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Kentucky travels to Missouri tomorrow for the Tigers' homecoming. Given UK's unfortunate experience on the SEC road this year, I have serious trepidations about this game, but at least we will have the services of all our quarterbacks except for Maxwell Smith.
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Document details new NCAA enforcement plan // USA Today
I don't have a problem with this. It basically says that a head coach's staff is an extension of him, and that should always be the case. In my job, if employees commit a violation, it is me who is responsible. Extending this same principle to head coaches makes sense to me.
Graduation rate is more bad news for UConn // Yahoo! Sports
Those changes include mandated sanctions for any player who misses three or more classes during the academic year and daily checks of course work for student-athletes who have a grade-point average of 2.3 or lower.
So are we to understand that UConn was not sanctioning players for missed classes and not checking course work before this? Good grief.
Calipari says Kentucky's 'just average' // The Tennessean
"Good players, good kids, they’re trying. Just young. Don’t play hard enough. Don’t play full possessions. Out of control. Don’t know each other, which isn’t surprising. We have no roles right now. We’re all trying to figure out who’s who."
Make no mistake, this team has a long way to go.
Andrew Wiggins becomes top Kentucky basketball recruiting prospect for 2013 // The Courier-Journal
His father, Mitchell Wiggins, told USA Today on Thursday that his son doesn’t need two more seasons of high school basketball. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree. He’s an amazingly athletic, hard-attacking wing player with ideal size.
Yeah, from what I have seen and heard. there really isn't much benefit to an added season from a basketball perspective.
New NCAA rules put blame for violations on head coaches // CollegeBasketballTalk
As I said before, this is how it should be. What they shouldn't and didn't do is make coaches responsible for the failure of their athletes away from school. That would have been a bridge too far.
But coaches should be responsible for the actions of people they hire, supervise, and work with.
Video: UK coach John Calipari speaks at SEC Media Day // vaughtsviews
A team-by-team look at Southeastern Conference basketball // KansasCity.com
No way I pick Missouri over Florida. No way.
Blue-White game by the numbers // The Kentucky Kernel
Goodwin led all scorers with 32 points, but also led in shots attempted. This became a point of contention when Goodwin missed Julius Mays ahead of him on the break in the second half to score himself, earning derision from UK head coach John Calipari.
"Julius was out ahead of him, and he drove it by him and shot it, and that’s unacceptable here," Calipari said. "I wasn’t really happy. I let him know."
Absolutely right. Being your brother's keeper is a learning curve. Most of these kids have been all about themselves. That's got to change here.
Volleyball prepares for weekend SEC road swing // The Kentucky Kernel
Go, volleyball!
Mark Story: With knee injury behind him, can UK's Hood crack Calipari's rotation? // Kentucky.com
Personally, I put about as much stock in a player's performance in an intrasquad game as I do in emails from mysterious Hong Kong businessmen offering sweetheart financial deals.
With that disclaimer, Hood was active and productive in Kentucky's Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night. He finished with 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting and had three rebounds and five assists. Afterward, Calipari praised Hood for, as the coaches say, playing within himself. "He knows what his game is now," Cal said.
I liked what I saw in Jon Hood. I think he will play quite a bit this year.
Missouri-Kentucky football preview // KansasCity.com
For Missouri, self respect. The Tigers are coming off a bye week, so they should be well rested and ready for the struggling Wildcats. A loss would put Missouri on course to finish dead last in the SEC East, something few thought possible before the season. With a win, Kentucky can put itself in position to avoid a third straight last-place finish in the division.
What's at stake for Kentucky? Self-respect also. Somebody's not going to come away with any.
QUIZ: Test your knowledge of Kentucky, Missouri football's next opponent // Columbia Missourian
Heh. Kentucky winning the national championship in football. Well, we had an argument, but the consensus NC that year was the team we defeated.
Cats ready for new experience heading to Mizzou // Kentucky Wildcats
Not a single current Wildcat was alive - or within even 20 years of being born - the last time UK and Missouri matched up in 1968. In fact, Joker Phillips was five years old and 13 years away from even beginning his playing career at Kentucky.
Wow. I didn't realize it had been that long.
Wooden-led '64 UCLA crowned college hoops' most influential team // Alex Wolff - SI.com
Kentucky shows up twice on this list -- one where you would expect, and one where maybe you might not.
Los Angeles Lakers complete difficult preseason with loss to Sacramento Kings // The Washington Post
Go Big Cuz! Via Walter's Wildcat World.
Kentucky at Missouri: Exploring the Wildcats' depth chart // Rock M Nation
Make no mistake: Kentucky's got some size. But the Wildcats are terribly young in key areas (quarterback, defensive back), and the bottom line is that the team has been pretty awful away from home. Louisville, Florida and Arkansas (all likely better than Mizzou this year) beat Kentucky by a combined score of 119-21. This is a team built to look pretty good a couple of years from now (probably under a coach not named Joker Phillips), but it is probably not good enough to win on the road in SEC play. Don't expect Mizzou to suddenly look fantastic on Saturday, but do expect the Tigers to win by 10-20 points.
Well, there's no doubt that's what I'd say if the roles were reversed.