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Sorry the Quickies went on hiatus during Thanksgiving, but I was simply unable to keep up with it and gamble too. And sorry for leaving out the introduction -- it's a getting back in the groove thing.
Tweet of the Morning:
For the record, John Calipari has also been preaching the 4-league, 16-team college sports entity. If this comes to pass, kiss NCAA goodbye.
— Oscar Combs (@wildcatnews) November 28, 2012
I'm pretty sure this is right.
Your Quickies:
Kentucky football
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Kentucky linebacker tweets "Stoops" // Tomahawk Nation
Interesting thing is, it looks like Pancho Thomas knew something, heard something, or ... maybe he just wanted it to happen. Any way you look at it, this tweet might wind up becoming a Big Blue legend. -
Mark Stoops is Kentucky football's new hope // The Courier-Journal
Throughout Fry’s 20 seasons with the Hawkeyes and well after his retirement in 1998, former players and assistants often asked him to put in a good word for coaching openings. But Fry was struck by the fact that Mark Stoops never sought assistance. It was not in his nature, Fry said, because he wanted to prove he could make it on his own.
I particularly admire this quality, although it can be taken too far. - Former Cats love the Mark Stoops hire // Kyle Tucker – UK Beat
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Mark Story: Long-suffering UK fans applaud Stoops hire // Kentucky.com
"I wanted Petrino, but when I think of Florida State and everything he's done there, I think Stoops is a great hire," Brandon Shields said. "I think Petrino would have been a polarizing hire with the fans. This hire, I think, will have a unifying effect. People don't have the dislike of Mark Stoops like they did (Petrino)."
I think this is right. Stoops is fairly easy to get behind, although there is now a small, hard nut of opposition to anyone but Petrino out there. They will be heard from as soon as anything goes wrong.
The question is, how much bad can Stoops fend off? Most people want four years minimum, and I truly believe he'll get that, but if he needs it all, then I can tell you Year 3 is going to be incredibly acrimonious with the Petrino people taking over blogs and message boards. I hope, fervently, that we never have to find out.
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"I was more happy for Coach Stoops than anything," safety Lamarcus Joyner said. "He was a coach that put in work and after explaining it was best for him and his family and that it was setting him up for what he needed for him, that's a blessing for him. He's a great man and he deserves it."
Stoops is receiving tremendous support from the FSU team and coaching staff. Good to see. FSU just notched up a bit in respect from me. -
High school prospects, coaches praise UK’s hiring of Mark Stoops // Courier-Journal
The Stoops hire is going to make for some really interesting recruiting. -
What about a Mark Stoops-Neal Brown combination at Kentucky to excite players and fans // vaughtsviews
Yeah, I'd like to see that happen. -
Kentucky commits to defense with Mark Stoops // ESPN
You don’t recruit at the bigger schools; you pick and choose. And when your state isn’t close to being as talent-rich as others, evaluation has to be more than just spot-on. You can’t afford to miss on players, and that’s one thing that doomed Phillips.
I think there is a lot of truth in that, although less than one might be inclined to believe. Phillips got unlucky on several recruits that looked good to everybody. That can't happen at UK.
Kentucky basketball
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NCAA basketball rankings: Kentucky falls from top five // SBNation.com
Meh. -
Duke Owns Kentucky and Other Things We’ve Learned // Duke Report
Duke is 2-0 against the best the great state of Kentucky has to offer in terms of college basketball teams, but that isn’t all we learned from the Blue Devils victory over Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.
Well, they earned both victories and good for them. All I can say is, by March, assuming everyone healthy, I don't think they will welcome a rematch with either team. -
Notre Dame coach expects great atmosphere against young and talented Kentucky // vaughtsviews
This game should be lots of fun, and it should tell us exactly where we are in the maturation process.
Other UK sports
- Klefot Named SEC Libero of the Year, Leads All-SEC Selections // UKAthletics.com
- UK Hoops Plays Host to Miami University Wednesday Morning // UKAthletics.copm
Links posts
College football
- Notre Dame, the best SEC team not in the SEC // SBNation.com
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Louisville to ACC: Updated conference realignment recap // SBNation.com
I really have no feelings about this one way or another. I'm fine with it. -
Report: Gruden to get Browns ownership stake in offer to coach Vols // ProFootballTalk
WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn. reported Tuesday night that the ESPN NFL analyst has an offer on the table to become the next head coach of the University of Tennessee with an interesting twist. According to the report, Gruden would be getting an ownership stake in the Cleveland Browns as part of the deal and a decision could be made as early as Wednesday.
That's an interesting form of compensation. I suspect it would violate NCAA rules. -
Update: Louisville joins ACC and what it means // John Clay's Sidelines
The Big East continues to crumble. -
Les Miles has 'serious offer' from Arkansas, according to report // SBNation.com
Talk about your real-life definition of "Go big or go home."
College basketball
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No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 14 North Carolina final score: Hoosiers roll over Tar Heels in 83-59 victory // SBNation.com
And we picked this year to skip North Carolina? Jeez. -
Despite beatdown, Heels 'playing for March' // ESPN
North Carolina was beaten consistently as Cody Zeller outran the Tar Heels. Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell and Jordan Hulls passed over the Tar Heels or IU's Will Sheehey or Victor Oladipo got ahead for a flush or an otherwise-demoralizing finish.
Didn't see the game, but this has to particularly gall Williams. The only aspect of defense in which North Carolina is usually good is transition defense. -
Morning Five: 11.28.12 Edition // Rush The Court
Louisville in the ACC makes about as much sense as any of the other crazy realignment moves, but in terms of sheer basketball prowess, can a league harboring Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino and Jim Boeheim really not self-combust into nucler winter wormhole of egomania? If true, this news is astonishing.
I don't think the college presidents are even considering coaching egos at this point. They are running to the $$$. -
Michigan makes a case as a title contender by beating NC State // CollegeBasketballTalk
Those of us who know Mark Gottfreid are a little bit skeptical of this. I'd be more likely to chalk this up to Gottfreid being outcoached than to elevate Michigan to the status of "title contender" just yet.