Be sure to watch the McDonald's All-American game tonight, and get a preview of the talent we have coming in next year.
Tweet of the Morning:
Based upon recently revealed information and a review of previously discovered issues, Rutgers has terminated the contract of Mike Rice.
— Jason Baum (@JasonBaumRU) April 3, 2013
Late-breaking update. Good call.
Your Quickies:
Kentucky football
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New Kentucky football tempo keeping linemen gassed // The Courier-Journal
"Every play is just so much faster," said redshirt freshman Jordan Swindle, who appears to be winning the job at right tackle. "In the other system, we could huddle, think about what we were doing. You can usually catch your breath after a play. You’ve got like 20 seconds to catch your breath. This one, it’s like five seconds, go; five seconds, go. You gotta go the whole time, no breaks."
Darian Miller has lost 10# in spring practice due to the intensity of the repetitions. It will be interesting to see if Kentucky can sustain drives for more than five or six plays. If they can, defensive lines will begin to struggle at this tempo.
This high-tempo, wear-em-out pace has been adopted by more and more teams in college football.
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College coaches speak on troubling trend in recruiting // www.ajc.com
Some of these coaches are laughable, especially when you consider an offer is an offer until somebody better commits. Stoops is at least honest about it. (Hank)
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Recruiting idea gets support from SEC coaches // www.ajc.com
[Mississippi St. coach Dan] Mullen is thinking about proposing a rule for a four-week "dead period" during the summer when the colleges and recruits can’t have any contact with each other. There would be no unofficial visits, no phone calls and no emails.
Mark Stoops is quoted in this piece, and he seems to think Mullen’s idea is a good one. I do, also. (via Hank)
Kentucky basketball
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Kentucky's record 6 McDonald's All-Americans help ease the sting of 2012-13 - SBNation.com
It’s the commitment of Randle that really pushes Calipari’s class to historic heights. The Texas-bred big man was the most physically impressive player at Monday’s practice, flushing alley-oops with ease and proving to be a terror on the glass. He has a handle and nice shooting stroke too, which he proved by draining a few three-pointers during the East squad’s scrimmage. The class of 2013 is loaded with NBA-looking wing players, but no one in the class can match Randle’s power on the inside. He projects as a prototypical NBA four in the mold of Amar’e Stoudemire or Zach Randolph.
This is a really good piece that will leave you completely stoked for next season – that is, if you actually needed any more stoking, which I suspect you don’t.
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"I don’t know if it is a surprise. You don’t just come to college expecting to be here one year," said Poythress after UK’s season-ending NIT loss to Robert Morris. "You come college to try and do the best you can. If you have an opportunity, then you leave. Nobody wants to have season like this. It was very surprising we didn’t do better. Last year’s team just made it look so good. They made it look so easy. The reality is that it is not. There is so much hard work that you have to put in, so much more you have to put in. You have to come prepared."
Absolutely inspiring quote by Alex Poythress. This is the right thing to say, now let’s see if he does the work. I think he will.
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The UK McDonald’s All-American signees! // vaughtsviews
Six. Count ’em – Six!
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NBA players whom UK recruits model their games after // Recruiting
I like Andrew Harrison’s answer. He wants to play like – Andrew Harrison!
Other UK sports
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Unearned run lifts Kentucky baseball 5-4 in 10th over Louisville // The Courier-Journal
"Both teams pitched well," said Louisville manager Dan McDonnell. "I think it came down to the defense. When you look back at the game, they made four diving plays. They played great defensively. Hats off to them. Unfortunately in those last two innings we just didn’t play real clean baseball."
Yes! We needed that one.
- Georgia Sports Blog: And then Baseball
- No. 7 Baseball Wins Wild 10-Inning Affair at No. 9 Louisville // UKAthletics.com
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No. 20 Softball Visits In-State Foe No. 11 Louisville Wednesday // UKAthletics.com
Let’s make it 2 in a row on the diamond.
Links posts
College football
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Under the radar prospects emerge at camps, combines // High School Sports Blog
How you find under the radar players. (Hank)
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LOL. (Hank)
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Kiffin still # 1 Yea! (Hank)
College basketball
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A touching show of support for Kevin Ware from a Kentucky sports-apparel store // Yahoo! Sports
Credit Wildcat Wearhouse – and many Kentucky fans for that matter – for putting aside the rivalry and supporting an injured Louisville player. Big Blue Nation is no doubt rooting for anyone but Louisville to cut down the nets in Atlanta next Monday, but it’s nice they’re also pulling for Ware to get healthy as quickly as possible.
I think both fan bases hate injuries, gruesome or otherwise, with equal passion. It is refreshing to see the rivalry put aside for things like this, and Wildcat Wearhouse deserves credit for helping make the point that we all wish these young guys well, and it hurts us all when they go down like Ware.
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3-point shot: Why did Rutgers keep Rice? // ESPN
Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti’s decision to keep Mike Rice even after the coach’s suspension and $50,000 fine made no sense. The two years remaining on Rice’s contract – with one year in the soon-to-be-named conference before entering the Big Ten in 2014 – was another sign. No one within the industry expected Rice to be coaching in the Big Ten. So the question that remains unanswered is why did Pernetti keep Rice on when the inevitable was going to happen in a year?
No idea.
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Firing Line: 2013 college basketball coaching changes // CBSSports.com
Great rundown of the coaching carousel so far.
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Louisville women Final Four bound with 86-78 upset
Congrats to Louisville. What a year they’re having.
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Texas Tech introduces Smith as new coach // Sports News N Views
Lots of Kentucky connections with the Red Raiders these days.
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One and Done: Steven Adams to enter 2013 NBA draft // CollegeBasketballTalk
Waiting for the outrage in 3… 2… 1 … Crickets…
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Mark Cuban would give Brittney Griner opportunity with Dallas Mavericks // ESPN Dallas
Cuban said he would consider selecting Griner, a 6-foot-8 three-time All-American and Big 12 player of the year, in the second round of the NBA draft. If the Mavs don’t draft her, Cuban said he would have "no problem whatsoever" inviting Griner to try out for a spot on Dallas’ summer league team.
You know, this is Cuban being a promoter, but the very plausibility of it is an amazing thing. Griner could undoubtedly play men’s college basketball, although probably not at the elite level. She couldn’t play men’s professional basketball, but I admire Cuban’s comments from a pure self-promotion standpoint.
Would he spend a draft pick just to make headlines and sell tickets? I wouldn’t be surprised.
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights AD reviewing Mike Rice's job in wake of video // ESPN
It makes no sense to keep this guy. He’s made a fool of himself in the mold of Billy Gillispie.
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Steve Alford excited to take on the challenge of UCLA Bruins job // ESPN Los Angeles
"I understand expectations here," Alford said. "You have to live it first, though, and I understand that, too. It’s just not something I can say. But I’ve been in basketball a long time, and nobody is more of a competitor than I am."
That’s true. Will it be enough? I’m not so sure …
- East Carolina Pirates vs. Weber State Wildcats Recap // CBSSports.com
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Rick Pitino: Louisville Cardinals Coach Past Digital Undergound Fiasco
Pitino as the Comeback Kid. Whatever.
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NCAA Tournament: Ranking Every Champion Since 1985
The Wildcats have two in the top five, according to this author. I don’t mind his math.
Other sports news
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Bobcats' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist enjoying rookie season
"It’s such a long season, and you have to be a professional. You have to be mature. And for a 19-year-old, he’s done an unbelievable job."
The NBA is no-joke work, even for #2 draft picks.
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John Wall blocks Luol Deng's layup // SBNation.com
Oh, John! And on a former Dookie, no less!
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Digging into the past of NCAA President Mark Emmert
A highly unflattering article exploring Mark Emmert’s past. Emmert is the consummate politician with a knack for leaving jobs at the right time.
John Calipari gets a lot of criticism for just this type of thing, but he’s an absolute piker compared to Emmert.
Via Rush The Court.
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VIDEO: Los Angeles Lakers retire Shaquille O'Neal's jersey // CBSSports.com
Not many players currently more worthy of the honor than Shaq.
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Nice move, dipstick.