Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: John Calipari’s Recruits Highlight 2013 McDonald’s All American Game

What else are the freshman phenoms bringing besides talent? Intensity. Julius Randle and the Harrison Twins are notorious for their intensity and their hatred of losing. Fights on the court are predicted for next season’s practice.

"With people who hate losing, there’s bound to be fights,” said forward Marcus Lee. “The big men and the guards — we just go at it so hard. Especially during practice. I wouldn’t doubt that there would be fights.” Just to be clear: Lee is predicting actual, physical fights. And he’s not alone. Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Julius Randle — three players considered to be as competitive as anyone in the country — concurred with their future teammate. “Yeah, I can see that happening,” Randle said. “Just because everybody that’s going in there is a competitor, and if you hate to lose I can see it. It happens all the time. Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/04/03/2585098/all-americans-promise-hard-fought.html#storylink=cpy"

This is the type of attitude that was lacking last season.

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 Commonwealth of Kentucky has eclipsed North Carolina as the center of the college basketball universe. With Kentucky winning the title in 2012 and Louisville poised to win it in 2013, Duke and North Carolina have taken a backseat to the Cats and the Cards. And each team have high paid coaches to prove it.

"Kentucky is the Bluegrass State, where the cash is always greener. Just ask the University of Louisville’s Rick Pitino, the highest-paid coach at a public school in this season’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, or the University of Kentucky’s John Calipari, the highest-paid coach not in it. Louisville, which reports basketball revenue that is the nation’s highest, signed Pitino to a 10-year deal last summer, essentially a five-year extension of his previous contract. “We just wanted to lock him up,” Jurich says. “It’s very important to me that we have stability and consistency and continuity in this program. … It seems to us that it’s just a wonderful investment that we get a mega-return on.” Kentucky officials might feel similarly about Calipari, though athletics director Mitch Barnhart, President Eli Capilouto and board of trustees chairman E. Britt Brockman declined to comment. Lee T. Todd Jr., UK’s president when Calipari signed originally, also declined to comment. Their collective reticence “certainly suggests that they realize that (Calipari’s salary) doesn’t send a very good signal,” Neal says. John Thelin, professor of educational policy studies at Kentucky, says by e-mail that he sees “little indication of complaint” among his peers on campus. “UK faculty tend, I think, to understand the priorities of the university and are silent and perhaps accepting of the practices.” Louisville President James R. Ramsey also declined to comment, saying through a spokesman that Jurich speaks for him."

I know that isn’t five stories but there is enough information for 10. Enjoy your Thursday and Go Cats.