Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: 9/11 Edition

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation, and welcome to the Tuesday Morning Quickies.

Today is the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a moment that, along with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I will never forget where I was or what I was doing. Let us remember that moment, and the thousands that were killed and maimed as well as the heroic actions of our first responders to the horrific events of that bright September day in New York City.

Moving on to the subject of this site, what about that victory over Florida on Saturday? I was on my annual golf trip, and only one television among the four villas actually worked. So somehow, one of my friends and I managed, through a complicated process using both my cell phone and his, to get Chromecast to play the game and we got to watch the whole thing. It was worth the effort.

Much has been written about that game, and I won’t be able to add too much insight about it that hasn’t already been mentioned, but one thing stood out to me — when was the last time Kentucky had a player like Terry Wilson, who seems frighteningly turnover-prone, yet who is able to make up for that huge negative with even more spectacular positives? I can’t remember when.

Moving on to basketball, consider this:

I have no doubt we will see all 30 teams again represented, probably with multiple people. This has become a true event, and is a classic example of one of the many ways John Calipari has changed college basketball forever.

In some related UK basketball news, Westgate Las Vegas has Duke and Kentucky tied at 5/1 odds to win the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament. Kansas and Gonzaga show up next at 7/1. What an event the Champions Classic will be this year, with Gonzaga the only team of the four not scheduled to be there and Duke and UK playing each other.

Finally, there is a recent article by Ben Roberts that deserves a little discussion. Because of the depth and talent of UK’s front court this season, Roberts foresees that UK may need an entirely new front court next year, improving the odds of landing James Wiseman:

Wow, indeed. Kentucky is definitely going to have openings in the front court that need filling, and that would be a very, very nice filler indeed.

Tweet of the Morning

Florida fans are cute when they’re mad.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• UK-Mississippi State news:

• Murray State Racers have “nothing to lose” against Kentucky. Well, only the game, I hope…
• The UK fan who’s car got flipped in the aftermath of the Florida game is receiving one as a donation from a car dealership in Nicholasville.
• Kentucky players, Coach Stoops, dedicate the Florida win to melanoma patient and Kentucky player Josh Paschal.
• Benny Snell talks about Bunchy Stallings’ pancake block on a Florida defender.
• Three games that changed the entire UK football fan experience.
• Josh Allen and Bunchy Stallings have been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Offensive Lineman of the Week respectively.

Kentucky basketball

• Basketball pro day set to air on the SEC Network.

Other Kentucky sports

• JJ Williams repeats as C-USA player of the week in soccer, and also by College Soccer News.

Links posts

• The Leach Report: Tuesday Wildcat Links

College football

• Florida trending toward the top of college football “misery index.”
• Hurricane Florence bears down on East coast, could affect Saturday’s games.

College basketball

• 16 teams who improved their stock over the summer. Yes, Kentucky most definitely is one.
• Western Kentucky names men’s basketball all-Century team, and it includes former coach and arena namesake, E.A. Diddle.

Other sports news

• Devin Booker to miss six weeks recovering from hand surgery.
• Dakari Johnson signs with team in China.

Other news

• Scientists find 3 bizarre new sea creatures in the depths of the ocean.
• SCARY: Superbugs frequently jump between humans and animals.
• Faster, please: Photoelectrode that can harvest 85% of visible light.