I Got You Babe or The Beat Goes On

Its been hinted that the NCAA will rule this week on the cozy unnoticed affairs that USC had with Reggie Bush and O. J. Mayo. It’s only been four short years since the NCAA started the investigation which sounds like a lot till you think that Cher put up with Sonny a lot longer than that.

USC had their chance to defend the school in February and we could have seen a ruling before now but Bush was ordered to testify in a lawsuit by Lloyd Lake, one of the wanta-be agents who allegedly gave cash and other perks to Bush and his family in 2005. We all know how that went, bought off like Cher did with Sonny. Oh and the next time your in LA try the fried wanta-be at Chen’s mobile Sushi and Taco bar frequented by agents, players, coaches and those who love the Shrimp and Cash plate.

Some writers are predicting up to a three year bowl ban, loss of as many scholarships as Alabama did at the start of the century and forfeiting of games and a National Championship. No one I’ve read so far expects a death penalty although the whole affair from Bush to Mayo certainly shows a total lack of institutional control and a culture of denial at USC similar to the famed UCLA approach used in the late 60′s early 70′s in basketball.

Other writers are predicting a slap on the wrist with the NCAA using the feared vacating wins penalty to severely punish the USC program.

One thing for sure is that Pete Carroll wont be considered a cheater like John Calipari is in the national media. Its going to be interesting to watch how the spin goes.

So whats it going to be folks, I Got You Babe or The Beat Goes On?

Some good lovin for Jamele Hill

Heres a show just for Ms Shock Jock to show Jamele Hill that not only do we know basketball we know music and what Ms Shock Jock needs is a little Charlie to fulfill her wildest fantasy’s since there is a snowball in hells chance that UK would hire him as a coach.

Here’s Charlie Manson crooning just for her in a Sunrise Show

Assignment: Define Success.

SUCCESS:
1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
4. a person or thing that is successful

Not to be confused w/Expectations.
Expectations:
1. the act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.
2. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.
3. an expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.
4. something expected; a thing looked forward to.
5. Often, expectations. a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.
6. the degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.

Clearly, expectations can be weaved right into the oh so tempting but deadly web of Hope.

We all know what the Media thinks– we define Success only in  terms of a National Championship. WRONG! Most of those analysts, guru’s & know it all’s must have been sleepin through English Class & have chosen to take the easy route by labeling & writing w/o all the facts.
Myth:
KY FANS DEFINE SUCCESS as winning a National Title every single season.
Fact: We measure our SUCCESS  on how we compete every season. Here in lay’s the expectation….. for, our definition of compete is a lot of different than — oh let’s say Towson’s. You know what I mean & if I haft to explain well… Go Copy off Hubert Davis when you take your quiz.

So exactly what would a Successful Season entail for the Mega-Talented Cats. A smart Cat knows there are no WRONG ANSWERS to that question but at the same time it delivers a lot of debate & when it’s at its best is HEATED– which is one of the things that makes us HATED BY MANY, REVERED BY THE KNOWLEDGEABLE & ADMIRED BY MOST.
So….. Here is what I’m grading on for a SUCCESSFUL SEASON.
1st off: We’re on our way, the effort is showing great promise of doing exactly what a TOP 10 team is supposed to do—- OBLITERATE CUPCAKES! These games are nothin but glorified practices and as we learn, we are also forcing our opponents to STAND UP & RECOGNIZE. I HEAR THUNDER!!! — now We’ll Wait for Late January to bring the Lightning that will announce the coming Storm that will REIGN down through March! Success always has a beginning….
2. Carolina goes down & we beat them to 2000….. No fret Cats— this will be a WAR, but I’m tellin you right here, right now, tackling them early on & in RUPP— this is the YEAR & WE WILL PREVAIL!
3. Which brings me to UofJail.  This almost by itself has the power to make or break a SUCCESSFUL SEASON. As bad as I hate to admit that, it’s true.
W/that said— YES LOSERVILLE MUST BE BEAT!! BADLY—is most preferred. (:
4. You know,  it does NO justice for the SEC  Conference (as a whole) when KY is down. Like it or not, our conference relies on us to be BIGGER THAN LIFE & WIN, WIN BIG. Let’s face it when the Media looks to the SEC, all eyes are on Lexington.
It’s time to TAKE BACK OUR KINGDOM!!
SEC outright CHAMPIONSHIP & A solid SEC TOURNAMENT RUN is a MUST.
5. Sweet 16 in the Dance. (Remember this is SUCCESS, not EXPECTATIONS)
I really don’t think that’s asking a whole lot but at the same time I challenge them to meet and/or exceed these goals. Rupp forbid, if it doesn’t happen…. Well, I STILL LOVE MY CATS & ALWAYS WILL.
One thing you can rest assure— WE WILL COMPETE & IT WILL BE FUN! Really, you can’t ask for much more– but this isn’t Towson now is it?! (: (Sorry Towson, you’re my whippin boy this week— deal!)

Let’s tap “DANCE” right into that tempting web of Hope & Expectations for a spell.
I EXPECT TO RULE THE SEC
I EXPECT TO GET NO LESS THAN A 3 SEED IN THE DANCE
I EXPECT A FINAL FOUR APPEARANCE.
I HOPE & PRAY FOR A SHOT AT THE NATIONAL TITLE.
Hey, the Yankees just broke in their NEW HOME under a NEW KING—- WHY CAN’T WE TAKE BACK OUR HOME & TITLE W/THE NEW KING OF THE BLUEGRASS.

There’s a big difference between those 2 isn’t there. Funny thing is… the Media discredits us by using our hopes against us which blinds college bb to the greatest gift KY FANS offer— KNOWLEDGE of the game.

Things to watch for this season:
Cal weaving his magic in getting our Freshman to gel w/our veterans. This is not going to be an easy spell to cast. THERE IS NO I in TEAM & making KIDS not only comprehend that BUT BELIEVE IN IT is a CHALLENGE. If this doesn’t happen, we’ll never see what this team is truly capable of… Oh sure, it would probably be a successful season but just THINK OF THE POTENTIAL of this team as 1—– LOL Skeery HUH! (:
Patterson learning his new position & getting more touches on the ball. This will come w/time, I’m sure.
Wall & Bledsoe rippin defenses to shreds! YIKES! Dare I say we possibly have the BEST backcourt in the nation…. I’m a watchin for it, how bout you?!
Witnessing this team of Boys become MEN on the Court!

Agree or not: these are my standards & I’m stickin to em…. course I’ve been known to grade on the “Billy Curve.”
Now it’s your turn!
Assignment Define Success. No copying! I’m watching you! You have 1 week so get on it!
LUVTHOSECALICATS!
Ms.Cats~

Blue White Game

Boy was that fun. The blue white game just finished and a Realtor came to show the house I’m in to a nice couple. She is from Louisville and we had fun dissing each other. Next to the game and her nose ring it made my day.

How do you start to describe the potential this team has. I haven’t seen the final stats yet but #8 could happen this year if things go right.

Start with Patrick Patterson. If he isn’t first team All American this year there should be a lynching at some news outlet. He did everything in this game. Faced the basket, made the outside shot, rebounded, played with his back to the basket, ran the break and dunked for a total of 24 points.

The competition between Wall and Bledsoe was fun to watch. Both look to score or make sure someone scores every time they touch the ball. The only person thats gonna stop them is themselves.

Josh Harrellson prove again that the coach with no name was out of his frickin head not to use the kid. He made 3′s, rebounded on both boards and proved hes going to be an asset to this team. He simply plays the game the right way considering his physical abilities. He finished the game with 13 points and 14 rebounds and wont have to sit in the bathroom this year.

Darnell Dodson showed us he can shoot, run the floor and will thrive in coaches offense with 23 points. He needs to work a little more on his penetration but hes gonna score the points outside to keep teams honest.

Darius Miller was quiet in the first half but showed he will do what is needed on defense. He came alive at the start of the second half using his shot game well.

Jon Hood missed most of his 3′s but he sure has a beautiful floater on the drive and is gonna be hard to keep on the bench.

Harris shot his 3′s with confidence and played good defense. He still looks a little clumsy on his drives but will see some playing time.

Cousins and Orton can clog up the middle against big teams, have the ability to score on both the run and on the drive. They combined for 30 points and several nice passes. Both their weaknesses seem to be stopping Wall and Bledsoe on the drive but who’s gonna do that.

Mark Krebs showed he can shoot and looked a lot more comfortable than he did at midnight madness. Did Perry Stevenson play?

And finally DeAndre Liggins had to have fouled out twice but looked a lot more in control than last year.

Defensively this team is going to be real good with the press. The starting Blue team showed they will be the same in the half court game.

The second half showed that these players are able to play togeather no matter who is in the game.

John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are gonna be important to this team but the key player is still Patrick Patterson.

CALIPARI MAY BRING COUSINS, HENRY TO UK WITH HIM…IF

He comes….

AND…. Gary Parrish, of CBSSports.com, is reporting that ESPN #1 overall 2009 recruit Xavier Henry has a clause in his Letter of Intent that requires Memphis to release him without stipulations, if Calipari leaves the Tigers. Henry is a 6’6″, 210 lb shooting guard from Oklahoma.

AND…Demarcus Cousins?

Who is this man-child, and how much would it improve UK’s team to have him? Well the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Cousins is rated the No. 1 power forward, and No. 2 prospect in the country. He considered UK early in the recruiting process while attending one of Gillispie’s summer camps, but ultimately gave a surprising verbal commitment to UAB which he rescinded to pledge to Memphis and Calipari.

How much he would improve a front line loaded with Patrick Patterson, Matt Pilgrim, Orton, Perry Stevenson, et al, is anyone’s guess, but can we say bulls on the boards? That’s what we’ll have if we add the beast Cousins to the mix….

Now that John Calapari is courting the job at UK, Demarcus’ mom was ask how they were taking the sudden news: “The things that have developed over the last 24 hours or so, he is not too aware of,” Ms. Cousins said. “He’s at the aquarium today with the (McDonald’s All-American) group. I’m sure if they had any down time, that someone has mentioned it to him. Right now, we haven’t talked about it.”

On John Calapari:

“He likes the way he motivates his players, said Ms. Cousins. “He has watched Coach Cal for a long period of time. He is the type of coach that is very up-front. There’s no gray area. You know right away that his way is the way it is. You learn and he pushes you, and that is what DeMarcus likes about him.”

Kenny Walker, former UK star and NBA player, seemed ecstatic over the possibility of John Calipari joining the Wildcats as head coach:

He has a very charismatic personality. He’s a great communicator. He’s a great motivator. He’s a proven recruiter. Those are all things you need at the University of Kentucky,” said Walker. “He really has all the qualities you need for this job. He’s very good with fans and the media. He relates well to the players. He is the complete package.”

“All I have heard about Calipari is how much fun it is to play for him and that’s what college basketball is about. Get an education, get some exposure for yourself and have fun. Then take it to the next level if you can. “He will get guys to do that and make it pleasant experience for them, and I don’t think that has been the case at Kentucky the last two years.”

Donovan Says “NO”! ORESTES MEEKS SPEAKS!

“Billy Gillispie’s tenure as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats ended yesterday after a two year record of 40-27, one NCAA appearance and one NIT appearance. At this moment, UK is without a basketball coach. Apparently, that will not be Billy Donovan.

“In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible. I’m committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here.” So says Billy Donovan about his interest in the vacant University of Kentucky job.

So says Billy Donovan, who was the second part of the persistent rumor that swirled around Billy Gillispie — that he would be fired and Billy Donovan would be the replacement. Now, we see that the administration had no coach in the wings, and the firing was what it is. A desire to remove Gillispie based on “philosophical differentness and “UN-FIT” circumstances.

Now I have no doubt, after careful consideration, that Billy C. Gillispie did nothing to ingratiate himself to the boosters, media, or the HEAD MAN. He was a hard driving basketball junkie who loved the game and hated the spotlight. This is plenty enough to get you fired in the real world, yet this isn’t the real world. This is no marriage, there was no contract. This was no agreement; there was none, perhaps an understanding, but those are very flimsy, as we can see now.

This is a basketball team with young men hanging in the balance of their careers, and a program tethering on the brink of instability. A strong recruiting class coming, whose parents want to know what is going on. Those things are paramount in considering anything in relation to the men’s basketball program. Having a man in place who appreciates what the University of Kentucky basketball program is all about is a no-brainer. Mitch should have thought of that two years ago when he introduced us to Billy Clyde as the saviour of UK basketball.

Now, we are left to twist in the wind while we look for a basketball coach. Experienced coaches are turning us down now, first Donovan, now Calipari. Never say never, and some may reconsider but, A “home run” hire is necessary soon to address the need to retain the recruits we have coming in. The search is on……

Mike Decourcy, The Sporting News, weighs in, “The guy’s been there two years. If you’re firing somebody after two years, with one NCAA appearance and an NIT, I’m not sure the failure belongs to the coach.”

“You need a special guy…I think that John Calapari…Rick Barnes….Travis Ford…” Vitale offered these names, and we know these. We will be needing NO help from Dicky V. I’ll take Travis. Thank You.

Orestes Meeks, Jodie’s father, had some very unflattering things to say about Billy Gillispie. “They got worse as the season progressed. I don’t know why that was. To me, that is a leadership issue. There is a lot of behind the scenes stuff that went on. Some of that stuff was self inflicted (by Gillispie). I couldn’t understand a lot of the stuff they tried to do.” After UK’s loss at Florida, a Florida player said Jodie Meeks told him he was told by Gillispie to quit shooting. Gillispie denied that later as did Jodie Meeks. However, Orestes Meeks said it happened in other games this year as well. “He was telling him that all year about shooting,” Orestes Meeks said. “When he hit 7 3’s against Tennessee State in the first half and he was 8-for-11 from the field and he told him, ‘Why do you have 11 shots. You are shooting too much.’ “I think Coach had a problem with Jodie doing as well as he did. We do not have a relationship. I do not talk to him. When the school started the (national player of the year) promotion for Jodie (in February), he benched him (at South Carolina). He took him out and told him not to shoot even though he just had made a shot. He just told him to sit down. How does that make sense?” Indeed Orestes, it makes no sense, and if this is true, we did make the best move…