The day after the day after (or the day after after?), the big news is reports out of Lexington that A. J. Stewart is no longer with the team. Some reports say he quit, some say he was kicked off, others say he was temporarily banished. Nobody has word out of the UK Athletics Department, so I can't clear this up whatsoever. When we get some kind of definitive word, I'll have it up here to discuss.
And now, for the rest of the news.
Kentucky Basketball News
- Patterson is ignoring the pundits. Patterson is remarkably mature, and he is showing strong leadership by his remarks. No matter how long he is a Wildcat, he is one that I'll remember forever. I hope he stays one more year, because I think one more could be special, and he deserves better than what he has had to suffer through so far.
- Guy Smiley has a good post on his perception of Coach Gillispie. In large part, I agree with him, but I am confident UK will stick with him whatever the outcome this year. The negatives of firing him after two years and two winning seasons (even though they are far below what UK should expect) are just too damaging to contemplate.
- UK and K-State -- Twin sons of different mothers this year? Intentional Foul makes the case.
- Gamecocks jump to first.
- The Tigers are coming. We need to send them home wondering why they ever wanted to come.
- Wildcats' spirits are high after big loss, but apparently the Internet blogs, message boards and call-in shows are another matter. Typical.
- Danny Jett calls on UK fans to quit whining and get behind the team. I think we need to see a little more of that kind of attitude around the Big Blue Nation, and less negative talk. Optimism feels so much better than pessimism.
- LSU's Garrett Temple is fine, contrary to Internet rumors. That's great news.
- SLAM Online thinks Patrick Patterson is one of the top five power forward NBA prospects this year.
- Eric Crawford opines that something about Kentucky's team this year seems amiss. I think it's easy to get this perception after some bad games, and UK has had more than its share of those lately. The blowout loss to South Carolina makes it easy to draw the conclusion that this team has some kind of internal issues that are tearing it apart and preventing them from reaching their potential.
I personally have wondered about this myself at times this season. Nobody is talking about this, but internal issues could go a long way to explain the eccentric substitutions that Gillispie has been making all year. Of course, it could be that Gillispie is just plain eccentric himself -- let's face it, they guy essentially admitted to losing his first marriage over his obsession with coaching college basketball.
I will not join Crawford at the moment in his worry, although I will also not say he is off base. It is possible, and there have been some things happening (team arguments, this whole A.J. Stewart debacle that remains up in the air, Liggins refusal to play in Vegas) that could indicate some sort of intractable personality conflict or simmering disunity within the team. There is not enough evidence yet, in my opinion, to draw a reasonable conclusion, but there is enough to make you wonder.
Kentucky Football/Other Sports News
- UK women fall to Georgia on senior night.
- Big track meet at UK this weekend.
- Bat Cats open up their home schedule with Western Michigan.
- Former Wildcat linebacker a finalist for the Academic Hall of Fame.
- The Miami (OH) game everyone has been talking about may have hit a snag.
NCAA Basketball News
- Pelphrey showing technical expertise. Man, that is just a bogus call by the officials, assuming that a comment meant for a player was meant for him. Unacceptable, if you ask me. The official should be reprimanded.
- Michigan knocks off Purdue. Maize 'N Brew has more.
- Washington defeats Arizona State in a mild upset of Pac-10 teams.
NCAA Football News
- Cocky coaches fill the SEC.
- Team Speed Kills tries to explain the BCS to Mack Brown. Worth a read, if you're unsure.
Other News of Interest
- Tiger Woods goes down to Tim Clark in the Accenture Match Play Championship. He ain't happy. I can tell.