Had a pleasant Southwest flight to Nashville and picked up my Enterprise Rental. A brand new Ford Focus. Nice looking and nice driving style. Oh 90 mph on I24 was a bit much for its handling and weight in the wind that night, but it handled 75 well. Only downer on the drive to Kentucky was a federal licensed car tried to slow me down, speed up, pass, and slow down from Cheatam to Clarksville. Dadgum government always messing with you...stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Hoptown for a light dinner of beans and greens washed down with sweat tea. Ah, sweet tea the pop of my youth. I don't drink much sweet tea at home and very rarely drink pop, but when back in the JP I enjoy my sweet tea. Unless of course the wife is with me.BTW, when did the state police decide to stop enforcing speed limits on I24? I am very happy they don't but remain surprised that I never see any troopers. The purpose of the trip was simply to see how mother and father are doing. Dad has had a couple of brain injuries and mother is the primary care giver so you don't want too much time to pass without checking in and evaluating the situation. Given it was basketball season I also thought I would go to some local games. So on Tuesday morning I checked and the Murray State game Saturday was sold out. SOLD OUT! WOW. That is just great. Then I learned my high school was playing in the State A Classic tournament, so I wouldn't see them. I settled on a Mid Continent University game scheduled on Thursday night. Mid Continent is the old Mayfield Bible College which is really the old Clinton Bible College founded in 1947. I actually had forgot it existed until sometime in the 80's when I drove by their new campus in Hickory. Very nice. Very nice indeed and the skylight that shoots up to the heavens is a nice touch as well. So Thursday night rolls around and I time the drive from Concord to Hickory to arrive just at tip off. When I got there, this is what the gym looked like.
Sorry, but because of how Sea of Blue handles photos, you must go to my site to read the rest. Go Here There are lots of photos!

Freshman year stats:

PG #1

Min/G = 32
FG % = 41%
3 Pt % = 32%
FT % = 69%
Asst/G = 4.4
Reb/G = 2.6
St/G = 1.0
TO/G = 2.9
Pts/G = 9.9

PG #2

Min/G = 23
FG % = 39%
3 Pt % = 22%
FT % = 87%
Asst/G = 3.3
Reb/G = 1.9
St/G = 0.8
TO/G = 1.8
Pts/G = 9.3

When you make your choice (#1 or #2), please share how strongly you want the PG you selected.

The University of Kentucky men's basketball team is the all-time winningest team with an incredible 2060-646-1 record and this season are 21-1 so far and are ranked #1.

But John Calipari and Co. are not the only team dominating SEC college basketball this season. Matthew Mitchell and the UK women's team are also having a fantastic year. The Wildcat women are 20-2 so far and are ranked #6 in the polls.

For many years, the UK women have been an afterthought trying to get out of the shadow of their male counterparts. This year, the Wildcats have been getting up with the ranks of top teams like UConn, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Tennessee. A'Dia Mathies is a candidate for player of the year and Crystal Riley and Keyla Snowden are also top players.

So, watch out for the Kentucky women's basketball team come March Madness.

Dear Commissioner:

As a former SEC student-athlete, I was appalled at the strategy and execution of that strategy employed by Coach Trent Johnson on Saturday.

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Whats next years team looking like? I know its early and i should be focused on this season, but i still like to have an idea of what we have coming in. Ive looked at our recruiting class for next year, but what players from this years team do you think will stay? I don't think teague is ready but i also didn't think Daniel Orton would leave. Wiljter is really the only other player that is a lock to stay. Whats everyone's thoughts?

The UK Hoops Squad plays defense a lot like I drove a car when I was young and invincible. They get in, start the car, and drive like they stole it until they get to where they are going. Then they get out, do what they have to do, and get back in and tear out of the drive like they are entered in a NASCAR race. Be it the starting five, or the first five subs, they are going to play the exact same way no matter what. The defensive scheme is about the team, not the individual.

So when a player gets in foul trouble, they are not missed defensively as much as they are on offense. And make no mistake about anything, this is A'dia Mathies team. When she is firing, the Cats are running away with it. But when she is sitting, as she had to do some of the day today, due to foul trouble, she is missed. Add to that the fact that the Hoops squad could not find the reach from the charity stripe, and it is a recipe for disaster for the ladies. And although this game was never really close, it does give Coach Matthew Mitchell's girls some work for the practice floor this week. We will go into detail after the break.

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Kentucky vs. Alabama Sun., Jan. 29 - 2:00 p.m. ET Memorial Coliseum

Coverage TV: CSS Radio: UK IMG

Live Video via WatchESPN

The UK Hoops squad takes on Alabama today for the second annual Alumni Day at Memorial Coliseum.Over 40 of UK's alums will be honored at halftime of the game. Coach Matthew Mitchell's ladies will be looking to extend their SEC winning streak to 9 games and maintain their spot alone atop the SEC. Mitchell had this to say concerning today's game: "We are setting our sights on Alabama for Sunday afternoon," UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. "It's a big game for us, we're glad to be back home in Memorial (Coliseum). It's our Alumni Day and we will be happy to welcome back a bunch of alumni who have helped us build this program. So that will make it special. Alabama is a team, like many teams in the Southeastern Conference, with a lot of athletes, lot of speed, lot of quickness. We will have to be ready to play well Sunday afternoon and I'm looking forward to getting back to practice and seeing if we can continue to improve."

Sunday is one of more than 1,000 events taking place across the country for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Congress has proclaimed this national day each year since 1987. It recognizes the progress of girls and women in sports and the benefits that sports and fitness activities can bring the lives of all girls and women. The day is organized nationally by the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, the National Women's Law Center and the Women's Sports Foundation.

More after the break.

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New York Times columnist Joe Nocera continues his virtual one-man campaign against what he sees (and that with which I agree) as the NCAA's hypocritical stance as a defender and protector of the student athlete when in reality it is a typical bureaucracy which is unswervingly dedicated to the rigidity of its self-serving rules. The victim this time is a woman basketball player from, of all places, Harvard. The Crimson should be crimson in its cowardice in not defending one of its students.

Another week, another Saturday-Tuesday sequence for the Cats in conference play. It is truly an odd schedule when they will finish their home-and-home with Tennessee before ever playing Vanderbilt or Florida. After these two games UK will be halfway through their conference slate - this season is just flying by.

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Matthew Mitchell has a really simple job for the rest of the season. Just don't lose. Or at least that's what he seems to think. The UK Hoops squad continued their Sherman-esque march through the SEC tonight by scalding the Lady Tigers from Auburn. The Hoops squad is now 8-0 in SEC play after defeating Auburn by a score of 66-48 in Auburn, playing a combination of efficient offense and their trademark stingy defense. Led by A'dia Mathies again, as her 20 pts over 27 minutes were more than the Tigers could handle. Auburn dropped to 2-6 in SEC play. Mathies was coming off of a game against Florida where she only scored 3 pts, and was looking to get back into a groove, which Auburn was none too happy to allow.

Mathies stated afterward, " I need to be more aggresive, they would rather have me shooting and creating plays than anyone else." " I tried to get more people involved" Mathies had three assists to go along with her 20 pts.

The Hoops squad got out early and never let up, forcing 30 T.O.'s on Auburn, which led to 38 points. Maegan Conwright added 10 pts as well, as she and Samarie Walker helped pile on a total of 16 pts between them.The ladies had 13 steals, shot 6-3pt baskets, and grabbed 34 rebounds.

The UK Hoops squad's defense is becoming not just stingy, but downright devastating. Those 30 T.O.'s are the most ever forced by a UK Hoops squad against Auburn in history.

Blanche Alverson scored 15 for Auburn, and Morgan Jennings added 10 more.Overall, Auburn was simply outrun and outgunned.

Coach Matthew Mitchell stated, "A great performance by our team tonight, that's what good teams do, go on the road and win." " I told 'em before the game, because we're confident does not mean we will win, but if we play confident we will win this game" "This group has worked really hard, and they need to understand that if they do that, it will work for them."

Bernisha Pinkett and Conwright together added a total of 18 points. Samarie Walker had 15 rebounds and 2 steals to go along with her 6 pts.

The Hoops squad takes on Alabama to start the second half of their SEC schedule at Memorial Coliseum on Sunday Jan 29th at 2 pm. TV Coverage provided by Comcast Sports South. We will have a live blog here at ASOB.