Perry Ellis Names a Top 4; Kentucky in the Mix

Perry Ellis, who ranks No. 19 overall on the Rivals.com list for 2012, has named a top four.

According to ZagsBlog.com, Ellis' top four consists of Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Kansas State.

Source

Photo: Rivals.com

Kentucky All-Stars Win Battle of the Bridges Classic

The Kentucky All-Stars rallied to take down Indiana 94-89 in the 14th annual Battle of the Bridges Basketball Classic on Saturday night.

Trailing by 12 points in the second half, Kentucky exploded for a quick 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 70-68. The game was tight for several minutes but Kentucky managed to take an 86-81 lead and never looked back.

Here is an excerpt from Newsandtribune.com:

Whaley registered a game-high 25 points. The Jeff senior-to-be made Battle of the Bridges history by becoming the first player to win the Indiana most valuable player award in back-to-back years.

Beam ended up with 11 points and Rock Creek Community Academy guard Keontez Malone tallied 10 for Indiana.

The Hoosiers struggled handling the ball, committing 31 turnovers. Twenty of the miscues came in the second half.

Fern Creek High School’s O’Brien Hobbs led Kentucky with 19 points. Ross scored 18 to earn Kentucky MVP honors for the second consecutive year. Foster scored 15, with 13 of his points coming in the second half. Teammate Montez Buford had 10.

Complete Article

Archie Goodwin Preparing to Cut List, UK Likely in Top 5

Archie Goodwin is preparing to cut his list and start thinking about visits. The 2012 star told ZagsBlog.com that Kentucky is recruiting him hard and he expects the Wildcats and Arkansas to be in his final five.

Here is an excerpt:

“I have 10 right now, but within the next week or two I’ll have my five to where I’ll take my visits,” he said by phone.

Goodwin’s list “in no particular order ” currently includes Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis, Texas, UConn, Georgetown, Tennessee and Missouri.

Goodwin said Arkansas and Kentucky would “probably most definitely” be among his final five.

“But other than those two, the others are probably wide open,” he said. “But I’m still giving everybody a fair chance, no matter what.”

He said “Kentucky’s recruiting me very hard.”

Complete Article

Photo: Rivals.com

Marquis Teague Impressive, Drummond Decision Soon

According to NBADraft.net, Marquis Teague has been the most impressive college guard at the adidas Nations global experience.

The site also praises Ryan Harrow and says Andre Drummond will make a decision on his future soon.

Here is an excerpt:

Marquis Teague has been the best college guard by a long shot. He's shown the ability to find teammates on the break, he handles the ball on a string, and his strength allows him to finish in the paint. At times he got a little erratic going for flashy plays and making turnovers but displayed some solid playmaking skills for others, which seems to be the biggest debate over his long term potential.

Ryan Harrow impressed today with his passing ability. He plays a little too flashy, something that two years at Kentucky under Calipari will help to tone down, but he has elite level quickness. He's in a good spot being able to compete with Marquis Teague in practice every day and he'll look to grab a first round spot in the 2013 draft. The biggest thing he needs to add is strength as he gets pushed around and struggles to finish at his current weight. He's definitely one of the most intriguing prospects here.

Andre Drummond confirmed that he will be making a decision on his future on August 10th. Drummond continues to impress with another monster game helping the 2012 Red Team to victory with 20 and 12 vs the latin American team. He also converted a jaw dropping play where he spun baseline and found himself behind the basket arching the ball over the backboard and the shot went in. He seems to like to go for the highlight play a little too often, but you can't say he's not fun to watch. Make sure to catch Drummond in action on CBS Sports Network on Monday.

Complete Article

Television Not Ruled Out for Dominican vs. Pros Games

According to Larry Vaught of Kentucky Sports Report, there is still a chance for television coverage of the upcoming Dominican Republic vs. Kentucky Pros exhibition games.

Here is an excerpt:

While there’s still no official indication there will be any type of live television for the exhibition game between the Dominican Republic national team coached by John Calipari and the team of ex-Kentucky players now playing in the NBA, there is still a possibility the Aug. 15 game in Rupp Arena might be televised.

Obviously, there can be no UK?TV Network for this game — can you imagine how the NCAA would react to that when former UK coach Joe B. Hall cannot even be the honorary coach for the Dominican team because of NCAA restrictions.

However, that does not mean there might not be a way for Gray Television (WKYT, WYMT, WBKO) to still produce and televise the game based on conversations with several sources familiar with what would have to fall in place for that to happen.

“There are still a lot of hurdles to clear,” said one source.

Complete Article

John Pelphrey Talks About Taking a Step Back

Former University of Kentucky star John Pelphrey is taking a step back this season to help advance his career in the future.

Pelphrey was fired as head coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks and has elected to take an assistant's position under Billy Donovan at Florida.

He spoke to the Lexington Herald-Leader about the "step back":

Being back with Billy D. is a safe harbor at the end of a rocky voyage for Pelphrey.

"Other than my father, Billy has been the most important male figure in my life," Pelphrey says.

They certainly have history. During most of Pelphrey's time as a Wildcats player, Donovan was an assistant to Rick Pitino at Kentucky. Back in the day, Pelphrey used to spend hours in Donovan's office watching game film.

After Donovan became the youthful head coach at Marshall in 1994, he hired Pelphrey to his staff. When Billy D. moved to Florida in '96, he took Pel with him. In that first go-around, Pelphrey served as a Florida assistant until 2002, when he left to launch his own head coaching career at South Alabama.

"There is no other place I would have gone to be an assistant," Pelphrey says of Florida.

Complete Article

Murray State Collects Second Win in Canada

Murray State 76
A-Game Hoops 60

Exhibition Final from Toronto, Ontario

The Murray State men's basketball team won their second straight game Sunday on their exhibition tour of the Toronto, Ontario metro area with a 76-60 win over A-Game Hoops at The Hershey Center Complex in Missisaauga.

“Our guys played hard and gave great effort,” MSU Head Coach Steve Prohm said. “I'm proud of our guys and the energy the play with.”

The Racers started the contest by taking a 15-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and then outscored A-Game 21-18 in the second quarter to grab a 36-22 at half time. MSU enjoyed 50 percent shooting from the field in the half and held A-Game to 22 percent.

The third quarter saw the Racers outscore its opponent 21-20, but then hung on to get the win by leading the fourth quarter 19-18 for a 14-point win.

The Racers were led in scoring by Latreze Mushatt who tossed in 15 points to go with four rebounds, while Donte Poole added 11 points. Ed Daniel recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Ivan Aska turning in nine points and eight rebounds.

Complete Release

Ningxia Hanas, Ramon Harris Preparing for NBL Playoffs

Former University of Kentucky player Ramon Harris and his Ningxia Hanas teammates capped off the NBL regular season with a critical 114-90 win over Guangzhou FM.

Ndudi Ebi led the way for Ningxia Hanas with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Harris had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

The win propelled Ningxia Hanas into fifth in the league standings, setting up a battle against fourth-seeded Jiangsu in Tuesday's quarterfinal round of the NBL playoffs.

Harris averaged 17.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals during the regular season.

Final Regular Season Standings:

1. Changan Group 12-6
2. Whampoa 12-6
3. Sichuan 11-7
4. Jiangsu 11-7
5. Ningxia Hanas 9-9
6. ShenYang 9-9
7. Guangzhou FM 8-10
8. Hebei 8-10
9. Heilongjiang 7-11
10. Hangzhou 3-15

Antoine Walker Trying to Complete NBA Comeback

Former University of Kentucky star Antoine Walker is still working hard to complete his NBA comeback.

Here is a great feature on Walker as he continues on his road to redemption (click to play):

Berea College Releases 2011-12 Basketball Schedule

Berea College has released their men's basketball schedule for the 2011-12 season.

Berea College 2011-12 Men's Basketball Schedule:

Date Opponent Place Time Score

Sat. Oct. 29 Temple Baptist (OH)@ Goshen College (IN) Classic 2:00 PM
Fri. Nov. 4 @ Goshen College (IN) Goshen, IN 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov. 5 Huntington University (IN) 1:00 PM
Tue. Nov. 8 Shawnee State University (OH) Berea, KY 7:00 PM
Sat. Nov. 12 Tennessee Wesleyan College (TN) Berea, KY 7:00 PM
Tues. Nov. 15 Kentucky Christian @ Marian Univ. (IN) Tournament 7:30 PM
Fri. Nov. 18 William Penn College (IA) 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov. 19 Marian University (IN) or Holy Cross College (IN) 1/3 PM
Mon. Nov. 21 Crown College (TN) Berea, KY 7:00 PM
Tue. Nov. 22 @ University of Southern Indiana (IN)# Evansville, IN 8:00 PM
Tue. Nov. 29 Boyce College (KY) Roland Wierwille Classic 7:00 PM
Fri. Dec. 2 Temple Baptist College (OH) 8:00 PM
Sat. Dec. 3 Tennessee Temple @ Asbury Univ. Classic Wilmore, KY 4:00 PM
Fri. Dec. 9 University of Cincinnati-Claremont (OH) 4:00 PM
Sat. Dec. 10 Central Christian College (MO) 2:00 PM
Sat. Dec. 17 @ Bryan College (TN) Dayton, TN 2:00 PM
Wed. Jan. 4 @ Centre (KY) Danville, KY 7:00 PM
Tue. Jan. 10 @ Cincinnati Christian University (OH)* Cincinnati, OH 7:00 PM
Thur. Jan. 12 Alice Lloyd College (KY)* Berea, KY 7:30 PM
Sun. Jan. 15 @ St. Louis College of Pharmacy (MO)* St. Louis, MO 4:00 PM
Tue. Jan. 17 Asbury University (KY)* Berea, KY 7:30 PM
Sat. Jan. 21 @ Brescia University (KY)* Owensboro, KY 5:00 PM
Tue. Jan. 24 Indiana University Southeast (IN)* Berea, KY 7:30 PM
Sat. Jan. 28 @ Indiana University East (IN)* Richmond, IN 2:00 PM
Tue. Jan. 31 @ Alice Lloyd College (KY)* Pippa Passes, KY 8:00 PM
Sat. Feb. 4 Cincinnati Christian University (OH)* Berea, KY 2:00 PM
Tue. Feb. 7 @ Asbury University (KY)* Wilmore, KY 7:30 PM
Fri. Feb. 10 Indiana University East (IN)* Berea, KY 7:00 PM
Tue. Feb. 14 @ Indiana University Southeast (IN)* New Albany, IN 7:30 PM
Sat. Feb. 18 Brescia University (KY)* Berea, KY 4:00 PM
Tue. Feb. 21-25 KIAC Tournament Berea, KY TBA

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

The Best of DeMarcus Cousins: Passing Edition

Here are the best passes from DeMarcus Cousins' rookie season with the Sacramento Kings:

Calipari Takes Dominican Republic NT to Orange Leaf

John Calipari took his Dominican Republic National Team to his favorite ice cream joint last night.

UKCoachCalipari Had to take the Dominican Republic National Team to @orangeleaflex for a little treat. http://twitpic.com/6252m2

Video: More Top Plays from the Nike Global Challenge

Here are some of the top highlights from the Nike Global Challenge - features several Kentucky and Louisville recruits:



Description: Watch all of the best highlights reel plays from day one of the Nike Global Challenge. Players featured include Julius Randle, Tony Parker, Omar Calhoun, Cameron Beidscheid, Dominic Artis, Aaron Gordon, Brandon Ashley, Gary Harris, J.P. Tokoto, Ricardo Ledo, Sim Bhullar, Anthony Bennet, Andrew Wiggins and more. Video by Tim Brown, OregonLive.com

DeMarcus Cousins Adds a New Tattoo

Former Kentucky big man DeMarcus Cousins has added a new tattoo that reads "MISUNDERSTOOD":

boogiecousins New tattoo ... http://img.ly/71Zf

What do you think?

Former UK Star Wayne Turner to Sign Autographs

Former University of Kentucky star Wayne Turner will be at Lexington Sports Cards on Tuesday from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Here is more info from Twitter:

LexSportsCards Dont forget UK fans @wayneturner76 will b @LexSportsCards this Tuesday from 4-6 We will have 8x10s and other items Bring your own stuff too!

Turner played for Kentucky from 1995-1999. He totalled 1,170 points and 494 assists during his UK career.

Kentucky Native Jeff Kidder Joins Billy Gillispie's Staff

Jeff Kidder, who currently resides in Harrodsburg, has joined Billy Gillipsie's coaching staff at Texas Tech University.

Here is the release from TTU:

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech men's basketball head coach Billy Gillispie announced Friday that Jeff Kidder has joined the Red Raider basketball coaching staff.

"We are extremely proud to have Jeff as a part of our staff," said Gillispie. "He is a total professional, who has experienced a great deal of success at all levels. He is an outstanding coach, who can recruit and most importantly, he makes a difference in the lives of young people."

Kidder joins the staff after serving the past six years as head coach at Indian Hills Community College, where he compiled a 165-39 record at the helm.

"I have known coach Gillispie for a long time and the opportunity to work for him during his first year at Texas Tech makes it exciting," said Kidder. "I think we will put a product on the floor that everyone will be proud of. It is an exciting time for Red Raider Basketball.

"Coach Gillispie is recognized as one of the most highly successful coaches in the country and we have a tremendous opportunity to build something special here at Texas Tech."

Kidder has a career record of 432-109 in 16 years as a junior college head coach at Howard College (1991-93), Dixie State College (1997-05) and Indian Hills Community College (2006-11). He has won 20 or more games in 15 of 16 seasons as a head coach and eclipsed the 30-win plateau five times.

A native of Kentucky, Kidder led Dixie State College to the 2002 NJCAA national title after going 34-3 that season. As a result, Kidder was named the NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year and Coach of the Tournament.

Complete Release

Gillispie Reportedly Lost $3 Million in Donnan Ponzi Scheme

Former University of Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie, who is now the head man at Texas Tech, reportedly lost as much as $2.3 million in an investment deal gone bad with the late David Salinas.

If that wasn't bad enough, it is now being reported that Gillispie lost an additional $3 million in a Ponzi scheme involving former Georgia football coach and ESPN analyst Jim Donnan.

According to SportsbyBrooks.com, Gillispie is one of several big-name coaches who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the scheme.

Here is an excerpt:

1) Tommy Tuberville: $800,000
2) Frank Beamer: $175,000
3) Billy Gillispie: $3,000,000+ (one of two loan agreements unsigned)
4) Dennis Franchione: $650,000
5) Mark Gottfried: $250,000
6) Kendrell Bell (Former NFL player): $2,075,000 (two of four loan agreements unsigned)
7) Jonas Jennings (Former NFL player): $500,000 (loan agreement unsigned)
Mike Gottfried (Former ESPN analyst, CFB coach): $250,000
9) Tom Luginbill (ESPN recrutiing analyst): $30,000
10) Barry Switzer: $50,000

Here is an excerpt about Gillispie's reported investment:

From evidence presented by GLC to the court, it’s now been confirmed that the former football coach kept virtually all of his financial accounting in handwritten notes. Those notes give the only clues, for now, of how much individuals may have invested - and potentially lost - with Donnan.

Documents in Donnan’s handwriting submitted by GLC to the federal bankruptcy court indicate Texas Tech basketball coach Billy Gillispie gave Donnan at least $3 million - in separate payments - to “loan” to GLC at exorbitant annual interest rates.

In one of the payments to Donnan, Gillispie signed off on a GLC company document indicating a $1 million loan to GLC at a 60 percent annual interest rate. Donnan later noted in one of his handwritten accounting documents that current Texas State football coach Dennis Franchione was to be paid five percent of Gillispie’s seven-figure buy-in. ($12,500.)

Complete Article

DaJuan Coleman Winds Down a Busy Summer

University of Kentucky recruit DaJuan Coleman is coming to the end of a busy summer. Coleman is currently at the adidas Nations global experience and still plans to play in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event.

After that, he plans to return to Jamesville-DeWitt High School, denying rumors that he plans to transfer.

Here is an excerpt from Syracuse.com:

Dajuan Coleman is winding down his whirlwind summer basketball schedule, his latest stop a visit to Los Angeles to participate in the fifth annual adidas Nations global experience.

The basketball tournament and educational seminar features athletes from eight nations. Coleman, the Jamesville-DeWitt senior, will play for the US 2012 squad, a collection of top high school talents from the Class of 2012.

The 6-foot-9 big man is among the most fiercely pursued prospects in his class. Coleman includes Syracuse on a recruiting list that also involves Ohio State and Kentucky. He reiterated on Friday that he has not wavered from his intention to make every campus visit permissible and then decide on a college midway through his senior year. He also made clear that he has no intention to transfer from J-D, a rumor that has persisted every year he’s been in high school.

“That never came out of my mouth,” he said.

Complete Article

Photo: Rivals.com

More Dunks from Earl Clark's Charity Game

Here is some more footage from Earl Clark's charity game last night - includes Terrence Williams, Dwight Howard, Earl Clark and more:

Shabazz Muhammad With Another Play of the Day

Here is University of Kentucky recruit Shabazz Muhammad with yet another Five Star Basketball Play of the Day:

Ryan Harrow in Top Plays from Day 1 of adidas Nations

Kentucky's Ryan Harrow and UK recruits Kaleb Tarczewski, Andrew Harrison and Andre Drummond made the BallisLife.com top 5 highlights from day one of the adidas Nations event:

Michael Beasley "Quietly" Pushes Fan in the Face

Recently, Michael Beasley pushed a fan in the face during a Dyckman League game:



To Beasley's credit, he found the fan after the game and apologized. The weird thing to me is that seemingly no members of the national media have called Beasley out for his actions

I wonder if the media would be reacting the same way if this were, say, DeMarcus Cousins?

Bruce Pearl Considering $500K Development League Offer

Former Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl has picked up an offer from the NBA Development League's Texas Legends that would make him the highest-paid coach in the league's history.

Pearl has been offered a $500,000 contract to coach the Legends.

Here is an excerpt from ESPN.com:

DALLAS -- Bruce Pearl smiled and answered questions at a news conference that certainly had the feel of a franchise, the Texas Legends, introducing a new coach Thursday afternoon at the American Airlines Center.

Only it wasn't.

Pearl has not accepted the Legends' over-the-top offer. But if he wants to become the second-year franchise's next coach and the highest-paid coach in D-League history -- and likely in the history of all minor league sports -- a package valued at more than $500,000 is ready for him to sign.

"He is our 'A' man," said Donnie Nelson, Legends co-owner and Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations. "We are aggressively hoping to make something happen. This package will be the most aggressive package in D-League history; and you guys can put the tough questions to him so he'll sign on the dotted line right now."

Complete Article

Faried Opens Eyes With Play in the Drew League

Former Morehead State University star Kenneth Faried has opened many eyes with his outstanding play in the Drew League this summer.

Here are some highlights:

Andrew and Aaron Harrison in Action for Houston Defenders

The Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron, are everywhere in this footage of Team Takeover vs. Houston Defenders:

Murray State Blasts Brock to Open Exhibition Trip

Murray State 79
Brock 39

Exhibition Final from Toronto, Ontario

The Murray State men's basketball team started their three-game exhibition tour in Toronto, Ontario Friday night with a 79-39 win over Brock University at Bob Davie Gym.

MSU is taking a foreign exhibition tour under new head coach Steve Prohm.

“This was a good experience,” Prohm said. “We had good positive energy and were flying around the floor and good ball pressure. I was pleased that our guys came out focused and played in an unselfish manner.”

The Racers made a good start when they outscored the Badgers 20-11 in the opening quarter, with eight points coming from Ivan Aska.

After MSU won the second quarter by a point, they enjoyed a 33-23 lead at the half. MSU shot 48 percent in the half (13-of-27), while holding BU to 23 percent (6-of-26).

The Racers opened the third quarter with a 13-0 run to lead 46-23 at the 6:03 mark. Back-to-back three-pointers from Donte Poole and Isaiah Canaan highlighted the run.

The final stat sheet showed the Racers making 49 percent of their shots from the field (32-of-65), while holding Brock to 25 percent (11-of-44). The Racers only allowed BU five made baskets in the second half. MSU won the rebounding battle 45-26 and had 17 steals in forcing the Badgers into 28 turnovers.

12 different MSU players saw action with three in double-figure scoring led by 15 points from Aska and 13 each from Canaan and Poole. Ed Daniel tossed in nine points to go with six rebounds. Latreze Mushatt led the Racers with seven rebounds to go with six points.

Complete Release

Kentucky Recruits Playing Well at Nike Global Challenge

Here is some raw footage of last night's action at the Nike Global Challenge - featuring Kentucky recruits Nerlens Noel and Ricardo Ledo:

Terrence Williams Destroys Derrick Caracter

Here is former Louisville star Terrence Williams throwing down a bigtime dunk on Derrick Caracter at a charity game at Bullitt East High School last night:

Cousins, Jones are Two of the Most Painful Decommits

Sports Illustrated has named the top 10 all-time "most painful decommits". The rank Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins (from UAB to Memphis to UK) and Terrence Jones (from Washington to UK) as 5 and 7 on the list, respectively.

Here are excerpts:

5. DeMarcus Cousins

From UAB to Memphis to Kentucky
After first committing to Alabama-Birmingham, top-ranked center DeMarcus Cousins didn't sign a letter of intent with the school because a clause was deleted that said he could be released if UAB's head coach Mike Davis left the program. Cousins then turned his sights to Memphis, but soon decommitted when head coach John Calipari moved to Kentucky. Cousins committed to the Wildcats and signed his letter of intent on April 15, 2009. Cousins left Kentucky after his freshman year and was taken No. 5 overall in the 2010 draft by the Sacramento Kings.

Terrence Jones

From Washington to Kentucky
A 6-foot-8 star forward out of Portland, Terrence Jones announced at a news conference his intention of joining the Washington Huskies. But he soon found himself drawn to the John Calipari-led Wildcats and spurned the Huskies in favor of Kentucky.

Complete Article

Either Former UK Star John Wall Loves Me Or...

A good friend hit me up last night and said, "you have to check this out..."

He sent me a link to a Facebook page of someone claiming to be former University of Kentucky star John Wall. The funny thing about the profile is that the picture is an image of Wall posing with yours truly in the depths of Rupp Arena.

Here's the page (click to enlarge):



So, either John Wall loves me or there's an impostor floating around on Facebook. I'm going to have to go with the latter, but I'm trying to get confirmation from the real John Wall.

I'll post an update when I've confirmed either way...

Kaleb Tarczewski Says Kentucky in Final Four

Big man Kaleb Tarczewski has ended speculation about his final list and said he plans to decide sometime before school starts in the fall.

Tarczewski told ZagsBlog.com that his final four are Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona and North Carolina.

Here is an excerpt:

Kaleb Tarczewki’s Final 3 has turned into a Final 4.

The 7-footer from Claremont, N.H., said Kentucky is now on his short list along with Kansas, Arizona and North Carolina.

“They’re on the list,” he said by phone from the adidas Nations event in Los Angeles. “They came in pretty late.

“They’ve been coming to a lot of games, so I’ve seen them in the court and I’ve talked to them. You know, Kentucky’s Kentucky. It’s kind of hard to not let them into recruiting.”

Complete Article

Photo: Rivals.com

Latest Highlights of 2012 Star Shabazz Muhammad

Here's the latest look at 2012 star Shabazz Muhammad (aka the top player in the class):

Francisco Garcia Says Cousins is His "Little Brother"

Former University of Louisville star Francisco Garcia says Sacramento teammate DeMarcus Cousins is like a little brother to him.

Here are some interviews with Garcia and Kentucky's Eloy Vargas (via uksportsinfo on YouTube):

Murray State to Open Canadian Exhibition Tour Tonight

The Murray State Racers will open their Canadian exhibition tour tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Here is the release from MSU:

The Murray State men's basketball team is in Toronto, Ontario to begin their three-game exhibition tour of Canada.

The Racers will play Brock University today at 6 p.m. central time at Bob Davie Gym.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STATS

The Racers flew from Nashville, Tenn., to Toronto Thursday and Friday morning took a bus ride across the border back into the United States to see Niagara Falls in upstate New York.

After playing the Brock Badgers today, the Racers have Saturday (Aug. 6) off, then return to action Sunday (Aug. 7) when they face off with A-Game Hoops, a senior select team in a game played in the city of Missisaauga at the Hershey Center. MSU's third exhibition contest is Monday (Aug. 8) also at the Hershey Center against ABA Canada All-Stars, another senior select team.

Complete Release

Jon Hood to Have Knee Surgery Next Week

University of Kentucky forward Jon Hood is scheduled to have knee surgery on August 12, according to his Twitter account.

hoodyhood4 @Lezz_McDonald2 you and me gonna be in the same here soon big guy. My Surgery is the 12th

Hood suffered a torn ACL several weeks ago and will likely miss the entire 2011-12 season.

Former UK Star Sean Woods is Winning Big at MVSU

Former University of Kentucky star Sean Woods has built something special during his time at Mississippi Valley State.

As Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com points out, Woods is winning on and off the court with what he's doing at MVSU.

Here is an excerpt:

By his count, he’ll earn $778,000 for the 10 guarantee games he’s signed up for this season.

His first season at Mississippi Valley State he pulled $513,000. The next year it was just shy of $600,000, then $680,000 a year ago.

The men’s basketball program receives about 40 percent and uses it for everything from travel expenses to scholarships.

This is a program that was forced to practice in a middle school last season and play its first two league games at a neutral site due to a decayed floor.

When Woods got the job in July of 2008, he inherited a program that had just three players on the roster – and none of them averaged more than four points per game.

Complete Article

Quentin Pryor Talks About Playing Overseas and More

Former Morehead State star Quentin Pryor will be heading to Austria in October to play for WBC Waiffeisen Wels in the top-level A Bundesliga.

The Morehead News recently caught up with Pryor:

“Unless you play for a top team or a Euro league, you’re not going to make a lot of money and get it on time,” he said. “A lot of teams, a contract is just a piece of paper, if they can find somebody cheaper they’ll cut you in a minute, But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I get to take my family over there, they put my family in school and they furnish a car.”

Pryor came to his alma mater last summer for Coach Donnie Tyndall’s basketball camp.

He said he hopes his future has basketball in it.

“I've told my family if I don’t get the contract I want this will be my last year doing it,” he said. “I think I’m going to try to get back in school or see if I can be a part of Coach Tyndall’s staff. I would like to coach or do training to work guys out in the summer that are going to the NBA or overseas.”

Pryor is headed to Austria Oct. 1 for the start of the season.

Complete Article

T.J. Warren Picks Up Offer from North Carolina

North Carolina and head coach Roy Williams extended a scholarship offer to 2012 star T.J. Warren during an unofficial visit yesterday.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com confirmed the offer on Twitter:

EvanDanielscout Just got a text from TJ Warren. UNC offered http://t.co/TH6wjur

Warren is a 6-7 small forward from Brewster Academy. Rivals.com ranks him No. 36 overall in the 2012 class.

Recently, Warren listed Louisville, Kentucky, Georgetown, Florida, Texas, N.C. State and Kansas.

Interesting Interview with Former UK Star Chuck Hayes

Here is a recent interview with former University of Kentucky star Chuck Hayes:

Description: In this interview with Mental Coach Rainer J. Meisterjahn, NBA veteran (Houston Rockets) Chuck Hayes discusses the importance of acting like a professional and thus meeting the mental challenges of the NBA. He also talks about the attention to detail and the processing of large amounts of information necessary to succeed in the playoffs. Lastly, Chuck explains how he goes about mentally preparing for games and meeting the demands of his role.

Karen Sypher Files Appeal Citing Broad Conspiracy

Just when it seemed that Karen Cunagin Sypher was tucked away behind bars for a sentence of seven years and three months, she is back in the news today.

Sypher has filed an appeal of her federal conviction in the extortion case involving Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. Sypher is claiming a broad conspiracy and saying her conviction was a "disastrous injustice."

Here are more details from Courier-Journal.com:

Sypher is serving a sentence of seven years and three months for extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliating against a witness.

In a letter to Nolan, the clerk of the appellate court said he made several basic mistakes, including failing to correctly list the title of the case and the title of his brief.

In the 55-page appeal, Nolan said “no one would ever look at the events of this case and the way the appellant was represented and not be shocked to the very core.“

Complete Article

2013 Bullitt East Star Breaks Off Commitment to Purdue

Bullitt East star Derek Willis, a 6-9 power forward in the 2013 class, de-committed from Purdue yesterday via an announcement on Facebook.

Troy Barr, who coaches Willis at Bullitt East, said the talented big man would like to visit Louisville and Kentucky.

According to a Purdue blog, however, Willis' father seems to have a different perspective as he publicly stated that doesn't know if he "can trust a Coach Pitino or Coach Calipari":

Coach Barr said that if Derek does de-commit, he hopes Purdue will continue to recruit him. He stated that the Purdue coaching staff is a classy group and really likes them.

I do have reason to believe that Willis will remained committed to Purdue. Del Willis pretty much gave Kentucky Coach John Calipari and Louisville Coach Rick Pitino the verbal one finger salute with the statement,'I don't know if I can trust a Coach (Rick) Pitino or Coach (John) Calipari. Their agenda is more for their benefit than the kid's. They're more worried about themselves." This is great because we all know of Calipari's and Pitino's sparkling track records. Del Willis also reiterated how much of a comfort zone they had with Coach Painter and Coach Owens.

Complete Article

Highlights of Anthony Davis, Wayne Blackshear in Action

Here is some new footage of Kentucky's Anthony Davis, Louisville's Wayne Blackshear and others from the 2010 Triple Threat Camp:

John Wall Featured in ESPN The Magazine This Week

Former Kentucky star John Wall is featured in the "Revenge of the Jocks" section of ESPN The Magazine this week.

Here is an excerpt of Wall's comments in the magazine:

"Find out who your real friends are. Sometimes it seems like the person you're hanging with is the right person to be around, and then all of a sudden he might change or betray you. It can be tough, but find the right people."

Photo Source

WKU to Open 2011 Charlestion Classic Against Tulsa

The bracket for the 2011 Charleston Classic tournament has been released and Western Kentucky will battle the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the first round.

Here is a release from WKU:

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- The bracket for the 2011 Charleston Classic men's basketball tournament was announced Wednesday, and WKU is set to face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the tournament opener on November 17 in Charleston, S.C.

The tournament is slated to be played November 17, 18 and 20 and features eight teams. Each team will play three games at Carolina First Arena, with the WKU-Tulsa game kicking off the tournament at 11:30 AM (CT) on November 17.

WKU and Tulsa have met five times previously, with the Hurricane winning four. WKU won the first game on December 30, 1952, and Tulsa has won four-in-a-row. The most recent contest came in 1995, when Tulsa captured a 73-65 win in Bowling Green.

Complete Release from WKU

Tournament Bracket (click to enlarge):

Kentucky Fans Need to Vote for Andre Riddick

Former University of Kentucky big man Andre Riddick is in the running for Euroleague.net's best block from last season.

Currently, Riddick is in trouble in the voting and needs Big Blue Nation's help.

Riddick played last season for TEC Spirou Charleroi in Belgium's top-level D1 league. In 33 D1 games, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and a league-best 1.6 blocks per game.

In Euroleague action, he put in 4.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

The former Wildcat is the all-time Eurocup leader in rebounds, steals and blocks.

In a November 2010 interview with Euroleague.net, the 37-year old Riddick admitted that his teammates call him "Grandfather":

Is it true that your teammates call you Grandfather? You take that from the young guys?

"Yeah, I'm the old guy on the team and probably in most every game we play. My teammates are so much younger; it's a huge gap now! They're in a totally new generation from what I am used to having as teammates. There's a lot of fun about it, though. The thing to understand is I try to not look 37 on the court. My goal is to play and mix in with everyone else, without anyone questioning my age. That and helping our team get a victory are the goals when I go out on the floor."

Here is the block that is nominated:



Go Here to Vote

Darius Miller and Team USA Scrimmage Air Force

Here is some footage of Darius Miller and the USA World Team scrimmaging against Air Force:

John Wall's New Reebok Zig Encore Shoe

According to SoleCollector.com, this will be John Wall's new Reebok Zig Encore shoe.

Here is an excerpt:

When (or if) John Wall returns to the NBA courts for his sophomore campaign, he'll be laced with his first official signature shoe under Reebok, the Zig Encore. Boasting a look similar last season's Zig Slash, the Zig Encore is a slightly lower cut model equipped with a slimmer ZigNano-cushioned sole.

This particular pair features a black nubuck, patent and mesh-based upper with white accenting the side panels, Vector branding, Wall's signature on the right medial collar and his brand new "JW" logo centered on the tongue. Red takes care of the laces and inner liner, while a blue-tinted translucent outsole with increased herringbone traction finishes things off below.

Complete Article

Ballard's Quentin Snider Commits to Louisville

Louisville Ballard's Quentin Snider, a 2014 point guard, has committed to Rick Pitino and the University of Louisville.

Evan Daniels broke the news on Twitter:

EvanDanielscout BREAKING: Quentin Snider gives early pledge ... http://t.co/pPqiP2u

Snider is a 6-0, 150-poound point guard who is coming off an outstanding summer.

Bruce Pearl Appears on Pardon The Interruption

Former Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl appeared on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption yesterday and it was basically Bruce being Bruce:

Coach Calipari Talks About His Time at Five-Star

University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari talks about his coaching roots with Fivestarbasketball.com:

DaJuan Coleman Hopes to Visit UK for Big Blue Madness

According to ZagsBlog.com, 2012 big man DaJuan Coleman hopes to visit Kentucky for Big Blue Madness on October 15.

Here is an excerpt:

DaJuan Coleman, one of the premier centers in the Class of 2012, plans to visit Kentucky for Big Blue Madness Oct. 15.

“He wants to go to Kentucky for Midnight Madness,” said a source with direct knowledge.

The source also said UK, Syracuse and OSU are the top three for Coleman:

“Ohio State, Kentucky and Syracuse are his top three, and Ohio State is moving in big,” the source said. “Ohio State’s done very well. He bonded with [Jared] Sullinger while playing at the Amar’e Stoudemire camp.

Complete Article

Photo: Rivals.com

Former Kentucky Star Walter McCarty to Sing in Lexington

Former University of Kentucky star Walter McCarty is headed back to Lexington. This time, McCarty is returning as an entertainer.

A Night Out with Walter McCarty

Sunday, August 28 at 6:00pm

Go Here to Order Tickets

Three Eastern Kentucky Players Sign Pro Contracts

Three former EKU player have signed professional contracts for next season.

Here is the release from EKU:

RICHMOND, Ky. – Three former Eastern Kentucky University basketball players have signed professional contracts to compete this fall in Europe – Spencer Perrin, Justin Stommes and Josh Taylor.

Perrin, a native of Danville, Ky., competed for the Colonels each of the last two seasons. As a senior in 2010-11, the forward led the team and ranked 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding at 5.5 rpg. Perrin has signed a one-year deal to play for KK Lirija in Macedonia. KK Lirija finished fifth in the FYR-Macedonia Superleague (top division) last year.

Stommes, a native of Cold Spring, Minn., was a four-year starter at EKU who completed his career this past winter. He left Eastern as the program’s 15th all-time leading scorer (1,277 career points). The 6-7 guard has agreed to a deal in the German “A” league with the Paderborn Baskets. The Baskets finished seventh out of 16 teams in the “A” league last year with a 14-14 overall record.

Taylor, a second team All-OVC forward in 2009-10, has also signed a deal to play in Germany. The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., helped the Colonels reach the 2007 NCAA tournament by hitting the game-winning jumper in that season’s OVC championship game against Austin Peay. Taylor will play for Hertener Loewen in the German “B” league. Hertener Loewen posted a 16-6 record in the North division of the “B” league a year ago.

Complete Release

Josh Harrellson Wins the "Medium" Prize at King's Island

Former UK star Josh Harrellson was at King's Island yesterday. Jorts played a basketball game but he came up a little short and only collected the "medium" prize:

Rick Pitino Talks Players and More in New Blog Post

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino posted on his blog this morning. He had several interesting thoughts, including some notes on his players and how they are looking during practice this week.

Here is an excerpt:

Our practices have given us a few answers, but it’s hard to tell where we are in other areas.

Zach Price: Has not practiced due to a serious concussion he got early in the morning at his dormitory. I was hoping to see him compete against Gorgui. It will have to wait until our games in the Bahamas.

Peyton Siva: Stands out as the leader of this year’s team.

Gorgui Dieng: Scoring, passing and offensive rebounding. Missing is shot blocking and defensive rebounding.

Kyle Kuric: Has improved his mid-range game.

Chris Smith: Steady but needs to do more athletically

Chane Behanan: A few fundamentals away from being a good freshman.

Mike Marra: Steady but still has a long way to go.

Stephen Van Treese: Improved but needs to be a consistent threat on offense.

Russ Smith: Sprained his ankle and missed practices.

“The Bullet”: Played well and was a big threat from the outside.

Tim Henderson: Has a pulled groin and has not been 100%

Great group to coach. We are a few days away from the Bahamas trip. I will give a detailed analysis of our trip when we return.

Complete Article

John Calipari Sneaks a Quick Jab in on Coach K

University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari managed to (knowingly or unknowingly?) sneak a slick jab in on Duke Mike Krzyzewski during an interview this morning.

Calipari was on Memphis radio's "Sportstime with George Lapides" on Sports 56 WHBQ.

Here is an excerpt:

And then the thinly veiled shot on Krzyzewski being Teflon to phone-call rules came whizzing by.

"Start a clean slate," Calipari said. "Police each other, give it to league commissioners and schools to deal with. If it goes beyond that, there's a board there that's ready to deal with it. ... You've got coaches being fired over phone calls and text messages. Some. Other guys can make phone calls and it's not that big a deal."

There's a kaboom.

If you've spent the past few weeks on vacation, Calipari is referring to our initial report, wherein a top prospect admitted he talked to Krzyzewski during the July recruiting period. Duke is now working with the NCAA to decipher if a violation occurred, and if so, a minor punishment would likely ensue.

Complete Article

I wonder who Calipari is referring to as "other guys"?

Here's the audio:



UPDATE: Calipari has responded on Twitter, saying he did not take a shot at Coach K:

UKCoachCalipari My comments on the radio this morning had nothing to do w/ Mike Krzyzewski. He has actually been very helpful to me in preparing my DR team.

Neal Bradley Captures 2011 OVC Media Award

I would like to send congratulations to the one and only Neal Bradley, Murray State's "Voice of the Racers."

Bradley has been named the winner of the 2011 OVC Media Award.

Here is the release from MSU:

On Thursday the Ohio Valley Conference announced that Neal Bradley, “Voice of the Racers” for the past two decades, has been named the winner of the 2011 OVC Media Award, given to media who exhibit the highest commitment to covering the OVC.

In 2010 the awards were established as a way to recognize the media members who provide publicity for the Conference, its member institutions and intercollegiate athletics, perform their jobs in a fair, consistent and accurate manner, provide all-around coverage for a variety of sports and demonstrate the ability to go above and beyond their normal beat or job description.

Bradley earned the award given to current media members covering the league; the OVC Media Lifetime Achievement Award (given to someone who formerly covered the OVC) was not awarded this year. Brian Nielsen of the Mattoon Journal Gazette/Charleston Times-Courier (current media member) and Frank Layne, formerly of the Cookeville Herald-Citizen (Lifetime Award), earned the inaugural awards.

“The OVC has a lot of great stories to tell and we are fortunate to have an outstanding group of media covering our schools, which was evident in the great candidates we had for the awards this year,” said Kyle Schwartz, OVC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations. “It is great to have an award that recognizes media members who have made significant contributions in covering the OVC and its member institutions.”

Complete Release

Tubby Smith vs. Billy Gillispie in the Old Spice Classic

The schedule was released today for the Old Spice Classic tournament in November. There is a better-than-average chance that former Kentucky head coaches Billy Gillispie and Tubby Smith will face off in the tournament's semifinal round.

Gillispie's Texas Tech Red Raiders will open the tournament against Indiana State on November 24 at 12:00 p.m.

In game 2, Smith's Minnesota team will battle DePaul at 2:30 p.m.

If both Texas Tech and Minnesota win (or lose) they'll meet up in the tournament's semifinals (or loser's bracket) on November 25 at 12:00 p.m.

ESPN's Andy Katz breaks down the Old Spice Classic:



Tournament Bracket (click to enlarge):

Burgin Assistant Tim Abbott Dies Unexpectedly

I would like to ask all readers to send up a prayer for the family and friends of Burgin assistant coach Tim Abbott.

Abbott, 45, died after collapsing while walking his dogs at Millennium Park in Danville on Tuesday.

Here is Abbott's Obituary

Denny Crum Was Paid to Retire at Louisville?

Oscar Combs stated on Kentucky Sports Radio this morning that Louisville offered former head coach Denny Crum a 20-year salary in exchange for his retirement.

Combs said the deal essentially paved the way for the hiring of current head coach Rick Pitino.

According to public records, Crum makes an annual salary of $338,000 and is listed as "Assistant to President":

All data are provided by the university.

Name: Crum, Denny
Department VPUA-Admin
Job title Asst to Pres
Salary $338,000.00
Hire date Monday, March 15, 1971
Pay group Administrators

Source

Dakari Johnson May Be Forced to Sit Out for One Year

If Kentucky recruit Dakari Johnson transfers to Montverde (Fla.) Academy, he will apparently be forced to sit out for one year under Florida high school basketball rules.

Here is an excerpt from ZagsBlog.com:

Dakari Johnson, a 6-foot-11 rising sophomore, must will sit out the upcoming school year after transferring to Montverde (Fla.) Academy from Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, headmaster Kasey Kesselring told the Orlando Sentinel.

According to Florida High School Athletic Association rules, a player following his coach to a different school is ineligible to compete for a year, Kesselring told the paper.

Complete Article

Johnson, a 6-11 center in the 2014 class, says Syracuse, Kentucky and Georgetown are recruiting his the hardest.

Photo: Rivals.com

UPIKE Signee Jamar Board Scores 75 Points in Goodman League

Jamar "Silent Assasin" Board, who is headed to the University of Pikeville for 2011-12, recently scored a Goodman Coalition record of 75 points in a single game.

Playing for Mountain State last season, Board scored 35 points against Morehead State. He was 7-12 from long range in that game.

Source

Kentucky Pros Roster Will Be Different for Two Games

The roster for the Kentucky Pros team will be slightly different in Louisville, according to Dominican Republic head coach John Calipari.

According to Coach Cal:

UKCoachCalipari Pre-sale 4 the game in Louisville starts at 10 ET. We will play agst Wall, Cousins, Rondo, Bledsoe, Mohammed, Knight, Harrellson & Liggins.

In Lexington, the UK pros team will include Keith Bogans, Tayshaun Prince and Jodie Meeks rather than Brandon Knight, Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins.

Darius Miller Makes the USA World Team Cut

The University of Kentucky's Darius Miller has made the final 12-man roster for the 2011 USA Basketball World University Team.

Here is the release from USA Basketball:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 3, 2011) - The 12-member roster that will represent the U.S. in the 2011 World University Games men's basketball competition has been set, with three prior USA Basketball medalists selected to the team after six days of training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Listed on the roster are: Tim Abromaitis (Notre Dame/Unionville, Conn.); Marcus Denmon (Missouri/Kansas City, Mo.); Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh/Scotch Plains, N.J.); Draymond Green (Michigan State/Saginaw, Mich.); JaMychal Green (Alabama/Montgomery, Ala.); Scoop Jardine (Syracuse/ Philadelphia, Pa.); John Jenkins (Vanderbilt/ Hendersonville, Tenn.); Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara/Seaside, Calif.); Greg Mangano (Yale/Orange, Conn.); Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota/ St. Paul, Minn.); Ray McCallum (Detroit Mercy/Beverly Hills, Mich.); and Darius Miller (Kentucky/Maysville, Ky.).

"I think your strengths are going to come out in competition, and we have some very good players," said USA and Purdue University head mentor Matt Painter , who previously assisted the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team to a gold medal. "I think we have some good point-guard play, some good, athletic wings that can shoot the basketball and then we have some good interior strength. So, I think we have balance. We do have some interchangeable parts, some guys at the three and four positions that can swing either way. We can play smaller and we can play bigger. It will depend on who we are playing against. I do think we can play a couple of different ways, and that's always a positive."

Cuonzo Martin of the University of Tennessee and Brad Stevens of Butler University are serving as assistant coaches for the 2011 USA Men's World University Games Team.

Training camp continues for the team members through, Aug. 7, with two practices each day at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and the team will depart for China on Aug. 8.

The USA will play an exhibition contest against New Century, a Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) professional team, in Huizho, China, on Aug. 11, before opening World University Games play on Aug. 13.

Photo: Garrett Ellwood/USA Basketball

2011 USA Men’s World University Games Team Training Schedule

Thursday, Aug. 4

10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I
4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I

Friday, Aug. 5

10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I
4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I

Saturday, Aug. 6

10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I
4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I

Sunday, Aug. 7

10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I
4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Training Sports Center I

Monday, Aug. 8

*Depart for China.

Wednesday, Aug. 10

12:10 - 1:40 p.m. Practice Longgang Experimental School Shenzhen, China

Thursday, Aug. 11

7:30 p.m. Exhibition: USA vs. New Century (CBA) Huizhou, China

Friday, Aug. 12

10:10 - 11:10 a.m. Practice Longgang Experimental School Shenzhen, China

*Opening Cermonies for the 2011 World University Games.

Mitch McGary to Miss Nike Global Challenge

Kentucky recruit Mitch McGary has announced on Twitter that he will not be attending the Nike Global Challenge in Oregon this weekend due to an ankle injury.

MitchMcGary33 Just announcing that I will not be attending the @NikeGlobal challenge in Oregon this weekend, due to my severely sprained ankle