Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
Despite getting a divorce, I think Katie Holmes had a pretty decent 2012. Finally free from Tom Cruise’s Scientology shackles, Holmes reentered society as a relatively normal person, free to ride the subway, take her daughter to the zoo, and even–gasp!–go outside without makeup on. Holmes is slowly getting her professional life back on track, too, starring in the Broadway production of “Dead Accounts.” But, to me and probably everyone in my age bracket, Holmes will always be little Joey Potter from the wrong side of the creek.
Unfortunately, the “Dawson’s Creek” reunion we’ve all been waiting for (okay, maybe just me) doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, despite Holmes finally agreeing to it. That’s a crying shame, too, because I was really looking forward to seeing how they brought Michelle Williams’ character back from the dead (2003 spoiler alert?). Barring a major movie role over the next few years, Holmes will most likely continue to make headlines for her and Suri’s exciting excursions to the toy store, her shockingly normal public transportation habits, or bless him, the next guy she dates. Speaking of such terrible tabloid fodder, did you know that Holmes is planning to spend $50,000 on gifts for Suri? That includes an iPad mini, a children’s version of a Mercedes Benz that costs around $9,000, designer clothes, and a $24,000 Victorian playhouse with running water and electricity. Not that I read that stuff or anything…
Happy 34th birthday, Katie. Welcome back.
It may have been one of the slowest news days on record in UK sports, so instead of regurgitating some already boring news bits, let’s start with five things the Cats need to focus on during Camp Cal this week.
1. COMMUNICATION
Cal has said multiple times that this is the quietest team he’s had. Cal sees their silence as selfishness; by keeping their mouths shut, his players aren’t helping their teammates out. Ryan Harrow, notorious for his soft, un-husky tone, said that he thinks the problem is that there are too many quiet personalities on the team. Harrow said that during the Lipscomb game, he tried being more vocal, even if it meant shouting things just to shout (he admitted yelling “Screen! Screen! Screen!” even though the other team wasn’t screening). Let’s hope that this week, the Cats start talking, hopefully about things that are actually happening on the court.
2. FINISHING AROUND THE RIM
How many times have we seen this group of players make a great drive only to watch their layup bounce harmlessly off the backboard? It’s especially frustrating when it happens against inferior teams like Samford, Portland and Lipscomb. For the Cats to have a chance against Louisville, they have to finish better around the rim. And yes, if the opportunity presents itself, please just dunk it.
3. BEING YOUR BROTHER’S KEEPER
Part of Cal’s plan to get this team to bond is forcing them to be accountable for each other’s mistakes. The best way to do that? Make them run. During Camp Cal, the team runs for every mistake in practice, putting in as many as 30 suicides at a time last week. Hopefully, this will also force the team to communicate.
4. PERIMETER DEFENSE
I don’t know about you, but it seems like teams have been hitting a lot of threes against us lately. In fact, over the last five games, Kentucky’s opponents have shot 38.8% from behind the arc. As of today, the Cats rank 159th in the country in opponent’s three-point percentage. They’ll have to tighten the perimeter if they don’t want to get burned against Louisville and trigger happy teams in the SEC.
5. 4O MINUTES OF EFFORT
This team has spurtability, and not the good kind (or the Pitino kind). At times, they look like a fluid unit, and at others, like lost little boys. A lot of that has to do with finding the right lineup, but certain players (ahem, Alex) need to start putting in a full forty minutes of effort rather than just wandering around the court waiting for things to happen.
Get that, boys? I expect to see results on Saturday against Marshall. Now, on to the aforementioned itty bits of news…
— On Monday, John Wall opened up to the Washington Post about the stress injury to his left patella, which has kept him on the sidelines so far this season. Over the weekend, Wall’s doctor said his knee was improving, but he has to wait until his latest Synvisc injection settles in before testing it out in practice. Wall said that after almost three months, he’s anxious to get back on the court:
“It’s been very tough for me, because I want to play basketball, you know what I mean? First time, I’ve really been injured, sitting out a long time. And I like the way that we had a lot of new guys added to the team, and I feel like our team was better, and we had a lot of goals set. And we’ve still got them set, but it’s tough when you got to sit there and watch and you can’t help out your team, and we go out there giving it our all and playing hard every night, so I just wish I was there to help them go through the stuff that we’re going through.”
— While the rest of us spent the day dodging rain and hail (Mother Nature missed the memo on this being December), UK Hoops was in sunny California preparing for Tuesday night’s game against Pepperdine. It’s the start of a two-game California stretch for the girls, who play UC Santa Barbara on Friday afternoon. For comparison’s sake, the high temperature in Lexington on Friday is supposed to be 38 degrees. Bring that weather back with you, please.
— DeMarcus Cousins has gotten a lot of bad press lately, but the big guy still has a big heart. On Tuesday, Boogie will take fifty Sacramento area children in need on a holiday shopping spree as part of the Kings’ Season of Giving. DeMarcus will chaperone as the kids dash through Wal-Mart to spend their $200 allotment. Good on ya, Boogie.
— In other news from the world of sports, Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was suspended on Monday for throwing basketballs at his players’ heads during practice. The suspension follows an investigation into Rice’s alleged inappropriate behavior and language in his first two seasons, which apparently included video evidence of the balls being thrown at the players. Rice will sit out three games without pay. Sounds like something…
— …Billy Gillispie would do, doesn’t it? In case you’re curious, Billy is still a college basketball analyst for “Campus Insiders.” How does he feel about the irregular practice methods used by some coaches, like Tom Izzo, who makes his players work out in football pads after bad losses? “You know, you gotta do what you gotta do to get your team how you need them to play.”
Yep, looks familiar.
— Congrats to Ron Caragher on being named the head coach at San Jose State. Carager was the running backs coach at Kentucky under Rich Brooks from 2003-2006 and has spent the past six seasons as the head coach at the University of San Diego.
Tuesday is a big day around these parts, with Mitch Barnhart in-studio on the radio show at 10:30 a.m. to talk about his decision to hire Mark Stoops and the funding issues facing the football program. Don’t miss it.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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December 17th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
“or the Pitino kind” I laughed out loud!!
December 17th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
UK wont lose another game for AWHILE …… wait and see
December 18th, 2012 at 12:16 am
“inappropriate behavior and language”
If you don’t wanna get hit in the ****** head catch the ****** ball *****les!
December 18th, 2012 at 12:23 am
TT, you bring it every time.
December 18th, 2012 at 12:24 am
We are less than 300 votes away from bama. #bbn
December 18th, 2012 at 12:59 am
This Camp Cal stuff is cute and all, but let’s face it – they’re just not very good. And they’re not going to be very good. It’s annoying to have 3 lottery picks and not be that good, but I just don’t see a high ceiling with this group. But that’s ok – the Lakers aren’t good either this year. It happens. We won last year – we can have a year off.
December 18th, 2012 at 12:59 am
The opponent’s 3 point percentage is an awful stat to use to judge a team’s 3 point defense. A team has as much control over the opponent’s three point shooting percentage as the opponent’s free throw shooting. A much better stat to judge 3 point defense is 3 point attempts per field goal attempts.
December 18th, 2012 at 2:05 am
MORE FOOTBALL RECRUITING NEWS, PLEASE. This next month or so should be hot…please, please KSR get a decent football writer on here.
December 18th, 2012 at 3:30 am
EVERY TIME A KSR “WRITER” MAKES A POP CULTURE / ‘MUSIC’ REFERENCE –> LOLOLOL OL LL OL O L O LMFAO. Oh god, it’s the same when they try to “analyze” sports. Hang it up.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:01 am
Dodge…Duck…Dip…Dive… and… Dodge!
December 18th, 2012 at 6:55 am
I prefer to remember Katie Holmes topless in The Gift.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:56 am
At times, they look like a fluid unit…. Another Pitino reference?
December 18th, 2012 at 6:57 am
8 – nevermind football, they don’t have a decent writer period. How in the world do these people continue to write here when they are so bad. Most people lose their jobs when the perform poorly, but tyler was given a raise. Before you ksr nut huggers respond wirh your “why don’t you write here then”, I will say that I have no interest in writing. You don’t need to be a scholar to notice bad writing.
December 18th, 2012 at 7:07 am
I wonder if Katie Holmes new boyfriend can smell Tom Cruises nut sack when he kisses her.
December 18th, 2012 at 7:17 am
Less than 150 away, let’s go. #StoopsOnEA
December 18th, 2012 at 7:27 am
I’m sorry, but I can’t get behind the EA Sports voting effort. At this point, UK football has no business being on the cover. If it happens, it will only cause ridicule. It would be like Auburn, or some other lowly b’ball program, being the cover on the EA Sports basketball game.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Fox south is replaying the UK-lipscomb game today at 11am-1pm est.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:23 am
Katie Holmes is surely the cutest cult survivor that I’ve ever seen.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:27 am
The Billy Clyde shots never get old. The dude is such class act
December 18th, 2012 at 8:46 am
There was video evidence of Bobby Knight too, and it took him forever to be fired. Go Rutgers!
December 18th, 2012 at 8:49 am
You can’t really do number 4 on that list.
Studies have shown that team defense has very little influence on actual 3pt fg% of their opponents.
Team defenses however DO influence the amount of three point ATTEMPTS taken by teams. Obviously a zone team like Syracuse is gonna force alot more 3s. Cal’s theory is the opposite. He likes to force teams inside where the past few years we’ve had guys that can block shots so it worked perfectly.
In fact teams have shot only attempted 28.7% of their shots as 3s against us. This is 63rd in the nation and consistent with all of Cal’s teams.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:50 am
#6 my feelings exactly. They’re just not going to do it this year, but that’s ok. It’s just a shame that it happens to be on such a down year in college bball overall. They really need an elite PG to go with this group but was there any available? They all seem to be scoring guards.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:26 am
13 I agree, you don’t need to be a scholar to notice bad writing. I noticed your post was really bad writing. Pot, meet Kettle. Your English teachers would be ashamed, please for their sake do not reveal your real name.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:26 am
Yum….that is as good as she has looked in a long time. Thx TT.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:34 am
23 – neither should you. Your post has many errors as well. Pot, meet kettle. I make mistakes a lot when typing on my phone. We, as comment posters, do not need to have perfect grammar. You still proved that guy’s point.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Baby come back!!!
December 18th, 2012 at 10:18 am
John Short is stocking the shelves at Kroger on Romany with french dressing, french bread and perrier to prepare for the French Open. He already has a jaunty beret with his name on it.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:33 am
John Short is that one, obligatory, older retarded guy that Kroger keeps around to go get carts, bag groceries, and do other crap work. This guy should NEVER be allowed on the airwaves. His call to the first Mark Stoops Show should have gotten him flogged, tarred, and feathered. Way to represent the UK fanbase, John. You effin’ retard. How, in the hell, is Mark Stoops to know what a “Rick-Rick” play is? And we’re talking FOOTBALL, you moron.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Hey 28,why don’t you go to hell and stay long enough to rot,your comments basically describe your soul !
December 18th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Why don’t you bite my ass. You stupid co ck su cker. Are you another Kroger retard?