What Could This Possibly Mean Now?

John Calipari promised he would make this team a title contender, but he didn't say it would be this quick. In less than two months, he has managed to single handedly compile the best recruiting class in UK's storied history. Not only that, he made the best recruiting class this year-twice-at two different schools! He has put UK in the articles of many once biased reporters and columnists into believing that UK will be ranked number one and will contend for the Final Four, or even the Championship in 2010. He has restored the Kentucky brand. He wants to take the UK brand to China in order to attract interest from Chinese players. He already has a public relationship with LeBron James, which could help UK economically. He has turned around this program in less than two months time, and the best part is he is just getting started. Rumor is that toward the end of this week and towards the beginning of next week, Coach Calipari will talk to players and certain players might be cut from the team. This will be something to keep an eye on. And also, Jodie Meeks might be announcing his decision to come back soon.

"It's been a long time coming..."

The time had arrived for UK fans. And it came and went in a flash. John Wall committed to UK overnight on Tuesday, which cam every abruptly but it was the decision most people had been expecting. I have been tracking this extremely talented player for the past year and a half and I am extremely excited that he is here, but I never would've expected it 2 months ago. As many experts have said over the past 2 months, the longer the decision had been put off, the less optimistic the chances were for UK. His AAU coach, Brian Clifton, has been in his ear this entire time as sort of a father figure if one chooses that perspective, but he had his own influence on the young man, at time trying to show the media that he might have been swaying towards Duke. He also revealed certain things to the media on his behalf, making it seem as if Wall was mute on the subject or was just under too much pressure to choose a school. It had also been rumored when the talk of Wall to Miami last week heated up that he gave a soft verbal to Miami, but according to him that wasn't the case.
But as I said before, it seemed like Clifton kept a tight lid on everything that happened concering Wall. And it showed at the press conference on Wednesday. The pastor of his church/school told the press that he would only answer a maximum of 5 questions, and it was basically dry and boring the entire time. He did not even sport a UK hat, nor was there even an applause from the crowd of media members, not even a golf clap. Even his face seemed to give off a bad vibe, as if he wasn't confident in his decision. But I know that once he arrives in Lexington, he will feel at home.

John Wall to have press conference

John Wall is scheduled to have a press conference at his high school to announce that he is headed to UK. Coach Calipari has already landed in the area and is expected to head to his high school shortly. The press conference is scheduled for 2 pm.

Sources:John Wall to Kentucky

It had been confirmed by SLAM Magazine earlier this morning in an article that John Wall had committed to Kentucky. More sources have confirmed this information, I will have more information later on.

Midweek Tidbits

Coach Calipari spoke to the public today after not being able to attend Patrick Patterson's press conference on Monday. He repeated of how proud he was to have Patrick back and what he could do for He stated many things about the state of the program, and things he'd like to improve on. Most importantly, he proposed the idea of having BBM (Big Blue Madness)at Commonwealth Stadium in October, which would be a first. He liked the idea of having 70,000 plus people showing up at what would be a record for a basketball practice. He also liked the idea of having some neutral site games with other schools in cities such as Cincinnati, Louisville, adn Houston and splitting the tickets 50/50 so it would be reminiscent of a NCAA tournament game. He said talks are underway with having a home-and-home neutral series and also to renew the seires with Notre Dame. He said that no incoming recruits would face any problems with eligibility. The only situation he did not have concern for was the scholarship situation, since UK is one or two over. He said it would play out over the course of the summer and would still like to fit one more player in there before the season starts.

Patrick Patterson Returns

In a move that wasn't seen by anyone, Patrick Patterson suprised many UK fans and NBA scouts by deciding to withdraw from the NBA Draft and come back for his junior season at UK. It was reported late Thursday night by CBSSportsline that he had withdrawn his name from the draft, but no other sources had picked up this story. On Friday sites such as Zagsblog.com and other recruiting sites had picked up this story and it was reported later during the afternoon that he was coming back. He said the main reason was to be part of something special at Kentucky. He said after talking about it with parents it was in his best interest to come back. He said he wasn't really looking forward to playing in the pros yet and just simply wasn't that intersted, despite being listed as a mid-first round pick. Coach Calipari mentioned on Twitter that he was ecstatic to get a chance to coach Patrick and thinks he will become a better player throughout the next year. Patrick also wanted to return to get his diploma, because most likely he is graduating in his junior year because he is on a three-year plan. He is supposed to have a press conference on Monday.

Duke, UNC Among Those That Are Very Supersticious: Writing Is On The "Wall"

Many recruiting guru's and experts are among those that believe it is a done deal, just a matter of time. All the national columnists and writers for websites such as CBSSportsline, ESPN, and FoxSports believe he's coming. The writing is on the "Wall", meaning that John Wall, the senior from Word of God Academy in Raleigh, NC, is coming to UK. He is the #1 player overall and #1 PG by Rivals.com. With the addition of a player like him, UK will not only have the #1 recruiting class for 2009 by far, but will be regarded as possibly the best assembled class in the history of college basketball. He is able to penetrate defenders, and is able to drive and dish the ball well, which well help in the DDM offense, which allows players to take their defenders one-on-one and creates matchup problems for the other teams. He is considered by some to be better than Derrick Rose was in his prime before he entered the NBA, and that is not an overstatement. With Eric Bledsoe also coming, and the additions of newcomers Orton, Cousins, Dodson, and Hood, not to mention Matt Pilgrim, another low post presence, the Cats will be a force to reckon with. If Meeks and Patterson come back, along with Miller who is expected to have a breakout season next year, the Cats will be the best team overall in the SEC and one of the top teams in the country, talent wise of course. If they can play like a team and have that cohesiveness and chemistry that pulls most teams together and makes them from good to great, they will be a team that nobody will want to play.

Eric Bledsoe Commits to UK

After narrowing his list to UK and Memphis, Eric Bledsoe committed to UK Wednesday at his high school in Alabama, leaving Memphis fans heartbroken a third time within the past month and the Cats with a Top 5 recruting class possibly. After many people were left assuming he would decide after John Wall, the top rated PG in the country and UK prospect, he cut his list to Memphis and UK, Memphis being one of the schools which wasn't even on his radar until recently. He had cut Cincinnati and Florida from his list, the latter being the presumeable favorite for many weeks. After visiting Memphis last Thursday, he visited UK on Sunday and said that he was impressed with the facilities and the campus, as well as Lexington. When asked if it would be a problem with playing with Wall if he were to come, he said, “No, sir. No it don’t. I’m going to play my position either if he do go or he don’t.” With his commitment, UK is expected to have the #1 overall rated recruiting class in 2009 by Rivals.com and one of the best classes in both school history and college basketball history if John Wall signs on the dotted line with UK. To be continued...

Breaking News: Dodson to UK

It has been officially confirmed, although not a suprise, that Miami-Dade JUCO player Darnell Dodson has signed with UK. He was a 4-star recruit and originally signed with Pitt after high school, but failed to qualify. He will be a good addition to an already loaded Cats roster next year.

Breaking News:UK Has Offered PG Eric Bledsoe a Scholarship

According to an Alabama reporter, Eric Bledsoe has been offered a scholarship by UK. It wasn't certain if he was ever going to be offered, if not after Wall had made his decision. He is the 3rd best guard in the country, and the #23 ranked player by rivals.com. He has been listed has very interested in Kentucky but was never shown much interest back until recently. He has been leaning towards Florida recently, but that could change due to the many transfers and intability of that program. Looks like a decision might be made sooner than later.

Follow Coach Calipari on Twitter!

If you have a Twitter account, you can now follow Coach John Calipari. Not suprisingly, he has nearly 1,000 followers within 1 hour, you can join too.
http://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari

Wall, Dodson, Among Prospects That Are Interested

As of yesterday, there was a report late that Miami-Dade JUCO player Darnell Dodson was let out of his LOI and was going to sign with UK. Although he is expected to sign, there has been no official word put out by the athletic department. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported earlier tonight that he was going to sign, but hasn't been made official. he was immediately considered after Henry pulled his name out of contention last night. He was nowhere on the recruiting radar from what I know, but he is an extremely talented player. He averaged 29 ppg and is 6'7", which would make a good wing player for the DDM offense. He is a tall slasher, similar to Kevin Galloway and Darius Miller.
News out of the Wall camp were that his trip to Duke would be postponed to next week because Coach Mike Kryzewski was busy on a book tour in New York. Almost coincidentally, Coach Calipari was in Raleigh, NC, Wall's hometown, to visit a 2010 recruit even though he was most likely to have talked with Wall from the information based from my sources.

Henry to Kansas, Who's Next?

After much speculation, I received news from my source on Tuesday night and it was made official that Xavier (prounounced Zah-vee-yay)Henry and his older brother CJ, were going to Kansas, following in their parents' footsteps. For the Henry brothers, the only factor that played into them going to UK was Coach Calipari, who recruited them to Memphis when Xavier verbaled back in November. CJ was already on the Memphis roster as a walk-on. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2005 but went back to college to play basketball since he was a 3-star recruit at that time. It is not exactly sure if he will remain a walk-on at KU because the Yankees were paying his tuition, but KU only had 2 scholarships available at the time. The brothers will be good additions to an already stacked KU team next year, who look to contend for a national championship next year. But now is the time for UK to get back in gear and get the next recruit in line.

Recruiting Update:4/11

As of today, Xavier Henry and John Wall are the two top recruits in the country and they both have UK on their list because of new head coach John Calipari. Another top prospect, DeMarcus Cousins, committed to UK this past week, the same day that a scholarship was available due to Michael Porter quitting the team. He left due to personal reasons because he is now married and expecting a child. Cousins was the top rated C/PF, but was put as two different positions on Scout.com and Rivals.com. Daniel Orton is the other UK commit that is a low post player, he is the #3 rated C in the country. He is still of interest to Calipari, but it not sure if he can be used in the fast-paced DDM offense. There are now 13 scholarships for 13 players, for each player that comes, another will have to go. This will be an interesting soap-opera as we will see it play out.

Derby Classic

The Derby Classic was very interesting to watch this past weekend in Louisville. On Friday, there were events such as the 2-on-2 competition and the dunk contest. On Saturday, there was the Derby Festival game, featuring some of the top high school players in the country, not to mention future UK, Louisville, and Indiana players and recruits. Among those in the game were Daniel Orton and Jon Hood, future UK players and sharp-shooters Mike Marra and Peyton Siva from Louisville. Daniel Orton is one of the recruits who remains in limbo at this point. There were conflicting rumors last week about him decommitting. According to the CatsPause website, he had told them that he already backed out of his LOI. The same afternoon, his father had told Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger that he was still committed to UK but was contemplating it. This will be a situation to watch in these next few days and weeks possibly.

Bill Keightley "Mr. Wildcat"

I'm sure that has most people throughout the BBN were as excited and giddy on Tuesday waiting for Coach Calipari's arrival like kids opening presents on Christmas, people forgot about exactly what date Tuesday was. It was March 31st. It has been exactly one year since the passing of Bill Keightley, commonly referred to by everyone as "Mr. Wildcat". Mr. Keightley was the beloved equipment manager for the men's basketball program since 1962, until 2008. But he was much more than what his title was. He was a very caring and charismatic person; he was always behind the scenes helping with everything that needed to be done. He loved his job and had a passion for it, but most importantly he had a passion for the University and for the Commonwealth. He was the first one at UK in the morning, and the last one to leave at night. He was there to comfort both players and coaches in the good times and the bad ones. He is a true representative of the UK fanbase and of all Kentuckians; he is also a good example of how a person should enjoy their life, as he did.


Born in Lawrenceburg, KY in 1926, Keightley was a former player for Kavanaugh High School. The Anderson County native also a Marine Vet from WWII and had been a former worker for the US Postal Service. He had been apart of 3 National Championships at UK, he had been apart of 57% of the games played in the 100-year history of the program, and witnessed 1,103 victories of the winningest program in college basketball. He was moved to the front of the bench by Coach Rick Pitino in the early-1990's and in 1997, he had his jersey retired. He was one of two non-UK players or coaches to have a jersey retired, other than Cawood Ledford, the legendary broadcaster for UK sports. An award for UK Athletics was created in his name in 2002 because of the character that this great man presented. During this past season, the Cats played in black uniforms in his honor, not to mention that for the entire season the K in the uniforms were outined in black. The first seat on the bench was also left empty in his honor for the entire season from beginning to end, thus implementing his place in UK basketball forever. I had the pleasure of meeting him 2 years ago and I was in complete shock, yet at the same time it was an honor to be in the presence of a great and respectful human being, not to mention an iconic figure in UK history that will forever be remembered.

Recruting Update: 4/2

A mass exodus in recruiting began today as a total of five players decommited from UK. GJ Vilarino, KC Ross-Miller, Michael Avery, Konner Tucker, and Dakotah Euton all decommtitted. They were all recruits of Billy Gillispie's, 3 from Texas, and one from Eastern KY, and another in Avery from Califronia. At the time he was offered a scholarship he was in 8th grade. BCG received much criticism for this from the NABC and NCAA. For some, if not most of them, it was a dream to play for Kentucky, to have that name on your jersey and represent the Commonwealth with pride. Now, Coach Calipari will be opening up more spots and it is believed that he will bring players more suitable to run the DDM offense. 3 of the top 10 recruits comprised CJC's class of 2009 at Memphis. It is now believed that they will follow him to UK in hopes of using it as a stepping-stone for the NBA. Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins, McDonalds All-Americans, and John Wall, the #1 recruit according to rivals.com, all have UK on their list and if they were to join Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, along with Darius Miller, Daniel Orton, and Jon Hood, it is believed that they willbe able to contend for the SEC championship and be able to make a deep run next March.

Evny Our Past, Fear Our Future: Welcome Coach Calipari

After amid speculation throughout the past month, Coach Billy Gillispie was fired from the University of Kentucky because he "was not a right fit for the job" according to AD Mitch Barnhart, and also because of some so-called off-the-court issues, which are all based off of rumors. After checking with my sources over these past few weeks, I figured out Sunday morning that a deal had been reached between UK and another party, but no names were released. It became obvious after Tuesday night that my sources who had been contacting me all week had been right all along: John Calipari was going to become UK's new head coach. He is UK's 22nd head coach, and the seventh one in the past 70 years. He is now the highest-paid college basketball coach in the country. He will bring his trademark dribble-drive motion offense, along with some potential recruits. It looks like more exciting times are still to come for the BBN.

Recruiting Update:3/22

Coach Gillispie hit the recruiting trail again this past week, receiving a commitment from JUCO PG Konner Tucker out of Texas. He was being recruited by a few colleges, such as Marquette, California, and DePaul. He is PG #3 recruited by BCG so far in the Gillispie era at UK. He will be a sophomore next year.
Commitments:
Daniel Orton-He played in his state championship this past week for Oklahoma City (Okla.) Bishop McGuiness, they lost the 4a state championship though. In a losing effort he had 14 points, and is looking in good shape as he is recovering from knee surgery. He will play in the Derby Classic in Louisville in April, with future UK and UofL recruits, along with local high school players.
Jon Hood-He was at both the SEC Tournament and the KHSAA Sweet 16 with his family. His family has stated that they expect Coach Gillispie back at Kentucky next year. He is also recovering from an injury, a stress fracture in his right foot. The senior from Madisonville is expected to play in the Derby Classic.
GJ Vilarino-Was named a unanimous selection to the District 9-4A all-district team in Texas.
Recruits:
Vee Sanford-Played well in the KHSAA regionals agaiinst Scott County and Class of 2010 prospect Dakotah Euton, but was shut down in the Sweet 16. Coach Gillispie has been at the tournament this past week in Lexington and Sanford is still considered a prospect. The senior from LexCath is also being recruited by a number of big schools.
John Wall-The #1 PG in the country is still being recruited by UK, but it is not really speculated that he will come, or even is interested. Still is between Baylor and Memphis.
Eric Bledsoe-Has listed UK has one of his top 3 schools, even though Duke is his dream school. UAB and Florida are also interested.

Even though this is for college basketball, shout out to Covington Holmes on a great game last night in the finals, winning in 2OT for the school's first title. Shelby Valley and Elliot County also played well.

Runnin Rebels Ran Out Of The Gym, Cats Win First Round Game

In an epic game played in the hallowed Memorial Coliseum, Billy Gillispie coached under the shadows of legendary Adolph Rupp, even sporting a brown suit, just as Rupp did. The crowd was sold out, the largest crowd and only crowd over capacity in the NIT so far. UK beat UNLV 70-60, in a game that mirrored what UK has played like all season. A close game with UK playing on all cylinders, having scoring spurts and playing stiffling defense, only to blow a lead becuase of turnovers and have the game on the line in the last seconds. UNLV got off to a quick start, opening up the game with a 9-2 lead. But the Cats clamped down on defense, forcing turnovers and and bad shots by the Rebels, who went cold from beyond the arc. The Cats ended the half on an 8-0 run, capped by a Patrick Patterson putback as time expired. The Cats opened up the lead with 3 point shooting and fast breaks. After the Cats took a 52-32 lead, they let UNLV get back into it by not defending and by going cold, eventually making the score 60-57 in the waning minutes. But the Cats pulled it out and will play at Creighton on Monday at 7pm on ESPN. Due to Creighton being the #1 seed, the Cats will have to travel to Omaha to play. The BBN will bring a big crowd as always.

March MADness:Cats Miss NCAA's; Get First NIT Bid Since 1979

After watching with some anxiety and hope on Selection Sunday, Patrick Patterson realized that UK's name was not going to be called, for the first time in 17 years. UK had to settle for the second rate torunament known as the National Invitational Tournament(NIT), where they drew a 4 seed and a first round matchup against UNLV. The Cats will play at Memorial Coliseum, where they have not played since the 23,000-seat Rupp Arena opened back in 1976. They have also not played in the NIT since 1979, back when a young Kyle Macy still played for the team and Joe B. Hall roamed the UK sidelines. The results of not being in the NCAA Tournament will have some effects on UK in the offseason. It is being widely speculated that BCG is on the hot seat, by both the local and national media. Many fans have contributed to the madness that is going on in Lexington by proclaiming through message boards that Gillispie might already be on his way out. AD Mitch Barnhart said he will have a meeting with BCG and evaluate the season and then they will move forward and a decision will be made. This could possibly effect incoming recruits and transfers, but only time will tell.

Cats Get Revenge, Beat Rebels

Patrick Patterson stated that he wanted to play loose yesterday, and that is exactly what he did yesterday. The sophomore had 15 points in helping the Cats avenge an earlier loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, 71-58. Darius Miller also played aggressive and had 12 points. Jodie Meeks added 25 points and Perry Stevenson had 10. The Cats had regained some confidence before and after the game, in ending their losing streak. They played aggressive defense in the second half and got out to a big lead. They will have to keep up the momentum if they want to beat LSU on Friday. Patrick Patterson also mentioned before the game that he will be coming back for his junior year.

The SEC Tournament

It is officially my favorite time of the year, the SEC Tournament. I sometimes compare this time of year to Christmas, because it is so highly anticipated. When it is held in Atlanta, which it is most of the time, UK fans have a tendancy to call it "Cat-lanta". All fans from different schools gather at one particular venue for 4 days of festivities and great games. The winner of the SEC tournament is rewarded with an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Out of the many tournaments there have been, Kentucky has won the most with 25 tournament championships, more than all the other teams combined. The seeding is determined by the standings in the division. The top 4 teams from the East and West division receive a bye. The games begin Thursday and end Sunday.

Florida vs.Kentucky Pt. 2-Preview

This rivalry has cooled a bit recently since both schools are not in the national spotlight as much. But it is still an important game. Just like it was last year, it was unofficially a play-in game for both team for the NCAA tournament. But after both teams facing losses this week, the opportunnity for other bubble and at-large teams to get in is becoming is becoming more likely. A day like today, when UK was all the talk on television, call-in radio, message boards, etc. fans speculated many things that could very well be what is hurting this team. But the reality of the matter is we all need to focus on the matter at hand and get ready for the next game. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks are what will make the difference on Saturday. They are the catalysts in helping us get some wins this season; it will be up to them. Patterson should be a dominant force since Florida has no post game, and Jodie Meeks m/ust come off some screens or curls or designed plays to make things happen. He has made magic this year by having games with 45, 46, and 54 pts. all on the road. He will need to come alive, as well as Darius Miller. If this team can play some fluid offense and contain Nick Calathes, they should be fine. As long as they can defend the 3-pt. shot, they should be able to keep Florida out of it. Im predicing the Cats win 75-70, same score as last year.

Worst For Last?

Obviously the title speaks for itself. Micheal Porter, a player who has been criticized because of his erroneous play at times, played his best having a career high 15 pts. Jodie Meeks, UK's leader, played his worse game, forcing too many shots. Georgia, the last place team in the SEC East and winless on the road this season, won. UK, the team which is on a slump and jeopardizing their 18-year NCAA appearance streak, lost. It just keeps on getting worse from here. At the time when I started this blog, UK was 16-4 and undefeated in the SEC. Now they are simply on life support, trying to get an at-large NCAA bid in a down year in the SEC. It has been argued by some if this is a down year, since there is so much parity, but the majority of these teams lack some sort of consistency. UK lost to Georgia last night, 90-85 on Senior Night, a night on which UK had an 83-5 all-time record in that game. They were all but guaranteed a lock into the tourney had they won out against USC and LSU last week against the 2 top teams in the conference. But they were blown out on the road and lost a close one at home, as almost every loss at this point has been, a close one. It is becoming more apperent that UK does have the talent, considering they only lost to Louisville on the road in the last 2 seconds. But I know feel it is the coaching decisions that are hurting this team the most. The had shown the potential before and I thought they could only get better, but they now look as if they degressing. It now falls on the coach, and before all Hell breaks loose, he better make some important decisions before his seat starts to get hotter.

Visine or Pepto-Bismol?: Which Should I Use?

Abysmal. Pathetic. Ridiculous. What other words can I use to describe the effort shown on Wednesday night against South Carolina. I was aching in pain watching that game last night. No effort whatsoever. Jodie Meeks was taken out of the game in the second half because of his lack of defense, according to BCG. It was a poor game, at best. Those are the best words I can use to describe what I saw last night. Even when they were down by double-digits, they could've at least fought to try and come back, but no. They gave up early, and USC shot lights out. I was disgusted with the lack of fouls and goaltends being called, but that would not have made much of a difference because in the end, USC flat out outplayed UK in every facet of the game, and outcoached for that matter. As much as I hated to see them win in that manner last night, I applaud Darrin Horn and he has my utmost respect, he is a great and young coach. He has proved he can make the SEC more competitive by what he has brought to the table so far.
I have been venting the past 24 hours and I cannot find much more to say since I've let out all my frustration on blogs and message boards all day. But UK fans need to continue to support our program, that means our players and our coach, so we can continue to be successful in the long run. Otherwise, at this rate, it will be a bumpy ride on the BCG bandwagon.

Darius Miller Goes 6-6, Cats Win Big Against Vols 77-58

Many people had been wondering for the past month or so, since the Louisville game, if anybody on the team was going to step up and become a legitimate offensive threat for UK so they wouldn't have to rely only on Jodie Meeks or Patrick Patterson. Well, on Saturday, the Cats found their answer, Darius Miller. He had 17 points, 6-6 FG with 3-3 on 3-pts. Meeks was only held to 14 pts., unlike the last game against them in which he scored a school-record 54 pts., but the Vols had no answer defensively for them. UK started the game on a 13-0 run and never trailed in the game. Patterson sat out the last 5 minutes of the 1st half because of foul trouble. The Cats played tough defensively, forcing UT to shoot 32% in the 2nd half. UK ended up leading 61-39 at one point, forciing UT to call a timeout to stop momentum. Patterson played aggresive in the 2nd half, having scored 19 pts. in the game. The Cats did not let UT get close at all during the game because of their defense. Michael Porter also performed well, having 9 pts. on 3-3 3pts. This win helped boosts UK's RPI and SOS and also their SEC standings, as they are 8-5 in the conference and have a 19-9 overall record. Hopefully the Cats can win out against USC and LSU next week as they would be important wins in getting them back in contention for the NCAA tournament.

UK Falls To Vandy, 77-64

Last night was a dissapointment, especially after Jodie Meeks showed no mercy against Arkansas on Saturday, unleashing a wrath of fury by scoring 45 points, something that is just amazing for us to watch right now. But last night the Cats had no answer. They played small most of the game, considering Josh Harrellson did not play past the first few minutes of the game. Vanderbilt took advantage of UK's lack of size in the frontcourt since Patrick Patterson was not playing. AJ Stewart had a career-high of 11 pts., but it wasn't worth much since he fouled put in the second half, partly due to his lack of defense. Darius Miller also fouled out late in the game. It was just another stumble in the road for the Cats but this puts more pressure on them to win the remaining 5 games this season. They face Tennessee at Rupp Arena on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Cats Prepare For Weekend Barbeque in Arkansas

After the barnburner that took place against the Gators, UK hopes to roast some Hogs on Saturday. The Arkansas Razorbacks will be without starting PG Courtney Fortson, who is a freshman out of Alabama. He is suspended indefinetely at this point. He has helped the Hogs to big wins over Oklahoma and Texas in consecutive weeks last month, helping the SEC and the Hogs gain some ground in the RPI. But since then the Razorbacks have fallen apart, they are 1-8 in conference play and 13-9 overall. Once looking like a Top 25 team and a legitamate forerunner to win the SEC, Arkansas has lost focus. Micheal Washington has been a contributor to this offense along with Fortson, averaging 16.5 ppg and 9.7 rpg. He is a good player in the post and is likely to challenge Patrick Patterson, who is coming off an injury. Arkansas likes to play small and create matchup problems, but with Fortson out, it will be hard to compete with UK. I believe Billy Gillispie will use a similar gameplan as he did with the Florida game. If Galloway and Harrellson can play just as many minutes as they did the last game, they should be able to perform good, although the game is on the road. I believe UK can pull this one out by again, limiting turnovers and playing defense. I think they will come out with a 75-63 victory. I anticipate it will be a good game, especially since it is against John Pelphrey, a former Paintsville High player and UK Unforgettable. I know he will represent Pike County and the Commonwealth well come Saturday, as he does with every game.

Kentucky No Longer Under Freeze Warning

It was devastating to hear the news last week in my home state. My relatives and friends alike were left without power in freezing cold conditions during the ice storm last week. Even my cousin was not able to celebrate her birthday last week because of the inability to go anywhere outside your home. Luckily everyone I know has recovered and I'm glad to hear that. Everyone except the Kentucky Wildcats, up until Tuesday night. The cold still had an effect on the 'Cats shooting, as Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson combined for 10 for 28 shooting and 30 points. But that didn't stop the 'Cats. It was a collaborative team effort as Kevin Galloway, Josh Harrellson, Micheal Porter, Darius Miller, and Perry Stevenson took the bulk for the team as they combined for 38 points, and with a strong defensive effort at the end, they managed to pull out the win against the arch-rival Florida Gators. Coach Gillispie finally showed what "toughness" character he was talking about. He wanted them to play with mental toughness for a full 40 minutes. It was a close game back and forth, being tied at halftime. But there were 2 turning points in the game: 1.-Florida Guard Walter Hodge was ejected in the 2nd half becaus e of a dead-ball flagrant foul. After Nick Calathes was fouled, UK player Perry Stevenson was on the ground. Before he got up, Hodge walked by and stepped on his arm. He clearly looked down and knew where he was going. It was an intentional foul by all means, and according to the NCAA rulebook he should have been ejected; therefore, the right call was made. Here's the video, you can judge the call if you like, but it was by all means intentional.2.-Patrick Patterson went down afterwards and landed on his ankle. Fortunately, X-rays were negative and he is being listed as day-to-day, although he did not return to the game. Florida then managed to go on a 10-0 run as they took a 60-54 lead with 3 minutes remaing. It was at that point that the team pulled together as Galloway, Harrellson, and Meeks started contributing. After UF missed a 3 to go up 67-63, Dan Werner made 1 of 2 free throws and the game remained tied. 65-65 with 12 seconds remaining, Jodie Meeks took the ball up the court and took a double-clutched shot in Calathes' face as the shot clock hit 0 and swished it. Calathes forced a shot at the buzzer that did not go in but he was "fouled". He forced a foul and created an allusion among the refs and fans. The 24,000 strong at Rupp Arena was at their loudest ever, the decibels being heard from Lexington to Gainesville, as they rejoiced when Calathes missed the first free throw, practically guaranteeing a win for UK. He went on to miss all three as the Cats prevailed against the over-hyped Florida Gators. They did not allow a 3-game home losing streak, which would have been the first time in school history. UK will hopefully use this momentum to gain some ground in the SEC and win games that will help them make the Big Dance.

Mississippi Burning

I think that title seems fit considering the Cats were burnt on both sides of the court by both teams out of the SEC West that they've faced this year. In the past week, I have seen a dramatic turn of events unfold for this UK basketball team. They were riding high on a 5-0 conference record a week ago and were thought to be a 4 seed going into the tournament. Now, after losing 3 in a row, the past 2 at home, the Cats look to be a 7 seed , if that. They might be on pace to be a bubble team or an NIT team because they surely aren't playing like the same team I've seen them play the past week. Teams have figured out how to stop Jodie Meeks on offense, no defense has been played in any of the 3 games, and there has been a flurry of turnovers, something that doesn't seem to stop at this point. There is no heart or enthusiasm shown in the games and some poor decision making had been made by the players as well as Coach Gillispie. Also, if the Cats were to lose on Tuesday against Florida, it would be the first time in school history that we've had a 3-game home losing streak. Many fans are now starting to call for BCG's head, which is what I would consider a poor idea. Gillispie had only been on the job a year and a half. About half of the players aren't his, they're Tubby's recruits and do not fit Billy's system. UK has also lacked a point guard all year. Next year Orton and Hood should fill those spots in his roster as scoring threats, but hopefully they, along with the current team, will start playing with some heart, and will realize just how much pride they should play with. For it is that same name on the front of the jersey that brings pride to past players and to people all over the Commonwealth. UK has the ability to go out and play; there should be no excuse for not beating these teams. So hopefully during the next week, the team will recover from their mistakes and start playing more inspired ball, because they know what is at stake for this great, prestigious basketball program.

Live Blog

Due to the inconvenience of trying to watch the game on the computer and not having the privilage to watch it from press row and blog simultaneously like Matt Jones from KSR(Kentucky Sports Radio), I will not be live blogging today. I will try my best to do so when there is a game that is broadcasted on TV where I'm able to watch it. Thanks.

Mission:Impossible?

I hope when the Cats take the court today, Coach Gillispie has 2 things on his mind he needs to tell the team:1.Play defense and 2. Play defense, on this kid. Devon Downey is the 2nd leading scorer in the SEC with 19.6 ppg. He can hurt you from beyond the arc and if you play tight defense, he has the ability to drive it down the lane. He also averages 3 steals

a game. Its also a homecoming for USC coach and Lexington native Darrin Horn, who coincidentally coaches my mom's alma mater and went to my dad's high school, Tates Creek.

I think our loss on Tuesday was beneficial for the team, becuse it was a wake-up call. The 2 previous games against Alabama and Auburn, UK had played wire-to-wire until late in the 2nd half in both games. The Ole Miss game also had a slow start, considering the Cats never rebounded from it and took the loss. Gillispie should have the boys back on track today playing some hard-nosed defense and not letting Liggins shoot 3 for 16 like he did the other night. They will do a better job of getting Meeks open and I believe this will possibly be a break-out game for Miller. If the Cats win they will have sole possesion of 1st place in the SEC, depending on whether Florida can go on the road and knock off the Vols.I got the Cats in this one 80-74. Also, I will have a live blog going on around 2:45 or so.

I wonder if any USC fans remember this, because I know I do:

Ole Miss Preview

Tonight the 'Cats take on the Rebels of Ole Miss at 7 on ESPN. Its a good matchup for UK particularly because it is nationally broadcasted. They are ranked for the first time in over a year and are the only undefeated team in the SEC (5-0). It will give them a chance to expose themselves tonight in front of millions of viewers. This means that UK is back on the national scene and here to stay, thanks to Billy G.
On to the game: UK should win this one easily since Jodie Meeks is the favorite for NPOY at this point. He is averaging 26 points a game and is one of the top 5 leading scorers in the nation. Patrick Patterson has been a little inconsistent as of late, getting into foul trouble because of the double and triple teams down in the post. If he can avoid staying out of foul trouble, he could provide some key points that they lacked in Saturday's win over Alabama. Perry Stevenson could also have a big game, he has been more aggressive in his play and could be the 3rd scorer that UK has been looking for. All this comes down to is the PG spot. The Micheal Porter and DeAndre Liggins saga still continues; they have to limit their turnovers and lock down on defense, especially on Rebels guard David Huertas, the former Florida transfer who has 19 points per game. UK has one of the top 5 defenses in the country and this should be the key to the game tonight. I have the Cats winning 74-59.
Also, I hope Ramon Harris doesn't play tonight, just for his own good. After suffering from a head/neck injury collision with Michael Porter back in December, he collapsed outside the locker room on Saturday at halftime. My thoughts go out to him and I hope he gets well and recovers.
Go Cats!!!!!