The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Moving On Up Edition
Well, it seems that the Villanova Wildcats' loss is the Kentucky Wildcats' gain, as UK moves up a spot to #3 between behind the Kansas Jayhawks and the Texas Longhorns.
As John Wall continues to garner Freshman of the Week awards from the SEC, Kentucky has a week to ponder it's recent success versus the North Carolina Tar Heels, Indiana Hoosiers and Connecticut Huskies, as well as working to improve their game, particularly on the defensive side.
If Kentucky's game versus IU proved nothing else, it showed that the 'Cats can handle a hostile arena with aplomb, even one that's said to have done some pretty ugly things lately. John Gasaway of Basketball Prospectus ponders the remarkable sequence that Daniel Orton had in the North Carolina game where he blocked a shot and dished an assist in the same short time frame, and in a later post, notes that DeMarcus Cousins is getting 22% of UK's misses back.
The news follows the jump.
- idsnews.com | Indiana Daily Student |
This wasn’t the first time this season that Assembly Hall has been a hotbed of insults. Student fans were as loud on Dec. 1 against Maryland, but their chants included racist and derogatory slurs toward Maryland senior guard Greivis Vasquez of Venezuela and sophomore forward Jin Soo Choi of South Korea. This time, the yells were mostly targeted at Calipari.
Wow. Glad we didn't see any "racist and derogatory slurs" on Saturday. - The Big Blue Nation Report: Five Quick Questions for Mr. Leach...
An interview with Tom Leach - Hot UK plays it cool in potential 10-0 start | KentuckySports.com
Awesome job by Matthew Mitchell. Could UK hoops finally become a contendah? - Grading SEC Coaches | SEC Corner - al.com
Brooks gets surprisingly high grades. - Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Rich Brooks Wildcats garner post season honors
- Monday's news & notes: UK's Wall making headlines, MSG a home away from home
- Kansas freshman Xavier Henry is just as impressive as John Wall - Seth Davis - SI.com
Henry is the first to recognize that Wall has earned every bit of his publicity, but he will not concede that Wall is the better player. Henry also confesses that Wall's hot start has provided him with extra incentive. "It does kind of motivate me that he plays like that and gets all this attention, so if I play just as well then I should get the same," Henry told me in a telephone interview. "Just don't sleep on me. That's all I've got to say."
Play somebody, Xavier. Then talk smack. - Basketball Prospectus | Unfiltered
The always-worthy John Gasaway. - Izzo speaks out after Roy Williams throws another shot at Delvon Roe | College Hoops Journal
Another bit of bad behavior from Roy Williams. - Is Roy Williams the biggest phony in college basketball? | College Hoops Journal
CHJ takes Roy Willams down -- hard. - Ex-Cat Shagari Alleyne Signed by Halifax Rainmen
- Is Wall or Cobb the better athlete? | Vaught's Views
Who cares? Both are great. - " BBL: Could Kentucky play in New York every year? John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links. - Kentucky and Louisville have flipped fortunes | College Hoops Journal
The Kentucky Wildcats aren’t in the clear and aren’t guaranteed a Final Four berth this season. The Louisville Cardinals aren’t mired in mediocrity and aren’t one of the eight worst teams in the Big East, all of the sudden.
But that doesn’t mean these two intrastate rivals haven’t switched positions in the past eight months. Think about where each of these programs were on Selection Sunday. It’s remarkable, when you think about it.
Indeed. - courier-journal.com | Chris Diggs - UK Fan | The Courier-Journal
When IU fans have to go back twenty years and talk about NCAA violations to put down a rival, I can't help but laugh. Seriously. Out of the last 20 meetings, the Cats have won 15 of those years. Why don't we talk about that? Why don't we talk about what is the most important thing, what happens on the floor?
Or, we can talk about something else that happened this decade -- Cell Phone Kelvin Sampson. - Thoughts on Kentucky and Kansas
Very thoughtful and interesting comments from a Kansas fan. I think Kansas is significantly better than UK right now, but at the end of the year, it could be a horse race. I would read this if I were you. He gets a few little things wrong, but mostly he does a very good job. - Wildcats Break for Exams - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
- Which basketball team will stay unbeaten longest? - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News
Always worth a read.
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26 comments
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Comments
Going after...
one and done players. I wonder how wearing it must be for coaches to pursue players who may only stay around for a year or so. It makes recruiting even more time consuming, not to mention how it must disrupt the continuity of team chemistry from year to year. Do you think it is worth the effort? Thoughts?
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Not sure about all "one and dones"
But I would certainly rather have a “John Wall” on my team instead of playing against him. It does make recruiting a chore – but that’s why we give Cal the big bucks – he loves it.
mountain out of a mole hill, imo
Cal only had 5 1 and dones at memphis – everyone acts like every player he had was 1 and done.
i will concede that this year will look like it is a bigger deal as we will lose wall and patterson (i know not one and done, but a big hole) – and possibly cousins and bledsoe..
i still remember when pitino started getting 2 and dones and fans were worried – again it was only a player or two and we won a NC in the process….
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Dec 15, 2009 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
Bledsoe?
I think we still have Bledsoe for next year. Just my opinion, ofcourse.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Dec 15, 2009 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think there are ...
… any one and done players in the 2010 class. Probably a few two and done, but I don’t see any one and dones.
Players like Wall, Oden, Durant, etc. come along pretty rarely.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Dec 14, 2009 10:40 PM EST up reply actions
Knight will probably be one and done.
He said two years ago that he and Boyton will be playing at Florida together. We will see I guess. I know he wants to go where he can win and that might have made him waver on UF.
He also seems to want to be where his family can see him play.
by Grasslands1 on Dec 14, 2009 11:22 PM EST up reply actions
He might be ...
… but he doesn’t look like it to me from what I’ve seen. Maybe I’m wrong.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
We spent nearly 10 years bashing Tubby...
For not getting the best players in the country… Are we really poised to start complaining about the realities of getting the best?!!?
That said, ideally you’ll get a mix. Look at Kansas this year, they were a wing away from being a truly great team last year. Now they’re a year older and they have added Xavier Henry as that last piece.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Dec 14, 2009 10:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Prince, Bogans, Stone, Parker, Hawkins (Continued)
Hayes, Carruth, Azubuike, Morris, Crawford, Bradley, Rondo, Meeks might disagree.
by FortyYearCatFan on Dec 15, 2009 7:40 AM EST up reply actions
The class that killed Tubby was the Rondo class.
IMO they were not team players. If that class had performed to expectations, Tubby might still be here. I do think he made the right decision in leaving though. I would of preferred him leaving a winner myself, more for him than us.
by Grasslands1 on Dec 15, 2009 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
I don't disagree with you, 40
that those guys were really good players for us…BUT we all know the supposed lack of very-top-level recruits was the NUMBER ONE complaint heard from Tubby dissenters. I agree with chirop and I’ve said it here before—it is so very ironic to me that now we ARE getting some of these guys, we hear hand-wringing about flashy AAU-style play and the perils of one-and-dones. You truly cannot please all the people all the time…especially when the “people” are Kentucky fans.
by blue kentucky girl on Dec 15, 2009 2:50 PM EST up reply actions
I've Heard The Complaint, Too
Facts don’t support it.
He signed eight 5 Star players – Prince, Bogans, Stone, Carruth, Parker, Rondo, Crawford, Morris – at UK.
His predecessor signed seven 5 Star players – Mashburn, Delk, Rhodes, McCarty, Walker, Turner, Mercer – at UK.
But his predecessor signed 4 excellent transfers and several underrated recruits who became stars – Nazr, Magloire, Padgett to name a few – at UK.
by FortyYearCatFan on Dec 15, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not talking about the reality...
I’m talking about the perception.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Between Kansas and Texas, Tru?
Wouldn’t that make us #2?
:-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I did.
Oops. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Dec 14, 2009 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
Well ...
… we are more talented than Texas, but they have played much better basketball so far. I’m glad we don’t have to face them yet. We are not ready.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Can you imagine if Ol' Roy had been in Assembly Hall....
He’d have had the whole arena emptied before he would allow the game to continue :)
Mike Douglas Coming To UK
No, not that Mike Douglas — not Gordon Gekko, not from Fatal Attraction and Falling Down — although with what he witnessed in The Garden he might visit Rupp. This Mike Douglas is a 3* FL DE. Nice to penetrate the Sunshine State. Another recruiting tidbit: RB commit Raymond Sanders ranking has increased to near 4* status.
"Learn(ing) without thinking begets ignorance. Think(ing) without learning is dangerous."
-Confucius
I knew Sanders would go up.
Glad to see us get somebody from Florida.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I think the best mix..
is the elite one and done players, which Cal consistently gets, with a good mix of players who will be around 2+ years (Bledsoe I think will stay a bit, Dodson, Orton, etc..) he’ll quickly have the experience and the flash.
Indiana fans Seemed more Mean-Spirited than I Remember.
I know students in particular try to throw the opposing team off, especially during free-throws, but Indiana seemed to be insulting Cal and our team more that just ribbing them. I’m sure Coach Cal is used to it, but I applaud our players for not taking any of it so personally that it affected their performance. I don’t think I could have played on that court without yelling some things back.
by tyler cottrell on Dec 15, 2009 11:46 AM EST reply actions
Maybe ...
… the ghost of Bob Knight Past is afflicting them. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

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