The big news today is all about Hurricane Sandy and the destruction she is wreaking on the East Coast. Our prayers go out to those in the path of the storm for safety.

Today, we have a couple of new pre-season polls that may surprise you a little, one from Ken Pomeroy and the other from Basketball Prospectus.

Tweet of the Morning:

I don't mean to brag but... Wait, yes I do. #Sunny via.me/-6hevxdy

— Perry Stevenson (@PSteve2122) October 30, 2012

Damn you, Perry. We're alternately freezing, being buried by snow, blown away by winds or flooded by seas, and you give us Lisbon? Playing overseas has its advantages, apparently.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Joker Phillips' future at Kentucky in jeopardy // USA Today
  This is more of what we've been hearing, and if you're one of those who wants something done now, you probably shouldn't read this, it will only frustrate you. Barnhart, in my opinion, is not going to talk until after the season. He seems completely committed to that position, based on what I see.

• Joker Phillips can still joke about job // The Courier-Journal

  The school newspaper and a popular blogger and radio host have already opined that Phillips must be fired. With the Wildcats sitting at 1-8 overall, 0-6 in Southeastern Conference play and riding a seven-game losing streak, the coach’s critics are multiplying weekly.
  
  "I’m sure they are," he said. "I was coming over here today and I got in the car and my seat was hot."
  
  Phillips paused and grinned.
  
  "I looked up and I’d hit the seat warmer."

  Funny, but also sad. Humor is a great defense in hard times, but in the end, it's only a band-aid. I think Phillips knows that time is against him.

• Why isn't there more heat on Barnhart?
  I think the reasons are twofold:
  
  1. Barnhart has been successful. Yes, Gillispie was a bad call, but Calipari was such a home run that it wiped that decision from memory, women's sports are stronger than ever, as is baseball.
  
  2. Football is always a distant second at Kentucky, and most UK fans are resigned to being average, at best, in the sport. They don't blame Barnhart for 50 years of mediocrity.

• John Clay: Losing nothing new for UK football // Kentucky.com

  In the past 50 seasons, Kentucky football has won eight or more games five times. In the past 50 seasons, Kentucky has now lost eight or more games 11 times.
  
  In the past 50 seasons, Kentucky has now lost eight or more games 11 times.

  As I said, 50 years of mediocrity. The vast majority of Kentucky fans probably don't expect that to change.

• Ira Combs doesn't think a win versus Vandy and Samford will save Phillips.
  I don't, either. I don't even thing throwing in a road victory against the Tennessee Volunteers will help.

• Chris Diggs takes issue with Missouri's celebration of their football victory.
  Frankly, if UK were to make a T-shirt celebrating a victory over a 1-win team, even Louisville, I'd be a little embarrassed. But that's just me.

• Kentucky has played the toughest schedule in the nation.
  Well, you can't control your schedule in SEC football. You just have to play who you got. You also have to beat some of them...

• Joker Phillips Weekly Press Conference // UKAthletics.com

Kentucky basketball

• If you ignore the title, this is a pretty fair article abot UK and Syracuse.
  The title looks a little like an attack to me, but it isn't inaccurate. I think it's the idea of the public perception of the phrases "promoting from within" and "one and done" beside each other. But the author does a good job of being even-handed in the piece itself.

• Hustle points a big part of expectations Cauley-Stein has for himself this season // vaughtsviews
  My biggest problem right now with this team is conditioning. Calipari needs to put some of these guys on the Josh Harrellson routine.

• Did you know Rollie Massimino coached Northwood, our opponent Thursday?
  I did not. But this article is about how Calipari is experimenting with lineups. It will be very interesting to see who takes the floor first on Thursday.

• Heh. Some good questions about Donovan's reaction to All-Access Kentucky here.

• The Kentucky Kernel checks out the NBA Wildcats.
  I particularly liked this quote:

  "(Liggins) brought it every day in practice. Brooks told John Rohde of The Oklahoman. "Every game we threw him in there, he made something happen. He’s a rebounder, he’s a defender and he plays with a lot of toughness."

• Too much good stuff in here to describe.
  Read the whole thing. Eric Lindsey does a great job of describing how Calipari's practices are going and how each team member is doing. A must-read.

• Kentucky’s All-Access is unfair, and so is life // Ky Cat Stats
  Okay, this is a little bit of a homer post. That doesn't make it wrong. :-)

• With Tyler Robinson out, who's left for big men in 2013?
  NextCats has the list, and it basically boils down to one guy - Julius Randle. That makes me wonder if Calipari isn't counting on keeping at least one of his two big guys around from this year.

• Cal plays Nerlens and Willie together
  I'm pretty sure we're going to see some of this.

Other UK sports

• Gilliland Named First Team All-SEC // UKAthletics.com
  Women's soccer continues to impress.

Links posts

• Tom Leach // Tuesday Links
  Thanks to Tom for having me on his show yesterday.

SEC News

• Brand new Mizzou cast gets 91-58 exhibition win // CollegeBasketballTalk
  I'm looking forward to taking out frustrations on Mizzou in basketball after our football loss to them. Oh, I know they think they'll be good, but I don't think they'll be good enough. Just one fan's opinion.

• Spurrier: Lattimore says he will return to play… for Gamecocks // CollegeFootballTalk
  Our best wishes for Lattimore whatever he does, and for a speedy and complete recovery.

• Lattimore’s lasting legacy at South Carolina // Saturday Down South
  A nice pean to Marcus Lattimore.

• NCAA is investigating Auburn, Danny Sheridan says in speech to the Tuscaloosa Quarterback Club // al.com
  Any NCAA involvement will surely doom Chizik.

Other sports news

• Wesley Woodyard has a big NFL week // Bleed Blue Kentucky

• I can see the Anthony Davis-Tim Duncan Comparison.
  Duncan had a more NBA-ready body, though, and I think Davis is more athletic, and has better range.

• Anthony Davis "... the future of our league... "
  Nice praise, kid. Don't get cocky.

• Zeller tops preseason All-America team // ESPN

  The poll is bereft of freshmen, which is probably a mistake, because you can go ahead and pencil at least one standout into the year-end team. Then again, I’m not sure which freshman stands out above the others so much so as to warrant the inclusion. Besides, the AP voters may still be recovering from that whole Harrison Barnes thing. Understandably so.

  Heh.

• Basketball Prospectus ranks all 345 teams based on a historical model.
  The interesting things are where Louisville is ranked compared to UK. You can find a description of the model he used here.

• Mike Davis in a downard spiral
  At least someone's willing to hire him.

• Ken Pomeroy unveils his new pre-season rankings.
  Hoosier fans are going to be pissed. This is the link to the rankings, the link above is the blog post.

Other news

• Severe flooding as Sandy strikes // News & Specials
  New Jersey getting hit very hard.