Is Alex Poythress’s NBA Draft Stock dropping?
By Paul Jordan
Photo credit: Darren Durham WBN
It’s obvious that Mark Stoops has won over the hearts of the Kentucky Wildcat fans, but other people are taking notice of what Stoops is doing as well. Former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington has noticed and thinks that the addition of Stoops and Neal Brown will help Kentucky be more competitive in the SEC:
“I know UK fans were really excited after the press conference. I think coach Stoops having the experience he does as well as being able to lean upon his brothers for advice when he comes to being a head coach and that type of thing, I think he will do just fine,” said Pennington, who spoke at the National Guard Border Bowl banquet here Friday night and worked as color analyst for FOXSports South at the game Saturday. “I listened to him at his press conference and you could tell he has the right demeanor and attitude and I think good things will happen.
“Kentucky needs an offense that will spread things out. I just don’t think at Kentucky you can line up and play power football in the SEC. This new offense should help UK a lot.”
Dec 2, 2012; Lexington , KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops spoke to reporters during a press conference at the Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
In case you missed it, there were three announced commitments from this weekend of recruiting for Mark Stoops and company. If you listen to the rumor trail, there could be three or more “silent verbals” that we may not know of until National Signing Day and, well, some of those names may blow your minds. Keep in mind that Stoops has another big weekend of recruits coming in on the 18th and the 25th and you get the feeling that this year’s class is slated to be the best Wildcats class ever. As a matter of fact, Mark Stoops and Kentucky are already out-recruiting Sugar Bowl champ Louisville and Charlie Strong and the Kentucky/Louisville football battles could soon match the basketball wars in intensity:
"With the combination of its victory over Florida in the Sugar Bowl, a move to the ACC from the Big East and the major coup in retaining head coach Charlie Strong, one would figure that Louisville is making a major run in recruiting, leaving rival Kentucky in the rearview mirror. Except it isn’t. Kentucky replaced Joker Phillips after a winless season in the SEC with coach Mark Stoops in early December, and since that time Stoops has helped land five commitments and push the Wildcats to the No. 49 class in the Rivals.com team rankings — ahead of No. 57 Louisville. Stoops is one of the coaches hired during the latest spin of the annual college football coaching carousel who is being thrown into the heat of a burgeoning recruiting battle — one in which he will square off with Strong and the red-hot Redbirds from Louisville. Jaleel Hytchye is part of Mark Stoops’ strategy of going into Ohio. “We have to go out and recruit,” Stoops said upon getting hired. “You have to recruit each and every day, each and every year, to keep on building your program.” The program is hosting one of the top official visit weekends of any school in the opening week of the calendar year."
Over the weekend, Stoops grabbed commitments from Ohioans Kyle Meadows (OT) and Lovell Peterson ( DT). Stoops also added JUCO WR Javess Blue who is being compared to Stevie Johnson. Not a bad weekend at all.