Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Brad Durham Edition

Very sad to hear that former UK lineman Brad Duram was severely injured in a fall from the top deck of Commonwealth Stadium celebrating the victory on Saturday. We’ll join UK president Dr. Eli Capilouto in offering our prayers and/or best wishes for a speedy and full recovery for Brad.

I think it would be prudent for UK to examine the incident carefully to see how such things can be avoided in the future. It may not be possible or reasonable to do anything in particular, but I think it deserves a look to see if we may have overlooked reasonable ways to make such accidents less likely.

I also urge everyone at UK basketball games to be careful. There are many opportunities to get hurt in the upper reaches of Rupp Arena, and although a catastrophic fall like Durahm’s is unlikely, it is still possible. Do be aware of the potential hazard and use care, especially going up and down the steps.

Tweet of the Morning

"Teamwork multiplies talent." - John C. Maxwell #TalentIsNeverEnough pic.twitter.com/dFfN1mPkzj

— Chad Scott (@CoachChadScott) October 7, 2014

I like it!

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Governor’s Cup series extended through 2019. That’s good news, and at least temporarily allays fears that the series would be ended due to conference conflicts.

• Bud Dupree is SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Congratulations!

• Mark Stoops’ weekly press conference:

  • Nice comments about Matt Elam. I thought Elam played well.
  • Still laments physicality in run game on defense.
  • Noted Jason Hatcher’s good play.
  • Said he knew UK was going to play well.
  • Liked the trick play call, thought it was the right time at the right spot.
  • Lots of praise for the O-Line.
  • Depth is helping on both sides of the ball in the lines.
  • Called team "focused."
  • Said players and recruits felt the passion of the fans, and Saturday was a great environment.
  • Said the Wildcat formation had "hurt me" over the years. That’s how you learn from experience.
  • Called Landon Foster "solid." Says his contribution gets taken for granted at times.

• Freshmen suspended in the air gun incident have been reinstated, will be available this weekend.

Kentucky basketball

• Jaylen Brown singles out both Bill Self and John Calipari as giving him the right messages. He’s apparently attending Fridays Late Night in the Phog and Big Blue Madness.

• Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg talk to Caoch Cal about the combine. Key points:

  • Will put in situation teams (i.e. pressing, shooting, foul shooting, etc.).
  • If one platoon is playing better than the other, they’ll get more minutes.
  • 90 NBA personnel in the combine, nobody from media except ESPN.
  • Do agility drills, shooting drills, 3-on-3, and eventually 5-on-5.
  • Doesn’t see a downside for any of the players.

  Listen to the whole thing.

Other Kentucky sports

• Women’s soccer drops a tough one to Texas A&M.

• Junior Morgan Bergren named SEC Player of the Week in volleyball. Senior Jackie Napper named Defensive Player of the Week.

Links posts

• The Leach Report: Tuesday Wildcat Links

College football

• Florida’s freshman quarterback Treon Harris, who basically rescued the Gators from extreme offensive ineptitude against Tennessee last Saturday, has been accused of sexual assault. The charge is being investigated by authorities. He has not been arrested or indicted yet, but he has been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the probe.

• The passion of Alabama fans. Hey, I like "cow turd" for Colin Cowherd. Works for me.

• Big game this weekend in Columbia when Georgia takes on the Missouri Tigers.

• SMU appears interested in former Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown.

• Washington State coach Mike Leach fires special teams coach after the kickoff team allowed two returns for touchdowns vs. Cal.

College basketball

• Adam Himmelsbach of the Courier-Journal thinks replacing Dick Vitale with Jay Bilas is the right move for primetime. I think so as well, and more for Dick’s sake than any other reason. Vitale, like some of us including yours truly, is getting to the age where flying around and getting to bed in the wee hours is harder and harder. I think Vitale in the best afternoon game is a win-win, because I think his ebullient style works better in the afternoon than in prime time. Bilas’ analytical, dry sense of humor feels more comfortable to me at night.

• Remember Vanderbilt guard Kedren Johnson? He’s been declared eligible to play immediately, and he’s with the Memphis Tigers now.

• Dick Vitale’s Roundball Chatter.

Other sports news

• Only three years until the next NBA lockout.

Other news

• Michael Phelps suspended six months by USA swimming after DUI. He has also entered a treatment program for alcohol abuse.

• Today is "Bald and Free" day, says KSR. Well, good for me, then. When I was young, I had hair down to my shoulders. I don’t miss any of it.

• Two Japanese scientists win the Nobel Prize for physics for the invention of a diode that emits blue light.

• The Ramen Noodle Burger?