After last year’s rollercoaster season, John Calipari is expecting to have one of the nation’s top defenses once again. “I’ll be able to play like we played at Memphis,” Calipari told Andy Katz. “We’ll be pressing and getting after people because we have more people.” Calipari also mentioned that he would also like to transition to using more zone defense. “We should be able to press because we’re going to be so big with our guard play and whoever we put up there,” Calipari said. “But it will start with Aaron.”

After having a somewhat shaky week at the Draft Combine, Archie Goodwin had an interview with Draft Express:

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Noel has been focused on rehab since his injury in February, and says he will continue to stay focused until he is a better player than what he was before the injury. “It’s been good from week one. I’m 100 percent confident, not just getting back to what I was, but stronger. Going through this time not playing basketball, I’ll just be working on things I need to polish. It will improve me in the long run.” Noel spoke with ESPN’s Andy Katz, and told him he had interviews with six teams on Thursday Boston, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, New Orleans and Cleveland.

Julius Mays has worked out with a few NBA teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Toronto Raptors, according to Zagsblog contributor Chazz Griffith. Mays believes that he can be picked up as a free agent as a valuable bench player.

Unlike Mays and Noel, Archie Goodwin has not had that much luck. Goodwin struggled with his three-point shot yesterday, which was “flat”. Although Calpari has been receiving calls from multiple NBA teams on Goodwin’s potential, ESPN’s Chad Ford believes Goodwin will play more valuable minutes in the D-League rather than whoever drafts him. “He’s having a rough go right now with NBA teams, partly because the expectations were so high for him out of high school and that so many of the freshmen have been successful and Calipari has had this ability to get the most out of these guys,”

The Cats took the early lead, thanks to a home run by 3B Max Kuhn in the 2nd inning. With AJ Reed on the mound, the Cats were able to keep the Commodores without any runs until the 4th inning when Vanderbilt hit back-to-back home runs to take a 3-1 lead. Vanderbilt took a dominating lead and never looked back, after seven runs in the fifth inning. The second game of the doubleheader is at 7pm tonight at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and other sources, UK’s Rod Strickland is being considered for a position on Josh Pastner’s staff at Memphis. Strickland was at Memphis with John Calipari as the Director of Basketball Operations.

Mar 9, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Archie Goodwin (10) before the game against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

In Louisville, autograph sessions with former Louisville players Gorgui Dieng and Peyton Siva at local Jefferson County Public Schools were cancelled this week. JCPS administrators say that charging the students ($20-50 ea.) for autographs is a violation, and somehow the group that was responsible for coordinating the autograph sessions was able to bypass that. Who is in charge of the organization (PPS Sports) that was able to get away with this? Former UK basketball player, Jeff Sheppard. Sheppard has coordinated similar events for former UK and UofL players in the past.

In the NBA, it appears as if the Sacramento Kings will stay put in California, after a unanimous decision by an NBA owners committee. That means that former Cats DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes get to stay in California for another season. Also tonight, be sure to tune in for the rest of the Thunder-Rockets game, as DeAndre Liggins has put up three points and four rebounds so far.

The Rebels then scored again on a three-run triple to make it 11-3, as outfielders Barrett and Austin Cousino nearly collided. A sac-fly from A.J Reed, followed by a double from Zac Zellers pulled the Cats within 11-5 in the eighth inning, but it was too late at that point. Tomorrow’s rubber match in Oxford will be at 3:15 ET.

http://www.1037chuckfm.com/feed/sports/college/2014-sg-devin-booker-receives-a-kentucky-wildcats/fHcSR/

Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops has made his way to New York for tonight’s NFL Draft to watch some of his former players at Florida State. In this year’s draft, four Florida St. players are expected to be drafted, the most of any school this year. Sound familiar? Larry Warford and Matt Smith are the only two former Cats representing this year. Although they aren’t expected to be drafted, a chance still remains for it to happen or for them to be signed as free agents.

http://www.ukathletics.com/blog/2013/04/warford-nervous-proud-to-represent-kentucky-in-nfl.html
http://wildcatbluenation.com/2013/04/24/kentucky-wildcats-football-stoops-could-get-comfortable-at-nfl-draft/

Apr 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jodie Meeks (20) is defended by San Antonio Spurs forwards Matt Bonner (25) and Tim Duncan (21) at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Spurs 91-88. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s that time of year again: the postseason! If you feel as if you need some sort of redemption for Kentucky’s postseason failures this season, there’s always the NBA Playoffs. And if you don’t have a favorite team, don’t worry. There’s a total of six NBA teams with former Cats on their roster: Chicago Bulls (Nazr Mohammed, Marquis Teague), Brooklyn Nets (Keith Bogans), Los Angeles Clippers (Eric Bledsoe), Los Angeles Lakers (Jodie Meeks), Memphis Grizzlies (Tayshaun Prince), and Houston Rockets (Terrence Jones). DeAndre Liggins and Daniel Orton were on the roster of the Oklahoma City Thunder until they were recently sent to the D-League, where they have been able to help lead the Tulsa 66ers to the semifinals of the D-League Playoffs.

Here is the full schedule for this year’s 2013 NBA Playoffs:

WESTERN CONFERENCE – FIRST ROUND
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Houston
Game 1 – Sun April 21, Houston at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 24, Houston at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Sat April 27, Oklahoma City at Houston, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/R
Game 4 – Mon April 29, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD, TBD

(2) San Antonio vs. (7) L.A. Lakers
Game 1 – Sun April 21, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 – Wed April 24, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 26, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 28, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD, TNT

(3) Denver vs. (6) Golden State
Game 1 – Sat April 20, Golden State at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Tue April 23, Golden State at Denver, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 26, Denver at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 – Sun April 28, Denver at Golden State, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Golden State at Denver, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Denver at Golden State, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Golden State at Denver, TBD, TNT

(4) L.A. Clippers vs. (5) Memphis
Game 1 – Sat April 20, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Mon April 22, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 25, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sat April 27, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD, TBD
___________________________________________________

EASTERN CONFERENCE – FIRST ROUND
(1) Miami vs. (8) Milwaukee
Game 1 – Sun April 21, Milwaukee at Miami, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Tue April 23, Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 – Thu April 25, Miami at Milwaukee, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sun April 28, Miami at Milwaukee, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Miami at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD, TNT

(2) New York vs. (7) Boston
Game 1 – Sat April 20, Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 – Tue April 23, Boston at New York, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 26, New York at Boston, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 28, New York at Boston, 1 p.m., ABC/R
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, New York at Boston, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD

(3) Indiana vs. (6) Atlanta
Game 1 – Sun April 21, Atlanta at Indiana, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 24, Atlanta at Indiana, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 – Sat April 27, Indiana at Atlanta, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Mon April 29, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD, TBD

(4) Brooklyn vs. (5) Chicago
Game 1 – Sat April 20, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Mon April 22, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 25, Brooklyn at Chicago, 8:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 4 – Sat April 27, Brooklyn at Chicago, 2 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Mon April 29, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Brooklyn at Chicago, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD, TNT

* if necessary
All times are Eastern
TBD – To Be Determine
R – ESPN radio

There’s not much to talk about during the offseason, except speculate on new players or potential recruits. But, looking forward to next season, there’s plenty of speculation and predicting we can do from now until October. Looking at this star-studded roster, my question is: could the backcourt for next season be better than the 2010 season?

DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, Perry Stevenson, and Josh Harrellson. Those are the players that dominated the backcourt for UK during a 35-3 season. Superstar freshmen, two veteran players from the bench, and a versatile player who was the vocal leader for a very talented, yet focused team. On a scoring perspective, these players averaged a combined 34 points per game (Cousins-15, Patterson-14, Orton-3, Stevenson-1, Harrellson-1). They were also one of the tallest frontcourts in recent history for UK. They collectively had a large impact on a team that bulldozed through the SEC and was able to make it to the Elite Eight.

Next season’s team doesn’t have as many veterans as the 2010 team did, but they do have limited experience and loads of talent in what is considered to be “the greatest assembled class in history”. Willie Cauley-Stein (So.), Alex Poythress (So.), Marcus Lee (Fr.), Kyle Wiltjer (Jr.), Derek Willis (Fr.), Dakari Johnson (Fr.), and Julius Randle (Fr.) make a complete team themselves. Wiltjer is an experienced player under Calipari’s system, and is a duel threat from the post and from the outside. Poythress and Cauley-Stein have shown potential last season, and believe that they have something to prove next season. That leaves Lee, Willis, Johnson, and Randle, with the last two viewed as potential starters as well as lottery picks for the 2014 NBA Draft. This is also one of the tallest teams UK has ever had, with all but two players standing over 6’5″. They have yet to play a single college game, but they have all proved themselves worthy at the high school level. And these are freshmen that seem to love the spotlight, and know how to manage it.

I’m asking you, Big Blue Nation, is the 2013 backcourt more talented than the 2010 frontcourt, and could they accomplish more than Calipari’s past teams at Kentucky?

If you’re busy getting ready for tomorrow’s UK spring football scrimmage or Keeneland–or both, you’re probably wondering what could be so newsworthy on this Friday night. Well, so far nothing of real substance. But…

• ESPN’s Keith Jenkins says that according to a good source, Andrew Wiggins will commit to FSU. He also mentions in his tweet that nothing is “official” as of now, but that he trusts his source. My question is: why are you asking for attention on a Friday night? If Wiggins commits to FSU, then so be it. But don’t try to be the first one to put answers out in public, when Wiggins himself said he will not commit until near the end of the signing period.
• Also, @RecruitKentucky on Twitter says that Nerlens Noel is considering returning. No date is set for him making an announcement, but the word on the street is that it will be soon.
• And as for football, rumor has it that UK could be close to 60,000 in attendance at tomorrow’s spring game. From Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal: “49,000 public tickets have been reserved and another 11,000 have been distributed to area elementary and middle school children who had to earn the tickets by meeting classroom performance goals. So that’s 60,000 tickets out for Kentucky’s spring game.”

Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino celebrates after winning the national championship 82-76 against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Alright, I’ll admit: I’m a little late on the recap of the biggest game of the college basketball season because I got sucked up into the celebrations on campus. I bleed blue to the core, more than most of you probably ever have (and I’ll bet on that). But, being a student at Louisville, the celebrations were somewhat inevitable. As for the game, it was one of the better championship games in the past few years, probably the best since Kansas came from behind to defeat Memphis in 2008.

Michigan set the tempo early and got out to a quick start, playing at Louisville’s pace and pushing the ball in transition every time, which led to some easy points. Freshman Spike Albrecht scored 17 points and was perfect from beyond the arc, helping to lead Michigan after Trey Burke was benched with two fouls. Albrecht hit four straight threes and eventually the Wolverines found their way to a 33-21 lead in the first half. But the Cardinals fought back, thanks to Luke Hancock’s 16 points in the first half and closed out on a 16-5 run to narrow Michigan’s lead to 38-37.

The second half found the game to be just as close the rest of the way, with Michigan jumping out to a short lead before the Cardinals took over thanks to clutch baskets by Chane Behanan and Russ Smith. Michigan made it within 63-61 after the 8 minute timeout, before UofL controlled the boards and scored to take the lead for good. Despite shooting 52 percent, Michigan lost the game due to the lack of offensive rebounds (15, UofL- 8 UofM), especially in the second half. The Cards also had nine steals to Michigan’s three and nine turnovers to Michigan’s 12, and that was enough to make the difference.

Luke Hancock, the transfer from George Mason who isn’t even a starter, was named the Most Outstanding Player, finishing with 22 points while Peyton Siva chipped in 18. Michigan’s Trey Burke led all scorers with 24 points. At the end of the night, yes, Louisville did win. It is the third national title all time for the school. Let little brother enjoy the spotlight this one time, and remind them that this is how it feels to be a Kentucky fan. Also, remind yourself, no matter how much it hurts you, that the title remains within the Bluegrass State. Not at the right school, but at least its not in the Hoosier State. And to leave you with a lasting image: I congratulated one of many in the crowd on the title win. Not only did I try to be the bigger person by reaching out for a handshake to congratulate little brother, but I was given a solid reminder that my hands shouldn’t be touched because I bleed blue. I hope that young man gets a stern reminder of who the better team wins next year when the Cards reach out to the Cats after a loss.