The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Football Behind Us, Hoops Before Us

With the unfortunate 21-13 loss in the 2009 Music City Bowl and the now-anticipated retirement of Kentucky Head Football Coach Rich Brooks, the football team will be making some news between now and March, but it will be limited.

So now, we move on full speed into basketball season, where the 13-0 Kentucky Wildcats go for #14 in a row tonight against the Hartford Hawks.  We'll get a look at what good Camp Calipari, the intense practices held over the Christmas break when NCAA restrictions on practice relax, have had on this young team as we move inexorably toward our date with the Louisville Cardinals this coming Saturday.

I have already done the pre-game for tonight's game owing to a slight time-space displacement (or rather, a displacement of my time-space perception), so I'll be moving that up near the top again for your viewing and commenting pleasure in a little while.

The news follows the jump.

• Aaron's UK Football Blog: Derrick Locke says he's returning
• Music City Bowl 2009 Won by Clemson Defense - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com
  Clemson's defense probably won the game, but the reality is, the game was won before that last touchdown. UK's drives just kept stalling, and they couldn't stop the Tigers in the second half.
• Brooks' class, grace will be missed - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN
  College football (college sports, for that matter) needs more people like Rich Brooks.
  
  He’s an old-school guy who treats people the way they deserve to be treated. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, not afraid to step on toes if he thinks it’s justified and not afraid to stick up for his football team.
  
  But everything he does, he does with class and grace.
  
  Amen, brother Chris.
• QB competition a good thing after Newton's performance | KentuckySports.com
  "I thought he did some really good things," Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks said of Newton. "But especially when he threw the ball down the field, the accuracy was not there."
• Post game impressions of Music City Bowl victory - Shakin The Southland
• Spiller runs over Kentucky to help Clemson to Music City Bowl triumph - NCAA College Football Recap - ESPN
  Spiller scored a touchdown and had 172 all-purpose yards in his final college game, leading Clemson to a 21-13 victory over Kentucky on Sunday night in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers (9-5) hadn't won a bowl since the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl.
  
  And some say we "held Spiller down." In what particular? Okay, so he didn't run for 250 yards against UK, but he hasn't rushed for over 200 yards but once all year (in a loss), and over 100 only 4 times, only 2 of which were victories.
• Leach suspended, won’t coach in Alamo Bowl - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
  Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has been suspended while the school investigates complaints from a player and his family about treatment after an injury.
  
  Wow. Awkward.
• Hartford-Kentucky Preview - Dec. 28, 2009 - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
  Kentucky coach John Calipari was understanding of his team's sloppy performance in its final game before Christmas.
• Kentucky Sports Radio " Maeshon Witherspoon Updates Her Son, Josh Selby’s Situation
• Boykin's kickoff return for TD propels Georgia to 4th bowl win in row - NCAA College Football Recap - ESPN
  Congrats to the Bulldogs for doing what Kentucky could not -- win four bowl games in a row.
• Kansas Jayhawks no longer coaches' unanimous No. 1 - ESPN
  Texas looks stronger to me.
• Cousins growing up for unbeaten Wildcats - NewsFlash - PennLive.com
  There have been glimpses of it. Calipari praised Cousins' effort during "Camp Cal," a boot camp of sorts Calipari instituted over the Christmas break. Cousins-never one to run all-out all the time-played with such intensity even his coach was impressed.
  
  If Cousins can give all-out effort 100% of the time he is on the floor, he has no discernible ceiling, at least in college.
•  Wilmhoff's Wildcat Wrap: A reflection on the possible ending of the Rich Brooks era
• Kentucky Faces Questions Heading Into Offseason
  "I think it may be time for a change and time for Joker to take it over," Brooks said. "I'm not totally sure, but I just feel like maybe it's time."
  
  Maybe. I'll leave it all up to him.
• One-and-done players have destroyed college basketball
  I'm afraid I can't agree. But I would like to see the rule changed.
• Coach deserves better sendoff than Music City Bowl showing" Evansville Courier & Press
• A Season Ends the Way It Has Been...
• KG's College Athletics: Kentucky's John Wall Has Propper Motive
• Louisville Mojo: Colts' Coach Cheated Everybody
  It's Knight's privilege to believe them and not believe Calipari. But if we really want to talk about integrity in coaching – or the lack thereof – we must at least concede that today it's more difficult than ever for coaches to be totally aware of everything that's happening in their programs.
  
  The guy makes some good points in here. This is about the Indianapolis Colts' decision to pull their starters halfway through a meaningless game, but it is worth a read.
• Jemele Hill’s TV Future at ESPN in Doubt After Charles Manson Comment About John Calipari | The Big Lead
  On Friday’s First Take, while Hill and Bayless were discussing Bob Knight’s verbal jab at Calipari, Hill commented that Kentucky fans would – paraphrasing here – "cheer if Charles Manson were coaching the team, as long as he was winning." The second part of the sentence is accurate – winning trumps all and few fans seem to be concerned with what is happening behind-the-scenes.
  
  What a jerk this guy is.
• Hoops on Campus - NY Daily News
  A source told ESPN that Leach called a trainer and told him to put the younger James in "the darkest place, to clean out equipment and make sure he did not sit or lean.'' He was confined for three hours to an electrical room. James told AP Leach said if he came out he would be kicked off the team. The same thing happened two days later and a guard was posted outside.
  
  Unacceptable behavior. Leach's butt should be in a sling if this is true.
• March Madness All Season: Maurice Creek likely done for season
  Man, that's just awful. Creek was really having a great freshman campaign. Condolences to the Hoosiers, Creek and his family. Get well soon.
• Weekly Wrap: Unbeatens won't last - CBK News - FOX Sports on MSN
  The Loathsome Troll Jeff Goodman predicts that UK will lose to Florida on Januar 12th. Via Rush the Court.
• Mark Story: Brooks has done it the right way | KentuckySports.com
  Here's the one thing you need to know about Rich Brooks' career arc at Kentucky. Before it disappeared from the Internet, the Web site www.firerichbrooks.com posted the following message: We were wrong. I know how they feel.
  
  So do I.
• Another example of your faulty memory
  Ken Pomeroy sets us straight on the Pac 10.
• Jigsaw Man provides missing pieces for title teams - Seth Davis - SI.com
  As talented as these young guys are, they have not bought into the idea that you have to play tough, smart, persistent D to be a great team. Since they are already one of the best shot-blocking and rebounding teams in the country, the place where Kentucky needs an infusion is the backcourt. They need someone who can lock down his man, take care of the ball and provide some leadership in the locker room.
  
  Davis, like a stopped clock, is right occasionally.
• Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, Texas are top seeds in Bracket Watch - Andy Glockner - SI.com
• Sprints Is Trying Get Back to Football After the Urban Meyer Chaos // 12.29.09 - Team Speed Kills
• Mike Leach: Abusive Coach or Victim of Overprotective Parents? - Corn Nation
  So is this the wussification of football or is Leach out of control, a modern day Woody Hayes, who's unaware of the dangers of concussions? Or as Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune suggests... did he want to get fired?
  
  Interesting question. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
• Georgia Bulldogs 44, Texas A&M Aggies 20: Declarations From the Independence Bowl - Dawg Sports
  Next season will see a wealth of returning talent in Athens, a fresh start on the side of the ball that wins championships, and a new Uga beginning his reign. There are problems aplenty, but, for the first time in two years, I am fully confident that this program is under the direction of a head coach who is fully capable of making the tough choices that must be made.
  
  We'll see. Great win for the Dawgs, though.
• A Real Retirement: Rich Brooks' Final Game -- Clemson 21, Kentucky 13 - Team Speed Kills
  Sunday evening was a microcosm of all that -- another indicator that Kentucky has come a long way, but not quite far enough.
  
  Word.