Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Karl-Anthony Towns Edition

I’m sure that the Dominican Republic would have been much better with Karl-Anthony Towns, but without him… Well, it didn’t go well against Team USA.

Tweet of the Morning

@jenheraldleader question: if 2009 team punches it in from the 2 and beats UT to go 8-4, goes to a better bowl, does Brooks still retire?

— Alex Scutchfield (@AlexScutchfield) August 21, 2014

Hmm. What do you think?

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Khalid Henderson hopes to step into Avery Williamson’s shoes. Those are big, young man. Really, really big.

• Good memories:

  ICYMI @UKFootball coach @HalMumme and QB @timcouchtv, Aug. 1997. Soon after being hired, Mumme named Couch his QB pic.twitter.com/x5WZlY5p9C

  — KY Photo Archive (@KYPhotoArchive) August 20, 2014

• Memories for our older members:

  ICYMI @universityofky campus 1946. Ave. of Champions runs L - R along Stoll Field. Picture before Memorial Col. built pic.twitter.com/2LvvMS2Xq9

  — KY Photo Archive (@KYPhotoArchive) August 20, 2014

• 2015 wide receiver recruit gets a recruiting letter in a UK baseball envelope. :-)

  Time to get back on the diamond. Lol pic.twitter.com/EU7bqYUjZB

  — Marcus Floyd⚡ (@King_Floyd3) August 20, 2014

• In case you missed this article by Will yesterday, do yourself a favor and read it. It will give you a new appreciation for just how tough the quarterback position is.

• Javess Blue looking to make more big plays this season. We need him healthy in the worst way.

• Some encouraging comments from Mark Stoops regarding practice on Wednesday, including some Mike Edwards comments. He thinks Edwards is too far behind to get on the field this season.

• If you haven’t read Bill Connelly’s Blueprint for a Rebound, go do so, and thank me later.

• Land Grant Holy Land likes Ohio State’s chances at Damien Harris, but think Kentucky is a real threat to land him, and always has been. That’s something we don’t usually see from elite school bloggers, they generally just assume that UK is going to lose these battles.

Kentucky basketball

• Awesome:

  Best managers in the business got into the #ALSIceBucketChallenge http://t.co/q42YdDtVkE pic.twitter.com/Tp7mdgwfgS

  — Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) August 20, 2014

• Karl-Anthony Towns will not be playing with the Dominican Republic in Spain:

  As much as it hurts to not be playing in Spain, I am a STUDENT-athlete first and committed to my studies at the University of Kentucky #BBN

  — Karl-Anthony Towns (@KATis32) August 20, 2014

  My understanding is that this was UK’s decision, but I’m sure KAT was consulted.

• Coach Cal urges UK fans to focus on sports other than basketball. I think that’s a good idea.

• John Calipari says that David Blatt is a better choice to coach Cleveland than he is. I agree. I think Calipari is the best choice to coach Kentucky.

• Calipari’s coaches’ clinic is set for October 25th.

Other Kentucky sports

• Six Wildcats to be inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Keith Bogans is among them.

• UK Volleyball goes to China:

  Very interesting.

• Arin Gilliland named preseason All-American by Soccer America.

• This week in Soccer: Women can score. Men Can’t.

• Rachel Lawson announces open tryouts for the softball team.

• Women’s soccer opens UK’s sports calendar on Friday.

Links posts

• The Leach Report: Thursday Wildcat Links

College football

• Notre Dame academic investigation is thought to be rare and isolated. Obviously, like Kentucky, Notre Dame has at least as many haters as fans, and the haters will use this to confirm their perceptions. Hat tip: Real Clear Sports.

• Previews of all 128 Division I football teams. Seriously — all of them.

College basketball

• Bobby Cremins may be headed back to the College of Charleston. Coaches always have a tough time letting go.

Other sports news

• Gregg Doyel says now that baseball has a new commissioner, it’s time to reinstate Pete Rose.

• The Hefty Lefty is in the new ESPN The Magazine.

• You’ve heard about Mo’ne Davis, I hope. If not, it’s about time you did.

Other news

• A former University of Kentucky professor is accused of "misusing" $400,000. Reading the report, it sounds like more than misuse — it looks like mail fraud, violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and more federal crimes, along with similar state violations.

• News you can use: For those of you with kiddos, financial lessons from back-to-school shopping.

• Obesity may be linked to a higher risk of dementia.

• American Ebola patient released from the hospital. What a story to tell your kids — you survived one of the deadliest infectious agents known to man.