Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Demaris Phillips Edition

Louisville chef Demaris Phillips won the Next Food Network Star competition last night, and you can look forward to seeing her on the Food Network in a new show.

Congratulations to Demaris. As a fellow Louisvillian, I'm very proud of her and wish her nothing but success.

Tweet of the Morning:

Outdoor movie last night was Back to the Future. The wild future Doc was headed for at end? 2015. That makes it official. I am old

— Dana O'Neil (@ESPNDanaOneil) August 12, 2013

I guess that makes me antediluvian. Oh, well, as my father used to say, "I'm still here!"

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Kenutucky assistant Chad Scott is making inroads into Florida. That's obviously good news and Kentucky can't afford not to recruit the Sunshine State.

• Kentucky just got deeper at defensive tackle. Melvin Lewis has finished up his degree at Fullerton College and is headed to Kentucky.

• Matt Elam will be taking his official visit to Kentucky with Drew Barker and Denzel Ware.

• One former UK player thinks that Jalen Whitlow is going to be the starter.

• Saturday Down South thinks Jalen Whitlow is the QB for Kentucky.

Kentucky basketball

• Bruins Nation comments on the proposed games between Kentucky and UCLA:

  Scheduling a home-and-home with UK means opening up the Southern California's recruiting front to Calipari. Of course it's nice to have UCLA mentioned in national headlines by scheduling other hoops powers. Alford has already scheduled a "neutral" court matchup with Duke at MSG this year (which is as "neutral" venue as playing Texas in Jerry Dome in Dallas). But these matchups won't matter much if Alford doesn't have any immediate success on the recruiting trail and follows it up with a big season in his first year.

  Just a couple of points in response to my Bruin brother above:

  • I don't think a home and home is under discussion. Calipari has been pretty adamant about avoiding any new home and home series in favor of big games in domes;
  • Southern California's recruiting is already open to Calipari.  If we can pull them from Oregon, why should California be a problem?

• Julius Randle is a big, strapping young man, and cut like a bodybuilder.

• Marshall County HoopFest will feature a bunch of area recruits. Also the schedule is here.

Links posts

• The Leach Report — Monday Wildcat Links

• John Clay's Big Blue Links

College football

• Barking Carnival weighs in on the HUNH (Hurry-up No-Huddle) debate.

• Five former SEC players that impressed in their NFL debuts.

• Final accused ex-Vanderbilt player turns himself in to the authorities.

• Florida state QB Jameis Winston doesn't want to contract "Johnny Manziel disease." Heh.

• You knew this was going to happen. When a program suddenly starts recruiting out of its league, you have to wonder a little.

College basketball

• College basketball tip-off marathon schedule starting to unfold.

• Tom Izzo isn't buying the "let the athletes get paid" argument:

  "I think they should get some money, but if it's open market … there's some boosters in Alabama and LSU that I don't think you guys can want to deal with on a daily basis,'' Izzo said. "You think that's going to be good? I don't know, I'd rather pay them a stipend and figure out some ways to do it.

  "This open-open (allowing athletes to make unlimited money on autograph sales) isn't good, nor do I think the NCAA should make money off them.''

Other sports news

• Ex-Wildcat Larry Warford is fighting for a starting spot. I think he has a good chance to make it.

• LeBron James seems serious about being the NBAPA's next president.

• It's been a while since we had a snuff-dipping PGA champion. Congratulations to Jason Duffner.

• Kevin Durant is better at basketball than you. Seriously, 63 points?

• Ian Poulter doesn't like the post-shot nonsense shouters at golf events. I totally agree with him, but what can you do?

Other news

• This is just way too cool not to be linked. Hat tip: Wild Weasel