Kentucky Sports Blog

Rondo named to US Team

2005-07-28T08:55:00.000-05:00

Andy Katz reports that Cats' sophomore sensation Rajon Rondo was named to the 12 man roster for the Men's Under 21 National Team. That's a great honor for Rondo, and the competition this summer can only serve to help improve his game. The US roster:

PG: Rondo, Marcus Williams (UCONN), Mardy Collins (Temple)
SG: J.J. Redick (Duke), Justin Gray (Wake), Allen Ray (Villanova), Rudy Gay (UCONN)
F: Glen "Big Baby" Davis (LSU), Taj Gray (Oklahoma), Curtis Withers (Charlotte), Terrance Roberts (Syracuse), Nick Fazekas (Nevada)

Those cut included Memphis' Darius Washington (no word if the cut was related to a pressure-packed free-throw contest), Shannon Brown (Michigan State) and Razorback Ronnie Brewer.

The US team is coached by Phil Martelli, who will be assisted by Bruiser Flint and Dennis Felton.

Are you ready for some football?

2005-07-25T15:15:00.000-05:00

Kentucky-style???

Look out now, the Cats have 3 preseason All-SEC honorees. Let's hope that Begley, Holt and Abdullah fare better than last year's honoree.

Guardian's Classic

2005-07-18T16:01:00.000-05:00

I know a few parties who will be especially interested in this tidbit from July 12's Herald-Leader:

Kentucky will open its season Nov. 13-14 by hosting two rounds of the Guardians Classic, a 16-team tournament that includes Texas, Iowa and West Virginia. Kentucky will play South Dakota State in the first round, with Wofford and Lipscomb also playing that night in Lexington.

The winners will play the next day, and the second-round winner will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for the final two rounds on Nov. 21-22.

A clash between the Horns and Cats would contain the potential for some severe financial and emotional ramifications for myself and my partners over at H-Town Sports.

Other games of note:

- Home: UNC on 12/3, state runner-up Louisville 12/17
- Road: Kansas 1/7

If you still consider Indiana a rival, that "rivalry" gets rekindled on December 10. That means that for the second consecutive year, the United States gets treated to the Cats versus UNC, IU and Louisville on 3 consecutive Saturdays.

Midnight Madness cannot come soon enough.

Tonight's News: There's No News

2005-07-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

The Herald-Leader is reporting that Tubby Smith has spoken to Randy and his parents about returning to UK and that the only snag is related to that darn enigma that is complying with NCAA regulations. Time is certainly of the essence; the NBDL may fold if Randy doesn't hurry up and get this resolved.

A Room with a View for Mr. Mayo

2005-07-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

If only I had the money, connections and experience required to pull of the entreprenuerial idea mentioned over at the Sports Economist. I imagine that a one-year workout academy similar to the one mentioned in this article being instituted by IMG will be a very popular and profitable venture. Many have said that prep schools will greatly benefit from the new NBA age floor, but I would think that these "academies" would blow the prep schools out of the water. Why spend time practicing iambic pentameter when you could be working on your jumpshot?

Doyle Drivel

2005-07-08T16:31:00.000-05:00

Gregg Doyle usually has some interesting insights in his Dribbles notebook at CBS Sportsline, but he's obviously suffering from writer's block here in the dog days of summer. His recent column about Tubby Smith and Randolph Morris reveals that Doyel is apt to resort to intellectual laziness and bandwagon hopping when he cannot come up with a creative idea for an offseason column.

Doyle writes that Tubby has an obligation to prevent Randy from returning to UK this fall in order to show that "Kentucky basketball stands for something." He lists Gerald Fitch and E-Diddy's fake-ID incident and Joe Crawford's temporary hiatus this spring as examples of Tubby's alleged law enforcement axiom (according to Doyel), "the better the player, the higher the tolerance."

What percentage of high school and college students get caught with a fake ID sometime prior to turning to 21? And I'm not condoning this act, but the proper authorities enforce the law, and Daniels and Fitch faced the legal music for their mistakes. Additionally, Tubby, who though he could likely win election in a landslide, does not currently serve as sheriff of Fayette County, and did suspend them for a game, punishment which probably pales in comparison to the "behind the scenes" consequences that the two delinquents suffered in practice. A writer as talented as Doyel who alleges to believe that Tubby's handling of this situation is unfair or shows a lack of respect or double standard is just reaching for a column in the duldrums of summer.

Joe Crawford and his family have been fairly open about the fact that his father was the motivation between his sudden migration north this past spring. Does Doyel think that Tubby should have forbidden the kid from returning to the school where apparently never wanted to leave just because he did what his dad told him to do? Give me a break.

Honestly, I'd prefer not to see Randy Morris back at Rupp Arena this fall. However, if Tubby were to follow Doyle's advice and refuse to admit Randy back to school, such behavior would result in just the "double standard" that Doyle suggests Tubby should avoid. Morris didn't break a single rule, and he didn't break a single law. He took advantage of the options afforded to him by the NCAA and NBA. Granted, he did so ignorantly, but neither Doyle nor I know who told Morris what heading into the Draft. Morris, despite his size and ability, is still just a teenage boy in a man's body. I don't think that it's crazy to speculate that Randy has no interest in returning to UK, judging by his reported actions and the silence that he's put forth on the issue. However, the best way that Tubby could conduct himself in terms of his own character, the reputation of the winningest program of all-time and for the sake of a kid like Morris is to welcome him back with open arms. Sure he screwed up, but he's a kid who made an innocent mistake that hurt no one but himself and his own pride. If Tubby decides to allow Randy back, it's not because he's a two-faced, win-at-all-costs sellout, but it's just the latest example of a man who has exuded nothing but class since taking over the UK program eight years ago.

Dunn Deal

2005-07-06T12:28:00.000-05:00

See http://htownsports.blogspot.com for our in-depth discussion and analysis of the Dunn-to-Houston rumors. I don't buy it that Dunn's as good as gone from Cincy, and I sure pray to all things holy that the actual return, should he be dealt, blows the rumored Astacio/Buchholz/Nieve return out of the water.

An interesting thread over at Redleg Nation ponders which Red(s) should be dealt as the deadline approaches. I won't repeat my comment here, but I posted what I thought at their site.

Shed a tear for Benedict Rick

2005-07-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

According to Eric Crawford in today's Courier Journal, 6'10" UL signee Amir Johnson will likely sign with the Detroit Pistons and forfeit his eligibility to become a Card after being selected as the 56th pick in Tuesday's draft by the Eastern Conference champs. Apparently, academics were an issue as well. Next season should likely provide Darko and Amir plenty of time to brush up on their vocabularies as they take turn picking splinters out of each others' hind ends.

Story (LHL): Return of the Prodigal Son?

2005-07-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

That's a bit of a hyperbole, but Mark Story does make a convincing case that allowing Randolph Morris to return to UK, if he complies with all of the necessary requirements to retain his eligibility, would not make Tubby Smith a sell-out or render team chemistry a disaster. While I'm not ready to make Corey Sears, Gerald Fitch or Adam Chiles' behavior the benchmark for the program, I do think that there is no credible reason for not allowing Randy back if possible. He exercised the rights, however ignorantly, that the governing rules afford him, and IF he is able to meet the NCAA's standards for eligibility, the University should let him back in the fall.

Note that I am not referring at all to the Cats' title hopes in 2006 because I believe that should be irrevelant in a situation like this. Morris did nothing that any other player could have done (Obrzut probably had similar draft chances to Randy's), and his ability level should not result in him receiving more or less lenient treatment from the athletic department.

Must be my damn cell phone acting up again...

2005-06-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

No, Randy, it's not your cellphone. You're a moron. I'm not too surprised that none of the UK eligibles was selected. I thought Randy might go in the second round for the same reason that Andy Bynum went #10 to the Lakers (he's tall), and I still think that Hayes, while he won't be an NBA lifer, may make a roster for a year or two, but I don't see how a rational NBA personnel guy could take a loser like Morris when there are more known quantities like Turiaf, Gomes, etc., still remaining. And somehow I believe that the way that Randy handled this situation (see: faxing notice to Tubby without so much as a courtesy phone call) certainly scared off even more NBA teams.

Pat Forde at ESPN.com focuses on the SEC's devastating night, and he hits the nail on the head. Either agents are lying to kids and their families, or the players and families know what they want to hear and search for an agent until they find one willing to tell them what they want to hear, but every year there are a dozen similar cases. Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh will never see an NBA court without buying a ticket, and Randy Morris, who may overcome this all one day thanks to his size, ensured that his name will forever be linked with William Avery, something that no college player could ever desire.

Dick Vitale shrieked his typical lines, bashing international players and advocating relentlessly for the ACC. We'll see how good May, McCants and Felton become, but I'll be stunned if they're contributing considerably to a good NBA team in 2010. McCants reminds me of can't-miss Joe Forte, and he reminds my co-blogger over at H-Town Sports Blog of the kind of guy who "straps C-4 to his chest and blows up an entire arena." I'm not quite prepared to equate McCants with a suicide bomer, but I have always wondered if that stupid hand sign that he makes is a signal to Al-Zaqarwi.

Dookie V also declared the Lakers a winner in his online column for selecting 17 year old Andrew Bynum #10 overall, probably believing that Andy was actually Will, an ACC byproduct. He called the Mavs, Bulls and Cavs "losers" on draft night for not having a draft pick. That's profound analysis. He calls Salim Stoudamisre "the biggest steal" in the draft. I'll believe that when I see it as well...not sure that Stoudamire can D-up NBA point guards, and I don't know that his 6'1" size will allow him to get off that vaunted jumper of his as often as he could in college.

NBA Draft Night

2005-06-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

Here's my mock draft (through the lottery) for tonight's NBA Draft, as originally posted over at H-Town Sports Blog:

1. Milwaukee - Andrew Bogut: I think that this is a mistake, as Marvin Williams is a freak of nature, but apparently the Bucks are sold on Bogut. He's definitely a beast in the paint, but I'm not sure how high his potential really is. If I'm Atlanta at #2, I'm sending highlight films of Bogut to Milwaukee every 10 minutes trying to convince them to take the Ute. (Note: When's the last time the same school boasted the #1 pick in the same year's NBA and NFL drafts?)

2. Atlanta - Marvin Williams: Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Donta Smith and Marvi Williams. While none of these guys are allowed to buy a bottle of beer, they sure do provide the nucleus of an exciting young roster. But since it's the Hawks, I'm sure they'll sell the kids for parts at some point in their neverending pursuit of imperfection.

3. Portland - Gerald Green: Paul or Deron Williams is probably the best pick at #3, but I'm assuming Telfair's selection in '04 will preclude the Blazers from taking a point guard at #3.

4. New Orleans - Deron Williams: I'm not sure that the Hornets have any kind of plan in place, but I do know that Dan Dickau likely is not their "PG of the future", despite how effective he was last season.

5. Charlotte - Chris Paul: Paul has the talent to be the biggest star out of this draft, in my opinion.

6. Utah - Raymond Felton: To me, Felton = Ed Cota II. We'll see if he proves me wrong.

7. Toronto - Danny Granger

8. New York - Hakim Warrick: I'm sure that Isiah will manage to screw this up somehow, but this sure seems like a nice fit to me.

9. Golden State - Charlie Villanueva: I wouldn't be surprised to see GS move up to try and get one of the 3 big PG's in the draft, but I think they think that they're not far from competing, so I don't think they'll go with a high schooler if they stay at #9. I'm not big on Villanueva, but he's certainly talented.

10. LA Lakers - Martell Webster: Since the Zenmaster admits that the Lakers are likely years away from being competitve again, a HS player seems the perfect fit.

11. Orlando - Channing Frye: Loren Woods says "Hi."

12. LA Clippers - Yaroslav Korolev: I've never heard of this guy, so he's a perfect fit for the Clips.

13. Charlotte - Rashad McCants: If the Bobcats go into next fall with Paul at the point, McCants at the 2, Okafor at the 4 and Brezec at the 5, they'll deserve a lot of credit. I'd buy tickets to see that team develop.

14. Minnesota - Andrew Bynum: Nothing like hiring a GM hours before the draft. I'm assuming that the Kandi Man might be a guy that new GM Boy King would like to replace.

As for the Cats eligible to be selected, I see Randy Morris going early in the 2nd round and Azibuike going late in the 2nd round. I don't care how Morris' size projects...I think NBA scouts will be uninspired by his play last year and will also believe that the fact that he made himself eligible for the draft this year indicates questionable judgment. Come late November, Randy will be longing for a return to college, and I think that his remaining teammates will forget that he was ever around at all.

Vitale Follow-up

2005-06-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

I agree whole-heartedly with The Bald One on the NBA's new age limit. It's an arbitrary rule that will have little or no effect on the problem at hand. However, as posted below, I sure wish that Vitale would stop using Ndubi Ebi as an example of what can go wrong...he's a multi-millionaire now no matter how many minutes he's playing a night. I think that talent show be the only requirement to get into the NBA and that teams and their personnel evaluators should be the sole judge and jury in determining who gets in and who does not.

Vitale is correct that most people do not have an accurate understanding of the NBA draft rules regarding high school seniors declaring. Andy Katz's article from May 19 on ESPN.com does a great job of clarifying said rules, a discussion which has also been had over at H-Town Sports.

Wednesday Wrap-up

2005-06-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

TEATER TIME

Bluegrass Big Stick Josh Teater takes to the tee tomorrow morning at 8:15 a.m. in the first round of the Touchstone Energy Open in Greenville, NC. Josh currently is in 83rd place on the money list for 2005, and it is my bold prediction that he will finish in the top 30 by year's end.

Note: The Hooters' Tour obviously downsized their IT department as their website is much less informative than it was in 2004.

AU REVOIR RANDY

Few were surprised by Randy Morris' brilliant decision to remain eligible for the NBA Draft next Tuesday. Sadly, some team will likely waste a late 1st-round pick on him, and while his pocketbook will be fattened, his basketball abilities will plateau. We'll see if we can get Randy to do an interview with the Blog about 6 weeks into the season when he's riding the bench versus the Hawks, in the 4th game of a 7-game road swing and DNP'ing for the 20th consecutive night, this time in front of about 2500 people. It's not fair to relentlessly bash young kids for chasing the millions, but I think it's fair to fault them when they make a decision that is so blatantly flawed as this one.

SHAV-LESS IN DURHAM

Stunningly, there was a Randolph who made an even worse career decision that our own beloved Randy. Shavlik Randolph chose to remain eligible for the NBA Draft, fresh off of an impressive season in which he averaged about 4 points per game. I'm still waiting anxiously to hear Dookie V's take on this one. And I don't want to hear how he was unhappy at Duke. He STUNK at Duke, and if he was unhappy and wanted to improve his NBA chances, he should have transferred to another school. Maybe he's just been dying for a reason to move to Istanbul...

NARRON'S UNDEFEATED

Slotted brilliantly in the 7th spot in the batting order, Adam Dunn hit 2 (shocker) solo HRs this afternoon off of LHP Mark Mulder as the Reds held on for a 7-6 victory to complete a series victory against the 1st place Redbirds. Dunn has struggled versus left-handed pitching, so I'm not so convinced that he should be hitting 3rd against LH starters, but the only time that he should EVER be hitting 7th is in the All-Star game.

Miley, Gullett Fired

2005-06-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

According to RedsZone.com, 700 WLW has reported that Reds' manager Dave Miley and pitching coach Don Gullett have been fired. I'll post more info as I find it...

UPDATE: The below-mentioned Marc Lancaster is reporting the same. Bench coach Jerry Narron has been named interim manager and Vern Ruehle has been named pitching coach.

UPDATE: Story from team's official site. I can't wait to see if there's a different lineup tonight. My lineup?

Freel - 2B
Dunn - LF
Griffey - CF
Pena - RF
Casey - 1B
Lopez - SS
Randa - 3B
LaRue - C
Claussen - P

Day in the Life of Reds' Beat Writer

2005-06-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Marc Lancaster of the Cincinnati Post has a really cool set of posts which detail his day at the GABP yesterday. For those of us who occassionally wonder 'what if', it is a really neat look at what the path not chosen entails.

NOTE: No comment on the 6-1 loss last night. Didn't see it, as I was at the Astros' game, but I'm not too surprised. Generally speaking, above-average pitchers shut the Reds down without much of a fight. I expect more of the same from Marquis v. Claussen tonight.

D-Day for Dumbass

2005-06-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Randy Morris has to declare his draft intentions by 5:00 EST tonight. Speculation runs the gamut as to whether or not the Big Underdeveloped will return to campus in the fall.

My REVISED prediction: Comes back to school.

The more I thought about it, Morris is a chicken. He chickened out at the last minute when he was considering skipping college prior to last fall, he plays like a chicken in the paint, and he's too chicken to talk to his coaches and teammates about his decision. I bet he chickens out again and returns to college.

Shocker: Vitale's Emotions Prevent Rational Argument

2005-06-20T15:17:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of things wrong with Randy Morris' apparent intention to stay in the NBA Draft this summer, but leave it to Dick Vitale to fall victim to his seemingly uncontrollable emotions and instead make a great argument that Morris in fact should leave his name in the draft.

Here's the column in question, and below is the text of my email to Dickie V:

In your June 13 column on ESPN.com, you say that the Cats' Randolph Morris should consider Ndibi Ebi's situation in Minnesota when making his decision as to whether or not to return to college next fall. While I wholeheartedly agree that Morris is not an NBA-caliber player (and neither is Ebi according to his minutes played), Ebi signed a 4 year, $4.4 million contract!!!! Dick, the problem is that these teams continue to pay kids like Ebi (and potentially Morris) millions of dollars to ride the pine. I love college basketball as much as you do, but it is completely irrational to argue that Ebi is a good example of what's wrong with kids going pro. It may be what's wrong with the NBA, but if kids like Morris look at Ebi's situation, the Ivy League and Patriot League might be the only D-I teams left next season.

Here's hoping that Randy and his dad don't read Dick's column or follow the Timberwolves.

The Sky is Blue

2005-06-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

I guess the copy editors at newspapers around the country save this headline to memory to preserve time and energy:

Cincinnati Basketball Recruit Charged With Statuory Rape

Of course, you have to leave a blank after "With" to specify which specific type of felonious conduct is currently being alleged. For those of you unfamiliar with "The Warden" and his esteemed program, here's a tidbit from the referenced USA Today article:

Associate AD Bruce Ivory resigned in May after he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Assistant basketball coach Keith LeGree has been suspended following his arrest in March on a drunken driving charge. Head Coach Bob Huggins was suspended for nearly three months after being convicted of drunken driving in suburban Cincinnati.

One Cincinnati player was kicked off the team last month after acknowledging he had a firearm on campus.

Putting off the Inevitable

2005-06-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

The Reds seemingly made several statements by sending Austin Kearns down to AAA Louisville prior to last week's series in Boston. One possibility is that the organization was unaware that the designated hitter rule would apply in Boston, allowing all four of the Reds' talented outfielders a spot in the lineup for at least 3 games. Another possibility was that the Reds would rather see Kenny Kelly, Jacob Cruz or Luis Lopez at the plate than Austin Kearns. Both of these statements would only further incriminate the Reds front office as morons.

Instead, it looks like the decision to send Kearns down to AAA will only serve to delay the inevitable decision temporarily - that decision being which of Casey/Kearns/Pena/Dunn/Griffey is leaving Cincinnati for good. Since taking the field for the Bats, the Pride of Lexington is hitting .461, has struck out only 2 times in 18 at-bats and 4 of his 7 hits have gone for extra bases. Meanwhile, Wily Mo's opportunity to play everyday has been a short-term failure. Pena has 5 hits in 25 at-bats in the last week (which includes a 3-for-5 against Atlanta on Sunday), including a Deer-like 13 strikeouts in 26 at-bats. This fails to account for his consistently stonehanded defense.

After another week of such conflicting performances (which is not too farfetched of a possibility), fans will begin to cry for Kearns' return in place of Wily Mo. Maybe Kearns' improved hitting will re-establish his trade value, or maybe Dunn or Casey will be shipped out for a handful of pitching prospects. Regardless, the move of Kearns to AAA may serve Kearns well in helping him to get his hitting back on track, but it also serves as further proof that current managment in Cincinnati has no long-term plan whatsoever.

Hope?

2005-06-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

UK freshman-to-be Curtis Pulley was named the MVP of the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star football game, a game in which the Commonwealth whipped its Lil' Brother to the South. Pulley's invited to play in the basketball version of this series, an idea about which he is still undecided. With Woodson's improved play in the spring and Pulley's obvious physical gifts, are times a-changing? Not sure...can they tackle?

The Beatings Roll On (in reverse)

2005-06-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Just like reality TV, Reds' baseball is proof positive of the age-old axiom, "No matter how bad things may seem, they can always get worse." On Friday night, brilliant skipper Dave Miley continued to cement the rift between Adam Dunn and himself by keeping Dunn out of the lineup against an absolutely non-dominant LHP in Horacio Ramirez. In general, it is horrendously stupid to give routine days off to young sluggers like Dunn, but to do it the night after he busts out of a slump with a double and a 455-foot home run is even more asinine. I used to believe that Miley may be a mere puppet of the front office who is being handcuffed into playing certain guys, but now it's gotten to the point that even if that is the case, he should be fired for refusing to lead a mutiny. Dunn is becoming evermore outspoken about his hatred of Miley, taking some well-founded, if not mature, shots at the skipper in Hal McCoy's Saturday Notes.

Ramon Ortiz is terrible, and he should never start another game for the Reds. However, he is signed and does theoretically have a couple of good pitches. He reminds me of Chris Reitsma, in the fact that he has a decent fastball and change-up. Seems to me that the Reds should take a look at the guy who closed out Thursday night's Atlanta win and try to establish Ortiz as a Reitsma-like reliever. Ortiz doesn't have the arm to fire 95-mph fastballs for 6+ innings, but maybe in a short stint, he could max out his fastball, making both his fastball and his change-up more effective in the process.

I used to cheer Eric Milton's starts if only in the hopes that this one would be the last. Apparently, that's a lost cause, so I have no reason whatsoever to look forward to tonight's pending debacle. Steve Kelly, Matt Belisle and Randy Keisler all deserve starting nods over Milton and Ortiz at this point.

Paul Wilson's season-ending shoulder surgery was a disappointing semi-surprise to Reds' fands, but it wasn't a surprise at all for Reds management. That's a reassuring feeling...

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that if the Reds are swept by Atlanta this weekend, establishing what would be a very ugly 7 game losing streak, Sunday will be Miley's last game. Bill at Redleg Nation is echoing my question as well.

You know it's a bad season for the Reds when you're left wishing for some Kentucky football to ease the pain.

Milton still sucks

2005-06-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

There may not be many things that Larry Bowa and Bill James agree upon when it comes to baseball analysis, but one thing that I believe they may be able to agree upon is this: Eric Milton sucks.

After last night, his most recent train wreck of a "improved" performance, Milton's ERA has now soared to levels beyond even Boeing's imagination. I'm not sure what Milton has to do to be removed from the rotation at this point...oh wait, yes I do. Give back the $25.5 million that these morons handed you. At this pace, Milton's going to have to file a 501(c)3 to reflect money that he was given in what now has to be unquestionably considered a 'charitable' fashion.

In other notes from the weekend, Austin Kearns was sent to AAA Louisville and replaced on the roster by ex-Hurricane QB Kenny Kelly, who was by all accounts tearing up AAA pitching (leading the Bats in batting average, runs scored, hits, triples and stolen bases). If Kearns can somehow right the sinking ship that is his current career, hopefully he will force the front office's hand and get a spot back on the big club.

In a less surprising development, Paul Wilson is having his noticeably defective right shoulder surgically examined by team doctors on Friday. This is a sad development for PW, who appears to be a tough competitor and likable guy. One guy who has to be saddened is Eric Milton, since Wilson's indefinte absence leaves Milton as the only completely inept pitcher in the current starting rotation. Meanwhile, Randy Keisler and Matt Belisle sit idly by. Management will have a hard case to make to fans that they are trying their best to win if Eric Milton takes one more step out onto a field that isn't located in a AAA city.

Tubby's Team?

2005-06-10T14:58:00.000-05:00

THE PISTONS seem to me to be the NBA version of Tubby's Kentucky Wildcats. I'm not attempting to make any in-depth, player-by-player analysis of the rosters or the programs' histories. All I'm saying is that it's occurred to me while watching the Pistons (for the dozens of seconds that I'm able to watch non-Rockets NBA games before regurgitating) that they seem to play with Tubby's style.

The players are long and athletic. The offense is not flashy, necessarily, but it is based on high-percentage shots, unselfish play and the versatility of the players in the system. And of course, the fact that the Pistons all seem to honestly pride themselves on their defensive intensity, something that is a trademark of Tubby's teams at UK. The trick is getting multi-millionaire prima donnas to buy into such a team-first style of play, something that's obviously easier at the college level because those prima donnas are only making thousands of dollars rather than millions. (Did I say that?)

Townsend signs big-league contract

2005-06-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

Oh, Wade Townsend. Never mind. Still, funny that last year's 1st round draft pick of the Orioles went 1 year without being signed, and this year's 1st round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays signs within days. After watching TB's wretched pitching staff the last three nights, I'm sure Sweet Lou would like to see ex-Owl teammates Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend in his rotation ASAP. As the stats on the last link indicate, Niemann will likely not be long in making his big-league debut, allowing only 12 hits in 20+ innings with 28 k's. (Note: This is for High-A Visalia Oaks).

Aeysha update

2005-06-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Looks like Aeysha's going to bust a move to the east of the Bayou City, which is good news for me and bad news for those people in East Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Here's an updated Strike Probability Chart from the National Hurricane Center:

The Beat(ings) Roll On - Reds 14, D-Rays 5

2005-06-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

REDS ROUT RAYS

Casey Fossum liked like a pitcher in pain, lobbing junk towards the plate, and the Reds made him pay, coasting to a 14-5 win and sweeping the Stingers out of town. Much of the excitement over the Reds 3-game sweep was tempered, however, by news that the Reds 'Big Offseason Splash' will remain in the rotation. Much of the credit that the Reds' brass gets for shipping D'Angelo and "Fifty Saves" Danny Graves out to sea is completely squandered by their insistence that Milton continue to pitch every fifth day, despite being 1-5 in his last seven starts with a 9.16!!!! ERA. DanO did make one self-incriminating comment, however, admitting that Milton's stuff is "of the same quality it's been throughout his career." Which is why some people felt that a 3 year, $25.5 million contract was a teeny weeny bit of a leap, Danny Boy.

WILDCARD UPDATE

With the Reds going into a stretch where they play the current AL East leaders, the defending World Series champions and the defending NL champions/current NL Central leaders, I figure that I'd better do this while I can. After last night's win, the Reds trail NL Wildcard leader Philadelphia by a mere 8 games. Of course, only Houston and Colorado trail the Reds in that NL Wildcard race at the moment, but I'll take what I can get at this point.

HOUSTON TRAFFIC

In Houston, if you are so cowardly as to leave more than a single-car length of open space on the freeway between the front of your car and the rear of that car which you are trailing, it is not 'defensive' or 'safe' driving; instead, it is advertising to the cars in the lanes on either side of you that you are hoping that they will wedge their vehicle into that space, no matter their current speed or the traffic conditions.

LOST, BUT NOT GONE FOREVER

Chip Cosby reports that Aaron Miller's mom believes that her son will miss the 2005 football season, but will re-enroll at UK in January 2006. I don't like to speculate about 'personal business' that requires young kids to make such drastic decisions, so here's hoping that Miller gets it turned around and can return to campus and enjoy what should be some of the most exciting years of his life.

TEATER WATCH

The Pride of the Bluegrass, Josh Teater, settled for a 1-over par 72 in the first round of the Hooters Tour's First City Classic in Savannah, GA. Always with a flair for the dramatic, Teater made 4 birdies and 5 bogeys. It's only a matter of time until some of those bogeys begin to diminish, and JT enteres the Hooters Tour winner's circle, in my humble opinion.

Tonight's Game - Day 132 of the "Fire Miley" Campaign

2005-06-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

Well, you don't have to fire Miley, but whoever's demanding that the baseball equivalent of driftwood, Rich Aurilia, be put in the lineup over...and over...and over...needs to be beaten to a pulp, if not fired. Here's the doozy for tonight's sweep attempt v. the Rays:

Freel - 2b
Randa - 3B
Casey - 1B
Griffey - CF
Pena - RF
Dunn - LF
Aurilia - SS
Larue - C
Hudson - P

I'm thrilled to watch Luke Hudson's return tonight. I'm just sorry that he's currently stuck with such a brain dead management team backing him up. Over/under on GIDP by Randa/Casey: 2.5

My lineup:

Freel - 2B
Lopez - SS
Dunn - LF
Pena - RF
Griffey - CF
Casey - 1B
Randa - 3B
LaRue - C

Is it really that difficult?

Reds 11, D-Rays 9

2005-06-09T10:28:00.000-05:00

WELCOME AESHYA

In honor of a Texas Congresswoman of whom only Howard Dean could be proud, I'd like to send out a proud Texas welcome to Tropical Storm Aeshya (Arlene, to those of us on Earth). Here is a great tracking plot of the path on which experts predict Aeshya to "roll on Dubs", straight up into the mix of the northern Gulf Coast. I'd like to also ask Aeshya to please 'back that azz up' if she has any intentions of heading towards Houston.

WILY MO!!!!

Motivated by my annointment of him as the Reds' "Most Untouchable" prior to Wednesday's tilt, Wily Mo promptly responded with a 3-5, 2 HR performance, including a walk-off bomb off of Danny Grav...errr...Danys Baez in the bottom of the 9th. Nothing erases the short-term memory of a Reds' fan after this miserable start to the season like a re-run of the Home Run Hop. I'm still curious as to what Red will be moved to make room for Luke Hudson today. Still intoxicated from the excitement of last night's dramatic win, I'm still holding out hope that Rich Aurilla and/or Luis Lopez will get the boot.

TONIGHT'S TIP SHEET

The Astros are 6-23 on the road in 2005, 5-14 v. LHP, and the under is 12-6 v. LHP. The Mets 11-8 v. LHP in 2005, their starter, Tom Glavine, is 11-0 with a 2.16 ERA lifetime v. the Astros, and has a 2.65 ERA in his last 3 starts overall. I'll let you draw the conclusions here.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is 4-25 on the road, the Reds have gone over the run line in 12 of 17 v. LHP and 20 of 31 at GABP. Smells like another slugfest is on the menu, unless Chef Miley drops the lineup tray and Aurilla/Valentine/Lopez fall into the soup.

AS RANDOLPH TURNS

Chip Cosby's article in the Herald-Leader today sure must have been a fun read for Woo. Sounds like the 5-hole is wide open next fall, as Randy Morris is apparently just dying to become the next Leon Smith, minus the aspirin overdoses and war paint.

Yoni Cohen, he the brilliant brain behind the mecca of college hoops blogs, Yoco Hoops, suggests in his Fox Sports online column that Randolph would be making the right decision if he stayed eligible for the NBA draft this season.

Demonstrating a lack of patience, Morris declared after one sub par season as a Wildcat (8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game). Never at home in Tubby Smith's offense, Randolph failed to live to expectations and seemed less than happy in Lexington. Benefitting, however, from a weak crop of big men, Morris is projected to receive first-round money. In a perfect world, Randolph would have the wisdom and maturity to return to Kentucky and learn from Smith, re-emerging as lottery material a year or two down the line. In the real world, Morris' poor relationship with the Wildcat's coach combined with a first-round guarantee from one or more teams makes it difficult to argue that the immature but talented former McDonald's All-American is better off unhappy and poor in college than unhappy and rich in the pros.

Yoni's usually pretty on-target in his analysis, but I strongly disagree with his take on the Morris' situation. Tubby's offense was not the root of Morris' problem; Morris' inability to perform as the central point in the offense was the problem. Towards the end of the season, Randy showed signs of progress, but not so much to serve notice that he's ready for the NBA. I honestly could not care less if he stays or goes, but I think an NBA GM who spends a first-round pick on a guy who struggled as mightily as Randolph did last year is out of his mind. Regardless, stop by Yoni's blog and read his online column.

Reds 9, D-Rays 7

2005-06-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

HUDSON TO RETURN:

Redszone is reporting that Luke Hudson will be up after one rehab start to pitch Thursday night's game against Tampa Bay. For a guy with a history of shoulder problems and an organization with a historical inability to develop healthy pitchers, this seems from the outside like a recipe for disaster. However, I'm not feeling too rational at this point in this disastrous season; Hudson's was quite studly last summer, and he unquestionably has good enough stuff to pitch every 5 days for the 'Legs, so get his butt up to Cincy, pronto. Designate Aurilia for assignment, then after Milton gets lit up like a pile of dry leaves tonight by TB, put him on the DL with shin splints and go with Hudson-Harang-Claussen-Keisler-Belisle. That leaves a pen of Mercker-Wagner-Elizardo-Weathers-Stone-Coffey (by my calculations).

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OTHER NEWS & NOTES:

--Randy Keisler stole the show last night from both on the mound and at the plate. It's nice to see someone forcing management's hand because I'm not sure that Wilson/Milton/Ortiz would be dropped from the rotation otherwise, despite how poorly they've pitched.

--The next round or two in the rotation should be interesting. If Milton and Ortiz continue to get lit up like Onterrio Smith's bong (opponents are hitting .360 off of "Baby Pedro" this season, who's allowed 83 baserunners in 44+ innings, while opponents are hitting a mere .312 off of Milton, who's allowed 107 baserunners in 65 innings with a 7+ ERA), we could soon see a rotation of: Harang, Claussen, Belisle, the Lizard and Keisler. That excites me (boy, it's tough being a Reds fan in 2005).

--Wily Mo is just a monster. I have come full circle with him and now believe that if I was GM of the Reds, he would be the least touchable of Dunn/Kearns/Junior/Pena.

--Apparently Peter Gammons reported last night on BBTN that Griffey's been pressuring John Allen to fire Miley. I'm not the biggest Miley supporter in the world, but I never like to hear this kind of childish crap from big leaguers. Something certainly seems to be amiss between Miley and Dunn, and if it takes exiling Miley to get Dunn to perform up to his potential, then get Miley on the first bus to Newport.

-- Tonight's matchup is a real doozy -- Doug Waechter v. Eric Milton. I didn't check the run total line for last night's game, but I'm going to have to do so prior to tonight's tilt. Waechter is coming off of 5 shutout innings his last time out v. Seattle, but in his other starts this season's, the run total allowed was 5, 4, 6, 2, 6, 4, 4, 5. If Milton pulls a groin early and Ramirez comes in and "pulls a Keisler", the Reds may have a shot at 2 straight wins.

MLB Draft

2005-06-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

The polar opposite to the NFL Draft begins today, that being the MLB Amateur Draft. As opposed to be over-hyped and plodding, the MLB Draft is under the radar and rapid-fire. I don't pretend to know much about the prospects available, but I do know the results of the 1st Round, thanks to our genius ex-Vice President.

Baseball America's recap of the completed first round is found here, and below is a recap of their analysis of the Reds' first round pick, Jay Bruce, a centerfielder from West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas:

"Bruce has been compared by scouts to Larry Walker. Though he has average to plus tools across the board and enough athleticism to play center field, Bruce profiles better in right field. His swing can get a little long at times, but Bruce is a polished high school hitter. He centers the ball well and already understands the importance of using the entire field. He also has the strength and skill to eventually hit 30-plus homers annually in the majors. His average speed is probably his worst tool, but he plays quicker than his stopwatch readings around the bases and in the outfield. He has more than enough arm to handle the move to right field in pro ball."

The wise folks over at RedsZone are following the draft live online and both seem to genuinely approve of the Reds' 1st round selection and are reporting that the analysts and commentators have generally said the same thing. Nice pick, Dan. Now here's hoping you're able to right this shipwreck and not have to buy a ticket to watch Jay's first GABP home run.

UPDATE: Well, DanO & Co. managed to blow all of the optimism generated by their 1st round pick with their 2nd round pick. The Reds selected Travis Wood, a HS LHP from Arkansas. Not only is he a HS-pitcher, according to Baseball America, he's a HS pitcher with questionable mechanics, little feel for the breaking ball, a solid verbal commitment to the University of Arkansas, and who had an 86-90 mph fastball until recently, when he began to touch the mid-90s. Sounds like an absolute disaster, especially consider the 'mechanics' issues. Maybe we should pray that he does honor his Hogs commitment.

Another interesting note - the Braves, renowned for the "anti-Moneyball" ways, selected a college pitcher in the 2nd round, while A's GM Billy Beane broke from his famed anti-HS pitcher stance by selecting a HS pitcher in the 2nd round.

UPDATE (The Sequel): Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. The Reds have now spent multiple picks in the first 8 rounds on unknown pitchers with unimpressive stats, histories of injury problems and questionable mechanics.

But the 8th round pick itself may take the cake. The Reds selected Brandon Roberts from Cal Poly, whose numbers are (to put it kindly) in the mold of a no-hit Reggie Taylor (.409 OBP, 0 (that's ZERO) HR, 18 BB in 227 AB's). I realize that the positional depth chart in the Reds' organization is somewhat lacking, but drafting an apparent defensive replacement in the 8th round is more than sad...it's grounds for immediate termination.

POSITIVE NEWS: Wily Mo is back, with Jason Romano being designated for assignment. Unless Dan O'Brien is fired and immediately hired by another team, it is quite unlikely that JR will be claimed off of waivers, rendering him a RiverBat once again.

Breathe easy, Masses

2005-06-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

I'm back to blogging. All it takes is Randolph Morris declaring for the NBA draft after averaging a lotto-like 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 2004-2005 and Rich Aurilia starting nightly in the Reds' IF over Ryan Freel. Freel can take a page from Dustin Diamond when it comes to being unfairly typecast. Much like "Screech", Freel's unable to shake a label - for Freel, it's "Utility Man", whereas for DD, it's clearly "Boy Toy". Freel's reputation as a Jack of All Trades has blinded either Reds' GM Dan O'Brien or Manager Dave Miley, whoever it is that is truly drawing up the Reds' daily lineup. Freel's numbers are much more AC Slater than Screech.

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Stunning development reported tonight. Perennial underachiever and crybaby Shav "Don't Call me Shavlik" Randolph is threatening to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft. Reportedly, Mike Kryzewski has offered a cameo spot in his next AmEx commercial to the first agent who will sign Shav to the dotted line, thus freeing up Shav's scholarship for a more deserving player, like maybe this guy.

Family Feud

2005-03-14T20:48:00.000-06:00

Kentucky learned its NCAA destination last night after suffering an extremely deflating rout at the hands of the hated Florida Gators and their lead dogs, Matt Walsh and David Lee. Anyone claiming to have any sure idea of how the Cats will fare in the NCAAs is lying. If this team has proven anything this year, it is that it is capable of performing at either end of the spectrum without notice.

While the talent disparity between Kentucky and their 1st round opponent from right down I-75, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, is unquestionably significant in favor of Kentucky, the psychological welfare of the respective teams must be equally if not moreso in favor of the Colonels. Fresh of winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, Travis Ford's squad gets to live out a dream by taking on the darlings of the Bluegrass, without any expectations or pressure. On the other hand, the Wildcats have the burden of the previous years' disappointing early exits, the current bad taste of a butt-kicking in Atlanta, and the requisite lofty hopes of an entire state on their shoulders.

Though I have yet to read anything about lineup changes, one has to wonder how long Tubby will go with the same old standbys on Thursday afternoon. He has had an increasingly shorter leash on the starting five recently, and with the improved play of Joe Crawford, Bobby Perry, Ravi Moss, Ramel Bradley, Lukas Obrzut and Sheray Thomas, one suspects (or shall I say "one prays in the name of all things holy") that Tubby demands a sense of urgency from his team throughout the week of practice and into Thursday's game and does not wait until his team finds itself down double-digits to "send a message" to his starters. At this point, the bench's quality play ought to be utilized for its quality, not as a motivational tool.

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Nickels and Dimes

- Granted, the absence of Travis Diener has left Marquette's offense virtually punchless, but I still suggest that the way Western Michigan has come out and taken it right to the Golden Eagles on their own home court is illustrative of why the Mid-American Conference was shafted as a whole more than any individual team. MAC tourney runner-up Buffalo and regular-season champ Miami of Ohio both deserved to be invited. For once, Dick Vitale dropped his incessant and uninvited campaigning for Coach K to be named as the 2008 Olympic coach long enough to make a rational and worthwhile comment regarding a team that does not feature a sharp-shooting, pot-smoking poet as a star player by trumpeting last night on ESPN the idea that the MAC got robbed.

- Along the same lines, one of the plotlines that I am most looking forward to involves the Florida-Ohio game. Will Billy the Kid be able to shake the early-round blues that have haunted him of late? If David Lee's tough attitude has truly inspired his teammates (as their recent play suggests), then they are capable of a late run. However, Ohio will give the Gators all they want, and if Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh resort to their historical habits of launching ill-advised bombs and trying to win the game by themselves, Walsh need not pack a change of headbands. My lean is towards the Bobcats.

- The lower-half of the Austin bracket is by no means for the faint of heart. Although somewhat less violent thanks to the absence of Pierre Pierce, the physicality that Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Kentucky bring to the table will likely make for a symphony of whistle bursts and a parade of free throws. That being the case, Kentucky's depth should prove advantageous.

- If I had my pick, I would not miss a game of the Albequerque bracket. With Wake Forest, Gonzaga, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Washington and George Washington, whoever's operating the scoreboard had better have a policy that covers Carpal-Tunnel. And aside from the sheer volume of offense, the West (errr, Albequerque) regional also offers Bobby Knight, a 3-point shooutout between Creighton and West Virginia, and a sensational bi-coastal pairing of Pacific v. Pitt.

- I'm fully aware that many consider me a contrarian, but when's the last time that the clear favorites waltzed through to the finals. Illinois has impressed me, but I don't think they'll survive Oklahoma State's well-balanced attack. As for North Carolina, Roy Williams melodramatic personality is certainly an ideal match for Rashad McCants' theatrics, and I really like Jay Wright's steady Villanova Wildcats' chances of knocking off the Heels.

Today's News

2005-02-22T09:15:00.000-06:00

The Lexington Herald-Leader's Jerry Tipton previews the Cats' Wednesday home tilt vs. the Auburn Tigers. A reasonable mind could certainly suggest that Auburn's victory at South Carolina was more a result USC's looking ahead to the Cats than anything that Auburn did. And with no one over 6'6" on their roster (apologies to freshman C Ryan Daniel, who is 6'11" but plays minimal minutes), look for Randolph Morris to continue his sparkling ascension out of mediocrity and into the headlines with his biggest game of the season.

As for the point that Tipton mentions regarding Auburn's reliance on the 3-pointer, only Vanderbilt among SEC teams has attempted more 3's than Coach Jeff Lebo's Tigers, and all but 4 teams in the SEC, have made a greater percentage of their attempts. Maybe that has something to do with Lebo's research of Auburn's all-time worst teams.

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Gregg Doyle of CBS Sportsline predicts that Tubby Smith will be among the current crop of NCAA coaches to earn Hall of Fame status if he keeps up his current pace. Can't argue with that, but I can argue that Bob Huggins and Bo Ryan belong on that same list.

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The Cincinnati Post's Victoria Sun writes about the apparent coming-of-age of PF Randolph Morris. Victoria agrees with me that Morris seems likely to continue his stellar play against the vertically-challenged Auburn frontline on Wednesday night. While I'm still not of the opinion that Morris seems 'cerebral' on the court (a description that Randolph's dad, Ralph, makes in this article), I am certainly glad to see his more assertive play inside. He, to me, is the key to the Cats post-season hopes. An aggressive, effective Morris gives the Cats Final Four potential.

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Ben Roberts at the Kentucky Kernel profiles the Cats' resident kleptomaniac, Rajon Rondo. The amazing frosh will tie Wayne Turner's single-season record for steals in a regular season by averaging 4 per game over the team's final four games.

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Jimmy Debutts at the Birmingham Post-Herald looks back at Auburn's implosion on Saturday in Athens. Continuing a pervasive theme, Auburn's only hope at a road SEC win is shooting greater than 50% from behind the arc (which they did in Columbia in their only road SEC win). My guess is that going 1-17 from the 3-point line, shooting 55% from the line, being outrebounded by 8, out-assisted by 7, and committing 10 more fouls than your opponent won't add up to success very often.

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In Larry Vaught's Danville Advocate-Messenger mailbag, he echoes a reader's dismay that the UK student section is so restrained from celebrating by the 'rigid rules' enforced by Rupp Arena. Call me spoiled, but the only time I believe that any storming of any kind is well-founded by the UK student body is when the Cats punch their ticket to the Final Four or cut down the nets in the championship game. In those two situations, I do not just think it's appropriate to storm the Euclid/Woodland intersection, I think that any students found not to be celebrating in the streets should be expelled.

Welcome

2005-02-22T08:53:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog. It is quite appropriate that I begin this endeavor with March right around the corner, since the primary focus of each Cats fan, especially at this time of year, is justifiably on the nation's all-time winningest D-I men's basketball program as it chases its 8th NCAA title.

My goal is to provide something that I have yet to find on the Internet: an intelligent warehouse of UK reading and discussion. This isn't the place to go to find out if Blue Chip Byron scored during his recruiting visit, but I think that there are more than enough outlets for that kind of 'scoop'. Instead, I hope to combine the best of what's already out there with some of my own thoughts, and I look forward to hearing what you think. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think.