Kentucky Sports Radio

There are great television characters, and then there’s Tony Soprano.

James Gandolfini made the conflicted New Jersey mob boss a television icon, and in turn, made “The Sopranos” one of the best shows in TV history. On the surface, Tony was terrible; he cheated on his wife, killed people, and generally did things that should never be discussed in the light of day, but somehow, through Gandolfini’s masterful balance of violence and vulnerability, you found yourself rooting for him. “The Sopranos” showed us how the American family has changed in the backdrop of how the mafia has changed, and as a result, Tony became the most memorable mobster since Michael Corleone, earning Gandolfini three Emmys for his portrayal of the flawed antihero.

Gandolfini died suddenly on Wednesday night in Italy of a heart attack while on his way to the Taormina Film Festival. He was 51.

Viewed by peers as genuinely kind, thoughtful, and loving, Gandolfini’s talent on screen was matched by his character off of it. Few actors are so intrinsically linked to the roles they’ve played as James was to Tony. A New Jersey native who supported himself in his early career as a bartender and nightclub manager, Gandolfini got his first big break in 1992 when he landed a role in a Broadway version of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” From there, he had several small roles in major films, and then came “The Sopranos,” which changed everything and raised the bar for TV dramas.

Join me in raising a glass of red wine to James.

[Cut to black, "Don't Stop Believin'" plays]

News and views time.

— With one week to go until the NBA Draft, Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin’s futures still remain uncertain. ESPN’s Chad Ford says that he’s never seen such an utter lack of consensus among teams so close to draft, but still predicts Nerlens will go first to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Ford says that’s only because he hasn’t heard anything to indicate otherwise, which is probably because the Cavaliers still haven’t made up their minds what to do with their pick. If Nerlens does slip out of the top three, Ford says he doesn’t expect him to go past the fourth pick, which belongs to the Charlotte Bobcats. The good news for Noel? He’s got an excellent opportunity to make a closing pitch for himself when he meets with the Cavs this weekend.

On Tuesday night, Nerlens told KSR that he’s surprised by the rumors that his handlers were causing problems for his draft stock. More people came out to support Nerlens on Wednesday, including Cleveland Plain-Dealer writer Mary Schmitt Boyer, who praised him for his professionalism and politeness when she interviewed him for a recent story. As for that other red flag about Nerlens’ growth plate problems in high school? A Cleveland doctor says that growth plate problems are very common in adolescents and they mostly heal without consequence. In fact, the doctor says that shouldn’t be of concern to the Cavaliers when considering Noel.

— Archie Goodwin’s situation is a little more complicated. Right now, if a team were to draft Archie, it would be based solely on his potential. Archie is one of the youngest players in the draft, and while drafting him may be a gamble, it might be a risk worth taking in a weak draft. Experts have been blunt in their criticism of Archie, his jump shot in particular, and while he’s not ready for the league, you can’t fault him for trying to take advantage of what may be the weakest draft for the next few years.

— Where do the latest mock drafts have our Cats going? Here’s a roundup:

Draft Express (updated 6/19): Nerlens 1st to Cleveland; Archie 39th to Portland
ESPN (updated 6/18): Nerlens 1st to Cleveland; mock draft doesn’t list 2nd round
NBADraft.net (updated 6/19): Nerlens 5th to Phoenix (!); Archie 52nd to Minnesota

NBADraft.net is clearly run by Bobby Knight.

— We didn’t play Yahtzee on Wednesday, but UK football sure did get a lot of national attention. Several national sites wrote pieces about Kentucky’s stellar 2014 recruiting class, which is still number one in Rivals’ team rankings. While the underlying theme of each article is the same–Stoops is doing well because he’s expanded the SEC brand into Ohio–reading it never gets old. Here’s Yahoo’s Christopher “Dr. Saturday” Wilson’s take:

How is Stoops doing it? One tactic is an ongoing raid on his old stomping grounds of Ohio. Mark, like his brothers Bob (Oklahoma head coach) and Mike (current Oklahoma defensive coordinator, former Arizona head coach), is from Youngstown, and he’s using the familiarity with his home state to clean up. Of the five four-star commitments currently pledged to Big Blue, three are from Ohio (with one from Kentucky and another from Georgia), with four more three-star recruits coming from the Buckeye State. If you want a reason the Big Ten should be nervous, look no further than the SEC’s worst program stealing four-star recruits from its backyard.

As Coach Cal would say, “LOL.” Stoops.

— ESPN also had a great profile about UK’s recruiting superstar, Vince Marrow. Marrow has been one of the primary reasons the Cats have been able to open the Ohio pipeline, and when you read his comments in Jared Shanker’s piece, it’s not hard to see why:

“I’m going to go after the No. 1 guy in Ohio. I’m going after the top 30 guys in Ohio, and let’s roll up our sleeves and see what happens,” Marrow said. “We might shock the world. I made it very clear that we’re not taking a backseat to nobody.”

Let it be known, “Bone.” Let it be known.

— A quick personnel note: rising sophomore TJ Jones was dismissed from the football team on Wednesday for an undisclosed violation of team rules. In January, Jones was arrested on a weapons charge in his hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

— In case you missed the post on it, Rick Pitino said on Friday that leaving Kentucky was the “greatest move” he’s ever made. Less than two years ago, it was the “biggest mistake” he’s ever made. Going by “Pitino Logic,” that means hiring BTI is the best move KSR’s ever made. (h/t to dave in the comments section for that one. Love you, BTI.) See you in December, Rick.

— In happier news, Cal and the crew extended UK’s fourth 2015 offer on Wednesday to Malik Newman, a top-ranked combo guard. Newman is considered the 3rd best player in the 2015 class by Rivals, and the 2nd best by ESPN. It’s been a big recruiting week for Cal; since Monday, he’s offered Stephen Zimmerman, Charles Matthew, and now Newman. Skal Labissiere was the first 2015 prospect to get an offer, way back in November.

— Finally, another “rest in peace” to Slim Whitman, a country music and KSR legend…or rather, a KSR legend from “Legends.” Whitman, a country music star famous for yodeling, passed away at the age of 90. You die-hard country music fans may remember Whitman for hits like “Love Song of the Waterfall,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds, and “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen,” but we here at KSR will always remember Whitman for his unique style and unshakeable confidence, as showcased in his album cover on the wall at the Nashville honky tonk “Legends.”

If you’re still asking who the hell I’m talking about, Whitman wrote the song in Mars Attacks! that made the aliens’ heads explode. Don’t remember that classic? Relive it in this video clip:

(As a side note, to this day, Mars Attacks! still scares the crap out of me. I can’t explain why.)

That’s all for now. See you in the morning.

When 2015 power forward Craig Victor casually referred to Kentucky as “America’s Team” on Friday night at an NBPA Top 100 camp, I didn’t think much of it. The quote seemed like the type of thing an excited young high schooler might say when talking about the possibility of playing for one of college basketball’s hottest basketball programs at the moment. Although his quote added some context and detail when he further explained with “That’s the dream to play at Kentucky (for all high school players).”

Of course many of our Louisville fan friends (and I use that term loosely) across the state were quick to jump on Kentucky as “America’s Team” being a completely false and moronic idea. While I can probably agree that most fans from other schools, especially rival schools, would not label Kentucky this way… I got to thinking… Does “America’s Team” exist in college basketball? I’m not sure it does. The Dallas Cowboys have been the one professional sports team to really carry the nickname for years now. While I’m not sure the Cowboys recent on-field success has lived up to the history, past success and popularity of some of the teams and players who helped start the notion of “America’s Team,” the fact is that the label still at least loosely exists. Does the concept translate at all though to college basketball?

The key criteria for being “America’s Team”:

- Exposure, exposure, exposure! 

The nickname “America’s Team” for the Dallas Cowboys originated in a 1978 highlight film when the narrator opened with the following introduction:

“They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, ‘America’s Team.’”

In order to be America’s Team, America has to be able to watch you play on a regular basis. The teams that are featured the most on ESPN, CBS, etc. have a major advantage here. Many teams have games that are just shown regionally and in the local market. The national exposure on a weekly basis is what sets some teams apart.

- A large built in fan base

Not only must the rest of the country have exposure to the team, but the team must have a very loyal and large/intense built-in fan base to begin with. The bandwagon fans will always hop on, especially when the team is having a successful season. But the core of the fan base must always be in tact and faithful.

- Popular Players/Good Players

People tend to like guys like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, etc. Why? Because they are good. Those are 3 of the most popular players in the NBA. Sure, some people hate them… but for every person who hates them, at least 1 or 2 more love them because they are just flat out good at what they do. If you have a favorite team, you will always make it a point to catch that game on television. If you are looking for another game to catch later on that day, you are likely to turn to whichever game has the stars and popular players. If you can’t watch your own team, why not watch the best players?

- Popular coaches

Perhaps more so than any other sport, college basketball coaches are often the face and most well-known entity in their program. Due to players graduating or leaving early for the NBA or transferring, the turnover rate for players is fairly high. The coaches tend to last longer in many cases, often times becoming synonymous with the program.

- The “cool” factor

Much of the “cool” factor comes from marketing strategies. Take a team like Oregon football for example. Oregon football has the corner on the market for cool and unique uniforms. Some other teams have started to enter the playing field, but Oregon was doing it before anyone else was doing it.

- A mixture of hate and likability 

Have you ever heard the line “Haters Make Me Famous?” No? Well, you clearly haven’t seen the bedazzled t-shirt that Wal-Mart sells then. Anyway, the only thing that makes you more of a subject of conversation than when people like you is when people hate you. If you can’t be loved, the next best thing as far as being in the news/popular is for people to hate you. Haven’t you ever watched a Duke game or a Louisville game just with the hopes that they might lose?

- An exciting brand/style of play

The more casual fan who does not have a clear-cut or established connection to one team in particular might choose to latch on to a team simply because the style of play is exciting. It has not only worked in college basketball, but in other sports as well. For example, Matthew Mitchell’s “40 minutes of Hell” defense has won over a lot of casual viewers and Kentucky fans who normally didn’t pay particularly close attention to women’s basketball. If you are looking for a team to follow somewhat closely during the season, you probably aren’t going to pick a style of play that isn’t very exciting. How many people are dying to catch a Wisconsin basketball game? As consistent as they are…it’s just not exciting.

- Success

Everyone likes to watch a winner. It’s just more fun when the team who you are cheering for is winning. This may result in fans who are ultimately nothing more than bandwagon fans, but they still latch on to teams who are doing well.

Simply based off the criteria listed above, Kentucky actually hits the mark in virtually every category. Exposure, popular/good players, a mixture of hate and likability, and success are all areas in which Kentucky excels. In all honesty though, you could make an argument for Kentucky meeting all of the above criteria. The perception of John Calipari among many across the country, which is often times fueled by the media, might be the one thing that holds Kentucky back in some instances.

I still think in college basketball that it is hard to peg a team as “America’s Team.” Those who are fairly serious college basketball fans tend to be fiercely loyal to one school while almost disregarding all others. Those who are not huge college basketball fans often don’t necessarily tune in or take much of a rooting interest. Some people are more interested in professional sports or college football for most of the year until March Madness.

If there were to be a list of candidates for “America’s Team,” here are a few that might make the cut based on the criteria (the main one being exposure in my mind):

(In no particular order):

Kentucky

North Carolina

Duke

Kansas

The Underdog

I actually think the underdog often becomes “America’s Team.” The entire country never pays more attention to college basketball than during the NCAA tournament. An unexpected team or two always seems to capture the attention and hearts of the country for a week or two (think Butler, Wichita State, Florida Gulf Coast).

So while I’m not necessarily ready to anoint Kentucky basketball as “America’s Team,” I will say that the idea is far from outrageous.

As you may know, we are heading out on our second annual KSR RADIO TOUR beginning next week. The lists of dates and stops are below and our hope is that we will see you around the way. We start in Prestonsburg, so all you folks in the area, make a trip out and cheer on the KSR Tour. It is going to be lots of fun and we will have lots of goodies for people at each stop.

June 24: Prestonsburg……Stonecrest Golf Course
June 25: Williamson, WV….Historic Coal House
June 26: Paintsville…….Arby’s
June 27: Whitesburg……..Pine Mountain Grille
June 28: Pikeville………East Ky Expo Center

July 1: Columbia……….Burger King
July 2: Jamestown………The Cove Steakhouse
July 3: Somerset……….Mr Gatti’s
July 4: HOLIDAY
July 5: HOLIDAY

July 8: London…………TBA
July 9: Monticello……..Conley Bottom Resort
July 10: Augusta, Ga…….PEACH JAM
July 11: Augusta, Ga…….PEACH JAM
July 12: Augusta, Ga…….PEACH JAM

July 15: Bowling Green…..Wright Implement/John Deere
July 16: Morgantown……..TBA
July 17: Madisonville……Hudson Toyota Chrysler
July 18: Morganfield…….Verlie’s Restaurant
July 19: Owensboro………Don Moore Toyota

July 22: Glasgow………..Glasgow Country Club
July 23: Danville……….Bluegrass Community Bank
July 24: Maysville………Big Rock ATV Park
July 25: Lexington………Lexington Legends
July 26: Louisville……..Safelite Auto Glass

If you have been listening to the show the last few days, you undoubtedly heard the phone call from Bethany and Jeff about their fandom. You may remember that Jeff was on the site posing with Julius Randle in a UK jersey. Bethany called in angry that people in the comment section made fun of her husband and that I said men shouldn’t wear basketball jerseys out in public. The entire call is here and is worth listening to if you haven’t. At the end of the call, Jeff let us know that he was the “biggest UK fan ever” and that to prove it, he noted that he wore a UK basketball jersey to his wedding and that his wife “wore a big blue halter top.” He then said he would send in the picture and now, a week later…we have it. Below, celebrate Jeff and Bethany’s wedding picture…a montage of pictures from two who love the Cats. Glorious in all facets:

A UK spokesman has confirmed to KSR that offensive tackle TJ Jones has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.

Jones, who redshirted his freshman season, was arrested in January in his hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on a weapons charge. He was a three-year stater at Myrtle Beach High School.

COMMITTED

Karl Towns
Center

7’1″, 235 lbs.
Metuchen, New Jersey (St. Joeseph)

Rivals: 11
ESPN: 6
Scout: 8
247: 4

Committed to Kentucky on 12/04/2012
Recent buzz:
Outplayed 2015 center Stephen Zimmerman at the NBAP Top 100
Went 1-on-1 against former NBA player Jerome Williams
Can’t wait to get to UK and win a national championship

TARGETS OFFERED

Jahlil Okafor
Center

6’10″, 280 lbs.
Chicago, Illinois (Whitney Young)

Rivals: 1
ESPN: 1
Scout: 1
247: 2

Final eight: Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State
Visited UK: Not yet
Visit from Cal: 9/28/2012
Fun Fact: Has said he wants to be a package deal with Tyus Jones
Recent buzz:
Made the final cut for the FIBA USA U19 squad
Kentucky makes his final eight
Blogs that UK “speaks for itself,” has good relationship with Cal and Coach O

Tyus Jones
Point guard

6’1″, 171 lbs.
Apple Valley, Minnesota (Apple Valley)

Rivals: 3
ESPN: 3
Scout: 2
247: 1

Schools offered: Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State
Visited UK: Yes, came to the Kentucky/Texas A&M game on 1/12/2013
Visit from Cal: 9/10/2012, 11/27/2012, 12/08/2012, 3/20/2013
Fun fact: Had a granny recruit him to UK during his visit
Recent buzz:
Wants to be part of a package deal with Okafor AND Justise Winslow, a 2014 SF the Cats have not offered
ESPN profile calls him a “balanced, intelligent, skilled and deliberate” point guard

Emmanuel Mudiay
Point guard

6’4″, 185 lbs.
Arlington, Texas (Prime Prep Academy)

Rivals: 2
ESPN: 5
Scout: 3
247: 3

Schools offered: Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, NC State, Oklahoma State, SMU, St. John’s, Texas
Visited UK: Not yet
Visit from Cal: 9/10/2012, 1/04/2013
Fun fact: Kentucky is considered his favorite
Recent buzz:
Our own Ally Tucker did an excellent profile of Mudiay last week
Opened up to Evan Daniels about his recruitment and playing against Josh Perkins
Stood out at the Pangos All-American Camp
Visited SMU yesterday

Stanley Johnson
Small forward

6’6″, 200 lbs.
Santa Ana, California (Mater Dei)

Rivals: 12
ESPN: 12
Scout: 17
247: 7

Schools offered: Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida, Oregon, Duke, UCLA, and USC
Visited UK: Not yet
Visit from Cal: 9/11/2012
Fun fact: Played on the same AAU team as Aaron Gordon
Recent buzz:
Johnson says he has no leader
Says Kentucky and Arizona recruiting him the hardest, Cats will get official visit this fall
Named the Most Outstanding Player at the Pangos All-American Camp

Trey Lyles
Power forward

6’10″, 245 lbs.
Indianapolis, Indiana (Arsenal Technical)

Rivals: 4
ESPN: 4
Scout: 4
247: 12

Schools offered: Butler, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA
Visited UK: 10/13/2012 for Big Blue Madness; 2/09/2013 for UK vs. Auburn; 3/09/2013 for UK vs. Florida
Visit from Cal: 9/10/2012, 12/08/2012, 12/16/2012 (Antigua)
Fun fact: Used to be committed to Indiana but wised up
Recent buzz:
Will play for Canadian Junior National Team
Had a sick dunk at the Team Canada Red and White game
Kentucky and Louisville considered the frontrunners

Rashad Vaughn
Shooting guard

6’6″, 200 lbs.
Minneapolis, Minnesota (Robbinsdale Cooper)

Rivals: 6
ESPN: 11
Scout: 13
247: 12

Schools offered: Baylor, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Syracuse, Texas
Visited UK: Not yet
Visit from Cal: 9/21/2012
Fun fact: Vaughn will transfer to Huntington Prep, where he will play with Josh Perkins
Recent buzz:
Had a pair of nasty dunks during the Clash of the Classes a while back
UK considered a frontrunner, along with UNC
Stood out at the Pangos All-American camp, hoping to narrow his list by the end of June

Cliff Alexander
Center/Power forward

6’8″, 240 lbs.
Chicago, Illinois (Curie)

Rivals: 5
ESPN: 2
Scout: 5
247: 10

Schools offered: Kentucky, Michigan State, DePaul, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Visited UK: 10/13/2012 for Big Blue Madness
Visit from Cal: 11/30/2012, 12/16/2012 (Antigua), 4/22/2013
Recent buzz:
ESPN Insider says UK, Michigan State, Illinois, and Kansas are ALL frontrunners
Stock is rising due to impressive summer league play
Visiting Kansas this week
Says he can play with Karl Towns at UK
The rumored package deal between him, Okafor, and Jones “doesn’t really matter” to Alexander
Recently beat Antoine Walker’s team in a Pro-Am

Devin Booker
Shooting guard

6’3″, 180 lbs.
Moss Point, Mississippi (Moss Point)

Rivals: 23
ESPN: 16
Scout: 23
247: 29

Favorite schools: Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Duke, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Stanford and Kentucky
Visited UK: Not yet
Visit from Cal: 4/23/2013
Fun fact: Has been compared to Steph Curry
Recent buzz:
Detroit Free Press predicts Michigan State will get Booker and Cliff Alexander
Booker said over the weekend he texts with Cal “on a day to day basis,” will take an unofficial visit soon
Went head to head with NBA all-star Andre Iguodala at the NBAP Top 100 Camp

OF INTEREST

Myles Turner
Center, 6’11″ 225 lbs.

Rivals: 78; ESPN: 10; Scout: NR; 247: 4
Euless, Texas (Trinity High School)
UK activity: Spoke to Cal Monday night, Cal expressed interest but did not offer yet.
Recent buzz: Voted best performer at NBAP Top 100 Camp

Josh Perkins
Point guard, 6’2″, 175 lbs.

Rivals: 42; ESPN: 24; Scout: 26; 247: 20
Aurora, Colorado (Regis Jesuit) [Will play at Huntington Prep this fall]
UK activity: Waiting for an offer from Cal
Recent buzz: Held his own against Emmanuel Mudiay earlier this month
His father talked to Cal on Sunday, and Cal said he will be watching him this summer
Karl Towns approves

Abdul Malik Abu
Power forward, 6’7″, 233 lbs.

Rivals: 50; ESPN: 44; Scout: 79; 247: 71
Meriden, New Hampshire (Kimball Union Academy)
UK activity: Cal called him and told him he’d be watching him the rest of the summer

Jalen Lindsey
Small forward, 6’6″, 180 lbs.

Rivals: 30; ESPN: 32; Scout: 25; 247: 54
Nashville, Tennessee (just transferred to Huntington Prep)
UK activity: Exchanges texts with UK assistants

Isaiah Whitehead
Shooting guard, 6’4″ 170 lbs.

Rivals: 19; ESPN: 35; Scout: 43; 247: 22
Brooklyn, New York (Lincoln)
UK activity: Cal visited him on 3/22/2013, has said Kentucky is his dream school

Goodluck Okonoboh
Center, 6’9″ 220 lbs.

Rivals: 34; ESPN: 19; Scout: 37; 247: 19
Wilbraham, Massachusetts (Wilbraham and Monson Academy)
UK activity: Cal visited him on 10/03/2012, was the one to tell Nerlens to grow a flat top
Recent buzz: Got a scholarship offer from Duke last week

Craig Victor
Power forward, 6’8″ 200 lbs.

Rivals: 24; ESPN: 31; Scout: 19; 247: 36
New Orleans, Louisiana (Saint Augustine)
UK activity: Cal visited on 3/28/2013; Victor called Kentucky “America’s team” last week, still waiting for an offer

Leron Black
Power forward, 6’7″ 215 lbs.

Rivals: 16; ESPN: 36; Scout: 20; 247: 35
Memphis, Tennessee (White Station)
UK activity: Decommitted from Baylor on 1/03/2013, has said he “loves” UK and Coach Cal

Ryan Skovranko
Small forward, 6’8″, 200 lbs.
Not rated
Midland, Pennsylvania (Lincoln Park)
UK activity: Cal visited him on 2/25/2013 and invited him and his team to watch UK practice in Pittsburgh on 3/18/2013

Jimmy Kimmel must really like UK or something. For the second week in a row, a former Cat appeared in a skit on Kimmel’s show. Last week, John Wall scrimmaged against Tenacious D, and this week, Rajon Rondo made a guy basically bathe in hand sanitizer for an autograph. Check out Rondo’s skit above, in which plays a germaphobic version of himself.

Or maybe Rondo really is a germaphobe and was merely confused as to why there were cameras present while he was signing an autograph. Either way, this just reminds me of how much I hate hand sanitizer.

Today I spoke with Nerlens Noel on the telephone to ask him about the national stories that have been swirling these last few days. You may remember that ESPN’s Ryen Russillo went on the Bill Simmons’ Podcast and spoke about those around Noel hurting his NBA Draft stock. According to Russillo, Noel has been surrounded by some people that aren’t looking out for his best interests and are hurting his stock with NBA teams. On my radio show this morning, Russillo joined us and noted that Noel had skipped out on meetings with agents and had seemed to pay no attention to the process of hiring an agent for the NBA Draft. He said this has caused concern for a number of NBA teams that worry that Noel is surrounding himself with people that will do him harm and ultimately has hurt his stock.

When I spoke with Noel today, he seemed genuinely surprised at the criticism. “I am not sure who people are talking about but right now there are only two people around me when I make decisions, my mom and Chris (his business manager).” When I asked him about the reports about blowing off agents he said, “honestly I just haven’t wanted to meet with a lot of agents because I have been worried about my rehab. One of the reasons I am so far ahead on my rehab is while other people have been wanting me to talk to agents, I have been down here working trying to get on the court.” Noel, who is spending his time in Birmingham rehabilitating said, “a lot of those guys have wanted to talk with me and I just haven’t felt like it was necessary. It is more important to get on the court that to talk to a lot of agent type people.” When I asked where Noel thought the source of these stories were coming from he chuckled and said, “probably people mad that I didn’t pick them to work with me.”

The two people Noel is referring to as his “entourage” are both people who have been around him a long time, of course his mother and “Chris” (whose last name I do not know), who has known the family for some time. He was adamant that while he isn’t sure the people being referred to as “bad dudes” by Russillo, unless they are Chris or his mother, they are playing no part in his decision process. While on the phone, all Noel wanted to focus on was basketball, even at one point saying with excitement, “Matt, you would be amazed how far I have come since starting this rehab.” You could hear in his voice the excitement of getting better, and it was a strong reminder how Nerlens is at heart, a kid who just loves playing basketball.

As I have said many times, Noel is one of the best kids off the court that I have seen at Kentucky. While his game needs work (specifically on the offensive end), his character does not and that is why these national reports have had me worried. Russillo and others have been clear that they have no concern about Noel the person, just those around him. Russillo says the source of the worries is from teams, not the agents shunned by Noel. But either way, Nerlens insists that is not an issue and that his inner circle of three people is all that matters to him and his career going forward. I hope that is the case for Noel, as he deserves a chance to showcase his high character in the league at the best pick possible, with no outside distractions.

Elite 2014 prospects Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones have mentioned that they’d be interested in playing together in their brief stint in college.  They must be big John Ritter fans, then, because they might have decided that three’s company.  The pair apparently wants to include Justise Winslow in their plan for world domination.  The original duo has been a veritable certainty for a while now, but Timon and Puumba are apparently looking for a Simba, which is not necessarily great news for Kentucky–Winslow doesn’t list UK in his top ten.  Jones had this to say last week about the collaborative effort in his USA Today blog:

You guys already know that me and Jahlil are gonna play together in college, and now we’re feeling pretty good about getting our boy Justise Winslow to come along with us as well.  It’s looking pretty good for that. We’re, all three, really great friends and we’ve got a close bond so we all like the idea of playing together in college.

But in news today, it seems like maybe Jones and Okafor are more focused on the possibility of a trio than Winslow is.  Winslow was much more reluctant to admit any “in-the-works” deal to SNY.tv:

I mean, it’s something we talk about.  All three of us have to do what’s best for us, and if it just so happens that we all go to the same school, then that will be great.

Not exactly enthusiastic.

Jones and Okafor both list Kentucky in their top eight, but Winslow doesn’t.  What’s the best hope for Kentucky?  That Winslow opts to go his own way if the other two want to look more heavily at UK?  Cal has already spent some time looking at Justise (remember when he skipped some of Andrew Wiggins’ game to watch him?)  I’m not sure that Kentucky can “turn up the heat” and sway Winslow from his current top ten.  Never count Cal out, but it’s not like he just hasn’t noticed him.  He’s been watching, it just looks like Winslow’s not all that interested.

But despite Winslow possibly throwing a stick in the spokes of Kentucky recruiting, this doesn’t mean there’s no hope for Okafor and Jones.  Plus, don’t forget about PG Emmanuel Mudiay, Cliff Alexander, and Trey Lyles, who could all complement Karl Towns (who I’d be surprised to see outside the top five when final 2014 rankings are issued).  There’s no guarantee that Winslow will want to become the third Musketeer, and even if he does, maybe the appeal of Kentucky, with Okafor and Jones in tow, would be more substantial.

We’ve seen first hand how effective player-recruiting can be; just look at what the Harrisons did for their class after committing.  However, it looks like the best thing we can ask for now is that this trifecta of talent doesn’t come to fruition.  Because if it does, it probably won’t happen in Kentucky.

After wrapping up the most successful season in school history, the Kentucky softball team has put its final mark on the year, finishing the season ranked No. 12 in the ESPN poll. That ties the mark for the highest final ranking, also earning a No. 12 ranking in 2011 after the first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance.

Kentucky finished the year with a school record 41 wins and its second NCAA Super Regional berth. The Cats traveled to Tempe, Ariz. but couldn’t come away with a victory over the 5th-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils for a spot in the Woman’s College World Series.

The Wildcats battled through one of the toughest schedules in the country, in total playing 32 of its 62 games against ranked teams, or teams receiving votes. Against those ranked teams, UK posted a 17-15 record.

The NCAA Tournament appearance was the fifth consecutive for head coach Rachel Lawson and her team. Kentucky is among only 23 schools that can make such a claim. Adding to the high honor this season, was the team earning its first ever Regional host, welcoming Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Marshall to the newly renovated John Cropp Stadium.

Looking ahead, the core of the softball team remains very young, losing just two seniors on the squad; infielder Kara Dill, and outfielder Alice O’Brien. Ace pitcher Kelsey Nunley cruised through her freshman year, while already making a mark on all-time and single-season records at Kentucky. Sluggers Lauren Cumbess, Griffin Joiner, and Nikki Sagermann will all be returning to the meat of the batting order, and speedster Sylver Samuel will likely retain her position as a slapper at the top or bottom of the lineup.

The future of the team is bright, and capping off one of the most successful seasons in program history gives a lot of hope for next year.

– O’Bannon was POY for UCLA in 1995 –

If you like sports, law, or even video games, you need to pay attention to this court case if you aren’t already. Ed O’Bannon vs. NCAA continues a step further tomorrow with a certification hearing. Tomorrow, June 20th, Judge Claudia Wilken will begin the certification hearing to see if this case will proceed further as a class action lawsuit that pertains to all NCAA student athletes.

This incredibly important case stands for a specific and (hopefully, for players’ sake) legally justifiable principal: that college athletes have the right to commercially benefit from their likeness. The case, nor class certification, will likely not be decided for sometime, but the lawsuits status as a class action is crucial for the effect to be truly felt by the NCAA.

We’ve all had plenty of complaints with the NCAA as UK fans, but this one is pretty universal. For what seems like forever, the NCAA has profited off of student athletes image and likeness via video games, TV broadcasts, etc. If O’Bannon wins, a lot of former and current athletes will be owed some money (it could cut the NCAA’s current $6.4 billion revenue in half).

Keep an eye out as this case moves forward. For a breakdown of the legal principals, check out this legal primer from SI’s Michael McCann.

Kentucky has extended a scholarship offer to Malik Newman, a top-ranked combo guard in the class of 2015. Newman has also picked up offers from Kansas, Arizona, NC State and Duke, his father told Blue Devil Lair.

ESPN.com ranks him as the best shooting guard in the class. Rivals.com calls him the best 2015 point guard.

Watch him work.

It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had some positive draft news about Archie Goodwin. Most analysts now think he’ll be a second round pick, but ESPN’s Chad Ford said today that he thinks teams with the 15th pick on are “crazy not to roll the dice” on young players like Archie in this year’s weak draft:

Kevin (WV): I still say Archie Goodwin slips into the bottom of the first! Are you saying there is no chance?

Chad Ford (1:50 PM): Not saying that. In fact, personally, I think teams drafting from 15 on are crazy not to roll the dice with younger players like Ricky Ledo, Antetoukounmpo, Tony Mitchell and Goodwin. Their sin is that they are in the draft too early. But upside is so much higher than so many players in the draft. Could they bust? Sure. But I might be willing to gamble given what I’d lose is a solid rotation player.

Today, Archie works out for the Portland Trail Blazers, along with Myck Kabongo, Phil Pressey, Mason Plumlee, Dewayne Dedmon, and EJ Singler. Portland has the 10th, 39th, 40th, and 45th picks in the draft. In fact, DraftExpress’ latest mock draft has Archie going 39th to the Trailblazers, and Nerlens first to the Cavs.

Ford also downplayed rumors that the Cleveland Cavaliers are leaning towards using their number one pick on Alex Len and not Nerlens Noel, saying that until he hears otherwise, he expects the Cavs to take Nerlens first.

Do us proud, boys.

Photo by @PaulMiles84

John Calipari. Cal did a photoshoot today with the pace car leading up to next weekend’s Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway.

Looking good, Coach.

Rick Pitino’s had a good year. He won a National Championship, got a tattoo, and has generally been living it up ever since. And while you have to congratulate Pitino on his accomplishments, Kentucky fans’ feelings towards Rick will always be a little bit complicated. Pitino brought UK back from the brink of collapse, restored its elite status and at the peak of it all, left to coach the Boston Celtics, only to return to the college ranks to coach his former school’s arch enemy.

In the past, Rick has said that leaving Kentucky was “the biggest mistake” he’s made in his life. Now, it’s the “greatest move” he’s ever made.

In a speech at the Mid-South ACG Capital Connection in Louisville last Friday, Pitino says that leaving Kentucky ended up being the greatest thing he’s ever done because it led to a failure in Boston, which ultimately taught him humility:

“People always ask me the question ‘Do you regret leaving Kentucky? If you didn’t leave, you’d have a thousand wins today.’ I say, ‘No, the greatest move I ever made was leaving Kentucky.’ The second greatest move I ever made was failing in Boston, because if I didn’t go through those two experiences, I wouldn’t have gained humility.”

My, how a national championship changes everything.

[Rick Pitino talks about regrets, failures, secrets to success (Video)]

H/t to Anthony Wireman

You and I don’t need ESPN.com to tell us Vince Marrow is recruiting Ohio hard and has been very successful thus far. We see that. But it wouldn’t hurt to take a minute or two out of your day to read some of things Marrow told ESPN.com about the process.

In an ESPN Insider feature this morning, Marrow told Jared Shanker, “I’m going to go after the No. 1 guy in Ohio. I’m going after the top 30 guys in Ohio, and let’s roll up our sleeves and see what happens. We might shock the world. I made it very clear that we’re not taking a backseat to nobody.”

Boom. Marrow also said Ohio runs through his blood and teaming up with fellow Ohioan Mark Stoops at Kentucky is a perfect situation.

“We can do some real damage,” he told Shanker.

But what is that makes Vince Marrow so successful at reeling in elite level prospects to UK from a state that produces the fifth most Division I talent?

“I don’t want to brag,” he said. “It’s just not hard. Ohio is my baby.”

You really need to read this if you can access it. It’ll fire you up for the future of Kentucky football. And if you can’t get to it, just enjoy those quotes.

[ESPN Insider: Marrow key in UK's No. 11 2014 class]