Coach Cal put five Cats into the NBA Draft this Thursday. Never been done before (in a single draft).
I’m happy about it. Not nearly as excited as I’d have been if those 5 players had led UK to the National Championship. Still it’s a great accomplishment.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari sounded like a proud papa on Friday when discussing his five former players who were picked in the first round of the NBA Draft the previous night.
And while the exodus means that UK must adjust to a lot of new players next season, Calipari is hoping that the Cats continue to be a big player on NBA Draft night.
“I hope we do it again,” Calipari said. “My dream now would to be to have the No. 1 overall pick and six first-round draft picks. I want my sixth man to get drafted in the first round.”
John Wall was the No. 1 draft pick. DeMarcus Cousins checked in at No. 5, Patrick Patterson at No. 14, Eric Bledsoe No. 18 and Daniel Orton at 29th.
With Terrence Jones joining the roster for 2010, Cal brings in his 2nd Number One Class in a row. 2nd Number One Class in two years at the helm of UK. 2 Years, 2 Number One Classes. More than likely, next year will see the Number One Class as well.
Now, he needs to build continuity for the decade and I need to secure some Final Four tickets for the Next Few Years.
GO CATS!!!
And then there is John Wall
Jimmy
#1 Draft Pick of the 2010 Draft
“I think there’s no question John is by far the most dynamic player in the draft,” Saunders said. “He’s probably one of the most dynamic guards to come out in a while, when you combine his athleticism, his ability to defend and the speed that he has. A lot of times when players come into our league, you’re trying to develop a guy into a point guard.
“Sometimes you’re trying to change him from maybe a guy that was a scorer and more of a shooting guard in college to a point guard who tries to run a team. Whereas John is definitely a guy that is definitely a point guard. He averaged a lot of assists at Kentucky and pretty much dominated games with his ability to make plays for other players.”
Vandy guard Jenkins proves unable to shoot over the defensive presence that is John Wall.
In the closing seconds of the game, Jenkins attempts a 3 point shot. John Wall gets a piece of it and the shot is off the mark. More last second heroics by Wall who had made the winning shots for Kentucky only seconds earlier.
This Kentucky Team refuses to lose. The swagger is definitely back at Kentucky.
DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t answer questions after games so much as he holds court.
The gregarious freshman center is as refreshingly unfiltered as head coach John Calipari is polished. Blunt and direct, Cousins is unapologetically honest whether the topic is his sometimes eccentric postgame attire or his ability to attract controversy wherever he goes.
Yes, Cousins thinks he may be the best center in the Southeastern Conference. Yes, he believes the referees swallow their whistles sometimes when the ball is in his hands. Yes, he may have pushed a South Carolina student out of the way while trying to get off the court last week, but he didn’t punch him as at least one reporter claimed.
Hey, it’s all a part of the game when you’re “Big Cuz,” one of the handful of monikers Cousins goes by.
“I’m just doing my part,” Cousins said from behind his nonprescription black-rimmed glasses, part of what he calls his “Peter Parker” swag.
And he’s playing his part as well as any player in the country.
Cousins is a GREAT College Player. Period. Only a fool would deny this. Yes! He has a bit of an edge. It’s an edge that Kentucky has been sorely missing throughout the Tubby “Never to High, Never too Low” Smith Era. Not since Jamaal Magloire was recruited by Pitino has a Kentucky Baller had the attitude that’s needed to reign supreme. Not only in Rupp Arena, but, in the SEC.
The past few years of BCG and Tubby saw Florida and Vandy come in with their chumps. These “chumps” punked Kentucky to the tune of 5 wins AT RUPP ARENA. Unheard of when Pitino was here. Rupp was rolling over in his grave and screaming lamentations of disbelief.
That was then. This is now.
The era of Big Cuz and the Great Wall. Eric Bledsoe. Patrick Patterson.
Finally! Warriors on the Court. Take no prisoners athletes who will their way to a win if the fickle Gods of Basketball aren’t favoring them.
DeMarcus Cousins is exactly what Kentucky Basketball has been missing. He’s a character. He’s a record breaking Beast. He’s the King of the Bluegrass.
I love the Kid and I hope I get to shake his hand at the SEC Tournament.
I almost missed it. For some reason, thought the game was tomorrow night.
But I get to watch it. I’ve got to stay up damn near all night to do so. It’s worth every second of lost sleep, though.
Can’t wait to see Wall and Patterson in action…with the outcome unknown. Although, I am pretty certain that UGa is a gimme this year. Mark Fox and Company are outmatched from top to bottom and there’s no Coach Gillispie to choke the drive and will to win out of the talented kids who take the floor for UK this year.
GO BIG BLUE!!!
I wish Meeks was here to experience this year with the Cats. Without Meeks, this UK team is incredible. With Meeks, they’d be a juggernaut. Unstoppable!
As Kentucky fans, we have been bountifully blessed this year with Coach Calipari and this outstanding Kentucky Basketball team. I know that many of you, like me, are very grateful for this program’s return to prominence as we have endured the longing for success now for several years.
I believe that Kentucky fans are the most loyal, passionate and generous fans of any sports team in America. And, I think I have a way that we can share who we really are with the rest of the world.
There are extremely cold temperatures throughout America now and will be next week as well. Even Florida has had a series of record low, freezing temperatures. Most of us are blessed to have warm clothes and a warm enough place to sleep to endure the arctic air that surrounds us.
But not everyone in America will have what they need to stay warm tonight. They need things that most of us already have in our closets, under our beds, or in our attics. I believe that everyone reading this has something, even just one thing, that they could share with another human being to help keep them warm.
Since Kentucky has the most dedicated fans in the world and we are a caring group of good people, I have an idea how we can show the rest of the world.
Between now and next Friday, January 15th let’s each find some way, small or large, to make a difference in the life of one single homeless person. Let’s choose to unite in belief, for one moment in time, that every homeless person can’t help where they are in life right now.
Let’s look throughout our homes for anything extra we have that we can share. The economy is too tough for many of us to go out and buy new things to give away. So, let’s simply share what we already have with just one other person
Look for blankets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, warm socks, gloves, hats, scarves, candles, or anything else you can share to keep someone warm.
Next, write in permanent ink on the label or somewhere discretely this one simple phrase, “Kentucky fans care.”
Finally, go find a homeless person and give it to them directly or take the items to your local homeless shelter for distribution to those in need. Sadly, there is no shortage in our country today.
Let the message resound throughout America that indeed, “Kentucky Fans Care”.
Feel free to share this message in any way or any place that you can. Post it on other boards. Send it in email to friends and family that bleed blue like us. Print 50 and hand them out at the game Saturday. Just try and help to spread the word in any way you see fit.
I know what good and kind hearted people we have in this Big Blue Nation of Kentucky fans. Just think of how many lives we can touch for the better. It’s a very small thing for each of us to do. But together, we will shout this message to the rest of the world. Let’s help one other human being trying to simply survive, one night at a time.
CurlyCat in Tampa
I think this is a fine idea. Please feel free to copy this and pass it on and use it. I’ll find a way to do it here in Afghanistan as well. I’ll post pics later.
“I think we’ve got two guys when the game is on the line they are not afraid to make plays, which bodes well for us,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “You saw once again that late in the game I’m not calling a timeout. I don’t need to be a hero, let those guys be the hero.”
“Those two guys have the killer (instinct),” Calipari said. “What you want is the guys with the killer to bleed onto the others. Just a will to win.”
“For such a young team, they showed a lot of poise down the stretch,” Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. “(Wall) is one of the fastest guards I’ve ever seen play on any level. He showed a lot of poise for his age. He’s a terrific player.”
On the other side, Wall was the only Kentucky player to get going before the break. The freshman guard had 15 points but could not do all the heavy lifting with preseason All-American forward Patterson going out of the game less than six minutes in with two fouls. Without Patterson’s inside presence the Wildcats struggled to get anything in the paint and shot just 35.5 percent from the field.
Patterson got going early in the second half on his way to his 25th career double-double, but he missed two point-blank opportunities on the same possession that would have given Kentucky its first lead since late in the first half with just over 10 minutes remaining.
He made up for it later, using a power post move to give Kentucky a 54-53 lead with 6:42 to play.
John Wall will be the first #1 Draft Pick in Kentucky History. He or Patterson should be the First UK Basketballer to bring home the Adolph Rupp Trophy for Player of the Year. I think one of them will bring home the Wooden Trophy as well. Wall may well be the most highly regarded Frosh/Student Athlete to ever have worn the UK Jersey by the time this year is finished. He is certainly lived up to the hype surrounding him as a player. What’s more is that the guy is actually a good student and a good guy as well.
Calipari pulled off a recruiting coup with John Wall. His second best recruiting pitch was retaining Patrick Patterson. These are two All World Student Athletes. I just hope that all of the anti-Cal or anti-Kentucky feeling out there doesn’t hurt them over the course of the year. Lots of guys out there who are waiting like vultures for something, anything to pop up to stall or kill Cal and Kentucky’s momentum. Yet, these same hypocrites defend John Wooden as if their reputations depended upon said defense.
This year, UK has three of the Top Freshman in the CNNSI Power Rankings. Wall and Cousins are ranked #’s 1 and 2 respectively. Eric Bledsoe is ranked at #25. I’m sure that Bledsoe will rise as the year goes on. All three are players. I can see them all going to the NBA after this year. Hopefully, Bledsoe and Cousins come back for a 2nd year. The good thing, though, is that IF Cousins sees it as more wise to come out for the Draft after this year, it will likely mean that he has helped lead UK to a Final Four or better.
This should be a great year for Kentucky Basketball. Patterson, Wall and the rest of the Frosh are finding ways to win this year. Whereas last year, Billy Gillispie was finding ways to lose.
Jerry Tipton has no integrity. That’s the bottom line. The lexington Herald Leader, apparently, has no integrity either.
Where is the PUBLIC APOLOGY to the Pattersons? He printed his lie publicly. He should print his apology publicly. It should be made just as prominent as the lies that Tipton printed.
This is the story which Matt Jones printed on his blog outting the lie printed by Jerry Tipton after Big Blue Madness:
In case you missed it earlier today, Jerry Tipton wrote a game report in which he commented on the fact that Patrick Patterson had a new truck. In his report, he said Patrick drove the new truck to the game and then “the fun figured to continue when he climbed in his new black truck and drove away.” Interesting story right? The problem is that according to Patterson’s mother, it is not true. I spoke this afternoon to Tywanna Patterson who said that Patrick didnt drive to the game in the truck or drive home afterwards, instead riding with his parents to dinner after the game. She also said that Patrick’s new truck isnt even kept primarily on campus and was a gift from his parents that will be kept primarily in Huntington. Patterson’s mother was upset at Tipton’s comments on the truck and said,
“I just dont appreciate him making false statements and comments. When he first interviewed me, he misquoted me about OJ Mayo when Patrick was in high school. I just wish he would stop doing that.”
The Patterson family has had issues with Tipton before and his father Buster Patterson, famously said to a line of Tipton’s questioning, “you just dont quit do you Jerry?” But as for the current issue, Tywanna Patterson simply says, “I just wish he would report on the game and not things that didnt happen.”
I just spoke with Tywanna Patterson who said that an editor of the Herald Leader called her to apologize about the story. Apparently a comment or retraction of some sort will be in the paper tomorrow on the issue.
Below is the Jerry Tipton “retraction” as re-printed on KSR from the Tipton blog:
Clarification: Patterson’s new truck in Huntington
I just had a pleasant conversation with Tywanna Patterson, the mother of Kentucky big man Patrick Patterson. She asked that a clarification be made about the game story on UK’s Blue-White Game.
Patterson did not drive his vehicle, a Lincoln Mark LT, to the game.
His parents did buy him the Lincoln Mark LT. The truck was “a gift for all his hard work,” his mother said.
The car remains in Huntington. Patterson’s parents intended the car as a Christmas present, she said.
UPDATE: Jerry Tipton clarifies the statement in his blog. Not exactly a retraction or explanation for why the story was wrong, but at least an acknowledgement.
Jerry Tipton fabricates a story about Patrick Patterson departing Big Blue Madness in “his new truck.” The story is highlighted by Matt Jones and Tywanna Patterson and proved to be a complete lie. Jerry Tipton merely states that it did not happen. No apology for the lie or the insinuation behind the lie.
Anyone with the ability to think independently can clearly see the implication behind the Tipton non-story. He’s mentioning the “new truck” as a way of outting what he perceives to be an NCAA violation. Apparently, Jerry Tipton thinks that the only way that a black student athlete or his family could afford a new truck is through extra-legal means or via NCAA violations of one sort or the other. What Jerry didn’t stop to think about is the fact that both of the Patterson parents are working Professionals. Jerry Tipton seems to me to be a closet racist. He probably doesn’t perceive himself that way but clearly he thinks that a Black Student Athlete has no business with a brand new truck.
Jerry, this is 2009. Not all Black Student Athletes come from the inner city of New York, Chicago or Atlanta. Plenty of college educated, professionals African-American or Black Adults out there. Many of them have children. Some of them have children who are quite talented. Plenty of them can afford to purchase vehicles for their children.
I think the Tipton act is getting old. Extremely old. With every event, Jerry Tipton will present a negative viewpoint concerning UK. Student violations during madness. Fabrications of Student Athletes driving off in illicitly gained vehicles.
There was absolutely no reason for Jerry to mention that Patrick Patterson had a new truck except to imply that it was a violation of NCAA regulations/rules.
Tipton is a muckraking, unprofessional cur with some kind of odd need to magnify any negative no matter how trivial concerning UKAA, UK Basketball or any UK Basketball Student Athlete.
I agree with the many folks out there saying that it’s time to put Jerry out of the business. UK fans and any responsible citizens out there should join in a boycott of any sponsors for any publication that prints the trifling bile that Jerry Tipton puts forth in the media. It’s time for Jerry Tipton’s reign of madness and negativity to end.
Here they are folks. This years Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Team.
Left to Right 2nd Row (Standing):
Jon Hood, Ramon Harris, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, Demarcus “Big Cuz” Cousins, Josh “Jorts” Harrelson, Perry “Slim” Stevenson and Darnell “Ramel Bradley’s Twin” Dodson
Left to Right First Row (Seated):
Rod Strickland, Orlando Antiqua,Darius Miller, John Wall, Mark Krebs, Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Liggins, John Calipari and Jon Robic
“I’ve done enough,” Calipari said Thursday at the first official media day since leaving Memphis. “I’m waiting for election day. I was kissing babies, and I didn’t care if I won or lost the election. I just wanted it to happen.”
Calipari is well aware that the passionate UK fans care strongly about whether he wins or loses. They want wins — preferably in bunches.
The program’s recent buzz has been sparked not just by its energetic new leader but by his debut recruiting haul, a freshman class arguably the most touted since Michigan’s Fab Five.
Yet unlike that 1991-92 Wolverines team that reached the national title game with five freshman starters, Kentucky has plenty of experience to go along with the new blood. Patrick Patterson was an all-Southeastern Conference center last year during Kentucky’s National Invitation Tournament season. Kentucky’s roster is so deep, Calipari envisions Patterson playing some wing this year.
This is going to be a hell of a year. Big Pat is back on the scene with a mission. He’s got help from incoming Frosh John Wall, Big Cuz, Orton and Eric Bledsoe as well as Darius Miller and the remainder of the returning team.
Big things are expected and these guys can take care of business and meet those expectations. I can see making Final Four this season. Of course, everything will have to go right for the team. Keep the injuries down. Cohesion and Esprit de Corps will be important factors. With the Cal DDS system, there should be plenty of PT for all of the stars that make up this team. Cal has been to two Final Fours and I can see this being his 3rd with the possibility of going al the way to the Title Game and bringing home banner #8.
A year that doesn’t end in a National Championship will not be catastrophic. Less than a Final Four would surprise me. I see this team slicing through the SEC like a hot knife through butter. I’m sure there will be challenges, but, I see enough talent to overcome a few bouts with youth and inexperience.
Everything I read about John Wall says that the kid will be an instant player for Kentucky and Coach Cal. Big Cuz is supposed to be a monster. Daniel Orton should be a beast down low. Eric Bledsoe may be better than advertised which would be impressive as he’s supposed to be a future lottery pick. Darius Miller can take care of spot duty at the point and become an assassin on the wings. These things take place and it’s gonna be a huge year.
HUGE!
Bottom line is that Patrick Patterson didn’t come back for the hell of it. The man came back to get his. I’m hoping he gets it. Patrick Patterson leads this team to a Championship this year and he will go down in history as one of THE greats of Kentucky Basketball. He could well supplant Dan Issel as THE GREATEST.
2. So the Bluegrass State has the Pitino deal, the cloud hanging over UK coach John Calipari stemming from alleged violations at Memphis, and former Wildcats coach Billy Gillispie gets a DUI charge.
Can you rank them in order of who created the biggest PR nightmare for himself? Quote: DeCourcy:
No. 1 is obviously Gillispie. He already had two DUIs in his past from several years ago, plus the difficult tenure while he coached UK. In order to get back into college coaching, he needed to keep his record clean and allow athletic administrators to remember he once had terrific success at Texas A&M and UTEP, two difficult jobs. It is not going to be easy for him to become a college head coach again.
No. 2 is Pitino. The circumstances that led to him facing an alleged extortion attempt were outside the boundaries of good behavior and good taste — and then he exacerbated the problem by blaming the media for how much trouble they were causing his family. Well, that fooled no one. Radio talk shows in the state buzzed Wednesday night with callers pointing out it was Pitino who, with his admitted infidelity, caused whatever problems exist under his roof.
Calipari? He recruited Derrick Rose, whom any coach in America would have loved to sign, and played him after the NCAA approved his eligibility. What exactly was it he did wrong?
DeCourcy is dead on.
Rick Pitino created this whole problem. Rick brought the roof in over his own head. He had extra-marital sex. He covered it up. This is a scandal of his own creation. His own poor decision making cycle come full circle to bite him in his ass.
Billy Gillispie. The only guy who pisses me off more than Tubby Smith and his merry band of worshipers. After 9 or 10 years of Tubby, I knew that there was absolutely no hope of UK ever reaching the Final Four. Gillispie came in with fire and I really thought he was going to make things happen. Then he goes off the deep end. Forcing players to sit in toilet stalls and walk home alone from games and berating players so much so that they lose confidence. The only man who would tell Jodie Meeks to not shoot. What an idiot.
Now this idiot. In the middle of negotiations, that heretofore, he was winning. He grabs himself a DUI. Consider the lawsuit all but over. Gillispie will be lucky to walk away with 500 Grand and that is just so he’ll go away. UKAA should put a clause in that states that Gillispie can never utter, write or even think the words/thoughts “UK”, Kentucky, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Basketball or mention his tenure at the University. He must omit the years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 from his resume and is not permitted to explain the omission to future prospective employers. Lastly, he should never again be able to enter the Commonwealth of Kentucky or play against any SEC school at the Division 1 Level.
They should burn this guy. And then burn him in effigy. August 27th should become a Statewide day of celebration during which Billy Gillispie paper mache’ dolls are burned in effigy each year across the commonwealth.
What an idiot!
Then we have John Calipari. Recruited Derick Rose. Check. The NCAA granted him eligibility. Check. Then Calipari played Rose on a team that broke records and made it to the Championship game.
THEN…the NCAA–the National Collection of Asinine Assholes–comes back a year later and states that “OOPs! We made a mistake! But, it’s not our mistake. It’s the fault of Memphis!” And they want to enforce strict accountability on Memphis. But not on Duke. Not on the sacred cow named Coach K. And definitely not on the Holy One on High. The Holy of Holies. Coach John Wooden. Not on Pete Carrol. Only on the little guys at the little schools or the schools with Administrations that don’t fight back.
The NCAA is full of cowards. Memphis needs to fight. They need to file a lawsuit.
And the rest of the member schools need to join that fight. Especially the small schools. Duke boosters can provide housing and jobs for Duke Athletes. UCLA can have open and rampant cheating. USC can have guys being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. Duke can have championship runs with Corey Maggette who admitted to taking money from his AAU coach while an “amateur.” But that’s not Coach K’s fault. He had no way of knowing. Duke had no way of knowing.
But somehow, Memphis was supposed to know that Rose had a guy take a test for him in Detroit, MI.
I guess Memphis should have escorted Rose to his test. But then that would have violated contact rules.
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
The NCAA is full of shit and so are half of the reporters out there who are calling for Calipari to be “punished” by the NCAA.
At UMass, a nothing school on the college basketball landscape, John Calipari won like he was at Kentucky. At Memphis, a bigger basketball school than UMass but still nothing much to look at when he got there in 2000, Calipari won again like he was at Kentucky.
So what happens now that John Calipari is coaching Kentucky?
John Calipari will prove himself worthy of Kentucky fans’ applause. (Getty Images)
I’ll tell you what happens. Kentucky will win like it’s the Boston Celtics. John Calipari will prove himself worthy of Kentucky fans’ applause. John Calipari will prove himself worthy of Kentucky fans’ applause.
College basketball as you know it? It’s over. That sport doesn’t exist anymore, because that sport had a semblance of parity. One year North Carolina is the dominant program. One year it’s UConn. One year it’s Duke or UCLA or Florida. Maybe those teams don’t win the national title the year they’re dominant, or maybe they do. Either way, every year there is a team that, on paper, is the dominant program in college basketball. And every year it’s a different team.
Until now. Until John Calipari merges with Kentucky.
Once Calipari gets Kentucky rolling — and it won’t take him long — Kentucky will be that team. That dominant team. Every year?
Yes. Every year.
Things can go wrong, of course. Players can get hurt or ineligible. A scandal can come along out of nowhere, like the one rocking UConn at the moment. Kentucky itself has been laid low by NCAA violations, back when Eddie Sutton was running amok in Lexington. So things can happen.
But if none of those things happen … it’s over. College basketball will belong to Kentucky. Turn back the clock 50 or 60 years, because it’ll be like that all over again. Kentucky won three national championships in the four seasons between 1948-51. The Wildcats added another in 1958. What happened between 1951 and ’58? Three trips to the Elite Eight happened. Not even a point-shaving scandal could slow Kentucky down. The Wildcats didn’t field a team in 1953 because of that scandal, then went 25-0 in 1954, but were held out of the NCAA tournament.
The coach then was Adolph Rupp. When he retired in 1972, he had won 876 games, more than anyone in college basketball history. His record stood for 25 years. Rupp was that good at Kentucky.
John Calipari would be that good at Kentucky, too. How could he not? He has been Kentucky-good at places that couldn’t hold Kentucky’s jock.
In 1988, Calipari went to Massachusetts, which hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament in more than 25 years, and soon he was making it look easy. UMass averaged 29 wins per season from 1992-96, and reached the 1996 Final Four. There was the Marcus Camby scandal, with Camby’s relationship to an agent costing him his eligibility and UMass its spot in the Final Four, and heads will roll if that happens at Kentucky.
But if that doesn’t happen, Calipari will win huge. He’ll win like he won at Memphis, where he won at least 33 games in each of the past four seasons and reached the 2008 NCAA title game.
Calipari will win like that at Kentucky, and maybe as soon as Year 1. Kentucky has two future pros, forward Patrick Patterson and guard Jodie Meeks, but neither is quite ready for the NBA. If they come back, and if Calipari brings just two of the incoming freshman studs he has lined up at Memphis — say, Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins — Kentucky would enter next season among the preseason favorites to win the national title. One year after going to the NIT.
Calipari is that good, because he attracts that kind of talent. You can question how he attracts that talent, and you can question the character of some of the talent he attracts, and those are legitimate issues for someone to tackle. But those are issues for another day.
Today, the issue is the merger of John Calipari and Kentucky basketball. He’s going to get that school rolling again, because that’s what he does. UMass had been stalled for 25 years, but he got that program up and rolling. Memphis had been stuck in neutral until he got that place rolling.
He’ll get Kentucky rolling, too. Heaven help anyone who gets in the way.
‘But UK fans, contrary to national reputation, don’t demand perfection. How else could one of their most beloved teams of the past two decades be one that was 14-14? What they do demand, however, is that the team on the court reflect this state’s longstanding passion for the game.’
Said Meeks: “It is a good feeling to get 46 points. I give credit to my teammates for finding me. I didn’t know how many points I had until I made a free throw and had 38 points.”
His 46 points are the most by a Kentucky player since 1971.
I knew Jodie Meeks was going to be special at UK when I met his father right before they committed to Tubby Smith. Jodie was on no one’s radar to be a Collegiate SuperStar. If he keeps going at this level, he’ll be in rare air. Up there with the Kentucky Greats. Issel, Walker and the like. The first star of the Gillispie era.
Congrats to the young man on a stellar game and keeping his head on straight all the while.
Mr. and Mrs. Meeks are rightfully proud. What an excellent young man.
Good news for fans of the Big Blue. Matt Jones at KSR is reporting that the Point Guard duo will be eligible for play next year. This is GREAT news for UK Basketball as I beleive it ensures at least 26 wins and a promise of at least a Sweet 16 appearance this season.
Gillispie is bringing in the talent. UK Basketball will continue to improve under Gillispie.
Great news Cats fans. UK is back.
Look for Liggins to start right away at PG. Kevin Galloway should spell both guard positions unless Meeks is not 100% at the beginning of the season.
The 2nd year of the Gillispie Era is going to be a good year to be a Cat fan. This team is gonna sneak up on some folks. I hope they punch UNC in the mouth and lay ‘em out on the floor. That would be a hell of a way to start the season.
Pat Riley, a member of the famous Rupp’s Runts, played in the 1966 National Championship game. Whiile in the NBA he played on one NBA Championship team (L.A. Lakers) and coached 5 NBA Championship teams (the 80s Showtime Lakers and the 2006 Miami Heat). The man was a coaching genius who could get multiple star caliber players to mesh into a cohesive team and win. No easy feat. Especially in todays game. He, also, took the ’94 Knicks to the Championship game but came up short that year. No one has been able to do much with the Knicks since.Coach Riley joins his mentor and Coach–Adolph Rupp–in the Hall of Fame as well as NBA greats like Red Auerbach and other legendary NCAA coaches such as John Wooden.
Congrats Coach Riley on a great honor and an incredible and exemplary career.
This is an excellent article on Coach Riley by Rick Bozich of the Louisville Courier Journal. (article here)
“I wish that coach (Adolph) Rupp, Harry Lancaster, Joe B. Hall, Mr. (Bill) Keightley and Louie (Dampier), Larry (Conley), Thad (Jaracz) and Tommy (Kron), God bless him, could be here to share this moment with me because the University of Kentucky was a special time in my life,” Riley said.
Indeed it was. Riley arrived at UK in 1963 from Schenectady, N.Y. He credited his basketball development to all 16 of his coaches, starting with his first coach — his father, Leon, a minor league baseball player.
At UK, Riley said he was assigned to share a room with Dampier, another freshman, from Southport, Ind. Riley had not begun to slick back his hair, but he said when he pulled out his blue-suede shoes and fancy clothes, the more conservative Dampier flinched.
Said Riley: “Louie had to be thinking, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve got to live with this guy the next four years?’ “
I guess the important thing to do is follow my dad’s advice. Yikes, did I really just say that? But, seriously though, father knows best and he told me to love what you do and it won’t feel like work.
Nuxhall and Keightley followed those words until they left this world. And while it is sad to think that two legends in their own rights are gone, hopefully we can learn from the lives they led.
Jenny Elder Richmond Register
The Keightley family requests memorial donations be made to:
The Bill Keightley “Mr. Wildcat” Basketball Managers Scholarship Fund
UK Office of Development
100 Sturgill Development Buildings
Lexington, KY 40506-0015.
This picture was taken about a week after Kentucky won the 1996 NCAA Championship.
At that time, I was in The Old Guard. Stationed at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. President Clinton ran on post all the time. It was a secure place. Relatively light risk. The Secret Service would swarm the post. Snipers on the rooftops. Bikers would be on post stopped at not so random points talkiing to the wind. Those huge Suburbans would be stationed at strategic points. All of them with their Tripod mounted .50 Caliber Machine Guns. The post would basically be closed down for a few hours on those days.
Each time he came on post, guys from Alpha Company would swarm the man. The first time that I met Bill, I was walking back from a dentist appointment. I saw a group of our soldiers surrounding someone directly in my path. About ten feet out, I realized that it was President Clinton. I was fairly surprised.
I had taken a copy of U.S. Grants Memoirs with me to read while I waited at the dentist’s office. So I walked on into the crowd and when I got the chance, I asked him to sign my book. He signed it and then asked me how I liked it. He told me that he had read it in college. He stood there and talked to me about U.S. Grant for about 5 minutes.
Changed my opinion of the man. I didn’t really like his policy on the military. But I grew to like the man.
In that picture, I walked up to him and asked him to take a picture with me. He actually talked to me a little about SEC Basketball. Being from Arkansas, he was, of course, a Hog fan. I wonder how he likes John Pelphrey these days.
I have to say. I really wasn’t a big Bill Clinton FP fan. Among other things, he made Yassar Arafat when he should have been hunting him down. He damn near shut down the military even as he upped the tempo with deployments to the Balkans. One thing that I did like was that the move out of Germany and into Eastern Europe started during his Presidency. I don’t know how much he had to do with it. It was a good move.
I knew that eventually President Clinton would be back to McNair. So I had this picture enlarged to get it signed. The next time that I caught him on post, I ran out to try to get him to sign it. I was a bit late. He was already getting back in to his ride. So I approached the vehicle but was cut off by a Secret Service Agent. The guy took the picture from me and promised to get it signed for me. As they drove away, I realized that I hadn’t given him my name.
I thought that was it. No signature and no pic.
About two weeks later, my First Sergeant called me up to his office. I walked in as a guy in a suit walked out. 1SG Thompson looks at me strangely and hands me a large yellow envelope. I open it there in his office and start laughing. The envelope contains the picture signed;
To SGT Kaelin
Thank you for your service to your country.
Bill Clinton
Pretty Sweet!
My Personal experiences with Clinton were great. The man always seemed to have a moment to spare for Joe Soldier. That’s enough for me to give him some respect. I may not have liked all of his policies. Even so, he was a really cool guy. I always thought that he’d be a great guy with whom to hang out, watch a ball game and down a few beers.
I laughed when I read the statement. Then I had to ask myself; “Who on earth is Don Meyers and who are the Northern State Wolves?” Ranked #15 Nationally at what? Over the past few years, High School powerhouse Oak Hill has been ranked #1 nationally several times. Good for them. It’s just not the same as being the #1 or # 25 ranked NCAA Division 1 Team. Likewise with a JUCO Coach or a Division II Coach and All Time Wins. No comparison. Period. End of story. End of debate.
The Keloland TV Station website is claiming that Northern State Coach Don Meyer has surpassed Adolph Rupp on the All Time Wins list. Claiming that Coach Meyers is now Number 3 and Coach Rupp is now down to Number 4. I have to call them on this one. I think it’s bogus. There is no comparison. If you are going to include Division II schools on the same list as Division 1 schools, we may as well include JUCO and the lower Divisions as well. Why not lump in High School Coaches as well?
I’m sure that Don Meyer is a fine coach. I’m sure he has accomplished much down there in the little leagues. That said, it’s no comparison.
Adolph Rupp won four NCAA Championships. He won the NIT when it was the BIG GAME in town. He placed so many players on the All America lists that they named the NCAA National Player of the Year Award after him. Adolph Rupp coached 28 future NBA’rs. The 1948 USA Olympic Basketball Team consisted of 7 Kentucky players and the starters from the ’48 Philips 66 Oilers Championship team. Coach Rupp was assistant Coach to Bud Browning of the Phillips 66 Oilers. Coach Rupp has a 23,000 seat capacity Arena with 7 National Championship banners flying inside.
A Division II coach is not on the same plane of existence as the Baron of the Bluegrass. No debate necessary. That’s why it hasn’t made the news on any real level. It’s not news. Keloland TV is erroneous in it’s statement that Don Meyers has passed anyone on the All Time Wins list. It’s a pipe dream and it’s up in smoke. A Coach at Division II should not be mentioned in the same breath as Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and Bob Knight. You may as well include Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp on the list of All Time Winning NBA Coaches. You just can’t do it. 800 wins at Division II–while a great achievement at that level–does not compare to 800 wins at Division 1.
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Then we have John Calipari. Recruited Derick Rose. Check. The NCAA granted him eligibility. Check. Then Calipari played Rose on a team that broke records and made it to the Championship game.
