Slooooow news day! Here’s the lastest on the UK side

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Kyle Peck

UK recruits Jabari Parker, Mitch McGary, Andrew Wiggins,T.J. Warren and Jakarr Sampson will all be at the “Rumble at Rupp” January 8th 2012. Here’s the game list:

9 a.m. -Bourbon County vs. Madison Southern

10:30 a.m. – Perry County . Central vs. Boone Co.

Noon – Clinton County . vs. Bryan Station

1:30 p.m. – Chicago Whitney Young vs. Our Savior New American (N.Y.)

3 p.m. – Kiski (Pa.) vs. Brewster Academy (N.H.) (McGary, Warren and Sampson)

4:30 p.m. – Huntington Prep (W.Va.) vs. Chicago Simeon (Wiggins vs. Parker)

6 p.m. – Scott County . vs. Pulaski County .

7:30 p.m. – Hopkinsville vs. Rowan County .

9 p.m. – Hargrave Military (Va.) vs. Rise Academy (Pa.)

Draft Express has been following the coaches clinic today and sent out these tweets about Coach Cal:

Calipari showing 3 on 0 transition drills he uses to start practice, against clock. Wants players coaching themselves using “peer pressure.”

Calipari likes using these basic fundamental drills every practice so his team can learn how to play fast without turning the ball over.

Cal wants his players playing fast, but without making mistakes. That’s why he works so much on fundamentals of catching, finishing, passing

Calipari says team will be running a modified version of the dribble-drive this season, inspired by what he learned at the FIBA Americas.

Guards in corner on dribble drive will first read where their defender is before deciding whether to curl towards middle or cut on baseline.

Calipari surprisingly says that his teams don’t do any specialized work on half-court defense at this stage of the season. Only offense.

Surprising because Kentucky is always one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA. I guess the freshmen need more work on offense early on.

Calipari says its important to know how to ask for help & even more important to teach players that. Talking about Jerry Colangelo’s story.

Clinic done. Cal talking to press now. Says “this might be the fastest team I’ve coached since 2008. Anthony Davis runs court in 3 steps.”

Calipari: “There will be 4 super conferences. I said 4 months ago. Our commissioners & ADs are making decisions. They don’t ask my opinion”

UPDATE: Randall Burden and Ryan Tydlacka are named captains for the LSU game. Good luck boys, you’re gonna need it

Look for more updates from the other guys. I’ve been under the weather for a few days now. As always..go Cats! #BBN

Realignment-9/30/11 Morning Edition

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Mark Blankenbaker

Chuck Carlton of the Dallas News tweeted last night: “A source on the idea of TCU, Louisville, Cincinnati, W. Va to the Big 12: ‘It’s one of the leading options.’ The Big 12 is waiting on Missouri. An interesting tidbit from the Newark Star-Ledger: TCU would not face 27-month wait in Big East because they haven’t joined yet. There are several on table, ranging from 9 to 16 teams.”

Also Carlton linked a story from NJ.com that explains that the Big XII is trying to get TCU to join the league immediately rather than waiting the 27-month period that is required due to the Horned Frogs never having joined the league.

Last night Andy Katz reported that Louisville is hoping to stay in a strengthened Big East with service academies.

Meanwhile, several outlets have been reporting that Louisville, TCU, WVU, and Cincinnati rumors to the Big XII have been “heating up”.

Dennis Dodd of CBS came out with a story last night of a source (unnamed) that was directly involved with the Big XII television deal, who told Dodd that if it were up to him he would stay at just 9 teams for the Big XII because the television money is the same for 9 as it is for 12 based on the current deal.

The more UConn tries to leave the Big East unsuccessfully the more unflattering light they find themselves in. John Talty of the IB Times, goes off on UConn and their pursuit of the ACC.

*My personal thoughts on the evening/morning developments* are that you can listen to everything, but it is important to keep an eye on the big picture and realize that some of this is PR, some it is truth, and the rest of it is well………..

It seems like those who are football reporters are pushing for the 12 team Big XII conference. Those whose interest is basketball seem to be pushing for the Big East to be saved, like Katz and Pitino.

UofL officials will not comment. Cards fans know this with Tom Jurich’s coaching searches and also our previous conference shift from C-USA to the Big East. UofL was committed to C-USA all the way up until the Big East announcement was made. I think it is really evident that the Big 12 is going to happen at this point, and here is why:

If the Big 12 stays at 9 they basically signal their own end much like the Big East did when they held at 8 for so long. The late addition of TCU should have been done 4 years ago along with the addition of Navy and at least two other members like ECU and Houston. Basically by going from 8 to 12 allows a conference to be in a much better position when a member gets poached by another conference. By not acting the Big East doomed itself and the end was inevitable. Once Pitt and Syracuse were scooped up the football conference went from 8 to 6 (6 isn’t a conference) and now officials are scrambling. If the additions had been made in a timely manner Pitt and Syracuse might have been less inclined to leave, and if they did move on, the conference would have gone from 12 to 10 and the teams in the league would have had a chance to establish themselves on the AQ scene. As it is, the Big East dropped the ball and contributed to their own end.

The Big 12 knows this story of the Big East. Hopefully they paid attention. it would be incredibly foolish of the Big 12 with the recent flirtation of 4 members with the PAC, and Missouri holding an offer from the SEC. Sticking at 9 would be the same thing as the Big East holding at 8.

I think the Big East is trying to save itself. I don’t doubt that. Members can not leave for 27-months so they have some time to add independents immediately to the league and if other members take up offers elsewhere the Big East will have some time to maintain their AQ status following the 2013 season. I’m just hoping UofL has their new home in the Big 12 already in place before that happens.

New Drinking Game: Drink Whenever Craig James Says Something Ignorant

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Mark Blankenbaker

If you watch a lot of Thursday night ESPN football with Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, and Craig James, you know what I am talking about. Craig James always comes up with several “Did He Just Say That Out Loud?” moments. I would love to be in the booth when they go to break and hear if Davis or Palmer actually say anything to Mr. James. In college we actually played this game with Holly Rowe as she was always good for 4-5 great ignorant statements per game.

*If you are playing at home, make sure to have licensed medical staff nearby. This could get ugly.*

In tonight’s broadcast the highlight of the night so far, was when Craig James blessed us with this gem:

“I can tell you USF didn’t expect to see Sunseri running with his legs.”

I’d really like to know how USF expected Sunseri to run if he wasn’t using his legs!!!!!

I’ll keep this up to date if I can stand to watch Pitt football much longer.

Do You Remember October 13th, 2007?

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Brad Peavler

October 13th, 2007 marks the day of the greatest victory in Kentucky football history. Kentucky had made their way into the top twenty for the first time in my lifetime. They had beaten top ten Louisville then went on the road to beat Darren McFadden and the Arkansas Razorbacks to start SEC play. After they beat Florida Atlantic they traveled to South Carolina as the eighth ranked team in the country. South Carolina was ranked fifteenth in the country and on a Thursday night on ESPN, the Gamecocks put it on us pretty good.

That loss dropped the Cats all the way down to the number seventeenth ranked team in the country and looking at a matchup at home against the number one ranked team, the LSU Tigers. Many of the fans saw the South Carolina loss as a sign that this group of Cats just weren’t ready for the big time games.

I remeber that weekend so vividly. That Friday night was the first Big Blue Madness for new head coach, Billy Gillispie (yikes). Kentucky fans were out in full force that night. Excited about basketball season being right around the corner and the idea of being able to go watch two top 25 teams play at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, there was a buzz in the air. I remember being inside Rupp and having LSU fans raid the place during the player introduction to talk trash. Needless to say, they had a few beverages thrown at them.

Once the game started I knew it was going to be a war. The Kentucky players were delivering blows like I had never seen before. They were ready to play. Late in the first half the Cats were down 17-7, but a late 12 yard scamper by Woodson brought the Cats to within three at halftime. The rest of the game was an absolute battle. Each team took turns coming up with big play after big play. The game would eventally go to three overtimes before Kentucky’s Braxton Kelley stopped Jacob Hester on 4th and two. I get excited just thinking about what a great moment this game was for Kentucky football.

Fast forward four years later and so much has changed. When the Wildcats travel to Baton Rouge this weekend they will again be facing the number one ranked LSU Tigers. However, Kentucky is struggling and are nowhere near a top 25 team. Andre Woodson, Steve Johnson, Keenan Burton, Rafael Little, Jacob Tamme, Dicky Lyons Jr., Wesley Woodyard, Trevard Lindley and Derek Locke (who was huge in that game as a freshman) are not walking through that door. In fact, from the 2007 roster there are only nine players who are still on the team (Randall Burden, Antwane Glenn, Stuart Hines, Jake Lanefski, Anthony Mosely, Billy Joe Murphy, Taiedo Smith, Ronnie Sneed, Ryan Tydlacka). Everyone of those players red-shirted that year. Burden, Hines, Murphy, Sneed, and Tydlacka are all starters for this year’s Kentucky team. I wonder how much they remember of what I consider to be the greatest game ever played at Commonwealth Stadium?

Bring your lemons people…

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Kyle Peck

Good news is…Josh Clemons will start for the Cats at LSU and plans to make some Clemonade for all! Bad news is…Gene MaCaskill will not travel to Baton Rouge. They will need all the help they can get that’s for sure. I’m just looking for improvements, something so the fans/players can stay positive. Last I checked the Cats are a 30 point dog, so it most likely will get ugly..fast.

Some keys I’m looking for…. 1) 150+ yards rushing 2) Creativity on offense 3) Don’t give up short fields!. I’ll be happy with 2 out of the 3. I’d love to sit here and say the Cats have a chance, unfortunately, they don’t have the weapons the 2007 team had. Until the coaching staff can develop them, we’ll just have to be a ………………….

Benavides is BACK!!!!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Mark Blankenbaker

Mario Benavides is set to make his first appearance at center for the Cards this Saturday vs. Marshall. Mario questioned where his conditioning might be, but notes that he doesn’t see any reason why he should start at center on Saturday.

There have been reports that Hernandez would stay at LT and Joyer at LG in the potential absence of John Miller I think Alex Kupper moves over to LT, but who knows? Stranger things have happened.