Wednesday Quickies: Spring Football Edition

Usually, when Kentucky football is discussed, Kentucky fans groan, gripe or ignore the discussion.

But with spring football getting underway and the spring game coming up on April 14, there is a new optimism around the Kentucky football program. After Mark Stoops finally had a breakthrough year in his rebuild with a 7-5 season, a bowl appearance, an over .500 record in SEC play, and a win over Louisville, there’s a sense that the Wildcats are on the rise (and it shows in season ticket sales).

Spring ball is going to be a great time for Kentucky’s stars of last season (like Stephen Johnson and Benny Snell) to prepare and get better for next season.

Speaking of which, here’s info on how to get tickets to the spring game.

Your quickies

Kentucky Completes Season Sweep of Western Kentucky | UK Wildcats News
The Cats have now won eight straight games, 14 of the past 15 and 16 of 18 overall. UK has now won four consecutive games on the road, the longest winning streak in true road games since the 2008 team won six in a row.

One UK freshman already drawing comparisons to Snell - KSR
Benny Snell did everything you could ask of a true freshman..and then a whole lot more. To think that Kentucky could get another Snell-type performer in wide receiver Clevan Thomas Jr. is incredible.

O-Line preparing for life after Jon Toth - Herald-Leader
Toth was the anchor of an insanely successful offensive line last year. His legacy lives on in what he taught his younger teammates, and now they’re looking to put his teaching to use.

Kentucky baseball sweeps season series with WKU - Courier-Journal
The Cats continued their strong play last night with a 4-3 win over Western Kentucky University last night. That marks their second win in two games against the Hilltoppers, completing the sweep.

UCLA and Kentucky don’t mind crowded backcourts - LA Daily News
Versatility and star power: two things that both Kentucky and UCLA have in abundance in their backcourts.

Calipari hoping the Cats can work on the boards against UCLA - UPI
Cal wants to see toughness. He feels the Cats were manhandled the last time out against UCLA, and they need to show heart this time around.

Paul Finebaum compares John Calipari and Nick Saban - 247
"Kentucky fans enjoy the ride. Alabama fans enjoy the rings."

Fox ready to start throwing it down - SEC Country
In recent weeks, De’Aaron Fox has shown more than just an ability to get to the rim (we already knew he had that). He’s shown that when he gets there, he knows how to finish the drive with authority. He wants to do that more and more for the Cats.

Wildcats Grew from Earlier Defeat to UCLA | UK Wildcats News
As the season has progressed, so too have the Wildcats’ maturity and experience. Aided by three seniors playing the best basketball of their careers, including a pair of Kentucky natives who have now each seen 15 NCAA Tournament games, this is a Wildcats team that isn’t quite as young as its headlining trio of star freshmen might indicate.

Cousins dominant in win over Grizzlies - ABC
41 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high five three-pointers for the New Orleans Pelicans’ big man. Those two former Cats are doing some special stuff in the bayou.

Robin Lopez and Serge Ibaka attempt to throw hands...and miss - Yahoo
Lopez and Ibaka got into an (attempted) all-out brawl and had to be restrained. As they were being pulled away, they both attempted to throw punches at each other, and neither one hit their target. They were then promptly tossed from the game.

USA defeats Japan, moves on to WBC Final - FOX Sports
The United States are on to their first ever World Baseball Classic final.

They’ll be playing Puerto Rico, a sovereign state of the United States. Does that mean we’re basically playing ourselves?

LeBron James fires back at LaVar Ball - ESPN
The James-Ball war has begun. Will it ever be more than a war of words? Who knows. But it’s forcing us to give LaVar more attention, which I’m sure the outspoken father loves.

Marshawn Lynch’s agent has no idea if Lynch will return to the NFL - CBS
After Lynch’s retirement, he made it clear that we’d never see him play NFL football again. However, a possible return for his home town team has opened up a lot of speculation...and nothing has been denied.

How Tom Brady’s jersey was found - ESPN
When one of the all-time greats loses his Super Bowl jersey after completing the greatest NFL comeback ever, you know drastic measures will be taken to retrieve it. The obsessive media coverage all over the arena is what helped authorities figure out who had the jersey.