Money Talks and BS Walks

At this point in time which of these two would you rather pay big bucks to coach your team? I know it's a dumb question. Just thought I'd ask.

In our WTF moment of the day, USA Today published a list of the highest paid college basketball coaches in the country based on university pay, non-university pay and bonuses. The university pay is the actually contractual salary that each coach receives. The non-university pay is the money a coach receives from doing endorsements, television spots, etc... And the bonus money comes from tournament appearances, winning your conference, academic performance, blah, blah, blah.

The highest paid coach in the country is...drum roll...Rick Pitino. And THUD.

 Ricky Three stacks is making more money than Coach K, John Calipari, Roy Williams, Bill Self and Billy Donovan. Out of these six coaches Rick Pitino has had the least amount of success most recently and has had the least amount of success overall if you look at the amount of time he has been at the University of Louisville.

Think about it. Rick Pitino has been at Louisville since 2001. He has been to one Final Four, two Elite Eights, two NITs and he has exited out of the first round of the NCAA three times, and two of those back to back this year and last year.

Now let's look at the other coaches and their accomplishments at their current jobs:

• Coach K: He has been at Duke since 1980 (yeah, I was shocked too). He has 4 titles, 2 final fours, 1 Elite Eight and only 2 NIT appearances.
• Roy Williams: He has been at North Carolina since 2003. He has 2 national titles, 1 Final Four, 2 Elite Eights and 1 NIT appearance.
• Bill Self: He has been at Kansas since 2003. He has 1 national title, 3 Elite Eights, 0 NIT appearances.
• Billy Donovan: He has been at Florida since 1996. He has 2 national titles, 1 runner up, 1 Elite 8 and 3 NIT appearances.
• John Calipari: He has been at Kentucky since 2009. He has 1 Final Four, 1 Elite Eight, and 0 NITs. He is still coaching his team in that Final Four and has a chance to win a title in only his second year.

Besides Donovan and Coach K, all of the other coaches I have listed have been at their current jobs less time than Rick Pitino and have accomplished more or just as much as he has in a shorter amount of time.

So answer me this: How in the hell does Rick Pitino justify being the highest paid coach in the country? What exactly has he done in his 10 years at Louisville? You can't tell me that he is worth more money than Roy Williams, Coach K and Billy Donovan. Self has only one title but Kansas is in position to win it all just about every year. And Calipari is on the verge of getting his NCAA tournament trophy.

NITs, back to back first round oustings, Karen Sypher, awful Rally's commercials, bad recruiting and a butt whopping at the hands of Kentucky does not justify $7 million dollars. I understand that a lot of his money comes from non-university funding (awful Rally's commercials). Pitino also received a $3 million dollar bonus this year due to a "loyalty" clause in his contract. I guess he didn't get his "ethics" clause bonus or he would be making even more money.

I guess Louisville fans are content with what Coach P is doing. They make it to the tournament and even get out of the first round from time to time. That's all Little Brother asks for. A chance to sit at the Big Boy's table every once in a while. Too bad they are spending everything in their piggy banks for the privilege.

John Wall aint fraid of no Ghost

Zydrunas Ilgauskas throws a few elbows in 6'4" John Wall's grill, then Wall takes on the 7'3" 240 Heat center with an elbow of his own to his ribs.

The Kentucky Fan V-Word

Vindicated serves as a much better term than the other V-word being used to describe John Calipari's 3rd Final Four. As the haters come out faster than the final buzzer sounded in Newark, the sounds of "Vacated" were heard just as quickly.

The Lexington Herald's John Clay wrote a great article outlining the argument for any Wildcat fan that finds himself (or herself) in a debate. Here's an excerpt:

34 coaches have fallen victim to having their NCAA Tournament appearances "vacated."


Lute Olson is on that "vacated" list. Jim Valvano is on that list. So is Larry Brown, Gene Keady, Steve Lavin and, yes, Jim Calhoun.

And yet on the ramp-up to Houston you haven't heard anyone mention that Connecticut's NCAA appearance in the 1996 tournament was erased. In fact, we've barely heard much about the fact Calhoun will serve a three-game Big East suspension next year after the NCAA ruled he did not foster a culture of compliance within the UConn basketball program.


In Newark, we didn't hear a peep about the fact Kansas was placed on probation after Roy Williams left for North Carolina because, according to the NCAA, "three representatives of the university's athletic interests" provided cash and clothing to graduating players.


When San Diego State was a feel-good story for grabbing a No. 2 seed, no one talked about how Coach Steve Fisher had two Final Fours (1992 and 1993) vacated at Michigan.


Ah, but as for Calipari, the hits just keep on coming.

The UK All American Game Results

As we prepare for the Final Four we were treated with a glimpse into the future last night during the McDonald's All-American game in Chicago. It might as well have been called the UK All-American game. There were four future Wildcats playing, more than any other school, and they dominated. Completely. Dominated. Here is a breakdown:

Michael Gilchrist- The #3 overall, #1 small forward, got a double-double and was named co-MVP. Gilly put up 16 points and 12 rebounds. He scored from the perimeter, the free throw line and under the basket. He has a great overall game and reminds me a lot of Scotty Pippen.

Anthony Davis- He was the most impressive in my mind. Davis had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. He is a beast and is bigger than I had expected. Davis ran the floor and showed mass amounts of athleticism. He had a monster dunk from a feed from Cody Zeller and another with an alley oop from Marquis Teague. Davis is going to be a beast in the middle.

Kyle Wiltjer- Wiltjer might be the hardest match up for any team next year. The 6-10 player finished with 11 points. He showed the ability to muscle rebounds, score on put banks and he was stroking from beyond the arch. I really don't know how you guard him. He can beat you on any spot on the floor.

Marquis Teague- Teague had 9 points and 3 assists. He showed moves to the basket and blinding speed. He is not the scorer that Knight is but he showed more attributes of a true point guard like John Wall. The future is VERY bright for Kentucky. These four players were easily some of the best on the court. It was a Wildcat love fest for everybody involved.

Louisville had 2 players in the game (only two? what is this amateur hour?), Wayne Blackshear and Chane Behanan. Blackshear separated his shoulder during a practice so his involvement was limited. Behanan played and looked decent. He was slow going up and down the court. He scored only 4 points. I am not impressed.

Let's get back to the matter at hand. UK is in the Final Four on Saturday. Let's beat UConn. #revenge

Special Note- Our good buddies at the Cardchronicle have posted a story suggesting that UK might be in trouble for Jay Z being in the locker room after the Cats beet UNC. Let me say this: Keep grasping for straws. Kentucky did nothing wrong, the NCAA is not investigating, it is against NBA rules, not NCAA rules. I am wondering where the story about Michael Jordan visiting the North Carolina team and promising them shoes if they win the whole thing. He is also an NBA owner and he was actually promising to by the Tar Heels merchandise if they won. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Josh "Jorts" Harrellson Caption Contest

Darrius Miller posted the photo on the plane to Houston. Glad to see the guys having fun!

We've all asked if Josh Harrellson was possessed because of his stellar play in the NCAA tournament but if you thought it was just during the games, you were wrong. 

Leave your caption:

McDonald's All American Game: News and Notes

"I wanted to win. That's why I am putting this UK hat on instead of a UofL hat."

Tonight is the night we get to preview the future of Kentucky basketball against the best high school players in the country. We have already seen success with Kyle Wiltjer winning the three point contest (I would venture to say he has a better shot than Mike Marra) and with our future Wildcats punking out future Cards Wayne Blackshear and Chane Behanan. The game is at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN. Watch it or do what I did and set your DVR.

• Here is a fantastic article profiling Brandon Knight. He has straight A's at UK right now, passed up an opportunity to go to a basketball oriented prep school to attend the "Yale of Florida" at Pine Crest and was recruited by both Harvard and the real Yale for basketball and academics. The article said that he might be the only scholar/athlete that literally could have gone to any school he wanted on an academic scholarship or a basketball scholarship. The only negative in the article is that it makes it seem that Knight is for sure NBA bound next season. Say it ain't so!


• Continuing with the Knight love, I think it is now time to stop the Knight/John Wall comparisons. We all now understand that they are different players with different skill sets. Knight has come in and made his own mark at UK. He broke Wall's freshman scoring record and has had more tournament success. Both are great. Damn it's nice to have debates like this.


• Cardinal fans continue to whine and cry. That's like saying the sun continues to shine everyday. Monster Mash posted the UK/UofL recruit smack talk video and so did the Cardchronicle. Some of my favorite quotes: "These UK players have no class whatsoever!!!!!"; "Someone should tell Davis his eyebrow is traveling lol"; "Wait til ya'll get booed at Rupp if you have a bad game" (that never happens); "Anthony Davis might be the ugliest person on earth"; "If you combine Anthony Davis and Jon Hood you get Special Ed from Crank Yankers". Louisville fans: You are losers. I guess since your team has been out for 3 weeks that you have to try and brag about next year. Well guess what? The Cats are still playing THIS YEAR. Keep talking trash. Your fan base really has absolutely no reason too. Keep it CLASSY CARDS!


• Check out the Jorts profile on Sports Center. It's bad ass:
  
  
• Something that is getting basically no attention is Jim Calhoun's NCAA infractions. Everybody is making John Calipari jokes but nobody is taking shots at Calhoun for not compiling the NCAA with information about giving recruit Nate Miles lodging, transportation and meals in order to get him to go to UConn. Calhoun will be suspended for three games next year and UConn will face scholarship reductions. And there are crickets coming from the media and Louisville fans.

Thats all for today. More later in the week with Know Your Enemy and a recap of tonight's game.

#revenge

McDonald's All American Game: Kentucky vs Louisville Smack-Talk

Louisville recruits Chane Behanan and Wayne Blackshear along with Kentucky's Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer are playing tonight in the 2011 McDonald's All American Game.
 
Apparently, the rivalry between the schools has already taken them over.

 

Jay-Z in the Dawg House

As Boogiewoogie reported earlier this week, hip-hop mogul and partial owner of the New Jersey Nets, Jay-Z, visited the Kentucky locker room after their 76-69 win over North Carolina Sunday (sadly without Beyonce). And SOMEONE'S getting in trouble!

Sorry haters, the visit is not a violation of NCAA guidelines or rules but may be a violation of NBA rules and the NBA is currently investigating according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports. The precedent was set in 2007 when Danny Ainge visited Kevin Durant's mom during the Big 12 tournament and the NBA fined Ainge $30,000. One would expect Jay-Z to see at least a $30k fine if not double that, as Kentucky's team currently holds two potential lottery picks.

Here's the blurb from the article:

• The NBA plans to investigate contact between Nets part-owner Jay-Z and members of the Kentucky basketball team after the Wildcats beat North Carolina Sunday to advance to the Final Four, a person with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com. The hip-hop mogul's visit was documented in photos and video showing him congratulating players in the Kentucky locker room, which happened to have been occupied by two potential lottery picks -- Brandon Knight and Terrance Jones. As noted here, this offense would seem to be comparable to Celtics GM Danny Ainge sitting with Kevin Durant's mother during the 2007 Big 12 tournament. Ainge was fined $30,000, a slap on the wrist in exchange for the opportunity to schmooze a top prospect's mom. But given that standard, Jay-Z should be docked $30K for each college player who was in the locker room.

As a young man looking to decide on his future and you can meet Jay-Z, Lebron, John Wall, Magic Johnson, Larry Brown... BEFORE you go to the NBA, how could you not love UK. As one UK target recently put it in an interview with ESPN "just another reason you've gotta love Coach Cal!"

UK/UofL Recruit Smack Talk: News and Notes

Right now a UofL fan arguing that their team is superior to Kentucky's is like the Catholic Church arguing to Galileo that the earth does not revolve around the sun. It's a dumb argument so don't try getting into it. Jody Demling observed Chane Behanan, a Louisville recruit, talking smack to Marquis Teague, former Louisville recruit/current Kentucky recruit, and Anthony Davis, current Kentucky recruit, at the McDonald's All American game. Here is what Demling's Twitter reported: Behanan to Teague: "Who got you that Championship...Rick Pitino" Davis to Behanan: "You lost to Morehead State." Behanan: "You got me there." See what I mean? On to the news:

• The Cats are playing UConn in Houston on Saturday night in the Final Four in case you didn't know.


• John Calipari told Jim Rome that he really did almost kick Jorts off of the team for Twitter-Gate. He also said that he felt good about his team until he saw that his team was the fourth four. The road was tough but the kids kept them afloat.


• Brandon Knight got his rounds on the radio in today as well. He did a spot on Dan Patrick's radio show. Listen to Knight here. He represents the Blue just as well as Patrick Patterson did.


• Demarcus Smith is in some trouble. Monster Mash told us earlier that he wants out of his NLI at UCF. Head coach George O'Leary pretty much stated that it will be a cold day in hell when that happens. Right now Smith looks like he will be sitting out a full season if he transfers. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.


• In more recruit news, Kyle Wiltjer won the three point contest at the McDonald's All American game. Imagine a 6-10 player that can post up and then lure a slower big man out and drain jumpers? Wow.


• Louisville recruit Wayne Blackshear separated his shoulder during practice at the McDonald's All American game. Let's hope he recovers fast.


• This is a little late but Brandon Knight was named MVP of the Region on Sunday. Can we say, DUH???

Check out Wiltjer draining some threes:

Cards Fans, there's hope yet- Demarcus Smith decommits...again

It's been a tough couple of weeks for the Cardinals. They lose in the Big East Tournament Championship; a loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament to lowly Moorehead State; the coach looks more comfortable calling out Charles Barkley than he does calling out plays; and their biggest rival Kentucky made the Final Four.

But never fear Cards fans, there's always football season and today I shed a good light on a dark time. Louisville's Seneca High School QB DeMarcus Smith has asked out of his National Letter of Intent that he signed with Central Florida in February.

He said in a release: "Today I have filed a release request with the University of Central Florida, asking to be released from my national letter-of-intent I signed in February, due to extenuating circumstances...I send my apologies to the University of Louisville and the University of Central Florida for this issue...I view this as a private matter and will have no further comment until a later date."

It's a familiar situation as Smith had originally committed to Louisville, but like a girl that dumps you goes out with someone else and then breaks up with him, there's still a chance Smith comes crawling back to Papa Johns.

Beware of Haterism

With all the hoopla and joy surrounding the Wildcats trip to the Final Four, there are always going to be haters.

Some of these haters come in the form of Louisville fans, some come in the form of "journalists" and some come in the form of an ex-UK coach that is now sitting in Miami, Fla. thinking of what could have been.

Here are some common things that you may see in print, on television, in the blogosphere or hear in person:

1. Congrats to coach Calipari for earning his first Final Four.
2. This is the weakest Final Four ever. VCU and Butler? Really?
3. Kentucky has been the luckiest team in the bracket.
4. The Wildcats are sure getting their money's worth with those players that they pay.
5. UConn will beat them. They can't stop Kemba Walker.
6. Don't worry, this will be vacated in a few years.
7. Our team beat two of the teams in the Final Four already.
8. I don't care about basketball anymore, it's time for football. Joker Phillips sucks!
9. If our best player would not have gotten hurt we would be in the Final Four too.
10. UK isn't really that good. The field in the tournament was really weak this year.

Worry not Cats fans! Hold your head high, keep a smile on your face and remind yourself that John Calipari has been at UK for two seasons and has already gone to an Elite Eight and a Final Four. These Cats have a chance to win an eighth championship for your favorite team and there isn't anything anybody can say or do to change that. And you need to rub it in every chance you can.

Go Cats! Beat UConn!!!

Jay-Z Big Pimpin with the Cats

And this is what you get when you are a Kentucky Wildcat going to the Final Four.

Jon Hood looks out of place and probably has no idea who Jay-Z is.

You've just made it to the Final Four... what are you going to do now???

Celebrate at the bar:


Go to the Library:


Go to Euclid and Woodlawn:


Ask Stacey Poole questions:


Me... I went to work and BLASTED OSU and UL fans...

The Tom Leach Edition of the Kentucky Elite 8 WIN

I mean, Clark Kellogg or Tom Leach... I'm taking Leach

Suck it Rick... Pitino Calls UK fans lunatics

I missed this the other day... but all I have to say is FINAL FOUR RICKY P! Your analysis is worth listening to, but your bias is working against you. Notre Dame, Kentucky x 2... and all along Charles Barkley has been 100% RIGHT!!!

The comments in the YouTube link are my favorite:

Final Four Big Blue Links:

In case you haven't heard, Kentucky made the Final Four for the first time in 13 years. With a fan base as large as Kentucky's, Google and Twitter are trending all things related to this years team and that means the press is writing all sorts of articles cause it's all about the HITS!

Here are some of the good ones:

• DeAndre Liggins was called a b--ch by Harrison Barnes... and he didn't like it.
• Brandon Knight wasn't expected to replace John Wall, but his late game heroics certainly seem to be.
• Kentucky is the odds on favorite to win the Championship,
• This team is evidence that Cal can coach, despite critics.
• Will the Houston Rocket Cats of Hayes and Patterson be at the Final Four?
• Calipari vs Calhoun one more time.
• And the haters rise - "Cal's 3rd team in the Final Four is his 1st"
• Cardinal fans are on the ledge...

The Cats are Back Where they Belong

The MVP's of the tournament for the Wildcats.

In a very close and even match up, the Wildcats bested the North Carolina Tarheels to earn their first Final Four since 1998 and it was well deserved.

A total team effort propelled the Cats back into the limelight of college basketball and they now will take on one of the nation's hottest teams and the nation's best player.

Bask in the glory Big Blue Nation. It's about damn time!

It's all about match ups: Kentucky vs UNC

Kentucky's road to the Elite Eight has been tough and continues today against a great North Carolina opponent that they've lost to once before this season and they are 0-3 all time against in the Elite 8. But like any NCAA Tournament Game, it's all about match ups and guard play.

In this game, it comes down to Harrison Barnes vs Terrance Jones; Josh Harrellson vs Tyler Zeller; and Kendall Marshall vs Brandon Knight. The front court duo of Barnes and Zeller have accounted for 55% of the scoring on the team during the NCAA run and the success opponents lies directly with limiting the success of these two.

In the Light Blue Corner: Harrison Barnes was the consensus #1 2010 recruit. He would be stepping into UNC and filling more than the Jump Man shoes, but Michael Jordan's. The brilliance he showed in high school was slow to be seen once he took the stage of the Dean Dome. Having four single point games in his first nine and and only one one of those where he put up more than 14 points, when UNC faced UK the first time, there were flashes of the player he was expected to be. Barnes has grown immensely since the UK game and only been in single digits once. During the last 9 games, he has put up a career best 40 pointer against Clemson and averaged 21pts.

Terrence Jones is the obvious match up for Jones. Both players are 6'8" and Jones holds a 30lb weight advantage (210 vs 234). Jones found himself in foul trouble in the first meeting and his defense has been mediocre throughout the season. If Jones stays out of foul trouble, steps out and guarding Barnes' outside shot while stopping him from driving to the basket, Barnes should manage 15 points or less and the Wildcats should roll.

As a Junior, Tyler Zeller is the leader on this team and is the face of their success and failures. This NCAA tournament he is averaging 27points a game and 8.6 rebounds, directly leading to UNC's placement in the Elite 8. Zeller is 7'0" and 250lbs and is 2 inches taller than any player on UK's team.

The new formed Josh Harrellson was referred to as Vargallson during the first game. Fouling out early and only playing 21 minutes and scoring 4 points, he will need to keep Zeller from matching his first outing's 27 points. Hey, this is the new Jorts. He's battled and played good defense. His success against Sullinger should feed into his ego and give him the confidence to keep Zeller out of his rhythm. I expect a 19 point 8 rebound game from Zeller and while I don't expect Jorts to rekindle his offensive success of 17 points and 10 rebounds, a double digit point game and 7 rebounds would be a HUGE boost to the Cats.

If Jones and Harrellson can keep Zeller and Barnes at comfortable levels, I look for the Brandon Knight's pairing against guard Kendall Marshall to become the the focal point towards tipping a balanced game in Kentucky's favor.  Marshall took over for the ousted Larry Drew II with 9 games left in the season. Knight has been the go to guy for the Cats and has had two stellar shots in Round 2 and 4 but sub par games. He will need to repeat his Round 3 performance in order to see himself propelled into the Final Four. While both players are freshmen, Knight has been in the leadership role all season and Marshall just took over 13 games ago.

Teams that are lead by Freshman point guards struggle in pressure packed tournament games, but at this phase, Knight is closer to Sophomore than Freshman, while Marshall has started less than one third of a season. Look for Knight to use this experience to his advantage and bounce back from another struggled game.

Looking for this game to be a UK win if it is less than 70 points, a close one that comes down to another last second shot if it is in the 70s and a UNC win if it is in the 80s.

Win or lose, this has been a successful season for the Cats, but yes a win would mean a MUCH MORE successful year. My final score - Kentucky 71 - UNC 69.

Jorts and Knight Talk Elite Eight

Jorts talks about how the team got here and how practicing against Enes Kanter. And the Twitter Bomb heard 'round the Bluegrass:


Brandon Knight speaks about confidence and focus.

Favored Cats still get no Love

Vegas has our boys in blue favored by 1.5 against UNC today. That was the spread when they played back on December 4th when the Cats lost a heart breaker by 2 in Chapel Hill. In that game both Terrence Jones and Josh Harrellson fouled out with significant time left on the clock.

Both of these teams are much different since that game. UNC looked like a team that would be returning to the NIT and the Cats were up and down, still learning to play together. Now both teams seem to be on a roll and playing some of their best basketball.

The Cats have won their last 9 out of 10, won an SEC tournament championship and beat the #1 overall seed Ohio State. UNC has won 12 out of 13 but has the most recent loss when they went down to Duke in the ACC tournament in a 75-58 butt whooping.

The Tarheels have also had the easier road in the tournament but struggled to beat a feisty Washington team. Kentucky has had to deal with upstart Princeton, a very tough West Virginia team and beat what many seem to have thought was the best team in the tournament Ohio State.

Despite both teams looking good,both teams having strong big men, both teams having young McDonald's All Americans, you can't find many people picking the Cats to go to the Final Four.

Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas all picked the Tarheels this morning. All the polls on ESPN have the nation picking UNC over UK. Haven't we seen this before?

At least when everybody was picking Ohio State they were saying that it was going to be a tough win. Not now. Everybody is saying that UNC is going to win pretty convincingly because of Tyler Zeller, even though Jorts just went toe-to-toe with the nation's top center and came away with a draw.

The Cats are again playing underdogs. They seem to like that roll. UK is 0-3 to North Carolina in Elite Eights. They WERE 0-5 against Ohio State in the tournament. The Cats are undefeated this season when playing teams that they have lost to once already. I like our chances.

This might be a little corny, but it's the Elite Eight. Time to get pumped:

Doron Lamb will be at Kentucky Next Season

Great news for Kentucky: Doron Lamb will be a Wildcat for his sophomore season. Lamb already let the media know of his decision and I couldn't be happier. More three goggles next year.

The three point specialist will bring even more experience to a more veteran team next year. Now, let's hope to hear the same from Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones. But let's focus on UNC.

#revenge

Bellarmine Knights are Division II Champs

Let me take some time out and give props to my Alma Mater. The Knights defeated the BYU-Hawai'i Sea Siders to win their first national title.

It's nice to see a basketball team in Louisville that can stick around in a tournament for once. This March it's all about the Wildcats and the Knights in the state of Kentucky.

P.S. Funniest moment of the game is when Tim Brando called Rick Pitino "Quick Rick". No, I am not making that up.

Josh Harrellson - Tattoo Artist

I realize that after a heartbreaking loss to the #4 seeded Wildcats, Jared Sullinger said he'd be back next year. He was sad, and stunned. He says he'll return in order to end on a winning note. But my guess is that after the emotions settle, he's back on campus eating Ramen noodles and he's guaranteed by the Clippers that he'll be the #4 pick with a guaranteed 2 year 1.5 million/year contract, his mind will change.

So when he shakes the hand of commissioner David Stern next year in the NBA draft, I just want to look at his Sports Illustrated Diary and read that when he looked at himself in the mirror the morning of, he thanked Josh Harrellson for that Spalding logo imprinted on his chest.

Color me Blue! Kentucky tops Ohio State

Well color me blue! Hell, I am so happy right now after the Wildcats beat the Buckeye 62-60, you could color me pink, yellow, black, brown, purple or any other shade found in a Crayola box.

Kentucky won a game where they had entered as a -5.5pt underdog. They found themselves victims of poor seeding by the selection committee and facing the #1 overall team in the tournament in the Sweet 16. The game had the makings of a Final Four atmosphere and the Big Blue Nation was abuzz.

A game that was said to be a match up of Experience vs Youth, with a subplot of Harrellson vs Sullinger; the game started in favor of the Buckeyes with Kentucky falling down early as much as 7 points. On the back of Josh Harrellson, who threw down 17 points, 10 rebounds 3 blocks and an awesome Spalding tattoo on Sullinger, they Cats hung around and showed grit and toughness not seen earlier in the year. The game would see 19 lead changes and after the OSU 7pt lead, neither team would go up more than 3 over the final 17 minutes.

Kentucky's early foul trouble saw the top 5 players (Knight, Jones, Harrellson, Miller, and Liggins) with 2 fouls before a 30-30 halftime.

In the second half, the Cats veterans players stepped up further. DeAndre Liggins took over putting 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assist, and 3 blocks on his stat sheet; including either scoring or assisting on 12 of the final 18 UK points.

In the end, the Cats saw their 3 point lead with 21 seconds to play expire with a Jon Diebler game tying three. Then you can copy and paste the paragraph from the 1st round game against Princeton. Brandon Knight who had struggled all evening, going 2-9 from the field before driving the lane, pulling up and hitting just the bottom on the net. Cats 62 Buckeyes 60... Big Blue Nation Erupts.

Here's Cawood Ledford's... I mean Tom Leach's call of the final 30 secs.

A Little Bit of Brandon Knight for your Saturday

And Scene...

Know Your Enemy: North Carolina Tarheels

It's not easy to make fun of the Tarheels with all of their history and their good reputation. But I sure as hell will give it my all.

Did anybody catch that game last night? I heard it was pretty good.

North Carolina Tarheels:
Location-Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Enrollment- 30,000
Famous Alumni- Michael Jeffery Jordan (did not graduate), Dan Cortese, Rick Fox, Andy Griffith, President James K. Polk, and Julius Peppers (did not graduate).
School Motto- "If you mention Duke one more time I'm going to kill you."
Everything you need to Know about UNC- Petey Pablo can tell you-

Things they Tell Recruits-

• "Look, if you want prestigious, go to Duke. If you want flash and an NBA atmosphere, go to Kentucky. If you want Roy Williams crying every time somebody sneezes at him, then come here."
• "Matt Daughtery era? What's that? Yes he played here but he never coached here. (nervous laugh)."
• "I promise you that it's only our football players that cheat and get kicked off the team."
• "Our most popular class is one where we teach basketball players to whine and throw temper tantrums like Rasheed Wallace used to do."
• "Michael Jordan played here." (There is nothing funny about that)

Most Famous Sports Moment-Arguably the most popular player in the history of the program is the hateable Tyler Hansbrough. Here is a little hate montage dedicated to him. Focus on the bloddy nose.

Reasons why Kentucky will beat them to make it to the Final Four-

• Jorts has become just as good of a player as Tyler Zeller.
• Harrison Barnes meet DeAndre Liggins.
• Brandon Knight LOVES it in clutch time.
• The Cats are playing some of their best defense of the season right now. Defense wins championships.
• The Cats are undefeated in revenge games this season.
• We got that swagger of a team that just beat the #1 team in the whole country.
• We turned it up to 11 on the blocks. 11.

No doubt this game is what every college basketball fan dreams of. Two powerhouse, storied programs battling each other for the right to go to the Final Four. The tip off is 5:05 p.m. tomorrow night. Expect Newark to be on fire.

This is the second year in a row the Cats have made it to the Elite Eight and join Butler as the only two teams from last year's bracket to do so. This team plays great team basketball and they don't quit. I loved last year's team with all of my heart, but this 2011 version of the Cats are meshing and playing their best basketball at the right time.

Go Cats. #revenge

Cats 62-Buckeyes 60

Sullinger will have nightmares about this in the NBA

Monster Mash and I just had one helluva time watching the Cats win in downtown Louisville, the belly of the beast.

I have just a few short things before I hit the sack.

• Josh Harrellson just played lottery pick Jared Sullinger to a draw. Jorts continues to amaze in this tournament. With his hard nosed rebounding and budding offensive game, the sky is the limit.
• Liggins took over in the second half. He shut down Aaron Craft and did not allow him to run the Ohio State offense. He also added 15 points.
• John Diebler? I raise you one Brandon Knight. He does it again. This kid is going places.

The game is set for a 5:05 tip off on Sunday against North Carolina. The Cats lost to them by 2 earlier this at the Dean Dome. Here is how the Cats have fared in revenge games:

Game 2 and 3 after losing to Florida: Wins
Game 2 after losing to Alabama: Win
Game 2 after losing to Ole Miss: Win
Game 2 after losing to Georgia: Win
Game 2 after losing to Vanderbilt: Win

Uh-Oh Tarheels.

More tomorrow including Know Your Enemy. Go Cats!!! Party in the USA!! JORTS!

Calipari Talks about Ohio State

Coach Calipari talks of the scouting reports, while Jorts speaks of his match up against Jared Sullinger.

Popping the Buckeye: What is it?

THE Ohio State University is on the menu for tomorrow. Here's my issue, what is a Buckeye?

By Merriam BoogieWebster's Dictionary:
A Buckeye is the name of any tool that uses the article "THE" in front of a university name. 
Used in a sentence: To hang a Buckeye correctly, use a hook and put it next to the screwdriver on the wall. 
Orgin: Latin
Pronunciation: (bk) 
Alternative Pronunciation: ((bk me hard in de arse)

By Monster Mash's Account:
A Buckeye (ˈbək-ˌī) is the nut filled chocolate candy put into someones mouth and consumed on special events.
Used in a sentence: Rick Pitino gave Karen Sypher a Buckeye for Christmas in the back of Porcini's, that neither will ever forget.
Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: (oH-my-Gawd)
Alternative Pronunciation: (dat' tay-st gewd)

Urban Dictionary's version can't be printed, but it's halarious.
Used in a sentence: Sully is going to get his Buckeye popped by Jorts tomorrow!

More Reasons to Hate Louisville

Keep rooting for Kentucky to lose, Birdy Fans. You already got yours. As T-Will stated on his Twitter: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I thought that I would be finished talking about anything Louisville for a while since their team lost in the first round to Mighty Morehead State but I was wrong.

People ask me all the time, "Hey Boogiewoogie, why do you hate Louisville so much?" It's not like I hate the institution itself, many of my close friends are graduates from there, it's many of the people that comprise it and make up 99.9% of the fan base. (I'm not counting T-Ferg. We have many good and level headed discussions).

It's people like Uber-Douche Mike Rutherford and the fools over at his blog the Cardchronicle. Since their team is out they now spend a significant amount of time bashing Kentucky and dedicating articles about how much they want them to lose. It's a classic case of their Little Brother Syndrome that they deny they have.

It's so very sad that they have to suffer through as UK continues to play in March as their lowly basketball team sits at home and watches. That's two years in a row now that they have exited the first round so I guess the jealousy and envy is setting in. Their ugly emotions are running high and there is no way to hide it.

Louisville fans always complain about how much they hate Matt Jones. Well, they have their own less successful, less creative and less intelligent version of him in Mike "My Cards Suck and I Can't Take It" Rutherford. There's jerks on both sides and most of the time you can count me as one of them. I have plenty of reasons to be.

Louisville fans on that blog and many others complain about the "obnoxious" Kentucky fans and how their own fan base are so much classier and better. Oh really? I guess the website Planetredhoops is an oddity and the fans that drop Twitter Bombs on Monster Mashe's account making fun of Kentucky are 1 in a million.

Keep on telling yourselves that you take the high road Card fans. Nobody is buying it but you.

Know Your Enemy: Ohio State Buckeyes

It's not the biggest game ever. But it's pretty damn important. I don't hate Ohio State's basketball team but I HATE their football team. I will transfer some of that hate towards Jared Sullinger and his cronies just in time for tip off tomorrow night.

Ohio State Buckeyes:

Location- Columbus, Ohio

Enrollment- 56, 064 annoying football fans

Famous Alumni- R.L. Stine (author of the "Goosebumps" series), Richard Lewis, Dwight Yoakam, Bobby Knight, Greg Oden (did not graduate), Maurice Clarrett (did not graduate), George Steinbrenner, Santonio Holmes (don't click this one. just sayin')

School Motto- Click this link to find out.

Everything you Need to Know about Ohio State- Jared Sullinger and these other two thirteen year old girl wannabes can tell you:

Things they Tell Recruits-

• "If you play for us we can hook you up with a sweet deal on some tattoos. Just don't let the NCAA find out! (Wink)"
• "Hell yes there is lots to do in Ohio! We have the Browns and the Bengals...Hey wait! Where are you going!!???"
• (Take 2) "Hell yes there is lots to do in Ohio! You can catch LeBron playing in Cleveland! What? He went where? Mother F**er!"
• "Sorry, only the football players get to test drive the Escalades at the local car dealerships and then keep them later. Did I just say keep them? I meant return them. Silly me!"
• "No it's not true that Bobby Knight still roams around the campus looking for players to beat up and throw stuff at. He still does that at IU."

Most famous Sports Moment- A Buckeye is just a terrible mascot:

Reasons Why Kentucky will beat them Friday-

• Josh Harrellson doesn't sing Miley Cyrus songs. He makes love to her and then she sings songs about him.
• Brandon Knight is waaaaay better than this "dude".
• DeAndre Liggins has the cure for Diebler Fever.
• They shoot threes well. We shoot threes well. Our defense will limit their threes.
• Terrence Jones is about to Man Up.
• UK is 0-5 against OSU in the tournament. We are due.

It's a little over 24 hours to game time and I am about as excited for this basketball game as I have been for one all year. I think this trumps the excitement over the Louisville game because this means so much more. Everybody is picking the Buckeyes, they are the #1 team and the overall #1 seed and this is for the Elite Eight.

Nobody is giving the Cats a shot. Let's get it done.

The Cats are Underdogs

Watch a couple of nerds that look like they never picked up a basketball pick Ohio State to beat Kentucky. Not only do they look like they never played basketball, they must never watch it either. The one major reason that they pick Ohio State to win is depth.

They fail to mention that Ohio State only plays 7 guys, like Kentucky. They also go on to say that if Jones and Harrellson are in foul trouble that the Cats are done. I can't disagree, but again they fail to mention that Ohio State doesn't have much to replace Sullinger if he gets in foul trouble.

In some more UK underdog news, Las Vegas has the Cats at 14/1 to win the whole tournament. They have the sixth best odds behind (in order) Kansas, Ohio State, Duke, North Carolina and UConn.

Keep on picking against the Cats. Just like the SEC Championship game.

Bruce Pearl Gets Fired: Quick Hits

I just did a ton so these are super quick:

• Sorry Volunteer fans! Bruce Pearl has been axed as the head basketball coach. No more man-boobs, no more rap songs, no more comaprisons to Jesus Christ. I can't say I'm not happy this happened.
• Here is an awesome write up about how Jorts is this year's Cinderella story for the entire NCAA. If you love Jorts, it will make you love him more. If you hate him, well then you hate America.
• UK is a 5.5 point dog in the game Friday. Ammo for Calipari.
• All four of UK's signees for next season will play in the Nike Hoops Summit Game. Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis will play for the USA while Kyle Wiltjer will play for the International team. Wiltjer has duel U.S./Canadian citizenship. The game is April 9. Get your DVR's ready.

That's it for now.

NCAA Tourney Fun!: Big East/Louisville Fan Hate Edition

No small talk. Let's do this.

• There has been a ton of Big East bashing going on around the media today and rightfully so. Only 2 out of 11 teams (2 out of 11!) advanced to the Round of 16. Only UConn remains as a high seed. 1. Pitt, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Syracuse and 4. Louisville were all booted by lower seeds this weekend along with some others. Go ahead Big East fans, tell me I'm wrong. You can't prove it.
• I do like Rick Pitino as a CBS analyst. He and Charles Barkley rarely agree and it makes for hilarious T.V. Sir Charles got another opportunity to laugh at Ricky P as he tried to save face for his conference by guaranteeing a Notre Dame win last night. Much like many of Rick Pitino's ridiculous claims (Mike Marra is the best three point shooter I have ever seen, we will never be out of the top 25 again, I did not have sexual relations with that woman, etc...) he was proven wrong. The fighting Irish were the 9th Big East Bottom Dwellers to go out.
• Louisville fans had a series of FAILS this weekend. Let's run them down. 1) FAIL: Getting bounced from the first round for the second straight year. This time by 13 seed instate team Morehead State; 2). FAIL: Cheering on West Virginia against Kentucky for the second straight year while watching Brandon Knight and Jorts regulate Nate Dogg Style; 3)FAIL: Watching Morehead State get completely handled by 12 seed Richmond and realizing that they probably would have been beaten by the Spiders too; 4) FAIL: Louisville fans take to their blogs and claim that Morehead State is paying Kenneth Faried. Like Morehead State has that type of money. Everybody that beats Louisville or doesn't go to Louisville is getting paid. This is a broken record that keeps on playing; 5) FAIL: Watching Rick Pitino get schooled by Charles Barkely all weekend while your team sits at home; 6) FAIL: Cheering the Big East to win games and legitimize your conference. I would venture to say that Louisville would struggle in the ACC, Big 10, Big 12 or even the SEC. There I said it. Here is to hoping that they go and buy Buck Eyes merchandise so I can type a big FAIL for that as well.
• I was rooting for a Duke and North Carolina loss but my hopes were crushed. I am very sad that both of these teams are still balling. Actually, North Carolina is not as bad as Duke. I HATE Duke.
• I've been talking a ton of Big East smack but I really think UConn has a shot at the Final Four. Kimba Walker is not being denied right now.
• Don't look now kids but the SEC has the third best winning percentage among the BCS schools with a 57%. The Big East is bringing up the rear, just how Pitino likes it.
• Schools that I think have a shot to bring it all home: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, Duke and UConn.
• Don't look now kids but Butler is back.
• San Diego State is dunzo against UConn.

Check in for more fun today and for "Know Your Enemy" on Thursday. It's my new favorite thing to post. Let's keep it going Cats...

#1 Ohio State vs #4 Kentucky ... Tip Set

The game time has been decided and it is a late one. No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Kentucky will tip Friday at 9:45 p.m. ET in Newark, NJ.

Look for a strong UK contingent in Jersey. While the Cats have played poorly on the road, in neutral and home games the play has been nearly perfect. If the crowd can be kept active, it is a good sign that Kentucky's March Madness continues to the next round.

Jorts Vs Sully...

Godzilla vs Mothra. Willis (aka McClain) vs Terrorist. Obama vs Gaddafi (aka Terrorist). Duke vs Kentucky. US vs Sypher. Pitino vs Public Ruin. Rather it is in the air, on the silver screen, in the polls, on the court, in the court room, or in the court of public opinion all of these battles saw one major opponent battle another in epic style and one lose horribly.

This Friday will see Josh "Jorts" Harrellson vs Jared "Sully" Sullinger and it is likely this match up that will set the tempo to the Wildcat success.  

Let's set the backdrop. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Jared Sullinger was the #4 player in the 2010 class according to Scout.com. He was seen as the best Center until he was schooled by Enes Kanter in the Nike Hoop Summit. He averages 17 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Buckeyes in both stats and is tied for second in blocked shots (.5/game). He gets the name recognition, the hype for the 2011 NBA Draft, and Dick Vitale Diaper Dandy award. He is the real deal and he is the main block in the path of the Wildcats second trip in as many years to the Elite 8.

Born in St. Charles, Missouri, Josh Harrellson transferred from Junior College to play for Billy Gillispie. He rode the pine along with equipment managers in a van home from a road game. Last season he saw 12 minutes of SEC action while this year he averages 28 minutes a game. He leads the SEC in offensive rebounds and is playing his best ball of the year with 30 points and 18 rebounds this post season after scoring 28 points all of last year. Filling the roll of ineligible Enes Kanter, Jorts as he is affectionately called, brought thunder to the Blue White game and then the lightning of John Calipari shut his Twitter account down. He fills the middle and the role of Senior leader on a notoriously underclassman lead team and is the key to moving Sullinger from the middle of the paint to the side of the road Kentucky travels to the Final Four.

The Matchup: While Sullinger gets the lights, cameras, Harrellson gets just as much action. Rick Pitino said it best this weekend when he said that Harrellson is the most underrated player at his position in the country. Look for the 6'10 275lbs Jorts to hold his own against the 6'9 280lbs Sully. He is a Senior vs the Freshman. He's seen Renardo Sidney, Tobias Harris, and other hyped stars this year. He played Demarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson in practice last season. Jorts faced a big man better than Sullinger in Enes Kanter all of this year. So while he didn't play much before this year, he has experience. He will not be scared or intimidated of Sully. In fact, Sully might as well be the fluffy big blue Monster Inc. character, while scary from afar, just cuddly and comfortable up close. Sullinger is no Cousins, he is no Patterson, or Kanter he is just the next opponent. 

What does that mean? Expect Sullinger to see 15 points and 7 rebounds. Expect Harrellson to get 10 points and 8 rebounds.

How is that a win for Kentucky? Jorts can neutralize his size and rebounds. Kentucky's other players outmatch the Ohio State squad by 8-10 points which means the 5 point disadvantage at the low post is made up for at the Guard and Forward spots. If the likes of Lamb, Jones, Miller and Knight appear in this game, good night #1 seed and hello Elite 8.

It's Not Impossible

He is mean mugging you Jorts. It's time to get Epic.

We all just learned that the Wildcats will face the number one overall seed Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday. The time has yet to be announced but I am sure it will be around 8 or 9 and will be the marquee game of the evening.

Yes, I know that the Bucks just clobbered the George Mason Patriots 98-66, but this team is not without their weaknesses.

Ohio State's only two losses this year came on the road to Wisconsin 67-71 and to Purdue 76-63. Both of those teams are very good three point shooting teams, like Kentucky. OSU also was pushed to the brink in the Big 10 tournament by Northwestern (67-61 win in OT), Michigan (68-61 win) and Penn State (71-60. that game was close until the very end).

Kentucky needs to defend the three, defend the post, and shoot, shoot, shoot the lights out. OSU played their first two tournament games in Cleveland, Ohio, making them essentially home games. Now the Buckeyes will face a crowd of die-hard UK fans chanting "Go Big Blue" as the game goes on. If the Cats play well early and the crowd gets in it, it will be hard for the Buckeyes to recapture momentum, but if any team can do it, it's them.

I'm not kidding myself. Kentucky is going to have to pretty much play flawless basketball to win. They have to play their best of the season and everybody (Miller, Lamb, Eloy, Liggins, Knight and Jones) will have to contribute. Calipari is going to have to plan to exploit whatever small weakness these Buckeyes have.

I'm already excited for Friday. The Sweet 16 is where I picked this team to finish on this blog at the beginning of the year. I hope they prove me wrong. Anything elese from here on out makes this team legendary.

Go Cats

This is why we Love DeAndre

After West Virginia put the Cats out of the Elite 8 last year the Mountaineers started doing the John Wall Dance to mock Kentucky and our super star.

Liggins has a little something to say about that. "Do the John Wall now." And this type of toughness is what the Cats will need next Friday. And our boy Liggins is the man that is going to deliver it.

The Big East Myth Continues

This is the time of year where we all get a reminder of something: the Big East is all hype, all talk and no substance.

Don't believe me? Rick Bozich from the Courier-Journal provides us with the numbers

1. ACC: 4-1, 80%, One win against a higher seed, no losses to a lower seed.

2. Big Ten: 6-2, 75%, One win against a higher seed, no losses to a lower seed.
3. Pac-10: 3-2, 60%
4. SEC: 4-3, 57%, One loss against a lower seeded team (5 Vandy def. by 12 Richmond)
5. Big East: 8-7, 53%, One win against a higher seeded team, three losses to lower seeded teams (4 Louisvile def. by 13 Morehead State, 1 Pitt def. by 8 Butler, 6 Georgetown def. by 11 VCU)
6. Big 12: 3-3, 50%, One loss against a lower seeded team

Bozich holds back any comments about the Big East frauds because I am sure that if he says anything negative that Tom Jurich will be after his job. But nothing hides the fact that three Big East teams lost to "inferior opponents". More than any other conference.

As Sir Charles Barkely has pointed out all weekend long, the Big East is nothing more than media hype and east coast reporting bias. The numbers do not justify the committee selecting 11 Big East teams into the round of 64. The Big East is getting it's butt whooped by lower seeded teams left and right.

Right now the Big East will get at least two teams into the Sweet 16 by virtue of the fact that UConn just beat Cincy last night and the winner between Syracuse and Marquette will advance. Other than Notre Dame, no other Big East Teams will have a chance to play next weekend.

The simple fact that that we had to watch 4 Big East teams play each other on the first weekend of play is absurd. We all got a steady diet of that for 2 full months and more during the regular season. The tournament is about testing one's mettle against opponents from around the country that you may never face. It's the magic of Michigan vs. Duke again, or Kentucky playing West Virginia in another bruising showdown, or Butler upsetting a "power" team in Pitt, that keeps March Madness the greatest sporting event in America. Not watching Big East teams play each other over and over again. We have seen that movie already.

It's kind of like how we all get sick of ESPN driving the rivalry of Duke and North Carolina into our heads for 2 and sometimes 3 times in a season or the Yankees vs. the Red Sox during the marathon baseball season.

Now, if teams from the same conference play each other during later rounds then that's ok. They have earned the right to do so. But having conference teams playing each other in the first weekend is boring and ludicrous.

So go ahead Big East fans.. Pat yourselves on the back for fooling everybody again into thinking you were something great when you aren't. I am tired of everyone acting like the Big East is the end all, be all of college basketball. It's not. It's a good conference just like the SEC, the ACC, the Big 10 and the rest, but it's not great.

The Big East is not to college basketball what the SEC is to college football. Not one championship since 2003 proves that. Now, if a Big East team wins it all this year then that changes some things. But it does not justify 11 teams in the tournament. Nothing this overrated conference has done in the first weekend does.

The Spiders do the Impossible

The Richmond Spiders did something that the University of Louisville Cardinals couldn't do; they took down the Morehead State Eagles.

Now we all know that the Eagles are an unstoppable force and many had them penciled into the Final Four. We all know that Louisville ran into a buzzsaw in Denver and they were damn lucky to just lose by 2 points.

But did anybody see this coming? Did anybody see the Eagles getting blown out 65-48? I sure didn't. The Card Nation sure didn't. Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric and Mike Marra sure didn't. And coach Rick Pitino sure as hell didn't.

Now my bracket's ruined. Thanks a lot Spiders.

*This post is brought to you by "Sarcasm".

John Calipari Post Game

Coach talks about the big win, how he doesn't like playing against friends like Huggins, how Jorts transformed himself, talking to Derrick Rose before the game and the leadership of Brandon Knight. Great stuff.

The Avengers: Cats Head to Sweet 16 by Beating the Mountaineers

The UK version of Batman and Robin against West Virginia was phenomenal today. Despite the size difference, I say Knight would be Batman. The Dark Knight? That's a Dykesisim.

Before I begin to talk about the game, I wanted everyone to see something:

Joe Mazzulla's 2010-2011 season stats:

Ppg-7.3

Apg-4.3

Three Point Percentage-29%

Rpg-3.9

Against UK today:

Points-20 (career high. previous was 17 against UK in the Elite 8 loss)

Assists-4

Assists- 4

Three's- 1

Rebounds- 4

Besides the scoring, Mazzulla was his usual self. Let me take the opportunity to speak for all Kentucky fans and say this; We will never have to see Joe Mazzulla again and we are damn happy for it.

• Brandon Knight followed a career low against 2 points against Princeton with a career high 30 points today against WVU. He scored in every way imaginable; threes, mid range jumpers, lay ups, dunks and the charity stripe. Is it too much to say that he is the most underrated player in college basketball? I don't think it is and I hope the NBA scouts are not aware of it.


• JORTS!!!! Josh Harrellson now has 30 points in his two games in this tournament. He is playing like he never wants his time as a Cat to ever end. He is hustling on both ends of the court, rebounding and even DEFENDING well. He had zero fouls in his first game and had 2 today (but I don't count that BS foul at the end of the first half). Jorts is playing like a man possessed.


• Rick Pitino: "Josh Harrellson is the most underrated college basketball player in his position for all that he does for his team." I would say that too if Jorts had burned me with a double-double. Boom.


• Liggins played lock down defense against Joe Mazzulla in the second half and only allowed him to score 4 points in the second half. He only had 3 points but that is not his game. What he did on the defensive end was so much more important.


• Tough day for Darius. I could see he was playing hard but his shots were just not falling. He made an important 3 near the end of the game. I don't see his funk continuing.


• Jones had a double-double and picked up his offense in the second half. He started driving his man to the rim and he would either make the shot or get fouled. I think his defensive rebounding has gone unnoticed. I noticed for you Jones.


• Lamb has yet to find his groove so far. Only 6 points and three quick fouls made for a poor day. Again, you can't keep a good man down long.


• Where has Doug Harrellson been the whole season? Why are we now just learning about Jorts Sr.? I blame the Liberals.

Calipari can exhale. He beat Huggins and is now 2-8 all time against him. His young Cats are moving on to play George Mason or Ohio State.

I've said all season that without Kanter that this team has a Sweet 16 ceiling and I am not backing off that statement. But if the Cats do advance to the Elite Eight, and with the poise and toughness that have shown in this streak of wins they can, then there is no reason they will not be in the Final Four.

I'm sick with some type of flu (no, it's not an STD, Monster Mash) so I'm heading to the couch to watch the #2 seed Gators. Yes, I am still pissed about that.

That one was for Patterson, Wall and Boogie.

More Later. Survive and Advance. Go Cats!

West Virginia. They are still who we thought they were

Flash Back to March of last year one weekend later in the NCAA tournament and you get Kentucky vs West Virginia. West Virginia came into the game as one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the Big East and a very poor Free Throw shooting squad. Every shot in the first half was a 3 and they made shot after shot. Kentucky, facing a zone defense that crashes around the dribble drive offense couldn't hit anything to stretch the D - and lost miserably sending WVU to the Final Four and Kentucky home early.

Kentucky this season shot the best 3pt % in school history (39.8%) and have a team that can stretch a 1-3-1 into oblivion - but the main question is, can they do it? The SEC's leading 3 point shooter Doron Lamb didn't look like his role in the first round and freshman PG Brandon Knight only scored one bucket (all be it the most valuable basket in the game).

I'm giving the Cats a 60% chance to win this one, meaning I'm taking a 3/2 odds on the even bet. I'm giving Kentucky a 4pt line and expect a 67-63 final.

And in case you wanted a little more info on the Mountaineers...

Hometown: Morgantown, West Virginia. While the images look like a picture from the Village. Morgantown is nestled in the middle of deliverance, Morgantown is home of Bob Huggins and burning couches/couch porches, which is normally an occasion for house fires. They don't take kindly to anyone not kin to their own.




Most Famous person from Morgantown: Don Knots - yes of Apple Dumpling Gang, oh yeah Andy Griffith too- is my favorite but the Mountaineers probably have southern pride for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.













Mascot: The Mountaineer - Pretty much the same thing as the Volunteer except they found them in between two mountain sides instead of rolling hills. Yeah fine, the Wildcat isn't the most original thing in the world, but I'm calling a pot a pot.























Best Movie about West Virginia: Wrong Turn. Yes, it was a horrible movie but it's accurate portrayal of how the Mountain people eat visitors that take a detour off the interstate. It's particularly awesome because it wasn't based in Kentucky.









Reason to never visit West Virginia: Besides the mountain in-bred people that eat you, well do you need another reason?










Things to do: Hunt, Fish, and visit Cheat Lake... this is the short edition, so I'll take 10best.com's word for it - and assume it's like a 1980's movie version of Lovers Lane. My only question is that when you go on a family vacation to Cheat Lake, when a West Virginia man cheats on one cousin for another cousin, does he produce sons and daughters or 2nd cousins?