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Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies: Coaching Rumors Edition

News and commentary from around the Big Blue Internet. UK Hoops takes out Northern Kentucky. UK Men's basketball has 3 on Wooden Award Watch list. More.

By Glenn Logan
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The football coaching carousel is in full swing, and rumors are rampant. The only real rumors about Kentucky’s now-needed offensive coordinator have been shot down. Some analysts see Mark Stoops as a possible Michigan candidate, although that makes sense to absolutely nobody with an actual brain. Yes, Stoops has recruiting contacts near Michigan and has recruited well for Kentucky, but for God’s sake, it’s… Michigan! Anybody should be able to recruit for them.

Would Stoops take the job if the Wolverines offered? Sure he would, and I’d probably push him out the door — not because I don’t want him here, but once again, for God’s sake, it’s … Michigan! Coaches like Stoops don’t turn down jobs like that.

Tweet of the Morning

Heh. Michigan fans. Stoops hasn’t proven he can make Kentucky a winner yet. Why would a place like Michigan hire such an unproven commodity? Kentucky, sure, but Michigan?

Not likely. In fact, damned unlikely.

Based on what I saw last night, it would be one-sided, and not in favor of the Blue Devils.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

  • Here we go again. This happens every season, and it is just as ridiculous this season as every other one. This time, it’s the Louisville Cardinals’ Rivals site:

    A thought has been running through my brain the last few days that would have never entered my mind before last Saturday: Is it really beneficial for the University of Louisville to play Kentucky in football every year? After the behavior of the Wildcat football team before and during the game I am beginning to wonder if it is really worth it?
    …
    I am not the only one contemplating if this game is beneficial for the Cards. I’m sure Coach Mark Stoops would definitely like to cancel the game and play an out-of-conference opponent he can beat. That is the only chance the Cats have to reach six wins and a bowl game.

    Heh. What a maroon, as Bugs Bunny would say. And as Hank would say, “Bless their little pea-pickin’ hearts!”

  • Former UK QB Freddie Maggard says Neal Brown did a great job with what he had to work with. I’m inclined to agree, particularly considering the offensive line.

Kentucky basketball

  • Three Wildcats on Naismith award watch list — Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison and Karl-Anthony Towns.

  • I’m not sure whether to be flattered or offended by Rick Barnes saying that John Calipari is “very much underrated.” How can you be underrated when you have been to the Final Four three times in five years and won an NCAA Tournament title?

    I think what he’s trying to say is that Calipari is underrated as an X’s and O’s coach, and that’s unquestionably true. But he’s not underrated when it comes to getting people to play together — he’s proven that over and over again.

    But seriously, Rick Barnes has never had anything but good stuff to say about Coach Cal, and he says a lot of really nice things in the article. I’ve always liked Barnes, and his comments only reinforce that feeling.

  • Well, duh.

Other Kentucky sports
College football
College basketball

  • Duke defeats Wisconsin in Madison. Talent over experience anytime.

    The interesting thing in this game is Duke’s defense — they don’t have a very good one, even if it is improved over last season. They allowed Wisconsin over 1.13 points per possession. But Wisconsin could not stop Duke at all, giving up almost 1.3 points/ possession themselves.

    Duke seeks to pressure the entry pass into the post by pushing opposing guards out on the floor. The counter to this is simply to clear out and let the man with the ball attack his defender on the dribble. Wisconsin did not do that, and instead tried to pass the ball around the perimeter. That’s not the way to attack Duke’s defense, as they found out to their woe.

    Wisconsin also did a poor job exploiting mismatches as Duke was switching on the screen and roll. It’s as if the Badgers had never played a defense that switches the ball screen. Weird.

    But mostly, Duke won because Wisconsin could not guard them on the perimeter. The one thing you must do with Duke is deny them open looks from three, and force them to beat you off the bounce or in the post. They have weapons there, but they are vulnerable in that style.

  • Wichita State lost to Utah in overtime. Not a particularly well-played game by either team, and WSU is not nearly as formidable this season as they were the last two. They are still good, but they aren’t going to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

    To be fair, Utah is a very good team, and they were playing at home.

  • North Carolina goes down to Iowa. Honestly, if I hadn’t known that Iowa was the underdog going in, I would’ve said they were the higher-ranked team. North Carolina does not have enough scoring to be particularly successful this season. Even if Kentucky did not have the best defense in the country, I would like our chances against them.

  • Florida’s personnel woes just keep getting worse, and they have Kansas coming up tomorrow.

Other sports news

  • Sixers win! It had to happen sometime.

  • Lauren Hill’s inoperable brain tumor has finally reached the point where she has begun to receive hospice care at home. Sadly, her life will not last much longer, but she has, and continues to try, to live it as normally as possible. What an inspiration this young woman is — she has raised more than $350,000 for pediatric cancer research.

    Sometimes the shortest of lives can be among the most precious.

Other news

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