Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation, and welcome to the Tuesday Morning quickies.
The Associated Press has a nice story today on presumptive UK starting quarterback Stephen Johnson. The dreaded ball security issue was a prominent feature of the piece, but Johnson says he has “gotten a lot smarter” working with Darin Hinshaw and Eddie Gran.
Honestly, this is the one area that Johnson could find himself faced with a quick hook. Last season’s troubles were understandable, but after a year in the trenches and an entire off-season, especially with Drew Barker chomping at the bit to get back in the game, Johnson really needs to avoid fumbles.
Shorter passes are another bone of contention with Johnson’s game, and that’s primarily a function of his low release point. Timing routes will help alleviate some of that problem, and we should find out fairly soon how much success he’s had dealing with those two major issues. If he continues to struggle getting the ball into the shorter routes and drops the football, expect to see Barker early and often.
Tweet of the Morning
"When I was drafted, Louisville had 2 titles. When I retired, they had 3 titles. Now, they have 2 titles again. It's the damnedest thing." pic.twitter.com/5TVwgzicGr
— Not Jerry Tipton (@NotJerryTipton) August 8, 2017
Heh.
Your Quickies:
Kentucky football
- Benny Snell will be carrying a heavy load this season. I’d say that’s true unless Sihiem King or A.J. Rose really steps up in a big way.
- Denzil Ware challenges Josh Paschal to take his job away from him. That’s pretty awesome.
Kentucky basketball
- Mark Story asks if Clevan Thomas can make #18 as significant as Randall Cobb, Jacob Tamme, and Boom Williams.
- Those are some big shoes to fill, no doubt about it.
- Yet another fan tries to will UK to a championship via tattoo. I’ll shut up and listen.
- SI’s Luke Winn thinks that if Marvin Bagley’s quest to reclassify to 2017 is successful, the national championship picture will change.
It could, for sure, especially if he winds up at Arizona or Duke. I’m not sure he’d make as much of a difference for UK because of our youth.
- Memories. Oh, wait, even I wasn’t around in 1910...
In 1910 Cornell alum E.R. Sweetland came to Ky & coached their perfect 9-0 1912 team. UK sent Coury to Cornell who had one of best seasons. pic.twitter.com/gs2lxUS6o1
— bigbluehistory (@bigbluehistory) August 8, 2017
Other Kentucky sports
- Kentucky volunteer assistant track coach Omar McLeod became world champion in the men’s 110-meter hurdles yesterday. Congrats!
Links posts
College football
- CBS is doing the “Candid Coaches” thing again, this time for college football. Check this one out:
“Out of the 130 FBS schools in FBS, I would say, in the SEC, 80 percent [knowingly cheat]. Everywhere else, about 20 percent.”
Heh. Well, to be fair, the SEC has had a big scandal lately (I’m looking at you, Ole Miss) but I’m going out on a limb and say this is mostly sour grapes.
- Speaking of Ole Miss, former Rebels coach Houston Nutt is willing to drop his lawsuit against the school, wherein he claims the school bad-mouthed him to reporters, in return for $500,000 to establish a sports ethics commission and an apology. Good luck with that, Houston.
College basketball
- Look! The twins committed to Maryland after all. Apologies to those who don’t remember the pitched recruiting battle between UK and Maryland over the Harrison twins.
- How does Villanova replace the lost production from last year? I don’t know, wait a couple of seasons?
Other sports news
- Former UK guard and current Phoenix Suns star Eric Bledsoe talks about his life beyond basketball.
- LeBron James usually doesn’t stoop to this level of discourse. Alas.
- Jack Nicklaus laments Tiger Woods’ recent travails:
“I feel bad for Tiger,” Nicklaus said during his annual pre-tourney address to the media. “Tiger’s a friend, he’s been great for the game of golf. I think he needs all our help, and we wish him well.”
It does make me sad to see a seminal, even iconic athlete like Woods in such rapid decline. I hope he pulls out of it soon.
- I hope Robert Horry wasn’t thinking about a second career as a boxer, because, well…ummm…
Other news
- Actor Channing Tatum gives away a Harley Davidson in Lexington, promoting his new movie.
- What science can learn from the upcoming total solar eclipse. Consider:
One of the most exciting experiments, says Catherine Lanier, associate director for NASA’s Space Grant program at Oregon State University (which happens to be situated within the path of totality), will be an effort to study the eclipse from balloons launched to altitudes of 30,000 metres (100,000 feet) at 55 points along the path of totality.
- He’ll be back: The Terminator franchise will continue.