Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
The 2012-13 season is still a few months away. However, the guess here is that the Cats will not be able to improve upon last season’s performance, which saw losses to hated rival Indiana (which didn’t even make it past the Sweet 16 lol) and Vanderbilt (which is more known for its academics than athletics). To stay apprised and educated, follow me on Twitter @NotJerryTipton. Here’s the weekly notebook:
*Shout At The Devil: Recruiting service MaxPreps released its updated rankings for the class of 2013 this week. At this moment, the top 3 players are Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Julius Randle. Kentucky is reportedly the leader for all three of those players. Also, there is a chance that Andrew Wiggins could reclassify to the class of 2013, and if he does, he will likely be the top ranked player in the class. UK also leads for him. In other words, there is a chance — a good chance — that Kentucky will land the top 4 players in the 2013 class. This, of course, begs the question: Has John Calipari gotten lazy? The players he is bringing in possess so much talent and raw ability that they require almost no coaching. Compare Cal’s approach to that of Rick Pitino at Louisville, for example. Pitino continues to shrewdly sign players who are unranked, unknown, and unskilled. That way, when they manage to step on the floor without falling down, Pitino is lauded as a “great coach” and “master motivator” and “skillful developer of talent.” In fact, the former UK coach has positioned himself and his program in such a way that he is said to have “outcoached” John Calipari (h/t Kent Spencer) in the last 4 meetings between the two even though Calipari has won all 4 games, none of which have been particularly close. Until Calipari starts recruiting terrible players, he will always be perceived as someone who is scared to take recruits and “coach ‘em up.” In the meantime, he continues to take the path of least resistance.
*Same Ol’ Situation: Much ado has been made about the fact that Anthony Davis is a member of the U.S. Men’s Olympic team. However, this doesn’t appear to be anything worth bragging about. In a game vs. Lithuania last Saturday, the U.S. team needed a desperate 4th quarter comeback to fend off the Lithuanians, and then on Monday, the Americans only led by a single point at halftime. In other words, Anthony Davis doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference and his team isn’t really all that good. Perhaps had he worked on his game a little more diligently when he was at UK, or had he been developed by John Calipari and company during his time in Lexington, the U.S. wouldn’t be having so many close calls. And not to add insult to injury for the many anti-Duke/pro-Kentucky partisans out there, but it should be recalled that the 1992 Olympic team featuring Kentucky-killer Christin Laettner had no such close calls. Coincidence? (Hint: No.)
*Don’t Go Away mad (Just Go Away): It was recently announced* that the best team in college basketball last season was North Carolina. Though this is sure to cause some consternation among Big Blue Faithful, facts are facts. Yes, Kentucky won the head to head matchup against the Tar Heels, but that was only due to the fact that UNC missed a staggering 35 field goal attempts and 3 free throw attempts. Had any of those shots found the mark, UK gets beat. And yes, North Carolina lost to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament (the same KU team that UK beat for the “championship”), but that game didn’t count because North Carolina had a player hurt. So while Kentucky fans will attempt to find solace in trinkets such as hats, t-shirts, rings and official record books, the experts** have spoken. North Carolina was the best team last year.
*By Doug Gottlieb
**Doug Gottlieb
* On this date: On this date in 2008, Kentucky didn’t have any players in the Olympics.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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August 10th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Dang you Jerry Tipton!
August 10th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Doug Gottlieb molests Collie’s.
August 10th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I dont know if the faux pas was intentional, but Tayshaun Prince was in the Olympics.
August 10th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Carolina’s the best? Huh……I’m kinda wondering if they took those polls (Cheatingest coach and Carloina had the best team last year on Loserville campus?
August 10th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Um Tayshaun?
August 10th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Crazy – Honey Badger booted off LSU: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/08/10/lsu-tyrann-mathieu.ap/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a0
August 10th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Honey Badger got kicked off LSU. Someone call Joker!
August 10th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
6. Chances that he ends up at Louisville?
August 10th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Shout At The Devil was masterful work NJT.
August 10th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Please, PLEASE stop using the phrase “begs the question” incorrectly. You guys are better than that.
August 10th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
manages to step on the floor without falling down …….beautiful
August 10th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
And I was thinking, “Has NJT gotten lazy?” Lol funny.
August 10th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Ha, great! The Doug Gottlieb one was the best. “The experts* have spoken….”
August 10th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
It’s funny because you all put your own asterisk so close to “official record book” too!
Drizzy
August 10th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Harrelson and Liggins both would disagree with Tipton. If Pitino could get the best he would. He recruited some of the best at UK. His history of jumping from place to place hurt his recruiting. Now it is his personal life and age. He is on record as saying he is going to retire in 5 years, two years ago.
August 10th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Classic NJT classic!! I think most “experts” would agree that the ’97 UK team with a healthy DA was the best team in men’s college basketball but.. You know what? They didn’t win either. $hit happens, teams lose. I’ll take our real champion over gottlieb’s mythical champion any day.
August 10th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Don’t ever Stop bringing us NJT’s Friday Notebook – highlight of the week!!!!
August 10th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
I’m sorry, Kentucky would have been beat if UNC hadn’t missed 35 field goal attempt and three free throw attempts?! What?! “If those shots had found the mark…”?! They didn’t “find the mark”. That’s how you get points. You have to make the shot. It is ridiculous to say that a teak only lost because they didn’t make their shots, so they’re still the best team. How many field goal attempts and free throw attempts did the CATS miss? Because, they would have lost by that much more, “if they had found the mark”.