Kentucky Wildcats Basketball needs to worry less about “tournament resume” and more on final exam

Aug 5, 2011; Lexington, KY USA; Kentucky Wildcats helmet and football sit on the field during media day at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

We have talked a million times here already about how Mark Stoops and his staff have changed the perception of Kentucky football. This perception is especially noticed by recruits. The most recent example is QB Drew Barker, who received little to no attention from the previous staff:

"Trosper thinks Barker was a bit miffed UK’s previous staff did not show more interest in him, but that will not work against new coach Mark Stoops and Brown. “He does know Neal Brown’s background and how he fits in with what he does,” Trosper said. “With the previous staff, he probably had a little different feeling that the home state school did not offer a scholarship. But now he definitely has an interest. He has what they like and we’ll see what happens. I think after signing date (Feb. 6) you will see business pick up even more with Drew. Barker said not being recruited by former UK coach Joker Phillips did leave a “bad taste in my mouth” based on the offers and interest he got from Louisville and Western Kentucky. “When the new staff came in, I did not really think I liked Kentucky. Then they got in touch and I called them and we talked,” Barker said. “The first thing they told me was not to hold grudges and come with an open mind to visit. It’s a brand new staff and new people. They knew the situation with me. They just wanted me to come down with an open mind. I came and left impressed and definitely interested in Kentucky.”"

The Kentucky Wildcat baseball team was in Myrtle Beach over the weekend and won two of three games. Kentucky lost 7-5 to Kansas State on Friday, and defeated Elon 6-1 Saturday and Coastal Carolina 8-2 yesterday. The #8 Wildcats are now 5-1 on the season. The win yesterday versus Coastal Carolina required some late game heroics which was sparked by Lucas Witt.

"UK and Coastal Carolina were locked in a pitching duel heading into the ninth inning, after the two teams traded single runs in the third and fifth innings. The Wildcats mounted the game-winning rally in the ninth, breaking through on soft-tossing, submarine righty Ryan Connolly, who had worked 3.2 shutout innings with only one baserunner surrendered in relief. Matt Reida started the rally with a single through the right side and Micheal Thomas got plunked by a pitch when trying to square to bunt. That ended Connolly’s outing, with CCU calling on lefty Austin Kerr to face UK left-handed hitting centerfielder Austin Cousino. Cousino ripped a single into the hole on the left side to load the bases for Witt, with the Chants countering with their right-handed closer, Seth Lamando. Witt, a Lexington Christian Academy product, drilled a two-strike double down the leftfield line to empty the bases, with UK adding a pair of extra runs on a Paul McConkey single for the final margin."