The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Michael Gilchrist Edition

Michael Gilchrist is the man.  He and Marquis Teague now have a gold medal to bring with them to Kentucky after helping the USA win the FIBA Under 17 World Championship.

More news after the jump.

• Facebook and Twitter Keep Calipari Ahead of the Game - NYTimes.com

  Calipari, who was first encouraged by Indiana Coach Tom Crean to become active on Twitter, says social networking helps him connect with Kentucky fans, who are famously rabid.

  So we have Tom Crean to thank for Calipari's success at Twitter?

• Calipari's recruiting acumen grows - Beyond the Arc - NBC Sports

  Good news Kentucky fans : John Calipari's recruiting reputation is getting a boost. Need I mention this is bad news for everyone else?

  Heh.  Indeed.

• GopherHole.com - Royce White talks about why he chose Iowa State over Kentucky and the Gophers

  Okay, so Calipari offered White a scholarship and White decided to go elsewhere.

  That's one recruiting battle I don't feel bad about losing.  White may wind up being a great player for the Cyclones, and I hope he is.  But I prefer others.

• West Virginia Sports News, Scores and Coverage

  The Queen City native has been hinting that he is very interested in playing for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky. The Wildcats haven’t made a scholarship offer yet, but Behanan says even when they do offer he is most likely not going to make his decision right away.

  We'll have to see.  He looks like a good player, and it's weird being in a position to turn down top 25 players.

• nky.Com | Kentucky Enquirer | The Big Bluegrass Blog " Pitino opens his eyes; Fuller a great hire

  Things are not looking good for UofL’s incoming frosh stud Justin Coleman from West Virginia. Pitino said recently they were hoping the kid would qualify academically but that it didn’t seem likely. This year could be tough for the Cards, but with Fuller on board, I’m sure better players and brighter days are ahead.

  Meh.  They may be brighter for them, but I'm thinking that they won't be as bright as UK's.

• Wizards Insider - John Wall overcomes shaky start to finish in full command

  Wall won't have to make many excuses for his performance, especially in the final three quarters of the game, when he got comfortable and settled into the game. He'll eventually play a more controlled game, but the most impressive aspect of his Wizards debut was his floor presence and how his teammates awaited his leadership and responded. He was by far the youngest player on the floor, but the Wizards kept looking to him for direction. And, when they didn't, Wall told them where they needed to be.

  There is no doubt that John Wall knows how to lead.  He showed it at UK, and he is showing it already in the NBA.

• LEX18 | Lexington, KY | News, Weather, Sports, Kentucky | 2011 Commit Gilchrist Leads US U-17 Team To Finals

  Gilchrist scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, a game high in both categories, in the 103-83 victory. The US needed everything he had to win a game that was close for the first three quarters.

  I'm extremely excited about this guy.  He is really good.

• Kentucky's Joker Phillips in for a wild ride | al.com

  A first-year coach hasn't led the Wildcats to a winning record since Blanton Collier, inheriting the program from Paul "Bear" Bryant, went 7-3 in 1954.

  I have a strong feeling that is about to change.  Joker will win, and he will win right away.  You heard it here first.

• Kentucky wideout Chris Matthews finds his safety away from Los Angeles | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

  Matthews said he's hoping for a year as big as the one he had his sophomore season at Harbor College, and Tee Martin, the Cats' first-year wide receivers coach, said Matthews' potential is "unlimited."

  Matthews has to be the man this year.  We need him to live up to his incredible promise.

• Rick Bozich | NCAA's 'First Four' likely to be First Bore | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

  You thought the NCAA Tournament was perfect. I thought so, too.

  We, obviously, aren't in touch with what America wants because Illinois vs. Arizona State and Virginia Tech vs. Mississippi State, plus two other first-round games matching the four lowest-rated teams in the field (think Winthrop vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff), are going to make it even better next season.

  ...

  Mr. Chairman, you do realize that using the 2010 results, you're talking about adding teams that won five games and lost four in the NIT last season?

  For the love of God.