Kentucky Wildcats Basketball and Football news and rumors

Kentucky Football - 10 Burning Questions

2010-07-30T14:00:00.001-04:00

by ALLBLUCAT

If any of you are old enough you can remember the days when UK fans bragged about their Peach Bowl appearance in 1976 in which the Cats wailed on an overmatched UNC squad 21-0 led by RB Rod Stewart (no not THAT Rod Stewart) who scored 3 TD's and was a one man band for the Cats. You may also remember that UK followed up that year with a 10-1 record the next season and a final #6 ranking and the SEC Championship. Fast forward to 2006. UK starts on a 4 year tear of winning seasons and consecutive Bowl game appearances. And while watering down of Bowls (I believe there are 3-4 times as many now as there were then) makes for some less than stellar Bowl game matchups, the Cats have definitely performed well above previous years in football. So, what do we do for an encore? Well, Rich Brooks retires, his heir to the throne takes over, and we go chugging right along as before right? Well, maybe we will and maybe we won't, but first there are some questions just nagging me somethin' fierce.

1) Is Joker Phillips the "Real Deal"? Can he replace and succeed Brooks as coach?

My first thought on this is yes, but I have some reservations and those will only be answered by seeing the product on the field.

2) Are we EVER going to get this QB situation straight?

I will tell you now that in spite of his obvious leadership skills, I have never been the greatest Mike Hartline fan. But no one will step up and take the spot away from him, in spite of the obvious skills of the other QB's. And I am not talking about Randall Cobb here. That is another whole matter. Speaking of which;

3) Can Randall Cobb handle the beating and carrying the load again? Or will he have to?

Cobb accounted for I believe about 30% of the offense last year. That is a huge load to have to carry for someone who is not a primary RB or QB. The man is great, but this season could be rough when you consider he was somewhat gassed by the end of last year.

4) Will the D-line be able to hold opponents to respectable point totals?

Donte' Rumph becoming eligible was a huge break for Phillips and his new D-line, but will it be enough to replace Corey Peters and Co, that is the question. The Cats need Florida and Tennessee under 20 points to be competitive in those games. I don't like our odds.

5) Is this the year the scheduling Gods have been kind to us?

S.C., Auburn, UT, and Georgia are all beatable this year. But "beatable" is a relative term. If the Cats can attack the weaknesses each team has with enough force and skill, we will be in every game this year. This UK squad could easily go 10-2, and be staring at post New Year's play in a good BCS bowl. They could also go 5-7 and miss bowl eligibility.

6) Who is going to be this year's surprise player?

Will it be a defensive guy step up? Offensive? I honestly have looked over everyone and there are a ton of guys who could break out. My money is riding on Rumph. He has had 2 years to sit and stew about not being able to get on the field. He might be in a bad mood.

7) Is Florida now a winnable game?

My first thought is no, Florida will pummell us just like every other year and we will look like so much ground chuck when it is over. Then I put my mind to work and I found several possible situations which might change that thought. They have a new QB, we do not( again, that could swing this either way, but hey, you have to have a little faith). Joker may be more of a "riverboat gambler" than Brooks was in some situations. But every time Brooks tried to gamble it bit him in the butt. Joker may not be so quick to roll the dice. I say we have a 40-60 shot at this game this year. Keep Florida under 21 points, and who knows?

8) Is "Operation Win" for real?

I think Joker has the right idea. Players buying into a philosophy is more about the coach and how he presents it than anything. Phillips is definitely going to be more energetic than Brooks was, and this should be contagious.

9) Are the days of "communications confusion" behind us?

We cannot allow miscommunication to cost us scoring opportunities and yardage as they have in the past. I have never been more frustrated than I was last year watching the sidelines trying to communicate with upstairs and the field. It brought to mind a military term I don't care to repeat.

10) Can the University of Kentucky fanbase and student body embrace a winning football program and all of the bells and whistles that go along with it?

This is the trickiest one of all. If you are reading this, then you are truly a football fan, or my mother. The problem is that the true football fan at UK is rarer than a slice of New York's finest Prime Rib. Most of the fanbase tolerates football as a precursor to basketball. In order for this program to get "over the hump" in the ubertalented SEC, it is going to take everyone and everything at UK getting behind them, and staying behind them for the long haul.

There are a lot more questions than I have raised, but if all of the answers to these questions are positive ones from the team and their performance this year, we not only won't be able to drive to the Cats next Bowl game, we might have a hard time getting tickets.

Tony Barbee is going after Calipari's jugular, Joker adds another 2011 commitment

2010-07-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

Watch your back John Calipari. One of the assistants that you spawned is coming after you. Tony Barbee, who played for Calipari at UMass and was later an assistant under him at Memphis, has landed in the SEC as head coach at Auburn ... and he has his former mentor squarely in his sights.

"Our relationship is the same it was in Conference USA. I've said this before -- he's my mentor and friend and always will be my coach to me. But he kicked my butt in Conference USA. We were going right after him and we'll do the same thing at Auburn. He knows how competitive I am. I'm going after his jugular, and he'll do the same for me. It won't affect our relationship.''

Bold talk from a coach taking over a 15-17 team .... but it is kind of nice for Barbee to acknowledge that Cal kicked his butt in Conference USA and that their relationship will still be the same. Love that attitude, Tony, but get ready for more butt kicking.

As a resident of Florida, I remember the heyday of Florida State and all the "speed kills" t-shirts that the FSU fans used to wear. Following up on Rich Brook's initiative, Joker Philiips is continuing the trend of adding "speed, speed, and more speed".

Joker added Georgia WR Nile Daniels to his 2011 stable last night. Joker now has 16 commitments in his 2011 class, which in some early rankings has been top 20-25 status which gives us all a lot of hope for the future, with his 4.4 speed. Daniels is a three star recruit, but appears to be one of those players that UK has gotten a bead on early and then their rankings rise steadily. Here is what ESPN has to say about the newest Cat:

Daniel is an underrated wide receiver with good upside when projecting for the next level. Has a taller, leaner frame with good body length but will really need to fill out to remain productive and durable at the major college level. Has big hands and plucks the ball very well away from his frame. Is a big target with good extension and a wide catch radius. Most proficient as a short-to-intermediate pass catcher. Snags the ball well in stride and transitions upfield smoothly after the catch. Displays a quick, fluid release and can get cornerbacks on their toes. Difficult to mirror off the line when employed in the slot and he has a knack for finding the soft spots in zone coverage. Would like to see more crispness out of his breaks but he is fluid and can create separation. After the catch, this guy's skills grow on you. Flashes some big play ability with his good movement skills and shake in the open. Can jump-cut effectively showing loose hips and is really slippery to wrap up in space. Speed and burst upfield are good and he shows he can separate at the high school level. However, he lacks difference making explosiveness and his slighter frame is a concern.

Boogie's back in town and still has a fond spot for Kentucky

2010-07-30T00:00:00.011-04:00

Kentucky, SEC must overcome perceptions, named 'dirtiest' conference in nation

2010-07-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

As the summer winds down and the thought of school begins to pop up in everyone’s mind once more, the University of Kentucky is dealing with a national media frenzy aimed directly at the city of Lexington.

Kentucky has handled the spotlight—good or bad—on numerous occasions in the past. The 2010-2011 seasons will be no different.

The basketball program is led by second year head coach John Calipari who has given UK fans a reason to believe that the team’s 8th National Championship will be coming in the near future. Joker Phillips is now the head football coach, a position once enshrined to then head coach Rich Brooks.

The future is bright for the athletic departments at not only Kentucky, but around the entire SEC.

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Since Calipari’s arrival on Kentucky’s campus, recruiting has become the No. 1 topic on everyone’s list. Who is the next star? Where will the next John Wall come from?

Questions abound, Calipari finds plenty of ways to answer them.

The 2009-2010 recruiting class was one you can only imagine. The aforementioned Wall was the most coveted recruit in the nation, the No. 1 player at the point in which Calipari took UK’s offer to roam the sidelines of Rupp Arena. DeMarcus Cousins was the No. 2 player in the nation, quickly deciding he’d follow Calipari to Kentucky rather than stick to his original verbal commitment at Memphis—Calipari’s old stomping grounds.

In a matter of days, Calipari had turned Kentucky’s once putrid recruiting class into the SEC's and nation’s best.

Despite the elation Wildcats fan felt with the hiring of Calipari and the success he had on the recruiting trail, many around the nation scratched their heads in wonder. How could Calipari already do such a thing?

Recruiting success doesn’t just happen on the basketball however, with the ‘Cats finding similar success on the football field under new head coach Joker Phillips.

Phillips’ predecessor put an emphasis on better recruiting, an idea Phillips has to heart.
Football recruiting became stagnant due to recruiting violations under then head coach Hal Mumme. From that point forward, Mumme’s successors struggled to get a grip on the elite prospects in the nation, creating plenty of headaches throughout the Bluegrass State.

With Phillips at the helm, ‘Operation Win’ and recruiting have become the No. 1 topics on everyone’s list.

While schools like Texas, Southern California, and SEC rivals Florida and Auburn are racking up the recruitment points, a school like Kentucky still lags behind. The ‘Cats landed the No. 50 recruiting class going into the 2010-2011 seasons and while the elite schools wouldn’t bat an eye at such a ranking, it’s importance speaks louder than words.

Headlined by 4-star tight-end Alex Smith and 3-star linebacker Tim Patterson, Phillips has used his recruiting prowess early and often. It’s apparent that 5-star athletes don’t come out in droves for Kentucky, but this is just the start for Phillips and ‘Operation Win.’

One thing is certain; Calipari is the best at what he does and Phillips is getting the hang of things, but for some, their time in the SEC just makes them another two more fish in the pond. ESPN’s Dana O’Neill takes a deeper look into the ‘mystique’ behind SEC recruiting:

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The SEC has recently been rattled by the fact that have takenNCAA policies have taken a back seat to expensive and lavish parties, agents and runners, as well as individual’s turning a ‘blind eye’ to a very serious dilemma.

Schools like Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama have all made headlines in recent weeks because of potential NCAA infractions, including premature contact with an agent, off-the-field issues, as well as shady recruiting tactics.

Should anyone be shocked though?

Quite honestly, no they shouldn’t.

The Southeastern Conference has dealt with its fair share of criticism in the past and the present is no different, with one coach giving his diagnosis of the SEC saying,

The perception is the SEC doesn't have a good reputation. I don't know if that's
legit or fair. I was on the other side 10 years ago. If a program starts getting
better, starts getting kids, the question is always the same: What's he doing?
He's gotta be doing something. And that adds to the perception.

Another coach expounded on the idea of the SEC being the ‘shadiest’ conference in the nation saying,

Oh no, it's not just a myth. It's the truth.

As mentioned in Tuesday’s article regarding the shadiness behind recruiting, Kentucky is no stranger to dealing with recruiting violations.

The question now becomes, how will Calipari and Phillips deal with the added pressure behind recruiting success?

Calipari is on the up and up, securing his second straight No. 1 recruiting class. Phillips, although only ranked No. 50 is expected to continue his torrid start on the recruiting path, likely bringing in higher ranked classes in the future.

Will this success be further questioned by those in and around the program?

Kentucky has dealt with the issue time and time again, and is expected to continue under a guy like Calipari as head coach of one of the nation’s most illustrious basketball programs. Phillips could very well encounter similar circumstances if the Wildcats suddenly become a player in the SEC football race.

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The state and so called ‘health’ of the SEC must be upheld, not through agents or runners, but through legitimate individuals who care about the well-being of their student-athletes.

As fans of our respective teams, we can only hope that head coaches, parents, and administrators are doing everything they can to ensure that the rules are not being broken.

UK Football: My way-to-early season prediction

2010-07-29T14:00:00.001-04:00

Yup, it's stuck in my head too.

First, I want to thank every one of you that took the time to read all of these previews. Yes dad, I know you’re the only one. I already called Grandma by the way. She didn’t know who I was again. I told her I’d bring her some hard candy and some Sprite Zero and I think she was cool with that. Jeopardy was on though, and I think I woke her up.

So now we’re done with the preview of each game, I’m sure everyone is dying to know my final season projection. Well, before I go on, I’ll warn that I’m a UK homer and don’t deny it. Once Sports Illustrated picks me up I’ll start to write objectively. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my picks with the score and player of the game for the Wildcats:

September 4 - @ Louisville Cardinals
My Prediction: Kentucky 28 – Louisville 20
I think the smoother transition by Joker will make the difference. While I’d rather get a vasectomy than root for the Cardinals, I think Charlie Strong will be good for them in the future. I believe that Krags just left the team in too dire straits for the Cards to pull this one off. Hartline picks the defense apart with little pressure from a miniscule defensive line. Kentucky has more talent and more experience and should emerge from this one is a closer-than-it-should-be game.
POG: Mike Hartline

September 11 - vs WKU Hilltoppers
My Prediction: Kentucky 34 – Western Kentucky 10
I actually root for WKU in every game that they’re not playing Kentucky. The talent gap is just too wide for the Hilltoppers to come into this game and walk out with a win. Kentucky will stick to the running game and run over around and through the WKU defense on the way to a 150+ yard day for Derrick Locke.
POG: Derrick Locke

September 18 - vs Akron Zips
My Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Akron 14
I don’t think Akron is as good as the score indicates, but this is a classic trap game for UK. If the Cats can keep their eyes on the Zips and not look ahead to the Gators, this one won’t be as close. Derrick Locke has a big day against a slower defensive unit and the Kentucky defense crushes the Akron QB for 5+ sacks and 2 picks.
POG: Winston Guy

September 25 - @ Florida Gators
My Prediction: Florida 31 – Kentucky 28
I know that Florida is stacked with talented players, but they’ll also be breaking in a tone of new starters. The Gators won’t take the Cats seriously with this matchup wedged between away games at Tennessee and Alabama. Randall Cobb gets shut down as the defense focuses on him and Chris Matthews has a 100+ yard 2 TD receiveing day giving UK the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Defense gives up a big screen to Jeff Demps late in the game that puts Florida in position to kick the game winning field goal, and they come through. If this game were in Lexington though, the result might be different.
POG: Chris Matthews

October 2 - @ Ole Miss Rebels
My Prediction: Kentucky 17 – Ole Miss 14
This game comes out close than anyone would like. Kentucky goes into Oxford and beats up Ole Miss physically, but the Rebels capitalize on turnovers to keep the game close. Randall Cobb is the difference maker with 250+ all purpose yards and a kick return for a TD. Alex Smith breaks out and capitalizes on opportunities in the short zones on his way to a breakout game and SEC freshman of the week honors. DeQuin Evans notches 2 sacks and Joseph Mansour kicks a 50+ yard field goal for the Kentucky win.
POG: Randall Cobb

October 9 vs - Auburn Tigers
My Prediction: Auburn 24 – Kentucky 17
The Tigers come into Commonwealth and exact revenge for last years game. New QB Cam Newton hurts Kentucky on the ground while the Cats are dropping back into coverage and UK is caught off guard by one of Auburn’s patented trick plays at an inopportune moment. The Auburn defense forces a couple of turnovers when Kentucky gets into the redzone and takes points away from the Cats. Despite a great performance by Qua Huzzie wo racks up 10+ tackles, UK can’t overcome mistakes and drops one.
POG for UK: Derrick Locke

October 16 - vs South Carolina Gamecocks
My Prediction: Kentucky 44 – South Carolina 37 (OT)
The first streak is ended in Lexington as Joker defeats his former team. South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia starts after being benched for the previous two games and his rust shows early. Randall Burden picks off two errant passes taking one back for a touchdown. Kentucky builds an early lead and uses a combo of Derrick Locke and Donald Russell to punish the USC defense and work the clock. South Carolina gets a big special teams play late in the game that puts them into position to score and the game goes into overtime tied at 34. After a pair of field goals, Kentucky catches a USC corner on a play action and hits Chris Matthews in the back of the endzone. Stephen Garcia misses his target on fourth down and UK takes the win.
POG for UK: Derrick Locke

October 23 - vs Georgia Bulldogs
My Prediction: Kentucky 35 – Georgia 27
Kentucky catches Georgia sleeping and grabs their second win in a row. Georgia comes up to Lexington after blasting Vanderbilt and finds a different type of challenge waiting for them. After Georgia prepares to stop the run all week, Kentucky comes out in three receiver sets and forces on of the bigger OLB for Georgia to step out and cover. LaRod King catches 8 balls for 75+ yards in the biggest game of his career so far and DeQuin Evans comes up big again with a sack and a forced fumble. A.J. Green is banged up again this year and Kentucky takes out the bulldogs in a nationally televised primetime game.
POG: DeQuin Evans

October 30 - @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
My Prediction: Kentucky 24 – Mississippi State 3
The Wildcats travel down to Starkville to steal one from the Bulldogs in embarrassing fashion. The Bulldogs essentially beat themselves as QB Tyler Russell has taken over the starting job and commits five turnovers. The Wildcats score on a punt return by Jerrell Priester early in the game to get the lead and Bulldogs can’t keep up due to turnovers committed on their side of the field. While big, the MSU defense can’t keep up with Locke and Cobb piles up 10+ catches on the night and throws a double pass to a wide open Anthony Kendrick for a touchdown.
POG: Randall Cobb

November 6 - vs Charleston Southern Buccaneers
My Prediction: Kentucky 48 – Charleston Southern 13
Kentucky pummels the Bucs while resting their starters and getting some reps for the younger guys. Brian Adams breaks out with 150+ yards receiving against an overpowered secondary and Jonathan George rushes for 100+ yards for the first time in his career. Ricky Lumpkin abuses the woeful offensive line for 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble before sitting the second half.
POG: Mike Hartline

November 13 - vs Vanderbilt Commodores
My Prediction: Kentucky 31 – Vanderbilt 20
Vanderbilt plays poorly all season with Warren Norman as a bright spot on a bad team. He comes to Kentucky and manages to run for 180+ yards, but QB Larry Smith has a bad game that the Wildcats take advantage of mistakes and miscues in the passing game and Randall Cobb abuses the secondary throughout the game. The Cats send Vandy back to Nashville with a loss and head to their Bye week.
POG: Randall Cobb

November 27 - @ Tennessee Volunteers
My Prediction: Kentucky 32 – Tennessee 21
The streak ends this year. I know, I’ve actually said that for the past 20 years, but this time it happens. Coach Dooley has enough of the garbage and kicks two more starters off an already ravaged team. The Offensive line is absurdly awful for a Tennessee squad and a kid that couldn’t even make it at Louisville is pummeled all night in Knoxville. Randall Cobb exacts his revenge in a career game before declaring for the NFL draft by catching 12 balls for 175 yards while racking up all four of Kentucky’s touchdowns. Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy both go for 10+ tackles and the Wildcats finish the game without a turnover or penalty. And with that Joker wraps up the season with an immediate contract extension and a trip to the Capital One bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Day.
POG: Randall Cobb

So there you have it: My officially irrelevant prediction of how the season goes for the gridiron Cats. That's a 10-2 final record and a 2nd place finish in the SEC east. If everything plays out this way, I’ll see you all at the huge UK fan party in Orlando……….If my wife let’s me go.

If not, I’ll watch you on TV while I’m redecorating the dining room.

To check out the detailed game-by-game previews, go HERE.

Is Calipari turning up the recruitment on Austin Rivers? Plus a Tennessee football player transfers ... via text

2010-07-29T10:00:00.001-04:00

by Paul Jordan

It's all rumors and speculation right now, but I did hear from a couple of people and see a couple of tweets that John Calipari was in my stomping grounds, Orlando , last night, presumably to visit 2011 recruit Austin Rivers. I was not able to talk to anyone that actually saw Calipari, so we have to put this in the unverified rumor section, but it makes sense that Cal would be stepping up his recruitment.

As for River's recruitment, it appears that the decision making process has ground to a halt, and he really has no idea where he will attend school but has a handful of teams that he does like. His dad had this to say:

"At this point, Austin pretty much doesn't know where he's going. There are three or four schools he likes but he wants to see how they play. He's gone the other way and wants to slow it down and wait. That's the new trend and I think it's pretty smart."

The one thing I have learned about Rivers is that he is not that easy to read and he is prone to wearing random college teams shirts and that is not an indication of where he is going. Rivers cause quite a stir a few weeks ago by being decked out in a Dookie t-shirt and shorts, but apparently that is Austin's randomness. he has also been seeing wearing the gear of my adopted hometown's Central Florida Knights.

Meet Bryce Brown. If you recall, the running back committed to the Dirty Vols and then a few months later, had a press conference, apparently just to remind everyone that he had committed to the Vols. Apparently large egos have no real social skills as our friends at Saturday Down South are reporting that Brown is de-committing from the Vols and is wanting to transfer to Kansas State.

No big deal, really. Kids transfer all the time. However, Brown did not meet with Vols coach Derek Dooley face to face to inform him of his impending transfer. He delivered the news via .... text message.

Ouch.

Stay classy, Lane Kiffin commits.

BBN, get ready to meet the DDMO

2010-07-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

by Paul Jordan

I know that a lot of debate has been occuring about the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 Wildcat squad and most people agree that the earlier version of Calipari's team may get the slight edge talent wise. That may be true .... but John Calipari has yet to unveil his greatest asset yet. The DDMO.

In reality, Calipari ran very little true DDMO last season. He recognized the talent he had in the front court and for much of the season, played to his strengths, which were Patterson and Cousins on the post in a more traditional offense. Sure, there were glimpses of the dribble drive motion offense, esepcially when Bledsoe and Wall shared the court, but last season was by no means a fair representation of the DDMO.

Just to clarify, the DDMO is a guard-oriented offense that features spreading the floor and dribble-penetration to the rim for lay-ups or kick-out three-point shots. This offense uses a 4-out set with one post player and the post player does not look to post-up, but rather plays on the opposite block and in theory, this creates more open lanes for dribble-penetration. The post player looks for lobs, or dump passes from penetrating perimeter players, and looks to "clean up" inside with offensive rebounding.

For the DDMO to work effectively, you need four perimeter players who can handle the ball and attack the seams 1-on-1 with dribble-penetration and then finish, and who can also catch-and-shoot the 3-point shot effectively. On dribble-penetration, the ball-handler has three options: finishing the lay-up, dumping it to the post player on the opposite block, or kicking it out to the three point arc for the outside shot. Perimeter players move and rotate to specific spots. Very little screening is used, as screening tends to clog the driving lanes. Good spacing with two guards on top and two deep in the corners really opens up those seams for dribble-penetration.

So with Patterson and Cousins manning the front court at the same time, Calipari really did not have the personnel to give a fair representation of the DDMO. That said, Kentucky is loaded with talented players that would be able to implement the DDMO. I see Kanter as the post player with possibly Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller and Terrence Jones as the perimeter. DeAndre Liggins and Stacey Poole would also excel in this rotation. Needless to say, Calipari has the players for his system.

And he seems to be preparing the DDMO for a true unveiling of the DDMO this year. Calipari spoke on his Lexy audio post yesterday and seemed to prepare the BBN for his offensive scheme:

"Right now, I'm spending my time trying to come up with ways that we're going to play the dribble-drive more than we did a year ago, but with this group. We got a left-hander on the team in Terrence Jones. How do we now put him in the right spots so he can do his best? How 'bout this is a team maybe we go with five-out...so that we have the true strength of our team?

"Where last year with DeMarcus [Cousins] and Patrick [Patterson] and Daniel [Orton], we had terrific players around the goal. We had to play that way. Now we do have some strong guys that are bigger players but maybe a little more perimeter-oriented, so I've got to figure that out. My time's got to be spent doing that."

One thing for sure is that Kentucky can count the upcoming Canadian trip as a blessing in disguise. The trip allows Calipari to get in some extra practice days for his squad. In case you are still confused about the nuances of Cal's DDMO, let's let coach explain it in his own words:

Rondo Trades Kelly Green For Red, White and Blue

2010-07-28T20:50:00.004-04:00

Rajan Rondo makes team USA. Looks like the Wildcat faithful will have another Cat to cheer for this time on the USA Basketball Team as Rajan Rondo was selected to represent the US. Let's hope that Rondo's presence will be enough to prevent the meltdown fiasco in the FIBA Games of 2006. GO Team USA!!!

A Beautiful Day: Football Vols looking up at the Wildcats

2010-07-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

Mmmmmm...ahhh. In case you haven't figured it out, this is me basking in a glow of a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the air is clean, and the football Cats are ranked ahead of the filthy Volunteers...wait, what? This has to be a dream, everything is too perfect! NOOOOOOO!

I'm back, it's okay. Actually, it isn't a dream. SEC Media days took place this week and some interesting points were made by coaches coming into this season. Not so interesting point, Alabama and Florida are far and away the favorites to repeat last year's "Sorry Tim, but Jesus wanted Alabama to win more" Bowl, but there were some other of news worth taking a look at out of the wrap-up. Writers and voters in attendance in Hoover balloted their votes for preseason predictions and found something interesting: the Wldcats were voted ahead of the Day-Glo Brawlers to the South. Finishing fourth in a division may not seem very impressive (and it's not really) but when you look at the competition its a pretty high honor. But that is not what made this glorious day. The Volunteers were picked to finish fifth. I can't help but smile when I see that. Fifth. The only team they were predicted to finish in front of was Vanderbilt, who, besides just being Vandy, had a coach quit a month before the season started.

At least you can take solace that people think you will still win your home state. The reality is crushing; UT doesn't have any offensive lineman with any experience and a HUGE hole at the QB position. Their best hope on D, Eric Berry, saw what was around the corner and bolted for the NFL. As they say in Tennessee," That don't bode well for our Vols. Now excuse me, I'm late for a date with my sister. It's a casual relationship." I don't know what that last part meant, I just report what I make up. But here's what some of the commenters said about the SEC pre-season rankings:

Looking up to Kentucky?
I hope your sex life isn't as premature as your football prognostication.

If Kentucky beats Tennessee, I'll have to move out of the state! I may be Kentucky born, but my blood runs ORANGE! (This was a woman, and I'm betting she is ugly)

There's nothing else worth repeating, but it was mostly a lot of capitalized letters and fluff. You see? We even have better commenters, we find something to complain about all the time. Let's hope that when the last game of the season arrives, we will be well ahead of these dull-witted creatures and I won't have to write about how much I don't want to lose to those...things.

Donte' Rumph Now Eligible!!

2010-07-28T16:46:00.003-04:00

Donte Rumph, a formerly ineligible player for the UK football Cats has worked his backside off and gotten himself eligible for the season. This is really going to shore up the Cats D-line which was a concern for this season. This is big news for Joker in his first season as head coach, and great news for UK Football fans.

Those 8 wins might have just gotten a little easier.......

To Stay Or Not To Stay (at Rupp): That Is The Question

2010-07-28T14:00:00.001-04:00

by ALLBLUCAT

I remember the first time I saw Rupp Arena close up back in the 1970's. I was 9-10 years old, and the place seemed like a palace to me. It was HUGE. I had never been anywhere that I was so impressed with. Memorial Coliseum held fond memories for me already at that age, but this Rupp Arena was something to behold. Fast Forward to today and we have another picture altogether.

Rupp Arena still stands as an icon of college basketball. It holds attendance records, it still has a mystic aura that surrounds it when the Kentucky faithful are in it's presence. But, is it still the Mecca of College Basketball? Well, the answers to that are not so easily obtained. Some will tell you that Rupp stands alone in it's place in college basketball, if for no other reason than it is the home of our beloved Wildcats, and that is a good enough reason to leave things be. Others will tell you that history never repeats itself when it comes to these places, and every time one is replaced, a little bit of the magic is lost in the transition. And still others subscribe to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory. But as a lifelong UK fan, and one who can say they have attended games in both places in their lifetime, as well as seeing the Cats in various other venues, there comes a time when we have to recognize that the best days of Rupp are behind us now, and not ahead.

Certainly there can be a lot of improvements which could extend the life of this icon for possibly another 10-20 years. The last set of improvements which brought us our beloved blue hue to the arena in the seats, as well as the new video boards were welcome and necessary changes which kept us relevant and in the upper echelon of arenas countrywide. Subtle changes to logos and such are always a part of what I call "housekeeping", because they allow the arena to always seem fresh and current. And make no mistake, I have sat in the very top of Rupp, and have been as close as 4 rows back from the floor in my attendance there, and I can tell you this, while some of those seats may have been a bit cramped, there was not a bad one among them.

I along with others consider the floor to be hallowed ground as a fan, and having felt my feet touch that hardwood, I was not ashamed at all when I took a shoe off and allowed my foot to feel the surface itself when I got my chance while autograph seeking from Coach Pitino and his band of merry men in 1996 (I also did the same thing at Memorial, call me strange, it felt like I was touching history itself). So know that I have the utmost reverence for the place, but I honestly feel like it's time has come, and gone. While I support the idea of a new, on-campus facility, I understand that the logistics of this may not make it possible, due to the idea of keeping the revenue flowing to pay for the place. But it needs to be done. And it also needs to be versatile enough to host concerts, shows, and any other type of function necessary to make it a true landmark for not only UK, but for the city of Lexington as well.

We need the following things without question: Seating for 20-25K. I have the money for season tickets waiting for the day that there are another 5000 available, and I will buy men's AND women's to get them ( By the way, if you have not seen the women's team play over at Memorial, you are truly missing out on something special. Matthew Mitchell is going amazing things with that program). There is no reason why UK cannot sell another 5K season tickets, and I am betting that they could sell out 50 luxury boxes as well, which brings me to my next point.

We need the luxury boxes. Let some more of that coal and horse money flow into a new facility. We also need a "Jerry Jones" style video display that would dwarf anything anyone else has. We don't have punters, so that shouldn't be a problem. We need our UK Hall Of Fame and Museum in this new facility. We need a student section that is twice the size of the current one and loud enough to bring the house down for every game. And we need tributes to the history of the program all over the place. Video boards, plaques, statues, trophies, all of it needs to be displayed so that the fan who buys a ticket gets an experience so far beyond what any other arena has, that they are simply in awe when they leave. I want to feel like that kid again when I see a new facility for our beloved Wildcats, and I want to see it before I am too old to enjoy it all. We have the right coach, the right AD, and the right personnel in place in the proper areas to make this happen. I don't care if they add another ridiculous lottery game to pay for it, but we need it. Let's continue to be the best of the best here at UK and get ourselves another palace.

We deserve it.

2011 SG's Austin Rivers, Trevor Lacey list Kentucky in their top five schools

2010-07-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

In what has been sort of a weird flirtation with Kentucky, former Florida commit Austin Rivers has finally come out and said that Kentucky is one of his top schools. It's a move that makes sense for Rivers: he's one of the top talents in the 2011 class, he obviously would have NBA aspirations at some point, and his dad is a NBA coach and knows which NCAA coaches get his players to the pros.

Rivers has expressed interest in attending Big Blue Madness recently but never has (as far as I have seen) come right out and listed Kentucky as a leader. Last night, after scoring 24 points in the Orlando Super Showcase Title, River told ESPN-U that his college choices were between Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Kentucky:

“Those are my five schools. Those are five schools I’m really interested in looking at.”

River's teammate in the made for TV event, Trevor Lacey, is also one of the top shooting guards in the 2011 class and he also still has Kentucky on his mind. Lacey, who scored 22 points last night, listed Alabama, Auburn, Memphis, Tennessee, and Kentucky as his top five schools.

Harping on Calipari recruiting "one and dones" is overplayed by the media

2010-07-28T00:00:00.001-04:00

by Paul Jordan

Like a dog with the mange, the national pundits can not keep poking and scratching at John Calipari on one thing: the "one and done" players. Seth Davis sat down with John Calipari recently for some kind of "coaches summit" for Sports Illustrated, and inevitably the subject of "one and dones" were broached. Apparently Seth made a suggestion that Calipari recruit more "three and four" year players and apparently Calipari did not think too much of the suggestion:

"Still, don't expect Calipari to alter his recruiting philosophy anytime soon. He scoffed at my suggestion that he should look to recruit a few players who won't be one-and-done but can still contribute during a four-year career. "If you recruit guys who you know are going to be there for four years, you'll probably be in the NIT, and that's not a good thing at Kentucky," he said. "You recruit the best players you can, and if someone is going to take them in the first round, I tell them to go."

And I have to admit that I don't really get the "one and done" fascination. Calipari has admitted publicly that the NBA rule that the players must be a year out of HS before they can be drafted is a bad rule. A very bad rule. I personally think it is a stupid rule. Yet it stands.

So every year, there is a very large pool of players that are talented enough to go to the NBA out of high school, yet they are not able to. So they have a couple of options: go overseas as a 18 year old on your own thousands of miles from friends and family and play in a foreign pro league or enroll in college and get some education and play college ball.

And what should a coach do in this situation? Tell a top 10 recruit "Hey kid, I think you can really help my team, but I am not going to recruit you because you will only stay one season"?. And then the said coach sits by idly, satisfied that he is not going to deal with those "one and done players" and watches a conference or state rival snap the player up and the watch the said player hand his team two losses in the season ... all while the fans howl "Why did you not recruit (said player)?"

Or should the coach do what he is paid to do: recruit the best players in the country to play for his team. If the player stays one season, so be it. Recruiting that player gave the coach the best chance to win this season .... and recruiting for next season is another matter.

Don't get me wrong. I too have a soft spot in my heart for the Patrick Pattersons and the players that stay three and four years at a program ... and Kentucky will have their share of players that stay a few years. I know that Most people speculate that Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, and Enes Kanter may be NBA bound after this season, but no one is making that same claim for Doron Lamb, Eloy Vargas, and Stacey Poole.

Yes, I know that five players went to the NBA from Calipari's team this season, but that was an anomaly at best. Only three players, Patterson, Cousins, and Wall were expected to bolt o the NBA but a 35-3 record will open the doors for other players to leave. So the question is, do you recruit for a 28-10 season and maybe have one or two players be good enough to make the show? Or do you go for the national title every year, go for 35 wins, and then worry about an NBA exodus after the season?

Looking ahead to next years NBA draft (if it occurs), NBADraft.net projects a huge influx of "one and done" players. North Carolina's Harrison Barnes is projected at number one, followed by Duke's Kyrie Irving, Kanter, Baylor's Perry Jones, and Brandon Knight rounds out the top five. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and NC State's C.J Leslie round out the top 10. So out of the top 10 picks next year, seven will be "one and dones" which means a couple of things: this stupid NBA age restriction needs to go and lots of other coaches are chasing these "one and dones" as well, yet no one is as castigated about it as much as Calipari.

Personally, I have no problem with Calipari chasing the top players in the country every year, as long as the program is not decimated by the players leaving. And as we saw this season, Calipari was able to effectively rebuild his team for this season and even has a lock on the top class in 2011 as well. The players love Calipari's style and see Kentucky as a way to prepare for the league. A lot of these player are going to stay just one year at Kentucky. Some will not live up to their rankings and stay around two, or even three years. But if you don't go after the top players, you end up in the NIT. And we all know what that is like.

I doubt that my little rant is going to have any impact on the people that bash Calipari for being the "master of the one and dones". I don't really see it as that way, however. I see it as Calipari being the best damn recruiter in the NCAA and landing the "one and dones" are the fruits of his labor. As long as he can continually reload every year, I have no problem with it.

Bending the rules a norm in college recruiting, UK's Calipari no different, pt. 1

2010-07-27T21:00:00.001-04:00

by Andrew Hardison

Hell bent on finding the best talent in the nation, college coaches around the country are taking recruiting to a whole new level.

Whether it be shady deal in the bathroom of a small town restaurant or a brokered deal between sports agent and superstar athlete, recruiting ethics seem to be headed down the drain.

As the summer roles on, elite coaches like John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, and Jim Boehiem are looking for the next mega-recruit that could bring a national championship to their respective schools. It’s a tough process with many twists and turns, but recruiting is at the center of it all.

With such an emphasis put on following the rules and playing by the book, more and more college coaches are bending the rules to get the next Kevin Durant or Blake Griffin on their team. During an in-depth interview that caught the attention of several of the nation’s foremost coaches, ESPN’s Dana O’Neill found out the dirt on the shadiness surrounding college recruiting.

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When John Calipari took the head coaching job at Kentucky, he knew it was the defining moment of his career. They say if you win at Kentucky, you become the ‘King of Camelot.’

As August approaches Calipari will spend plenty of time away from his family, as he is on the road recruiting the nation’s top prospects to play their college basketball at the University of Kentucky.

Calipari succeeded in his first mission last April when he reeled in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. The ‘Cats 2009 recruiting went on to become the nation’s No. 1 class headlined by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the nation according to Rivals.com.

From that point on, the spotlight was dead-center on Kentucky once more. Many knew Calipari would do wonders with the Wildcats, but no one knew how quickly it would happen.

Reeling in the ’09 class brought a lot of questions and plenty of scrutiny from Calipari’s peers. Fans cried foul, intent on uncovering the latest mystery behind the ‘Cats illustrious recruiting class. Here’s one that many people didn’t understand: Cousins committed to play for Calipari while he was still at Memphis.

How does that happen, despite Cousins ultimately playing at Kentucky?

For one, the NCAA rule-book is one, huge mess filled with pages upon pages on jargon that not many college coaches could recite if asked.

Cousins was able to get out of his commitment from Memphis because it was stated in his ‘contract’ with the University that he could leave if Calipari took another head coaching gig. Goodbye Memphis, hello Lexington. With such a spontaneous reaction, most around the nation figured Calipari was up to his old tricks. What would you think? Is Calipari up to no good?

Well for several of the nation’s best coaches, a move like that would be considered down-right despicable leading to even further speculation of Calipari’s recruiting tactics, as one coach explained,

Here's what I think happens a lot -- a team loses a kid to someone else and all
of a sudden that someone else is cheating. Every time North Carolina loses a
kid, someone else is cheating. It's like there's so much arrogance with them;
they can't believe someone would rather go somewhere else, so the other team has
to be cheating.

Is Calipari to blame for one of his recruits changing their mind? You wouldn’t think so, but many coaches around the nation believe moves like these are very questionable.

It doesn’t end there however, as many recruits and players around the nation have experienced the luxuries of being the country’s best prospect. One of the biggest questions surrounding college athletics is whether athletes should get paid. For many coaches the players already get paid with one coach saying,

One of my players [who left early for the draft] was working out with another
top-five draft pick, they got to talking and my kid said something about not
having money or whatever on campus. The other kid said, 'My coach set up expense
accounts all over town for me. Yours didn't?

Wherever you look, rules are being broken and deals are being held behind closed doors. Despite what you think on the subject—good or bad—the ramifications of breaking these rules are serious, capable of putting any university in jeopardy.

“Kentucky’s Shame” rocked the Bluegrass State for years. Kelvin Sampson sent a once ‘clean’ program under Bobby Knight into oblivion for bending the rules. The ‘Runnin’ Rebels’ of UNLV and the Michigan Wolverines were scrutinized for years, centered on the shadiness of recruiting tactics as Michigan faced dire consequences for ‘cheating.’

The ‘Cats have been through it before, dating back to the late 40’s under head coach Adolph Rupp, when Alex Groza and Ralph Beard took part in a point shaving scandal. It happened again in the late 80’s under Eddie Sutton. Now it appears, that second year head coach John Calipari will have to face the heat as well. The only way to shut people up is to play by the rules and stay on the path.

Calipari will have to do both to ensure his time in Lexington isn’t a repeat of a programs past indiscretions.

This is part one of a three part series based on the premise of "What is wrong in college basketball recruiting". Part two will air on the site Thursday night. This is not meant to be an expose on Kentucky recruiting or any particular school, but simply to expound on Dana O'Neil's article and acknowledge that the NCAA has allowed itself to become incompetent to police it's own rules.

UK basketball: Way too early Player Hatin' Prognostication

2010-07-27T18:00:00.001-04:00

I was wrong. While perusing the ESPN Borg-cube website, I noticed that there were Summer Buzz blogs up on the high profile schools across the nation (do yourself a favor, check out the "powerhouse" they cover for July 22nd. Let's hope it means Yum! Arena is nuclear powered).

Eamonn Brennan (leading the fantasy blogging league for most N's in a name) has the summer buzz for the most storied program in the history of basketball and to no one's surprise, it doesn't say much. The article is over here but I can save you some time and give you the gist. The question of whether or not Knight,Kanter, Poole, and Lamb can replace the cosmic talent we had last season is a legitimate one, but the answer is simply no. Replacing talent like that is impossible, but what we can hope for is a better team dynamic and more point contribution from different sources, leading to a more complete team.

But the article did point out something I didn't know, and that is how well a Calipari coached team can play defense. Since 2005, his average defensive ranking yearly hovers around 6th, with a #1 ranking his last year at Memphis. His love of range-y, athletic players is no secret, but coaching defensive intensity is no easy task, especially for players looking to the next level.

His prediction for the quality of our team is the exact same thing everyone said last year: unclear. We could come together and make a hell of a run, or we could struggle and get a mid-level seed. The maturation of players within Caipari's system should pay dividends, and the seniors we have to lean on this year are undeniaby more talented than last. Summer classes aren't even done yet, and only recently have we gotten everyone on campus. Let's see how they look at Big Blue Madness, then we'll start making some real predictions.I'll admit it, I have failed as a sports fan of the bluegrass. My whole life I had only wanted to be a fan of all sports, and appreciate athletic endeavors of all types. I am an avid college football fan, and because of this reason, I slipped and allowed myself to become focused on football. I had forgotten about Kentucky basketball for a second. After the season was over, I reflected on an amazing first season and watched as the greatest ~~night in the history of UK basketball history~~ draft of UK's history occurred; then watched as our players tore it up in the summer leagues. But until practice actually starts, I was sort of hoping to let the basketball team slip into the background for a second. Our beloved program's football team, if you haven't noticed, has managed to make some waves in the SEC and we're a little more than a month away. I figured we could just stay with some football.

UK football: An early look at the Tennessee game

2010-07-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

November 27 - @ Tennessee

I think we all know that there’s a certain streak alive here and as much as I want to overlook that while breaking down this game, it has to come into play some.

This will be a match up of two different teams both with first year head coaches that want to show they have what it takes to win in the SEC. This will be the final regular season game for both teams with Tennessee hosting Kentucky. UT will be coming into this contest a week after traveling to in-state rival Vanderbilt, while UK will be coming in off of their bye week. Both teams have been placed to finish in the lower half of the SEC by almost every publication putting out a preseason ranking, and while Kentucky is used to being underestimated from the get-go, this is new territory for Tennessee. It would be hard to bring up UT without addressing the coaching situation, and I won’t spend too much time on it here. Lane Kiffin and his hot wife decided they wanted to bolt from Knoxville in the middle of the night to take over a school that was about to be put on probation. Tennessee apparently looked at every conceivable option before hiring former Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley. Then came the defection of players to the NFL draft, recruits backing out of commitments, current players transferring, and the always-reliable Knoxville police. It looks as though Dooley plans on running a squeaky clean program and has recently dismissed and suspended players caught making trouble. If there are any players left on the roster by the time Kentucky rolls into town, the Vols will play the Wildcats in the confines of Neyland Stadium.

Kentucky will lose if…..
The Wildcats come to the game unprepared or with a mental block. There isn’t a player on the UK roster that was alive the last time Kentucky beat Tennessee, and coming into this game expecting to lose will surely make it a long day for the Cats. The Volunteers have been a balanced team for years, and will probably keep a balanced offensive scheme this year despite the staff change. Quarterback Mat Sims is no Peyton Manning, but he has the size, accuracy and pedigree to be a good signal caller. The Volunteer receivers will be one of the team strengths, featuring a senior trio of Gerald Parker, Denarius Moore and tight end Luke Stocker. If the Kentucky defensive backs don’t show up, the Vols could have a record day through the air with this trio. The Vols typically do not employ a running back-by-committee approach and favor a feature back with one or two complementary options to spell the starter. It looks like sophomore David Oku or Junior Tauren Poole will be the top candidates and both are capable of giving the Kentucky defense headaches. The offensive line will be small but fast and if Kentucky’s defensive line can’t keep the blockers off of the linebackers, the rushing game could fuel Tennessee to the win. Defensively, the Vols will have loads of talent from tackle to Safety and will feature several talented young players. Safety Janzen Jackson returns for his sophomore season to fill the enormous shoes left by Eric Berry’s departure, and he has the ability to take any errant pass back for a touchdown at any time. If Kentucky can’t keep the Tennessee defense honest, expect the Vols to run away with this one. Again.

Why Kentucky will win…..
Enough is enough. The Vols escaped by the skin of Lane Kiffins snarling teeth last year in overtime and lost a ton of talent off of that squad that was just average per Tennessee’s standards. Recently, projected starter at defensive tackle Marlon Walls and reserve linebacker Greg King, both sophomores, were suspended indefinitely for a bar fight in Knoxville. Returning starting safety Darren Myles was kicked off of the team and prized recruit Da’Rick Rogers status is unknown at this time (he will undoubtedly be reprimanded). The defense will be replacing both starting defensive tackles, from last year’s team and losing Walls hurts. The Kentucky running game should be able to slice up the middle of a fragile and small defensive front-7 for big gains. The UK O-Line will have a significant size advantage over the UT D-Line (heaviest DE weighs only 262 pounds) and should be able to control the line of scrimmage on rushing and passing plays. The Volunteer defensive backs will be young and inexperienced, and the Wildcat QB should have a couple of opportunities for big plays when they bite on play-fakes. The Kentucky receivers will be able to take advantage of the inexperience in the defensive backfield and I would be shocked if Alcoa native Randall Cobb doesn’t have a career day against the team he grew up cheering for, but that overlooked him. The Vols will not return a single starter on their offensive line and will likely be forced into starting 1-2 true freshmen this year. The unit will consist of only three players weighing in at 300 pounds or more, and only two players that have earned a varsity letter. The UT Running backs will be talented, but losing Bryce Brown (who’s not listed anywhere in the 2010 media guide) was a real blow. While Matt Sims has tons of potential at QB, he is as unproven as any freshman. If he were that talented, a QB needy Louisville would have fought harder to keep him. Kentucky’s defense will likely pin their ears back and attack the Tennessee offense all night hoping to cause mistakes. With Tennessee returning only four offensive starters and six defensive starters, this roster will have a lot of growing up to do to even have a chance to finish .500 this season. Returning only 47 lettermen total, depth is likely to be an issue as well. If Tennessee players can’t keep from getting arrested and suspended, there may not even be a game at all. Overall, I think Kentucky has too much talent and depth this year to lose to the reeling Vols. Their roster is depleted, their talent level is WAY down, and they’ll be breaking in a new coach for the second year in a row. It's hard to count out a prestigious program, but I believe this is the year the streak comes to an end.

For a breakdown of the other 2010 games, go HERE

The Best of John Wall at Kentucky

2010-07-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

I admit .... it's slow times for Kentucky athletics right now and therein lies the challenge of blogging. I've made the editorial decision to not follow that trial in Louisville ... I'd rather focus on current UK players and positive things, so that makes the influx of new news even slower. However, as long as UK fans are bored in the summer, there will be UK mix tapes being replaced. So let's relive the John Wall era and relish his eye opening moves once again...

Yea, but will he plant a UK flag at the top of Mount Rainier??

2010-07-27T00:00:00.002-04:00

In case you were not aware, UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart will be climbing Mount Rainier the end of this week for charity. His efforts will benefit the Lighthouse Ministries in Lexington and Mitch's mountain climbing chronicles will be documented on the website, www.mitchclimbs.com .

The climb is scheduled to take place from July 27-30 and according to the "Mitch Climbs" website, ascending the plateau is not a cinch. About half of the 8,000 to 13,000 attempts to climb the mountain fail, so hopefully Mitch has a good team with him.

I may be reading a bit more into this, but Mitch ascending a historic peak in the Pacific Northwest is actually pretty symbolic of the last few months in college basketball. First, Kentucky grabs former Washington commit Enes Kanter for their 2011 recruiting class and then grabbed Terrence Jones after a bitter fight with the Huskies. In the meantime, Calipari lured one of the top recruiters from the Northwest, Kenny Payne, to be a member of his staff.

And let's not forget that Kentucky and Washington are battling over Tony Wroten and the fact that UK and the Huskies could face off in the Maui Classic later this year. For some reason, the Huskies seem to have become one of our biggest rivals not named Louisville, Tennessee, or in the SEC.

So perhaps, I am making more out of this .... but I really want Mitch to ascend Mount Ranier .... not only for his charity but for the University .... and once reaching the top, have him pull out a UK flag and officially claim the Pacific Northwest as property of the University of Kentucky.

Go Mitch. Go Cats.

Larry Vaught talks with Larry Orton

2010-07-26T21:02:00.000-04:00

I admit, I am still getting back in the back from vacation grind and catching up on a lot of UK articles and I found an article that Larry Vaught had done where he interviewed Larry Orton, Daniel's dad. It's an interesting read and I have to admit, I have more interest in Orton since I am in Orlando, but I thought I would share Vaught's interview with you since you may have missed it like I did.

Personally, I am rooting for Orton to succeed. He has a good opportunity in Orlando and has a couple of great tutors to learn from in Dwight Howard and Patrick Ewing. I was happy to see from Vaught's interview that Howard seems to have taken Orton under his shoulder a bit and leased him a car. I know that a lot of UK fans have soured on Orton, but I always root for the misunderstood ones ... so here is Vaught's interview with Orton's dad.

Question: Did we ever get to see the real Daniel Orton at Kentucky?

Larry Orton: “No. Hopefully maybe he can do it at the next level. He has to develop and show what his game is like and all the things he can do in a game of basketball.”

Question: Was this year even more difficult mentally or emotionally than most people realized because of the loss of his mother, coming back from a knee injury and having to come off the bench in a limited role?

Larry Orton: “I don’t think the playing part was all that hard mentally for him. He was just a freshman. The hardest thing was his mom and seeing how she passed away and taking that with you, and her not being here to see him play his first game and not around to do things with him or see him get drafted and all that. Just his mom not being there was hard. She was there for 18 years and then gone. I think that was the hardest thing for Daniel right there.”

Question: Didn’t Daniel thoroughly enjoy his year at Kentucky, even though it was reported he said he wished he had gone to Kansas?

Larry Orton: “All kids say things when things don’t go the way they want them to go. If he had played more and played well, what would he have said — Kentucky was great and the perfect place for me?

"I just throw that out. All kids say things. How many kids that didn’t play this year would say Kentucky might have been a bad choice for me? Everybody has opinions, but when you let things play out and you look on down the road, you see it was a great choice. But when making emotional decisions, kids that are 19 will say things they shouldn’t.”

Question: Looking back, are you still surprised that Daniel was drafted in the first round and did not stay at Kentucky at least two or three years?

Larry Orton: “Yes I am. The way things happened so fast is what really got me.”

Question: Will Daniel be happy in Orlando?

Larry Orton: “I think anybody ought to be happy on a NBA team. I don’t care where you go. But just knowing he will make the playoffs and play against the best center in the game (Dwight Howard) every day and can talk with him is unbelievable.

"The first year he might be in awe and just basically looking around and everything. He will get on a private plane that looks really nice, and here you are flying out at 1 in the morning. It will be a different deal.”

Question: Is it true that Howard leased a car and gave it to Daniel to use?

Larry Orton: “They take care of one another. That was really nice of Dwight. Daniel is a real good kid, too. He just has some other issues he is dealing with. Once he gets rid of those issues, Daniel will be fine.”

Question: Did it surprise Daniel when Howard did that for him?

Larry Orton: “I don’t know. I know him and Daniel had talked, but I don’t know. I never met Dwight Howard to know what they talked about or had planned.”

Brother, Can you apare an agent?

2010-07-26T14:00:00.001-04:00

by Greg Edwards

If any of you out there are attending college with aspirations of becoming a Sports Agent, you might want to take a long hard look at your career choice considering the last few days developments. Nick Saban has started a ball rolling that others have been playing with recently as well. Nick has had it up to his crimson tied neck with runners, agents, and their entire ilk. And he is willing to alienate the NFL from NCAA football to get rid of them. Ken Howlett over at A Sea Of Blue, wrote a couple of days ago that Saban was preaching to the choir. Well, the choir is listening, along with a whole group of people that want this gray area removed from college athletics once and for all. The only problem with Saban's ideas is that there is this huge group of people out there that do not want the problem to go away.

The NCAA makes bold statements and starts inquiries into activities at schools because someone is doing their best “Deep Throat” impersonation. The problem with that lies in the flawed reasoning that one person can make a difference in this situation. I am as big an idealist as anyone else, and I believe that in this world, there are situations where one man can make a difference. But there is no one man powerful enough to take on the kinds of dollars we are talking about here. You take a kid, ANY kid, who has never had a dime in his life ( or hers) and someone starts flashing a few thousand, or even a few hundred dollars their way and they are going to look at it. And make no mistake, this is not a race issue, or even a urban vs. rural issue.

I am reminded of the scene in "Blue Chips" where Ricky Roe's father makes it clear to the recruiting coach that he needs a new tractor to run his farm. He then makes it very clear that he controls where his son is going to attend college. Don't think this is all that far fetched folks. The parents and “uncles” of these kids are very real threats to the idea of having amateur collegiate athletics in this country. Someone has to “Show The Money” to these people and they want it to flow freely in their direction. It sickens me to know that there are parents out there like Patrick Patterson's who want nothing as much as they want their son to get a college education and be successful in life, and are willing to make him do things the right way, and then we have others out there who are looking for jobs, houses, bank accounts, and anything else they can get their hands on. Until we address the greed that is at the heart of this matter, the NCAA can stomp, scream, punish, admonish, or do anything else it likes, but they will not stop the problem. In this situation, greed is not good.

I normally have a list of answers for these kinds of problems, I show how the problem can be resolved through a series of changes to the existing by-laws, or through a change in the recruiting process, etc. and voila' we have things under control. But this situation is going to require a lot more than that. And the reforms are going to have to happen from top to bottom and they will involve the NCAA, parents, the kids, the Pros, the entire shooting match. And that my friends, is never going to happen.

Short of a nuclear meltdown, the system has too much cash flowing to too many people who don't want to see it fixed. There are others out there who are calling for reform, coaches, sportswriters, even a few players and parents. But make no mistake, for every one who wants to see the problem fixed, there are 10 out there with their hand out. It is a sad commentary on the world of college athletics that the stench reaches as high as it does.

I love my Cats, and I hope and pray that they are doing things right in Lexington. God knows that I have loved everything that Coach Calipari has accomplished so far. But we have to have a complete and thorough overhaul of the entire system, and get the people that do not need to be in it out. Get rid of the NBA's rules that prevent kids from going right out of high school. It is only a small part of the problem, but it does give us a start. And in this case one step in that direction is all we can hope for, and pray that it leads to others. If we are going to clean house in college athletics, let's start it somewhere that the “experts” would never suspect it.

Let's work to make UK an “agent free” zone. If we find “runners” we nail them. We find athletes participating in this kind of behavior, we toss them. We can have clean programs in college, if everyone wants it. Unfortunately, David Stern and the NBAPA wants no part of helping out, and neither does the NFL or it's players assoc. either. We cannot fight everyone everywhere, but we can fight the problem here at home. And then maybe, just maybe someone will try somewhere else.

I know the chances of Joker or Cal reading this are somewhere between slim and none, but maybe they have an epiphany of their own. Let's have another first here at UK. Let's become the first school that stops this behavior, and let's send a message to the rest of the schools and administrators out there that we don't want it to happen at UK now or ever again. Sound like something from Fantasy Island? Probably. But we specialize in doing things that other schools can't here at UK.

Let's try for one more.

Greg Edwards is the latest member of the WBN staff and offers his insight as a life long Wildcats fan. Greg is also familiar to readers of A Sea of Blue as ALLBLUCAT.

Calipari going back into his old stomping grounds to land 2011's Adonis Thomas

2010-07-26T10:00:00.002-04:00

by Paul Jordan

John Calipari is going back to Memphis. This time to try to lure one of the area's top basketball recruits tin the 2011 class to follow him back to Lexington. Adonis Thomas is currently the 18th ranked player in the 2011 class and at 6'6, 190, ranks as their 5th best SF in the class. Calipari is familiar with Thomas from his days in Memphis, but apparently saw something in Thomas in Germany that is causing him to increase the attention. Adonis, of course, is getting lots of attention. Here he talks about his list of suitors and about Calipari's interest in him:

I am sure that if Calipari can land Thomas, it will stir up a whole new wave of drama from Memphis fans but in this case, the Tigers may have themselves to blame for losing a recruit just three miles away. Just a few months ago, Thomas, his father, and his HS coach were involved in a very public war of words over what the Thomas's perceived as apathy from Josh Pastner and his Memphis staff regarding the recruiting of Adonis.

Regardless, Adonis has not this affect his play on the court and is one of the top options for the 2011 class. Here is what ESPN has to say about Adonis:

Adonis once again was very solid in his performance over the weekend showing why every one I so enamored with the SF. He just seems to do everything on the floor the right way. He has a great frame and athleticism to go with a very low-key demeanor that makes him a coach's dream. His game is very versatile in that he has the skill level to step out on the floor while the physique to bang on the block. I really think his true position is a face-up 4-man who can go inside and out. He shoots the 3 well enough you have to respect him, but his game really lights up when he drives the ball to the basket or posts his man from 12' and in. That's when his strength and athleticism take over. He has all the face-up game on the block to do damage and good enough feet that fellow post players struggle to stay with him. This guy is a can't miss in any program which is why he has all the big boys coming hard.

And speaking of his moves .... here is a little bit of video to whet your appetite:

Can the 2011 Kentucky/Louisville matchup feature Quincy Miller/Tony Wroten versus the Cats?

2010-07-26T00:00:00.002-04:00

by Paul Jordan

"I'm pure evil in an all white suit and I'm selling my soul

to compete with Cal in 2011"

Hold on to your horses, BBN. The 2011 recruiting class is on the verge of reaching a whole new level of interesting. It appears that Rick Pitino and his Cardinals are starting to get involved with some of the same players that John Calipari is coveting and for now it just means I have another reason to mock Ricky P's white suit and add a new level of Cardinal bashing to the site. In the long run, it could mean that the 2011 Kentucky/Louisville game could be the most hyped game in the history of the rivalry and easily the game of the season in college basketball.

Of course, this is purely rampant speculation mixed with a bit of paranoia right now. But I have started to get a bad feeling that Kentucky may not land a couple of their targets for the 2011 class. The biggest target of course would be Quincy Miller. Miller has been on Calipari's radar seemingly since he has arrived in Lexington. And Miller has seemed to revel in the attention from the BBN, and has been seen wearing UK gear frequently. Recently, Miller has seemed to cool on the Wildcat's a bit.

One potential roadblock to a Miller commitment has been the Deuce Bello situation. Miller and Bello are close friends and practically family. Both have twitted extensively about attending the same school together. While Bello is a nice player, he does not seem to enter into the Wildcat's plans. Enter Rick Pitino into the equation and he seems more than willing to take both Bello and Miller and almost overnight, Louisville popped up on Miller's list of contenders.

The second roadblock is now appearing to be Tony Wroten. For a while, Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague were twitter happy about bringing both Wroten and Miller to to Wildcats. That chatter has kind of cooled down a bit and now Quincy Miller is making statements on his twitter like "My bro @ToneTone13 is def a pass first pg...he has to be my pg in college! Hopefully lol" .

Now I understand that twitter is twitter and not a reliable source, even though it is coming right from player's keyboard. But it is looking more and more like Quincy Miller is now going to take three scholarships to land him. And recently Tony Wroten has added the Dirty Birds to his list of teams as well and has been talking about Peyton Siva being one of his best friends and even the most paranoid of Kentucky fans can envision a scenario where Miller, Wroten, and Bello head off to the Ville. It's just speculation, mind you, but it makes for an interesting theory in July.

Also interesting is the recent comments from Quincy Miller that he wants to be a real villain in basketball:

"Once I get in college, I definitely want to be a rival. I want to be somebody that everyone hates"

Interesting that this comment came on the heels of Duke's increased interest in Miller. And of course, if Miller wants to be truly hated, signing up for the dirty birds will certainly qualify him as a major villain. I know it's speculation and a study in paranoia, but you are kidding yourself if you think that Pitino is not going to make a run at these two.

And not to sound snide, even if Miller and Wroten sign elsewhere, Kentucky still looks to have the upper hand in that 2011 matchup at Rupp. Kentucky already has Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague in the fold and are in good with former Cardinal commit Michael Chandler and possible number one over all recruit Anthony Davis, among several other upper tier targets.

And of course, there is always the chance that Kentucky still lands Miller and Wroten. John Calipari is not going to back off a recruit based on some twitter comments. Calipari recently made a trip to visit Miller so he is not conceding any ground to anyone, much less Pitino.

The only thing for sure is that recruiting is going to be very interesting in the Bluegrass as long as Pitino decides he wants to keep taking the beating.

Kentucky Loses Water Balloon Fight Title to BYU

2010-07-25T21:08:00.003-04:00

by Jared Quillen

While I would normally like to devote a post to something UK sports related, I feel the need this evening to discuss something of much greater import. The world’s largest water balloon fight which was just held at BYU in Provo, Utah, a lovely town nestled against the Wasatch Mountains of Central Utah. 3900 people joined in this event and they threw over 120,000 water balloons. Why does this matter? Well the old record was held by none other than the University of Kentucky, and if you’re like me, you don’t like seeing anyone beat UK at anything. This disgusts me. How did we ever let them sneak up on us and take away a title that has rightly been ours for like at least a year or two?

Well anyway, regardless, our video is way cooler than theirs, well except for the guy that did the flips, but at least we’re allowed to take our shirts off. Anyway here are the two videos, you be the judge. Please no Mormon jokes, I am one, well at least other than my joke about taking shirts off.

One last note. I'll bet they never rappelled from the third floor in their library.

Lock up your 7th graders .... Billy Donovan is loose on Facebook

2010-07-25T18:00:00.003-04:00

Billy Donovan is a fickle creature. First he decides he wants to coach the Orlando Magic, then he decides he does not. So it comes as no real shock that when the news broke that Gator center Kenny Kadji is transferring, Billy the Kid has a replacement center lined up... for the 2016 class.

Meet 13 year old Raekwon Long from North Carolina. Long has tremendous potential and currently stands 6'7 and weighs 240 pounds. It should be noted that he will be entering the seventh grade this year. As we discovered in the BCG era, chasing after middle schoolers is a boom or bust affair ... mostly bust, but Long appears to be a can't miss prospect.

He is already being referred to as the "next Ralph Sampson". Long actually has already surpassed Sampson's NBA weight of 230 though and it is projected that Long could actually grow to 7'5 or 7'6. Long is currently in his first season of AAU ball and averaged 16 points, 11 boards, and 6 blocks a game. Even with those impressive stats, there is plenty of room for improvement, especially developing footwork with his size 21 shoes.

Sure, long sounds like a can't miss prospect .... his he is just entering middle school. He does not even know where he is going to play high school, but he has a very early college favorite:

“I love (the University of) Florida, They work hard and hustle. Billy Donovan (head coach) is a friend on my Facebook."

Kind of creepy , yes. But probably NCAA legit. Just want to make sure that Billy keeps the facebook "poking" to a bare minimum.

UK football: An early look at the Vanderbilt game

2010-07-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

*This picture comes up when you google "Vanderbilt funny." IDK what it has to do with Vandy, but I got a kick out of it. Maybe it means they think their season will be a can of worms?*

November 13 - Vanderbilt

While Kentucky hasn’t exactly been an SEC powerhouse over the years, no team has been the perennial SEC east doormat quite like the Vanderbilt Commodores. Much like the Wildcats, the Commodores have done a decent job of playing out of conference teams while struggling against some of the best programs in the country that show up on their schedule every year. Kentucky has had success against Vandy recently, including their 24-13 win last year. During that game, the Wildcats relied on stars Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb to fuel them with a combined 344 all-purpose yards. This year the Commodores will be trying to rebuild after losing head coach of the past eight years Bobby Johnson. Johnson abruptly retired July 14th leaving Offensive Line coach Robbie Caldwell to act as interim head coach until a replacement is found. The game will be played as a Kentucky home game in Lexington this year despite last years contest in Nashville feeling like a home game too with the stadium predominantly colored blue.

Kentucky will lose if…..
The Wildcats don’t take the Commodores seriously. They may have lost their coach, but they are still an SEC team with SEC caliber athletes. Wide Receiver John Cole hails from Somerset, KY and wasn’t really recruited by Kentucky. He has emerged as one of the top playmakers for Vanderbilt and will look to exact some revenge for being overlooked by his home state team. Sophomore Warren Norman is the reigning SEC freshman of the year and will be hard for the Kentucky defense to contain. The Commodores will field a small but fast defense that will give the Wildcats headaches. If Kentucky is caught looking ahead to their open date the following week, this Vanderbilt team can come in and upset the Wildcats in their own place.

Why Kentucky will win…..
The Commodores are reeling. They are replacing their head coach and several starters from the 2009 season. The team was likely to depend heavily on a running game that featured Warren Norman and star recruit Rajaan Bennett before Bennett was tragically murdered this spring. Now the Commodores will have one more hole to fill offensively. Offensive tackle Tom Welch will be hard to replace, as will corner Myron Lewis. The Commodores will probably rely on true freshmen a little more than they would like to, and who even knows how many of them will remain at Vandy now that Johnson has retired? The Kentucky O-Line should have little trouble overpowering the smaller Vanderbilt D-Line, who’s largest player is only 290 pounds. The Wildcats running backs are in for a big day against Vandy’s smaller front seven and Derrick Locke could have a career day. The passing game should flourish against a defense that struggled to get to the Quarterback last year, failing to notch a sack against the Wildcats last year. The defensive backs should struggle to cover the faster Kentucky receivers, leaving the possibility for the big play open. Defensively, the Wildcats can focus on shutting down Warren Norman. Returning QB Larry Smith struggled to throw the ball to the correct team last year throwing only four touchdowns to seven interceptions and while he should improve, it’s unlikely that he’ll pose a serious threat through the air by the time they come to Lexington. The Vandy O-Line is big but inexperienced on the ends. Both projected starting tackles will be sophomores and both can anticipate getting plenty of pressure from the UK defensive ends. When the pressure comes, the Kentucky defensive backfield can sit and wait for the opportunity to pick off a few passes.
While the Commodores are a SEC team and should be treated as such, this will not be one of the better teams that Vanderbilt has fielded in the past few years. If Kentucky comes into this game and takes care of business, the Commodores should be fairly easy to dispose of. The Wildcats will be the better team and will be playing at home. If the players execute the game plan, this one should be a massacre. Once the Cats get the ‘Dores out of the way, it’s on to the bye week before taking on Tennessee.