Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: 2014 MLB Draft Day Edition

Today is Major League Baseball Draft Day, and it continues through Saturday. I expect several Bat Cats to be drafted today. A.J. Reed, Austin Cousino and Chandler Shepherd are all on the Baseball America mock draft.

Tweet of the Morning

Time for another update on the progress of #TheNewCWS. Here's a gallery from @UKphotogs: http://t.co/8nm2EgHroP pic.twitter.com/ObxsJ8V3AP

— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) June 2, 2014

Progress!

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Ray Ray McCloud III was once seriously considering Kentucky. The Rivals (5.9) 4* now is projected to sign with Florida, according 247 Sports. He's a 5'10" 175 lb RB with some serious moves. Varsity Preps has a feature on him here and you can see his profile at 247 Sports. {Hank}

• Wildcat Blue Nation has put out a Yahtzee watch. {Hank}

• Mark Stoops discusses the state of Kentucky football. Consider:

  "I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I’m confident that our program is improving," Stoops told The Cats’ Pause at the SEC spring meeting in Sandestin.

  You’re never satisfied with you are, but I’m very optimistic about where we’re headed," he said. We’ve gotten a lot of work done from the time I arrived on campus and where we are now."

  I'm cautiously optimistic we'll see some significant improvement next season. We have better talent in almost every area, even if some of it is young yet.

  This is a good article. You should read the whole thing.

• Fox Sports South predictably has UK 14th in the SEC. We'll just have to prove them wrong. Is a one-game improvement really "tangible progress?" Discuss.

• Former Wildcat tackle Chandler Burden has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

• Kentucky must pick the correct QB. Well, that's the idea...

• 4-star Austin Kendall to visit UK next week.

Kentucky basketball

• Redoing the 2010 draft. I like Wall better at #1. Still.

Other Kentucky sports

• Bloopers from Matthew Mitchell's show. I always like his show, he's a funny guy. Via Larry Vaught.

• Various mock drafts have A.J. Reed headed to a bunch of possible teams, including Boston, Oakland, and Cleveland.

• This Seattle fan likes him some A.J. Reed. I don't blame him.

Links posts

• John Clay's SEC Links

• The Leach Report: Thursday Wildcat Links

• John Clay's Big Blue Links

College football

• The two Florida State players who were mixed up with Jameis Winston in the alleged rape are still on the team after a disciplinary board ruled they shouldn't be thrown out for violating the school's code of conduct.

College basketball

• Russ Smith's draft stock is rising, according to Card Chronicle. Good, I've always liked him.

• Texas has a lot of talent returning next season. They are going to be pretty darn good.

• The NCAA won't punish active players who receive money from the O'Bannon lawsuit settlement. That's obviously the right thing to do.

Other sports news

• What's your sports "bucket list?"

• DeAndre Liggins working out in New York, hoping to earn an invite to the Summer League. Hat tip: Aaron's blog.

• Can California Chrome save horse racing? I didn't know it needed saving, but I'd sure like to see another Triple Crown winner. I know there are a lot of people who have never seen one.

• Donald Sterling has apparently agreed to the sale of the Clippers and not to sue the NBA. I'd say he has $2 billion reasons to believe that's a good plan.

• California Chrome draws the #2 post for the Belmont. I'd say in a race that long, that's as good as any.

• Avery Williamson talks to Knoxville News-Sentinal Sports Page host Vince Ferrara about being in the NFL, and how it's going so far.

Other news

• Your taxes at work.

• Star Wars Episode VII producer laments leaked photos. Please.

• Wow. Check out that suit. Very cool.

• New single-dose antibiotic may cure MRSA. Faster, please.

• This is bad. Very bad.

• Paducah, Ky. man gets $1.5 million for his comic book collection. Hey, I wonder if mine is worth that much ...