Kentucky Wildcats: Morning Quickies - South Carolina Edition

Tonight, the Wildcats take on the South Carolina Gamecocks at home, a nice change from the road. Willie Cauley-Stein is expected back, and Calipari has suggested that some of Ryan Harrow's minutes might be sacrificed.

Tweet of the Morning:

A Franklin Co FB Asst Coach says on Facebook that he expects to be a UK fan for the first time in his life today. Reading Timmons tea leaves

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) February 5, 2013

He's talking about wide receiver prospect Ryan Timmons, who is expected to announce his decision at 1:00 pm today

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Mark Story: In Hytchye, UK's Stoops got a 4-star cornerback — and a 5-star salesman // Kentucky.com

  n Hytchye (pronounced HI-tche with a long I sound), UK knew it was getting a well-regarded cornerback (rated four stars by ESPN) from an area, Cincinnati, that has often proven a vexing recruiting puzzle for Kentucky to solve.

  What Stoops and Co. could not have known is that the Cats were also securing a social-media dynamo who would go into overdrive trying to convince other top prospects to join him at UK

  Hmm. So what we need to do is isolate the social media experts, recruit them, and let them recruit for us! What a plan!
• Chad Scott never gave up on WR Javess Blue and now UK will get playmaker with great speed // vaughtsviews
• 2013 football tickets available // UKAthletics.com
• Baseball Preseason Media Day // UKAthletics.com

Kentucky basketball

• Kentucky Sports Radio // Calipari and Uncle Julius Get Intimate
  Funny picture.

• Cats still in state of flux as Calipari continues to search for team’s identity in SEC play // KyForward.com

  "You can’t say, ‘I’m going to take 15 minutes from Nerlens (Noel).’ Ain’t happening."

  No, coach. You cannot say that. He's the only player on this team that we can rely on to produce.

• 10 things to know now that college basketball is suddenly relevant

  The Wildcats are still talented and improving. Nerlens Noel is a defensive force whose shot-blocking ability draws some comparisons to Anthony Davis. Their tournament resume is devoid of a ghastly loss. But because the SEC has a scarcity of tournament teams, Kentucky has few opportunities to garner quality victories. The Wildcats' margin for error is small, and Big Blue Nation may be sweating out an at-large bid all the way until Selection Sunday.

  I say we just win the SEC tournament and remove all doubt. Wha'dya think?

• Kentucky basketball faces identity crisis // The Courier-Journal
  Are you kidding me? How can a team that HAS no identity face an identity crisis? This is Team Anonymous - nobody knows who they are, especially them.

• Calpari knows it is embarrassing to players when he says they are soft // vaughtsviews

  "Kyle Wiltjer changed his mental attitude toward practice. He loves walking in. He’s changed how he approached practice, his habits in practice, and it’s changed him. Now they’ve all seen it, but here’s what it is — really hard," Calipari said. "Anything worth having is a dogfight to get. Stuff that’s free and all that stuff, it’s not worth having anyway. So that’s where we are."

  Words of wisdom.
• Updated: UK doesn’t make trip to see 2013 recruit // NextCats

• UK basketball notes: Nerlens Noel earns SEC honor for third straight week // Kentucky.com

  For the first time since John Wall played for Kentucky, the Southeastern Conference named the same player freshman of the week three straight times.

  Impressive. Very impressive. /Darth Vader Voice

• Even on the winning track, Cats still searching for their identity // CoachCal.com

  "We’ve just got to become a better finishing team," Calipari said. "We’ve got to become a better team when we’re up 15 or 16, and that’s all mindset. That’s all that it is."

  Exactly right.

Other UK sports

• UK baseball team sets sights on Omaha // Kentucky.com
  Are you ready for some baseball? The Wildcats begin the season on the 15th of this month, and start the season ranked as high as 8th, highest in program history. Destination: Omaha.

• Lawson, Cumbess, Dill Hold Court at 2013 Media Day // UKAthletics.com

Links posts

• The Morning Mix // Troy Machir, CollegeBasketballTalk
• Tom Leach // Tuesday Links
• John Clay's Big Blue Links // John Clay's Sidelines

College football

• National Signing Day 2013: SEC football recruiting preview // SBNation.com

College basketball

• SEC M5: 02.05.13 Edition // Rush The Court

• Contenders and Pretenders // CollegeBasketballTalk
  I pretty much agree with all this.

Other sports news

• DeMarcus Cousins ejected at halftime for cursing at referee // Larry Brown Sports

  "[The referee] said the same thing … he was saying, ‘Don’t talk to me.’ So my response was, ‘You don’t have to act like an effing female.’ I shouldn’t have said that. That’s about it."

  I probably shouldn't, but I find this funny. I have called referees a lot worse than that. Then again, I don't get paid to stay on the floor and help my team win.

• Jalen Rose, Party Animal // Deadspin
  I wonder what ESPN will have to say? I wonder what Michael Jordan will have to say?

• Eric Bledsoe blocks Martell Webster, fools referee // Clips Nation
  Wow. Bledsoe is one heck of an athlete. Bad call.

• Kentucky High School | Holy Cross fined, football on probation // The Courier-Journal

• Lindsey Vonn crashes in World Ski Championships, airlifted off mountain // SBNation.com
  Horrible news. I have a gigantic, irrational old-man crush on Lindsey Vonn.

• CBS Had A Reporter In The NFL Control Room When The Stadium Went Dark And Didn't Use Him
  Ooo, conspiracy... Or stupidity. Remember Hanlon's Razor.

Other news

• Powered Flight Deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour photos
  Via Wild Weasel. Beam me up, Scotty!