, 9-6) has prospered. The Bearcats' fifth win in six games broke a tie with the Cardinals for sixth place in the conference.

Sean Kilpatrick had 12 points, including baskets that started and finished a 14-point run that put the Bearcats ahead to stay midway through the second half. Cincinnati improved to 4-3 against ranked teams this season.

The Cardinals had won seven of their last eight, making 3s at a prodigious rate lately. They lost their touch Thursday, going only 1 of 14 behind the arc. Leading scorer Kyle Kuric missed all of his 11 shots from the field, including a potential tying 3 with 19 seconds left.

"I thought every shot was great," said Kuric, who managed only four free throws. "There wasn't one shot that when it left my hand I thought it was awful. Just one of those nights."

Gorgui Dieng had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Louisville, but picked up his fourth foul with 10:54 left, helping the Bearcats in their decisive run.

Complete Recap

Marbury, Morris Lead Beijing to Win in Playoff-Opener

2012-02-24T09:57:00.005-05:00

Stephon Marbury and former Kentucky big man Randolph Morris led the Beijing Ducks to a 106-103 playoff-opening win over the Guangsha Lions.

Marbury put in 32 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals for Beijing. Morris added 21 points and 9 boards.

Peter John Ramos led Guangsha with 26 points and 20 rebounds.

The two teams meet again today in game 2 of their quarterfinals series. Game 3 will be played on Sunday, if necessary.

Source: Asia-basket.com

Morehead State Destroys EIU, Hill Becomes Wins Leader

2012-02-24T09:41:00.005-05:00

Morehead State 75
Eastern Illinois 39

Final from Morehead, Kentucky

Game recap by MSU:

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- In college athletics, it’s not too common for an individual to set a school record without even playing in the game. But that’s exactly what Terrance Hill did on Thursday evening at Johnson Arena as the Morehead State men’s basketball team posted a 75-39 rout of Eastern Illinois.

Hill, who averaged a team-best 13.3 points before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 31, watched from the sidelines as Morehead State tallied its 85th win in the past four seasons. No other player has been associated with that number of victories in the 83-year history of Eagle basketball.

“I will remember this night for the rest of my life,” Hill said after Morehead State’s largest Division I win since Jan. 14, 2010. “I want to thank my coaches and teammates for being such a big part of this.”

In Hill’s time at Morehead State, the Eagles have won 63 percent of their games overall, 71 percent of their Ohio Valley Conference affairs and 86 percent of their contests at Johnson Arena.

Complete Recap

Pat Knight Rips His Senior Players During a Press Conference

2012-02-24T08:41:00.005-05:00

Did Lamar head coach Pat Knight really say these things publicly? Watch as he unloads on his senior players: