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I have saved up so many things from recent days that have yet to hit the linkapalooza, it's hard to believe. But I have just enough time to get one of these up.
Poythress: "Coach Cal will have good players. I know that." // vaughtsviews
"[John Calipari] is just comfortable with you and just speaks the real truth to you. He tells you what you need to hear even if that is not always what you want to hear," Poythress said.
"...just speaks the real truth...?" Recruits seem to know this, even if the media often doesn't.
Saturday’s Bubble Losers // CollegeBasketballTalk
- Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are in big trouble. They looked great in the first half against No. 1 Kentucky, but other than that they have been dreadful the last three weeks. After getting smoked by Alabama in the second half, their losing streak has now reached five games and, sitting at 6-8 in the SEC, rick Stansbury’s club probably is on the wrong side of the bubble right now. Win out and get a couple of wins in the SEC Tournament and we’ll talk.
MSU is busily playing itself into the NIT.
Unique doesn't begin to describe the dominance of Kentucky's Davis // CBSSports.com
But 6-foot-10 freshman Anthony Davis was even better than I thought he was, and I already thought he was the best pro prospect in college basketball. But he's more than that. He's the best player in college basketball, and it's not even close between him and whoever's second. A handful of guys in college basketball profoundly impact the game on defense. Another handful profoundly impact the game on offense. How many players do that at both ends?
One. Anthony Davis.
Indeed.
UConn, you now need at least three wins in a row // CBSSports.com
Syracuse won its ninth straight because the game's ending was marred by a foul call that never was; UConn’s Roscoe Smith was aggressively covered by C.J. Fair as he went up for a bunny. The whistle didn’t come until zeroes were left on the clock, and that signaled the end of the game, not a late foul call. It was a break that didn’t go UConn’s way, and so it was not afforded overtime and a chance to vault ahead of many teams in the at-large field.
Without Yeguete, Florida even more one-dimensional in a loss to Georgia // CollegeBasketballTalk
Their trip to Athens to take on Georgia was all the proof you need. Georgia shot 52.9% from the field and committed just ten turnovers en route to a fairly dominating 76-62 win over the Gators.
Should I mention that the Gators shot 5-23 from beyond the arc?
The loss of Will Yeguette is devastating to Florida. Their front court is now consists of Patric Young and Eric Murphy.
With Davis, sky is limit for Kentucky
Davis would be a deserving winner [of national Player of the Year] — freshman of the year and defensive player of the year are practically already in the mail — but he said he currently has other priorities.
"That would be great, but it's just an award," Davis said. "My main focus is on winning a national championship."
Right where your priority should be, young man. Good for you.
Kentucky basketball freshmen draw praise for selfless attitude // The Courier-Journal
"The integrity and the character with which they play the game of basketball, night in and night out, as young players, at this place, it’s amazing. I’m floored. They’re not mugging for the cameras. Neither seems to be concerned with how many points they’re scoring. That’s pretty unique." -- Rex Chapman on the Kentucky freshmen.
King Rex is 100% right.
UK notebook: Calipari, Saban demand rare brand of excellence // Kentucky.com
Earlier this winter, Kentucky Coach John Calipari expressed his admiration for Nick Saban and Alabama's national championship football team. Attention to detail and execution led Calipari to offer the Tide as an example for UK's basketball team to follow in its own championship quest.
No matter what you think of Saban, he is a winner, and that's no accident.
What we learned from Saturday afternoon - College Basketball Nation Blog // ESPN
No. 1 Kentucky 83, Vanderbilt 74: Vandy coach Kevin Stallings isn't the type to revel in moral victories, but even so, it would be hard for him to walk away from today's loss at Kentucky and not feel pretty good about his team. Kentucky, as you know, is a steamroller, an incredible collection of talent with a transformative defensive player in Anthony Davis and a coterie of first-round draft picks on the floor at any given time. But over the 80 minutes these two teams have played, Vanderbilt has come closest to legitimately challenging UK. There's a victory in there somewhere.
I think that's right, although Vandy fans can be forgiven for disagreeing.
Barnhart says he's working to keep Mitchell 'a long, long time' // Kentucky.com
"This has been a great journey with him," Barnhart said of Mitchell, who on Sunday guided UK to its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title in 30 years.
Barnhart doesn't want that journey to end any time soon, so he's already working to renegotiate the coach's contract.
"We're well down that road," Barnhart said. "I want Matthew to be here a long, long time."
Wise. I think Mitchell is one of the best coaches in the country, and is certainly one of the hottest right now.
Fans greet UK women with rowdy celebration // Kentucky.com
Less than 30 minutes later, the still silence that was the 55-minute plane ride home from Starkville, Miss., would be broken by the roar of more than 500 blue-clad fans who awaited the team and coaches at Memorial Coliseum to celebrate their Southeastern Conference championship.
This conference championship has been a long, long time coming.
UF dumbfounded by lack of energy at Georgia // The Independent Florida Alligator: Men's Basketball
"I really am concerned if we will ever play with any passion again," Donovan said. "I’m being totally honest. Because if you can’t get excited to play on the road against a bordering state, getting a chance to go 11-3 in the league, and you come out and play like that?"
Very bad loss by Florida.
SB Nation YouTube Channel: Subscribe Now! - From Our Editors // SBNation.com
Do you like sports? Do you like moving pictures? Do you like witty commentary and analysis from some of the most original voices on the web?
Then you'll love the brand new SB Nation YouTube Channel!