Kentucky Wildcats Quickies: SEC Ripe For the Taking Edition

As the Kentucky Wildcats prepare to head to South Carolina on Saturday, they are faced with a huge opportunity. They find themselves tied for the top spot in the conference with the Gamecocks (8-3) and the LSU Tigers (8-3). The Gamecocks defeated the Tigers last night 94-83 in Columbia and the Texas A&M Aggies (7-4) fell at Alabama.

The 'Cats have a chance to create some separation at the top, especially with LSU and Texas A&M playing each other on Saturday. But as we know, the road has not been kind to the Wildcats. They have suffered all of their losses away from Rupp Arena this season and Columbia will have a frantic atmosphere this weekend with Sandstorm blaring.

It's time to see whether or not the game Tennessee was just an aberration or if the road struggles are still real.

Tweet of the Day

I just voted for Tyler Ulis for the @Wendys #WoodenAward. Cast your vote here: https://t.co/Ir25S945en https://t.co/WZiqHFgWYI

— The Real Big Game (@Round_Daddy) February 11, 2016

I suggest you do the same. Tyler Ulis deserves it and remains criminally underrated on a national scale.

Kentucky Quickies

With a stellar group coming in for 2016 and some key guys returning, there is pressure on the offensive line, which was arguably the worst unit on the team last season. The 'Cats are only losing Jordan Swindle (false start) and Zach West. John Schlarman needs to get these guys together.

In all of the bad news coming out for the Louisville Cardinals basketball team, there is some good news with relation to the 'Cats. The postseason ban which the Dirty Birds imposed upon themselves will not effect Kentucky's March profile. Louisville is one of the best of Kentucky's wins. Duke and Florida are the other two major quality wins. The selection committee will still take into account the 75-73 victory over Lousiville when they are determining the seeding.

The NBA Draft still look to be a big night for Kentucky. Skal Labissiere may no longer be the top ranked player, but he is still sitting at 10 according to Draft Express. Isaiah Briscoe sits at 32 (out of the first round, Jamal Murray is the top ranked 'Cat at 8, Tyler Ulis sits at 51, Marcus Lee at 74, and Alex Poythress is at 86. Some of these guys will have difficult decisions with the talent coming in next season.

The famous Dancing Guy of Rupp Arena dropped a young lady Tuesday night at the game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Darren Moscoe, AKA Dancing Guy, has become a tradition at Rupp Arena. Every home game when the song "Mony Mony" is played, he gets up and dances in the aisle and slides down the railing. But things took a dangerous turn when a young lady joined him on the stairs. He then picked her up and soon after dropped her. He was escorted out by the police. Everyone involved was OK.

Derek WIllis, Jamal Murray, and Isaac Humphries all credit conversations with their father as to why they are all three currently playing some of their best basketball of the season. I guess Father really does know best.

With Alex Poythress being out for the next two weeks, the 'Cats have a "next man up" mentality.Nobody has taken more advantage of this than Isaac Humphries.

Coach Cal's 'Cats in the NBA for the week.

Killeya-Jones has recorded double-doubles in each of his last 13 games. He's had 10 20+ point games & nine 13+ rebound games in that stretch

— Ben Roberts (@NextCats) February 11, 2016

This is good.

Sports Quickies

The rallying cry of RIck Pitino, the Louisville media, and the Louisville fans has been "the system is broken" in regards to the self-imposed postseason ban. But John Clay disagrees. He does think that it is unfair to the players, as do I, but Clay makes a valid point that the postseason ban is more than fair for college basketball in general. Consider: "Let’s say last Friday’s announcement didn’t happen; Louisville enters this year’s Big Dance and, with a fortunate bounce here or there, wins the NCAA title. How is that going to look? What are people going to say about the NCAA and college athletics in general when a program that allegedly used prostitutes and strippers to entertain recruits over a four-year period wins the biggest title in college basketball?"

That's an argument I have not heard yet and it changes the way I think about the postseason ban. They are getting exactly what they deserve right now.

Things right now are bad for the Phoenix Suns and the issues came to a head last night when Markieff Morris shoved and choked former Wildcat Archie Goodwin during a timeout. Morris has let it be known that he wants out of Phoenix, but getting physical with a teammate is bad form no matter what. To be fair, I'm sure there were times when Cal wanted to do the same thing to Archie.

32 players in the NFL that need a change of scenery. RGIII is on the top of tht list.

Remember when those annoying play-in games were referred to as the first round but nobody called it the first round because we all know that the first round of the NCAA doesn't start until Thursday? Order has been restored.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist among three NBA players that suffered shoulder injuries last night. Poor guy just cannot catch a break.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams is expected to be on the sidelines for practice today after a scary fainting spell in Tuesday night's win at Boston College. Roy has suffered from vertigo in the past.

In today's top 25 college basketball upsets: Tubby Smith and the Texas Tech Red Radiers down #14 Iowa State in overtime while the #20 Providence Friars were upset at Marquette in double overtime.

Eric Crawford from WDRB.com does some Q&A about the Louisville situation and more.Yesterday there were rumors swirling that AD Mafia Boss Tom Jurich had an offer on the table from USC. UofL SID Kenny Klein shot that down, but one has to wonder what the future holds for one of the sleaziest AD's in the country. Yes, he's a sleazeball. And so is Rick Pitino. And so is James Ramsey. And so is that entire university and the entire athletic department.

A Tennessee football player is filing a lawsuit saying that he was assaulted for helping a woman that was being raped by two of his teammates. I'm really finding it difficult to enjoy sports at the present time.

Random Quickies:

A study argues that the rise of human civilization can be linked to worship of punitive gods. This makes sense. Nothing strikes fear and suggests that one follows the law like the wrath of one or more deities. It's easier to control the masses and usher in order with fear.

Who does Mark Cuban tell us to definitely NOT vote for?

So, is JK Rowling writing and publishing a new Harry Potter book or not?