I think many Kentucky Wildcats fans have been in the denial stage about this year's team for most of the season. Despite the fact that Kentucky won yesterday, it's pretty clear that just making the NCAA tournament this year is going to be plenty challenging enough.

Tweet of the Morning:

Huge FB recruiting weekend. I know there have been reports to the contrary but as of now UK has no commits. But that should change very soon

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) January 27, 2013

Lest we get ahead of ourselves.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Orlando Freedom WR Jeff Badet down to Kentucky, Iowa State and Wake Forest // OrlandoSentinel.com
  This sounds very optimistic for Kentucky. Only a Rivals 3*, but I suspect that's mostly because he's only 5'11. Hat tip: Mr. Hanky.

• Q&A with Jason Hatcher on UK visit, USC pledge, U of L’s pitch // Steve Jones
  This doesn't sound particularly promising for UK. Hat tip: Mr. Hanky.

• Examining Luck in the 2012 SEC Football Season // Team Speed Kills

  The butterfly effect, Pythagorean wins expectation, lots of interesting stuff in this examination of SEC football last season through the lens of good karma.

  So my question becomes, given the douchiness of the Florida Gators against Louisville in the Sugar Bowl, will the universe demand some karmic payback for the Gators' good fortune in close games? I hope so. Via Mr. Hanky (he hit me up with a lot of links this AM).

• Kentucky Sports Radio // Hal Mumme is upgrading
  So now we know why he resigned from his old gig. I was sure this was the case, just wasn't sure of the destination. Now we know.

• UK Football: Mark Stoops continues to make recruiting impact in Florida // centralkynews.com

Kentucky basketball

• Alex Poythress turns Calipari torture into learning process that he needed // vaughtsviews

  "It is tough," he said. "It doesn’t feel like torture but it’s just a long process. Everybody (learns) at different speeds and I’m just trying to make the best of it. I just try to work hard every game. Playing hard according to me and playing hard for coach Cal is whole different level. He expects more out of you and I’m just trying to make the coaches happy, trying to make the the right plays and help my teammates, because I’m playing for them too.

  I have to give Alex a lot of credit for self-awareness realizing that everyone gets these things at different speeds. He has been slow to develop, but if yesterday is any indication (and I'm not really suggesting it is at this point), then maybe he has turned a small corner.

• Five observations from Saturday afternoon // ESPN

  Kentucky does not look like a tournament team. Unless the tournament in question is the NIT.

  Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of arguments left against this, and honestly, this UK team is not improving fast enough. Unless we see a quantum improvement, We'd better get used to the idea of a disappointing post season.

• SEC roundup: Kentucky's Poythress finds complete game // The Tennessean

  "He’s getting it," the coach said. "You talk about success being a peace of mind, knowing you’ve done your best. Today, he can walk out of there knowing he did his best. That’s win or lose. He did his best."

  I like this comment, and I think it's right. Poythress did play just about to his potential yesterday, but considering he was bigger and stronger than his defenders, I still require more validation.
• UK basketball notebook: Kentucky's Noel has rival in St. John's shot-blocker // Kentucky.com

• Too bad this Kentucky basketball team isn't the 'two-and-through' group // The Courier-Journal

  Goodwin, UK’s leading scorer for the season, continues to play as if his game were governed by a 10-second clock. His progress has been made in fits and starts and reckless turnovers. He seems to scream for more seasoning.

  I actually agree with much of this, although this lament is totally shopworn and trite.
• LSU Pushes Kentucky to the Brink // And The Valley Shook

Other UK sports

• 46 Wildcats on 2012 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll // UKAthletics.com
  No basketball players on this list, but a lot of football players, including Joe Mansour, Morgan Newton, Tyler Robinson and Taylor Wyndham.

Links posts

• Tom Leach // Sunday Links

College football

• Ole Miss' Michael Oher Commits Blatant Recruiting Violation // For Whom the Cowbell Tolls
  Blindsided by the NCAA rules. Ironic.

• With four family members who played collegiately, the Jones family offers advice - OrlandoSentinel.com

  "Just because you are ranked high, it doesn't mean you are going to the NFL or that you are going to do well in college," said Jones, who played at Edgewater. "It took me two years to really grasp that. I had to learn to work as hard as I could."

  Some UK basketball players could learn a lot from this. Hat tip: Mr. Hanky.

• Remembering Bear Bryant
  A2D2 will find this particularly interesting.

• President Obama worried about college football players // SBNation.com

  Look, I'm all about safety, but the nannyism of today's society is absolutely obnoxious. All these kids are technically adults. Advise them of the risks and let them make their own decision.

  Good grief, how did we ever get to this state?

College basketball

• The Daily Tar Heel // N.C. State runs over North Carolina

  But not only did the Wolfpack stomp the Tar Heels 91-83 Saturday night in Raleigh, they did so by beating UNC at its own game.

  Misery loves company. Think we should invite out some Tar Heel fans so we can cry in each other's beer?

• Night Court: On wild day of hoops, one GIF steals the show // CBSSports.com

  This kind of provocation of opposing fans is part of the problem with college basketball today. I remember an awful lot of negative criticism of Big Cuz when he did the "call me" thing down at Mississippi St., but yet we see none for this.

  I'll just say it -- this is not cool.

Other sports news

• Sunday Shootaround's NBA midseason report: MVP race, big questions, playoff outlook and more // SBNation.com