Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Kentucky Derby Edition

Today is the 140th Kentucky Derby, and I'll be making my first Bloody Mary in the next few minutes, and get my handicapping on. Should be fun.

Tweet of the Morning

Damian Lillard-amazing. But I just hate how cheap it feels in NBA where ya get the ball 3/4ths of the way up the court for free

— Mike Hall (@BTNMikeHall) May 3, 2014

I agree. Earn that spot.

On @1045thezone talking about SEC schedule. Here is what I don't understand: Why coaches from other conferences complain what SEC is doing

— Tony Barnhart (@MrCFB) May 3, 2014

Spot on.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• We gotta beat the Hoosiers:

  4-star TE C.J. Conrad tells Scout he'll decide between UK and IU this weekend, announce Friday http://t.co/tfTGiM59uD UK the favorite.

  — Ben Roberts (@NextCats) May 3, 2014

• Neal Brown watches Damien Harris' spring game. What a coup it would be if we could land that guy. I'm not holding my breath, though.

• Patrick Towles has dreamed of being the starting UK quarterback. In more Towles news, Patrick admits that he's a totally different player from last season. He looks different to me.

• 2015 elite offensive lineman George Brown tweets about Kentucky

Kentucky basketball

• The Indianapolis Star tries to revive the Calipari-to-the-Lakers meme. It cites his comments before leaving Memphis for UK as proof it's not over.

  It is over, at least for the Lakers. The difference is that Memphis was a typical non-denial denial about being happy where he was. His comments the other day were pretty much unequivocal, and no coach wants to set himself up as a liar. If he had any interest, there are thousands of time-tested non-denial denials to use, and he didn't.

  Larry Vaught says it's no suprise, and he's right about that.. Glenn Osborne goes further to explain why he's unlikely to leave.

• John Calipari has a successful right hip replacement. Look for him to be out of action about a month.

• Nerlens Noel talks to Kentucky.com:

• Josh Harrellson at the Barnstable-Brown party last night.

  Two #BBN favs named Josh at the Barnstable Brown plus more celebs! VIDEO: http://t.co/ioNkSy6eGZ pic.twitter.com/CMI5fhjU0k

  — KSTV (@KSTV_Sports) May 3, 2014

• Coach Cal, resting comfortably post-surgery.

• Heh.

• UK's Dr. James Jagger earns Team Physician of the Year award from the SEC.

• John Calipari needs to be a "chemist" next season.

• Bruin fans are hearing Kentucky footsteps behind them:

  Alas, my head tells me that Kentucky will get to 11 - at least, and it will happen during the tenure our UCLA's current Athletic Director, Dan Guerrero.

  It is very possible. It is also surpassingly difficult, as we discovered this season. Every NCAA Tournament championship is a rare jewel to be cherished.

Other Kentucky sports

• Tennessee evens series with Bat Cats. Rubber match today at noon.

Links posts

• John Clay's Big Blue Links

• The Leach Report: Saturday Wildcat Links

College football

• How it feels to go undrafted in the NFL Draft. It's a real roller-coaster:

  So the Draft ends, and I am disappointed, angry, just overall upset. There is no worse feeling then having a Draft party, no matter how big or small, and then not getting drafted. You just feel like an idiot.

  But then your phone starts ringing again. It is free agency time. Area codes that you have never even seen before are calling over and over, trying to get you to agree to terms. Head coaches from across the league are blowing up your phone, and it really does raise your spirits.

  Read the whole thing.

College basketball

• John Rosthein says Kentucky is the deepest team in America next year, but Arizona has the best starting five. I think it's just a matter of preference. Contra Rosthein, I'll take Kentucky's five first any day — of course, right now we're not really sure who that will be.

• Louisville offers Thon Maker, along with a whole bunch of others. Kentucky has reportedly not offered Maker yet.

• UConn to double Kevin Ollie's pay, according to a report.

• Maryland losing yet another player, this time starting point guard Seth Allen.

Other sports news

• In the aftermath of the cataclysm of his life, Lance Armstrong is doing just fine:

  Lance Armstrong is happy. In fact, he looks better at 42 than I've ever seen him, less gaunt in the face, thicker in the chest, bluer in the eyes. I found a man sitting in his den, surrounded by his seven Tour de France chalices, his 3-year-old, Olivia, on his lap, kissing him and laughing.

  Really pissed me off.

  I came to see ruins, not joy. I came to see a man ruined for lying to me for 14 years -- and letting me pass those lies on to you. Ruined for lying to everybody. And not just lying to the world, but lying angrily, lying recklessly and leaving good people wrecked in his lies.

  This is an object lesson in why "forgiveness" is an indispensable ethical virtue. It also demonstrates that life cannot always be measured by what we think we know, and how a measure of redemption is always possible for those who are willing to forgive themselves, even when others won't.

• Lexington native Tyson Gay returns the silver medal he won in the 2012 Olympics and accepted a 1-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.

• University of Alaska Anchorage apparently paid two women's basketball players.

• Portland claims series from Houston with a last-second 25-foot buzzer-beater by Damien Lillard.

• Tom Izzo very high on the Minnesota Timberwolves' head coach wish list. I'd bet a large amount of money Izzo stays right where he is.