May 31st: On this date...

... in 1983, Kentucky All-American center Sam Bowie continued workouts to rehabilitate his broken left leg. Bowie's leg had been in five separate casts since the fall of 1981, when reports first came out of a fractured tibia. He was able to get back in time for a 1984 Final Four run in Seattle, where they lost to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown. As much hell as he gets, he didn't have THAT awful of an NBA career.

UK calendar

UK Track & Field Shines at Regionals

Rashaud Scott's famous levitation sleepwalk move

The #20 Kentucky Men's Track & Field team continued its hot 2-year run by finishing third at this weekend's Mideast Regional in Louisville. Kentucky had top three finishes in five different events, giving them tons of momentum going into the Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas June 10-13. The third place finish was best ever finish for the Cats. In 2008, they finished tied for fourth.

Defending NCAA Champion in the discus Rashaud Scott continued his dominance winning with a personal best throw of 216-2. It was Scott's third career Regional title, winning the discus in both 2008 & 2009, as well as the 2009 Shot Put this past Friday.

The team qualified the following for the NCAA Championships:

• Scott and Chase Madison in the Discus
• Scott in the Shot Put
• Rondel Sorrillo in the 200m dash
• 4x100m Relay
• 4x400m Relay

The UK Women's Track & Field team also qualified two members for the NCAA Championships as well. Kristin Smith placed second in the Hammer Throw. Ashley Muffett placed third in the Discus.

Just another step in the process of becoming World Dominators.

NCAA needs to look in the mirror

George Robinson, of the Leaf Chronicle, has a great piece analyzing the reality of what is today's college basketball "game." He says that while he might not agree with some of the shadiness that goes along with John Calipari, he by no means blames Coach Cal for being the way he is.

It's what the NCAA breeds. Calipari, by no means, is the lone wolf in all of this. Kentucky is in the position it's in mostly because they weren't willing to visit the gray area, while most other top basketball programs were -- look at the results.

Lets face facts: high-profile high school athletes are million dollar babies to companies like Nike, Adidas and Reebok. The AAU serves as the breeding ground for those athletes, taking sponsorships from shoe companies to herd athletes across the country for Show and Tell. Traditional high school basketball teams are quickly becoming irrelevant in the high-stakes game of Find the Next Big NBA Star.....Not every AAU coach, team or college institution is guilty of it, but if someone could prove that most aren't, in some form or fashion, I'd be willing to bow to the NCAA's feet.

Well said, my friend, well said.

May 30th: On this date...

... in 1989, 20 years ago exactly, two big things happened. Rick Pitino accepted the University of Kentucky head coaching job and the Sports Illustrated cover above started circulation into your mailbox. Traitor Rick met with Knicks GM Al Bianchi for two hours and was finally granted permission to take the UK job. Very ironic that this infamous cover came out within hours with a lone player standing in shame -- foreshadowing?. To this day, everyone thinks this guy was bowing his head in defeat because we were about to be on probation. In a BBB exclusive, though, I did some research and found out this kid simply knew we were getting in bed with one of the most notorious people to ever set foot in the state. I'm just kidding Rick, maybe the kid was bowing his head because he knew the media would once again be focused on Kentucky 20 years later even though the story of you and your mistress should be topic #1. Yup.......no..........hard...........feelings.........at..................all.

UK calendar

Where Memphis Went Wrong

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish has an interesting look at how Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson dropped the ball with their basketball program. Some highlights:

• Memphis had a roast of R.C. Johnson last night -- throwing SAT and John Calipari jokes around. A roast is a roast, but this is absolutely horrible timing.


• New Memphis coach Josh Pastner has repeatedly said he knew nothing of the violations at the time he was hired. IF this is true, how in the world do you hire a guy without letting him know the NCAA is investigating the very team he is taking over.


• Why not release the NCAA letter earlier? If you wanted to keep Calipari in Memphis, unveiling this little tidbit when Kentucky came calling MAY have scared them away.

Don't know if you have read it or will read it, but its pro-Kentucky-ish. And lately, that's hard to find.

Calipari tells NCAA to......

In an absolutely hilarious development regarding Cal v. NCAA, Sporting News confirms Cal won't even attend the NCAA hearing about the "shadiness" in Memphis. He'll actually be in China while this hearing is going on and will be interviewed over the telephone.

I think this tells you all you need to know about how much trouble Calipari is in regarding the Memphis Women's Golf scandal.

Send us a postcard and grab another point guard while your at it.

Yahoo writer wakes up from coma, amazed!

Guess which one is Jason King

Jason King of Yahoo Sports decided that old news is good news, and I agree. Even though this topic is soooooo 10 days ago, it really doesn't get old. Also, there is a poll, so be sure to vote and show the world the power of the Big Blue Nation.

Also, did you guys know that Jared Carter will not be back next year?

Erin Calipari calls out Pat Forde -- that's our girl!

Deadspin linked a funny story of our girl Erin Calipari calling out Pat Forde, or Pat Ford, or Pat Fording on Facebook.

Apparently she's not too fond of Karen Sypher Rick Pitino loving Mr. Forde and his anti-UK rhetoric.

This is all going to end well. And by saying this is going to end well, I mean I think I'm falling in love with Coach's daughter. She is going to fit in really well in the Bluegrass State.

Hey Erin. I think Ashley Judd's people are on line 1. Ashley wants to meet you.

As ya boy Warren G said back in the day -- RABID KENTUCKY FANS.............MOUNT UP!!!

TWITTER UPDATE:

Current Followers : 110,792

Tweets of Interest

I love my children dearly as u all know. But my daughter Erin
has gotten a little over-zealous in defending her daddy's honor. 35 minutes ago from txt

We both want to apologize. We all have our jobs to do and none
of them are easy and none are black and white. 14
minutes ago from txt

My family has the same passion and commitment I do and sometimes
it overflows a bit. We're all learning together as we strive for our goals.14 minutes ago from txt

May 29th: On this date...

Boxer briefs. Because tighty-whities simply cross the line.

... in 1975, the man pictured above, Kevin Grevey, was selected 18th in the NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets. Grevey's teammates -- 6'4" guard Jimmy Dan Connor (36th - Phoenix Suns), Bob Guyette (3rd round - Kansas City), and Mike Flynn (7th round - Indiana Pacers) were also drafted. Grevey had the most success of the four in the NBA, helping the Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship. Connor actually never played in the NBA, suiting up for only one year with the Kentucky Colonels. Guyette never suited up for an NBA team. Mike Flynn, on the other hand, played three seasons for the Pacers, scoring a total of 1300 points.

UK calendar

Recapping the day that was........May 28, 2009

Losing any sleep Cal?

Everyone has already seen everything they want to about the news of today. Here is the recap in case you'd like to go over it again for our pop quiz tomorrow morning.

The University of Kentucky has filed suit against Billy Clyde for being a moron. He wanted it, he's about to get it. Maybe he wins, Maybe he doesn't. One thing is for sure though; if the University goes down, they'll be sure to make it worth their while. Expect a full airing of the "dirty laundry", almost guaranteeing BCG to be out of a good job for the foreseeable future. They attempted to get a legitimate contract signed six different times.

Whether you like it not, much of this mess will be swept under the rug once John Calipari starts winning at Kentucky. It is a very troublesome pattern, though.....especially during the offseason.

Jodie Meeks tells everyone to quit freaking out about the fact he still has his name in the Draft. He told us from the beginning he would be seeing the entire NBA Draft process through. Nothing has changed.

Saul Smith reminded us once again why nobody liked him. Gotta get the name out there somehow, right? BTW, how's weather up there? I'm guessing probably about the same as your reception would be in Kentucky............cold.

Dick Gabriel writes a great piece about the Jeremy Jarmon fallout. Dick has seen alot of stuff in his day, and he says the NCAA got this one wrong.

Busy two days in Big Blue Nation. Who's up for a slow news day?

May 28th: On this date...

The most beautiful eyes in all the land.

... in 1989, future UK coach Rick Pitino still had not made up his mind on taking the head coaching job at Kentucky. Executive Vice President of Madison Square Garden Jack Diller claims to have told Pitino that he only gave permission for he and UK to "talk". For some reason, I guess Mr. Diller thought they would simply be having dinner instead of discussing the UK coaching job. Pitino said, "Nothing else was ever said to me by Jack Diller. To me that meant that if they offered the job and I decided to go, I could go." He later added, "I've always had permission to leave. If I don't get it, I'll stay."

UK calendar

Twitter Update

Current Followers: 104,725

Tweets of interest:

Leaving SEC meetings. Big time attitude in a good way from all. I'm very
impressed with the leadership, the coaches and their vision.about
12 hours ago from txt

I appreciate your passion. More importantly, I appreciate the faith you
have in me. No one said this would be easy, but we will get there.about 8
hours ago from txt

There was also a tweet between these two that mentions headed to Memphis for some hugs and kisses, but that has been deleted.

ALL RISE!

The courts are in session for the Kentucky Wildcats lately, no? Possibly the three top faces of the Cats in the last bit all dealing with their issues. Hey, at least we have three of the top stories on ESPN!

It all started with ya boy Billy Gillispie, fresh off making his weekend rounds, deciding to file suit against the UK Athletics Association. He wants cash, and he wants it now. I'll refer you back to a previous post for this one. Billy, it's a bad idea. Is he really opening up his time at UK for scrutiny?

John Wall has decided to plead guilty to misdemeanor B&E. He will need to do some community service to get everything taken care of in regards to his record. Surely he can stay outta trouble in the next six months.

Coach Cal also has been the subject of some naughty talk tonight. See the post below for details. Everything in question was brought to everyone's attention in January. Here is the quote from Mitch when we hired Calipari:

"Sandy Bell and the compliance folks talked with the NCAA and checked records and facts," Barnhart said April 1 when Calipari was introduced at Kentucky. "David Price, other people at the high level with the NCAA, assured us how much they enjoyed working with John in that process.

"We have all had our critics about how we manage and lead our programs. For seven years I've had my share and I've been through it. Our commitment at the University of Kentucky to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change. John's commitment to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change."

Speaking of court, we're gonna dominate them this upcoming basketball season. Welcome to the new era of Kentucky basketball. Moving on......(YAWN).

UK's official statement

Well, We had a good run!

The Memphis Commercial Appeal tonight is saying the NCAA is alleging some major violations against the University of Memphis during its 38-win 2007-08 season. The allegations involve fraudulent misconduct on SAT exams (possibly Derrick Rose), along with providing $2,250 in travel expenses to an associate of a player. (Gulp)

While the allegations don't name Don John Calipari in them, the NCAA has requested his presence at the hearings. I wonder if he'll be sending tweets during this whole process?

Too bad Memphis didn't have Sandy Bell down there knockin' heads.

Everyone knew the good news had to stop at some point, but to have it come down like this.........and this fast???

Ummm......that.......John Calipari..... sure does like to keep his name in the news, eh?

Paper Champions - Part 3

"Mr. Calipari, Mr. Calipari, Mr. Calipari....."

The moron man pictured above has your University of Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four next April, as well as the #2 ranked team going into the 2009 season. And that might not be all:

Wall could do for Kentucky what Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans did in their one-and-done seasons at Memphis under Calipari. The Wildcats also have Patrick Patterson returning, and he will be better with the stronger supporting cast. Now if Jodie Meeks comes back, pulling out of the NBA draft, the debate over No. 1 will start all over again.

Great! This only gives the rabid UK fan base a reason to call for Coach Cal's head if we don't win it all.

Kentucky is the 5/1 favorite to win 2010 Championship

If you've followed the site in the past month, you know I've followed the odds for the 2010 NCAA Championship. BBB's first post in this area found the Cats as the co-third choice at 15/1, behind only Kansas (7/1) and Louisville (8/1).

I wanted to keep a running tally of how things went down only because everyone knew the kind of news we would be hearing in the late spring signing period. Not to mention whether or not Pat and Jodie would be back in the fall. BBB's second post checked the odds after Pat announced he would be coming back. The sportsbook had given us some love cutting us to 10/1, tied with Louisville, and behind only Kansas at 6/1.

To keep things going, we check again to find out after news of John Wall's decision, SuperBook.com has officially made Kentucky the clear cut favorite to win the 2010 NCAA Basketball Championship at 5/1. Kansas held steady at 6/1, being the second choice to cut down the nets next April.

This means two things:

• We are now paper champions of not only recruiting, but the Las Vegas strip.
• Kentucky is the lone talk of the college basketball world since one John Calipari has taken the reigns.

Any money coming in for this bet is going straight to Kentucky. No other team's odds have changed remotely close to that of Kentucky. While the John Wall and Pat news has done wonders for these imaginary numbers, Vegas is trying to tell us they've had enough of it. By draining the odds of the Cats, they're telling us, "We're trying everything we can to get people to stop betting on UK. We're tired of you backing Kentucky." It's unheard of for a team to have not even made the NCAA Tournament the previous year to pull a complete 180 and become the favorite two months after the end of the season.

The only thing left to see is whether or not they take us off the board if Jodie decides to come back. If there is one thing Vegas knows about sports, it's the teams they know will be there at the end. And for 2010 college basketball, Kentucky is at the top of the list for now.

Updated odds:

Kentucky (5/1)
Kansas (6/1)
Louisville (12/1)
Duke (15/1)
Michigan State (15/1)
North Carolina (25/1)
Wake Forest (25/1)

Who else is ready for this season to start?

May 27th: On this date...

... in 1987, former Kentucky forward Larry Steele was named head coach of the University of Portland. Steele was a first-team All-SEC player during his time with the Cats. Although he had never coached a game before before in his life, Portland gave him a shot after spending nine seasons playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. The new head coach played three seasons for the University, and averaged just over 10 ppg. Steele later led the NBA in steals in 1974, and averaged 10 ppg during the Portland title run in 1977. On October 11, 1981, his jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony in Portland.

Go Cats.

UK calendar

Cal bats 100,000

Coach Cal reached 100,000 twitter followers this morning, and currently stands at 100,101.

Tweets of interest:

On my way to my first SEC league meetings. Will be good to see friends who
coach in the league. Great coaches at every school. Tough stuff5:21 AM May 26th from txt

SEC Meetings went well 2day. Biggest thing....we have the best tv package
in the country!! EVERY SEC league game will be on ESPN/CBS. Crazy.about 13 hours ago from txt

Sorry to Landon Slone. Heard he waited to speak to me in my office but I
didn't know. Really sorry. We are still trying to get organized!!about 12 hours ago from txt

How bout LeBron. Made both free throws, never in doubt. He's becoming the
best of the best.about 9
hours ago from txt

Billy Clyde: "That's a bad.......(price listing)??"

BOHICA, buddy........BO-friggin-HICA

I wasn't even aware WTVQ still did the news, but it turns out they do. They are reporting Billy G has finally put his house up for sale. Gotta crazy feeling he's not getting what he thinks he's getting ($1.5 million), just a hunch though. I doubt if Kentucky fans even cared enough to put the For Sale signs out for him.

Hopefully paparazzi-like photos of him out on the town (with sunglasses on inside the bar) prompted this move. Although, I have to admit, it would be fun to see random photos of Billy Clyde raisin' hell in the city. If, for no other reason than to make sure everyone knows why we canned the guy.

Maybe this is a sign the negotiations are coming right along.

Click here if you are interested.

Get Outta My Face

I don't know who you are.

I don't know what you do.

I just know you need to get outta my face.

I'm tired of hearing and seeing you.

Give it up.

Just needed to get that off my chest. Thank you for your time.

Player Departure Announcement

The three leaving are Jared Carter, A.J. Stewart, and Donald Williams.

Alan Cutler reports Landon Slone has told him he will not be back with the team for the 2009-10 season.

So, by Jerry Tipton saying DeAndre Liggins is leaving, he means DeAndre Liggins is NOT leaving. At least not until we find out what Jodie's doing, or if our freshman all qualify.

Welcome to the new era of UK basketball, where grades might keep things exciting!


***UPDATE***

Rob Bromley said Landon Slone will visit Morehead State this Friday and is considering the JUCO route as well. Good luck to Landon. He's tough. He didn't get whipped.

Player Departure Announcement

Jerry Tipton is reporting UK will announce three player departures in a press conference Tuesday at some point. He seems to believe A.J. Stewart and DeAndre Liggins will be two of those announced. Rumors have been rampant about who the dismissals would be, most involving the two Tipton mentions due to academic issues.

There seem to be alot of rumblings about academic issues with multiple players from the team. If this is the case, scholarship numbers could be a question mark with the new NCAA academic guidelines. The worse your team's grades are, the more likely the NCAA is to take away potential scholarships. With the talk of some of the guys coming in trying to get qualified, it's something you need to put in your memory bank for a later date.

May 26: On this date...

... in 1989, the New York Knicks said today that Rick Pitino was under contract and needed to be granted permission in order to leave the team. They also announced they would make Kentucky compensate them for any money lost in a new coach search. To which C.M. Newton said, "Hey, I got an idea. How bout you go _______ yourself," or something to that effect. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Pitino's contract would be worth $5 million over seven years in base salary. Years later, he would turn his back on Big Blue Nation and "allegedly" have an affair with his ball boy's wife.

UK calendar

Memorial Day Tweets

TWITTER UPDATE

As of 10:46 pm, Coach Cal has 92,887 followers.

Tweets of mention from the weekend:

LeBron's game winning shot was incredible! I bet he visualized that moment
thousands of times and practiced it as many. Why don't we?5:02 AM
May 23rd from txt

Let's all get behind Jeremy Jarmon & support him as he moves on from
his mistake.7:22 AM
May 23rd from txt

Way to go jon hood!! High jump state champion...and I love high flyers!!
Can't wait to coach him. He's gonna be good! See you all tomorrow4:18 PM May 23rd from txt

May 24th: On this date...

... in 2004, Tayshaun Prince came from out of nowhere to block Reggie Miller's potential game-tying layup. The block clinched Game 2 for the Pistons, 72-67, in the Eastern Conference Finals. Prince's star continued to rise during the 2004 NBA Playoffs, helping the Pistons capture their only NBA Championship during their semi-dynastic run.

Jeremy Jarmon Out at UK

Jarmon has tested positive to an NCAA banned substance and his career is over at the University. Very bad news for Kentucky in the upcoming football season. UK has appealed and has been denied by the NCAA.

We wish him the best in his future endeavors. Jeremy has been a face for this football team for the past three years and will always hold a place in the hearts of Kentucky fans.

It took major cajones to come clean in front of the media and put himself out there as he did today. I'm flabbergasted.

Creepy Presser Coverage 10AM

The mystery presser is live on WKYT.com at 10:00am. The consensus is that its not basketball related, and its not good news at all. Quick, 20 minutes to speculate.................GO!

Twitter Update / Press Conference

Current Followers - 80,537


UK press Conference at 10 am today is not about basketball.

WKYT will be streaming the conference live.

Lebron's Game-Winner

To tie the series. Lebron is the King. No doubt.

PLEASE JOIN THE NON-FILTERS AT WICHITA DRIVE IN LEXINGTON ON SATURDAY MAY 23

It was a beautiful Spring day. May 23, 2009 to be specific. Roland
pulled his 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis into the first parking space right
against the door of Montgomery Ward in Turfland Mall. "This place looks
different," he thought to himself. "Why is there a Home Depot sign and
orange everywhere?" He locked his doors with his newly installed keyless
entry system. "That'll impress the ladies," he smirked.

He stared down at his bright white Reeboks as he strutted through the door of his favorite
department store in search of a new maroon turtleneck. "What the ...?" he
exclaimed. "Building materials?!!" He ran back outside, confused,
dismayed. He sprinted toward the main mall entrance. The doors were
locked. "What has happened to my favorite spot to score some of the
finest offerings of the female species?" he said aloud. As he walked
slowly back to his car, he realized the lot was now full of cars. "Where
could all these people be going?" he wondered.

He decided to walk behind them. They walked and walked, as if drawn by a magnetic force.
Gradually, an appealing aroma filled the air. "Is that...could it be?"
Redneck sushi! The smell came from Witchita drive, and every vacant lot
on Harrodsburg road was full of cars driven by people hoping to get into
the legendary Memorial Day Event. Roland could hardly believe his eyes or
ears as he finally came within a half a block of the place. "That's Mark
Mayes himself!" he exclaimed. "And Chicken Harmon! Nutz Devine?! This
is like a dream!"

Suddenly, the shrill sound of Eric Baker's guitar filled the air. It was the opening chords to "I Don't Know Much, But I Know I Love You", originally made popular by Aaron Neville and Linda
Ronstadt. Drums, bass, and a second guitar followed. Roland fell to his
knees and mouthed the words, "Thank You!"

The Non-Filters

UK Press Conference at 10 am

...per KSR.

No one else is reporting it, so I'm not sure what this is all about.

Darius Miller trying out for Team USA

Andy Katz reports today that Darius Miller will be trying out for the FIBA 19-and-under USA squad coached by Jaime Dixon. Hopefully we can get a preview of what Darius will look like in the fall. Other highlights of Katz's article:

• Coach Cal is attempting to bring former UK greats to Lexington during the summer to ball with the current boys. Potential players include Chuck, Nazr, Tayshaun & Johnny Rondo.
• Daniel Orton is already on campus lifting with Patterson via UK strength and conditioning. Orton will also be summer schooling it. I already love this kid. Pat Jr. if you will.
• John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Darnell Dodson will be on campus by June 9 to attend both classes in both summers sessions.
• Calipari also wants to hire one more guy for the staff. Most likely the Director of Basketball Operations position that Rod Strickland gave up to become the final assistant. WKYT reports it will be Martin Newton, C.M.'s son, and current mediator between Nike and the University.

Stop by this weekend if you get a chance. Next week we'll probably find out who is officially leaving the team.

North Carolina sucks

Sports Illustrated confirms this intuition.

DeMarcus Cousins agrees:

So how good can Kentucky be with all this talent coming in and coming back?

“Final Four contenders,” Cousins said emphatically. “We’ll beat Duke and North Carolina.”

“There’s no telling right now,” Orton added. “Just wait and see.”

SNAP! Haven't heard anyone talk smack like that since "Booger" Sparks.

NON - FILTERS BACK IN THE STUDIO!!

The Non-Filters live at Terrapin Hill

The rumors have been confirmed. Legendary rock-n-roll superstars The Non-Filters are finally back in the studio recording their follow up to last summers highly successful album "Nobody Likes You When Your Down and Out". In the tradition of Guns-n-Roses Use Your Illusion series the band will release two albums simultaneously. However, unlike G-N-F'n-R the band will name the first release "Civil Sobriety" and the second "Killing Snakes".

When asked about the upcoming album, lead guitarist William George Shewmaker had this to say, "things have been going well. But they could be a lot better and productive if Eric could peal himself off of that damn Rhodes piano."

Drummer Kipp Ballard sat down with media on the veranda of the Sadler Compound he quipped, "things have been alright. Kilo barks to much. Bill is dying to go home, I'm intoxicated, Sadler's house smells like mix of kitty litter and an Asian massage parlor, and Eric won't peal his ass of the damn Rhodes piano. Which he has made abundantly clear he will now play full time."

Lee Sadler, bassist of The Non-Filters recently had a horrendous MotorCross accident leaving the God of rock in a full body cast. Sadler was approached by local media but his responses were unintelligible as he smoked cigarettes, drank Jack Daniels and attempted to speak through his new trachea.

While sitting as his new Rhodes piano, wearing a shirt not unimaginable for Charlie Sheen, Eric Baker said, "I don't feel like it's time for a new album. Most of my songs sound like the commercial jingles I've been working on for the Safe Auto contest."

Producer Shifty Caldwell is back at the helm for this legendary step in Rock n Roll history. He spoke of the album in an online interview with Spin Magazine saying, "It's terribly difficult to make something from nothing. The level of talent continues to subside, while the debauchery and unprofessionalism continues to increase. I'm not sure why I'm here. I'd love to be elsewhere."

Come see the Non-Filters at Witchita Drive for their annual Memorial Day Bash on May 23rd or The Dragon in Frankfort on Friday June 5th or The Dame in Lexington on Wednesday June 3rd, or better yet, all three.

http://www.non-filters.com

See The Non-Filters live at Wichita Drive this Saturday night.

Cal on Twitter

Not the right Calipari

It seems like it was only a few weeks ago Calipari was sweeping us off our feet with promises to recruit the best of the best, win games and hopefully championships, and be in touch with the UK fanbase like no other. Wait a minute, that really was just a few weeks ago.

Calipari opened his Twitter account just a week or so ago, and it only took a few days to get to 10,000. Calipari commented that he couldn't wait to get to 20,000.

Ah, those were the good old days...before things went and got in a big hurry. Since then, Calipari reached his 20,000 easily, and currently stands at just under 74,000 followers. In fact, Calipari is still going strong, adding 10,000 followers just since the Wall commitment (which was a little more than 24 hours ago).

So, rather than be intimidated by the "big busy world" that we currently live in, and rather than writing "Whitenack wuz here" over the threshold of my home, I have decided to embrace this new technology.

BBB will keep a running status of Calipari's Twitter count. Purely for the sake of documentation....so that when March 2010 rolls around and Coach has 625,000 followers, we can look back on May 21st of 2009 and see how far and how fast he has come.

Additionally, if there is any noteworthy tweets (slightly embarrassed to even be typing that) from that day, we'll pass those along too.

TWITTER STATUS

Current Followers as of 10:55 pm - 73,866

Tweets of interest:

• Pretty exciting stuff. Finish a strong recruiting class and getting ready to fly to UMass tomorrow.6:22 PM May 20th from txt
• Its been an invigorating 7 weeks but also grueling. Feel like I've been in a time machine because of what we have gotten done6:23 PM May 20th from txt
• Whatever comes @ me I will use in a positive way. I control how my mind responds 2 things I dont control. I will stay relentlessly positive!about 15 hours ago from txt
• Just left the bengals practice in cincy. Always good seeing friends at work. I'm a big fan of marvin lewis and ray oliver and i go way back.about 9 hours ago from txt
• To my good friend the honorable Tom Crean. He's right we have too much of everything at Kentucky.about 9 hours ago from txt
• We have so much we can't handle it, AND WE HAVE TOO MANY FOLLOWERS!!!about 9 hours ago from txt
• What's w/ this Pat Ford guy? Anybody else think this is personal. Probably trying to sell more books or tryin to shift stuff to Lexington...about 5 hours ago from txt
• Erin & I are headed to pick up the family to drive up to UMass. It's emotional because its where it all started plus Erin's graduating Sat.about 4 hours ago from txt

Wizards workout: Meeks "quick and built"

Here's an article from the Washington Examiner about the Wizards workout today. The guy who wrote the piece was impressed by Jodie's quickness and build, but was more impressed with Maryland's Greivis Vasquez.

When asked what guarantee he would need to keep his name in the Draft, Jodie said:

"Obviously if a team says they’ll take me in the first round, I’ll definitely try to stay. The first round is a good round to be in. But the late second round to not getting drafted, I’ll probably go back to school."

This is what we've been hearing all along, but it never hurts to hear it again. Especially since the earliest the Wizards would draft Jodie would be in the second round. There are a few more questions as well.

A few Lynx -- Get it.......Lynx

Not much going on this morning, so here's a few internet web pages to look at in which you can read about your beloved Cats.

The Bleacher Report ranks the top power forwards for the 2009-10 season. The armpit pictured above is part of the man ranked #1.

The Bleacher Report tells us with the team Coach Cal has assembled in Lexington, and the fact 25 games or so will be on ESPN, this year's squad will be the most marketed in America.

Jodie Meeks is currently working out for the Washington Wizards, who will pick early in the first and second rounds. This bodes well for Cat fans as we should welcome workouts like these all day long.

Join Pat Patterson at 1:00pm for a Q & A session on Cat Scratches. Be sure to stop by ask him how awesome he is.

Gregg Doyle of CBSSports.com does a live chat with KSR today at 2:00pm to talk all things Kentucky.

That is all. We're #1.

May 21st: On this date...

... in 1989, Rick Pitino said he was interested in C.M. Newton's offer to become the next head coach of Kentucky. On his weekly television show, Pitino announced he would be flying to Lexington to tour the UK campus and discuss the job opening. Rick Rote, the host of Pitino's show, told the New York Times Rick said, "Joanne and I are going out Tuesday. I plan to make this this as quick as possible. I'm hoping I'll be back, but if not, the Knicks will have the biggest cheerleader in Lexington." Statements like these would become all to familiar to Cat fans as Benedict Arnold Traitor Rick is now known to make these type of statements at every stop.

UK calendar

Dwight Howard is a Man

May 20th: On this date...

... in 1996, Coach Rick Pitino and his NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats took a trip to D.C. to visit Slick Willy in the White House. Pitino and Mark Pope were the presenters of what was some bad comedy where everyone had to fake laugh for the cameras. Some highlights:

• Pitino noted that since Clinton and Al Gore took office in 1992, "the SEC is dominating the Final Four. Please re-elect them." Hang on........maybe that did work.
• Mark Pope jokingly told Clinton he hoped the President would change his allegiance from Arkansas to Kentucky. Oh SNAP!

The Cats gave President Clinton a #1 Kentucky jersey, Al Gore a #2, and Monica Lewinsky a #69 jersey. Antoine Walker told the Lexington Herald-Leader, "It was a great experience for me. I've never been to Washington before." Walker then shimmied away.

UK calendar

Afternoon Notes

Pat Patterson is joining Cat Scratches for a live blog Thursday afternoon at 1:00pm. He will answer questions from the rabid UK fans about: how awesome he is, how awesome his team will be, what he will do if they really cancel the upcoming NCAA season, and how fans can pester Jodie until he publicly says he's coming back..

Coach Cal's official statement regarding John Wall:

“I’ve recruited John for nearly two years and I’ve gotten to know him to be not only a fine player but a fine person,” head coach John Calipari said. “He’s a terrific teammate who wants to win, yet driven to personally improve. I’m very excited for the opportunity to add him to our family.”

Coach Cal doesn't want anyone to forget about his summer camps.

Yahoo Sports says -- Jodie Meeks, you are now on the clock.

ESPN backs BBB in saying Kentucky is on a path to world domination -- or something to that effect. They have also ranked UK's recruiting class as paper champions of 2009!

John Wall presser

WKYT is streaming the press conference on their website, for those of us folks not able to get to a TV.

There may be other sites as well. We'll try to pass along the links as they become available.

WKYT

WLEX 18

ESPN's Recap

Attention UK Marketing

You guys have the opportunity of a lifetime. Anyone who was around during the mid 1990's run now know times like these cannot be taken for granted. We may be embarking on a 7-10 year window where the University could more than pay for John Calipari's salary. And as the photo above let us know, if you make it, we will buy it.

DeWayne Peevy, UK Director of Media Relations, is just the person to get this going. He led the way last year in trying to put the Kentucky brand out in front of everyone again. Inside Kentucky Basketball was a success and it allowed the every day fan to get a behind the scenes look at how all things Kentucky go down on a day-to-day basis. Anytime you can get your audience to care about the people involved more than they already do, it will be a success. Watching the players take every step during the year made you feel more connected than ever. And this was a team we knew wasn't going anywhere at the end of the day.

Having said that, you HAVE to follow this team around. I don't think anyone even realizes how popular this team is going to be. It's a freakin' Dream Team of college basketball. People from all across the country are going to adopt Kentucky as their team. This is a new generation's mid-'90s. It is time to start developing a new rabid fan base that will be fiery for years to come. Kids today have had no reason to have unrealistic expectations year in, year out. This is our chance to mold the newest edition of raging, lunatic Kentucky fans!

Enrollment at the University will be the highest it's been in a decades. There will be a baby boom across the Commonwealth. Husbands and wives will uncharacteristically start getting along again. They might even enjoy spending time with one another during the basketball season. Who knows? The possibilities are endless! We just need you to let us in on the fantastic voyage we are about to take.

NCAA Cancels the 2010 season

...according to The Sporting News. Evidently UK is going to be too good next year. It would be a waste of everyone else's time.

News about John Wall and UK are clogging up the internet. "John Wall" and "Kentucky Wildcats" are currently in the 50 top searches on Google for today. Matt Jones reports that "John Wall" is the 6th most search on Twitter today.

We are officially in "paradise" territory right now. Would you even call it, UKtopia?

May 19th: On this date...

... in 2009, John Wall, the #1 point guard/overall player in the class of 2009, committed to the University of Kentucky. With all due respect for everything else that happened on this day in Big Blue history, this news takes the cake. We might be about to witness a season for the ages. That's it, I got nothing else for ya.

And Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports has us as his new #1 going into 2009.

Its Official!

We got the guys we wanted! Kentucky has come out with an official statement.

Oh........it's the assistant coaches.

(Yawn)

Cats name Assistant coaches.

WKYT says they will be talking to Coach Cal on their 5:00pm newscast. Hopefully Wall will send in his Letter of Intent before then. If not, he won't be able to comment on him just yet.

Jon Hood is 2-for-2

With all of the hoopla surrounding the upcoming recruiting class, possibly the most overlooked addition to the team is Kentucky's own Jon Hood. I'm not talking about playing time, athleticism, or shooting ability.

I'm talking about the fact Jon Hood was put in charge of recruiting his fellow seniors by both Billy Gillispie and John Calipari and he helped pull Daniel Orton and John Wall. Being aware that Hood did not single-handedly decide where these two chose to go to school, he definitely didn't hurt our chances.

He had enough of a relationship with the two that he could contact them or drop them little hints/texts about how good they would have it. A place like nothing you can imagine. As an 18-19 year old kid, think about someone telling you how easy you'd have it and how you'd be set for life if you simply chose to attend a certain school. Would you say no? Well, the basketball department at Kentucky has that kinda pull, but we haven't used that leverage in a decade.

We heard constantly during the Derby City Classic how Hood hovered over a wavering Daniel Orton never letting him breath without thinking of the Cats. Rivals had a few interviews with Hood talking about how he had kept in touch with Wall the past few summers letting him know there's not a better place in the world to play basketball than Lexington, KY.

Jon Hood may not get the time next year, but he may have held the key to finding One-Eyed Willie. It's almost as if Jon Hood was one of us, a fan trying to do anything in their power to help make Big Blue Nation better............................................................Oh wait, he is.

Welcome to the the new era of Kentucky basketball. We're back baby!

ESPN

Rivals

SI.com

WALL TO UK!!!

The UK net is buzzing today that John Wall has committed to UK!!

KSR sniffed out that a decision might be coming soon, based on their sources. Overnight, Slam Magazine reported the committment. (Good luck trying the link...I'd say 500,000 or so of your closest friends are currently overloading the servers) Since then, a couple of other sources have confirmed the news. None from those that matter yet -- UK or Wall.

Everyone is jumping on the story, so we are going to too.

CELEBRATE!

A live view of downtown Lexington:

Meeks in no rush

Jerry Tipton lets us know Jodie Meeks is in no hurry to make a decision about his future. He spoke with Jodie's father about the senior-to-be and Orestes said his schedule is too hectic to worry about a decision just yet.

The NBA Combine will be held in Chicago May 28-29, and Meeks has workouts planned well beyond that date. Recently, he worked out for the Seattle SuperSonics Oklahoma City Thunder.

Meeks will have until June 15th to pull his name from the NBA Draft. The Draft takes place June 25th.

Not for sure who his other workouts are scheduled with, but you have to like Oklahoma City giving him one. They will be picking very early in the first and second rounds. And as much as I love Jodie, he ain't goin' in the early first. As Meeks has said before, if he's projected in the second, he'll be back. And we all know if you ever change your mind in life, you will be labeled a flip-flopper for eternity.

Some Family Love - Part 3

So apparently this is going to be a running column throughout the spring. If you've been following the blog lately, you know that I've been glossing my little cousin for her tennis play this season at Mercer County. Part 1 being when I found out they would be the top ranked team in the ladies doubles draw at the 12 Region Tournament. Part 2 when I found out they had a feature done on them by the Advocate-Messenger last week about their great season.

This past weekend in Berea, they took on all comers from the 12th Region and came out victorious, earning a State Tournament berth. By winning the ladies doubles tournament, Lauren and Lee also helped Mercer County defend their regional team title. They defeated Danville in the Championship match 6-3, 6-2, avenging their only regional loss this season.

They will compete at the State Tournament this weekend at the University of Kentucky.

Congratulations girls! Not bad for a couple of sophomores, eh?

Chucky coming to Monday Night Football

I can't believe someone at Tampa Bay had the guts to fire this guy.

Jon Gruden is replacing the much maligned Tony Corn-Husker for Monday Night Football. It will be fun to watch Chucky make faces into the camera.

After a few tries for comedy (Dennis Miller), looks like MNF is coming back to actually having guys that know something about football.

I never really had a problem with Tony K. I don't guess I really paid enough attention to him to get annoyed.

Hmm, I just realised... am I the Tony Kornheiser of this blog? Could be.


THIS JUST IN>>>>

John Wall still hasn't made his decision.