Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: 50 Days to Basketball Edition

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

I know it’s football season, but with only 50 days (inclusive) until basketball season, I’m starting to feel the itch.

This year’s Kentucky team really looks like a winner, and although we seem to think that every year, I really love the mix this season is bringing to the hardwood. We have shooters, we have scorers, we have defenders, we have guards, forwards and even a center. In other words, this bunch has skill, depth and even some experience.

Yesterday brought this article from CBS Sports delineating the best bets among the projected contenders for the 2019-20 season. Michigan State, for sure, will be good. Memphis is talented, but for me, the jury is still out on how good they can actually be. Florida has a quality squad, but I’m skeptical of Louisville and Texas Tech.

Duke, as the article says, doesn’t look like a good bet at 10-1. There is a lot of skill there, but the Blue Devils don’t look like they did last season with two all-world players. It’s hard to believe in Arizona right now with all the FBI stuff going on and their recent lack of success.

What I love about this team is its versatility, and depth of talent combined with just enough experience to make them look like a potential world-beater. No other teams really look like they have that potential other than perhaps Memphis, and that’s mostly because of their best-in-the-nation recruiting class and especially, James Wiseman. But Penny Hardaway is not a proven commodity coaching this kind of talent, and I expect that to show up early and often.

I can’t wait for October 11th. I know you can’t either.

Related: 50 things to get you ready for college basketball 50 days from opening night.

Tweet of the Morning

Haha! I have to admit, I’m a fan of Mike Leach.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Did UK’s loss to Florida improve their chances at a better bowl game? Only if they win a lot from now on, I’d say.
• UK depth chart for Mississippi State. We’re pretty dinged up after the Florida game.
• Overreactions from the Florida comeback win over Kentucky.
• Has a running back controversy developed at Kentucky? Kavosiey Smoke has sure looked good...

Kentucky basketball

• John Calipari has returned to the top of college recruiting for 2020. Ben Roberts talks about who his next score could be.
• Coach Cal sees all kinds of options at the guard positions for 2019. It’s a beautiful thing, having three guys (at least) who can run the point.
• With the matriculation of Terrence Clarke, Josh Christopher and Jalen Green may no longer be on Kentucky’s radar.
• Calipari is not going to allow arrogance at Kentucky. Good.
• Nice piece from MassLive about Terrence Clarke.

Other Kentucky sports

• #16 Kentucky volleyball hosts two top-25 teams this week in #21 Purdue and #25 Louisville.
• UK golfer Josephine Chang in contention for the MSU Greenbrier Invitational golf championship.

Links posts

• The Leach Report: Tuesday Wildcat Links.

College football

• Alabama edges Clemson for #1 this week in CBS Sports 130.
• Ten questions for college football’s biggest Week 4 matchups.

College basketball

• What Georgia’s highest ranked recruit ever, Anthony Edwards, means to the team this year.
• Virginia’s Tony Bennett turned down a raise to get his staff a salary increase. I have to say, that’s pretty awesome, and impressive.

Other news

• Scientists have discovered what could be the most massive neutron star yet discovered.
• Physicists close in on the mass of the elusive neutrino.
• This picture of Mars in the spring is really incredible.