NBA All Star Game taking on Kentucky Wildcats flavor

It was only a matter of time before the NBA All Star game started to be a recruiting tool for the Kentucky Wildcats as well. The official starting lineups were announced and BBN Alumni make up 20% of them. Anthony Davis and John Wall were announced as starters and Davis actually got the third most votes overall, behind Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Here is a look at the official totals.

Of course John Calipari noticed this. Just adding fuel to that recruiting fire.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

John Calipari is 6-2 versus the South Carolina Gamecocks but those two losses occurred on the road. And are probably a couple of the more frustrating losses Cal has had with the Kentucky Wildcats. The Cats were ranked #1 and 19-0 in 2010 and Devan Downey happened. Then last year … let’s just forget that game.

However, the players that played in that game will not forget and they will not take the Gamecocks lightly.

"In their loss at South Carolina last season, only three Cats hit more than one shot in the game, and Kentucky scored 49.3 percent of its points at the foul line. Colonial Life Arena has proven to be a plenty difficult gym to play at in the past. In addition to last year’s defeat, Coach Cal’s 2009-10 team entered the 18,000-seat arena 19-0 and fresh off a call from the President of the United States. It left 19-1 after a 68-62 stunner. The Gamecocks (10-7, 1-4 SEC) enter Saturday’s game having lost four of their last five after defeating then-No. 9 Iowa State on a neutral floor Jan. 3. That’s not to say the Cats aren’t prepared to face South Carolina’s best. “If we go down there and play like we did last year we’ll lose again,” Andrew Harrison said."

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of Andrew Harrison, I have to say that personally I really don’t get the criticism or the constant “Tyler Ulis should start” drama that some fans and media engage in. The platoon system is designed specifically to avoid that type of talk. Coach Cal addressed that during his press conference yesterday.

"On if the scrutiny Andrew Harrison gets frees up Tyler Ulis to just play: “True. It’s every team we play. They’re not coming out with, like, ‘OK, we’re supposed to beat this team.’ We’re not supposed to win. We’re not even supposed to be in this. Just go play. Now all the sudden guys that don’t shoot well shoot well. Guys that play tight don’t play tight. And so you’re playing against their best. And I think with Tyler right now, it’s nice to know – really, for both of them, they should feel that way – that, ‘If I’m not great, I got him. And if he’s not great, he’s got me.’ But the difference is what you said.” “When it rains in Lexington, whose fault is it? It’s Andrew’s fault. There was a car accident on 75. It’s Andrew’s fault. So that’s just how it is right now, and he’s accepted it. But at the end of the day, he’s the same guy that’s led us to a championship game and gave us a chance to do something unique and special. And Tyler’s playing well too. Now he doesn’t play great every night out. Neither does Andrew. It’s nice to have two of them, though, and it’s nice to be able to put them in together.”"