In addition to the aforementioned Tayshaun Prince former Kentucky Basketball greats Mike Casey and Billy Ray Lickert will be entering the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. All very appropriate picks. Whether Prince will now get his jersey retired remains to be seen, but the first part of the requirements is satisfied. Five years after entry into the Hall of Fame, he will be eligible for a retired jersey. I’m not sure how likely that is though as Kentucky went through a pretty ugly time losing nine games in his freshman season and ten in each of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. It was this stretch that earned the Tubster the nickname, Ten-Loss Tubby.
John Calipari’s pro camp will feature DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe on July 29, 30 and 31 respectively. That’s pretty awesome and I imagine these guys will have some interesting things to say while here as they will no longer be so closely watched and restricted by UK media rules. Could we hear Eric Bledsoe claiming that he will get sh@t right in the NBA? You know I sure hope so.
In spite of the fact that Michael Gilchrist, current UK commit and number one player in the 2011 class being hailed as the best player in all of high school as a junior, talk is that he may lose his number one spot to Anthony Davis Jr. a likely UK commit. He currently lists Kentucky, Ohio State, Syracuse and North Carolina as his top four. Consider for a moment. If Davis Jr commits to UK, that would mean that John Calipari got the number one player in the country twice, in the same year.
And finally, there’s been a little hubbub today about Darius Miller using the “F” word in his Twitter account. Some people didn’t like it and inevitably the usual, well “you don’t have to follow his tweets” discussion came about. Dumb. Look, call me one of those prude squares or whatever, but I’m one of those that thinks there’s no need for filthy language on a UK basketball player’s Twitter account. Yes I know people don’t have to follow his account and he’s just a kid and blah blah blah. That’s really not the point of all this. The point is always that as a UK basketball player you represent the university both as an athlete and a student. It’s a pretty privileged life to be a Kentucky basketball player. With those privileges come certain responsibilities. Yes, Darius can swear on his account (until of course the university tells him otherwise), but the question here is not whether he can, but whether he should.
People who get offended at foul language are not ignorant as to how people talk or how kids communicate with their friends. They’re not people that live inside churches and only come out for groceries and to follow Darius Miller’s tweets. They’re just people that would prefer that people used clean language. Saying someone is young and that’s how young people talk is not a reasonable excuse. That’s like saying oh young people drink and drive all the time. You just have to understand that. Obviously the severity is nowhere near the same, but the logic is.
I have met Darius Miller on several occasions in press conferences and walking around campus. I even played a little cornhole with him. I will tell you that he is a stand up kid with a good attitude from a good family. Using the “F” word is not and should not be taken to define his character. He just said a naughty word. My own personal advice would be to not follow him or well any other athlete if you don’t like the language, but the fact is still that Darius also has an obligation to represent the university in a wholesome way, indeed a way that reflects who he really is, a really good kid. A saint? Of course not, but a really good kid. I hope he cleans it up, and I hope everyone else refrains from thinking less of him over a swear word or two.
It was announced today that my favorite NBA player for several years now, Tayshaun Prince will be inducted into the 2010 class of the UK Athletics Hall Of Fame. While Prince failed to win a title in his time at UK, he has won the two most prestigious championships in the world in basketball, including an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in 2008. Prince did win some individual honors in his time at UK achieving second team All-American in 2001 and third team in 2002. He was also a three time All-SEC selection (2000, 2001, 2002). He ranks eighth all-time in scoring at UK and is third all-time in 3-pointers made with 204. Prince was a player that some thought would leave after his junior year at UK, but stuck it out for his senior year, all the better for UK as he now famously dropped about 37 threes against UNC his senior year
In 2005 Prince was drafted 23rd overall by the Detroit Pistons, where he has become the most consistent player in the NBA averaging almost the exact same numbers for the past six seasons putting up 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his career. At UK Prince averaged 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Well that’s a lot of numbers. Let’s talk character. Tayshaun Prince is from Compton, California (Southeast L.A.), known throughout the 90’s as one of the most infamous and most dangerous cities in America. The very good film “Boyz in the Hood” probably didn’t help that image. When asked why he came across the country to attend UK he said it was because he wanted to go somewhere that was completely different from where he grew up so that he could find out who Tayshaun was. I don’t get that. Having been to L.A. many times and now living in Lexington, I don’t know what he’s talking about. The two cities are virtually identical. But anyway, the point is, Tayshaun has always been a model citizen through his high school years and into the NBA. In a time when famous folks of every stripe take advantage of that status to do and get (away with) what they want when they want, Prince has been the role model that so many parents wish that the athletes their kids idolize would be.
Professionally Prince was given a great compliment by Joe Dumars when Dumars famously passed on Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 draft . Dumars took Darko Milicic with the second pick to fill the Pistons center position instead of Melo he was confident in Tayshaun’s ability to develop as a quality NBA small forward, Carmelo’s position. We could discuss the idiocy of that pick, passing on Carmelo, but sticking with Prince paid off for the Pistons as he was the deciding factor in the Pistons’ 2004 NBA championship win over the Lakers who were equipped with one of the greatest starting five in NBA history that year with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone among them. Granted Payton and Malone were in their waning years, but that’s still a heck of a line-up. And the Pistons won that series in five games off of Tayshaun’s defense against Kobe. They Lakers had no answer for Prince’s defense. The next year Prince was honored (rectroactively really) with an All-NBA defensive second team selection, not totally making-up for the snub they gave him the prior year.
So Prince goes into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Well deserved.
So I was very pleased yesterday to find that USA Today rates UK’s Big Blue Madness among ten great places to cheer with the crowd. What I really liked too was that it was the only thing on the list that wasn’t actually a sporting event. It’s just a practice, well sort of. Here is their complete list:
Tour de France
Chicago Cubs game
Ironman World Championship
National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction
Michigan vs. Ohio State college football game
U.S. Open Tennis Tournament
Midnight Madness at the University of Kentucky
Daytona 500
Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
I love thatof all of these truly great sporting events, Kentucky is able to be represented without even playing a game. There’s no competition here, just thousands of rabid fans cheering the sport, team, players, and coach they love. That is the greatness of Kentucky basketball.
Now while I appreciate the nod, let me say that USA Today still only got it half right. The Big Blue Madness campout for tickets to me is absolutely part of the entire Big Blue Madness experience. Last year while camping out for tickets (with about six thousand other people) I was able to meet and talk with every player on the team. I got Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller, Jon Hood, and Josh Harrellson to play in my cornhole tournament and I had generally had a great time with all of the other fans of the Big Blue Nation.
Big Blue Madness in October 15th this year, but the real fun begins at the campout. Don’t miss it.
Almost doesn't feel right to see them competing against each other.
Just a few hours ago I wrote about how fantastic DeMarcus Cousins will be. Obviously Eric Bledsoe and John Wall felt the need to outdo Cousins. They put on a fantastic show tonight, competing hard showing everyone why they are the best two point guards in the this year’s draft.
The sad thing is that as I sit here all I can think is “How did this team not win a national championship?” Daniel Orton is going to have a very ho-hum year. Mark it down now. I really do believe that he will be a fine NBA player some day, but he’ll have a mediocre year. Patterson, Cousins, Bledsoe, and Wall will all be contributors in their first year. I really cannot recall a time where a team put that much talent into the draft and failed to make a Final Four, much less a championship. Oh wait that’s because it’s never happened before. Of course we all knew that because we all knew that this was the first year a team has ever put five players into the first round of the draft.
Back to tonight’s game. John Wall finished with 18 points, 10 assists, 5 steals and a rebound to Bledsoe’s 17, 4, 1 and 6 respectively, with John Wall’s Wizards prevailing. Of course, true to form they did both rack up the turnovers with Wall turning it over 8 times to Bledsoe’s 10 turnovers. The turnovers aside, I for one am a little upset that Washington and the Clippers (the worst franchise in professional sports history) don’t play in the same conference. I’m thinking that future face-offs between these two friends will be competitive and exciting throughout their careers. I look forward to it.
So let’s discuss the greatness that is DeMarcus Cousins. I have long held that DeMarcus Cousins is the most NBA ready of anyone entering this year’s draft. And yes I am including John Wall. Wall definitely has NBA ready abilities, but it can be tough for a rookie point guard to lead an untalented team. Cousins comes into the league with an NBA attitude, (that’s a compliment) an NBA body and NBA skills. He will be an instant contributor and instant team leader.
When all is said and done, he will be remembered as an imposing center, a perennial all-star and a player that causes fits for other teams’ defenses. He will also make it very difficult for anyone to score in the paint. As I have stated before and will stand by my claim that Philadelphia, New Jersey and Minnesota will rue the day that they passed on Cousins. Furthermore I expect Cousins to put up Rookie of the Year numbers this year.
Cousins was generally what you might expect, beastly, dominating, trashtalking to Austin Daye and Greg Monroe and staring down Edgar Sosa. He finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes of action in Sacto’s dominating 97-68 win over the Pistons. Looks like the double double streak continues. Furthermore his competition, Greg Monroe, whom some said should be picked ahead of Cousins (idiots, all of them) finished straight sevens. Seven points, seven rebounds and seven fouls (they give you a few extra in Summer League) in 25 minutes of play.
The part that I don’t like however is that Cousins in all of his Peter Parker glasses wonder has to play on the same Summer League team as that royal pain in the @#$ Devan Downey. I hate that Minnie Me imitating overrated point guard. I tell you there is a special place in my dark heart for my hatred of Downey. Perhaps you remember him from his “amazing” 9 for 29 shooting performance against Kentucky back in January or his equally awe-inspiring 9 for 25 follow up performance against UK a month later. Incredible!
Anyway, I hope Cousins trips on Downey’s minuteness on his way to greatness. Go Boogie.
Well it’s confirmed what we all knew all along. Patrick Patterson can play NBA ball, and hit the NBA three. Through three Summer League games Patterson has averaged 8.7 points, and 5.7 rebounds stepping out and hitting 2 for 2 from three in his second game and generally impresses coaches and analysts with his ability to take up space in the lane.
Patterson found himself in probably the best spot possible, a team that appreciates a player with a good work ethic that’s willing to take on whatever role is asked of him. That’s how Chuck Hayes wins his minutes even though he averaged only 3.6 points over his five year career with the Rockets including a season low 1.3 points per game last year. Hayes has the respect of his coaches and team mates and is in no danger of losing his place on the team. The question is will he lose minutes to Patterson now? If Patterson plays the same as he has at UK, which he will, then he will get more and more minutes as he rookie season goes along. He’s already better than Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries. His primary minutes rivals are Shane Battier another player playing a role on a team that respects that and Luis Scola.
It’s not unlikely that Patterson could take Battier’s starting spot if not this year, perhaps next year. I am saddened to see that Patterson will take some of Hayes’ minutes, but I am excited to see how Patterson does in the NBA. I am confident that before long he will be a double digit scorer and a coveted third or fourth man on whatever team he plays for. Until then, let’s enjoy the greatness that is Chuck Hayes’ free throw shooting.
So as the day goes on more info (scant though) comes out about the alleged investigation into four UK basketball players and their “associations” with professional agents while in high school. While gossip magazine TMZ may have heard “something” from a “source” that may or may not know anything, it bears a little dissection.
The NCAA is always checking around, always. That’s the NCAA’s job and it appears they are doing it. Read this quote from TMZ’s article:
“According to a source who was interviewed by an NCAA investigator, the agency is interested in at least four players — two current and two who were just drafted by NBA teams.”
So what do we have here? Supposedly the NCAA is asking some questions of some guy who was interviewed by the NCAA and supposedly the NCAA thinks there may have been some improper agreements with agents while players were still in high school. While it is entirely possible that there is some legitimacy to this report, I want to address a few things some might not have thought of.
First, lest we all start saying, “This is what happens when you hire John Calipari” consider what the article says, “two current and two who were just drafted by NBA teams.” While the two in the NBA could be Cal’s recruits, the likelihood that the other two are Calipari recruits is pretty small.
Are we really to believe that Jon Hood was making agreements with agents while playing on a bad high school team, or that Darnell Dodson who transferred from Miami-Dade Community College and was ranked 130 in 2007 when he graduated from high school was cutting deals. I seriously seriously doubt that agents would have wasted their time with these guys. So who does that leave that the NCAA could be looking at that’s still currently enrolled at UK? Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins are the two best returning players that could fit the description. So there it’s that dang Billy Gillispie again. It was two of his recruits. Or not.
When TMZ says two current players, could they mean two freshmen that have never played for UK? Perhaps, but it seems like a reach that they would be called “current” players and if it turns out to be so, that problem is easily solved by UK refusing to let them play.
Furthermore, Mike DeCourcey of the Sporting News is reporting that the University of Kentucky has not been notified of any investigation. That’s usually the first step in an NCAA investigation meaning that currently there is no investigation. There is at most some people asking around just to make sure everything is kosher.
The reality is that no one knows anything, and until something more solid comes from a more reliable source, I’m not going to fret. I’m going to enjoy Independence Day for what it is, a celebration of the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. And that’s what I advise all of you to do, because I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that nothing is ever going to come of this. I’m going to sleep just fine tonight knowing that my favorite basketball team has a stellar class coming in next year and keep waiting on eight.
While we’re all enjoying these long Summer days and jogging in the hot sun while sweating like a pig and generally enjoying the good weather, it’s tempting to read into every morsel of comment about Kentucky’s upcoming season and destine the 2010-11 Wildcats for championship number 8. Now I know to Coach Cal that’s probably not all that exciting as we know that he thinks this year’s NBA draft was the biggest day in Kentucky basketball history, but to most of us that’s a pretty big deal and really all we think about, and once we get to eight we’ll only think about nine. Alas I do think Calipari “gets it’, he just has a tendency toward hyperbole and wants to make sure that people (media) are always talking about Kentucky. I think we can all let his little comment slide.
Anyway, I want to address comments that he and some others have made about Summer workouts. Today he commented that Josh Harrellson is doing fantastic in workouts and played great against some China men in some exhibition games in China on a team with fellow Wildcat Jon Hood. Couple that with his comments that Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins are playing so well that they may declare for the 2011 draft and throw in the fact that most 2011 draft predictions already have Enes Kanter as a top three pick and there is a strong temptation to start making Final Four plans.
Now I love to think my team’s going to win it all as much as the next guy, but I also want to make sure that I don’t read too much into things. There will always be players that are amazing Summer performers that just don’t pan out. Some guys can hit threes like they’re 6 footers in pickups but can’t hit the broad side of a barn when it counts. That’s just how it is sometimes. Also keep in mind that Calipari is not allowed to be involved in any Summer games so most of what he is saying about his players’ abilities is hearsay. I love the idea that Miller and Liggins could be NBA talents, but that’s quite the quantum leap for Miller whose problem has never been his talent so much as his aggression or lack thereof.
Where freshmen like Enes Kanter are concerned, I always like to reserve any judgment there until I can see them on the court against college level talent. Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford were both top ten talents coming out of highs school. Morris specifically flirted with the NBA instead of college. Both players turned out to be severe disappointments for Kentucky. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Joe Crawford fan nowadays, but he didn’t come close to living up to expectations and that 2004 class though heralded as number one in the country, didn’t produce near the number of wins or championships that they were supposed to.
So, I’m not trying to poop on your party, I’m just saying let’s have a little guarded optimism. Then when we do win 8 in ’11, let’s be pleasantly rewarded for our ability to be reasonable.
That said, we’re totally going to win it all this year.
goodmanonfox Kentucky freshman Enes Kanter measured in at 6-foot-11 and 261 pounds at Amare Stoudemire Camp this past weekend.
Wow, I don’t think anybody knew that yet.
GaryParrishCBS Nice stat RT @dukeblueplanet: Coach K: 35 1st team All-ACC picks in 30 yrs. Other ACC coaches: 29 1st team All-ACC picks in 72 total yrs
And yet he remains a bird-faced thorn in my side.
goodmanonfox You have issues. Major, major issues. RT @realfreemancbs: You know what I miss? The Arsenio Hall Show. Yeah, I said it.
I miss it too. Arsenio’s hilarious. Didn’t you ever see “Coming to America?”
franfraschilla Remember this name, NBA draftniks: Lucas Nogueira, a 7′0 Brazilian 18 year old who is under contract with Estudiantes of Spain. Wow!!!
Why is it every 7 foot foreign big man is the second coming of Dirk Nowitski? If he’s half the player Shagari Alleyne of Lukasz Obrzut was I’m sure he’ll be awesome.
DickieV LeBron is going to show loyalty counts n sign with Cavs -he should since he always says he is happy-do not mess with happiness
Am I the only one that’s sick and tired of Dick Vitale’s constant self-righteous preachiness? Seriously. It’s a job. It’s a job! LeBron worked and earned every one of those millions and if he quit performing, the Cavs would cut him loose in a heartbeat as they should.
DickieV Doc Rivers son Austin a rising HS senior will be a college super-Will he wear in the future the colors of Florida ,Duke, NC, Kentucky etc?
He’ll wear Kentucky Blue if he has any clue. No Duke “Tron jersey” blue, UNC baby powder blue or lightning in a bottle Florida blue.
So it’s seems to be the consensus that Eric Bledsoe is going with the 19th pick to Boston. I see this as a good fit for both Boston and Bledsoe. Bledsoe is not ready to take the lead as the starting point guard in the NBA but he will be able to do some good things in his rookie season if he doesn’t have to fully shoulder the load. Bledsoe is a bit of a mystery to NBA teams as he really is a point guard, but he also really didn’t play much point guard in his one season in college.
While Bledsoe is capable of taking over games as he did in the second half of the very first game of the season against Morehead State. Boston needs a backup point guard that can come in for Rondo who rarely leaves the court in the playoffs. Tony Allen has been backing up both Rondo and Ray Allen but Boston needs someone who comes in as a true point guard backup with exceptional skills. Bledsoe is such a player.
He possesses some similar abilities to Rondo in that he is fast and fearless. He is also short for an NBA player at 6’1 as Rondo is. He charges into the lane, often with reckless abandon just as Rondo does. Because of that abandon, you often don’t know what you’ll get, an amazing play or a turnover. All too often Bledsoe leaves his feet to pass and then has to make a decision in the air before committing the turnover upon landing. Bledsoe however is a very good three point shooter hitting 41% from beyond the arc. That makes him a far better shooter than Rondo and for that reason an intriguing pick for Boston who surely would like to have a backup who can hit the three when needed.
As far as this draft goes, most of the teams drafting before Boston aren’t looking for point guards. Boston will only be the second team looking for a point guard and the reality is that Bledsoe is probably the second best point guard in this draft. I would be shocked if he falls past Boston’s 19th pick. So I’m not even going to discuss the possibility that he goes to another team.
Post Update: Eric Bledsoe was of course drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 18th pick. One pick earlier than I predicted. He was then traded to the Clippers, the NBA’s wasteland for the rights to a future protected first round pick. So I was close, but then again that only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.
While we’re all enjoying these long Summer days and jogging in the hot sun while sweating like a pig and generally enjoying the good weather, it’s tempting to read into every morsel of comment about Kentucky’s upcoming season and destine the 2010-11 Wildcats for championship number 8. Now I know to Coach Cal that’s probably not all that exciting as we know that he thinks this year’s NBA draft was the biggest day in Kentucky basketball history, but to most of us that’s a pretty big deal and really all we think about, and once we get to eight we’ll only think about nine. Alas I do think Calipari “gets it’, he just has a tendency toward hyperbole and wants to make sure that people (media) are always talking about Kentucky. I think we can all let his little comment slide.