Kentucky Wildcats: Morning Quickies - Fat Tuesday Edition

Today is Fat Tuesday. Sure wish I was down in the Big Easy today. Then again, there is a pretty big game tonight ...

Tweets of the Morning:

Some poke fun at Cal for calling every UK game as opponents' Super Bowl, but it's true. Even in Gainesville. Gators hate BBN with passion.

— Oscar Combs (@wildcatnews) February 12, 2013

True. Also this:

How big is college football? Beauty queen Stormie Henderson will trend b/c she decided to get arrested on the same day as 4 Bama players.

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) February 12, 2013

You can't win, Big Ten. In the SEC, they even get booked with beauty queens.

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) February 12, 2013

Ouch.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Recruiting hits and misses in the SEC East // ESPN
  This is classic ESPN half-coverage. They list running back as a need, but that's just not right -- Kentucky is flush with backs. In addition to Jojo Kemp, who they got this year, they have Raymond Sanders, Dyshawn Mobley, Justin Taylor, Jonathan George, Josh Clemons, and Jerry McCray. Via Nation of Blue.

• UK football coach Mark Stoops plans to keep using Florida connections // centralkynews.com
  The Florida connection was how Charlie Strong made up ground so quickly. Stoops seems determined to do it even faster.

• Mark Stoops third in twitter followers // John Clay's Sidelines
  Not bad, kid. Don't get cocky.

Kentucky basketball

• In case you haven't seen it, some interesting comments. Via Sam Henson:
  

• Goodwin loves playing big games like the one at Florida and says he needs to quit over-thinking | vaughtsviews

  "I love playing big games. These are the type of games that I feel like I was made for and I know this team’s made for. I feel like we’re going to go out there and get a win," said Goodwin.

  Good, then show us your stuff tonight.
• Updated player stats for 2013 recruits, Karl Towns // NextCats

• Florida's three-point shooters present challenge for Kentucky's guards // Kentucky.com
  This will be a big test for Archie Goodwin, Ryan Harrow, and Julius Mays. You have to force Florida's guards to beat you inside the paint.

• Mark Story: Rather than UK's coach, Donovan has become SECs most long-lasting UK challenger // Kentucky.com

  In Gainesville, Donovan is in the midst of doing something no other SEC men's hoops coach has ever achieved. Still "only" 47, Donovan has the Gators enjoying an unusually protracted run as the SEC's primary hoops challenger to UK.

  Interesting, and true. Not many coaches would have turned down Kentucky to stay at Florida, but it has worked for Billy Donovan.

• Kentucky Basketball faces huge test against Florida

  The Gators are the perfect resume-building win that Kentucky needs. Ranked 4th in the RPI, and widely considered a consensus top five squad, a win over Florida would go a long way in the eyes of the committee, especially considering that it is on the road. This is a Florida team that, before losing to Arkansas, was considered by many to be the best team in the country.

  Yes, a win tonight would be huge, but a close loss would not hurt much.

• Kentucky returns to AP top 25; Louisville 12th // Kentucky.com
  It's nice to be back in the national conversation.

• Calipari, Goodwin know UF a stiff challenge // Kyle Tucker – UK Beat

  "It’s like Kyle (Wiltjer) in practice. Why should Kyle practice like that and no one else? Same deal. What’s happened is everybody is starting to elevate because of Willie (Cauley-Stein)’s energy, Jarrod’s energy, Kyle’s practice habits. All of the sudden — because of Archie’s practice habits — we’re starting now to take that climb that you have to have to have a chance to do something."

  Going to be a tough one tonight.

• Kentucky basketball back in Top 25, faces big test at No. 7 Florida // courier-journal.com

  The Cats, who spent most of last year at No. 1 and began this season ranked third on reputation, returned to The Associated Press top 25 for the first time in 10 weeks — by the skin of their teeth, taking the final spot. Now, a true test: the Gators in Gainesville.

  At this point, rankings don't mean that much. All I want to see is for Kentucky to get good enough to have some success in the post season.

Other UK sports

• Huge Week Earns Mathies Player of the Week Honors // UKAthletics.com
• No. 7 Kentucky to Host No. 29 Notre Dame, EKU // UKAthletics.com
• New contract won’t change UK baseball coach Henderson // The Kentucky Kernel

Links posts

• The Morning Mix // Troy Machir, CollegeBasketballTalk
• SEC M5: 02.12.13 Edition // Rush The Court
• Tom Leach // Tuesday Links

College football

• College football coaches talk about their 2013 class after national signing day // ESPN
  Heh. "We had a bad signing day" is something you will hear a coach say approximately... well, never.

• 3-point stance: Freeh Report not last word // ESPN

  1. Former U.S. Attorney Richard Thornburgh, commissioned by the family of late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, poked enough holes in the Freeh Report to let the air out of it. Thornburgh’s report, released Sunday, illustrated that the Freeh Report was not the last word on the Penn State scandal -- merely the first. The NCAA built its case against Penn State on the Freeh Report because the Board of Trustees vouched for it. That’s not much of a defense now that the Freeh Report appears to be a rush to judgment. Instead, it’s one more blow against what credibility the NCAA has left.

  Amen. It was never wise of the NCAA to substitute an extra-legal investigation for their own.

• Big Ten issues statement about new recruiting rules // SI Tracking Blog
  So the gist is, the NCAA is changing too fast?

• 2013 college football recruiting recap: The SEC's dominance, in chart form // SBNation.com
  Very interesting and enlightening. The SEC is head-and-shoulders above anyone else, and these charts demonstrate it clearly.

• 4 Alabama players arrested: Robbery, credit card fraud charged // SBNation.com
  Uh oh...

College basketball

• Forde Minutes: Fun factor continues to rise this college basketball season // Yahoo! Sports

  The Texas athletic director recently told the Austin American-Statesman, "The sport of basketball is in shambles." The more accurate statement would be that Texas basketball (10-13 overall, 2-8 in the Big 12) is in shambles. The rest of it, while flawed and diminished compared to 20 years ago, is still good entertainment.

  Heh. Indeed.

• Miami a 1 seed in latest NCAA tournament projections // CollegeBasketballTalk
  They are definitely getting it done in the ACC.

Other sports news

• Eric Bledsoe to Participate In Dunk Contest; DeAndre Jordan Declines // Clips Nation
  I think Bledsoe has a good chance to win.

Other news