Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Top 5 stories making headlines in Kentucky Wildcats athletics for Thursday, April 9, 2015.
On Thursday afternoon, around 2:30 pm, up to seven Kentucky Wildcats are expected to announce their decision to declare for the 2015 NBA Draft. Kyle Tucker writes:
"“The suspense, or at least most of it, will be over soon. The University of Kentucky men’s basketball program will hold a press conference Thursday at 2:30 p.m. featuring coach John Calipari and an unspecified group of players ‘who are ready to announce their NBA Draft decisions.’”"
Little is known about Kentucky’s roster for the 2015-2016 men’s college basketball season and yet, the team is already considered one of the favorites to cut down the nets next April in Houston. Jonathan Lintner writes:
"“Even without waiting for what kind of NBA draft-related turnover Kentucky’s basketball team will undergo these next couple weeks, online sports book Bovada.LV made the Wildcats the second choice to win the 2016 NCAA championship.In odds released Wednesday, UK was listed at 8/1, behind only top choice North Carolina at 8/1. Following those college basketball blue bloods were co-third picks Maryland and Virginia, both at 12/1, with Duke and Kansas 16/1.”"
After Kentucky’s loss to Wisconsin last Saturday (and the Wildcats’ win over Notre Dame the Saturday before that), UK students received negative attention for their behavior on State Street, behavior that included starting fires, throwing bottles, and getting into fights. Except the majority arrested weren’t actually UK students. Justin Madden writes:
"“The majority of people arrested in State Street mayhem during the University of Kentucky’s NCAA tournament appearances were not UK students.Police arrested 69 people during the Wildcats’ last two games. UK spokesman Jay Blanton said seven are UK students.On March 28, after UK defeated Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, police charged 27 people; five were identified as UK students. After Saturday’s Final Four loss to Wisconsin, police arrested 42, including two who were determined to be UK students.”"
The 2014-2015 season just ended and already hot takes for the 2015-2016 season are floating around the internet. Myron Medcalf writes:
"“Kentucky won’t win the SEC championship: On Monday, John Calipari suggested that his team could lose as many as seven players to the NBA. That’s a problem for Big Blue Nation. Kentucky owned the SEC in 2014-15, but that will change in 2015-16. Kentucky will face a more turbulent season next year. Arkansas should be solid. Florida’s strong recruiting class, and the growth of Billy Donovan’s returnees will help the Gators compete for the SEC title again. But Calipari has another top-ranked class (Skal Labissiere, Isaiah Briscoe, etc.) coming, so it’s not like Kentucky will sink after its second consecutive Final Four. But the program will face more competition in the SEC.”"
On Wednesday, Mark Stoops received some good news when it was learned that 3 Kentucky football players wouldn’t be indicted by a grand jury for their role in a Madison County bar fight. Greg Kocher writes:
"“A Madison County grand jury did not indict three University of Kentucky football players Wednesday in a Richmond bar fight that injured Eastern Kentucky University football player Colton Scurry, according to a statement from the grand jury.”"