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…

“PRO DAY” NFL LOOKS IN ON WILDCATS

Wednesday morning at the annual “Pro Day” workout for professional scouts, the 2008-2009 UK Football Seniors put their talents on display…Nutter Field House was the site, and while there weren’t as many scouts there as there was last year when we had six seniors, there were representatives of 18 professional teams and the Kentucky Horsemen…

Myron Pryor is the highest ranked Wildcat on the board and he expects to go in the middle rounds or as early as the third round…HE was pleased with his drills… “I went up there focused and had a mind-set that I was better than anybody else out there,” he said. “The main thing I’m working on now is getting in shape. The rest of it I think I have pretty much down.”

University of Kentucky senior linebacker Braxton Kelley ran the 40-yard dash for NFL scouts, but the biggest story may be that senior running back, Alphonso Smith ran a 4.27 forty. Official times were suspect, since each Scout had his own stopwatch, but that is in keeping with some of the, “4.2 range of times”, that Smith has notched…The fastest graduating senior on the board was David Jones who posted a 4.34 forty time…

Rich Brooks said Jeremy Jarmon, Trevard Lindley, and Micah Johnson, all who tested NFL waters, along with junior defensive tackle Corey Peters, should give the Cats a strong 2009 draft class. Johnny Williams, Gary Williams, and Liberty Bowl Hero Ventrell Jenkins also worked out for the Pro Scouts.

Three of the Wildcat seniors Myron Pryor, Tim Masthay, and safety Marcus McClinton had been worked out previously by The Scouts in February at the official NFL combine. Those players joined in for the additional evaluation.

The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-26, and Rich Brooks thinks that the 2008 seniors will add to the success of the UK senior class of 2007. Seven senior Wildcats from the ’07 team were drafted or signed as free agents, six of whom made it onto a roster in the NFL.

Casper dies from injures

Jenni Casper, the record-setting former University of Kentucky volleyball player injured in a car accident early Saturday, has died.

Casper, 24, was pronounced dead at 1:27 p.m. Sunday by UK Hospital staff members.

She had been critically injured at 1:43 a.m. Saturday, when, according to police, she was driving on Chinoe Road and apparently lost control of her car negotiating a curve near Fontaine Road. Casper’s car hit a tree, Lt. Scott Blakely of the Lexington police department said Saturday.

Police believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash, Lt. Garry Sennett of Lexington police said Sunday.

Casper, who played for UK from 2003 to 2006, graduated from the university in May 2007. Originally from Louisville and a graduate of Mercy Academy, Casper was the Southeastern Conference record holder in career digs, ranked 13th in NCAA Division I volleyball history in career digs and was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

“The Wildcat family is saddened by the loss of Jenni Casper,” UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement.

“Jenni represented the University of Kentucky and the volleyball program with passion and dignity. She was an intense competitor and amazing individual. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jenni’s family and loved ones during this period of grief.”

UK volleyball Coach Craig Skinner added, “We will do everything we can to carry on Jenni’s legacy of dedication, enthusiasm and unselfishness through our program.”

Information about funeral and memorial arrangements was not available Sunday night.

Carroll UK’s first consensus All-American

Former University of Kentucky outfielder Sawyer Carroll has been named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Louisville Slugger, Baseball America, Rivals.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Rashaud Scott wins title

Big Cheer for University of Kentucky track and field athlete Rashaud Scott who won the men’s discus National Title with a throw of 199-8. Scott became just the second UK Outdoor Men’s Event Champion overall joining Tim Harden who won the 100 meter dash in 1995.

John Cohen resigns as UK baseball coach

Five days after a season-ending loss to Michigan in NCAA Baseball Regional play, John Cohen has resigned as University of Kentucky coach. Gary Henderson, associate head coach and pitching coach under Cohen, will be the successor. Mitch Barnhart, UK’s athletics director, made the announcement during a Friday afternoon press conference. Cohen is leaving to take another job – presumably with his alma mater, Mississippi State.

Barnhart told the Herald-Leader only two days earlier that he anticipated that Cohen would be his coach next season. A soon-to-be-built stadium and a raise in salary were among the incentives that Barnhart thought would keep Cohen with the Wildcats.

In six years at UK, Cohen compiled a record of 175-112-1, leading the Wildcats to their first Southeastern Conference championship and twice taking the Cats to NCAA regionals, finishing each time with a school-record 44 victories.

Cohen came to UK after two years as an assistant at Florida. Before that, he was head coach at Northwestern State for four years, going 146-84.

His overall record as a head coach is 321-196-1 over 10 years.