Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Ottawa Blowout Edition

Welcome to the Tuesday quickies, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation. Today’s version will be somewhat abbreviated due to an early-morning doctor’s appointment.

Last night, the Kentucky Wildcats did what we all expected them to do against the NAIA Division II Ottawa University Braves, winning in a rout 117-58. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the entire game using the Amazon Fire Stick and ESPN app. That Fire Stick has been a rather nice purchase for us.

The game, perhaps better than any early exhibition in recent memory, defined who Kentucky is likely to be this year — a guard-dominated offensive juggernaut with the ability to hurt you inside as well as out. It also illustrates that the years of switching every pick-and-roll are, or should be, over. Calipari is going to have to teach these guys how to guard the pick-and-roll using other methods. Here is the box score, in case you haven’t seen it.

I agree with Matt Jones — we are finally going to see another triple-double this season, and Jamal Murray is going to be the guy to get it.

Tweet of the Morning

The Willis poster jam that was probably the biggest fan ovation of the night… pic.twitter.com/jQyOAzkO7L

— Jeff Drummond (@JDrumUK) November 3, 2015

Willis has a chance to play quite a bit this season, but he needs to defend better. Truth to tell, the whole team needs to defend better.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Mark Stoops’ press conference from yesterday:

  I really don’t know what to say. The diagnosis seems sound, but the cure seems farther away than ever.

• In case you haven’t heard it, the injury update on Boom Williams is much more positive than many feared, but he will be out for the Georgia game for sure.. Drew Barker is still hurt from the Mississippi State game, and he is unlikely to be available this weekend.

• Mark Story says the honeymoon is over for Mark Stoops, but that the season is not over yet.

  I agree with him that a lot can change in the last four games — both for good and ill.

• Tim Sullivan says Mark Stoops has "made it to mediocrity," but moving up from here is going to be tough.

  Such is life as the coach of Kentucky football. He’s going to have to earn his pay here, and that’s not going to be easy.

Kentucky basketball

• Coach Cal says Alex Poythress is only about 80%. I agree with him. He looked tentative last night, but his shooting touch from outside was really great to see. His release has radically improved.

• Calipari says he "wants to play" Derek Willis. Willis has got to earn that time, though, and defense is going to be the key to earning it.

Other Kentucky sports

• Callum Irving repeats as CUSA player of the Week for men’s soccer.

• Men’s tennis dominates in the Louisville Invitational.

Links posts

• The Leach Report: Tuesday Wildcat Links

College football

• Who’s next after Frank Beamer for the Virginia Tech Hokies? Ralph Russo has some thoughts.

College basketball

• College basketball coaches want to preserve affirmative action in university admissions.

Other sports news

• Julius Randle had a big night Sunday for the Lakers with 22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a partridge in a pear tree. Really great to see him back.

• We see you, Cam Newton. Ye gods, what an athlete.

Other news

• It’s election day today in the Bluegrass State:

  Polls are open. Voters say they are here for the heated and close governor's race. Polls will close at 6 p.m. pic.twitter.com/hfHlMVxxFO

  — Mark Barber (@MarkBarberWKYT) November 3, 2015

  If you have informed yourself about the candidates, do your civic duty.

• In a new round of testing, NASA confirms that the EM Drive, which appear to violate the conservation of energy, does indeed work.

• Which Linux distribution should you use? I like Linux Mint, and have been using it for a long time.