Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Alltech Edition

As A2D2 predicted, Alltech was one of the bidders for the naming rights of the new Lexington Convention Center, which will house the upgraded Rupp Arena.

Tweet of the Morning:

Day #3 Excited about the process. Great energy and attention to detail! Another chance to improve!! #COMPETE pic.twitter.com/u2n9M4PTef

— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 7, 2013

Attack every day. Love it.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Nate Willis is still waiting to finish up classes at his junior college, and Melvin Lewis at his high school. Hopefully, they'll make it this year.

• Wildcat Blue Nation looks at Kentucky's quarterback battle.

• Q&A with UK football tight ends coach Vince Morrow. He's the guy that's been raiding the Buckeye State the most frequently.

• Mark Stoops talks about the second practice. High points:

  • Alex Montgomery, Ryan Timmons, Jason Hatcher all jumped out as young guys and impressed;
  • No injuries;
  • Limiting number of Max Smith's throws;
  • May go to 2 and then 1 on QB's;
  • Operation much better now than last practice of the spring;

• UK has a better football fan base than Vanderbilt, Mizzou, Ole Miss and Mississippi St.

• Patrick Towles is channeling Leroy Brown (you know, of the Jim Croce song?)

• J.D. Harmon is not with the team due to academics. That makes 3 academic casualties so far.

Kentucky basketball

• I'm sure you've heard by now, but Jahlil Okafor plans to visit UK on September 9th.

• Coach Cal finds freshman leaders. Well, he'd better.

• Jahlil Okafor interview:

• Meet the new Wildcats: Marcus Lee.

Other UK sports

• The UK Hoops non-conference schedule is out.

Links posts

• The Leach Report — Wednesday Wildcat Links

• John Clay's SEC Links

College football

• Oh, Lord. Is this the kiss of death, or the Midas touch?

• Clint Hurtt, he of the Miami scandal entanglements, is back coaching for Louisville.

• Over at Card Chronicle, a FanPost fires back at UK fans for taking shots at their enrollment of Michael Dyer. I thought this was particularly hilarious:

  Matt Roark, WR, So. (Oct. 24, 2010): driving under the influence, failure to maintain insurance. Pleaded guilty, sentenced to four days of house arrest with no alcohol during that span. Suspended one game despite UK's "no tolerance policy" for alcohol related offenses that was instituted back in 1998 after the death of football player.

  Apparently he doesn't know that policy was revised some years ago (more than once, actually). Well, he's a Cardinal fan, so no particular reason he should know that... except, of course, when you write a long screed about it. Maybe it's a good idea then.

• Who really took down Johny Manziel? Heh.

• Ole Miss named the "Most Beautiful Campus." I'm not surprised.

College basketball

• Bill Self says he might be tempted by the NBA.

• Who wants to bet the gun will either disappear, or be found to have incomplete prints on it?

• Rush The Court: Morning Five

Other sports news

• Wesley Woodyard gets some serious underrated love from Sports Illustrated:

  Woodyard is an interesting wild card. Long a team captain and special-teams contributor, he developed into a starting force last season in Jack Del Rio’s defense. Blitzing from inside and outside, he totaled 117 tackles, three interceptions and 5.5 sacks, becoming the first player since Brian Urlacher in 2007 to amass at least 100 tackles, three picks and five sacks. He’s in a contract year in 2013 (set to make $3 million in base salary), and the Broncos would do well to change that status.

  Time to pony up, Denver.

• I see a lot of cheerleading for opening new legal fronts against the NCAA. Be careful what you wish for.

  These things have a way of snowballing, creating consequences nobody can foresee. Don't forget that the NCAA is not just Mark Emmert and his merry band of oral podiatrists. It is also Kentucky, and Texas A&M, and yes, dear reader, your favorite school.

  So when the lawyers get done feasting on the remains of NCAA LLC, they are likely to go for the university membership next. Who can say, perhaps a jury will find the entire association, and it's membership, liable for billions that may wind up having to come out of the general funds of universities, or force them to sell their properties, like stadiums and arenas.

  Be careful what you wish for, college sports fans. Wishes can sometimes have disastrous unintended consequences.

• Please, Congress, stay the hell out of college sports.

• 2013-14 NBA schedule released.