The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Talking in my sleep edition

Last night, I had a dream -- a dream that John Calipari went off to coach Efes Pilsen in the Turkish Basketball League.  William Wesley brokered a package deal with Enes Kanter.

Now, for the news:

• Ronald Tillery: Don't rule out Calipari going to Cleveland " The Commercial Appeal
  Wishful thinking from Memphis. I guess I don't blame them too much.

• John Calipari: 'I will be coaching at Kentucky next year.' - The Dagger - NCAAB  - Yahoo! Sports

• Analyzing Two LeBron Rumors: Delonte West-Gloria James and LeBron-Calipari

  Don’t forget that when Nick Saban was with the Dolphins he adamantly said he would not be coaching Alabama pretty soon before he…became the coach at Alabama. Trust head coaches at your own risk. I think only politicians and drug addicts lie more.

  I can just feel the love, can't you?

• Barnhart says restructuring Calipari's contract sends a message | KentuckySports.com

• Calipari says he’s staying put at Kentucky - YNN, Your News Now
  For the third time, unequivocally.

• Illini hoops assistant contacted by Kentucky - Chicago Breaking Sports

• Five Step Drop: Joker's No Villain -- NCAAFB FanHouse

  1. Whether you think of the Jack Nicholson portrayal, the brilliant Heath Ledger version or some old school comic book the first name of Kentucky's head football coach definitely elicits a reaction -- how can you not connect him with one of the most famous villains in American pop culture history? I mean, who hasn't heard of The Joker?

  But, unlike the others, Joker Phillips is a good guy.

  Joker is a good guy.  I hope he becomes a great head coach at Kentucky.

• LexGo.com | Arab-American crowned 2010 Miss USA

  She was cute, but her answers reminded me of Sandra Bullock's sarcastic, "Oh, if I only had a brain," aping of a pageant contestant in Miss Congeniality.

  This young woman was truly all about her looks, and possibly her ethnicity.

• ESPNU’s Biancardi not surprised at level of Cal’s recruiting | Vaught's Views
• UK basketball planning trip to Canada | KentuckySports.com

• Tennessee Basketball Roster Breakdown - Rocky Top Talk

  Without a doubt, Bobby Maze, J.P. Prince, and Wayne Chism will be missed. But the Vols have moved from rebuilding to reloading under Pearl - with the NBA Draft early entry deadline having come and gone, the Vols are at #18 in ESPN.com's 2011 Top 25 from Andy Katz. The expectations around here continue to change: making the tournament is now an assumption, and playing in its second weekend is now the goal.

  I think UT fans are right to raise their expectations.

• UK, Strickland making the right move | Vaught's Views
  I thnk so as well. There has to be a price for the DUI.

• Jimmer Fredette, Jordan Crawford, more discuss new draft deadline - Luke Winn - SI.com
  Anecdotal evidence that the new draft deadline is too short. It's pretty compelling.

• John Clay: Football Cats toil in weak SEC East | KentuckySports.com
  Could this represent an opportunity for UK? Or not ...

• UK re-assigns Strickland; Barnhart 'very confident' Calipari staying | KentuckySports.com

  "I'm very confident he's going to be our head coach next year," Barnhart said after a UK Athletics Association Board of Directors meeting. "... and I feel very confident good times are ahead."

  Sounds good to me.

• Four finalists for final UNCW assistant opening – UNCW Basketball - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
  Tony Delk a finalist for UNCW assistant job.

• LeBron's heart, game belong in Ohio - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

  LeBron James can, and will, do whatever he pleases over the next couple months in deciding his future. There are no wrong choices when you’re being courted with multimillion-dollar contracts and fawning fans and various levels of power and control.

  This is true.  James is in a unique position.

  But unlike many of these writers, I don't believe Calipari will leave to coach James.  I have seen people incredulous at the suggestion, as though it is an incomprehensible statement.

  It was incomprehensible that Billy Donovan would not want to return to Kentucky and coach the Wildcats, yet he did not.  It was incomprehensible the first time that Roy Williams was offered the job at North Carolina that he did not take it.

  Part of the reason is because so many believe that Calipari has no conscience.  They can't imagine him not taking the BBD (bigger, better deal), or turning down the chance at an NBA championship.

  I'll stipulate that Calipari has given them reason to think so in the past.  But what if "they" are wrong?

• Basketball schedule "moving right along" | Vaught's Views
  Kentucky will open the season on November 12th next year.

• Fox Sports Community - Fox Sports > goodmanonfox > Blog > GUEST BLOGGER: SCOUT.COM'S EVAN DANIELS

  Craziest moment: The Pitt Jam Fest was the spot for one of the weirdest situations I’ve seen since covering recruiting. In a 15-and-under playoff game that featured Spiece and East Coast Elite, the ECE squad managed six technicals, two player ejections, a coach ejection and a fan ejection. And all of that came from the same referee.

  That's amazing.  Maybe that official should consider anger management.

• Handicapping the LeBron hunt - NYPOST.com

• Calipari says he'll stay at Kentucky; Jones to follow?

  Jones could conceivably make the same arrangement [as Brandon Knight with the financial aid agreement] with Kentucky. Or Washington. Or he could go the traditional letter-of-intent route with either school.

  Either way, Huskies fans will have to hold their collective breath until Wednesday. Calipari's return to Lexington probably strengthens the Wildcats' lure, but Jones has not indicated whether Calipari's presence is a deciding factor in his choice.

  I don't think Jones was concerned about Calipari leaving before, so I suspect it won't matter that he's staying.

• Husky Men's Basketball Blog | Summer Plans For Jones And Gaddy; Calipari Staying Put | Seattle Times Newspaper
  Update on Terrence Jones.

• UK notes: Phillips, Strong fight for Louisville turf | KentuckySports.com

  Perhaps the most interesting sidebar of Joker Phillips' promotion at the University of Kentucky and Charlie Strong's arrival at the University of Louisville is recruiting, particularly in the Louisville area.

  Phillips cannot afford to cede Louisville to Strong.