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Quickies: Final Stretch Edition

Cats look to finish off '16 class. NBA Cats finish up regular season. Towns' awesome season preceded by grief. College hoops' Vine of the Year. Gran, Stoops unhappy with offense. More.

By Jason Marcum

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Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

A big week and final stretch is ahead this week for Wildcats of past and present.

For John Calipari and his current Cats, this week is crucial to how his 2016-17 squad will look like as the spring signing periods opens Wednesday. Marques Bolden is set to decide soon and then Jarrett Allen soon after. Does Cal nab one of them, or is he able to work a late, unexpected commitment from someone we're not paying attention to?

Elsewhere, former Wildcats in the NBA see their regular seasons end this week as the NBA begins shifting to the postseason. Cats like Trey Lyles and his Jazz are looking for a late push just to get into the playoffs, while guys like Devin Booker and Karl Towns look to end their seasons on a high note with their teams out of the playoffs.

Tweet(s) of the Day:

Poor Uncle Ben...

Your Quickies

Social media buzz: Nike Hoop Summit - CoachCal.com
Two Wildcats played for Team USA in the game, with De’Aaron Fox running the show and Wenyen Gabriel displaying his versatility.

Karl-Anthony Towns' superb rookie season preceded by grief - Lexington Herald-Leader
As Towns climbed into his car after an August workout, he started driving as an alert buzzed on his phone announcing the death of Darryl Dawkins. Towns knew him as Uncle Darryl.

Westry looking to make jump as sophomore - Courier-Journal
Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry hopes to build on a breakout freshman season.

US beats World team 101-67 at the Nike Hoop Summit - FOX Sports
The United States was dominant from the start, jumping out to an early 16-0 lead, capitalized by a flashy breakaway dunk from De'Aaron Fox five minutes into the first quarter.

Eddie Gran, Mark Stoops unhappy with offense in scrimmage - Cats Pause
Kentucky offensive coordinator Eddie Gran has been pleased as he's installed his system this spring but wasn't as happy after the final scrimmage before the Blue-White game.

You need to listen to Skal Labissiere’s interview on KSR - Kentucky Sports Radio
Skal Labissiere came on KSR to discuss his freshman year at UK and his decision to go pro and, without meaning to, reminded us all how great of a kid he is and why we all should root for him in the pros, regardless of the fact he played at UK.

Satellite camp ban hurts recruits at all levels - ESPN
Friday's decision to ban all satellite camps helps the SEC and southern schools but really hurts recruits at all levels.

RCS Columbus: Jedrick Wills interview
Rivals.com analyst Woody Wommack interviews five-star tackle and UK target Jedrick Wills about his recruitment.

Michael Porter Jr. & Trae Young Put On A Show (Night 1 Made Hoops Warmup)
A new highlight reel of two of the best in the 2017 class, not to mention UK targets.

Five-star John Petty grew up a Kentucky fan - Cats Pause
Huntsville (Ala.) J.O. Johnson 5-star wing John Petty was one of the first 2017 prospects to receive a scholarship offer from the Wildcats last May.

High Point Christian’s Bam Adebayo is N.C. AP player of the year - The Charlotte Observer
High Point Christian’s Edrice "Bam" Adebayo is The Associated Press high school basketball players of the year for North Carolina.

Za'Darius Smith serious about sacks, diabetes research - CSN Mid-Atlantic
Ravens outside linebacker and former Wildcat Za'Darius Smith has accepted coach John Harbaugh's challenge to get at least 10 sacks next season.

Hoops Summit: 3 things we learned in a blowout win for the USA - SBNation.com
Team USA showcased its talent in a 101-67 romping of the World Team.

2016 Herald-Leader All-State boys’ basketball team - Lexington Herald-Leader
The 2016 Lexington Herald-Leader All-State boys’ basketball team is the result of 52 boys’ coaches who returned ballots after the state tournament.

College basketball 2016–17 top 25: Duke, Villanova in front - SI.com
Thanks to a stellar recruiting class and the return of star Grayson Allen, Duke will be the team to beat to start the 2016–17 regular season.

Navy to Deploy New Anti-Ship Surface Missile on a Littoral Combat Ship - Warrior - Scout
The emerging Naval Strike Missile uses infrared imaging to find and destroy enemy ship targets from distances up to 100 nautical miles.

U.S. men's, women's basketball teams to stay on cruise ship during Rio Games - ESPN
The U.S. men's and women's basketball teams will be staying on a cruise ship during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

High school notebook: Postseason revisions kind to Lexington football districts - Lexington Herald-Leader
This week’s notebook includes an analysis of the recently approved cross-bracketing table for the high school football playoffs and the results of the All-City polling of coaches.

4 ways colleges can empower student entrepreneurs to change the world - Mashable
Colleges have an exciting opportunity — and a responsibility — to help prepare young people for the reality of starting up.

‘Edge Of Tomorrow 2’ Back On With Original Director And New Writers - UPROXX
The sequel to the word-of-mouth success starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is really happening, and it has writers and a director.

Ranking the Most Memorable Moments from the 2015-16 College Basketball Season - Bleacher Report
From Louisville's self-Imposed ban to Kris Jenkins dagger into UNC's heart, Bleacher Report ranks the best moments from this past season.

Denzel Valentine decides college basketball's Vine of the Year - SBNation.com
We pulled in the Michigan State star to choose the year's best Vine.

The 'Game of Thrones' Season 6, episode 1 synopsis is as blunt as you'd expect - Mashable
"The Red Woman" is coming.

Mark Emmert: How to help college athletes - Indystar
NCAA President Mark Emmert talks about the challenges faced assessing college sports through the lens of fairness.

iPhone SE vs. iPhone 6S: which is better? - The Verge
I'm a regular iPhone kinda guy, but may get one of these for my next upgrade.

Kobe Talking About Shaq Reportedly Led To Free Agents Avoiding L.A. - UPROXX
Here's another way that Shaq and Kobe's awful relationship hurt the Lakers.

Patriots Fans Lawsuit over Lost Draft Pick in Deflategate Punishment Dismissed - Bleacher Report
Patriots fans sued the NFL in an effort to regain the team's first-round pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL draft, which was taken away as a result of Deflategate.

Dogs try to get peanut butter off their faces in a slobbery photo series - Mashable
As someone who tried this with my pups once, watching dogs try to get peanut butter off their faces makes for a fantastic photo series.

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