Apr 28, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Terrence Williams (55) works the ball against he New York Knicks during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 97-90. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Former University of Louisville Cardinal and current Boston Celtic, Terrence Williams was arrested Sunday in Washington state for brandishing a gun and making threats to one of two women in which Williams has 10 year old sons with during a custody exchange. Williams, 25, would have been 15 or so at the time each birth.

Bail=$25k for Terrence Williams of @celtics in alleged DV assault case. @kiro7seattle twitter.com/Amy_Clancy/sta…

— AMY CLANCY (@Amy_Clancy) May 20, 2013

Kent PD confirms alleged DV Vic of @celtics Terrence Williams is one of 2 women with whom he had 10yo sons. Court in 30 mins @kiro7seattle

— AMY CLANCY (@Amy_Clancy) May 20, 2013

Prosecutor says Terrence Williams’ 10yo son got between him and child’s mother when Williams pulled a gun. @kiro7seattle @celtics

— AMY CLANCY (@Amy_Clancy) May 20, 2013

A rather sad story given the quotes from Williams earlier last month in an interview with Comcast Sports Net where Williams spoke of his father and his time served in prison:

Williams uses the word “father” very specifically. He has no memories of Edgar, who served time in prison and was murdered the day he was released. Williams was only a child. “I don’t remember anything,” Williams said. “The only image I really have is when he was in jail and I was taking him some shoes with my mom for him to have. I can’t tell you any stories of, ‘Oh I remember this one time playing at the park.’ I’ve always in the past tried to remember – it’s the hardest thing to do. You can’t have a memory of something that you don’t think ever happened. So to me, I didn’t have a father. I had a dad, I had somebody that birthed me. But it’s just blank.”

Williams has at least one other son in Seattle (6) but his kids were something of a red flag during the draft process according to an interview he conducted with Draft Express.

DX: Is being too open with teams in the interview process, is that almost a fault?
TW: Honestly, it is. When you’re going into interviews you’re told to assume they already know the answer. So if they ask you, and this wasn’t one of my questions, were you arrested when you were sixteen and you say no, they already know that. So it’s like you come off as a liar and you don’t want to do that so you tell them the truth and then they start thinking, oh this guy has a bad history with the police or something like that. So you try not to be too open, but we’re told to assume they already know the answers. When I go into my interviews and they ask if I have children, I could easily say no, but they already know the answer and that you’re lying. If I tell them yes then, they get mad that I do. They could have had their first kid at fifteen but I can’t fault them because they’re trying to draft me.

The Boston Celtic guard began this season in China in the CBA before being signed to the Celtics for a 10 day contract that was later extended thru next season, where he was set to earn just under one million dollars.

In 24 games this season, Williams averaged 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assist per game.

Mar 15, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari watches his team play against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The Commodores beat the Wildcats 64-48. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

The University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball program often gets a reputation for caring little about the “student” part of “student-athlete”, but more the athlete. Today, with the news that Kentucky’s program reached a cumulative GPA of 3.39 for competing scholarship student athletes during the Spring semester, that perception becomes a little more distant.

With the closing of classes and grades posted, the news came that not only was this above the 3.0 GPA bar set by Athletic Director Mitch Barnhardt, it led all Wildcat men’s teams.

The 3.39 was the highest of any male sport and followed women’s tennis (3.69), women’s soccer (3.62), women’s swimming and diving (3.60), women’s cross country (3.59) and women’s golf (3.53)

According to John Calipari, the team had 12 of 13 players with a 3.0 or better including two with a 4.0.

This comes at the heels of a Fall semester GPA of 3.1, where 8 players received a B average or better.

May 2, 2013; Louisville, KY, USA; Exercise riders work their horses during early morning workouts at Churchill Downs. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Derby is among us Louisvillians this weekend. Two weeks of partying will wind down after a long day of sun, booze, and betting for a final two minutes. With all that fun, you’re bound to stir up a few famous faces, and this event stirs up some of the best. Before the race though, on Friday, celebs gotta get their pre-game on and they’ll do so at parties like The Barnstable Brown. An annual pre-festivities bonaza that host dozens of Hollywood’s and the sporting arena’s elite in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville.

If you’re wondering who you may rub shoulders with at the airport or at your local Waffle House, in the case of Kid Rock, here’s a rundown of those scheduled to attend:

• Aaron Rodgers
• Andre Agassi
• Ashton Kutcher
• Boyz II Men
• Cyndi Lauper
• Anthony Davis
• Kid Rock
• Nick Lachey
• Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
• Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery
• Kate Upton
• Miranda Lambert

As the Louisville Fire code suggest that you can only have so many ego’s in one location, other parties have sprouted up over the last few years, including this one at the Galt House Hotel called “Unbridled Eve”. Their stars are said to include:

• Luke Bryan

• Jane Seymour
• Lance Bass
• Randy Owen / Alabama
• Patrika Darbo
• AJ Foyt
• Julien Leparoux
• Linda Thomspon
• Nicholas David
• Nora Roberts
• Angel McCoughtry
• William Fichtner
• Jen Hoffman
• Warren Moon
• Julie Smith
• Anthony Anderson
• Jo Dee Messina
• Lauren Conrad
• Jennifer Tilly
• Ski Johnson
• Bob Guiney
• Bonnie-Jill Laflin
• Jean Cruguet

Louisville Coach Rick Pitino shows off his new ink after honoring his vow to the Cardinals basketball team that he would get a tattoo if they won the NCAA tournament. (University of Louisville / April 26, 2013)

The University of Louisville’ Rick Pitino got all tatted up last week when he “fulfilled a promise to his players” that if the team won the NCAA Championship, he’d get a tattoo. The 60 year old coach walked into Tattoo Salvation, sat down, and got a large L and the words “NCAA Champions” and “35-5” on the left side of his back to commemorate the schools first NCAA Championship in 27 years.

That made me start thinking what other tattoos Pitino no longer has room for and here’s the list I formed and what they might look like… (more…)

Photo credit: Bloginky.com http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/198/files//2010/08/richiefarmer.jpg

Richie Farmer who was indicted earlier this week on four counts of misappropriating government funds and one count of soliciting property in exchange for government grants, pleaded not-guilt today.

Farmer was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky in 1988 and played shooting guard for the University of Kentucky from 1988 to 1992. He averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He and fellow classmates Deron Feldhaus, Sean Woods, and John Pelphrey, became known as “The Unforgettables” and his No. 32 is retired and hangs in the rafters of Rupp arena.

The trial, set for July 2nd, could see Farmer sentenced to a 10 year prison sentence and up to $250,000 worth of fines for each count to which he is found guilty.

Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, Richie Farmer, gave his concession speech on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa in Lexington, Ky. Photo by David Perry

Richie Farmer’s jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena as one of the 1992 Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Unforgettables, a title he likely used to become Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner between 2004 and 2011. Farmer is now being accused of using that title of Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner to misuse state funds and abuse the position, according to a federal indictment unsealed today.

In the indictment, Farmer is said to have allegedly taken thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts, travel, other expenditures along with paying friends to work for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture – despite not doing much of any (or any) work.

The grand jury accused farmer of naming “special assistants” to do everything from walk his dog and running his errands to building a basketball court at his home during office hours.

Last month, a state record 42 Kentucky ethics violations were charged against Farmer for the same allegations.

The 43 year old Farmer is charged with five total federal felony counts and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine if he is convicted. It is expected that he will plead not-guilty.

While yesterday was National Signing Day for basketball, the first day a recruit/committment can sign in the regular signing period to his/her college of choice during the regular signing period, it was this evening that the Kentucky Wildcats received faxed Letters of Intent (LOI) from 2013 recruits Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, and Dominique Hawkins.

Randle, Johnson, and Hawkins committed verbally to the Wildcats between the early signing period that ended November 21st 2012 and yesterday. The threesome join Derek Willis, who signed on November 14th, as official members of the 2013 class.

As a recap, here’s what an LOI means per the NCAA:

What is the National Letter of Intent (NLI)?

The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution

• A prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).
• The institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).

Basic penalty for not fulfilling the NLI agreement:  A student-athlete has to serve one year in residence (full-time, two semesters or three quarters) at the next NLI member institution and lose one season of competition in all sports.

The other commitments (Andrew and Aaron Harrison, James Young, Marcus Lee) have until May 15th to sign a LOI according to the NCAA, which basically binds them to attend the university. Keep in mind that they could choose to go the route of Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, and forgo a LOI for financial aid forms, which secures a scholarship to Kentucky, but allows them to transfer without having to miss a season of eligibility.

The 12^th Annual Jordan Brand Classic will take place this Friday, April 13 in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center on ESPN 2 at 8:00PM EST.

The game, which has steadily built a brand of its own, trailing only behind the McDonald’s All-American Game as the premiere high school All-Star game in the country, has a alumni trail just as talented.

Here’s a rundown of some of the top names since the games inception in 2002:

Here’s the current East roster per JordanBrandClassic.com, which features 3 Kentucky signees including both Harrison Twins and Julius Randle, along with current target Andrew Wiggins:

Continue to the next page to see the West Roster.

Apr 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino during a press conference the day before the championship game of the 2013 Final Four of the NCAA men

I helped my mom move from Charlotte to Louisville 10 days ago. With her that early Saturday morning were boxes stacked in a rental truck stacked 8 feet tall by 8 feet wide by 17 feet deep. Everything from table saws to bedroom suits to photographs marking my and my sister’s childhood.

From the truck to the garage bay where these items would be kept until her new residence was ready, we unloaded these items. On occasion, the others and I would be instructed to move some boxes off to the side.

“That box, yeah, the one there, that’s going to your grandma’s,” my mom would say. Her bark indicating that the item one of the three people actually moving boxes had in his hand needed to be placed to the side. Those boxes to the side were perishable.

As we finished, I took a mental inventory of the stuffed garage door, nearly bursting through the wooden supports. I then glanced at the pile of supplies held to the side.

I, like the others, made the assumption that these items held off were necessary. Perhaps clothes, hair/makeup products, fragile glass wear, or even items that might not keep in the humid, hot, untemperature controlled garage.

As we loaded the side items into a smaller truck bed, someone asked what the boxes marked “Food Insurance” were.

“Those boxes, well that’s food. MREs. You know, Just In Case…”

“That one has bullets.”

“That one has my gun.”

The later of the three items pointed out being something that, while still slightly shocking, wasn’t altogether a new surprise. The first item, food – MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat – aka military food) to be specific – that was a surprise.

Doom’s Day Prepper – a person that prepares for the world as they know it to end, due to zombies, nuclear disaster, tsunami’s, vampires, frogs, disease, etc. and in their preparations they try to figure out how to endure that new world for a period of time.

 It was several years ago that I classified my mom as a survival hoarder. It wasn’t until last summer that I was able to classify my mom as a “Doom’s Day Prepper”. It wasn’t until 10 days ago that I realized to what extent she was ready for. My guess, about 20 days worth of food. Not exactly ready for North Korea to figure out how to shoot a nuke to Kentucky, but definitely ready for some short term break in the supply chain.

When I confronted my mom, a woman near 55, why she had the food, she says “Just In Case”. She isn’t preparing for anything in particular I found, just the event that something catastrophic happens and she can’t leave her house for some long period of time.

After this weekend, I figured out what exactly that event just may be and I, the man who sarcastically calls my lovable mother out for her “eccentricities” every chance I get, have even identified the event that makes me want to ensure I watch the game with my dear mom tonight in order to enjoy her company – but more likely to enjoy the safety of her MRE’s, tonight’s national championship game of Louisville vs Michigan.

If the University of Louisville’s Men basketball team wins the National Championship tonight, there will surely be shots fired, couches set on fire, and Sean Kingston’s fire burning on the dance floor being played in the city.

What I, a Kentucky fan who has seen 3 National Championships in my lifetime realizes is that sure, Louisville fans haven’t seen a championship in 27 years. That means many fans that are alive have never witnessed a trophy being hoisted by their favorite team. That also means that I, a Kentucky fan, have never (in a memory that I can remember as I was 3 years old) seen my rival fan base hoist a trophy.

I, a Kentucky fan, see what a fan base that goes 10 years does after a huge moment in their history – tip cars, set couches on fire, etc. Imagine what this city that is nearly 3 decades in will do in a win. Then it dawns on me that this team and their fans are so far ahead of themselves, crowning the national championship Saturday evening and celebrating before the ball is even off the court of the Final Four – how disappointed will they will be in a loss. What exactly will they burn?

Stories at my office surfaced of people setting piano’s on fire and jumping them with motorcycles on Saturday… what exactly is next?

And if the University of Louisville Women’s basketball team wins tomorrow, well… what is left of the city will be used to celebrate.

All I know is that my mom may just be right. Doom’s Day could be approaching – rather because of the tangible items with things being destoryed or intangible of a Kentucky fan realizing that their biggest rival school could possibly win a BCS Bowl, a Men’s Basketball NCAA National Title and a Women’s Basketball NCAA National Title in the same season… pass the MRE’s please, I’ll see you all in October.

Mar 9, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts during the game against the Florida Gators in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Florida 61-57. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

With the likelihood of Kentucky’s rival, Louisville Cardinals, winning the 2013 National Championship increasing this weekend as they advanced to the Final Four for the second straight year, Kentucky fans continued to turn their attention away from this season and set their eyes on next.

As those gazes linger on a class that currently stands as one of the best (and arguably the best) ever assembled, its natural for everyone else to begin to look and see just what you’re staring at and in this case, those joining may not necessarily have the same blue colored glasses.

Over the next few weeks and months, rather due to your retaliation to some Louisville fan’s bragging of their first championship in 27 years or an Indiana fan’s disappointment and subsequent lashing out over a hyped season ending in the Sweet 16, prepare for the argument over this class being over-signed… of which, you’ll see below, John Calipari is not guilty.

Oversigning – the act of signing more players to scholarship than a team has available (12 per year).

 Before agreeing or disagreeing with those UL or IU fans, take a look at where Kentucky stands currently.

Let’s break the list down:

• Kentucky has 4 players (Long, Malone, Polson, Beckham) who came to the team as a walk-ons.
• Kentucky only had 8 scholarship players last year and gave the 4 walk-ons above scholarships.
• Kentucky has two players, Julius Mays and Twanny Beckham, who will finish eligibility (graduate student and senior).
• Kentucky didn’t use one scholarship (likely for the possibility of an in-season transfer).

That’s 5 scholarships that have an expiration date and one unused for a total of 6.

Kentucky has accepted commitments from 7 players to date:

That would put Kentucky 1 above the limit.

Archie Goodwin recently announced, as expected, that he would enter the NBA draft.

That leaves Kentucky even for 2013-2014.

If Harrow, Noel, and Poythress all return (or would have returned in the case of Harrow who just announced he would transfer to Georgia State), Kentucky would simply not be able to extend to Polson, Long, and Malone, putting to rest any statement that Harrow was ‘forced to leave’ like Rick Pitino did to Jared Swopshire in 2011.

Now that Ryan Harrow has announced and with likely the inevitable departure of potential #1 overall NBA pick Nerlens Noel, recent transfer announcement, Kentucky has room for both Polson and one of Andrew Wiggins (#1 2013)/Gordon (#6 2013).

Did John Calipari oversign? No – he just undersigned in 2012-2013 in preparation of the best class ever assembled.