Big Blue Linkapalooza: National Semifinal Eve Edition

Lots of stuff in the news today.  The Cats Pause has now separated itself from Rivals and partnered with 247 Sports, the Kemba Walker love continues unabated, people still do not know that UConn plays more freshmen more minutes than Kentucky, and the long knives are still out for John Calipari.  Plus, Kentucky has earned a big-time football commitment, and I'll be doing yet another radio show tonight.  What fun!

Here are your links:

• Final Four: Kentucky's D'Andre Liggins has seen it all, wants second chance at stopping Kemba, UConn
  Dick Weiss. My hero. I love this story.

• Huskies are Kentucky's latest shot at redemption - FoxNews.com
• Rankings the Positions: The Centers :: Beyond the Arc

• Kentucky's Final Four Run, Through The Eyes Of The Player Who Started It All - SBNation.com

  "A lot of coaches just don't have that appetite," he explains, "and don't understand how to deal with that. So I think he has a one-up on them, and I think there's a little bit of... Not necessarily jealousy, but a little 'let's throw a thorn in his side and say that he's everything that's wrong with college basketball.' I look at it from a different angle. He's looking out for the kid's best interest. It's not always about college basketball, it's about preparing for the future."

  Jamal Mashburn, from afar, understands Calipari and why so many people dislike him better than almost every sportswriter in the country.

  That's both a credit to him, and a sad comment on the rest.

• Video: John Calipari press conference at Final Four :: John Clay’s Sidelines
  You should watch this.

• Kentucky Sports Radio :: Cats pick up a big-time football commit
  Incredible job by Phillips on this one. Charlie Strong has to be smarting.

• Cal asked about ‘first Final Four’ :: Eric Crawford
  If you watched the video I linked, you will definitely see that Calipari did not appreciate that snarky question by Dennis Dodd of CBS. Nor should he have.

• NCAA tournament: As Brandon Knight matured, Kentucky Wildcats figured out their game - ESPN

  Knight comes to Houston overshadowed by the impossible story of VCU versus Butler and the star power of Kemba Walker, but could easily exit this city as the most important player on the floor.

  Could?  Yes.  I predict he will.

• Dave Telap: "Kentucky Is One Step Away From Planetary Dominance" :: The UK Nation

• The Leach Report for today
  Always worth a listen

• Packer Says Calipari to Blame for Jay-Z Meeting (Transcript) - Bloomberg

  PACKER: Well, you know, I’ll let those guys that make those predictions do it right now. One of the things that I saw - it’s kind of interesting - the freshmen have not done well in recent years in being on teams that win national championships, so if that holds true, Kentucky can’t be there. Connecticut has the guy that’s probably been the best player in terms of being able to lead, put his team on his back and lead them to a national championship, and Jim Calhoun has had success, obviously, winning national crowns.

  Billy Packer is as clueless about major college basketball as ever.  I wonder if he is aware that UConn starts more freshmen than Kentucky does (if Lamb starts for UK, the same number) and 2 of their top three bench players are freshmen as well?

  As I said -- Clueless

• Weekend Preview: Gamecocks Seek Revenge Against Kentucky Wildcats - Garnet And Black Attack

• SportsTalkSoup 4/1/2011 - The Sports Geeks :: Internet Radio
  I'll be on Sports Geeks Internet radio show tonight at 11:15.

• Liggins backs off his statement about last year’s team :: John Clay’s Sidelines

• Report: Former Kentucky staffer Bilal Batley broke NCAA rules - College Basketball News | FOX Sports on MSN

  This is a bunch of meaningless pap. Thayer Evans -- remember him from the Bledsoe controversy with Pete Thamel?  And of course, Jeff Goodman.

  So what we have here are secondary NCAA violations by Batley at both Memphis and Kentucky.  Batley resigned from UK for the secondary violation during the Gillispie administration, and left Memphis before Cousins even committed, IIRC.

  This is the fruit of a two-year investigation?  Really?

• Kentucky Sports Radio :: Cousins responds to Liggins’ egos comment, Liggins clarifies
• Rush The Court :: NCAA Final Four Game Analysis

• Jimmer Fredette of BYU Cougars is AP player of year - ESPN
  Congratulations. Well deserved.

• Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Mike Brey named AP coach of year - ESPN
  Congrats to Mike Brey.