Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Marv Albert Edition

It looks like Marv Albert will be calling more college basketball broadcasts. I like Albert, but don't we get enough of him with the NBA?

Tweet of the morning

Hahahahahahaha. RT @Lizzs_Lockeroom: Oh dear @GreggDoyelCBS pic.twitter.com/wjfk29wjv9

— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelCBS) May 29, 2014

Okay, that's pretty funny.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Former UK quarterback Randy Jenkins has been accused of stealing quite a bit of money from a couple of banks.

• If you haven't read Will's latest article on the early signing period, you should do so.

Kentucky Basketball

• iSportsWeb talks about Kentucky's "three headed center." I think this is actually wrong on several levels. Consider:

  The blocked shot is wildly overrated. Yes, it is an excellent defensive play when it results in a change of possession or stops the ball from going through the hoop. However, when Cauley-Stein or other prolific shot blockers swat a shot, the ball often sails out of bounds or back to the other team.

  This is a person who doesn't understand basketball very well. If a shot block were "overrated," it wouldn't make much sense to go for them. The reality is, a shot-block is very similar to a turnover in value to the blocking team. Yes, there are two possible outcomes that don't generate a turnover and only one that does, but there are other factors. Consider that most blocked shots recovered by the defense result in a transition opportunity, which carries a higher percentage of success than a regular offensive possession. Blocked shots also often happen late in the shot clock, forcing a team to take shots from inbounds plays that are worse than the shot that got blocked.

  Not only that, but good shot blockers (think Antony Davis) go to extra pains to ensure the block goes to a teammate, or are recovered by the person blocking the shot. Also, there is the intimidation factor, which is tougher to quantify. Clearly, though, a good shot-blocking team forces the offense to shoot from further away, and be conscious of the arc they put on their shots. There's no doubt that affects shooting percentage.

  Overall, contra the author, I would suggest shot-blocking is underrated, which is perhaps why Calipari is so careful to make sure Kentucky has shot-blockers.

• Dominique Hawkins returns from China trip. He played well, but he really has to work on his perimeter game. He shot only 27% from the arc.

Other UK sports

• Rachel Lawson and other first-time WCWS coaches talk about the event and their teams.

• Kentucky is happy to accept the Cinderella label in the WCWS. I think UK is a very dangerous team — perhaps not dangerous enough to win it all, but capable of making some noise.

• Collegiate Baseball names A.J. Reed the National Player of the Year. Expect more of these soon.

• Louisville baseball regional stats comparisons.

• Women's College World Series TV schedule.

• Kelsey Nunley is plan A for the Wildcats, but they have a plan B as well.

Links post

• John Clay's Big Blue Links

• The Leach Report: Thursday Wildcat Links

College football

• CBS claims three SEC football games

• SEC Network head is not concerned about the limited distribution of the SEC Network yet. Yet.

• The NCAA has completely deregulated meals, and apparently, each school will be able to determine how much food is enough. That works for me.

• The SEC wants the NCAA to shut down a loophole that allows schools to evade restrictions on football camps.

College basketball

• There was a time not long ago when the SEC was the best college basketball conference in America. John Calipari would like to see that again in two years.

• Bruce Pearl joins John Calipari in his desire to see the SEC become more competitive quickly. If Pearl can turn Auburn into a consistent NCAA team, he is a bona fide genius.

• More from Al.com on getting the SEC back to a quality basketball conference. I think this is right:

  The goal going forward is to win some big games before the NCAA Tournament starts, before conference play begins, before football season ends. Can't win them if you don't play them so there's a continued emphasis on upgrading the non-conference schedule.

• Rush The Court: Morning Five

Other sports news

• Stephen A. Smith talks to us like a Dutch uncle. We should listen.

• Do the Suns need a superstar? Bright Side of the Sun examines the question.

Other news

• World obesity rate higher than ever. I think the real problem is how "obesity" is defined.