Kentucky Wildcats Morning Quickies and Open Thread: Lauren Bacall Edition

Welcome to Thursday. Today’s Quickies are in honor of Lauren Bacall, who passed away on Tuesday. I remember several of her movies, particularly Key Largo and To Have and Have Not. I don’t remember her so much for her voice as for her demure, yet amazingly alluring demeanor. She and I also nearly shared the same birthday, being only one day apart, though 33 years removed.

Tweet of the morning

Kentucky Unit #2 has outscored opponents by +52, Unit #1 by +32. http://t.co/jFLoLryJeT #UKBasketball #BBN #Kentucky

— KentuckySportsReport (@MyKSR1) August 14, 2014

Kentucky football

• If history holds, Mark Stoops’ defense is ready to impress. I hope so. I still think it is a little young at key positions, but we should be able to rush the passer with Za’Darius Smith and Bud Dupree. I’m still worried about linebacker, though.

Kentucky basketball

• Instead of hitting the beach, the Wildcats hit the Samaritan’s Feet trail.

  "I want to have an impact 10 years, 20 years, 30 years from now," Coach Cal said. "Many of the players I’m going to coach are going to come across fame and fortune. What do you do with it? Do you make your life about yourself and how much you can grab, or do you make your life about everybody else?"

  I think that says it all.

• Coaches "surprised" at Karl-Anthony Towns’ scoring? I don’t get that. He’s always been able to score, he’s just willing to defer to teammates. But don’t mistake that willingness for inability.

  "[Karl Towns Sr. said] Come October and November, I’m telling you, he’s going to be something to really reckon with. People really didn’t get to see him shoot. But once he gets in that flow, they’re going to see he can shoot the ball from way far."

  Indeed. Way, way far. He hasn’t showed it yet, much like Booker, but Towns can shoot the ball with in-the-gym range, and can make them at a high percentage.

• Five thoughts on Kentucky after their third straight win.

  I think people have fallen a little too much in love with Tyler Ulis. Ulis is excellent for a freshmen, but he isn’t the best point guard on the team by quite a ways. Still, his combination of defense and floor vision are really great qualities to have in one so young.

Kentucky women’s basketball

• Matthew Mitchell completes his coaching staff.

College basketball

• What if Pistol Pete had the 3-point line? Honestly, I think he might have gotten close to 5,000 career points.

Other news

• Fewer unmarried women having children, except in one age group.

• Dirty play a major cause of athletic injuries. I think we have been too lenient on dirty play, and this is an eye-opener.