Tony Barbee Hired By Calipari?

Everyone who's anyone suspected that when Tony Barbee was fired from Auburn thought that he would eventually end up on Calipair's staff at Kentucky. Fast-forward a few months, and it seems like that will happen.

It is being reported that Calipari has hired Barbee (one of his former players) in an administrative role, a role known as "A special assistant to the head coach", a position that Rod Strickland occupied during his last years at Kentucky.

This is all according to Kyle Tucker at the Courier Journal. So, we will see how this plays out. I for one am excited about the new hire as Barbee will be an excellent addition to the current staff...

Mason Plumlee Better Than Demarcus Cousins?

Reports came out today that Coach K (the coach of team USA and obviously Duke) is close to having his final roster for Team USA to compete in the FIBA World Cup. However, if I told you that Demarcus Cousins would not be on it you would probably think it was in favor for Blake Griffin, Kevin Love or the fact that Cousins' attitude showed it's ugly head at the wrong time. But, what would you say if I told you that none of those (at least as far as I know) is going to be the reason.

It's being reported that Mason Plumlee, yes the same Mason Plumlee that played for Coach K at Duke is likely to make the final roster instead of Demarcus Cousins.

Yep, you read that right... MASON PLUMLEE IS LIKELY TO MAKE THE FINAL ROSTER FOR TEAM USA OVER DEMARCUS COUSINS.

Now, just so I don't come across as a sour UK fan, lets compare some stats from last NBA season shall we...

Mason managed to average 7.4 points per contest, 4.4 rebounds and he done it all in a while playing a little over 18 minutes per.

Now we move on to Demarcus Cousins who averaged 22.7 points per game, 11.7 rebounds and 2.9 assist per game. Those numbers make Demarcus one of the top five big men in the league. 

Now, I'm not knocking Mason's stats from this past season, it was just his rookie year which by the way is another down fall, lack of experience. I am however questioning Coach K's sanity if this is how this plays out. Anyone who thinks Plumlee should be on this roster over Demarcus either knows nothing about the game of basketball or simply can't hide their favoritism for former players. I mean hell, one would think that Mike Krzyzewski used to be his coach or something...

Coach K on Anthony Davis "Our Main Guy Is Anthony Davis"

Team USA had practice today and head coach, Mike Krzyzewski had some high praise for former Cat, Anthony Davis.

After practice, Coach K had this to say about the 2012 National Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist when it came to team USA's big man rotation.

"Our main guy is Anthony Davis. We will see who else fits in."

Kevin Durant also had some thoughts concerning Davis...

"You can tell he's getting bulkier, bigger. He's more confident. You can tell he's working."

That is some high praise from some pretty big names in the basketball world and well deserved to say the least.

Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones Dead at Age 88

Former Cat and the last surviving member of Rupps "Fab Five", Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones dies at the age of 88.

Everyone knows all about Jones' impressive basketball career that included a National Championship in 1948 and a Olympic gold medal during the same year, but there something that some may not have known about the legend.

Wallace Jones also excelled on the football field as well earning All American status under both coach Rupp and coach Bear Bryant. Jones is the only Kentucky player to have his number retired in both sports.

Here's a look at Wah Wah's career statistics...

Besides the impressive numbers, Jones was also named All-American in 1947, 48, and 49. He is also a member of the State of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame and the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. He was drafted 9th overall in the 1949 NBA Draft by Washington. 

For an in depth look at Jones' basketball stats, head over to Big Blue History who's website is the best around for stats and obscure information anything Kentucky Basketball related.

Everything Jones accomplished in sports pales in comparison to the type of person he was. Everyone who knew Jones loved and respected him. Besides his athletic accomplishments, Kentucky fans loved the man for who he was.

Our prayers go out to Mr. Jones' family and friends...

R.I.P Wah Wah Jones

UK Basketball Gets It Done In The Classroom

For the second-consecutive season the Kentucky men’s basketball program was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for team academic excellence.

The second annual Team Academic Excellence Awards, created by the NABC Committee on Academics to recogne outstanding academic achievement, selected 125 colleges and universities with cumulative team grade-point average of 3.0 or better for the 2013-14 season.

John Calipari’s squad posted a 3.11 cumulative GPA. Calipari’s squad has tallied a 3.0 GPA or better in six of the last seven semesters.

Three Wildcats, Tod Lanter, Sam Malone and Jarrod Polson, were named to the NABC Honors Court on Monday. Malone was the recipient of the Elite 89 award at the 2014 Final Four, which honors the student athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating in the Final Four.

Nine Wildcats were tabbed to various Southeastern Conference Honor Rolls this season. Dominique Hawkins, Dakari Johnson, Lanter, Marcus Lee, Brian Long, Malone, Polson, Alex Poythress and Derek Willis were all honored by the SEC.

Since Calipari’s arrival, all nine players who have exhausted their athletic eligibility have graduated from UK including: Twany Beckham, Josh Harrellson, Ramon Harris, Jon Hood, Mark Krebs, Darius Miller, Polson, Perry Stevenson and Eloy Vargas. Furthermore, Patrick Patterson and Polson completed their degrees in just three years.

Kentucky was one of three teams from the SEC to earn recognition by the NABC for academic excellence, while a mere eight BCS-level institutions earned the honor.

Alumni Game Ticket Info

Tickets for the 2014 UK Men’s Basketball Alumni Charity Game, which will be heldAugust 24 at 6 p.m. ET in Rupp Arena, will go on sale to the public on Monday, July 28, at 10 a.m. ET. For the first time in three years, a team of UK pros will face a team of non-UK pros.

All seats are reserved and priced at $101 (premium lower level), $31 (lower level), and $16 for premium upper level. Tickets can be purchased at the Rupp Arena box office, online atTicketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster Outlet or by phone at1-800-745-3000. There is an eight-ticket limit per person. All orders will have additional fees attached. All proceeds from the game will go to charity. 

You must be 16 or older to purchase tickets and children under the age of 2 get in for free with a paying adult.

Doors to Rupp Arena will open at 4 p.m. ET.

Set to tip off Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET, the game will feature Wildcats currently or formerly playing professionally against non-UK players also either currently or formerly playing professionally. The Big Blue Nation will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the top talent to don the Blue and White against other elite talent. Per NBA rules, the University of Kentucky cannot confirm individual players participating in the exhibition game.

Tod Lanter, Sam Malone and Jarrod Polson Earn Honors

Three University of Kentucky men’s basketball players have been honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for excellence in the classroom during the 2013-14 academic school year. Tod Lanter, Sam Malone and Jarrod Polson were all tabbed to the NABC’s Honors Court on Monday.

In order to earn recognition on the Honors Court, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior, own a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year and must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.

Lanter is entering his senior campaign and third season with the Wildcats. He owns a 3.3 grade-point average and is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. He is a two-time member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Malone is a three-year letterwinner for the Wildcats and is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree. At the 2014 Final Four, Malone was the recipient of the Elite 89 award, recognizing the player with the highest GPA at the event. A business administration senior with an emphasis in marketing, Malone owns a 3.7 grade-point average.

Polson is a two-time selection to the NABC’s Honors Court after earning the honor following his junior season as well. A graduate of Kentucky, Polson concluded his academic career with a 3.6 GPA. He earned a degree in business administration, also with an emphasis in marketing. Polson is a four-time honoree of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

All three NABC Honors Court selections played a part in UK’s 3.11 cumulative GPA during the 2014 spring semester. It is the sixth time in the last seven semesters that John Calipari’s squad has posted a 3.0 team GPA or better.

Calipari Seems Excited About This Years Team

To get you ready for the upcoming season and the Bahama Games, here's a little something from John Calipari, who posted the above picture on Facebook/Twitter with the following quote...

"Got off the road, go to my office and find out I've got a full team doing what it does just about every night: playing. This team loves to play and the players are beginning to love and trust each other. I want this to be the most enjoyable year for our players and our staff, not to mention our crazy fans, the #BBN. Lets have fun."

I for one CANNOT wait for the season to start as I'm sure the rest of BBN would agree. I will tell you one thing.

Can you remember the last team that Cal has had while at Kentucky that he seemed this excited about? It wasn't John Wall's year, nor was it last season with the best recruiting class in history. It was Anthony Davis' year and do I need to remind you what that team accomplished?

Bring on Big Blue Madness and get this mother started already...

John Wall Takes in Wizards Summer League Game

Former Cat, John Wall and Bradley Beal take in the Wizards vs. Heat Summer league game. 

Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Catch-up

Former Cats and Kentucky teammates, Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist catch-up during the NBA Summer league when the New Orleans Pelicans and the Charlotte Hornets took the court.

I gotta admit, I'd love to see these two in a Kentucky uniform again...

Damn, seems like only yesterday....

DeMarcus Cousins at Nickelodens Kids Choice Awards

Former Cat, Demarcus Cousins is at the Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards. If you know Demarcus, then you completely understand why he is at the Kids Choice Awards who is there with Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee.

Also, Demarcus was named one of the Best Dressed at the ESPY's by the Huffington Post

Big Cuz gets it done on and off the court, but to be honest, I kinda miss this look...

Tyus Battle was "Blown Away" by his Visit to Kentucky

2016 shooting guard and Kentucky recruiting target, Tyus Battle enjoyed his recent unofficial visit to Lexington.

He told, Jeff Drummond that he was "blown away by his visit. Facilities and things to help a player to succeed are by far the best he's seen."

Now, I'm not sure where all he has visited as he holds offers from everyone from Kentucky to SMU, but you have got to like those comments from 2016's 25th overall ranked player.

Radio Info for UK's Bahama Games in August

 In addition to television options, UK fans without tickets to the Big Blue Bahamas exhibition tour will be able to listen to all six games on the UK/IMG Radio Network. The games can be heard on radio in Lexington on WLAP-AM (630) and in Louisville on WHAS-AM (840). Tom Leach and Mike Pratt will call the action for all six games.

All six games will be televised with ESPNU broadcasting the first three games of the tour from Aug. 10-12, while the newly launched SEC Network, which makes its debut on Aug. 14, will pick up the final three games from Aug. 15-17. All six games are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET tip.

Currently subscribers of Comcast, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable will NOT see the final three games of the Big Blue Bahamas exhibition tour. Those subscribers need to go to GetSECNetwork.com to express that they want the SEC Network or call their cable/satellite provider directly.

Fan packages are still available for Big Blue Bahamas and can be found at ukfantravel.com or by calling 1-855-UKBBALL. Lines are open 24/7.

Date                 Opponent                                 Time (Radio/TV)

Aug. 10             Puerto Rico                               1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/ESPNU)
Aug. 11             Champagne Chalons-Reim          1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/ESPNU)

Aug. 12             Puerto Rico                               1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/ESPNU)
Aug. 15             Dominican Republic                   1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/SEC Network)
Aug. 16             Champagne Chalons-Reim          1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/SEC Network)
Aug. 17             Dominican Republic                   1 p.m. (UK/IMG Radio/SEC Network)

Karl Towns Jr. Named Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year

Incoming freshman Karl-Anthony Towns was named the Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year at an awards ceremony held at the Lowes Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Calif., on Tuesday evening.

Towns is the second player in the John Calipari era to recieve the honor, as Brandon Knight was tabbed the award winner in 2010. Coincidentally, Knight joined Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson in presenting the award to the future Wildcat last night.

A Metuchen, N.J., native, Towns led St. Joseph to a 30-2 record and a title at the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions his senior year. Towns averaged 20.9 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per outing. In addition to his prowess on the court, Towns graduated with a 3.96 grade-point average and served as a member of his student council.

Each year, 606 athletes are chosen as state Gatorade Players of the Year in each high school sport. From that pool, 12 national candidates are selected. A national voting panel consisting of sports journalists, coaches, prep-sports experts and analysts evaluates 12 honorees. The male and female athletes receiving the highest rating from this panel are named Gatorade Athletes of the Year. The criteria remain the same each year as the Player of the Year requirements include: athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.

Former winners of the award include LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Matt Barkley, Candace Parker, Maya Moore, Skylar Diggins and UK’s Knight.

Jodie Meeks Signs Three-Year $19.5 Million Contract With Pistons

Congratulations to former Cat, Jodie Meeks on signing his three-year contract worth a total of $19.5 million with the Detroit Pistons.

Jodie was introduced to the Detroit media this afternoon and said...

"They were very aggressive from Day 1. That's what I was looking for, coming in and competing for a starting job. I know they need shooting, so that's what I bring to the table -- and hard work -- so I look forward to it."

A few more drafts and Kentucky should have a representative on every single NBA team in the league.

Mudiay Headed Overseas Instead of College; Could be Trend Setting

News broke earlier today that SMU freshman, Emmanuel Mudiay (the #2 point guard prospect in this incoming freshman class) has decided to head overseas to play-for-pay instead of attending college. Mudiay told SI.com "I was excited about going to SMU and playing college basketball for coach Brown and his staff and preparing for the NBA, but I was tired of seeing my mom struggle. And after sitting down with Coach Brown and my family, we decided that the best way for me to provide for my mom was forgo college and pursue professional basketball opportunities."

First, let me say it's nice to see a young man such as Mudiay want to make this sacrifice just so he can provide for his mother, but this is disturbing to me. First and foremost, it's sad that kids are faced with these kinds of decisions, but the fact of the matter is that this is becoming a common theme among the nations top players. Most leave early only to provide for their families and end up leaving before they should only to find themselves riding the pine just to be cut at the end of their contract. Sure they made some money, but when their career is over in two to three years, have they really accomplished what they set out to do? 

The real question is, what can the NBA and the NCAA do to prevent kids having to make these kinds of decisions? Well, rumors have been swirling for a while now that the NBA was going to institute a "two-and-done" to force kids to be two years removed from their graduating class before they can enter the NBA Draft. While that sounds nice, it will only make situations like this one more common. Do you really think a kid in this situation is going to go to school and watch his family suffer for two years instead of one when they could simply head overseas straight out of high school and get paid immediately then come back and enter the NBA Draft a year later? To put it simply, NO. 

The best way, at least in my mind to cure this problem is to let them enter the draft straight out of high school, but if they elect to attend college, they will have to stay two years before they can enter the draft. Kids would then be able to assist their families financially and college coaches would have two years to develop and coach kids instead of one. Is it a perfect solution? NO. But, at least it would be a start at heading in the right direction. As it stands right now, the NBA seems dead set against letting high school seniors declare for the draft. But, if they do go through with the "two-and-done" rule, you can expect to see A LOT of the top high school seniors taking the route Mudiay did more often and truthfully, who could blame them?

However, I would like to wish Emmanuel good luck on his decision and hope it all works out the way he envisions it. The good news is, some NBA scouts are saying that Mudiay would go #1 in next years draft no matter where he plays, so good for him.

It should also be noted that Mudiay has concerns about his amateur status. A source told ESPN that "the NCAA is on him  and he's worried".

Nerlens Noel Shines In Summer League Once Again

Nerlens Noel had another impressive showing yesterday in the NBA Summer league. He ended the game with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks as the Sixers defeated the Nets, 92-86.

It's safe to say that Noel slipping to the 6th pick while the Cleveland Cav's took Anthony Bennett with the number one pick is beyond laughable and Nerlens is making that more obvious every day.

Anthony Davis on The Cover Of Slam Magazine

Anthony Davis graces the cover or the latest edition of Slam Magazine. He showed his appreciation via Twitter...

AntDavis23 S/O to @SLAMonline for the love! Y'all like the new @usabasketball uni's? http://t.co/gGmnL4bVY7 7/10/14, 7:12 PM

Jay Williams is a Justin Bieber Fan; "He Is Changing Lives"

While at Duke, everyone that called themselves a Kentucky fan HATED Jay Williams. But, when he went to ESPN, he slowly started to change the mind of some in the BBN (including this guy) simply because of his honesty and knowledge of the game of basketball.

However, this tweet that Jay sent out earlier tonight quickly swings everyones vote back in the hate column for, Jay. 

"Spending the last 2 hours with @justinbieber was truly inspiring. He is changing lives. #BELIEVE 

If by changing lives he means teaching kids to be drunk drug addicts, then yes, I guess he is changing lives. Or if by "changing lives" he means teaching kids what bad music is all about, then yes, he is right again. Not to mention, little Justin looks blitzed out of his skull in this pic that Jay is so proud of.

All I've got to say, is, Come on Jay, you're be better than this, no way you actually believe what you tweeted out about Justin Bieber. My bet is his twitter account was hacked... At least I hope. Duke fans may even disown him for this and who could blame them...

Noel Makes NBA Debut Today in Summer League

Former Cat, Nerlens Noel will make his NBA debut today at 1 pm against the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League.

It will be good to finally see Noel on the court again showing what he is capable of after a years absence due to an ACL injury that he suffered in college. Before the injury, Nerlens was considered to be the favorite to go number in the 2013 NBA Draft, but quickly fell to the sixth pick (76ers) as it became clear that he would miss his entire rookie season to recover.

I realy believe Nerlens will have a stellar NBA career and today will is just the beginning for a great player and an even better person. Congratulations Nerlens, it's well deserved.

UK Releases 2014-15 Non-Conference Schedule

Kentucky has announced its 2014-15 men's basketball non-conference schedule, which is highlighted by five of the winningest programs in college basketball history.

The Wildcats will face off against some of the most tradition-laden teams in the history of the sport including, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, UCLA and Louisville, all of whom are among the top 20 winningest programs in college basketball.

Kentucky will open with a pair of games in Rupp Arena against Grand Canyon University on Nov. 14and Buffalo on Nov. 16 in the 2014 Cawood Ledford Classic.

For the fourth straight year, UK participates in the State Farm Champions Classic, taking on Kansas on Nov. 18 in Indianapolis.

The Wildcats will return home for three straight games, including a tilt with Boston (Nov. 21) and the final two games of the Cawood Ledford Classic against Montana State (Nov. 23) and UT-Arlington (Nov. 25).

Kentucky closes out November hosting Providence on Nov. 30 in Rupp Arena.

The Wildcats will ring in December with four straight home games beginning with the SEC/Big 12 Challengeon Dec. 5, when the Texas Longhorns come to Lexington. Kentucky will then host Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 7), Columbia (Dec. 10) and North Carolina (Dec. 13) before heading to Chicago to take on UCLA in the inaugural CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 20.

UK closes out the 2014 calendar year against in-state rival Louisville on Dec. 27.

Prior to regular-season action, Kentucky hosts a pair of in-state exhibition games. The first will be Nov. 2 against Pikeville, followed by a matchup against Georgetown Collegeon Nov. 7.

Additional times and television information will be released at later dates.