Boo hoo Boston U - Cat's Roll on Terriers

In their first game back from a horrible 84-67 beat down by Connecticut in Hawaii during the Maui Invitational Tournament Championship, Kentucky played against the Boston University Terriers. It was a tale of two halfs and the first one looked as if they were still in Maui playing ball in the pool against kids - easy going, lackadaisical and without care.

That first half had 8 turnovers and it what seemed like many more fouls. Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones had 10 points each but Knight also recorded 3 turnovers to just 3 assist. Darius Miller got in early foul trouble and the Cats found themselves up just 7 to end the 1st half 40-33.

The second half was a little different. Doron Lamb started in place of Darius Miller, punished for a lack of effort and the energy, and the #9 ranked team finally landed in Rupp from that 12 hour flight from the Aloha State. The Wildcats opened the period on a 7-0 spurt then an 8-0 run and ultimately 30-7 in the first 10 minutes.

Knight added 13 points and a 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio in the second half. He totalled 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assist and one block.

Terrence Jones put up 8 second half points for a total of 18 and 10 rebounds to make his 4th double double and continued his Lamar Odom-esque play leading fast breaks and dishing dimes.

Josh Harrellson put up his first double double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes.

Overall Kentucky shot 60% from the field including 10-17 from behind the 3 point line, while holding BU to 26.3% and won 91-57.

Next up: the Cats play North Carolina (4-2) Saturday in Chapel Hill at 12:30 EST.

TCU to the Big East

There was a lot of moaning and groaning going in Louisville this year and I'm not talking about the shenanigan's in the back room of Porcini's. I'm talking about the grumblings concerning the strength of the Big East and the guaranteed spot in the BCS the conference champion receives.

All season long Big East foes, particularly those in the SEC, reprimanded the Big (L)East for their cupcake conference. The 8 team league saw the following records with the champion getting an auto bid to the BCS: 

*Connecticut 7-4

West Virginia 8-3
Pittsburgh  6-5
Syracuse 7-5
South Florida 7-4
Louisville 6-6
Cincinnati 4-7
Rutgers4-7

*BCS Automatic Berth.

All the while, a 11-1 Boise State team and 12-0 Texas Christian squad were clawing for the same opportunities the 4 loss Big East team is granted regardless.

Well, TCU and the Big East had had enough. The two paired up on Monday when TCU accepted a spot to become the 9th team in football and 17th team in non-football sports.

What does the Big East get?
1) Help Holding BCS Bid. While TCU will water down the competition in basketball, the football squad will immediately become a contender and should help the Big East maintain that BCS bowl by having another solid team in the conference.
2) Texas Market Share. In football it is all about your TV deal. By having a share of viewers in Texas, the Big East can ask for more money in TV contract negotiations.
What does TCU get?
1) Exposure. They will now be shown to east coast markets like New York City, Orlando,  Pittsburgh, and more.
2) BCS. Currently, TCU must hope their conference competition pans out to be worth a darn in order to be considered for a BCS game. Even if TCU does win every game, they are not guaranteed a spot in the big money bowl games. With the Big East, they have a spot every year to go to the BCS, no matter what their conference foes do.
 
Outside of the fact that TEXAS is not East at all, this is a big move for both parties. The only question left is with odd numbers of 17 and 9, is this the last move the Big East has up their sleeve?

I hate Tennessee... enough said

I promised earlier this week that I wasn't going to say anything else about it being Tennessee football week except this one small post. I've crossed my fingers, toes eyes, and every other appendage. With that, I leave you the only thing I have to say about this streak ending today: I Hate Tennessee.

Terrence Williams - D-Will

"Hello Developmental League, my name is D-Will and I was a NBA player"

When you get a little fame, you usually get a nickname. When you get really famous you get to pick your own. When you are infamous, your nickname often changes to match your crime. This time, its Terrence Williams better known as T-Will now known as D-Will. That is after his recent send down to the NBA D League.

Williams has been inactivated for the previous two games for violations of team policies. However, the send down to the Developmental League, according to head coach Avery Johnson, "is not a punishment but an evaluation."

The 2009 11th overall selection by New Jersey was touted in the preseason by Johnson as the potential 6th man of the year after an impressive rookie campaign. Yet,  Williams from Louisville has not progressed as expected under the new regime and with recent altercations may possibly on the trade block.

When asked if he can play his way back onto the roster, Avery said:

"Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt. He can play his way back,'' Johnson said. "We don’t have a timetable right now, but he can definitely play his way back. Let me make that clear – he can play his way back, absolutely... I think more than anything we looked at him as being an athletic guard, an athletic two, one, one, two – can play some three. We want to see that explosiveness; we want to see that athleticism. We want to see him play above the rim. Terrence got to a point where he started shooting a lot of 3s he’s taken more 3s than free throws (11 3-point attempts; eight free throw attempts). So we want to see that explosiveness; a guy that plays above the rim; a guy that can one or two dunks a game. That’s what we want to see.''

A Walk in the Court: Defining Travelling

During the last two Kentucky games, two travelling calls baffled me. Yes travelling, a basic and frequently whistled violation that I thought I knew the meaning of - but after watching Brandon Knight and then DeAndre Liggins called for it, I'm not so sure.

Before we delve into the issue, let me start by saying that me being confused by a call is nothing new. I am often caught by a bizarre rule on some incident that only occurs as often as Boogiewoogie shaves his back hair. But this was travelling. This is the second thing any kid learns about playing basketball, just behind the fact that they get a free coke after their little league game - and that they can blend every type of soda together.

This bizarreness wasn't the case though this week though and in fact I wasn't the only person confused. In fact, Kentucky's own John Calipari was confused by the exact same calls and had a little jig to show for it.


Travelling is something as basic to basketball as dribbling, but the definition is as complex as that relationship with your hot-mother-in law. Here's the exact rule:

NCAA Rule 4, Section 50. 
Travel:
 
Art. 3. A player who catches the ball while moving or dribbling may stop
and establish a pivot foot as follows:
      a. When both feet are off the playing court and the player lands:
         1. Simultaneously on both feet, either may be the pivot foot;
         2. On one foot followed by the other, the first foot to touch shathe pivot foot;
         3. On one foot, the player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both; neither foot can be the pivot foot.
      b. When one foot is on the playing court:
         1. That foot shall be the pivot foot when the other foot touches in a step;
         2. The player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both; neither foot can then be the pivot foot.
Art. 4. After coming to a stop and establishing the pivot foot:
      a. The pivot foot may be lifted, but not returned to the playing court, before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
      b. The pivot foot shall not be lifted before the ball is released to start dribble.
Art. 5. After coming to a stop when neither foot can be the pivot foot:
      a. One or both feet may be lifted, but may not be returned to the playing court, before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
      b. Neither foot shall be lifted, before the ball is released, to start a dribble.
Art. 6. It is traveling when a player falls to the playing court while holding the ball without maintaining a pivot foot

NBA: Rule 10, Section XIII—Traveling

b. A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.
NBA examples

So kids, if you figure the NCAA rule out let me know. But I don't see anything that says the following is allowed but the prior instance isn't...except this was John Wall.

Cal's Highlights: Kentucky 74-UW 67

John Calipari, the most famous Best Buy worker in the world, stopped to chat with the media about his team and the win in Maui last night. In case you had to work today like I did and at 12:00am you didn't want to go out to your car and listen to the AM radio station broadcasting the post game, here's what the leader of the Geek Squad had to say.


And here's something to make you smile. Cal was as animated as ever last night and this was my personal favorite:


And then there was this:

Brandon Knight Post Game

Per Chad Ford of ESPN:

This Just In: TWill is a Jerk

Nets fans won't be seeing this for a few games

I have always known "T-Thrill" is a jerk Here are a few examples"

• He verbally argued with his head coach during an Elite Eight game in which he failed to defend the pick and roll all game.
• He danced in the face of a team that the Cards were beating handily in order to showboat and rub it in.
• He refused to sign an autograph for a 10 year old girl at a Louisville women's basketball game for no reason.
• He signed a little kid's shirt with the words "John Wall sucks" because the kid had on a UK hat.

Now it seems that the Nets are tired of his attitude as well. Williams has been fined numerous times according to the team for undisclosed violations and he has now been suspended two full games as well as being banned from the locker room. He seems like a real stand up guy and a team first individual. What do expect, he came out of Duh Ville.

TWill has been a fan favorite for the Cards. All that does is tell me the quality of individuals that Louisville fans have to cheer for every year and how sad it really is. Ricky P sure knows how to recruit the classy players!

I have December 16 marked on my calender. That is the day the Wizards and the Nets play. Let's see if TWill tells Wall that he sucks to his face. I am sure #2 will have a little something special for the former Dirty Bird.

Let's Play the Huskies Again!

Let's hope to see this exact scenario many times tonight.

Wow. I am still in awe of last night's rough, tough intense game. I must admit, and some of you may be thinking I am an idiot for saying this, but these Cats are better right now than they were last year at this time. The quality of opponents has gone up as well as the intensity of the games and this team has responded with nothing but positive signs. A 74-67 win against the #11 team in the country and a team most predicted to go to the Final Four.

Everybody knew Brandon Knight was going to be good, but maybe not that good this fast. Everybody knew Terrence Jones was going to be good, but nobody new he was going to be the best player on the floor for both teams almost every night, scoring 3 double-doubles in four games.

And let's not forget to praise DeAndre Liggins for his tenacity on defense and his renegade attitude diving for loose balls and getting in the heads of the other players by not leaving their side. He may not score much but his shutdown ability on the defensive side of things counters that. He will have some games when he is in double figures and that is just an extra bonus.

And what can we say about Josh Harrelson? Jorts exploded last night for 14 rebounds, 7 on the offensive glass, with a big time three and key blocks. The lone senior seems he has turned a corner and may become that one missing piece. He has taken a page out of Liggins book and has become scrappy.

Tonight the Cats play in the championship game against a UConn team that upset #2 Michigan State last night. Look for Liggins to smother superstar guard Kemba Walker, a guy averaging 30 points a game. The Cats are ranked higher but I watched UConn last night and they are big. The only real scoring threat they have is walker. If he is shut down then they will have trouble. And obviously size does not matter. The Cats were undersized last night but out rebounded U Dub by being in position, being fast and getting the other team's bigs in foul trouble in the second half.

The Cats beat the other Huskies last year in Madison Square Garden thanks to the heroics of some guy named John Wall. Both teams are different but Uconn returns more. Hell, every team does. Obviously this is a Big East team, so this game means a lot.

I cannot say enough about the Cats defense holding a team that averaged over 100 points in their first 3 games to just 67 last night. The Cats can beat UConn and I think they will. Even if they lose, this trip has shown us with this team is about what they are made of.

One more tough game boys and then lets go eat some Turkey! The Sprortsthat boys will be at Big Blue Country tonight. Come by, have a beer and say hello!

Quick Hitters: Cats Win Hawaiian Thriller

What a game and since it ended at 12:00am EST, this is going to be your quick hitters :

- Cats win 74-67 in a game that was closer than the final score showed. Kentucky was better rested in the second half and it was visible in the cramps and missed shots by the Huskies. A great early season win against a veteran squad on a neutral site.

- Last year Cal said he wished he could bottle up Deandre Liggins and squeeze his hustle into everyone of his players. This year, Cal would need a 5 gallon bucket. Liggins was everywhere tonight and goes 110% the entire time his on the court. His size, athleticism, and leadership showed throughout, including a technical he drew on Washington's Venoy Overton and just walked away without a glance. Bret Dawson of the Courier Journal said it best that if floor burns were a stat, Liggins would lead the country.

- After not receiving credit for his 22 rebound Blue/White game and asking for some recognition, Josh Harrellson deserves to be back on Twitter. Jorts scored 9 points and had 14 rebounds (7 offensive)against Washington and deserves word he gets. Kentucky's weakness will be their interior play but if they can get big minutes and hustle stats from Harrellson, they will out perform their high expectations.

- I expect the Doug Gottlieb radio show to be full of UK fans tomorrow. Before the game, he called out - OK berated - Brandon Knight in comparison to Washington's Isaiah Thomas and UConn's Kemba Walker. Knight came out and scored 24 points on 10-17 shooting. He struggled early with foul trouble and had 8 turnovers, but compared to Thomas' 13 points and 2 turnovers, I'll take it. Gottlieb, you can print this out and eat your words.

- Terrence Jones was all the hype before the game after his 29 point 12 rebound performance against Oklahoma. Package that with his Rick Pitino style UW commitment (he pulled out after about 15 seconds) and you practically had a made for ESPN 30 in 30 movie. Jones didn't disappoint and put up 16 points and 17 rebounds including a few critical free throws with under a minute to play. Jones will be the talk of this team the entire season and you can expect to hear the name Lamar Odom said frequently.

- The Cats play UConn tomorrow at 10:00 on ESPN in the Maui Invitation Championship game. Jim Calhoun's squad pulled off the upset this evening against #2 Michigan State and the small, fast Kemba Walker could give UK issues. Walker has scored 30 in 3 straight games and is, as Jay Bilas frequently stated, the early favorite for Player of the Year. I expect the larger Deandre Liggins to be stuck on Walker like glue and shut him down.

See you kids tomorrow, Go Cats!

Kanter's Appeal Heard Next Week

According to Andy Katz, John Calipari expects Enes Kanter's appeal to be heard next week. This would be the end of the SportsThat founded #FreeEnes road one way or another. If Kanter loses the appeal, Kentucky stands to lose their best chance at a Final Four appearance as their 5 spot guys just won't cut it against larger teams. If Kanter wins the appeal, well, who knows what happens.

Cat fans, cross your fingers, toes, eyes, and whatever other appendages you can cross without breaking something.

UT Football Week News of the Day:

It's the time of the year we all hate. It's UT Football week. If there was ever a streak to be broken, this is it. I will do my obligatory I Hate UT article later this week, but I'm not hyping this game up anymore than it will be. Kentucky has been far superior teams this year and probably lost to less than superior teams (Ole Miss and Mississippi State anyone?). With that, here is your news:


- 517 that is the number of points UK has been outscored by during the 25 year losing streak. Players, Coaches, and Media members are now on the take pride wagon. If that number is any larger than 517, expect tears, jeers, and a crappy bowl.

- John Wall injured his leg 5 games ago and has missed every playing minute since. The rookie phenom is expected to jump back into action in the next game or two as he is now traveling with the team again.

- Kentucky handled Oklahoma last night in their first game of the Maui Classic. Terrence Jones put up a stellar performance scoring 29 points and 12 rebounds, but I was most impressed by his Brett Favre impression showing off his great ball handling.

- Tonight the Cats are matched up against #11 Washington who beat a Virginia team 103 to a lot less. The Huskies will be the first major competition for the Wildcats and the first chance to see how 2010-2011 could go. Couple the UW skill and talent with the new founded hatred the Huskies have for the Cats (i.e. Terrence Jones debacle and Enes Kanter) and we should see how this team test outside the classroom.

Uk Handles Portland, Just Like I Said. But Worse.

This monster dunk by Kentucky's Terrence Jones pretty much sums up the night the Cats had against the Portland Pilots last night. Kentucky was just too big, too strong and too fast. Portland never had a shot. The 79-48 score was a lot worse than the 75-68 score I predicted, partly because of the fact of the youth of the Cats and partly because everybody was talking up Portland. I think the last spread I heard was down to 5 by UK. I wish I would have bet.

Smack Talkin' Jared Stohl was limited to 9 points thanks to the lock down defense of DeAndre Liggins. He has a chance to be the best on-ball defense in the NCAA this year. His scoring will come but there will be plenty of that to go around. I love his defensive tenacity. I am glad Stohl got all of those fans to come out and watch him suck it up. The Cats aint the West Coast Conference little buddy.

Brandon Knight was electric again, scoring three's lay ups, jumpers, free throws and a dunk. Terrence Jones started off slow but ended up doing a nice job. Josh Harrelson pulled down double digit rebounds for the Cats and Eloy Vargas looked more aggressive as the game progressed. I think we will see a completely different player in him by March.

That was a good road win and now on to Maui where some real challenges await. Let's see how the Cats measure up against tougher competition. I have a good feeling about this trip.

Kentucky Basketball Knightcap

A full slate of basketball was played yesterday. The Puerto Rican Classic, Kentuckys Layover in Portland, and the a few other early season tournaments tipped off.

The interesting games started off with #8 North Carolina being upset by Tubby Smith and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. North Carolina, was an awful team last year and they have been given the same grace as the Florida Gators... top 10 ranking after a NIT season, but way overrated.

The nightcap was the Kentucky v Portland Terrence Jones Homecoming game. The Pilots were simply outmatched in this one. Kentucky dominated every line and aspect beating up UP 79-48.

Darius Miller filled the stat sheet with 15 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 5 Stl, 4 Blk on 6-7 shooting. The fantastic freshmen duo of Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones scored 21 and 12 respectively while grabbing 3 and 5 boards.

A nice start to what should be a tough road trip ahead. Kentucky will play again on November 22nd at 5:30EST against Oklahoma in their first Maui Invitational matchup.

Watch Kentucky vs Portland. A lesson in resourcefulness

If you're cheap like I am, you don't feel the need or desire to pay for ESPNU. However, since you're reading this blog you are likely a sports fanatic also like me. When the cross between sports fandom and thriftiness meet, you get resourceful or you just don't get what you want.

Thus I present you a lesson in resourcefulness. Those of you looking to watch a little ESPNU for tonight's UK game can complete the following steps:

1. Download StreamTorrent and install it.
2. After installation, right click here then select Copy Shortcut.
3. Open StreamTorrent and click Edit > Paste Link
4. Click the new link in your list and be patient. The stream will load in another window. Ensure your firewall allows the program access to the internet.
5. Grab a brew and your friends and huddle around your PC to watch the game!

These instructions will only work for tonight's game as the stream changes every day. However, we will reference these instructions as the Cats, Cards, and other games of interest will be on ESPNU throughout the season and you know you will want to watch without paying for all those other crappy games.

Questions or issues? Leave them in the comments section and I'll see what I can help with.

Bruce Pearl Just Got Effed in the A

Bruce Pearl has already been in trouble with his employer and now is in trouble with the SEC. The league has suspended Pearl for the first 8 conference games of the season for lying to the NCAA about recruiting violations that range from having high school recruits at his house for a party and for excessive phone conversations with recruits.

Pearl lied about having the recruits at his house until the NCAA showed him a picture of a recruit at his house. Ooops. These are the games he will miss: Arkansas, Flordia, Vandy, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss and Alabama. Guess which game is his first back? That's right, UK. No way is the SEC going to miss out on the cash cow that is Pearl Vs. Cal/UT Vs. UK.
While he misses those 8 games Pearl will not be allowed to do anything with the team at all. No practice, no meetings, nada. This is as close to a firing or a ban someone can get. And to make matters worse the NCAA itself has not come down with a ruling. It's going to get worse before it gets better. Pearl better start checking the want ads.

Friday Predictions: Cats Win Bye Week

Yes I am back. After a few days off due to complete craziness at my place of employment I have found some time to get on here and write on this beloved blog.

The Football Cats are on a bye week and I hope they can win that. Next Saturday they play at Tennessee and with a win they could get a Gator Bowl bid. Yes, you heard me correct, a Gator Bowl bid. This is a big time New Year's Day bowl against a Big 10 opponent, so this is a really big deal The Gator Bowl committee has said that they are looking at UK because of their exciting brand of football and the Cats will bring a huge crowd. If the Cats beat the Vols, go to the Gator Bowl and win it, I can almost forgive them for blowing it against Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia. Almost.

So while Randall Cobb rests this week, we can focus on what is at hand: UK basketball and UofL football. Let's get rolling!

Kentucky at Portland- And here we go again! Doom and gloom Calipari has reared his head and warned that the Cats could come back from the Maui Invitational as a 1-4 team. That means that he thinks the Cats could lose tonight against a Portland team that lost four starters from last season but still has 47.8% three point shooter Jared Stohl.

Stohl has already made a big mistake and raised the ire of the Big Blue Nation by tweeting this nonsense speaking to the fans: "We're going to need you guys when we beat Kentucky." Really? Somebody needs to be taken off their high horse and I believe that job should go to lock down defender DeAndre Liggins.

Ya see Portland, I'm not so sure you have dealt with the speed and athleticism that the Cats will be bringing to the Rose Garden. Yes they are young and still need to mesh, but I do not see a loss in the future.

Cal says Terrence Jones has been treating this like a vacation since he is from Portland and this will be a homecoming for him. It doesn't seem like that when I read his quotes. He seems focused and determined to show his home crowd how much he has progressed since he stepped on UK's campus.

Now the Maui trip will be a different story. I am not afraid of Oklahoma but Washington is a very experienced tournament team that will be out for blood due to the Terrence Jones decision. If there is one game I see the Cats losing it is this one. 4-1 is a lot more realistic that 1-4. But 5-0 would be great too.

Prediction: UK 82-Portland 65

West Virginia at Louisville- It's the weekly UofL Big East Pillow Fight and this week the Cards welcome the equally loathsome Mountaineers. The city of Louisville will be filled with clouds of black smoke from burnt couches and the stench of chewing tobacco will drown out the smell of Papa John's Pizza and vomit at PJCS.

I pose this question to the Cardinal faithful: since after last year when West Virginia beat Kentucky in the Elite 8 and all of you instantly became HUGE WVU fans, who will you cheer for? I fully expect to see "House Divided" license plates on the vehicles of Cards fans who just can't seem to choose which team to love more.

With that nastiness out of the way here is what I think about the game: WVU has had a weird season where they have looked dominant (37-10 beat down of Cincy) and downright awful (13-16 loss to UConn). So the question is, which team will show up to face the Cards? With the Big East title and a BCS bowl (spare me) a very real scenario for the Mountaineers I see a sense of urgency in this team come Saturday.

But I am not counting the Cards out of this. After a heartbreaking loss to a South Florida team they dominated throughout most of the game (I am looking at you Strong) they will be ready to fight. Powell still looked good but lacked the burst that he had at the beginning of the year. Burke looked lost at times and Froman still looks to be out of this one. UofL's defense will have their hands full with all of the athletes on the other side of the ball and Noel Divine is still a threat. I think the Cards fall back to under .500 and lose out on a bowl game.

Prediction: WVU 27-Cards 24

That about does it! Keep checking back for more fun throughout the day!

Kentucky vs Portland... Basketball? Where? When?

The Wildcats play the Trailblazer of Portland tomorrow and Greg Oden is not going to be in the game. Sorry, I'm wrong. They are playing the University of Portland Pilots. But I was right, Greg Oden will not be playing. In fact, he has the same percentage of playing the Cats as he does any NBA team.

Here's some information on the UP according to NBA.com.

The University of Portland (UP) is a private Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is specifically affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,200 students. It is best known for its women's soccer program, which recently won the 2005 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.

Fortunately, we are playing men's basketball and not women's soccer. Unfortunately, the Pilots might conjure up some Rudy-esque feelings with their underdog attitude and lights out 3 point shooing. Never fear, Rudy was a practice player - I still expect a W.

More importantly, you want to know where/when to watch the game. After you throw back a few brews, stumble towards your nearest TV with ESPNU around 10:30EST and watch the Cats go 2-0:

Day: Friday

Date: Nov. 19, 2010
Location: Portland, Ore.
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

Coverage
TV: ESPNU (No ESPNU? Watch online using these steps)
Radio: BBSN

More importantly than that important statement is that Boogiewoogie won't be ruining the blog with another horrendous live blog... you're welcome world.

Forget the Governors Cup... It could be the Govenors Bowl!

Thanks to RednBlueFans for a summary of the current Louisville and Kentucky bowl projections around the web. Call me greedy, but how awesome would it be to have a UK vs UL bowl? The national championship of Auburn vs Boise State would be out watched in the bluegrass by that game.

Then you have questions like After a great second half adjustment by Louisville in round one, how would Randall Cobb be handled a second time against the Cards and Coach Strong?

What other bowl matchup would you prefer?

Rivals.com:
Kentucky vs. South Florida - BBVA Compass, Birmingham, Jan. 8
Louisville vs. Clemson - Meineke Car Care, Charlotte, Dec. 31

Phil Steele:
Kentucky vs. Central Florida - Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Dec. 31
Louisville vs. N. Illinois- Little Ceasar's, Detroit, Dec. 26

CBSSports.com:
Kentucky vs. Pittsburgh - BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 8
Louisville vs. Clemson - Meineke Car Care, Charlotte, Dec. 31

ESPN.com - Mark Schlabach:
UK vs. South Florida - BBVA Compass, Birmingham, Dec. 31
Louisville vs. Miami (Fla.) - Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas, Dec. 31

ESPN.com - Andrea Adelson:
UK vs. Central Florida - Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Dec. 31
Louisville vs. Georgia - BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Jan. 8

Scout.com:
Louisville vs. Kentucky - BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Jan. 8

Football-Bowl.com:
UK vs. Central Florida - Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Dec. 31
Louisville vs. N. Carolina - Meineke Car Care, Charlotte, Dec. 31

Coach Calipari: Quiet from the sidelines

In practice, the sound of shoes squeaking on the hardwood, players hitting the deck, skin rubbing on the floor, and players calling plays is not atypical. When you're a UK Men's Basketball player, you can also add the background voice of Coach John Calipari enthusiastically yelling coaching his team at the top of his lungs. If you've ever had the pleasure of attending Rupp Arena in the lower rows, you know that until crunch time or the occasional double digit run against an opponent, every call the Wildcat coach has to say is audible.

Well, rather it is cold weather related (the temperature has dropped suddenly in the bluegrass) or just a plain cold, Coach John Calipari hasn't been heard barking orders to the team this week in practice and his voice may not make the flight to Portland and ultimately Hawaii.

Imagine if you lived close to a train track, you become familiar with the roar next to your bedroom for years and all of a sudden, one day it stops - you can't sleep. Well, Coach Cal is the Wildcat players white noise and it is showing via tweet:

 

Why early season polls don't matter

Kentucky fell from 10th to 13th in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week. This after a dominating win against a East Tennessee State team that made the NCAA tournament last year. But I say, to hell with the polls. Besides, we all know that the only time you need a poll is when you're a fireman, stripper, or in bed with Boogiewoogie. Need proof?

Nine of the top 11 teams in the first AP poll last year finished in top 25 while only 11 of the top 25 finished in the 25.

AP Poll 2009 Week 1 vs Week 19

1	Kansas (55)	0-0	X	1	Kansas (65)	32-2	X
2	Michigan State (5)	0-0	X	2	Kentucky	32-2	X
3	Texas (1)	0-0		3	Duke	29-5	X
4	Kentucky (3)	0-0	X	4	Syracuse	28-4
5	Villanova	0-0	X	5	Ohio State	27-7	X
6	North Carolina (1)	0-0		6	West Virginia	27-6	X
7	Purdue	0-0	X	7	Kansas State	26-7
8	West Virginia	0-0	X	8	New Mexico	29-4
9	Duke	0-0	X	9	Villanova	24-7	X
10	Tennessee	0-0	X	10	Purdue	27-5	X
11	Butler	0-0	X	11	Butler	28-4	X
12	Connecticut	0-0		12	Temple	29-5
13	California	0-0		13	Michigan State	24-8	X
14	Washington	0-0		14	Georgetown	23-10	X
15	Michigan	0-0		15	Tennessee	25-8	X
16	Ohio State	0-0	X	16	Wisconsin	23-8
17	Oklahoma	0-0		17	Brigham Young	29-5
18	Mississippi State	0-0		18	Pittsburgh	24-8
19	Louisville	0-0		19	Baylor	25-7
20	Georgetown	0-0	X	20	Maryland	23-8
21	Dayton	0-0		21	Vanderbilt	24-8
22	Georgia Tech	0-0		22	Gonzaga	26-6
23	Illinois	0-0		23	Texas A&M	23-9
24	Clemson	0-0		24	Richmond	26-8
25	Minnesota	0-0		25	Xavier	24-8

So there you have it. Preseason polls don't mean jack. The top stay in the top and the last 15, well the AP has no clue. With that, this is the top 25 now, with my markers of the teams that I don’t think will finish there by the end of the year.

1	Duke (58)	1-0
2	Michigan State (7)	1-0
3	Kansas State	1-0
4	Ohio State	1-0
5	Pittsburgh	3-0
6	Villanova	1-0
7	Kansas	1-0
8	North Carolina	1-0
9	Florida	1-0	X
10	Syracuse	2-0
11	Gonzaga	2-0
12	Kentucky	1-0
13	Illinois	3-0
14	Purdue	1-0	X
15	Missouri	0-0	X
16	Butler	1-0	X
17	Baylor	1-0	X
17	Washington	1-0
19	Memphis	1-0	X
20	Georgetown	1-0
21	Temple	2-0	X
22	Virginia Tech	1-0
23	Brigham Young	1-0	X
24	Tennessee	1-0
25	San Diego State	1-0	X