Jamal Murray on campus to visit Kentucky Wildcats

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Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Sporting News came out with their list of the coaches in the SEC and Mark Stoops of the Kentucky Wildcats finished 13th. Granted, this is in tune with most preseason pundits that have Kentucky sixth in the SEC East. Giving the way the Wildcats finished their season, this is no shock. Here is what The Sporting News had to say.

"Kentucky had six chances last season to win its sixth game and advance to the postseason, and lost all six games to finish the season. But understand this: the vibe around UK is positive, and Stoops continues to recruit to Lexington like few have. It’s time this team starts to win games it shouldn’t."

And there is the rub for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats. As I said here, Kentucky has to prove that they can win SEC games on the road and to beat teams that they should not win. Until they do so, expect this type of article. That said, things will change after this year.

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

You have to give Mark Stoops credit for one thing. He has a great eye for discovering talent and jumping on it early. Kentucky Wildcats recruit Kash Daniel is a great example of that as he has blown up in the last few weeks.

"It took only a few weeks for Kash Daniel to go from unheralded, small-school Eastern Kentucky linebacker to the most coveted football recruit in the state. Daniel has become a phenomenon at Class A Paintsville High School since late last month, earning scholarship offers from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, South Carolina and Purdue and a four-star rating from 247Sports.com. He’s thought to be the first Paintsville player with a major college offer since defensive lineman Joey Couch, who went to UK, in 1987, and he’s become a hot target of the Wildcats and Cardinals. “It’s been pretty hectic,” Daniel said. “One day having no offers and not being ranked and not being known anywhere but Eastern Kentucky to being known nationally is pretty surreal. It’s pretty awesome for me and my family and my school and this town.” Daniel, ideally sized for a college middle linebacker at 6 feet 3 and 240 pounds, did it all for Class A Paintsville (10-3) last season, recording 180 tackles (111 solo) and four interceptions and being named second-team All-State. He’s also the Tigers’ quarterback and surpassed 1,000 yards in both passing and rushing. That output helped him generate significant non-power-conference recruiting interest, and he had early offers from Marshall, Troy, Charlotte, Austin Peay and others. But Daniel began really to make a name for himself a month ago at a Rivals.com camp in Charlotte, N.C., where he was selected the sixth-best defensive player of the event, with the five ahead of him all rated four or five stars."

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