Barnhart gets contrat extension

 

  Well looks like Mitch Barnhart got a 3 year contract extension worth about $600,000 a year, up from his measly $475,000 a year.  Is that what we pay to have an Athletic Director who can not get along with any basketball coach since he has had the job?  It's clear and understandable that he couldn't get along with former coach Billy G.  But lets be honest, how in the world do you not get along with Tubby Smith? I'm not saying that Tubby and Mitch hated each other, but I have heard that there was some tension between the two.  And let's face it, there isn't a nicer classier person in the biz the Tubby Smith.  It's also known that Mitch a Calipari don't exactly see eye to eye as well.

  It also seems to me that Mitch in my opinion isn't as worried about getting a new basketball arena, as he is upgrading the football facilities.  Again that's just my opinion and if my feeling is right, that is not the right way to win over the commonwealth.  We will just have to wait and see what happens.

  I know he did some good things for the football and baseball programs but call me crazy, I'm just not a football or baseball kind of guy.

  Here's hoping for the best!!

Kentucky spoils Pearls welcome back party

  Last night Bruce "Coppertone" Pearl was looking for his welcome back party.  Instead all he found besides pending NCAA punishment, was a loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.  Kentucky  was slow out of the gate to start , but then settled into what would turn out to be one of the most complete games the Cats have played all year.

  They played great defense, shot the ball well from the floor (45%) and rebounded the ball at both ends of the floor.  Another great stat is the free throw shooting, Kentucky shot a blistering 81.5% from the line.  But all of this wasn't the real story of the game.

  The real story is that a couple of "upperclassman" finally stepped up with some production.  DeAndre Liggins was the star of the night setting a career high with 19 points, going 7-8 from the charity stripe and 2-2 from behind the three point line.  His defense was stellar to say the least.  Liggins hounded Tennessee star Scotty Hopson all night and held him well below his season average.  It was obvious that Liggins got into Hopson's head, because late in the second half Hopson got frustrated and shoved Liggins to the floor and picking up his 4th foul of the night.

  The other great story of the night was the emergence of the one known as "Jorts" (Josh Harrellson).  Jorts hadn't done much since his 23 point 14 rebound effort against Louisville.  But he came up big for the Cats Tuesday night scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds.  What didn't show up on the stat sheet was the great defensive job Jorts done making opponents adjust shots, and his all around energy on the court.
I know I'm not the only one who loved the play late in the second half when Jorts went up for a layup scored got knocked to the floor, and came up screaming like a a wild man.  It's great to see these kids having this much fun and showing that kind of passion for the game.

  Terrence Jones didn't perform particularly well, but he still ended with a double double. Terrence shot 6-6 from the free throw line and went 2-9 from the field to get 10 points and 11 boards.  For those of you keeping track that is his 8th double double of the season.

  There was also a visit from former Kentucky PG John Wall. He got to do what he said he couldn't wait for and that was being the "Y" during the second half timeout. It's always good to see former players come back and show support for the program. 

  Another great story was Coppertone Bruce exchanging words with a couple of fans in the stands. He even went as far as to try and have Campus Police throw the hecklers out.  But when security came over and asked UT fans if there was any profanity used, they said no.  So they told Coppertone to get a grip and that a couple of college kids should be the least of his worries with the NCAA breathing down his spray tanned neck.

 All in all we saw a little of what this team could be if everyone puts forth a little effort and plays to their potential.  And maybe, just maybe last night they found  the elusive "killer instinct" this team has been missing all year.

  Kentucky goes on the road again Saturday where they are 1-4  when they visit Nashville and Memorial Gym to take on an always dangerous Vanderbilt team.  Let's just hope the kind of play we saw last night can carry over so the Cats can get a much needed road win in the SEC!

 

Kentucky Falls To Rebels

  

  Last night Kentucky played it's worst game of the season as Ole Miss downed the Cats by the score of 71-69.   The loss was much worse than the score indicated, as we saw upper classman play like freshman and vice versa. Once again, there were turnovers that made you want to eat broken glass and decisions that made the turnovers look brilliant.

  Sure the freshman had a lot of turnovers but none near as costly as the one's the "experienced" players had in the final minutes of the game. First, there was the crossing the inbound line before inbounding the ball.  Then, the stepping out of bounds on the way to an open layup. Oh and lets not forget the passed up  WIDE OPEN three with 21 seconds left in the game, while nursing a one point lead. All of these mistakes were made by players that have been playing on the college level long enough to know better.  But the so called "EXPERIENCED" players were perfectly content deferring to the freshman on the team for plays down the stretch.

  I keep hearing people say "you can't win with freshman" but I'm telling you this is not true. Take last night's game for instance. Kentucky scored a total 69 points for the game, and the freshman accounted for 59 of them led by Terrence Jones with 22, Doron Lamb 20, and Brandon Knight 15. ALL FRESHMAN!  Darius Miller (JR) had 3 points, DeAndre Liggins (JR) had 5 and Josh Harrellson (SR) had 2. None  played  less than 22 minutes and this is all they could produce? It's  frustrating when I know Darius Miller could be the best player in the conference, but he just doesn't put forth the effort.  I'm not saying DeAndre Liggins should be a scoring machine, but he should be able to get at least double digits every night just by driving to the basket.  As for Harrellson, I guess he thought the season ended with  his brilliant performance at Louisville. If either one of these juniors or seniors had given just a little help Kentucky would have won the game going away.

  I know we had a lot of turnovers in the first half  five of them coming  at the hands of Brandon Knight. He more than made up for them in the second half.  He did what he does best, slashing to the basket and
finding ways to score.  Doron Lamb showed he could be the kind of player to hit big shots when Kentucky needs them most, and Terrence Jones done what he always does.  But it was too little too late as the final score would indicate.

  Now, what can we take away from this game?  One things for sure, Kentucky has a lot to work on. They cannot have players  unwilling to take wide open shots at the end of the game! They've got to have more scoring and leadership from the older players.  And they cannot turn the ball over 18 times, especially on the road and expect to win the game. Just not gonna happen.

  Kentucky travels to Florida on Saturday.  Let's hope Coach Cal  gets things figured or things will get ugly in a hurry in Gainesville!

Kentucky pulls out a win over Georgia 66-60

  Kentucky won what turned out to be a hard fought win against a scrappy Georgia team last night in Rupp Arena. The first half saw Kentucky playing like a top 25 team, but the second half was a different story.

Kentucky lost a 17 point second half lead and squeaked by what I think is a top team in the SEC eastern division.  A lot of mental mistakes led to the close finish from head scratching turnovers to miscommunication on defense. In my mind Georgia got too many easy shots in the second half because Kentucky's defense was lacking the same energy that it had in the first half.

  But there was some positive to take away from this game. One being the play by Darius Miller, he was aggressive and drove the lane like he should have been doing since his freshman year. The one play that comes to mind was Miller driving the lane with the mind set of ripping the rim off with a one handed dunk, but a foul prevented him from blowing the roof off Rupp. I have said it time and time again, Darius Miller is the most athletic player on this team by far. There is no reason he is not averageing 20 and 10. He was the second most athletic last year behind John Wall.

  The other positive from yesterdays game was the presence of Ashley Judd in the crowd! I mean come on, who doesnt like looking at Ashley Judd.  Her reaction to Eloy Vargas getting a block was second to Coach Cal's reaction. Cal went into a frenzy of disbeliefe on the bench when Eloy got the block, and is worth a second look if you have it saved to TiVo.

  But all in all, it was a good win over a quality opponet and it kept the nation's second longest home winning streak alive.  But this team is going to be in a lot of close games this year, and if they meet a team with even a decent inside game there is going to be trouble.

Perry Ellis vists Kansas

   2012 Kentucky target Perry Ellis was in attendance Saturday night to see Kansas crush Kansas State by the score of 90-66.  His mother Fonda Ellis told me they had a great time at the game, and that Perry spent some time with the players, coaches and other recruits after the game in the locker room.  I asked her if Perry had named a favorite in his recruitment, and she said "Perry is still saying the same 6 no favorites at this time."  " He is just trying to learn about them all before he puts them in order."
  
  Those of you who read my blog know that I am a big big fan of Perry Ellis and his game, and from my little bit of experience of talking to his mother, he comes from a great family.  You would be hard pressed to find a nicer person than Mrs. Fonda Ellis.  And I wish nothing but the best for Perry and his mother!!!

GC

2012 UK targetPerry Ellis video clip

http://www.kake.com/sports/headlines/Ellis_Leads_Heights_Past_Southeast_113160164.html

On Jan 9th 2012 UK target Perry Ellis put on a show and led his Wichita Heights team to a 66-58 win against Southeast. He was the games leading scorer with 25 points. This video shows he knows how to finish around the rim! Wherever he goes to college he will be a STUD on the court!!! Mark it down!!!
Thanks Mrs. Ellis for the link to the video

Recruiting update on UK recruit Perry Ellis

I just had a conversation with Fonda Ellis mother of 2012 UK target Perry Ellis about his recruitment. I asked some question and here are her answers: Q: What schools are currently involved with Perry at this time? A: " Perry has cut his list to 6 schools in no order they are Kentucky, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Oklahoma & Wichita State." Q: Is there a leader in his recruitment? A: "All 6 are recruiting hard and have been for a long time since he was 8th-9th grade." Q: is he going to take anymore visits if so where will they be? A: " He has already visited and has trimmed his list already this fall and plans to attend Wichita State's game tonight against Missouri State. It will be on ESPN. We will also be attending the Kansas vs. Kansas State game on the 29th. That is all we have scheduled at this time. It is tough to travel when his season has started. We did most of the visits before his season started." Q: What will be the deciding factor in picking a school? A: " He just wants to feel comfortable." Q: Will distance from home be any kind of a factor? A: " No not at this time, it isn't an issue." Q: What school or schools has been recruiting Perry the hardest? A:" I think Kansas and KState recruited him the hardest this summer, but I think Kentucky, Memphis, Oklahoma, and Wichita State have really stepped it up lately. Coach Cal has been to Wichita State twice, once in November to watch a practice and once in December for a game." Q: Finally, what does Perry like most about UK and Head coach John Calipari? A:" He likes the fan base, the atmosphere at the game, and likes how Coach Cal let's his freshman play, and the way they play." Perry's team Wichita Heights is 7-0 right now. They are ranked #1 in the state and ESPN Rise has them at # 16 and Rivals has them at #7. Perry is averaging 21 ppg. If Mrs. Ellis is reading this I want to thank her for giving me the chance to conduct my first interview. She was great. Thanks Again. Now it's going to be hard for Kentucky to pull Perry Ellis out of Kansas but if anyone can do it Coach Cal can. And he would be a HUGE get for coach cal in 2012! I mean a 6'8 forward who can run the floor and finish around the rim the way he does is something hard to find.