Time flies when you are following the Kentucky Wildcats.

‘I can’t believe, but it has been four years since I started this site on Blogger.

At the time, I had no idea what I was doing or even why.  All I knew is that I HAD to cover John Calipari and the excitement he was bringing back to Kentucky Wildcat basketball.  Other than that, I really had no clue how I would come up with enough material to fill a blog, much less keep it going for four years.  And then there is the problem of finding readers.  The internet is littered with abandoned University of Kentucky blogs and I figured with time, mine would eventually join that vast wasteland.

But the grand experiment began.  My plan was to get at least 50 hits a day.  If I could somehow hit that mark, I would happily write as long as there was someone to read it.  And I have to admit that the 2009 “summer of Calipari” made it very easy to write about UK.  Eventually with time, I began to realize that this was going to be more than a hobby.  I added Alan Smith, then in high school as my first writer and later grabbed Kyle to be my “football guy” and we never looked back.

From blogger, I took the site to my own domain and into the Yardbarker Network and we continued to grow.  And last January, Fansided approached me about taking over the Kentucky clot in their network …and the rest is history.

Along the way, if you ever accomplish anything, you have lots of people to thanks.  And I want to thank each and every one of my writers who have sacrificed their time to help make this site what it is today.  I appreciate each and every one of you more than you can realize and want to thank you once again for making me look good.  Also, similar thanks has to go out to Ken Howlett and Glenn Logan from A Sea of Blue.  They served as my blogging mentors and still remain as close friends of the site even though we are now “competitors” on different networks.

In the end, it’s all about the Cats.  And finding those passionate Kentucky fans who are just crazy enough to devote their time and effort to write for free about the Cats.  And to you, the readers who keep us going and on our toes.  Both of you have combined to keep my motivated and continuing to write and run this site.

So I want to give a huge thanks to all of you who write for this site and for those that read it.  None of this would be possible without you and I am so excited to go into the next year with you.  Thanks for joining us on this ride.  It’s been real.

In the end, she had me at “Hello”.

I knew that my future roommate had a cat, but had forgotten about the dog when I took her keys to check out my future apartment. As I entered the apartment for the first time, I was greeted by a blindingly fast ball of white light that torpedoed me in my chest and knocked by back into a leather recliner. Her name was Shy and at the moment, this 12 pound ball of energy was currently greeting me with a myriad of kisses all while shaking in the “I don’t know you” matter.

And thus began nearly a ten-year  run with this neurotic/lovable mutt that would my best friend and loyal companion.

As I came to find out, this was a rescue dog and “Shy” was short of her given name of “Shylakeisha” And while she technically was my roommates dog, she was pretty much all already. While I did not choose her, she chose me and quickly became “my dog” within two months of moving in. And from the beginning, I saw what a quirky, loyal, companion this would be.

We hit it off from the start, as the first and only trick she ever learned was to eat cheese cubes and random snacks off the cat’s head. Even though it warranted her the occasional smack from the irritated cat, Shy continued to perform for my amusement, with the only intent to please me and make me laugh. Even though she lived semi-peacefully with the cat, any  other cat , duck, or squirrel encountered outside the house would be chased up a tree or into a pond with glee. But unlike other dogs that would immediately run away when off a leash, she would always return promptly to me.

Here is the nagging look when I got home too late at night for her liking

And that was all she really wanted in her life … was to be next to me.

And she made her intention known to me. Early trips to the dog park was met by her ignoring all the other dogs and wanting to just be around me. And when someone approached, she would get behind me and look out from behind me. It’s obvious that I was her protector and it’s a role that I relished. Unfortunately her health was not the best.

It’s still a mystery to my vet, but Shy had a degenerative ligament condition that hampered her mobility. The little dog that used to go outside and run circles around me could not run anymore, and gradually could not walk without a limp, and then could not walk at all. As painful as it was to walk her struggle to walk, she did not whimper or complain at all. Even though it seemed to sap her injury, she would crawl her way into the living room to sit at my feet while I ate or watched TV. As long as she was near me, she was OK.

And about that time, I knew how this movie was going to end.  And I bargained.  ”As long as she is pain-free” … and I would trail off, knowing my ultimate responsibility.

Thankfully, I did get a few years out of her in her relative pain-free state.  And despite her handicap, her personality and mind stayed strong.  She would still find a way to make it into my office when I was working whenever those Florida thunderstorms popped up.  And she never missed a dinnertime opportunity to help me finish my plate and get her late afternoon belly rubs.  Through it all, she never let on any pain or discomfort .

Until recently.

And after a lifetime of companionship and loyalty, I had to reward her and allow her some dignity.  Her mind is still strong and that is what made today’s decision so tough.  Even with her pain and whimpering, she would still do her best to get close to me.  Even though she could not get on the bed anymore, she made her bed right at the side of my bed and greeted me with her wagging tail every single morning.  But when the whimpers and cries of pain started to greet me, I knew that my day of responsibility was here.

And so it is.  And unfortunately, I had to put my beloved Shy to sleep at 7:30AM this morning.  It was probably the hardest thing I’ve done, but I guess it was the “right thing to do”.  And I hope that my Shy gets the peace she deserves.  She really gave me so much and asked for nothing in return.  She saw me through the death of my parents and was always the thing that made me smile no matter what.  And I could not watch her suffer even a minute more than she had to.  So she is at peace now.

I’ll miss you Shy.  Thanks for being the best dog ever.

The Kentucky Wildcats got one of the biggest commitments in program history recently as Conner High School quarterback Drew Barker pledged to new UK Head Coach Mark Stoops and became the highest-rated prospects to ever commit to UK since the rise of online recruiting services. We gathered our staff and asked this about the impact of Barker’s commitment:

“How big is getting Drew Barker for the Kentucky football program?”

Darren Durham

Its big. Not only are you landing a 4* quarterback, but you are keeping the best player in Kentucky home. Getting Barker to turn his back on USC after being a near lock for them says that UK won’t back down from anyone anymore.

James Streeble

Drew Barker is a very good quarterback and a consensus four star quarterback but I would not go so far as to call him “The Next Tim Couch” as some have done. I think his importance lies in the fact that Mark Stoops and his staff were able to come in late and steer him away from South Carolina. As we know, Joker Phillips’ staff did not recruit Barker, which led many to think that Kentucky had little to no chance. I also think Barker is important going forward in the recruiting process. Like it or not, high school players like to be on teams with players with a lot of stars by their names. Barker has also taken it upon himself to do a bit of recruiting of his own via twitter.

Justin Ross
It’s a huge accomplishment. With Barker it gives Kentucky a chance to land more big name players and he fits in great with the air raid style offense.

]]> http://wildcatbluenation.com/2013/05/21/wbn-roundtable%e2%80%8f-the-drew-barker-effect/feed/ 0 http://wildcatbluenation.com/2013/05/21/ping-pong-balls-tonight-start-the-nerlens-noel-speculation/ http://wildcatbluenation.com/2013/05/21/ping-pong-balls-tonight-start-the-nerlens-noel-speculation/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:55 +0000 Paul Jordan http://wildcatbluenation.com/?p=25600 Tonight, we can start the “where will Nerlens Noel go” debate in earnest. At 8:30PM, the infamous ping-pong balls will drop, awarding one of the NBA’s inept franchises a chance at redemption with a chance to draft the best college basketball player.  And hope springs eternal … at least for a few months until the [...]

Ping pong balls tonight start the Nerlens Noel speculation - Wildcat Blue Nation - Wildcat Blue Nation - A University of Kentucky Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

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

Tonight, we can start the “where will Nerlens Noel go” debate in earnest. At 8:30PM, the infamous ping-pong balls will drop, awarding one of the NBA’s inept franchises a chance at redemption with a chance to draft the best college basketball player.  And hope springs eternal … at least for a few months until the games actually start again.  Even with the knee injury, Noel is one of the candidates for first draft pick overall and ESPN took a look at what several teams may do with the first pick if they got the lucky ping-pong ball drop.

It’s a pay article, but nine of the fourteen teams listed would take Noel if given the opportunity.  I’m a diehard Orlando Magic fan, so let’s look at what ESPN thinks the Magic would do if the balls  dropped their way:

 

Orlando Magic

First choice: Nerlens Noel (25.0 percent chance of winning lottery)

Second choice: Trey Burke (21.5 percent chance of drafting second)

Third choice: Ben McLemore (17.7 percent chance of drafting third)

Analysis: Since the lottery began in 1985, Cleveland, the L.A. Clippers and Orlando have made the first overall pick three times, most among all teams. The Magic could strike again for the fourth time. Orlando’s biggest need probably is at point guard, leading many to speculate that Burke could be the pick here. Had Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart declared for the draft, he would’ve been the choice. But the Magic, who already boast a smallish point guard similar to Burke in Jameer Nelson, would also like size. The Magic already have a young, productive center in Nikola Vucevic, so adding an athletic shot-blocker next to him on the front line makes a lot of sense.

I tend to think that a Vucevic/Noel combination could be dominating in about two to three years, but let’s see what happens tonight at 8;30PM before I get too excited.

 

 

Jan 15, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts to a call during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 75-65. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Crawford has a somewhat interesting article about how Calipari’s somewhat chameleon like and able to adapt his game plan to his team make up and meet the expectations of the Bluegrass as well.

 

Calipari said he’ll take his staff on a two-day retreat today and tomorrow to talk about each player and what each one needs from the staff. He said the team is “chasing perfection” and said it would be trying to make history. He also acknowledges the difficulty in what he’s doing. Even the Miami Heat didn’t win in Year No. 1 with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Calipari’s next UK team features a collection of recruits that is being described as historic, plus quality returnees with experience. Las Vegas oddsmakers have installed UK as a 4-1 choice to win the national title.

“As we move forward, what we’re about to undertake has never been done before,” Calipari said. “Trying to put teams together like this, where you’re talking a big number of players, whether it be the Lakers, the Miami Heat, it takes time. There’s a learning curve. There’s a galvanizing process that we have to go through. And you know what, we’re going to have to be patient.”

It’s a lot of balls to keep in the air, but Calipari is used to it.

 

Over the summer, we will see tons of speculation as to how this Kentucky Wildcat basketball team will play and what to look forward to. We have heard to expect a true form of the dribble drive offense that we have not seen in Lexington yet. And we can also expect this team to get back to their defensive roots that Calipari has instilled the previous years.

 

Kentucky’s defense disappointed last year, posting the worst adjusted defensive efficiency ranking – easily – for a John Calipari-led team in a decade.

And that should mean Calipari will be even more keen to get next year’s Wildcats back into the upper echelon of the nation’s elite defenses.

He’s done it before at UK. In the three years before last season’s run-of-the-mill group that ranked No. 77 in the country in defensive efficiency, the Cats ranked sixth, 15th and ninth.

All those teams had long, athletic players throughout the lineup. But they also had a rim-protecting big man or men and player who could lock down opposing point guards or wings.

Last year, Calipari had the first (and can expect to have the same again with Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee), but didn’t have the second.

Calipari thought he had another DeAndre Liggins-type defender in Archie Goodwin before the season began, but that comparison never came close to materializing.

Calipari thinks he could actually have that player this year in shooting guard Aaron Harrison.

“(He) should be and will be and is expected to be and will be demanded to be a lock-down defender,” Calipari said.

Calipari said that having the 6-foot-5 Harrisons – Aaron and his point-guard brother Andrew – in the backcourt could allow UK to use a big zone.

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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

Now that the 2013 recruiting class has pretty much been set in stone, it’s time to focus on the next big event on the calendar for Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans. Even though he missed part of his senior with an ACL injury, Nerlens Noel still has a pretty good chance at being the top pick overall in the NBA Draft. Becoming the number one overall draft pick has become something of a regular thing since John Calipari arrived in Lexington. John Wall was first overall in 2010 and Anthony Davis last season. It’s not set in stone yet, but Noel will be considered for the top spot. At least Noel does not think that his injury will keep him from being selected first:

“I feel I should be the top pick because I’m a great teammate, I really care about where I’m going to play and I’m going to give all my heart and 100 percent effort to get my team back to the promised land, which is where we all want to be,” Noel said. “I’m just going to contribute my best and give all my effort.”

Many executives believe that Noel has the most potential of any player in the draft because he just turned 19 years old and he has a lot of the things that you can’t teach – size, athleticism, length and instincts – that could allow him to be great. He has also made it clear throughout this process that he’s a gym rat and that he can’t wait to finish his rehab and get back on the floor. He doesn’t just want to be good; he wants to be one of the league’s elite players. It’s clear that his best basketball is still ahead of him and he believes that his injury won’t limit him from realizing his full potential.

“I’m 100 percent confident that I can not only get back to [where] I was at, but get stronger and come back better,” Noel said.

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, by no means, is not a consensus number one pick.  And at the NBA combine, Noel took some heat for showing up at just 206 pounds.  

Projected No. 1 overall pick Nerlens Noel weighed in at 206 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and immediately took some heat as a result.

Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, weighed 222 pounds at the combine and the ESPNU crew wonders how Noel will be able to post up and defend NBA big men at that weight.

Can his frame handle much more weight?

“I’m 206, I can post up,” Fran Fraschilla said on ESPNU, adding that he didn’t think Noel is the consensus No. 1 pick.

“I talked to a number of NBA general managers last night who echoed Fran’s concerns about this,” Chad Ford said. “206, even at the power forward position if you project him, that’s really light.”

One Western Conference GM said Noel’s weight wasn’t an issue, though.

“He’ll get stronger but his game is based on fast-twitch, quickness, mobility and agility,” the GM told SNY.tv.

The former Kentucky freshman did measure 6-10 in socks and 6-11 1/2 in shoes with a 9-2 wingspan, all of which are bigger than Davis.

Noel told Andy Katz he interviewed Thursday with six teams — Boston, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, New Orleans and Cleveland.

 

Granted,  whoever picks Noel will have to wait as he is not expected to return to action till probably December.

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

While at least Noel is still being considered as the number one pick overall, the feedback on Archie Goodwin has not been as positive. Here is a video breaking down Goodwin’s game and some comments by Archie:

Feb 27, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari coaches his team against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Mississippi State 85-55. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

If anyone has a beef against the NCAA, it’s John Calipari. Especially after the Duke Blue Devils have seemingly skated away from NCAA violations twice (Corey Maggette, Lance Thomas) when his programs have been saddled with punishments in Memphis and UMass. Through it all, Calipari has become a lightning rod for the haters and the uninformed while he is castigated as all that is wrong with college hoops. With his history, it’s no surprise that Calipari plays the rebel with the cause role and takes jabs at the NCAA whenever he can.

This is not new for Cal. He broached the subject of four super conferences seceding from the NCAA a couple of years ago and he continued his rant yesterday on the radio:

“Can we continue to separate, can we continue to do this with these rules the way they are? I’m the one guy out there saying, ‘We’ve gotta change this somehow. We’ve gotta encourage these kids to stay two years.’ But the NCAA’s gotta do some stuff. And if they don’t do it, we need to separate from them. I’m not afraid to say it. Look, they’ve embarrassed me. I’ve done nothing, so they’re not going to come and show retribution to me and do stuff. I don’t really care. But something’s gotta change with this one-and-done rule. I seem to be the only coach saying anything. You know why? No one wants to see these kids two years here (at Kentucky). They don’t want to see them for two years, so now we’re all good with one year. It’s wrong for high school kids, it’s wrong for college kids, it’s wrong for the NBA, so why won’t we come together and do something about it?”

Granted, Cal is kind of barking up the wrong tree here as the one and done rule is pretty much the NBA’s domain, but the NCAA still needs reform. It’s an inefficient and bloated corporation that has outlived it’s effectiveness. Get ‘em Cal.

Now that Andrew Wiggins has landed in Kansas, it’s safe to come out with the Vegas odds for the 2013-2014 season.  It’s not too early, right?  UK has been established as the way too early favorite with  5-1 odds, slightly ahead of Kansas’s 11-2 odds.  Other notables?  Louisville 17-2.  Duke 14-1.  North Carolina 16-1.  Florida  18-1.  Indiana 33-1.

If you are the gambling type, you may as well jump on these odds now.  They are not going to get better for Kentucky.  Of these, I would be inclined to jump on Florida’s odds as that seems pretty good.  But this is my opinion.

Dakari Johnson is one of the talented newcomers expected to lead Kentucky to the 2014 National title, but one of his former Monteverde teammates also have Kentucky on their mind. D’Angelo Russell is one of the top guards in 2014 and is planning a visit to KEntucky soon. Russell also talks to Adam Zagoria about his visit and his old teammate

.

“I have a visit set up with Kentucky when I get back home and I’m trying to get up to Michigan State, Ohio State again, North Carolina,” Russell told SNY.tv. at the Nike EYBL stop here last weekend. “Those are the schools that I can think of that I have visits set up for.”

He does not hold a Kentucky offer as of yet.

Asked if he had a date set for the Kentucky visit, the Louisville native said, “No, sir. They said whenever I come home, just set it up.”

Russell’s former Montverde teammate, center Dakari Johnson, is part of the heralded six-man McDonald’s All-American class coming into Kentucky.

“Dakari makes it easy for you,” Russell said. “He’s got good hands. You get into the lane, dish it off, he’s finishing or he’s catching. He’s just always on the play, he talks, he’s a motor guy that can just bring so much energy and he’s a key player to any team that he’s on.”

September 2, 2012; Louisville, KY USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Maxwell Smith (11) throws a pass during the second half of play against the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John

With the commitment of Drew Barker to UK, the Kentucky Wildcats football team will now have two of the top homegrown QB prospects on their roster starting in the 2014 season.   And after this season, Teddy Bridgewater will be eligible to depart the Louisville Cardinals for the NFL and they also will have a top Commonwealth signal caller waiting in the wings.  In addition of the coaching battles between Mark Stoops and Charlie Strong, the UK/UL football rivalry will get an injection of  home-grown talent to fuel the passions.

Oct 20, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Morgan Newton (12) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium. Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the details of Morgan Newton’ss signing, courtesy of a UKAA media advisory:

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The New York Giants announced Thursday that former Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton has signed a free-agent contract as a tight end.

Newton becomes the fifth player from the 2012 UK senior class to sign with an NFL team. He joins offensive guard Larry Warford, a third-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions, and additional free-agent signees – defensive back Martavius Neloms (Detroit), center Matt Smith (Atlanta) and defensive end Collins Ukwu (Minnesota). A total of 45 Wildcats have signed NFL contracts since 2008.

Newton played quarterback for almost all of his time as a Wildcat. During his career, he completed more than 50 percent of his passes for 1,837 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team in 2009. He also saw brief action at tight end during his senior season.

In the classroom, Newton was an outstanding student. The native of Indianapolis, Ind., completed his degree in management and was a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Following graduation, he was named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the College Football Foundation in recognition of his football and academic success. He was also very active in community service and was named to the SEC Community Service Team.

It’s time to move on. And look forward.

Now that Andrew Wiggins has chosen the land of rock chalk and the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kentucky Wildcats are in the exact same position they were yesterday morning. As the number one preseason team in the land. It does pay tribute to the whole Andrew Wiggins mania that Jason King of ESPN was compelled to release a whole new preseason top 25 after Wiggins made his decision.

And while Wiggins will rule the basketball world at the Phog, the Commonwealth still reigns supreme in college hoops as Kentucky and Louisville are the top two teams in the land. The Jayhawks did get a boost to number five after being a fringe top 25 team previously. So the pressure really just begins for Mr. Wiggins. Here is what Mr. King had to say about Kentucky:

1. Kentucky Wildcats: Could the Wildcats really go from first-round NIT losers to NCAA champions? Absolutely. Kentucky’s 2013 recruiting class is already being hailed as the best in college basketball history. The haul includes five players (Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson and James Young) ranked among the nation’s top 10 prospects by ESPN.com. Even without Andrew Wiggins, this may be the most talented college basketball team ever assembled. But will it jell? Even though injuries and chemistry issues ruined his most recent team, John Calipari has proved to be excellent at coaching players who plan to spend only a year or two in college. He’s great at getting them to play defense and share the ball. It will help that some of Kentucky’s key players in 2012-13 (Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kyle Wiltjer) will return to provide veteran leadership, which is something the program sorely lacked last season

Feb 23, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress (22) helps Missouri Tigers forward Laurence Bowers (21) up in the second half of the game at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Missouri 90-83. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

So without Wiggins, look for a more focused and consistent Alex Poythress. It’s just a hunch, but I think that Poythress will be a different player this year. Hopefully he comes out with a chip on his shoulder determined to make Kentucky fans forget the player that they coveted. This also does make almost certain the return of Jarrod Polson and Jon Hood to the team, which will add depth at the guard position.

Perhaps, most importantly, the remaining scholarship will provide depth to the point guard position, which is the one position Kentucky was arguably the thinnest at heading into the Wiggins decision with only freshmen Andrew Harrison and Dominique Hawkins on scholarship.

The remaining scholarship should now bring back fan-favorite Jarrod Polson to be a backup to Harrison and mentor to Hawkins for a year.

Polson recently graduated from the University of Kentucky, but he has a year of eligibility left.

Polson being able to mentor Hawkins won’t provide the gratification in 2013-14 that Andrew Wiggins would have, but down the road, it will pay off to have that year of learning for Hawkins, who could very well turn into the next Darius Miller at Kentucky.

The other positive of Wiggins not committing to Kentucky provides the Wildcats is team chemistry. The six incoming All-Americans have all had a chance to bond with each other at various showcase events as teammates. Sure, Wiggins played in those games too, but he wasn’t ‘one of them as a Kentucky commit.

The players now know their roles heading into the 2013-14 season. The media is expected to be intense for this team, but without the No. 1 recruit, it’s possible the media will be directed more toward Lawrence, Kansas to follow Wiggins.

Now that Wiggins-mania is over, (at least in Lexington), it’s time to officially start obsessing about the 2014 class.  Karl Town Jr has already committed and is the best player in high school basketball and just finished his sophomore season.  There is a lot to like about Towns Jr and he has an infectious personality and is already a UK favorite.  Personally, I love the fact that he has blown off the AAU circuit this summer and truly seems to be his own person.  Here is a list of the other top 2014 Kentucky recruits so that we can start to become obsessed with them.

Of course we are now forecasting the Andrew Wiggins decision today. Would you expect less? But it’s not my defeatist forecast. Yesterday, Rick Bozich got lots of free publicity on Twitter by putting Kentucky in the lead in the Wiggins forecast with a 40% chance of getting the future superstar. Later, Bozich downgraded his forecast from 40% to 21%:

CHANCES HE’LL CHOOSE KENTUCKY: DOWN FROM 40 TO 21 PERCENT

Why He’ll Pick UK: With or without Wiggins, the Wildcats have already recruited the greatest class since Humphrey Bogart assembled the Rat Pack.

If Kentucky gets Wiggins, the talk will start with a national championship, move toward an undefeated season and conclude with a challenge to take on the Miami Heat. Where do I sign?

Why 40 percent at one point? I believe John Calipari has discussed going 40-0 at least once before the coach departs Lexington.

Nerlens Noel is about to join Anthony Davis and John Wall as UK’s third overall top NBA Draft pick over the last four seasons. The surest way for Wiggins to join the Number One Club is sign with Kentucky. Everybody’s doing it.

Why He’ll Snub UK: The coaches rules committee made several recommendations last week, but they’re not ready to go to three balls or 7 on 7 competition.

Kentucky is already going to set an NCAA record for McDonald’s all-Americans parked on the bench. If Wiggins is looking to put up big, big numbers, it’s hard to imagine him doing that at Kentucky. If going to UK was a no-brainer, why didn’t Wiggins say that long, long ago?

 

For the record, Bozich has increased FSU from 22% to 44% and Kansas from 14% to 24%.  North Carolina was downgraded from 21% to 8%.  And for some very troll like and random reason, Louisville now has a 3% chance.

If you believe the hype, even Wiggins’s mother still does not know where he will attend school. However, she definitely knows that Andrew does not want to attend summer school:

Thomas said she still does not know where Wiggins, who is projected as the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NBA draft, will attend college. But she did say he does not want to attend summer classes and that was factoring into his final choice. Typically, incoming freshmen enroll in classes and begin working out on campus in early summer. It’s not known whether any of the four schools would expect Wiggins to enroll in summer classes.

According to NCAA rules, prior to initial enrollment student-athletes must be enrolled in at least six hours of coursework to receive aid such as campus housing. Also, men’s basketball players may participate in up to eight hours per week of required weight training, conditioning and skill instruction.

To be honest, this kind of concerns me.  I was always under the assumption that summer class was a mandate for Calipari’s teams and not voluntary.  However I do not know that for a fact.  Who knows.

So … who is ready for predictions?

I have to admit that my optimism for Wiggins has been low and then peaked in March and April. As the decision drug on, my optimism waned. And for some reason, this whole summer school thing does not sit well with me. I really can see Calipari getting all of the other players to buy in to summer school and practice only to give one player a pass on seemingly a whim. For that reason …. I am picking Florida State but am more than ready to be pleasantly surprised by a Kentucky decision.

How about other predictions?  Here is what the folks at CBS Sports think.  Or the ESPN experts in an Insider article?  It’s a pay article, but no one picks UK.  Or really, everyone else?  

Or if you are not completely Andrew Wiggins-ed out yet, check out the latest WBN contest with Josh Kays, James Streble, and Jason Marcum where they talk about Benghazi and the economy  Andrew Wiggins.