Kentucky Wildcats: Morning Quickies - Bowl Season Begins Edition

Today, we wake up to a newly inaugurated head football coach and big time questions about our men's basketball team. The women's basketball team answered some questions yesterday, though, handling Louisville their first loss of the season in the Yum! Center.

Tweet of the Morning:

New coaches always "sound" good, but something seems to be different about Mark Stoops. Good luck coach. Go Cats!!!

— Rusty Harrod (@KyWildcat615) December 3, 2012

I agree. I really like what I see so far.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Mark Stoops focused on establishing winning culture, taking Cats to next level as coach // KyForward.com
  I think he's focused on the right things, and said the right things.

• Could Joker Phillips end up at Florida? // John Clay's Sidelines

• UK AD Mitch Barnhart says organized Mark Stoops was spectacular during search process // vaughtsviews

  During his first search for a coach in 2002, Barnhart admitted that “it was hard” to find a replacement for Guy Morriss, but discovered a different tone outside the program this time around, a sign that the Kentucky job wasn’t a hard sell for Barnhart.

  Now, this is kind of interesting. I am a little surprised, although I guess I shouldn't be after UK went to all those bowl games in a row.

• One opposing view on Mark Stoops // John Clay's Sidelines
  No, but his last name could make the difference between a 4* and 3* recruit at a given position.

• Kentucky Sports Radio // James Coley will not join Stoops’ staff
  Been hearing this for a while now.

Kentucky basketball

• Next Cats: Wiggins inspires awe from rivals at Hoop Fest // Kentucky.com
  If when we get Andrew Wiggins, it will be the best recruiting class in history.

• Wiggins: ‘I could see myself playing with twins’ // ZagsBlog.com
  Sweet. I hope Derek Anderson was whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Not about UK of course, that would be an NCAA violation ...

• John Calipari’s Kiddie ‘Cats face big issues - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News

  If you are a Kentucky fan, you have no idea how to react now. You have no training for this. You have no experience. You might have been following the Wildcats for five years or 10 years or 50, but there never has been a program exactly like this one, and this avant-garde program never has had a team such as this.

  Heh. Hyperbolic, but I forgive Mike. 2011 trained us up for this -- how soon we forget.
• Kyle Wiltjer’s shooting slump // John Clay's Sidelines
• Wiggins, Harrisons impress at Hoopfest // The Kentucky Kernel

• The fall of Lexington - Opinion - The Spectrum - The Universty of Buffalo

  Maybe it’s because having one fewer powerhouse in the country increases the chances of Syracuse getting its second national championship, but I think everyone who isn’t from Lexington, Ky. should be pleased with these early-season results. Kentucky’s struggle is good for college basketball.

  Feel free to go over and mock this idiot.

Other UK sports

• Mark Story: Ugly game has gorgeous finish for UK women's basketball // Kentucky.com
  Ugly, hell. Beating Louisville is beautiful no matter how the game looked.

• UK Hoops 48- UL 47 Postmortem: Janee Thompson Goes Bird Huntin' // A Sea Of Blue
  Greg's postmortem on Kentucky's big road win over the Cardinals.

Links posts

• Football Links // Larry Glover Live
• Big Blue Links // John Clay's Sidelines
• The Morning Mix // CollegeBasketballTalk
• Wakeup Call: An outpouring of commemoration for Rick Majerus // CBSSports.com

College football

• Western Kentucky football to face Central Michigan in Little Caesars Bowl | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com
  Congrats to my alma mater.

• ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit slams BCS’ inclusion of Northern Illinois // SI Tracking Blog
  I agree that it was a suspicious inclusion.

• No. 4 Florida, No. 22 Louisville in Sugar Bowl // NBC Sports
  Heh. I suspect this is going to be a one-sided game.

• 2012-2013 College football bowl TV schedule set // SBNation.com
  Your complete bowl schedule for 2012-13.

• Louisiana Tech refuses to play former rival Louisiana-Monroe in Independence Bowl // SBNation.com
  Crazy.

College basketball

• NCAA College Basketball Rankings // CBS
  Seems to be a certain team missing here.

• Wells scores career high, has Terrapins in position to compete atop ACC // CollegeBasketballTalk
  Good for them. Good for us. Our one quality win so far.