Tobias Harris Journal: The West Virginia/Louisville Game

Tobias Harris, the #5 recruit on the Rivals150 List for 2010, is now 12 days away from announcing his college choice. This is the Tobias Harris Journal, an all access feature from AllKYHoops.com that intends to illustrate the high-major recruiting process through the eyes of the recruit. Here is today's entry from Tobias:

Tobias is still on his visit to the West Virginia University. He arrived yesterday and observed a Mountaineer practice. Afterwards, he spent time with the WVU players.

Today, Tobias watched the team practice and attended the Louisville vs. West Virginia football game. He said it has been a good visit:

"Yeah, it's been good. I watched the team practice and went to the football game. Now, chillen with the guys."

He added, "I love everything about the campus facilities and the guys are great people so it's been real fun."

Since Tobias has now attended a couple of Mountaineer practices, I asked him to give me an opinion on the practices.

"Their practices are great. They play hard and Coach Huggins gets the best out of them."

Does Tobias see himself fitting into the West Virginia style of basketball?

"I think I would fit because the role that DeShaun and Ebanks plays is important and they do many of the things I do."

Tobias is now relaxing with the team as his visit winds down. He is scheduled to return home tomorrow.

Ex-Cat Jodie Meeks has Breakout Game for Bucks

Former Kentucky Wildcat Jodie Meeks had the best game of his young NBA career tonight as he exploded for 19 points in 26 minutes of action. Meeks, who left Kentucky after his junior season, was 7-11 from the field and 5-7 from the 3-point line.

Meeks was drafted by the Bucks in the second round and was given a guaranteed contract. He had been listed as inactive to start the season, but was activated when Michael Redd went down with an injury.

Box Score from ESPN

Photo: ESPN.com

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Campbellsville Wins Two at Lindsey Wilson Classic

Press Release from Campbellsville:

Campbellsville University moved to 2-0 to start the year after beating Roberts Wesleyan College, 83-61, to close the Lindsey Wilson Classic on Saturday.

The Tigers trailed Roberts Wesleyan by three points, 8-5, in the first five minutes of the game, but Joe Robinson scored five straight points on two buckets and a free throw to give CU a 10-8 lead. The Tigers never looked back.
Robinson's points sparked a 17-4 run over the next eight minutes to give Campbellsville a 10-point lead. The Tigers led by as many as 12 in the first half before taking a 33-23 lead into the break.

"We played much better than we did the first night. I thought we defended really well. We held them to 23 points in the first half, and that's where we want to be. The more we play the better we're going to be," CU head coach Keith Adkins said.

Robinson and Nestor Colmenares each scored 18 points to lead CU. Colmenares also added a team-high six rebounds, two blocks, four assists and three steals. Jermaine Carter followed the pair with 14 points, while Caleb Harris had 13.

CU (2-0) opens its home season Friday, Nov. 13 in the Lou Cunningham Memorial Tournament. The Tigers host Bluefield College at 8 p.m.

Georgetown College Fights but Falls to Mississippi State

Mississippi State 90
Georgetown College 70

Exhibition at Starkville, MS

Junior forward Kodi Augustus scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to pace the 18th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs to a 90-70 defeat of the visiting Georgetown College Tigers Saturday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum.

MSU completed its two-game exhibition slate having never trailed in preseason action.

Augustus connected on 6-of-9 shots from the floor and all three of his free throws. All-SEC senior Jarvis Varnado fell just short of the team's second double-double with a team-high 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Also scoring in double-digits were sophomore point guard Dee Bost with 14 points to go along with his 8 assists, while Phil Turner totaled 12 points.

Pacing the game in scoring was Georgetown College guard Eddie Gray, who put up 19 points and claimed 5 rebounds.

Game Recap

Recap of Joe B. Hall & Denny Crum Classic

Recap of Joe B. Hall & Denny Crum Classic at New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University-Southeast 100
Mid-Continent 87

Indiana University-Southeast (1-1), ranked number 10 in the NAIA Division II national preseason poll, scored the first 10 points of the second half to lead by 17 points and maintained at least an 11-point lead the rest of the game as the Grenadiers defeated Mid-Continent University (1-1), 100-87, in collegiate men's basketball action at the Joe B. Hall/Denny Crum Classic at IUS in New Albany, Indiana.

Union College 73
Ivy Tech Community College 67

Darrell Jackson poured in 25 points to lead Union College to a 73-67 win over Ivy Tech Community College Friday at the Joe B. and Denny Classic.

Mid-Continent 74
Union College 56

Senior center Kenny Thomas (Orange, NJ/Orange HS/Essex County College, NJ ) totaled a season-high 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, and sophomore forward Chris Ferguson (Oakland, CA/Royal Sunset HS/Feather River CC, CA) contributed 5 points, 2 blocked shots, and a season-high 17 rebounds as Mid-Continent University improved its record to 2-1 with a 74-56 victory over Union College (Ky.) in Nov. 7 collegiate men's basketball action at the Joe B. Hall/Denny Crum Classic hosted by Indiana University-Southeast. Union College was playing its first game of the season.

Recap of 14th Annual Zweifel/Pritchett Classic at Asbury

Recap of the 14th Annual Zweifel/Pritchett Classic at Asbury College:

Friday:

Berea 99 Virginia Intermont 66

St. Catharine 69 Asbury 67

Saturday:

St. Catharine 73 Berea 60

Asbury 79 vs. Virginia Intermont 57

Final Records:

St. Catharine: 2-0
Asbury: 1-1
Berea: 1-1
Virginia Intermont: 0-2

Brandon "Snap" Peters to Visit Western Kentucky

High-flying Brandon "Snap" Peters is scheduled to visit Western Kentucky on November 21.

Peters, who is known for his speed and explosive leaping ability, ranks #119 on the Rivals150 List for 2010.

He is a 6-2 combo guard that holds offers from WKU, TCU, Oregon State, North Texas and Memphis.

Western Kentucky Recruit Kene Anyigbo Visiting Houston

I spoke to 2010 recruit Kene Anyigbo, a 6-6 forward from Bellaire High School (TX), last night to see if he was still planning to take a visit to Houston this weekend.

"Yes sir that's the plan. I am visiting Houston this weekend," stated Anyigbo.

Anyigbo is a powerful big man with a college-ready body. He hopes to make a decision soon and lists Western Kentucky, Houston and Memphis as his final three schools.

John Wall: "He's in another league"

The Media Frenzy Surrounding Wall After the Game

"He's the real deal. He's in another league."

- Clarion head coach Ron Righter

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Kentucky Recruit C.J. Leslie May Wait Until Spring

ZagsBlog.com is reporting that 2010 forward C.J. Leslie may wait until the spring to make a college choice. There were many people, including myself, that thought Leslie would make a decision in the fall.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

C.J. Leslie is still plotting out his official visits and my not sign until the late signing period in the spring.

“He probably won’t sign until the spring. I can’t say for 100 percent sure,” Lisa Leslie, C.J.’s mom, said Saturday in a phone interview.

He said he enjoyed Kentucky, but has not proclaimed them as his leader:

“He said when he went down there for the visit he really enjoyed it,” Lisa said of Kentucky. “He never said that that was his favorite school.

“He’s still saying that he’s open. I wouldn’t say that that was his favorite school.”

Complete Article from ZagsBlog.com

Kentucky vs. Clarion: Pictures from Rupp Arena

Tobias Harris Update: Having Fun in West Virginia

Tobias Harris is visiting West Virginia this weekend as he enters the final two weeks before making his college choice. He has already visited Tennessee, Syracuse, Louisville and Kentucky. After West Virginia, he will visit Maryland and Georgia Tech.

I will be taking readers behind-the-scenes of Harris' recruitment leading up to his big announcement on November 19.

I spoke to Tobias tonight to see how things are going. He said he is having a good time with the guys.

He also gave me a quick rundown of some of the things he did today.

"I just watched the team practice and now just hanging with the guys... I liked their practice. They work hard and Coach Huggs gets the best out of his guys," explained Tobias.

I asked him if he is getting along well with the players.

"Yeah, I already knew Devin Ebanks, Daryl Bryant, Danny Jennings and Kevin Jones so yeah, I'm real cool with them," he said.

Tobias is scheduled to be in Morgantown until Sunday.

Clarion Visits the Woodshed in Loss to Kentucky

Kentucky 117
Clarion 52

Exhibition at Rupp Arena

I represented AllKYHoops.com at Rupp Arena last night and offered live coverage from the game. Here are a few notes I made and some quotes that were made during the post-game coverage:

Basketball Analysis:

Kentucky

- One thing you may or may not have seen on TV: Clarion presented Coach Calipari with two replica jerseys from his playing days at Clarion
- John Wall is the real deal; the offense looked totally different tonight with Wall running the show; for a stretch early in the 2nd half, he literally looked like an NBA point guard playing against a high school team
- For the second consecutive game, kudos to Mark Krebs and Perry Stevenson; Calipari is high on both and he should be; these guys are getting it done right now
- He did not look terrible by any means, but Patrick Patterson does not look comfortable in his new role at this point
- Kentucky went a long ways towards easing fears that they have no shooters tonight; the Cats were 8-16 from long range in the game; 7 different Cats hit 3-pointers tonight
- DeMarcus Cousins is was simply unstoppable tonight; he has tremendous strength and when he gets the ball in good position, there is just no defending him
- I came away impressed with Ramon Harris; he appears a little quicker, a little more explosive and ten times more confident than he has previously in his career
- One thing that you may not have noticed: UK was 25-30 from the free throw line
- Something else you may not have noticed: UK had 27 assists and only 12 turnovers
- For the second consecutive game, DeAndre Liggins was the only Wildcat that did not play; see quotes below for Calipari's comments on this situation
- Kentucky was 42-71 from the field for 59.2%
- My guess on a regular rotation after this game: Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, Patterson, Miller, Dodson, Orton, Stevenson, Harris, Hood

Key Individual Stats:

Cousins: 9-12 FG 2o PTS 6 REB
Patterson: 6-12 FG 2-2 3PT 14 PTS 6 REB
Miller: 3-5 FG 11 PTS 7 AST
Dodson: 3-11 FG 11 PTS 9 REB 4 AST
Wall: 10-14 FG 27 PTS 4 REB 9 AST
Harris: 5-6 FG 11 PTS 7 REB
Stevenson: 2-2 FG 4-4 FT 8 PTS

Clarion

-The Golden Eagles were simply overwhelmed with Kentucky's size, speed and length
- Clarion struggled all night with UK's pressure defense and really struggled with getting shots off
- This will be a decent DII team, but they ran into a very motivated Kentucky squad and were the victims of the proverbial buzzsaw
- I jotted down a note that Lloyd and Jamar Harrison both look like talent players that will have a bright season; they were a combined 4-25 from the field tonight, but that isn't going to happen any more this season
- Kentucky's pressure and athleticism contributed to Clarions 23.8% FG shooting (15-63)
- Clarion had 23 turnovers and only 8 assists

Key Individual Stats:

McQueen, L. Harrison, J Harrison, Carty and Mungo combined for 6-41 from the field (14.6%)
Sherry: 3-9 FG 3-7 3PT 11 PTS
Carty: 1-5 FG 8-10 FT 10 PTS 6 REB

Post-Game Press Conference Quotables:

Ron Righter, Clarion head coach:

On John Wall:

"He's the real deal. He's in another league."

On Calipari picking up the intensity this week:

"He definitely got their attention, and he got ours."

On UK:

"They're a very long team."

On UK's athleticism:

"My team plays below the rim this year. UK plays above the rim. In fact., they play above the block."

On bringing Clarion to Rupp Arena:

"This is an experience they'll never forget the rest of their lives."

John Calipari, Kentucky head coach:

His first comments (in reference to Jerry Tipton):

"Questions? Anybody but Jerry..."

On John Wall's leadership ability:

"He's saying to me 'we gotta get Patrick some shots here.' At the end he was saying 'let's get DeMarcus the ball.' That's a leader."

On DeMarcus Cousins tonight:

"How about Cousins? I mean, the guy's a beast."

On Perry Stevenson:

"Perry Stevenson is now solidly the backup to Patrick."

Joking about Coach Righter:

"He also asked me for those jerseys back after the game."

More praise for Mark Krebs:

"I need the Krebs effect from these other guys."

Why didn't Liggins play?

"You know what, I'm gonna talk about the guys I'm playing... I'll never throw kids under the bus. I'll take responsibility myself. Um, I don't wanna do anything that hurts a young person, um, so let's just talk about these kids that played."

Listen to Calipari's Entire Postgame Press Conference (via John Clay)

A Couple of Things that I Consider "Cool":

- I met Tony Delk before the game; he was very nice and one of my all-time favorite Cats
- I watched Delk sign several items for fans as he walked by and what I liked - he seemed to be enjoying it
- I watched a fan ask Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio to sign his basketball before the game (not a misprint)
- Kudos to the young lady that sang the National Anthem tonight; very pretty voice on that girl
- I'm not sure this is cool, but it must be reported: I made a note that it was 108-51 and a foul was called against Kentucky; a fan about 10 rows behind me stood up during a quiet time and screamed to the top of his lungs, "You suck ref!!!"
- Kentucky scored 117 points; I don't care who they were playing, tonight's game generated a buzz that hasn't been felt in these parts for some time now

Kentucky vs. Clarion: Live Coverage

Welcome everyone to our live coverage of the Kentucky/Clarion exhibition game.

- Approximately 26 minutes before tip; fans are filing in; you can feel excitement in the air tonight
- No kidding - A fan just asked Matt Jones from Kentucky Sports Radio for an autograph; I wish I was that popular! I went down and asked Matt and he says, "You'll have that from time to time..."
- I met Tony Delk earlier; nice guy...It was great to see him signing stuff for fans and enjoying it
- First thing that comes to mind after that National Anthem - talent
- Kentucky takes the floor - fans are into the atmosphere already; 2:00 until tipoff
- The staff at Clarion appear to have something to present to Coach Calipari; they present Calipari with a replicas of his playing uniforms at Clarion
- UK intro's this season will give you cold chills if you have not experienced them yet
- Early observation - Clarion is very small in comparison to most DI teams; UK with huge size advantage
- Tip controlled by Kentucky; Assist Wall, layup Cousins
- Cousins 4 Clarion 0
- 3-pointer for John Wall; steal by Cousins off the press and he's fouled
- Cousins is unstoppable in the paint; Cousins then steals, goes the length and looks like Magic Johnson on the no-look pass for a layup by Dodson
- Timeout Clarion; 17:39 remaining first half; UK 12 Clarion 4
- He doesn't look terrible by any means, but Patterson doesn't seem entirely comfortable with his new role
- 15:50 first half; timeout on the floor; UK 12 Clarion 4
- A moth with a 6" wingspan just flew through the arena and caused a few screams from the ladies
- Huge dunk by Patterson down the lane; 16-6 Kentucky
- Wall goes coast-to-coast for the laying; timeout Clarion; UK 18 Clarion 6 at the 14:03 mark
- Daniel Orton was shaken up on his last touch in the paint; he is being checked out on the bench
- UK's press is really causing problems; lots of hustle and easy baskets
- 11:50 first half; timeout on the floor; UK 28 Clarion 7
- Is it just me or is Ramon Harris a little quicker and more agile this season? He just scored on a beautiful move and drew the foul
- Kentucky is in a much better flow tonight; much more intensity, as well
- 3-pointer for Darnell Dodson; UK up 37-11
- Orton leaves again after returning to the game; this time, he is taken to the locker room for observation
- Airball at the free throw line for a Clarion player; ouch
- 7:51 first half; timeout on the floor; UK 37 Clarion 11
- In the midst of a sloppy segment at the moment; now 37-13 with 6:45 remaining
- Incredible pass from Miller to Cousins for the bigtime slam
- Great pass from Wall to Dodson for the easy layup; Clarion has no answer for Wall and Cousins
- 3:30 first half; timeout on the floor; UK 45 Clarion 20
- 3:02 first half - still no sign of DeAndre Liggins
- Orton has not returned from the locker room after leaving with an injury
- Patterson just had a huge blocked shot; sent it almost to the halfcourt stripe
- I'm not sure there is another guard as explosive as John Wall in the SEC
- 3-pointer for Jon Hood; Rupp explodes; you can tell he is a fan favorite already
- Halftime: Kentucky 58 Clarion 22
- Clarion just doesn't have an answer for Cousins; he is enforcing his will in the paint
- Wall just went behind the back and under the defender to score and get fouled; that could be a SportsCenter Top 10 Play
- Orton has soreness in chest and will not play in 2nd half
- Wall has really turned up his level of play in the 2nd half
- 15:37 second half; timeout on the floor; UK 68 Clarion 29
- Wall now has 25 points; really playing well in this half
- 13:41 second half; timeout on the floor; UK 74 Clarion 31
- At the 12:43 mark, Clarion has a slight lead on John Wall
- 11:58 second half; timeout on the floor; UK 80 Clarion 33
- Patterson just drained a good-looking 3-pointer after some quick passing
- Miller is playing a little better tonight; great to see for UK fans
- Timeout Clarion with 9:13 remaining in game; UK 87 Clarion 35
- Patrick Patterson just drained another 3-pointer from the top of the key
- Krebs checks into the game for UK; still no Liggins
- Darius Miller drains a 3-pointer; Cats lead 100-46
- Rupp Arena explodes in cheer as UK hits the century mark
- 3:40 second half; timeout on the floor; UK 100 Clarion 46
- Was just told that Orton's x-ray was negative; that's great news for UK and Orton
- Back-to-back 3's for Harris and Krebs; UK 106 Clarion 51 2:45 remaining
- Kentucky leads 112-52
- Cats with 4 consecutive dunks to go up 114-52
- 45.8 seconds remaining; UK 115 Clarion 52
- Liggins - DNP - Coaches' Decision
- Final Score: Kentucky 117 Clarion 52

Preview: Clarion Set to Visit Rupp Arena Tonight

The Clarion University Golden Eagles will travel to Lexington tonight to battle the Kentucky Wildcats in an exhibition game.

NOTE: AllKYHoops.com will be providing coverage live from Rupp Arena beginning around 6:30 p.m. this evening.

Where is Clarion University?

Clarion University of Pennsylvania, located on a 100-acre (0.40 km2) campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania, is one of fourteen universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Clarion University was founded in 1867 and offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and post master's certificates.

Affiliation: NCAA Division II

Undergraduates: Approximately 7,400 students

Nickname: Golden Eagles

Projected Starters:

01 G Lloyd Harrison, 6-1

22 G Jamar Harrison, 6-3

31 G Mike Sherry 6-1

15 G/F Shameel Carty 6-3

32 F Paul McQueen 6-5

Key Reserves:

12 G/F Greg Parker 6-3

44 F Julius Berry 6-7

03 G/F Brandyn Mungo 6-6

05 G Jordan Lessane

Injuries: None reported

Kentucky Projected Starters (per CoachCal.com):

G John Wall

G/F Darnell Dodson

G/F Darius Miller

F Patrick Patterson

C DeMarcus Cousins

Key Reserves:

C Daniel Orton

F Perry Stevenson

Injuries: Guard Eric Bledsoe will miss the game due to an ankle injury.

Analysis: Tonight's game will be an obvious mismatch from a talent and size perspective. The tallest play on the Clarion roster is listed at 6-8 and he's not projected to play very many minutes. That being said, the Cats are still very young and the Golden Eagles are coming off a successful season at the NCAA DII level.

Clarion figures to be competitive early, but expect a much more inspired and efficient effort from Kentucky tonight. Eventually, the pressure will be too much and Kentucky will pull away for an impressive victory.

My Prediction: Kentucky 100 Clarion 59

Weekend Preview: Basketball Begins in Kentucky

There have been a few games to this point, but this weekend marks the first big weekend of college basketball in Kentucky. Here is a rundown of this weekend's action:

Tonight:

4:00 p.m. Kentucky Christian vs. Wright State Lake (Ohio Christian Classic at Circleville, OH)
4:00 p.m. Berea vs. Virginia Intermont (Zweifl Classic at Wilmore, KY)
6:00 p.m. Cumberlands vs. Cedarville (Rio Grande Classic at Rio Grande, OH)
6:00 p.m. Union College vs. Ivy Tech Comm. College (Joe B. Hall & Denny Crum Classic)
7:00 p.m. Clarion @ Kentucky (Exhibition)
7:00 p.m. Campbellsville vs. University of Michigan-Dearborn (Lindsey Wilson Classic)
8:00 p.m. Mid-Continent @ Inidana University-Southeast (Joe B. Hall & Denny Crum Classic)
8:00 p.m. St. Catharine @ Asbury (Zweifl Classic at Wilmore, KY)
8:00 p.m. Roberts Wesleyan @ Lindsey Wilson (Lindsey Wilson Classic)

Saturday:

1:00 p.m. Mid-Continent vs. Union College (Joe B. Hall & Denny Crum Classic)
1:00 p.m. Campbellsville vs. Roberts Wesleyan College (Lindsey Wilson Classic)
2:00 p.m. Kentucky Christian vs. Clark State (Ohio Christian Classic at Circleville, OH)
2:00 p.m. St. Catharine vs. Berea (Zweifl Classic at Wilmore, KY)
2:00 p.m. Cumberlands vs. OU-Lancaster (Rio Grande Classic at Rio Grande, OH)
3:00 p.m. Georgetown College @ Mississippi State University (Exhibition)
4:00 p.m. University of Michigan-Dearborn @ Lindsey Wilson (Lindsey Wilson Classic)
6:00 p.m. Virginia Intermont @ Asbury (Zweifl Classic at Wilmore, KY)
7:00 p.m. Kentucky State @ Bellarmine (Exhibition)
7:30 p.m. Northern Kentucky @ Xavier (Exhibition)
8:05 p.m. Kentucky Wesleyan @ Evansville (Exhibition)

Kentucky vs. Clarion: TV, Radio and Online Schedule

From UKAthletics.com:

Information regarding where the Kentucky-Clarion exhibition game will be available on broadcast and cable TV, as well as various options for catching the game online.

Cable TV

FSN-South: 7:00 p.m. ET (Live) Footprint includes the states of Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Broadcast TV/BBSN:

Market Station Time (all times local)

Bowling Green WBKO-CW 9:00 p.m. (delayed)
Evansville WTVW-TV 10:00 p.m. (delayed)
Hazard WYMT-TV 11:35 p.m. (delayed)
Huntington, W.Va. WSAZ-My qZ 11:30 p.m. (delayed)
Hopkinsville WKAG-TV 10:00 p.m. (delayed)
Lexington WKYT-TV 11:35 p.m. (delayed)
Louisville WMYO-TV 11:00 p.m. (delayed)
Paducah, Ky./Cape Girardeau, Mo. WDKA-TV 9:00 p.m. (delayed)

Radio: All UK men's basketball games are carried by the BBSN; check for the affiliate in your area.

Online Coverage:

Live Blog: UK Athletics will be running a live blog throughout the game.

Audio: As always, live audio will be available for free through UK Athletics.

Live Stats: Live stats will be available through Gametracker .

Video: Video from the game will be available to subscribers on Extreme Access on a delayed basis, per SEC rules.

Ex-Cat Chuck Hayes Proves That Size Doesn't Matter

Excerpts of a tremendous article from CHRON.com:

Shane Battier on Hayes:

“Luis Scola and I were talking in the weight room this morning,” Shane Battier said, “and we both agreed Chuck Hayes is our favorite player in the NBA.”

“It's pretty amazing what he does,” Battier said. “He's a huge reason we've been one of the best defensive teams in the league the last few years.”

Carl Landry on Hayes:

“He's the perfect player,” Landry said. “He rebounds, plays defense, takes charges, gets steals. He does the dirty work.”

Luis Scola on Hayes:

“It's a pleasure to play with him,” Scola said. “He plays hard. He does everything a basketball player should do. He's a great teammate.”

Battier on Hayes' listed side of 6-6, 238 pounds:

“And that's being generous,” Battier said.

Why are they talking?

Hayes is averaging 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds. He's out there because of what he gives the Rockets defensively, but when teams ignore him on offense, his teammates have begun to look for him. His 64.7-percent shooting percentage is the NBA's fifth-best. He's seventh in the league with 2.4 steals a game.

Complete Article

My Thoughts: That's the Chuck Hayes I know and love...all he does is win.

C.J. Leslie Cancels Florida Visit

Dave Telep of Scout.com just reported that Kentucky recruit C.J. Leslie has cancelled his visit to Florida that was scheduled for this weekend.

Leslie is a 6-8 forward from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a high school teammate of Kentucky freshman guard John Wall.

Here is the post by Telep on Twitter (article is subscription only):

DaveTelep Florida Will Have McCallum but not CJ Leslie on this weekend http://bit.ly/1xwHiP

Eric Bledsoe is a "Game Time" Decision for Kentucky

According to a report by Andy Katz of ESPN, the Kentucky coaching staff will make a game time decision on whether to play freshman Eric Bledsoe against Clarion.

Bledsoe has a sore ankle that he tweaked in the Campbellsville exhibition.

Here is a Twitter post by Andy Katz:

@ESPNAndyKatz: Kentucky will make a decision Friday night if FR G Eric Bledsoe (ankle) will play against Clarion.

Tobias Harris Journal: Heading to Morgantown

This is a mid-morning update on Tobias Harris, a 6-8 power forward that is one of the top uncommitted 2010 recruits in the country. He is heading to West Virginia for an official visit today as he works to make a decision between: West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Kentucky, Syracuse and Tennessee.

Currently: Tobias is in flight to Morgantown for his West Virginia visit. I just spoke to the 2010 big man and he is tired this morning, but very excited.

"I am flying...Tired right now, but excited to get there and get a last look at the school and program before I make a decision."

I asked him if he is looking for anything in particular with the West Virginia program.

"Not really. With all the visits, I'm just looking to see the school atmosphere and the unity within the team."

I will have some thoughts from Tobias later on how things are going and some other tidbits that will be worth checking out.

Remember to follow Tobias on Twitter

Also, follow AllKYHoops on Twitter

Kentucky Recruit Doron Lamb Leads Oak Hill Academy

Doron Lamb led Oak Hill Academy with 34 points tonight in a convincing 87-62 victory over Winston-Salem Prep. Lamb is a 6-4 guard that ranks #21 on the Rivals150 List for 2010. His list includes Kentucky, Oklahoma, Kansas, Connecticut and Arizona.

Oak Hill head coach Steve Smith posted this on Twitter earlier:

OHACoachSmith Won 87-62 tonight over Winston-Salem Prep! Lamb had 34 and Howard had 32 with 10-3 pointers made! Home games Friday and Saturday at Oak Hill

Former UK Recruit Dakotah Euton Commits to Akron

Excerpt of article from Jody Demling's Blog:

Scott County High School basketball standout Dakotah Euton has made a commitment, picking Akron over Eastern Kentucky University.

The 6-foot-8 Euton, who had originally committed to the University of Kentucky during the Billy Gillispie-era, told The Courier-Journal that he will sign with the Zips this coming week.

"I had pretty much decided, I had it in my mind the last couple of weeks that I wanted to go to Akron," Euton said. "It felt like the right time, so I went ahead and did it. It just felt right."

Complete Article

Murray State Dismantles Bethel in Exhibition

Murray State 93
Bethel 39

Exhibition at Murray State

Racap from MSU:

The Murray State Racers got the 2009-10 season off to a great start Thursday with a 93-39 exhibition victory over the Bethel Wildcats at the Regional Special Events Center.

The Racers played 13 players in the game with five of them getting to double-figures in the scoring column.

Ivan Aska led the way with a game-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Edward Daniel added 13, while 12 points came from Jewuan Long. B.J. Jenkins scored 11, with 10 from Donte Poole.

The Racers started the game with a good run and led 11-0 when Aska had dunk on a fast break after a steal from Isacc Miles.

MSU enjoyed a 42-19 lead at the half.

MSU forced the Wildcats into 27 turnovers in the game while shooting 57 percent from the field on 36-of-63 shooting.

"It was good to get back into the game environment and play a game," MSU head coach Billy Kennedy said. "I liked our energy on the defensive end and we've got some balance. We don't have a guy who can score 20 every night, but we have a bunch of guys who will get you double-figures."

"We have a lot of competition going on in practice," Kennedy said. "Hopefully that is something we can continue to develop because it's only going to make us better. We have talent, depth and experience."

The Racers play their season opener Monday at California in Berkeley, Calif., in a 10 p.m. central time tip on ESPNU.

MSU's home opener is Nov. 14 when they host Missouri-St. Louis at 7 p.m.

Box Score

South Carolina Pulls Away from Kentucky Wesleyan

South Carolina 78
Kentucky Wesleyan 55

Exhibition at Columbia, South Carolina

Kentucky Wesleyan was competitive throughout, but the Gamecocks managed to pull away for the comfortable win in the second half. South Carolina opened with a 38-27 lead after the first half, largely created by 17 points off of 12 first half Wesleyan turnovers.

South Carolina turned up the intensity in the second half to pick up the exhibition victory. Big man Sam Muldrow led South Carolina with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Dominique Archie added 12 points and 8 rebounds. Ramon Galloway chipped in 11 points.

Kentucky Wesleyan was led by Desmond Stephens with 13 points. He was the only Panther to reach double figures for the game.

Shagari Alleyne Drafted by Albuquerque in NBDL Draft

Former Kentucky Wildcat big man Shagari Alleyne has been drafted by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in tonight's NBDL Draft.

The 7-3 Alleyne was the first player taken in round 5 of the draft.

Related News:

- Ex-Northern Kentucky player Carl Mitchell was drafted in round 4 by the Iowa Energy

- Former Louisville Cardinal Reece Gaines was was drafted in the second round by the Bakersfield Jam

- Former Cardinal Perrin Johnson was drafted in round 6 by the Springfield Armor

Complete Draft Board

"New" Calipari Hopes to Create New and Improved Cats

Excerpt of an article by Jerry Tipton on Kentucky.com:

This week, Calipari instituted a curfew, ordered two-a-day practices (the first beginning at 6:15 a.m.) and generally went from counselor at Camp Cal to Parris Island drill sergeant.

"It's a new Coach Cal," freshman DeMarcus Cousins said Thursday. "Intense and focused. It's not the laid-back, chilled Cal no more."

Calipari attributed the change to what he saw in Kentucky's opening exhibition game against Campbellsville. Although UK won, the coach did not like how the players went about it. Fatigue set in, causing the coach to question the team's conditioning. Few took the initiative and drove assertively to the basket, the trigger mechanism for Calipari's dribble-drive offense. Defensive alertness waned.

Calipari likened the situation to a poor scrimmage performance by his Memphis team last year against St. Louis.

"I saw right there the team was not tough enough, not in condition and the attention to detail wasn't there," he said. "When I saw the same thing against Campbellsville, I went to sleep with what I call them blood sweats because I know it's about me. It's not about them. These kids will do what I tell them."

And Calipari told the UK players what he wanted and what they needed.

"I told them we have to get in better condition," he said, "and we have to get tougher."

Complete Article Here

More Charges Against Derrick Miller and Ed Davender

Excerpts of Article from Kentucky.com:

Derrick Miller:

Derrick Miller, 42, of Lexington, was indicted Oct. 29 in Floyd County on a charge of theft by deception. According to the indictment, Miller sold an unidentified woman two 2008-09 men's basketball season tickets for $1,800 "with intent to deprive her thereof, failing to deliver said tickets and knowing that no such tickets would be available for him to sell."

Ed Davender:

Ed Davender's latest charges were filed Tuesday when he was indicted by a Harrison County grand jury on three counts of theft by deception over $300. The indictment says Davender, 43, of Georgetown created a false impression to deprive James Rose of J. Dustin Rose Insurance, Inc. of more than $300.

Complete Article

Ballard's Keiston Jones Commits to Bellarmine

Article from Bluegrass Hoops Report:

Ballard High School senior forward Keisten Jones, considered to be one of the top seniors in the tough 7th region this season, has made his college decision.

The 6-foot-3 Jones chose the Div.-II Bellarmine Knights over scholarship offers from North Carolina A&T and Georgetown College and had also received interest from Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Wright State.

Jones said he chose the Knights because of their pre-season No. 1 ranking in Div.-II, their academic excellence, and the chance to stay home.

Visit Bluegrass Hoops Report

Kentucky Wesleyan to Battle Gamecocks Tonight

Kentucky Wesleyan (2-1) vs. South Carolina (0-0)

Exhibition in Columbia, South Carolina

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
KWU Series: Series is tied 1-1
Television: None
Radio: None
Tickets: Admission is free of charge

Series Information: The Gamecocks and Panthers have met two previous times in regular-season play, both at KWC, with each team collecting one victory. The teams first met during the 1954 season with Carolina stealing a 67-66 win by connecting on a free throw with just seven seconds left on the clock. The Panthers evened the series with an 82-74 win in the last meeting between the two schools in December of 1963. South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn is 2-0 all time against the Panthers, winning twice against KWC during his time as head coach at Western Kentucky.

Complete Game Preview from South Carolina

Eric Bledsoe Will Likely Miss Clarion Game

According to an announcement by UK via Twitter, freshman guard Eric Bledsoe is likely to miss Friday's exhibition game against Clarion.

Here is the message from Twitter:

@UKAthleticsNews: Freshman point guard Eric Bledsoe is likely out for Friday's exhibition game vs. Clarion with a sprained ankle.

Louisville Players Dismiss Off-Court Distractions

Excerpt from an article appearing on NBEBasketball.com:

The topic on everybody’s mind is the off-court issues that occurred in the offseason involving head coach Rick Pitino, extramarital affairs and extortion.

It’s the first thing that comes up when discussing Louisville’s hopes for the upcoming season – unless you’re talking with players on the team.

“It won’t be a distraction,” senior guard Jerry Smith said. “We move forward to the year.”

“Not at all,” added senior Edgar Sosa when asked if it would remain an issue heading into the year. “Coach P is focused on basketball and what’s to come.”

If it doesn’t end up being a distraction for the players on the court, Louisville has a chance to be a pretty solid team this season.

Complete Article

UKCoachCalipari Named to List of Top Sports "Tweets"

Article by M.E. Ward, independent journalist:

If you’re using Twitter (and who isn’t), you’re probably enjoying keeping up with your friends. And, if you’re a sports fan, you may have found some of the tweets that give you sports updates, like Twitter Sports, or even of the really good team Twitters, like the Chicago Bulls official tweets. But, if you want to really use Twitter to get the inside scoop on sports, you should follow some of the athletes and sports insiders who use Twitter on a regular basis. Now, of course, not all of their tweets will be sports related, but if you can get through some of the tweets that are not interesting, you may be the first one of your friends to know some big breaking sports news. Here are the guys and gals you should be following:

1. Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) – USC’s head football coach is a great tweeter to follow if you want to keep abreast of college sports. He’s credited with tweeting the name of the next USC basketball coach before it had been provided to any sports media.
2. Ian Poulter – (@IanJamesPoulter) Golf’s newest sensation is quite a tweeter, and has proven himself to be a golf insider. He says he doesn’t tweet while playing, but don’t be so sure.
3. Shaquille O’Neal – (@THE_REAL_SHAQ) You may not get any insider scoop from Shaq, but he’s fun to follow. He’s known for giveaways and stunts for his followers.
4. Shaun White (@ Shaun_White) – Famous snowboarder and skateboarder is known for twittering while on a snowboard. If you’re interested in the sport of snowboarding or skateboarding, he’s a good one to follow.
5. Bill Simmons –(@sportsguy33) Bill is an ESPN columnist. You may not get any scoop by following him, but you’ll get some great humorous commentary about the goings on in the world of sports.
6. John Heyman – (@SI_John Heyman) Heyman is a sports writer for Sports Illustrated. He tweets about what’s going on in the sports world and what he’s working on next.
7. Hasheem Thabeet – (@HasheemTheDream) You may never have even heard of this guy, but if you like basketball, he’s worth a follow. Thabeet was just drafted into the NBA by the Memphis Grizzlies. He tweets about getting ready for the season. His tweets give insight into the life of a brand new NBA’er.
8. Will Leitch – (@Williamfleitch) Founder of the sports blog Deadspin, Bill now works for New York Magazine, but is still involved with the blog. He tweets a lot of good stuff about sports.
9. John Calipari – (@UKCoachCalipari) Head Coach for the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball. He is a coach on and off the court, his inspirational tweets are not to be missed.

Of course, you’ll certainly find other sports figures and sports writers you’ll want to follow, but these should give you a good start. Twitter is a great way to keep updated on the sports world, and by following some of the insiders in sports, you’ll get a totally different perspective on the world of sports.

M. E. Ward writes about how to get a sports management degree online.

Kentucky Ties to NBDL Draft Tonight

The 2009 NBA Development League Draft will be held tonight at 7:00 p.m. The draft, which will be aired on NBA TV, will feature a pool of two hundred NBA prospects from which teams will make their selections. The pool of players contains several with Kentucky ties:

- Shagari Alleyne Kentucky C 7-3 270

- Reece Gaines Louisville G/F 6-5 210

- Perrin Johnson Louisville SF 6-6 215

- Carl Mitchell Northern Kentucky SF 6-8 225

Source

Bittersweet NBA News for Kentucky Wildcat Fans

The good news:

Chuck Hayes continues to defy the odds for the Houston Rockets. At only 6-6, Hayes is playing the center position for the Rockets and doing an excellent job, particularly on the defensive end. On the season, he is averaging a very respectable 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per outing.

Last night, he put in a huge double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in a 103-102 loss to the Lakers.

Hayes is living proof of the old cliche: "you get back what you put out."

Source: ESPN.com

The bad news:

Tayshaun Prince sat out as a precautionary measure following a back injury breaking his streak of 496 consecutive games played.

Now, there are rumors circulating that Price is being shopped around as trade bait by the Pistons.

Source

Joe Crawford Will Return to L.A. D-fenders of the NBDL

Former Kentucky Wildcat Joe Crawford will apparently return to the NBDL's Los Angeles D-Fenders after being waived by the New York Knicks.

Here is an excerpt of an article from NBA.com:

Three players that will highlight the D-Fenders 2009-10 training camp are Joe Crawford, Gabe Pruitt and Michael Fey. Joe Crawford, a four year contributor at Kentucky, was the Lakers second round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, scored double figures in 42 D-Fenders games in the 08-09 season. Crawford was called up to the New York Knicks in March 2009 and participated in their 2009 training camp.

Complete Article from NBA.com

Ex-Cat Gerald Fitch Named MVP for October in Spain

Former Kentucky Wildcat shooting guard Gerald Fitch had an outstanding month in Spain's ACB League. As a reward, he was named the league's MVP for October.

Fitch, who led Fuenlabrada to a 4-1 record during the month, tallied 25 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game during October. After one month, he leads the league in scoring, more than 5 points per game better than second-ranked Juan Navarro.

In his last game of the month, Fitch blew up for 41 points and 6 rebounds in leading Fuenlabrada to a 90-82 victory over Alicante. Fitch nailed 7-9 from the 3-point line.

Tobias Harris Journal: 15 Days and Counting

November 4, 2009

Tobias Harris is now 15 days away from announcing his college choice to the world.

Today, like most weekdays, was a tough workout day for the big man.


Today's Timeline:

5:00 a.m. Tobias' wakeup time today; shortly after waking up, he met teammate Chris Cox for an early-morning 2-mile run

7:00 a.m. After showering and dressing, it was time for school

1:00 p.m. During 9th period (P.E.), Tobias managed to get a 40-minute workout in with an assistant coach; Coach Henep helped with shooting practice and drills to help create offensive space

2:00-5:00 p.m. Tobias took a timeout for a well-deserved nap

5:00 p.m. After regrouping, it was time for another workout; this time with speed coach Britton Kelly; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are used for speed training; Tuesdays and Thursdays are weight-training days; Today was a speed workout

8:00-10:00 p.m. After a short break, Tobias returned to the gym for another workout

After the nightcap workout, Tobias normally unwinds.

A few Tobias notes:

- He is leaving Friday for his visit to West Virginia (the visit will last 48 hours)

- Follow Tobias Harris on Twitter - he Tweets often

- My first observation is: the school that lands this kid is getting a young man with an incredible work ethic; he will be a coach's dream in that regard

Fun Fact of the Day:

- Tobias' favorite music right now is No Ceilings by Lil Wayne...

What to Expect Tomorrow?

- A full day of workouts, beginning with another 2-mile run at 5:00 a.m.

15 Days and Counting:

West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Louisville, Maryland, Kentucky, or Tennessee?

Louisville Impressive in Win Over Bellarmine

Louisville 88
Bellarmine 65

Exhibition in Louisville

Excerpt of Game Recap from Louisville:

Sophomore forward Samardo Samuels knotched a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Preston Knowles added 15 as the Louisville Cardinals earned an 88-65 exhibition win over Bellarmine University on Wednesday night at Freedom Hall. Justin Benedetti led the Knights with 21 points.

The Cardinals started the game on a 7-0 run. Benedetti hit a 3-pointer before the Cardinals went on another 5-0 run to take a 12-3 lead at the 15:33 mark. The Knights cut the lead to five after another Benedetti 3-pointer, keeping the game in reach until the Cards went on 7-0 run to take a 24-11 lead at the 10:43 mark. Bellarmine cut the lead to eight with a 3-pointer from Benedetti with 9:27 remaining in the half but the Cardinals pulled away for a 43-30 lead at the break.

Edgar Sosa finished with 12 points in the half for the Cards while Benedetti finished with 13 for the Knights. Louisville finished the first half shooting 53.1 percent while Bellarmine finished shooting 34.5 percent. The Cardinals outrebounded the Knights 24-14 in the half.

Complete Game Recap

Box Score

Media Day at Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky University men's basketball conducted its annual media day on Wednesday afternoon at E.A. Diddle Arena. Several members of the media met with head coach Ken McDonald as well as returning players A.J. Slaughter and Sergio Kerusch along with newcomer Jordan Swing. Audio clips are available of both Coach McDonald and the players by downloading them from the links above.

WKU will host Xavier (La.) in an exhibition game on November 10 before traveling to Baton Rouge, La. to face Wisconsin-Milwaukee on November 16 in the opening round of the 25th Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off.

Some Audio from the Event:

AUDIO: McDonald at Media Day

Coach McDonald at WKU Media Day (Nov. 3)

AUDIO: Players at Media Day

Jordan Swing, AJ Slaughter, and Sergio Kerusch at WKU Media Day (Nov. 3)

Mid-Continent Opens Season with a Bang

Mid-Continent 105
Missouri Baptist 78

Final from Mayfield

Four Cougar reserves scored in double figures as Mid-Continent University opened its 2009-10 season with a 105-78 victory over Missouri Baptist University (0-2), November 3, at the Mayfield High School Sports Arena. MCU's bench accounted for 76 points and 25 rebounds in the game. Coming off a 15-15 season in 2008-09, MCU began this season with a victory for the first time since the 2006 season that the Cougars won their season opener.

Next, the Cougars take on host Indiana University-Southeast, the number 10 ranked team in the NAIA Division II, Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:00 p.m. Central time, and Union College from Barbourville, Kentucky, Saturday, Nov. 7, at 12:00 noon at the Joe B. Hall/Denny Crum Classic in New Albany, Indiana.

Complete Game Recap from Mid-Continent

KCU Slides Past ALC in Great Game

Kentucky Christian 75
Alice Lloyd 73

Final from Pippa Passes

Game Recap from KCU:

The 2009-2010 season tipped off last night as the KCU Knights traveled to Alice Lloyd College. The Knights jumped out to an early lead, and held off a late Alice Lloyd run to win 75-73.

"This is a great, quality win for our program" commented coach Corey Mullins. "Alice Lloyd is one of the toughest places to play in the NAIA, and I am proud of how we fought as a team down the stretch. There were certainly stretches where we looked mentally and physically fatigued, but we answered in the end."

Junior guard Casey Jones led all scorers with 25 points. Eric McKee got the scoring started early and finished with 16. Svetomir Ilic also scored 13 points.

The Knights hed to Ohio Christian University on Friday and Saturday to play Wright State- Lake, and Clark State in the OCU tip off classic.

Morehead State Easily Defeats Cedarville in Exhibition

Morehead State 90
Cedarville 58

Exhibition at Johnson Arena in Morehead

Game Recap from Morehead State:

Morehead State men’s basketball opened the 2009-2010 exhibition season with a decisive 90-58 win over Cedarville Wednesday evening at Johnson arena in front of 2,012 fans.

Three MSU players tallied double figure scoring and junior Kenneth Faried finished with a double-double to lead the Eagles. Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall got a look at 13 of his 16 players Wednesday, 12 of which scored.

“We did some good things tonight, but we also have some work to do on both ends of the floor,” Tyndall said. “I was happy that we came out ready to play tonight.”

The Yellow Jackets hung with MSU for the first 11 minutes of the first half, but an 11-2 Eagle run, punctuated by a pair of threes from senior Maze Stallworth, opened up the home lead to 11.

MSU held Cedarville to just five points in the final six minutes of the half, two on free throws by junior Matt Harner and three on a late 3-pointer by senior Brandon Sok. Stallworth scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the first half on four triples to give MSU a 45-24 lead at the intermission.

Stallworth hit his fifth 3-pointer just 17 seconds into the second half and sophomore Terrance Hill followed with a 3-pointer 23 seconds later to push the MSU advantage to 27. Cedarville cut the lead to 24 five times in the second half, but did not get any closer.

Faried had two spectacular dunks en route to 14 points. He also had a game-high 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Hill finished with 13 points while junior Demonte Harper and sophomore Ty Proffitt also dished out five assists each. Senior Brandon Shingles and junior Sam Goodman each joined Faried with two steals.

Cedarville senior Ricardo Alliman had 18 points to lead all scorers. He was 6-of-8 from the field and nearly perfect from the line at 6-of-7. Alliman also had five rebounds for CU. Sok tallied 10 points for the Yellow Jackets and junior Derrick Hannon had three assists.

“Cedarville is a good, well-coached team,” Tyndall said. “They are coming off of a 27-win season and they did some things tonight that really tested us.”

Morehead State will host Asbury on Nov. 9 in its second exhibition at Johnson Arena at 7 p.m. The Eagles open the regular season at Kentucky on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. That game will be televised live on ESPNU.

Legendary Coach Bill Mike Runyon Declares Candidacy

Legendary 15th Region head coach Bill Mike Runyon has officially announced his intentions to run for the position of Kentucky State Representative. Coach Runyon led Paintsville to the KHSAA state championship in 1996 and put up Hall of Fame numbers before retiring.

I recently spoke to Mr. Runyon about his career and his transition to state politics:

Coach Runyon, it is an honor to talk to you tonight. As a high school player for Magoffin County, I have to admit that you were the ultimate rival coach on the hardwood and some of those games are memories I will never forget. Out of that rivalry however, I can say that I have grown the highest level of respect for what you have given to the game of basketball and Eastern Kentucky. Can you reflect a little on your coaching career and the things that you were able to accomplish at a small Eastern Kentucky school in Paintsville?

Looking back I wouldn’t change a lot. I enjoyed coaching every player I coached. I do feel guilty we didn’t give Paintsville at least one more state championship.

You were able to take Paintsville to the Sweet Sixteen several times and you walked away in 1996 with the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen state championship. What did it mean to you to get that state title?

It obviously means something to me, but the fact is I wanted it more for Paintsville High School and the community of Paintsville.

I contacted you tonight because you are preparing to make the transition from Coach Bill Mike Runyon to Bill Mike Runyon the State Representative candidate. You have retired from coaching and teaching. What has motivated you to enter a political race at this point in your life?

When you teach and coach you do so to make a difference in the student’s and player’s future; the motivation now is to do the same for Eastern Kentucky and the Commonwealth

I understand that you are currently serving on the Paintsville City Council. Tell me a little about that position and how it has prepared you for a jump to a state-level political office.

I realize that state government is larger than local government, but preparation for the jump is simple. People have needs that must be understood. They simply want a better quality of life.

You are hoping to become the State Representative in the 97th District, which consists of Johnson, Martin, and parts of Floyd and Pike County. What are some of the things you have noticed in these counties that you would like to address as the area’s Representative?

The coal industry; the loss of jobs in Eastern Kentucky; the lack of quality roads; seeing to it that our school systems get what they need to provide a proper education.

Let’s imagine you are speaking directly to the voters of the 97th District for a moment. Tell the voters, in Bill Mike Runyon’s words, why you are the best candidate to represent these citizens at the state level.

I believe the government should work for the people, not the other way around. I will fight for their needs. I have some fresh new ideas to improve their quality of life.

Bill Mike, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to speak with me tonight. I want to congratulate you for all that you’ve done for the town of Paintsville and Eastern Kentucky and I wish you nothing but the best in your political endeavors.

Thank You, “Don’t let us forget that the government should work for the people.”

AllKYHoops All Access: Tobias Harris Recruiting Journal

I had a great conversation with superstar 2010 big man Tobias Harris last night. Harris is a 6-8 power forward from Brookville, New York. He is considered the top-rated power forward in the class and is ranked as the #5 overall recruit on the Rivals150 List for 2010.

Rivals describes Harris simply as the, “best scoring four man in the class.”

ESPN states, “Harris had as good of a spring and summer as any player in the country.”

Tobias is one of the hottest targets on the recruiting market right now. His impressive final list of schools includes Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Syracuse and Maryland. He has stated publicly that his decision will be announced on Thursday, November 19.

I found in researching Harris that he is widely considered a superstar off the court, as well. Here are a few comments I picked up from a wide array of observers ranging from college coaches to well-respected recruiting analysts:

- “You won’t find a nicer kid than Tobias.”
- “Make contact with him. He is very approachable.”
- “Harris is just a great young man.”
- “He (Harris) is the kind of kid that every coach would want.”

I gave Tobias a call last night and it was refreshing to converse with such a nice, well-mannered kid. I feel that he is the type of recruit that young players around the country should strive to be and I expressed an interest to him in using his story as an example.

Tobias and I have decided to journal the last two weeks of his recruitment leading up to his big announcement. We had an in-depth conversation about his situation to this point and every day or so, Tobias will take us into the recruiting process from his point-of-view. He is going to allow the readers an opportunity to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of high-major college basketball recruiting through the eyes of a top 5 recruit.

The fact that high school stars are making a life-altering decision is often forgotten in the world of recruiting. Onlookers, particularly fans, have a tendency to focus on the teams and their futures without giving consideration to the recruits, which are normally 16-18 year-old kids. Tobias is going to give us a rare all-access pass to see what high-major recruiting is like on the other side of the process.

At this point, Tobias openly states, “I am still wide open and have no favorites.”

He has taken visits to Syracuse, Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisville. This coming weekend, he will visit West Virginia. After that, he will take a visit to Maryland and in two weeks, he will take his final visit to Georgia Tech.

In catching up, he gave me some quick thoughts on each visit to this point:

Syracuse: “Syracuse was a great time. Everything was nice. The facilities were great.”

Tennessee: “I really enjoyed hanging with the team. They were a great group of guys. I loved the family atmosphere there.”

Kentucky: “The visit went great. I went to Big Blue Madness, which was really fun. It was a great atmosphere.”

Louisville: “I had a great time with the guys. I was really able to bond with the guys and I got to know Coach P.”

I asked Tobias to give me his thoughts on the recruiting process in general, particularly as he inches closer to a final decision.

He explained, “It gets very tiring but it is necessary to find the best opportunity for me. I am looking for the school that will be the best for me.”

What will it be like when Tobias finally makes that decision and signs a Letter of Intent?

“I’ll be very happy and it’ll be great to be able to focus on other things.”

Tobias and I will be sharing the next 15 days of his story to give readers an idea of what the recruiting process is like and to illustrate that Tobias is just a good kid in general.

Follow AllKYHoops.com on Twitter to receive the daily updates.

Image: Newsday.com

Upset Alert? Previewing Bellarmine vs. Louisville

Louisville vs. Bellarmine

Exhibition Game at Louisville

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 3
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Site: Crum Court / Freedom Hall (18,865), Louisville, Ky. (UofL 669-137 all-time in Freedom Hall)
TV: WHAS (Ch. 11 in Louisville) will televise the game with Drew Deener (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst)
Radio: WKRD (790 AM, 101.7 FM) with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay (analyst)
SIRIUS: Game not available on SIRIUS radio
Series History: U of L leads 12-0 all-time
Last Meeting: U of L 76, Bellarmine 64 (Dec. 10, 2006 in Freedom Hall)
Officials: J.D. Collins, Todd Williams, Chris Beaver
Summary: Bellarmine, who is ranked as high as #1 in the nation in NCAA DII preseason polls, will travel to Louisville for an exhibition against the Cardinals. Louisville is coming off a competitive game against Georgetown College and hopes to see improvement tonight. Bellarmine hopes to pull a LeMoyne (against Syracuse) and create a buzz around the country.

Game Preview from Louisville

St. Catharine Opens Season at Home Tonight

St. Catharine (NAIA DI) vs. Northwestern Ohio (NAIA DII)

Location: St. Catharine, KY
Facility: Lourdes Hall
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Summary: The Patriots and head coach J.T. Burton open the season against a physical Northwestern Ohio team.

St. Catharine Projected Starters:

G - Adam Decker 5'10 Freshman Louisville, KY
G - Kris Caufield 6'1 Junior Louisville, KY
F - Brandon Johnson 6'3 Sophomore Radcliff, KY
F - Kevin Owens 6'3 Senior Louisville, KY
C - Ervin Williams 6'9 Junior Orange, NJ

Scouting Northwestern Ohio:

- They are a very physical team

- Kyle Gillette (pictured) is a low-major post player and is as tough and strong as anyone the Patriots will see all season

- Expect a physical game that comes down to execution

- Should be a battle in the paint between Gillette and 6-9 Ervin Williams

- NW Ohio defeated Brescia 61-58 last night (Game Recap)

Update on Western Kentucky Recruit Kene Anyigbo

I had a nice conversation tonight with Kene Anyigbo tonight about basketball and his recruiting process. Anyigbo is a 6-6 power forward from Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas.

I asked Kene to tell me a little about his basketball skill-set and what he has been working on this summer.

He replied, "I've been working on ball handling and facing up. Also on using my jump shot a little bit. I'll still be using my muscle to get hustle points, rebounds and put backs."

Anyigbo has picked up scholarship offers from Western Kentucky, Memphis and Houston. He visited Western Kentucky several weeks ago and plans to visit Houston this weekend. He plans to visit Memphis later.

I asked him how his Western Kentucky visit was.

"I would like to say that Western Kentucky is a nice university to be at."

He added that he has a positive feeling about all three schools on his final list.

"I really like all the schools that are looking at me. I have a great feel for all three. I will be entering the decision-making process soon with my mom and Godfather."

Kene plans to announce his decision during the week before the fall signing period and he will then sign with the school he chooses.

When asked how he will feel once that decision is made and the Letter of Intent is finally signed, Kene said, "It's going to be a relief. It is going to be boring though once I sign and everyone stops calling."

Anyigbo's Rivals.com Profile

Image: Rivals.com

Follow AllKYHoops.com on Twitter

Here is a YouTube video of Anyigbo in action:

NW Ohio Defeats Brescia in Close Game

University of Northwestern Ohio 61
Brescia University 58

Final from Owensboro

Game Recap from Brescia.edu:

The Brescia University men's basketball team hosted University of Northwestern Ohio on Tuesday night in the Campus Center. The Bearcats came up just short in a 61-58 loss.

The game was a physical game that went back and forth for most of the first half with the Racers leading 31-25. In the second half UNOH pushed a lead to double digits, but BU would fight back and fall just short. With just :24 seconds left in the game BU would get two chances from behind the arc falling just short on both.

Leading the way for the Bearcats was freshman Andrea Sharp with 24 points 5 rebounds. Andrew Howard had a strong performance with 16 points and 6 rebounds.

For the Racers Kyle Gillette led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Vorst had 16 points and 6 rebounds.

The Bearcats will next be in action on November 10, at Freed Hardeman.

Box Score

SEC Preseason Awards are Announced

A list of the 2010 SEC Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason All-SEC team follows.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC

Devan Downey, South Carolina# G 5-9 175 Sr. Chester, S.C.
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU# F 6-7 235 Sr. Denham Springs, La.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt C 6-11 250 Jr. Sydney, Australia
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky# F 6-9 235 Jr. Huntington, W.Va.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee# G/F 6-7 215 Sr. Pulaski, Tenn.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State# F 6-9 230 Sr. Brownsville, Tenn.
Michael Washington, Arkansas F 6-9 239 Sr. McGehee, Ark.
Terrico White, Ole Miss# G 6-5 211 So. Memphis, Tenn.

SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC

Dominique Archie, South Carolina F 6-7 200 Sr. Augusta, Ga.
Wayne Chism, Tennessee F/C 6-9 246 Sr. Jackson, Tenn.
JaMychal Green, Alabama F 6-9 220 So. Montgomery, Ala.
DeWayne Reed, Auburn G 6-1 175 Sr. Houston, Texas
Trey Thompkins, Georgia F 6-10 247 So. Lithonia, Ga.
Alex Tyus, Florida F 6-8 220 Jr. St. Louis, Mo.
John Wall, Kentucky G 6-4 195 Fr. Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Warren, Ole Miss G 5-10 165 Jr. Orlando, Fla.

#-Unanimous Selection
Ties are not broken

Source: UKAthletics.com

Northern Kentucky Preparing for Xavier

NKU (24-7 last season) at Xavier (27-8 last season), 7:30 p.m.

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio – Cintas Center (10,250)
Radio/Internet: WIOK (107.5 FM) & www.nkunorse.com
Series Record: XU leads, 3-2 (regular season)
Last Regular-Season Meeting: NKU 63, XU 61 (ot) (1-6-79)
NOTE: Xaiver is 2-0 against NKU in exhibition games

My Thoughts: Northern Kentucky has a very talented NCAA DII team this season. Xavier is very solid, but they better be ready to play against the Norse. I look for Xavier to pull out the victory, but it will not be easy.

I'll call this one an "upset alert" for the Musketeers.

Complete Game Preview from NKUNorse.com

Update on 2010 Kentucky Recruit Jelan Kendrick

Dave Telep of Scout.com posted earlier today that 2010 Kentucky recruit Jelan Kendrick will likely wait until the spring to sign a Letter of Intent. Kendrick, a 6-6 forward, is the #8 player on the Rivals150 List.

Kendrick visited Indiana this past weekend and it was announced late today that he will visit Anthony Grant and Alabama this coming weekend.

He has offers from an impressive list of high-major schools from around the country.

Link to Telep's Update (Subscription Required)

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Ex-Wildcat Allen Edwards Discusses Towson Basketball

There is an interesting interview with former Kentucky Wildcat Allen Edwards on the Towson University Men's Basketball site.

The video cannot be embedded, so you will need to visit the site and click play on the media player.

It is worth the trouble

My Interview With Edwards

Austin Rivers: "I just don't want to go to Kentucky"

Austin Rivers, a 6-3 guard and the son of Boston Celtics' head coach Doc Rivers, has told the Orlando Sentinel that he has no interest in going to Kentucky.

"I'm not feeling Kentucky," Rivers said. "I have a really good feeling right now about Florida and Duke, but I just don't want to go to Kentucky. Nothing against them. Great program, great coach. It's just not for me."

Rivers is ranked #8 on the Rivals150 List for 2011. He is currently committed to Florida, but has been wavering slightly and is not also considering Duke.

Article from OrlandoSentinel.com

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2010 Star Tobias Harris Enjoys Louisville Visit

Tobias Harris, one of the top uncommitted players remaining in the 2010 Class has stated that he had a nice visit to Louisville over the weekend.

Harris, a 6-8 forward, is ranked #5 on the Rivals150 List for 2010. He is a primary target for Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Syracuse, Tennessee and West Virginia. Harris has stated that he will announce his college decision on November 19th.

Tobias spoke with NBEBasketball.com about his Louisville visit. Here is an excerpt:

“The visit went very well,” says Harris, “and I got a chance to get a great feel for the school and the guys on the team. I really enjoyed it.”

Part of the trip was spent watching the Louisville team run through a few practices and observing Rick Pitino work with his team. “The guys go hard,” says Harris, “they really get after it.”

Harris said that Pitino is a “great coach who gets the best out of his guys.”

There has been speculation that he is possibly a Syracuse lean, but there are no indications that is true. He has stated that he really enjoyed Kentucky and Louisville and one figures that West Virginia will put on a full-court press after they lost Adreian Payne to Michigan State (I heard they are printing flyers, organizing an Air Force fly-over and planting anonymous hot girls all over Morgantown in an attempt to sway Harris into becoming a Mountaineer). I would guess that he is still pretty wide open.

Harris commented on his Louisville visit via Twitter this morning:

"On my way home ... Had a great vist in Louisville"

Breaking: Brandan Kearney to Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans have taken another Kentucky recruit off the board. They have earned a commitment from 6-5 guard Brandan Kearney, according to Scout.com.

Kearney, who ranks #90 on the Rivals150 List, is a 2011 kid that has been climbing the recruiting charts after a great summer. Dustin Rumbaugh of Kentucky Sports Radio reports that Kearney had gained the interest of Kentucky, but he has decided to go to the home-state Spartans.

He also had offers from Florida International, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State.

UK/Campbellsville Quotes, Analysis and More

I represented AllKYHoops.com at Rupp Arena last night and offered live coverage from the game. Here are a few notes I made and some quotes that were made during the post-game coverage:

Basketball Analysis:

Kentucky

- The Cats are loaded with talent, but they obviously looked like a team that has only been practicing seriously for only 12 days
- On offense, UK had some spacing issues that limited driving lanes and really hampered the DDM offense; Calipari stated several times after the game that he is having trouble getting the wings to go wide and create spacing and gaps
- Kudos to Mark Krebs and Perry Stevenson; they came in and demonstrated senior leadership by doing what they were supposed to do
- I am impressed and frankly a little surprised at the offensive arsenal of Darnell Dodson; he was relatively unknown coming from Miami Dade, but he has the total offensive package and all the moves to score the ball; he is still taking a few forced shots and bad looks, but he is a key to the season
- Kentucky was 3-12 from the 3-point line; this will be a concern until they start shooting a little more consistently
- Eric Bledsoe is a very talented player; he is quick, explosive and powerful; he was definitely the best guard on the floor last night
- DeMarcus Cousins is a force in the paint - on both ends; he has the potential to be an all-SEC big man; he is like the player that will carry an injured puppy across the street off the court, but knock three of your teeth out with an elbow on the court
- Keep in mind that UK played without John Wall, who is arguably the most talented freshman in the country
- Patrick Patterson appears much quicker and more explosive this season
- Hood is going to be a fan-favorite; you can hear a little buzz in the crowd every time he does something positive
- DeAndre Liggins was the only Wildcat that did not play; Calipari didn't directly answer the question as to why, but he alluded to Liggins' play in practice

Campbellsville

- The Tigers are going to be a really good Mid-South team; they were overwhelmed by Kentucky's size and length, but they are not a bad team
- Campbellsville had a bunch of open shots that they just didn't knock down; they shot 12% in the first half and 21.1 % for the game; if they knock some of those open looks down, UK fans would be in meltdown mode this morning
- Nestor Colmenares is a much better player than he showed against UK; the rest of the NAIA should dread seeing Colmenares this season
- Shawn Savage stood out as a nice 3-point shooter; I jotted in my notes that there is a reason he wears the #3
- Colmenares, Jordan Benock and Leon Hart were a combined 2-22 from the field which is directly attributed to UK's size in the paint
- The Tigers picked up 14 offensive rebounds in the game; their guards out-hustled UK's guards on long rebounds

Post-Game Press Conference Quotables:

Keith Adkins, Campbellsville head coach:

On the overall game:

"...really just never able to get any momentum."

On Nestor Colmenares:

"Nestor Colmenares is an absolute beast at our level."

On UK:

"We keep them in the mid-30's at halftime. I'll take that."

On his team:

"I was proud of our effort."

On Eric Bledsoe:

"He is extremely fast, extremely physical...strong."

John Calipari, Kentucky head coach:

On the overall game:

"If they had 58 possessions, we guarded about 10 of them the way we wanted. We had a problem with the other 48."

"We're twelve days in and we're just not ready."

On Perry Stevenson:

"I was really happy for Perry Stevenson."

On Eric Bledsoe:

"He played ok...probably played him to many minutes."

On Patrick Patterson:

"Patrick's got to take more shots."

On Patterson being named preseason All-America:

"That's terrific. What a great kid."

"What a great teammate this guy is."

On his first game at Rupp Arena:

"You know, it was neat to walk into an exhibition game and look up in the rafters, and it's packed. I was, like, stunned."

"Then I look up with six minutes to go, and we have 53 points. A running, pressing team!"

On knowing when the DDM is working:

"When we average about 16-17 assists and 12 turnovers."

A joke to Jerry Tipton:

"What did I say Jerry, your article would be 'dribble-drive this?'"

Listen to Calipari's Entire Postgame Press Conference (via John Clay)

A Couple of Things that I Consider "Cool":

- I bumped into UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart at halftime; I wasn't sure what to expect, but he said, "How are you doing?"; My first impression of Mr. Barnhart was a very good one

- I listened in on a great basketball conversation between Kenny "Sky" Walker, former UK coach Joe B. Hall and a couple of other guys in the media room. Does it get any better than that?

- Kentucky's pregame intro's are very nice this season

- I rode in the media elevator with "Scratch" the UK mascot; if you have always wondered if that's a boy or girl in the suit, I have the answer - it's a man baaaby!

- I met the great Alan Cutler after the game; My first impression of Cutler is that he is a very nice guy

- I met Matt May of The Cat's Pause before the game

- Tony Delk and Scott Padgett enjoying a laugh as they headed back out to the court following the halftime break

- John Wall cheering intently for his teammates; my impression of Wall - great kid and he REALLY wants to be on the court soon

- I met Campbellsville head coach Keith Adkins after the game; he was very nice and I look forward to covering the Tigers as the season progresses

UK Gets Lesson in DDM 101 Against Campbellsville

Kentucky 74
Campbellsville 38

Exhibition at Rupp Arena

"If they had 58 possessions, we guarded about 10 of them the way we wanted," was John Calipari's response to how Kentucky played. "We had a problem with the other 48."

Kentucky cruised to a 74-38 victory over in-state NAIA foe Campbellsville last night, but it was evident that the Cats have a ways to go.

Calipari pointed out that it is still very early. "We're just twelve days in and we're not ready," explained the UK coach.

Campbellsville, on the other hand, has been preparing for the Kentucky game for weeks. Tigers' head coach Keith Adkins pointed out after the game that NAIA schools are not under the same regulations for practice and his team has been practicing for several weeks.

Kentucky took a commanding 36-11 lead into the halftime lockerroom after holding the Tigers to 12.0% (3-25) shooting in the first half. Campbellsville showed some impressive gritty play in the second half and forced Kentucky into some sloppy play. The Cats pulled away during the last segment of the game, but the first 16 minutes of the second half were basically even on the scoreboard.

Darnell Dodson led Kentucky with a game-high 19 points on 7-14 shooting. He was 2-6 from the 3-point line and added 6 rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins was a force down low in adding 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Perry Stevenson came off the bench to contribute 11 points in only 6 minutes of action.

"I was really happy for Perry Stevenson," Calipari stated.

In fact, Calipari explained after the game that Stevenson and Mark Krebs were the only two Wildcats that were running the offense effectively. He added that Stevenson did not play in the first half because he had not earned the playing time in practice. After his performance in the game, Calipari stated that Stevenson will likely "break into the rotation."

Campbellsville was led in scoring by Joe Robinson and Shawn Savage with 9 points apiece. The Tigers were overwhelmed by Kentucky's size, length and athleticism but they had a respectable performance and proved that they will be a nice team at the NAIA level.

This was Kentucky's 13th consecutive exhibition victory and they are 42-4 all-time in such games. The Rupp Arena attendance was 21,384.

Kentucky returns to action Friday when they play an exhibition against Clarion at Rupp Arena. The game will be televised at 7 p.m. by Fox Sports South.

Kentucky vs. Campbellsville - Postgame Pictures