Monday Quickies: On to Mississippi State Edition

Kentucky has had a rough year, and a lot of the national media has pretty much signed off on this team and said wait until next year.

With many crossing them off their list of contenders, the Wildcats now move on to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are 11th in the conference and are coming off a loss to Alabama. It’s a chance for the Wildcats to start a new home winning streak after the previous one was just snapped by Florida, and a chance for the Cats to get a victory that may go unnoticed by many, but it will be an important one for the future of this season...the Wildcats need to see a W now more than ever.

Tweets of the day

Jarred Vanderbilt shares Isaiah Thomas’ sentiment, and the Wildcats are going to have to be one of those teams with a short memory.

Your quickies

UK Cheerleader gets engaged following Kentucky-Florida game | Kentucky Sports Radio
The Kentucky Wildcats may have lost last night, but one UK cheerleader came away walking on air. Senior cheerleader Dallas Pringle was surprised on the court following the game when her boyfriend, Jack Ditto, got down on one knee and proposed in front of the Rupp Arena crowd.

Ohio recruiting analyst likes Kentucky's chances with Peters and Oats | Kentucky Sports Radio
We are just a few weeks from college football's second National Signing Day on February 7, and with four scholarships remaining, the Kentucky Wildcats have the opportunity to finish the class of 2018 strong.

Is the No-Call the best thing that could have happened? | Kentucky Sports Radio
You've seen it by now. In the closing seconds of yesterday's loss to Florida, PJ Washington drove to the basket to only be fouled hard by Florida. Jay Bilas criticized the official for not making the foul call.

Calipari shrinking offensive package to keep Vanderbilt on floor - Cats' Pause
Kentucky coach John Calipari really wants freshman Jarred Vanderbilt on the court even though he missed the first 17 games to injury. So he's adjusting the offense to fit him.

After another loss, is Kentucky as fine as John Calipari believes it is? - Cats' Pause
John Calipari was oddly optimistic after Kentucky's loss to Florida.

CatsIllustrated.com - COLUMN: It's time for Calipari to punch back
John Calipari was the father of the one-and-done. Mike Krzyzewski has hi-jacked it. And right now, he's better than Calipari at it.

Can Benny Snell manage another massive workload? - SEC Country
Benny Snell is the face of Kentucky football right now, but the Wildcats might look to spread the workload more evenly in 2018.

Bracketology: SEC basketball strong, Kentucky shaky - SEC Country
SEC Bracketology: Most of the league is in solid shape, but Kentucky basketball's NCAA Tournament forecast is increasingly cloudy. While it might not be time to worry about the Cats missing the dance, a difficult seeding and path are quite possible.

Former Cat Jennings helps Gamecocks stick another loss on feisty UK in Rupp | Lexington Herald Leader
A’ja Wilson and Alexis Jennings combined to score 43 points and grab 15 rebounds in No. 10 South Carolina’s win over Kentucky.

Where does UK basketball turn after Zion Williamson picked Duke? | Courier-Journal
There will be no Zion Williamson highlight-reel dunks in Rupp Arena next season.

Hello, Super Bowl: Underdog Eagles dominate Vikings 38-7 – ProFootballTalk
The Eagles were underdogs against the Falcons. They were underdogs against the Vikings. They are sure to be underdogs against the Patriots, too. Philadelphia has embraced the role. The Eagles left no doubt who the best team is in the NFC, dominating the Vikings 38-7 on Sunday night.

Patriots headed to SB LII after victory over Jaguars - NFL.com
The New England Patriots are heading back to the Super Bowl. The Patriots punched their ticket to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons with a 24-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski's status looms large during Super Bowl buildup - Yahoo Sports
There’s no uniform timetable on returns from concussions, although the two weeks between games will certainly help his return.

Kyrie Irving says slumping Celts need to learn to 'weather the storm' - ESPN
Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving says his team was overdue for a bit of adversity and wants the Celtics to embrace one of the few rough patches the team has encountered this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers increase practices but do not worry about team slump - ESPN
Rather than dwell on Cleveland's historically poor defensive performance Saturday against the Thunder, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue decided against showing his team the game tape from the blowout loss and simply went back to work on the court Sunday.

NFL Rumors: Patriots To Consider Aaron Glenn As Matt Patricia’s Replacement | NESN.com
The New England Patriots likely will need to replace both of their coordinators this offseason. And while they typically prefer to promote from within, one name from outside the organization has been linked to the team's soon-to-be vacant defensive coordinator position.

Texans DC Mike Vrabel named Titans head coach - NFL.com
Tennessee has found its new leader. The Titans have hired Mike Vrabel as the franchise's new head coach, the team announced on Saturday.