So for Memorial Day, I decided it was time to start seriously looking for a car. Thus, the first thing I needed to do was secure some money. Where better to look on\the day you think of your Soldiers, Sailors, Marines than the Navy Federal Credit Union! So I'm on my way, we'll hopefully see if I get approved for this thing tomorrow.
Anyways, without talking about the UK fans vs National Media Cat fighting going on - get it, Cat fighting - here's the news of the day:
Jorts, Jon Hood, and Peyton Siva along with the rest of the Kentucky Christian contingency returned to the states today. Congrats to the guys and welcome back.
Yeah, apparently the Lord Stanley Cup Finals are being held. Chicago won the first game, and I don't care enough about it to stay up and see who won the second.
Things seem to be going the right direction for Washington DC sports. They get to pick a top talent John Wall in the NBA draft next month, and if the selection of #1 overall Stephen Strausburg in the last MLB Draft is any indication, Wall should be a star immediately. Strausburg has dominated AA and AAA ball this season and is expected to be called up this week. He'll pitch against the Pirates for his opener, so a W is in order.
Boogiewoogie has decided to focus his attention on KSR's "Who Wants to be a Blogger" contest. But I don't think he's realized if he is on KSR's list of writers, where will he get his topics from? Seriously though, good luck Boogiewooge.
So because I am finished writing about the Eric Bledsoe saga, until further NEWS comes out, I present to you the latest Louisville recruit, Little baby two-packs. This child is of no relation to Ricky Three-Stacks. Over at straitpinkie they had a awe-some video. As in, I was in awe of a two year old child, drinking from a bottle, wearing a diaper, but twirling a cigarette around like it's a rattle.
Anyways, there is no sports associated with this, except I am hoping that the Kentucky Christian Reach program might visit Indonesia next summer and show them the only thing smoking in Asia is Josh Harrellson's game.
So, I told you what's going down with the Cats and Eric Bledsoe earlier. First let me say that I am moderately worried that this could be an issue. Everything the New York Times article says could be true. It is all plausible. To recap, the follow are the statements:
1) Eric Bledsoe did have bad grades and did manage to bring his grades up remarkably 2) Eric Bledsoe comes from an unquestionably poor family who would possibly be willing to take handouts to avoid eviction/make ends meet.
But that's how speculation works. Pull out something that could happen, something people think might happen, and prey off of the inabilities to wait until final verdict is passed. There are several GIANT holes in the NYT's piece.
1) Eric Bledsoe's transcripts cannot be released without express written consent. I can't walk into a college/high school and get someone's transcripts. I would have to get that person to get the transcripts for me. So the NYT and ESPN who are on record as having seen the transcripts coerced someone to break the law at the sake of a story and someone's privacy. The NCAA asked for the transcripts and were denied - and I don't think they can use the unofficial ESPN version. This tells me that the NCAA doesn't know what his Pre-Senior and Post-Graduation GPAs looked like. It seems that the NYT and ESPN have some Rick Pitino style morality/ethics issues.
2) Bledsoe's High school was shut down after his junior year. He HAD to transfer his senior season. How many kids have left one school, went to another, and had their grades get better or worse? How often does a change of scenery cause a student to do different in class? I will say my Jr/Sr English teacher in high school were 10x harder than any professor I had in college. Thus, my grades were tougher to come by in high school than college. Does that make me a cheater? No, it means I picked easier teachers. The students have to do the work - but teachers decide how much work and how good the work has to be - its just how it is.
Bledsoe's 1.9 GPA was boosted to 2.5 by several A's his Sr. year, which he had received infrequently during grades 9-11. Bledsoe changed schools, changed houses, and changed teachers. Can getting out of a bad neighborhood and school and just getting that Sr. bump/help from teachers not be enough to warrant a few grades that are better? YES, it is not unlikely for this to happen. I believe everything with his grades will be proven to be legit. UK officials were on this story before he arrived on campus. They took a deep look at his grades and they would have found the same issues the NCAA is supposedly 'finding.'
3) The most serious accusation is that the family received $400/month for 3 months rent paid by the high school coach. Eric Bledsoe is from a poor family. That's $1,200 for living arrangements of 4 people (Eric, his sister, brother and mom). If the Bledsoe family did accept the three months of rent from the coach, I can't blame them. When you are on the verge of losing your family and your home and someone helps you out, wouldn't you accept? Assuming they did take the money - which is a HUGE assumption - should every kid, who's parent can't afford rent be forced to the streets so they can still play high school sports?
This isn't Reggie Bush/USC/Agent/beach front/ multi-million dollar home for free type of scandal - this is a low income home of 4 people for 3 months. My problem is that the statement is based off a landlord who remembers 3 cash payments from 2 years ago from a multi-unit complex. I solute that person and think they should be putting those short term quick recall abilities to use on Jeopardy vs. running a complex.
4) The NCAA doesn't speak of open investigations or even confirm an open investigation - as stated by THIS ARTICLE. If that's the case, would the author truly know all these 'details'? Would they know who the NCAA spoke with and what they spoke about? Would they know what the NCAA is investigating and all the allegations? Sure there are leaks - but leaks are not FULL 100% and usually leaked by someone that just has parts of the facts - as in this case.
At the end of the day - or investigation - haters will hate and there are plenty of them when it concerns UK. Like I said this could come back to find Cal/UK guilty and stripped of their 35 wins this season. UK2K would be repealed, Cal could bolt for the NBA quicker than my lettuce to flower, and Louisville fans can get a step back up on the Wildcats. But the hype around this story seems a bit premature without knowing more INFORMATION which will surely be coming soon.
So you take one Friday night away from surfing the internet aimlessly looking for things to write about on the blog and all of a sudden one of the biggest stories of the offseason takes place. But as our comments section threw out last night - the New York Times is reporting that the NCAA is investigating Eric Bledsoe's eligibility and allegations of improper benefits.
There are two major issues: 1) That Bledsoe and his mom took money from his high school coach to pay their $400/month rent for 3 months ($1,200 total). That would be improper benefits - causing him to be ineligible for the past season.
2) That Eric Bledsoe had his grades tampered with so that he could be eligible for college. His GPA went from an ineligible 1.9 to a 2.5 after his transfer to a different high school. If his grades were tampered with, he would be declared ineligible for the past season.
Both allegations were prior to Bledsoe's Kentucky stint. I would expect if everything turned out to be true that the Cats should expect the games Bledsoe participated to be vacated, if Derrick Rose's situation is of any precident.
These are allegations and the NCAA hasn't even contacted Kentucky, but an investigation is an investigation and this is Kentucky/Calipari so people will always be looking.
I'll be back later after a destressing trip to the pool. Boogie or Thunderstick are likely to elaborate more...
The Kentucky Sports Reach Christian Basketball Mission completed yesterday in China (which would have been Wednesday in the US). Louisville's Peyton Siva, after a subpar first 8 games of the 9 game trip, showed up to beat the Russian Reach team with a court length drive in the final 3.4 seconds to put USA up 70-69. Siva posted 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists total. Kentucky's Josh Harrellson was the only other Reach member in double digits, scoring 11.
"Jorts" was the tour leader in points, rebounds, and denim - putting up 13.1 ppg, 9.2 boards, 1.3 blocks, and 2 pair of jean shorts a game during the exhibition tour. While Siva and UK's Jon Hood averaged 7.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.4 apg and 5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg respectively.
Overall the tour should give Harrellson, Siva, and Hood experience going into the 2010 season after a 2009 season that saw limited action for all three.
The next international stop for the Cats is the America North tour in Canada this fall. Be warned Canada.
With the NBA Draft still a month away, and the NBA combine wrapped up, Demarcus Cousins is back in town and ready to cash in on his UK fame. He is selling his signature around the state this weekend at various locations in various cities. But if you want that signature Boogiewoogie, you'll have your chances. I believe there's a fee of around $30.
Friday Florence 6:00pm
Sat Elizabethtown 11:30am
Sat Pikeville 7:30pm
Sun Pikeville 1:00pm
Mon Louisville 12:00pm
Mon Lexington 5:00pm
So go see the possible 2010-2011 Center of the Minnesota Timberwolves and make sure to send your pictures to SportsThat for posting!!!
Talk, talk, talk... that's all people want you to do when you're at the NBA combine. But when a Philadelphia Blogger left his mic at the Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton station to 'multi-task' and go watch other prospects, he returned to find PPat had left him a little present - No, it's not the kind of present Boogie leaves for his mom in the toilet bowl.
For those of you that are not film buffs, this is the French version of the American police crime drama of Sylvester Stallone's and Kurt Russell's Tango & Cash.
Last week I gave you the ESPNU article that listed the Wildcats as the #1 class in 2010. Today I am giving you the Rivals.com version. UK is still #1, but there are some shakeups in the rest of the list. Memphis moves past Ohio State as #2. There are also four more SEC teams in the top 25 besides UK: Tennessee at #9, Florida at #19, South Carolina at #22 and LSU at #24. The big surprise is that the Kansas Jayhawks are all the way down at #23. They have one scholarship left and the only recruits they have right now are Josh Selby (1) and Royce Wooldridge (120).
Is the SEC in the midst of a college basketball rebirth? Is the Big East on the down slide? There are 4 Big East teams compared to the 5 the SEC has. The SEC also has 2 in the top 10 and the Big East's earliest entry is Syracuse at #7. The next highest is Marquette at #14. Louisville is definitely NOT in the top 25.
Back to the Cats: with studs like Enes Kanter, Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, this was pretty much a lock. But with Stacey Poole Jr., Doron Lamb and Eloy Vargas, it was no competition. Most analysts will tell you that the 2009 class was a better class than 2010, this remains to be seen. I can see this class being just as special as last year's and I also envision more guys staying for their sophomore year, adding to the lethal team that 2011 is shaping up to be. Look for DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller and Josh Harrelson, yes I said it, Jorts, to have BIG years. It is yet to be seen how Darnell Dodson reacts to the off-season troubles that he endured.
This year the Cats do big things. John Calipari has a year under his belt and I believe these players are going to be more cerebral and cool headed compared to last year's group. My only concern is who is going to step up to be the leaders like Patrick Patterson and John Wall were for last year's tem?
Kenny Payne, no longer of the Cardinal persuasion.
In a trend that seems to be getting stronger, a Cardinal has jumped ship and has decided to join the winning ways at Kentucky. Kenny Payne is one of the hottest recruiters in the nation and this will boost an already fantastic recruiting team. You can read all about how Kenny was with the Cards when they won their last championship 24 years ago (wow) and how John Calipari got him his start in coaching via the C-J's story.
Payne will be replacing Rod Strickland, which I think is a good move. I wish Rod nothing but the best in his new position, but Calipari and the administration made the correct move by demoting him and getting him off of the bench. Something that Pitino needs to look at if the Stevie Little Stacks situation continues to go on the downward spiral.
Speaking of Ricky 3 Stacks, Coach P is selling two of his homes, one here in the Bluegrass State and the other in Miami, which is where he no doubt was keeping his mistresses and throwing swinger parties. Celebritydetective.com has a great write up on the house in Miami and pictures are included.
Here is the listing for his house here in KY. I am thinking that he is selling his houses in order to pay attorney fees or he is getting a divorce (I wonder why?) and he is going to have to pay his soon-to-be ex-wife a large sum of money.
Sorry Rick, it seems that your luck continues to spiral down the tubes. I don't know if you follow the housing market or the economy but I don't think that now is the best time to be selling multi-million dollar homes.
I want to personally thank T-Ferg for bringing this story to my attention since the local media bias does such a poor job of reporting these things. They have also done an extremely poor job of covering the Stevie Little Stacks story and the Courier-Journal has yet to do a story on the Preston Knowles incident. I am sure that if it was a UK player it would have been on the front page. Just Sayin'.
Yes friends it is true. After only one post on Cardchronicle, your friendly neighborhood jerk UK fan has been banned from the website. What led to the ban you ask? As I was reading an article on Michael Chandler's interest in Kentucky, I started to look at all of the negative comments that the Cards had for their once beloved Michael Chandler. I found this to be absolutely ridiculous so I created an account under the name Boogiewoogie (of course!) and I pretty much called them out on it, saying that the fans had nothing but great things to say about the kid when he was a Cardinal, but now he is A). Dumb and B). Not that good. No profanity was used, I didn't say anything out of line, I just made the point that they were hypocrites.
I checked Cardchronicle this morning, as I do every morning, and found 8 comments directed at yours truly. I didn't mind, I was asking for it. One comment was saying that Chandler will fit in at UK because Calipari only coaches thugs, blah, blah, blah... I was going to write a reply saying that UofL is actually the team full of thugs, i.e. Jennings, Smith, Knowles, Sosa, Pitino, Stevie Little Stacks, our players have no ongoing trials or continued run ins with the police, etc... As I was going to start to defend my honor and reply, a message popped up stating "You are banned from Cardchronicle. You can browse but you cannot participate." Well SOB! I am wondering if they only ban UK fans since the guy that called me a moron is still probably able to post. Besides, I do know that it is a Cardinal fan website, so I wasn't that shocked.
Here at Sportsthat we welcome all opinions and all thought processes. As long as you keep it clean and keep it funny, you can post your opinion, whatever it may be. We do not discriminate based on fan affiliation or bias. Please feel free to comment and have healthy, productive and stimulating debates.
Kentucky's spring GPA was released this week: 2.18. That's an increase from the 2.025 in the Fall, but still not stellar and far from the "amazing students" coach Calipari praised during the season. Kentucky as a whole for varsity sports was 3.04 the highest in Mitch Barnhardt's time at Kentucky.
If the grades of Daniel Orton are removed from the GPA, the team rebounds to a 2.35 - still a far cry from straight A's. John Wall, as previously stated on this site, announced via Twitter that he had received a 3.5 for the semister.
The team didn't comment on the scores, siting privacy conerns, but John Calipari wrote on his website:
One of the issues we face in basketball is that with such a relatively small number of athletes, a bad semester from one or two kids can bring down the GPA significantly," Calipari wrote on his Web site. "A GPA just under 2.2 is not what we hoped for. But for the most part, every player improved from the fall semester, and most finished strong.
President Lee Todd expressed his displeasure in the scores during the Fall and is looking for methods of increasing the academic progress of the team.
Since Michael Chandler was already a Wildcat in high school he might as well be one in college!
Louisville basketball fans have a lot to be bummed about right about now and should be on suicide watch. Former "solid verbal" Marquis Teague decomitted from Louisville and is now a Wildcat, Samardo Samuels bolted for the NBA, leaving a huge gap in the middle only to be plugged by Terrence "don't tase me bro!" Jennings, Steve Masiello is embroiled in a ticket scam, their new arena is emabarassingly reffered to as "The Bucket" and has the worst actual name of any sporting arena in the country with the KFC Yum! Center, head pimp, I mean head coach Rick Pitino is getting ready for a big trial dealing with his sexual improprieties with someone other than his wife and her extortion attempts, and to top it all off starting guard and lone senior Preston Knowles may be in some trouble with the assault of his girlfriend's step dad that stemmed from a fight over a hairbrush.
To add to the woes of the lowly Cardinals, it has just been made official that former verbal commit Michael Chandler has the University of Kentucky in the lead for his services next year. What a bad couple of months it has been for Cards fans and what a great couple of months it has been for Cats fans. This will add to the already stellar 2011 class and this could make this class the best of all time. I remember 2 years ago when all of the UofL fans were bragging about how they were going to have the greatest class in the history of the world. Looks like things have changed Little Brother. At least football is around the corner. Maybe they won't suck as bad as they have in the last 3 years.
But I don't see a victory against Kentucky or a bowl game in their future just yet.
John Wall has come out to weigh in on the John Calipari to NBA discussion and he has emphatically stated that the only place he sees Cal is at UK. In an interview with Any Katz, Wall elaborates by saying that Kentucky is Cal's dream job and that he may want to go to the NBA in the future but not right now with the stellar classes he has coming for 2010 and 2011. He then goes on to call his former coach a father figure and a great coach.
Who would have thought that a guy that looks like this can actually play basketball at a high level.
In a high scoring affair the Suns evened the Western Conference Finals 2-2 with the Lakers last night in Phoenix. The 115-106 was nothing unusual for either team. They are both known for posting big numbers. What was surprising is how the Suns got there. Their bench exploded for 54 points behind the play of Goran Drogic (8 points, 8 assists), Channing Frye (14 points), Leandro Barbosa (14 points), and Jared Dudley (11 points).
And it's not like the starters played poorly. Steve Nash had 15 points and 8 assists and Amare Stoudamire had another good game with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol seemed like the only two Lakers playing with any intensity. The Suns had more energy and they continue to confuse LA with the zone defense they have been using since game 3. On to the rest of the news:
My Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball right now. They have won 4 straight, they are 7-3 in their last 10 and they have pitched 3 consecutive shutouts and two of those were against the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays. Hopefully they can continue winning and gain some ground. They are 6.5 games out of first but only 1.5 games out of second. This is going to be a tight race all year long.
Phil Jackson has put to bed rumors that he will coach the Bulls by stating that he will not be coaching the Bulls. He has also been linked to the Nets recently and he admitted that he would like to have a sip of vodka with the new Russian billionaire owner of the Nets. This sounds like a party to me.
Last night during an interview with Marv Albert, President Obama was gushing over soon to be Washington Wizard John Wall. The Prez said that Wall is a "terrific player" and that there is "only upside for that kid." When the president of the United States is singing your praises you have to be doing something right. John Wall is a megastar in the making and I am so glad that he chose Kentucky to start his legacy.
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Preston Knowles, someone that the president will not be reaching out to. As Monster Mash reported yesterday, Mr. Knowles beat up his boo's step father at a cook-out. The step father was apparently defending his little darling while she and Preston were in a fight over a hairbrush. An argument over a hairbrush sounds like something two transvestites or 2hot2handle would be involved in, not a collegiate athlete. I guess Ricky 3 Stacks has been teaching his players the art of pimping and slapping hoes. Louisville has not done much to erase the reputation it has as Thug U lately.
In a story first reported by WLKY, Louisville guard Preston Knowles was accused of assaulting his girlfriends stepfather today. A verbal argument between Knowles and his girlfriend (apparently about a hairbrush) escalated. The step-father, stepped in, and push came to punches.
WLKY may have stretched it when they say "Louisville Star" "the victim's step father" as there is no mention that he did anything to her - but whatever. I'm just glad it's over a hairbrush and not 'insurance.'
The step-father was referred to the county attorney for a 'misdemeanor assault.' Knowles is claiming self-defense - that he was called ugly pushed first.
But my favorite part of the whole story, outside of this being a UL player/police run-in for the second straight year (you remember Terrence "Don't taze me bro" Jennings and Jerry Smith last year), is that the police are quoted as saying "We don't make an arrest, no police officer does." ---Someone in the Shephardsville PD needs to call in David Caruso, as a CSI: Miami he'd make an arrest or two and wear sunglasses while doing it!
It's true Louisville and Kentucky football fans. Nobody cares about us.
We Kentucky football fans love one thing more than anything else: the fact that we play in the SEC. This gives us a chance to talk trash to all of the Louisville fans and tell them that they play in a cupcake conference and still can't win it. The downside? We can't win our conference either. This totally bums us out. The fact that we have not won the SEC since 1976 (and we have only won it twice all time) really sticks in our crawl.
ESPNhas ranked the top 10 football conferences for the 2010 season and the SEC is at the top, surprise, surprise! The Big (L)East comes in at #6 and I still think that may be too high. The gurus at ESPN are looking for Alabama to reclaim their title as the best in the SEC. They also are looking at the Big East as a multi-team race between Pitt, WVU,Rutgers, and UConn. No, Cards fans, Charlie Strong is not mentioned. His hiring was nothing more than a blip on the college football radar. I understand he was a big hire here in the Ville, but in the scheme of things nobody cares. Just like nobody cares about Kentucky football. (single tear) But at least we have defeated the Cards in 3 straight games! We have that going for us. Which is nice.
What is surprising to me is that the Big 10 is coming in at #2 in front of the Big 12 at #3. The Big 12 has been long considered to be the little brother to the SEC with teams such as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and, to a lesser extent, Nebraska. But the Big 12 is losing a lot of star power and the Big 10 impressed in bowl games last season with Ohio State, Penn State and the surprising Iowa. I think these two conferences are interchangeable.
Yesterday, John Calipari joined a radio station in Portland (95.5 FAN) to discuss the Terrence Jones phone call, his recruitment, the rollercoaster ride and more.
“Well we thought that he was coming with us and when he said ‘Washington’ we were like ‘what just happened?’ That was the first thing. Then he called about an hour later and said ‘Cal, I made a mistake. I don’t know what I was doing.’ That is when the thing went like ‘You what?’ So we talked to him and said that we are going to do whatever you want. I am holding your scholarship. At one point I said, ‘Look, if you want to go to Washington then go to Washington, and if you want to come with us, come with us. Just make a decision so that we can all move on.’ But I felt bad for him to be honest with you. Because he is 6’9’’ everybody thinks that this guy is a grown man. They have emotions and they still, the peer pressure wanting to please everybody. Terrence is a pleaser. He is not one to be confrontational. He is not one that… He is a pleaser. He wanted to please me, he wanted to please Lorenzo, wanted to please his teammates. That is what he is. But I will tell you what…I think that we have got a player that fits as well as anybody that I have ever recruited."
So sure, the people that hate Cal/Kentucky and didn't believe him before still won't believe that he didn't talk TJ out of Washington - but this is his stance.
Could Phil and Jeanie be motoring for the Windy City? Fun Fact: Jeanie Buss once did a spread for Playboy Magazine!
The John Calipari to the Bulls talk has mercifully quieted down for the time being and hopefully for the rest of the off-season. Now the Bulls have made it clear who they want in Chitown and it is none-other than Phil Jackson.
For those of you who are not aware, Jackson coached the Bulls during the Jordan years and was responsible for guiding them to 6 NBA World Championships. He is currently the head coach of the Lakers and has guided them to 4 NBA championships.
This makes sense for a lot of reasons. LA is set to cut Jackson's pay from about $12.5 million per year to about $5 million per year, which is absolutely ridiculous and a slap in the face if you are Phil Jackson. This would also give Jackson a chance to retire in the place where it all began for him. The chance to coach Derrick Rose is favorable as is a chance to woo LeBron James to the Bulls. If Jackson is on board, you better believe James would be interested. Besides, who has done better with superstars and winning titles with them than Phil?
The main arguments against it is that Jackson is always flirting with retirement and he would have to leave the warm climate in LA to coach in the blustery cold Windy City. Also, his current girlfriend is the daughter of the owner of the Lakers and she lives in LA.
I think that the chances of Phil bolting for Chicago are slim. I think his retirement is the most likely scenario in this case but nothing is counted out.
Will this kid be the next to join the already stellar class of 2010?
Who is Ryan Rhoomes? According to this post from Nationofblue.com, Rhoomes is a 6-8 small forward that has only played basketball since the 8th grade. He has received calls from marquee schools such as UK, Texas, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. He has received calls from not-so marquee schools such as Virginia, Colorado and Louisville.
Is this the last piece of the puzzle that John Calipari keeps cryptically referring to? We shall soon see.
Also, here is an interesting tidbit dealing with the debate on whether or not the 2010 class is better than the 2009 class. Enjoy!
Derrick Caracter has a Plan B, in the instance he doesn't get drafted or succeed in the NBA. He's joining the Navy... I knew there was a reason Ricky recruited him at Louisville... he needed a Rear Admiral.
DeMarcus Cousins' performance for UK last season earned him high praise from his coaches, Big Blue Nation, and NBA GM's. However, since the Cats choked pre-maturely in the Elite 8 last season, it seems like DC isn't doing anything to help his draft stock.
From NBA.com, Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech has the edge to go 3rd to the Nets as the first big man off the board. This leaves a big decision for the Timberwolves (4th) or the Kings (5th): Do they draft Cousins, a potential inside force despite all of the skepticism regarding his maturity and commitment?
Cousins has laughingly blamed the media for creating the negative perception, saying he has been dieting and working out hard since that Elite 8 flame-out. However, results show quite the opposite, as "Boogie" had the second-highest percentage of body fat out of the 52 participants in the physicals. Said one executive of the questions Cousins is facing from teams: "If everybody is asking you if something's wrong, something is wrong."
So, instead of throwing elbows, maybe Cousins should work on adding more "boogie" to his daily routine.
Tim and Karen Sypher in a picture of marital bliss. If you are saying that this marriage is arranged then I am calling you a liar. (I hope you can pick up on the sarcasm)
Karen Sypher and her lawyers petitioned that her upcoming extortion trial be moved to a different location due to the alleged unfair advantage that Rick Pitino would get when her case is tried in Louisville. A judge thought that this was a bunch of bull, so the trial will start on July 26 in Louisville.
Sypher is being indicted on six-counts, some of which include extorting 3 Stacks for $10 million and lying to the FBI. Miss Sypher seems to be in some deep doo-doo. As is Rick Pitino. I am sure that the public is going to hear some wild stories about Ricky P that may or may not include farm animals, rabbit costumes, Stevie Little Stacks, Terry Minors, Patty Swope and TWill.
With Orton's recent comments and news he didn't complete school, his fanbase just got a little smaller.
When Daniel Orton declared for the NBA Draft, his Facebook page, Twitter account, and every other social media method was bombarded with negativity from the enthralled Kentucky fan. Fans were upset that Orton could be throwing away a chance to become awesome, but they were more upset that he could hurt the teams APR - that's not Annual Percentage Rate like you pay on a loan, it's Academic Progress Rate- a calculation that determines the balance between student and athlete in college sports and disciplines those teams that fail to stress the student part enough.
When Orton declared for the draft, he left campus and went to San Francisco to train. By doing so, he left in bad academic standing. That reduces UK's APR, thus potentially costing them scholarships. News came out shortly after Orton arrived in San Fran that he would complete his classes on the west coast, saving his academic standing and putting 80% of the negative thoughts to rest.
Today news came that D.O. did not complete this semester as originally thought. He was in fact the only player to not complete the entire semester and end on bad standing.
With Calipari capable of pulling in 5 star athletes like Rick Pitino pulls down women's underwear in restaurants, D.O.'s one semester could cost the Cats another scholarship. That's a costly price to pay for 3.3 Pts/G.
It's a sad situation and one I don't like to hear - given his previous statements of commitment to his team, but given Orton's recent comments about Kentucky fans and his teammates, it's not totally unexpected.
Monster Mash has done a great job detailing the hilarity that has been the DeMarcus Cousins Q&A sessions between him and the media recently. So far Boogie has done a fine job in showcasing his likable yet quirky personality. Frank Hughes is a writer for Sports Illustrated and he wrote an extremely interesting piece about Cousins during these media sessions.
Hughes argues that Cousins and his agent need to give up the "nice guy" act and just need to come out as the tough, surly big man that he is on the court. The reasoning? GM's are having a hard time pegging Cousins. His on-the-court reputation proceeds him, and as much as we UK fans love him, it can be warranted in some cases. But that's why we do love him. He was our enforcer on the court and somebody to stand up for a teammate if something were to go down.
Cousins is not making it easy for himself. His workouts have been lackluster, he has not been interested in giving members of the media one-on-ones and he is leaving NBA teams with more questions than answers when he does one-on-ones with them. He has one giant factor going in his favor at the moment that is keeping him in the top 5: his unquestionable talent. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes of play last season at Kentucky. He is the was the most productive points/rebounds per minute guy in the NCAA last year.
While Boogie will always remain a kind of folk hero/legend at UK, it is yet to be seen what his impact will be in the NBA. My hope, along with the hopes of the entire Big Blue Nation, is that Cousins will do exactly what he did at Kentucky and that is prove every one of his critics wrong. The problem that I can foresee is that he might not have the strong father figure that he had in John Caliapri and he might not have the strong supporting base of fans that is the Big Blue Nation. Without these important factors it is hard to tell what will happen.
I hope he never loses his sense of humor or his quirkiness. It is what makes him unique. He admitted how hard it was to leave Lexington for the NBA and constantly Tweeted about how much he misses it at Kentucky. UK will always be here for Boogie, let's hope he can make us proud.
The big news in the entertainment world was the two-and-a-half hour series finale of Lostlast night. I watched the show for the first three seasons and then stopped because of it's utter ridiculousness and the always annoying, "Next week all the questions will be answered", teasers that led me to believe that something in the next episode was going to happen but it never did. More questions, more ludicrous plots, more annoying scenes with the big fat Hurley.
I stopped watching. Then last night it finally, blessedly, thankfully all came to an end. And what happened? From what I read online today they are all dead or something like it. Just like people have been saying since the first season. What a joke. All the conspiracy theories, the hours people spent online debating, everything that made this show supposedly great landed with a giant THUD and viewers are not happy. But how could they be happy? Everybody knew this was going to happen. Everybody knew that the show was going to tick off everybody that ever watched it. Lost will go down as short-lived cultural phenomenon that saw declining viewership as the years went on due to the lack of answers the show gave. It is destined to become no more than a topic on a VH1 nostalgia show. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
On to the News!:
Hold on to your hats boys and girls! Mike Brown has been fired as the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach! This is not surprising in the least bit. Brown is not really the coach of the team. He is the mouth piece and puppet for LeBron James. I know NBA coaches really don't do all that much but this guy seemed like he did less than the average guy. I think it stated in his contract to sit down, shut up and let LeBron do what he does. If the Cavs want to keep James they need to get a coach that does more than just act like he is coaching. I am not saying this is Brown's fault, but he wasn't the man for this job. Prepare for more heated Calipari to Cleveland stories.
The Suns finally beat the Lakers behind Amare Stoudamire's manly 42 point 11 rebounds game. It's about time he showed up for the series. For the Suns to have any kind of a shot to beat the Lakers in this series he has to be a factor. I still expect LA to play Boston in the NBA Finals. I'm just glad the Suns didn't do a total roll over job.
To add more heat to the LeBron fire, President Obama himself has weighed in or where he thinks LeBron should go. And the team is (drum roll).....Chicago! This is no surprise since Obama is a native of Chicago...and Hawaii...and Indonesia. Hey, let's get this guys birth certificate already! I don't want no Commie, Muslim, Socialist, Hippie telling me where LeBron is going to play basketball! Next thing you know he is going to bring John Wall to Chicago and then he will make an executive decision and bring Dwight Howard there too! Keep Big Government out of the NBA! USA!USA!USA!USA! (Courtesy of your local Tea Party movement/Sarah Palin for President campaign).
Hockey stinks, there is no doubt about that. But I was in Chicago this weekend and I was in a VFW post while the Blackhawks vs. Sharks game 4 was on and I watched the reaction of people as the Blackhawks won. It's the same and maybe even bigger than Kentucky or Louisville going to the NCAA championship game. I was in downtown Chicago on Saturday and the entire city is waving Blackhawks flags and I couldn't tell you the number of people wearing Blackhawks gear in the street. It was actually pretty cool to see. Congrats to them. Let's see if they can win their first Stanley Cup since 1962.
Finally, tonight is game 4 between the Magic and the Celtics. Expect the Celtics to complete the sweep against a surprisingly gutless Magic team.
For the second straight year, the Cardinal Baseball Team won the Big East regular season crown, earning them the #1 seed in the BE Tournament, which starts Wednesday.
The Cardinals entered the final week of Big East play trailing league-leading Connecticut by a half-game in the conference standings. Louisville took all 3 against Notre Dame, while UConn lost the season finale against Seton Hall. The Cards finished 21-6, with UConn at 20-6.
While the post-season has yet to begin, this highly-successful regular season is further testament to the amazing job that Coach Dan McDonnell has done since taking over the reins in 2006. In his first season as HC, the Cardinals made it to Omaha for the College World Series. The Cardinals were not able to duplicate the same success in 2008, losing to Georgia Tech in the Regional. Last season saw the Cards make it to the Super Regional, where they were defeated by perennial power Cal State Fullerton.
This sustained success, coupled with the impressive Jim Patterson stadium, has the Cardinal Baseball train moving in the right direction. Go CARDS!!
Much has been talked about concerning the backcourt tandem of the potential #1 pick of the NBA Draft, Washington Wizards John Wall and their current PG/SG Gilbert Arenas.
Arenas, as you know, was suspended last season for brandishing a gun in the locker room. He then pled guilty to D.C. gun law violations, was released earlier this month from his 30 day sentence to a half way house, and is currently serving two-years probation. He is set to rejoin his team next season and is in third year of his 6 year $111 million contract.
In 2009, nearly one year to the day Gilbert was released from his half-way house sentence, John Wall had been cited for Breaking and Entering. Wall was with some friends, went into an abandoned home, a neighbor called, on his exit he found police. Wall pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge, went to a program for first time offenders, stayed out of trouble for 6 months, and had his recorded cleared.
Rumors and opinions are floating around for Arenas to be traded or released from the Wiz to avoid his infectious bad attitude and more serious law offenses infecting Wall. It was recently document by Tony Kornheiser of ESPN, that he believes Arenas should be removed from D.C.:
I cannot emphasize this enough or too much. Get rid of Gilbert Arenas right now. Get him out of here. He is poison.
Nothing new considering Kornheiser had previously called Arenas"the worst person on earth", "a team killer", and "a coach killer." But along with those accusations earlier this season, nothing will come of the current situation despite Tony's protest.
Arenas could have been released by the Wizards at the beginning of the season and been cleared of his overwhelming contract. They could have walked away from him and only held the burden on their salary cap - not their payroll. They didn't, and thus Arenas is still there. If they walk away now, they pay him and his contract. They pay him to play for another team.
As for a trade, Agent #0's value is currently Nil or at the least Next to Nil. So anticipate seeing at least one season of 0 and the Great Wall tandem. This pairing should lead to one of the biggest turnarounds in the league next year. Wall alone should be worth 10-12 more wins, and with Arenas the team should be 5-10 above .500, a 21 game swing from this season.
Wall can handle his own. With the spotlight on the influence, he will know when to walk away. Knowing that his relationship and behavior will be under scrutiny, he will stay away from the negative path Arenas will clear. After this season, once Arenas builds his value, expect to see a trade. This time it should be for a bigger name and with that a max contract that will be able to play with a second year All-Star in Wall.
Because Boogie steals the show with his halariousness and fun, Wall steals what's left with his sheer skill and #1ness, Patterson gets the Mr Nice Guy award, and Orton gets the Kentucky Fan Revenge award (what's his deal btw?), Eric Bledsoe has fallen off the Kentucky Draft radar a bit. Here's an interview from the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
I've given Bledsoe a hard time all season because of my inability to understand anything he says, but my favorite quote from this interview. Jonathan Givony ask him what his role will be in the NBA to which Bledsoe replys with a smile, "What kind of role? Star Point Guard, trying to do big things."
Demarcus Cousins is getting ready for the transition from College to NBA. Some Boogie moments on Thursday at the NBA Draft Combine:
Boogie:"It has and I mean what's really hitting me is that I'm going to be on the same floor as Lebron James and I dont know how I'm going to react."...reporter:"but you were already"... "But he was just watching!"
Boogie:"I don't want to say I want to be the third pick...I mean everybody here wants to be the 1st pick"
Reporter: "How do you feel about the cold and snow if you go to Minnesota"... "I had to deal with it in Kentucky"
Boogie: "I didn't know fishing was that hard, fish really fight... I kinda feel bad though, it was like two hours ago this fish was still living"
When asked about phone calls from Mississippi St fans Boogie: "Something crazy did happen. Somebody hacked my facebook and put the old number on my page!"
When asked what profession he would choose if he wasn't in basketball Boogie: "I'd be like you (a reporter)"
Congratulations to UK for winning the 2010 Recruiting championship! Just like last year the Cats took over the top spot late in the game, thanks to some great (shady) work by Coach Cal!
The Cats took advantage last year by winning big against inferior opponents in their highly talked about 45th ranked SOS. They won over 30 games, and made an impressive run to the amazing Elite 8(?) What's that -- UK doesn't celebrate anything less than a Championship? Yikes, I guess last season was a disappointment then. What's that -- 2009 was an amazing year? Now I'm confused.
Is having the most talent and making the Elite 8 not a choke job? If not, where do you draw the line?
Don't fret Cat fans -- you have the #1 ranked recruiting class for 2010, so another season of 30 plus wins looks promising. You might even achieve an SOS ranked in the top 40 this year!
Congrats in your off-season championship again this year! Let's shoot for something higher than Elite 8 this year, ok?
Rivals.com was not to be outdone by the ESPN list of the top recruiting classes of 2010. They have much bigger things to talk about, like 2011. The writers over at Rivals are never satisfied with the present. They are always trying to break the latest news and are quick to rank kids in the seventh grade which leads to fun and excitement if you are into that kind of thing.
This article discusses the two stud commits coming to UK, Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague (haha Louisville!). All it says is that Teague will give Gilchrist a run for his money as the #1 recruit in the class of 2011. I am just ecstatic that both of these guys are going to be wearing the blue and white, I could care less how they rank, one or two doesn't matter to me.
But let's not get too crazy. The 2010 season hasn't even started yet and we have no clue how the newest boys in blue will do this year. The Cats may not need as many recruits in 2011, depending on who goes and who stays. I doubt very seriously that the Cats have 5 players jump to the NBA a second year in a row. But I have been wrong before.
The class that John Calipari recruited in 2009 was ranked as #1 and was said to be one of the greatest classes ever. The 2010 class that John Calipari recruited is again the #1 ranked recruiting class and while it may not be said to be one of the greatest ever, it is pretty damn good.
ESPN ranked the top 25 recruiting classes in 2010 and the Kentucky Wildcats are straight to the top, leaving every other school in their wake. The Cats have 4 players ranked in ESPN's top 100 as does the #2 school Ohio State. The difference is that the Cats have more near the top with #4 Brandon Knight, #9 Terrence Jones, #25 Enes Kanter, and #29 Doron Lamb. OSU has Jared Sullinger at #2 (whom Enes Kanter made his little girl in the Nike Hoops Summit game) Deshaun Thomas at #12, but they don't have another player in the top 30 and don't even come in with another recruit until Lenzelle Smith, Jr. at #80.
The Cats have two top 10 players and 4 guys in the top 30.No other team can boast that. Eloy Vargas is a transfer but he brings a strong resume to Kentucky and further solidifes the 4 spot. And the scary thing is that Cal still says he is not done and he is going to get one more player. The obvious need is at center in case Kanter gets into foul trouble. This year we do big things again. Go Cats.
After dozens of John Wall songs and videos, "The Official" John Wall video dropped last night - @jimmywa11 says its the official video thus I say it's official. It's rather catchy. Look for it to make its national spot on draft night next month.
Everybody do the John Wall... (So I wrote the Lyrics) Chrous
Raleigh be the city where we like to do the dance
Flex to the left throw some money out yo hands
Do it for the city, we do it for the fans
to ball like Wall boy you gotta do the dance
Everybody do the John Wall, John Wall, John Wall, John Wall, John Wall, John Wall, John Wall, John Wall
Verse 1
Everybody clip out hand me the rock
time running down three seconds on the shot clock
Bring the defense home boy I cant be stopped
All about my money say ya know Im making bank shots
Im try to tell em boy you cant guard this
Feast on the court home boy I play the hardest
Jump shot stupid, yeah its retarded
You can't guard me in the paint, I'm an artist
See I hustle on the flo call me Rick Ross
See the truth get it jumpin like a tip off
I play hard til I hear the ref blow the whistle
I'm a player but my game be so official
Never reach gotta stay outta foul trouble
But I drive in the lane get em in foul trouble
They can't solve my game I'm a hard puzzle
But I keep three dime, thats a tripple double
Chrorus
Verse 2
Sick wit it hussel for the rock I go go get it
Im in it to win it now wit my baby we represent it
and i dont ball hog we got a whole team in it
see you just dribble but aint ever got the heart to finish
cant put me out the game Im in that thing from start to finish
and if I can't drive that lane best believe Im bout to dish it
side line drifting now im gliding down the base line
bout to do a big slide catch me all the inches
Commin from the south side they expectations of us is that we will not rise
yet still we prove them wrong we flexin cause we hot guys
green light to the game we will not die
ha, yeah, say saw you call that the great wall
All I do is fall get up I can take a fall
I'm hungry for the top call it lunch time
game winning shots yeah it clutch time Chorus Verse 3
Oh yeah we balling
balling til we falling
until the last second I'm guessing we gon be balling
Cuz Kentucky hear to win,
Not to watch you play
Whole world do the dance
Say what up UK
Better take him out the game
Cuz they say the boy insane
When he coming down the lane
Trying to catch him bang bang
First we flex show that muscle
Then we jig on um
For the small player let my Cousins get Big on em
You aint handling the anti body catch you still on em
Pass it to the point, cross over and Im still on em
Cal going banana's so you know that we peel on em
And we from the arch and it like it being real on em
Jump shot deadly you know that we kill on em
Time to grab the money ball bout to shoot a bill on em
North Cat we gonna show em how to do it
Yeah, I said it. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. Go ahead and type in "John Calipari is a cheater" and Google Search returns with 3,850 results*. For good measure, replace "John Calipari" with just "Calipari" and you get 5,570 results.
* For comparison, "Rick Pitino is a cheater" returns slightly over 2,000 results. But, seriously, who's the bigger cheater?
Kentucky fans are delusional and think that there are so many discussions on this because they are the talk of college basketball and everyone wants to be them. But if you look even closer, a lot of these stories were written before Calipari even stepped foot on UK's campus. Rewind the tape to three years ago, and I'd like to see a show of hands from the Big Blue Nation on how many people actually wanted this guy to take the reins of "Camelot".
An earlier post from Boogiewoogie talked about how no one likes a cheater. Then why do UK fans fawn over every Twitter update, Facebook post, and spoken word from this cheater? If two vacated Final Fours (I know, Coach Cal is clean in both cases, LOL) aren't enough, he now has to go and tamper with other school's verbal commits?
Terrence Jones is just the latest in this bucket. While the kid verbals to Washington, he has the courtesy to call Calipari and tell him of his decision. After hanging up the phone, Jones goes from being a solid verbal to on the fence. I wonder what made him sway?
Before that, you had Coach Calipari reaching out to Elisha Justice, Kentucky's Mr. Basketball. Justice had given a verbal commitment to Pitino and the Cards a few months ago, but Calipari tried to sway him to the Cats.
Then, you had the whole Memphis to UK pipeline that he created when he bolted the Tigers for the Bluegrass.
Enjoy Calipari while you can, but don't come crying on this blog when karma bites you in the a**!
I heard this rumor on a local Sports Talk radio station this afternoon. If its true...Delonte West, that's just wrong and if you like Cleveland, you better be hoping Lebron is packing for Chicago.
So as the SportsThat official Twitter blogger (follow me SportsThat), the rivalry between UW and UK has been set afire today. Demarcus Cousins retweeted something Washington's Isaiah Thomas said about Kentucky this afternoon and you know that UK fans can't handle someone talking about their team. They turn all BoogieWoogie vs Thunderstick in the comments section.
Cousins, who has an estimated 12,000 followers, most of whom would be assumed Kentucky fans, sent the Big Blue Nation into a frenzy with his retweet. Here are Thomas' two KENTUCKY post:
BoogieCousins: RT Isaiah_Thomas2: I hope we play KENTUCKY nxt yr n the Maui classic. All I gotta say is ITS BOUT TO GO DOWN. A BARK over a meow ne day
Big Blue Nation swarmed Thomas' twitter, sent him skyrocketing up the list of most tweeted items, followed him at a crazy rate and then Thomas responded:
Isaiah_Thomas2: Haha Kentucky fans why are yall all following me??? Ima DAWG I ain't no wildcat so please unfollow me BIG BLUE NATION LMAO
So as BoogieWoogie mentioned earlier, this is just a sign to reaffirm the Huskies definite 'thing' against the "meow" of Kentucky. The Maui Invitational should be WAY more interesting now.
So Calipari has come out on Twitter again (in that non 2Hot2Handle way) to let all of Big Blue Nation know that we shouldn't compare the 2009 signing class to the 2010 class.
"Ok folks, you're losing it again. Don't start comparing signing classes from year-to-year. Just think back to how u enjoyed going thru 09-10 "
So we've all heard the Cal speeches "We might be 12-0, but we are a 3-9 team...", "The other team deserved that win, we somehow pulled it off", "Blah Blah Blah, we suck don't get your hopes up to high."
I realize it will be hard to improve on a class that had four players go pro after one season. There are two more rounds to improve on. After all, this is Kentucky and we don't hang banners for Elite 8s - we want Championships.
Cal needs to realize, one thing we do well at UK is win. Another thing we do is make lofty goals and expectations. When you give us lemons and make lemonade we're happy - but when you give us cocoa beans... we damn well expect Godiva.
Rick Pitino cheats on his wife whenever he gets a chance.
Everybody hates a cheater. Whether you are cheating on the ACT, cheating on your spouse or significant other or cheating at Risk: The Game of World Domination, everybody hates you. Here are a few headlines regarding cheaters on this lovely day:
Everybody remembers Floyd Landis, right? He is the American cyclist that won the Tour de France in 2006 after Lance Armstrong retired and nobody thought another American would win in a long, long time. Well, Floyd was stripped of his title because officials found that he had used doping to gain an advantage. Landis denied this for years and now he has finally come out and admitted to his wrong doing. Not only has he admitted it, he has thrown former USA teammate Armstrong under the bus and said that the two doped together in 2002. This is going to get ugly.
USC may be vacating their 2004 national championship due to Reggie Bush receiving money while he played for the Trojans. Bush's parents were living in a $1 million home while Bush was the running back. The family did not have the means to afford this home which sent up red flags. Bush may also have to vacate his Heisman Trophy. The questions remain: will the runner-up in each case receive the national title and the Heisman? Only time will tell.
The Lakers beat the tar out of the Suns again last night. While the Lakers have never been accused of our caught cheating, Kobe Bryant cheated on his wife and I hate the effing Lakers. I just hope that when the Celtics and the Lakers meet in the finals, Rajon Rondo has the series of his life and sends the Lake-Show packing back to L.A.
The 6'9" Enes "Istanbul" Kanter turned 18 today. SportsThat would like to wish him a Happy Birthday and say that if he wished for a 5 star PF to play alongside him at Kentucky - thanks for using those candles on #8/#13 Terrence Jones!
"Let me check Sportsthat before I go to bed. What? Terrence Jones is a Wildcat?!?! That Dirty, rotten John Calipari! I hope he burns in hell!" After this the Washington Husky drowned his sorrows with a fifth of Jack Daniels and was later arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
Imagine that you are a Washington Huskies basketball fan. Your team has just come off of an impressive regular season in the Pac 10. You have two legitimate stars returning to play next year in Isiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter. Terrence Ross, 4 star recruit, and Terrence Jones, 5 star recruit, are joining a good team to make it even better! Life is good, expectations for next season are sky high and there is every reason in the world to think about being a contender.
And then your best recruit is gone like a puff of smoke. You had reason to believe that this might happen after the immediate waffling Jones exhibited after he put on that U-Dub hat. He would not sign a letter of intent. He said he still had a decision to make. Well, he made that decision. And instead of wearing purple next season he will be wearing blue. Royal blue.
Now all the hatred and anger can be focused on John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats! That sleazy grease ball swooped in and took their guy right from under their noses! Those no good, dirty, arrogant, narcissistic, Wildcats! Who do they think they are? The Los Angeles Lakers?
Here's the scoop U-Dubbers: I think Jones wanted to be a Cat all along. I think it was a hard decision to move away from his family on the West Coast to a team in the Souteast. It was hard to leave behind his best friend, Ross, whom he talked about playing with in college since the eighth grade. But the system at Kentucky is better. The fans at Kentucky are better. The coaches at Kentucky are better. The facilities at Kentucky are better. The spotlight at Kentucky is bigger. The success rate at Kentucky is better. The tradition at Kentucky is better. Everything at Kentucky is better.
While I feel bad for Washington...wait, no I don't. I'm glad Jones is coming and the kid made the right choice. He did what he thought is best for him. I now think John Calipari should schedule a game with Washington so we can rub it in their faces a little more. Heck, I can't wait for basketball season to start now! We have solidified our 4 spot and added another 5 star recruit! It's great being a Cats fan! Coach Cal has once again recruited the best class in the nation and is looking to do so again next year. One man's despair is another man's joy. Sorry Washington, you just got into a fist fight with the biggest, baddest dude on the block and you lost. Just like Louisville. Two words: Marquis Teague.
P.S. Dear Washington fans, don't forget that Enes Kanter was also a former Washington commit. Nanny-Nanny-boo-boo. The Istanbull is a Cat!
Wow, so I still can't believe that Coach Cal pulled off Terrence Jones to Kentucky - but with that news lets look at this year vs last year.
This 2011 class is shaping up to be good. The 2009 class was unbelievable. The 2010 class is more than just Washington's - it's better than 2009... at least by the numbers. So let's look at this seasons crop of Freshmen and compare them to one of the best classes ever.
Rivals C/O 2009
#1 PG John Wall (5 Star)
#2 C Demarcus Cousins (5 Star)
#22 C Daniel Orton (5 Star)
#23 PG Eric Bledsoe (5 Star) #40 SF Jon Hood (4 Star) #17 Avg #22 Median (4.8 Star Avg)
Rivals C/O 2010
#3 C Enes Kanter (5 Star)
#6 PG Brandon Knight (5 Star)
#13 PF Terrence Jones (5 Star)
#21 SG Doron Lamb (5 Star) #33 SF Stacey Poole (4 Star) #12.6 Avg #13 Median (4.8 Star Avg)
So the 2009 Class was highly touted and Cal has been 'ripped' for only getting guys that are top notch, one-and-done players. The 2009 Class of Freshmen averaged to the 17 spot - 12.6 for 2010. If you use some Olympic rules and throw out Jon Hood (lowest) and John Wall (highest) the average is a 15.6... it's a 10 for the 2010 class. If we simply look at the numbers, the 2010 class shapes up to be better than last year... and better by far.
But these aren't numbers they are people. Just because a player is ranked high, doesn't mean they are NBA ready or will leave immediately. Alternatively, because they are ranked >#20, doesn't mean they will stay. When you look at the players for 2010, Jones and Lamb are each expected to be +2 years guys; Knight is speculated to be a 1-2 year guy. It’s hard to imagine... but that could leave three of the four best players in (on paper) the best class to attend UK at Kentucky when a 2011 class is added. Who will that include? The Cats will top it out with 2 more top tier verbally players in #2 Marquis Teague (PG) and #1 Michael Gilchrist (SF).
What a wild ride. I know people complain about the one-and-done stress. But it sure is fun when the talent is replenished with - well - better talent. I know people say Cal can't recruit the top guys year-in and year-out. But in his first two seasons of recruiting and what is expected to be his third class for 2011, he's done just that. While I don't like the guessing games and the last minute LOI signatures, I do like that Cal goes after top talent without hesitation that the player could actually be better than their Rival rating and might leave before hoped, planned, or expected.
Sure, it hasn't panned out in championships after one season - but I don't mind 35 win seasons and the next year has just as much promise. Especially, if not all of the guys are expected to be one-and-done. They aren't all NBA ready. They are though, top talent. They can be veteran players in another year and can be coupled with new superstars - which can win Champioships.
I realize I need to wait till kids are on campus and have a ball in their hand but as a Kentucky fan - it sure is fun to think about.
Jones may have picked the W-ashington hat 20 days ago but he goes with the Kentucky's W-ildcats for his signing tonight.
First, I want to say, I never thought it would happen. I doubted he would officially change his mind. However, 20 days after picking that hat with the purple and W, Terrence Jones officially waivers and chooses to go with and for the W. This time instead of Washington, it means Wildcats.
Reports are tonight from Evan Daniels of Scout.com, Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal and every other reliable source - that Jones has signed his financial aid papers with Kentucky and will be moving east to play ball in 2010. Sure, that is not a Letter of Intent and Jones can still get out but it is binding that Kentucky is with Jones and on the hook for his scholarship if he does turn up in Lexington next year.
Calipari may have stolen Memphis' class in 2009 when he walked away and brought his recruits with him, but in 2010 he simply pulled the rug out from under the Huskies by stealing #8 Terrence Jones and #3 Enes Kanter. We'll be back with more analysis, news, and what this means for the 2010 season, but this certainly says one thing: whatever is in the water in Lexington - its addictive and everyone wants a taste.
Having relations with a woman that is not your wife in a very popular local restaurant in front of people that know you, getting caught and then blaming the media is certainly not one of the steps.
University of Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino has picked the team that he thinks is going to win the Big East next year. Who did he pick? Georgetown? Nope! Syracuse? Nuh-uh. West Virginia? Not even close. His own team? Hey I didn't say he was stupid or insane, I just said he is on drugs. The team that Ricky 3 Stacks picked is...St. Johns! And a collective WTF escapes the mouths of everyone reading this.
To be fair, Mr. Stacks also had Villanova, Pittsburgh and Cincinatti in the mix. All of these teams have one thing in common: they beat Duh Ville. So did everybody else. Except Syracuse for some strange reason. Anywho, why would Mr. Stacks pick the Red Storm? Does he have some love affair going on with new coach Steve Lavin (sorry Karen and Stevie Little Stacks)? Does he have insider information? Does he secretly still want to coach there and thinks that if he kisses enough butt they might actually fire Lavin and hire him? Has the syphilis finally reached his brain and caused it to deteriorate? I am still leaning towards drugs as the main cause of this nonsense. He has to do something to get through the pain of the impending trial, the horrible season he just endured, the horrible season he is about to endure, the loss of Marquis Teague, and John Calipari stealing the spotlight at every turn.
The last time the Red Storm made the NCAA tournament was in 2000. I'm not talking about winning a championship, making a Final Four appearance or even an Elite Eight, I am talking about the last time they even made it into the Dance. Their record last year was 17-16.
Unless Lavin can get the recruits in his first year that Calipari did in his first year then Ricky P's prediction isn't coming true. They are expected to go from one of the worst to first in the most competitive conference in the country. I really think Pitino is on drugs or has lost his marbles. Louisville fans should be concerned about their program.
John Wall has come out to weigh in on the John Calipari to NBA discussion and he has emphatically stated that the only place he sees Cal is at UK. 
