Not Jerry Tipton's Friday Basketball Notebook (the lighter side)

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 2h
Ohio State president says Big 10 would never admit UK or UofL. Of course not. Both those schools have actually won titles in the last decade

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 1h
OSU president Gordon Gee says SEC "can't read or write." It can count, though: "2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012..."

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 6m
There's some irony in being called dumb by the president of a school whose football players trade team gear for weed & tattoos.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 17h
Says a lot about Gordon Gee that his brother Kenny was considered the "cool" one. pic.twitter.com/E4gjOGSMQJ

[jbcarol]

On this date in 1979, little Petey Thamel was getting beat up by boys, laughed at by girls, and ignored by his parents. He would exact his revenge by attempting to ruin the lives of teenage basketball players.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 20h
Denzel Ware picked UK over several elite programs, including Notre Dame. When asked why he didn't like ND, he said "the girls were fake."

[jbcarol]

This week, Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football team have had unprecedented levels of success on the recruiting trail. To date, Stoops has racked up a total of seven 4-star commits, matching Rich Brooks' entire seven year tenure in just six months on the job. This is not what Kentucky basketball fans wanted to see. The repeated commitments from these blue-chippers will surely draw the ire of the NCAA. And while the powers-that-be are holding a magnifying glass over the folks at Nutter Field House, don't be surprised if John Calipari also gets some unwanted attention. It is quite interesting to note that World Wide Wes has yet to appear in public with Mark Stoops, much like he has not appeared in public with John Calipari in recent years even though the two are best friends forever. Is this a red flag? Most assuredly. Though the UK football coaches like to announce big-time commitments with tweets of "Yahtzee!," it is readily apparent that the UK basketball team is playing another game right now: Risk.

Last week, North Carolina's P.J. Hairston was arrested for drug possession, and it was later learned that a gun was found outside Hairston's vehicle. This does not bode well for Kentucky...

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 9h
Mississippi State takes lead against Hoosiers. The IU pitcher's fastball is just like Indiana basketball fans. Stuck in the 80's.

[jbcarol]

Mark Stoops and the UK football team has the nation's #1 ranked recruiting class. This does not bode well for Kentucky. While John Calipari is trying to drum up support for the UK hoopsters next year, all anyone is talking about is the UK football squad. Articles have been written, blogs have been penned, and even known Kentucky hater Clay Travis called Stoops' approach to recruiting "brilliant." When is the last time Clay Travis called Calipari's approach (a vanilla strategy ...) "brilliant?" Never, that's when...

On this date in 2013, Louisville has the 3rd highest all-time winning percentage in the state of Kentucky, trailing only UK and Western.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 14h
First Wiggins and now Wiltjer. South Park is right. Canada sucks.

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 11h
Jay-Z signs Kevin Durant. Similarly, a bidding war is underway among A Flock of Seagulls, A-ha & Wham! to sign Cody Zeller & Victor Oladipo.

[jbcarol]

There have been rumors over the past week or so that former UK players Eric Bledsoe and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were being used as trade bait by their respective franchises. These are just two more examples of former Kentucky players being unable to cut it in the NBA...

On Monday, Kyle Wiltjer announced his decision to transfer from Kentucky. This is just another example of a player deciding that he hated UK. First, Darnell Dodson. Then Stacey Poole, Jr. Then Ryan Harrow. Now Wiltjer. What do all these players have in common? They all were poised to have breakout seasons...

Last night, Nerlens Noel was taken in the NBA lottery, becoming the 8th UK player in the last 4 years to do so. This does not bode well for Kentucky...

Looking for the equivalent of this cat "covering" other SEC schools.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 19h
"'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy..." -- Tom Crean, singing along to "Purple Haze."

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 12h
Nerlens Noel took food to a homeless guy last night. That's really thoughtful, considering he didn't even know Billy Gillispie before then.


Real photo

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 10h
Aaron Hernandez committed assault while in college. And speaking of violent acts involving UF football players... pic.twitter.com/2JN5MhAVaq

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 15h
Not sure why people are so surprised that Brad Stevens took the Celtics job. Who wouldn't want to get out of the Big East?

[jbcarol]

Last week, rising junior Kyle Wiltjer announced his intention to transfer from Kentucky. This is just another example of a former top 25 high school player getting shown the door at UK. First, there was Rod Rhodes. Then there was Marvin Stone. Then there was Ryan Harrow. Now there's Kyle Wiltjer. Of course, as many Louisville fans were quick to point out, five star players do not get pushed out the door at UofL. Rick Pitino has seen to it that the players who are forced to leave his program – Zach Price [Mizzou], Elisha Justice, Jared Swopshire, Rakeem Buckles, etc. – are the more lightly regarded players who will go pro in something other than sports...

Nerlens Noel was taken 6th in the NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, before quickly being shipped off to Philadelphia, where he will join a struggling Sixers squad. Meanwhile, Georgetown's Otto Porter was taken 3rd by the Washington Wizards. Observant fans will recall that Noel almost picked Georgetown last Spring when he was deciding where to go to school. So how much money did he cost himself by picking UK instead of Georgetown...

Over the last few days, former Kentucky standouts DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe have tweeted how good they think the UK freshmen are. This does not bode well for Kentucky... if two of the more highly touted players of the Calipari era – Cousins and Bledsoe – have their hands full with a bunch kids who just graduated from high school, then how good can those two guys really be?

On this date in 2011, people thought that North Carolina basketball players actually attended class lol.

Parody of a thirty-year veteran beat writer covering UK basketball notable for being not really that far over the top.

[jbcarol]

Compare with Real Jerry Tipton

Whither Wiltjer?

In speaking with the Portland (Ore.) Tribune recently, Kyle Wiltjer's father pretty much confirmed the consensus view: That Wiltjer has been a square peg trying to fit in a round basketball hole at Kentucky. To mix our metaphors, he's a control pitcher in a UK program that prizes overpowering heat. Coincidentally or not, Wiltjer's announcement that he'll explore the possibility of a transfer came shortly after the arrival of another highly regarded recruiting class.

[jbcarol]

The 2012-13 season is mercifully over, and despite having the #1 ranked recruiting class in the country, Kentucky failed to make the NCAA Tournament, and were unceremoniously dispatched in the First Round of the NIT by Robert Morris. Hard to see things being any different in 2013-14...

For Myrtle McGillicuddy, a proposed renovation of Rupp Arena that includes private suites, loge boxes and a members-only lounge is a desecration. It tears apart the Kentucky basketball family. So to read last week about a survey asking fans if they'd buy suites, exclusive club memberships and other amenities to help pay for a re-invention of Rupp Arena disturbed McGillicuddy's sense of right and wrong. "I sat here and cried," she said in a telephone conversation last Friday. A self-described "good old girl from Monkey's Earlobe," McGillicuddy spoke of a UK fan base united behind its team. Rich and not-so rich. Black and white. Men and women. Boys and girls. Smart and dumb. Realistic and naïve. "It's like we're all in this together and we're all one big family," she said. "That's what I like. To me, it's all about being part of that crowd, and somebody you don't know yelling in your ear and high-fiving you when we make a three-pointer. But now it's over. This is the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of the universe, and it's all John Calipari's fault. I wish I was never born!!!" McGillicuddy speaks for many others when she says that money doesn't matter. No, what matters is that Myrtle McGillicuddy is catered to, regardless of the millions of dollars that UK would be leaving on the table if it opted out of the proposed renovations. Could this money be used to upgrade other athletic facilities, as well as academic facilities? Maybe. Could it be used to line the coffers of the institution as a whole, and result in improvements to the school, the program and the entire city? Sure. But when you consider that Myrtle McGillicuddy might not be able to high five a stranger (unless she "scarfs" one of the thousands of available tickets), well, it all seems kind of pointless, doesn't it?

Big Blue Madness, which will be held on October 18, will be attended by 3 top 20 recruits: Emmanuel Mudiay, Stanley Johnson and Devin Booker. This does not bode well for Kentucky...

Long live parody.  Looking for equivalents to this guy across the other 13 schools.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 11h
Huge night for Archie Goodwin. He had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 0 out of control drives where he runs people over & throws up a crazy shot.

[jbcarol]

2014 standout Trey Lyles made waves recently when he said that Louisville develops players better than Kentucky. Though UK fans predictably took umbrage to his statement, it's hard to argue with him...

Compares Gorgui Dieng to Sam Bowie.

Weeks after announcing his intention to leave Kentucky, Kyle Wiltjer has yet to announce where exactly he's going. The inference here, of course, is that Wiltjer was so poorly developed at UK (h/t: Trey Lyles) that he cannot find a team to take him. On the other hand, some have speculated that he may actually stay at UK. The inference here, of course, is that he is being unfairly pressured by John Calipari to remain in Lexington. Tellingly, neither Kyle Wiltjer nor his father has issued a public statement expressly denying either scenario to be the case. As such, we can only presume both to be true.

Nice hat tip to Trey Lyles.

On this date in 2018, Roy Williams will still be deciding whether to punish P.J. Hairston.

[jbcarol]

 Last Friday, Kyle Wiltjer announced his decision to transfer from Kentucky to Gonzaga. This is a huge blow for the Cats...

Jeff Sheppard caused a stir when he told a group of UK alumni that he despises John Calipari. Specifically, he said that not only does not like the one and done rule, but that "I don't think the Kentucky fan overall likes it." He then suggests that the only reason Calipari still has his job is because UK backed into a title in 2012...

On Monday, it was announced that the possession charges against North Carolina's P.J. Hairston relating to his June 5 arrest have been dropped. This does not bode well for Kentucky...

On this date in 2018, Terry Rozier will be playing professional basketball in Kazakhstan...

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=137377

Reminder that this is not the real Jerry Tipton who was a little tougher on the Jeff Sheppard story.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 10h
By suspending star RB Carlos Hyde for 3 games, Urban Meyer sends an unmistakable message to his team: "Our first 3 opponents suck *****."

[jbcarol]

If one looks at the career trajectories of Kentucky head coach John Calipari and Indiana head coach Tom Crean, it is easy to see that these two careers are headed in decidedly different directions...

Lost in all the controversy surrounding Jeff Sheppard's "I despise John Calipari" comments was the fact that he said something else that really irked UK fans. Namely, he said he doesn't think Kentucky will win the national championship in 2014 because they are too young. Even though Cat fans took offense to that, he's statistically 100% correct almost. In the 75 years of the NCAA Tournament, only one time (2012) has a team that relied almost exclusively on freshmen won a national championship. This means that 98.7% of the time, it never happens. Moreover, only one time (2012) has John Calipari won a national championship. Again, this means that 98.7% of the time, somebody not named John Calipari brings home the trophy. What are the odds of two different 75-1 longshots winning the same race? Exactly 1 in 5,625. So mathematically, this means that Kentucky has only a 0.00018% chance of brining home #9 next April. Is it 2014 football season yet?

On this date in 2012, P.J. Hairston was probably driving around in some expensive vehicle that was leased by a felon.

[jbcarol]

On Tuesday, 5 star prospect Jahlil Okafor tweeted that he is visiting the University of Kentucky on September 9. This is a bad sign. He had previously announced that he would be attending Big Blue Madness on October 18, but apparently he had a change of heart. So instead, he'll visit on a Monday night, which is probably the least eventful night on any college campus. In fact, there is so little to do in Lexington on this particular Monday night that Okafor will be taken to see an "Alumni game," which is a contest between a bunch of players who don't even play for Kentucky anymore. And it gets worse. In this particular instance, most of the players aren't even from the state of Kentucky...

The NCAA has yet to clear incoming Kentucky freshmen James Young and the Harrison twins. Given the late date, it is pretty clear at this point that all three players will be forced to sit out the entire 2013-14 season. Usually, the NCAA acts quickly, decisively and fairly. If one remembers, the NCAA cleared Duke roughly 30 seconds after allegations arose...

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: On Monday, 5 star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay announced he has cut his list to five schools: Kentucky, Kansas, SMU, Baylor and Oklahoma State. This does not bode well for Kentucky. You don't need to be Stephen Hawking to figure out that this only gives UK a 20% chance of landing the superstar. Meanwhile, each of the other schools has an 80% chance (collectively)...

On this date in 2009, Pete Thamel and Pat Forde were doing the Lord's work by digging through dumpsters and knocking on doors in Birmingham, tirelessly working to prove that a high school student had possibly taken a class out of order.


To be fair, Thamel did do a positive, heart warming piece on Manti T'eo and did not lift a finger to verify any element of his story.

Forde stepped up for ESPN, his employer at the time, to perform investigative reporting on the Rick Pitino-Karen Sypher debacle. Forde was well familiar with Pitino having just co-authored a book with the UofL head man.

[jbcarol]

The Real Jerry Tipton

"You may never have heard of Dick Kazmaier," Frank Deford said.

"He was only 5 feet 11 inches tall, 155 pounds. He came from nowhere — which was Maumee, Ohio — and was unknown to the football staff when he arrived at Princeton University in 1948. On the freshman football team, he was fifth-string. Only three years later, he was the famous Kaz, on the cover of Time magazine, winner of the Heisman Trophy, voted Male Athlete of the Year. Then, instead of the Chicago Bears, he went to Harvard Business School. Athletes still came out of nowhere back then and sometimes moved right on to somewhere else."

Fast forward to now: Speculation that the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, sold his autographs, and thus jeopardized his eligibility. Manziel has a personal assistant, Nate Fitch, and now an attorney to represent him as the NCAA investigates.

Progress?

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 22h
UK doesn't play at Tennessee this year. UT's glad because they don't play UK twice & UK's glad because they don't have to go to Tennessee.

[jbcarol]

In 2009, objective scribe Pat Forde compiled his list of the greatest basketball programs of all-time. Forde took issue with a previous list by "computer expert" Jeff Sagarin which listed Kentucky as the #1 program ever. On his list, surprisingly, Forde put UK at #3. Frankly, a case can be made that he has them way too high...

Earlier this week, the Collegiate Licensing Company listed its best selling universities. Kentucky came in 5th. This had to be a shock to UK fans, considering who finished ahead of them. #1 was Texas, who is only the 17th winningest basketball program ever, and hasn't advanced past the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament in 5 years. #2 was Alabama, who is merely the 33rd winningest program ever...

2014 top 30 player James Blackmon, Jr. has decommitted from Indiana, and like 5 star Trey Lyles, another IU decommit, is said to be strongly considering UK. This does not bode well for Kentucky... plucking players from Indiana University – a school that hasn't won it all since Miami Vice was popular – doesn't exactly seem to be the best way to go about this. In fact, the last time IU advanced beyond the Sweet 16, Blackmon and Lyles were in kindergarten...

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 7h
This weekend, an Auburn safety was arrested on weed charges & an Alabama CB got a DUI. Louisville's gonna have a helluva secondary next year

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 1h
Here's the full list of entities that are more unpopular & disliked than the NCAA:

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 2h
The NCAA hasn't contacted the felon who leased Hairston's car. They've been too busy ruling a guy ineligible because he defended his country
Retweeted by Jim Harris

[jbcarol]

Paul Finebaum ‏@finebaum 19 Aug
Miracle RT@NCAA Happy to say after further review, U.S. Marine Steven Rhodes allowed to play immediately for MTSU: http://ow.ly/o4zrQ

[jbcarol]

Kentucky failed to make the NCAA Tournament, and were unceremoniously dispatched in the First Round of the NIT by Robert Morris. Hard to see things being any different in 2013-14.

Over the past few weeks, as recruits have announced their plans to visit UK this season, it has become clear that the school is relying on the upcoming Alumni game – scheduled for September 9 at Rupp Arena – as a recruiting tool. It is not clear, however, how wise this is on the part of John Calipari and Kentucky. For starters, the players participating in the game don't even play for Kentucky. In fact, each and every one of them chose to leave the school of their own volition. Is it smart to attempt to sell kids on a school by showcasing a bunch of players who didn't even want to stay there? Second of all, the players participating in the game have spent the majority of their careers playing for coaches other than Calipari. Yes, it is impressive that Anthony Davis can dunk the ball and that John Wall is fast. But did they learn these skills in Lexington? They most assuredly did not. Lastly, as stated in this space previously, the players on the floor aren't even from the state of Kentucky, not including the ones who are. As such, watching Michael Kidd-Gilchrist showcase his talents probably says more about Rutgers (which is closer to where he learned to play the game than Lexington) than it does UK. Again, it is not clear at all what Coach Cal hopes to gain by having a bunch of multi-millionaires play a pick-up game in front of several wide-eyed teenagers. No wonder Tom Crean has opted not to do this at Indiana.

It was revealed this week that Kentucky will not play at Tennessee this season. Once again, UK catches a break. Just like with the football team, who doesn't even play half of the AP top 10 this year...

Earlier this week, Kentucky's complete schedule was announced, along with respective television airings. Once again, UK is on national TV almost every game, and once again, they will start the season highly ranked. This does not bode well for Kentucky. The last time a UK team started the season in the top 10, and was scheduled to play on TV frequently, they wound up in the NIT...

On this date in 1990, Kentucky was on probation for cheating.

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=138963

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 25 Aug
Urban Meyer won't let visiting scouts wear blue. He claims it's bc UM wears blue, but it's really so his players won't mistake them for cops

[jbcarol]

I'm Comin' Home: Last Saturday, 2014 PG Emmanuel Mudiay shocked the college basketball world by deciding to remain in Texas, as he picked SMU over Kentucky. Upon closer inspection, however, was it really all that surprising? Mudiay joins a long line of prep stars who have spurned John Calipari and Kentucky...

Whenever Kindness Fails: Earlier this week, it was announced that former UK star Wayne Turner is joining Rick Pitino's staff at Louisville. Turner is the latest in a long line of former Kentucky players who have opted to don the red and black at UofL. (The other is Walter McCarty.) This leads one to wonder: What happened to the Kentucky brand?...

UK's roster this year will look nothing like the team that took the floor last year. This does not bode well for Kentucky...

On this date in 1993, SMU was celebrating a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament, and they were eagerly anticipating a return trip to the Big Dance. They are still waiting.

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-132

[jbcarol]

Last week, Kentucky received a commitment from Tyler Ulis. This was not what UK fans wanted to see. Ulis, you see, is a mere 5'8." This is not to suggest that he cannot be an effective point guard for Kentucky, but it seems that he cannot be an effective point guard for Kentucky. There have been several people through the years who were 5'8." Angelina Jolie, for example. When she's not buying children, she does a lot of charity work. But can she break her man down off the dribble?

Earlier this week, the 2013-14 UK basketball team had its annual picture day. This does not bode well for Kentucky. As can be seen from the various photos of the young team, they appear to be emotionally unstable...

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-135

Real Jerry Tipton hasn't made a blog post since Sept. 9 when he talked to John Wall about playing in a 2010 v. 2012 alumni game.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 9h
Look for UK to upset Florida Saturday. As Tennessee learned a couple years ago, NOBODY beats Kentucky 27 times in a row.

[jbcarol]

Is John Calipari losing his touch on the recruiting trail? The short answer is "yes."  ...

On Monday, 2014 forward Trey Lyles tweeted that he has cut his list to two schools: Kentucky and Louisville. However, a closer inspection of his announcement reveals that he seems to have already made up his mind, and will attend the University of Louisville. Look at the picture that accompanied his declaration. In the Louisville jersey, he is smiling. In the Kentucky jersey, he is sullen. The Louisville jersey is a home jersey, indicating he will play his college ball at the Yum! Center. Meanwhile, the UK jersey is an away jersey, meaning he would only go to Rupp Arena as a visitor. Also, as the photo indicates, he already owns a Louisville jersey. Silent commit, anyone? And it's not just the picture that gives it away. Lyles is a forward, and Pitino has had great success with forwards in the past: Jamal Mashburn, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker, etc. Plus, look at all the 5 star players who have decommitted from UofL recently: Quentin Snider, Jaqaun Lyle, etc. You don't have to be a fortune teller to realize...

Several times in the past few weeks, John Calipari has said that incoming center Dakari Johnson is "better than I thought" and that he would "challenge Willie Cauley-Stein for minutes." This does not bode well for Kentucky. First of all, the fact that Johnson is better than Calipari thought basically means that Calipari is a terrible judge of talent. Also, why would he offer a scholarship to a guy he thinks is awful, which is what he just admitted? When Johnson sees these quotes (they have been emailed to him and his parents)...

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-136

Not so far off parody of the beat writer who has covered UK basketball for 30 years.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 44m
Louisville had an open date yesterday. Though given their schedule, I'm not sure how anyone could tell.

[jbcarol]

CBS announced its preseason All-American team, and Kentucky did something that no other team in the country did... Cats have a staggering FIVE MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS who were left off of the list. This is incredible. No other team can say the same thing, and I would be willing to guess that in the history of college basketball, the 2013-14 UK squad is the only team to have 5 Burger Boys who, at least according to the pundits at CBS, officially suck...

When ex-Kentucky coach Tubby Smith was in Lexington last weekend to be inducted to the UK Hall of Fame, he received an enthusiastic reception at the football game. This really makes Kentucky basketball fans look bad. If they loved him so much, you wouldn't think they would have run him out of town for Billy Gillispie. Think about it: He attends one UK football game, and he gets a standing ovation from Big Blue pigskin supporters. How many times did UK basketball fans give him a standing ovation? Hint: ZERO...

UK fans started lining up for Big Blue Madness weeks before it started. This does not bode well for Kentucky. Specifically, it places an undue amount of pressure on an extremely young team. When I asked freshman Dakari Johnson "how does it make you feel that Kentucky fans live vicariously through you and that they pin all their hopes and dreams on you even though they've never met you and you're just a kid and they should have lives of their own, really?" he looked perplexed. After a moment, he said "good, I guess." Notice the "I guess." ...

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 2h
In case you missed it: Kentucky went on the road last night & beat South Carolina 28-14.*

*Not counting the first 15:40 of the game.

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 3h
Spurrier said USC's defense made UK "look like the Packers." (As opposed to last year when they looked like the Jaguars.)


Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 15h
South Carolina: 35, Kentucky: 28. Spurrier is gonna be SOOOO drunk on his coaches show this week.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 1h
Bill Self is bastardizing the concept of amateurism by taking all these one & dones who only go to college because they're required to.

[jbcarol]

Calipari has let it be known that he frequently tells recruits that Kentucky "isn't for everybody." It's not often a coach tries to lure recruits to his school by telling them "hey, this place sucks," but that is exactly what Coach Cal is doing. By emphasizing UK's overall lack of appeal, Calipari is apparently trying to sell kids on the fact that the University of Kentucky has so little to offer that nobody wants to play there. This means, in turn, that there will be a boatload of minutes available for anyone brave (or foolish?) enough to set foot in Lexington...

In the run-up to Big Blue Madness, a big fuss was made over the fact that thousands of UK fans spent several nights camped out, waiting for tickets to be distributed. In fact, there were over 750 tents erected. As rival fans are quick to point out, this is really a bad look for Kentucky. #1, it calls attention to the fact that these people apparently don't have jobs, hobbies, families, or – in many cases – homes. #2, it really calls into question the priorities of UK fans. While they're laying on the ground or scarfing down free pizza, they could be volunteering at any number of local charities or soup kitchens. It really shouldn't be surprising how much attention the national sports media pays to this event every year, given the significant waste of resources involved...

UK plays Michigan State early in the season. When discussing his team's early practices, MSU coach Tom Izzo was quoted as saying that the Spartans are "working to kick Kentucky's ass." When asked for a response, John Calipari said that his team hasn't given Michigan State a passing thought, and doesn't even know when the game is played. This does not bode well for Kentucky. Apparently, UK's freshmen are consumed with other activities, like their GameBoys and their Walkmans and their "Melrose Place." That's all well and good, but maybe they should be focused on the third regular season game of the year...

On this date in 1988, people at UK were wondering how the hell an Emery package just popped open all by itself.

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-138

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 3h
There's a horse named Jorts running at Keeneland today. I like his chances, assuming he's running against a horse named Jared Sullinger.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 12 Oct
Kentucky runs draw on 3rd & 16. Nice to see Neal Brown pay tribute to Joker like that.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 20m
Chane Behanan suspended by UofL for "violation of university policy." No word on what that university policy was. My guess? Studying.

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 3m
Pitino at 1:45: "Chane is off the team."
Pitino at 2:05: "Chane will be back in December."
Pitino in 5 minutes: "Chane was never suspended."

[jbcarol]

Kelly Oubre, a five star recruit in the class of 2014, shocked and offended Kentucky fans everywhere last week when he committed to Kansas over UK. And to make matters worse, his father, Kelly Oubre, Sr. went on record as saying "Coach Self doesn't kick you out if you are not ready" for the NBA, the implication being that John Calipari does. The evidence to support this argument is everywhere: Matthew Pilgrim, Ramon Harris and Stacey Poole, Jr. were all asked to leave the Kentucky program (or weren't recruited by Calipari or voluntarily transferred or graduated) even though they clearly weren't NBA-ready. Oubre, Sr. went on to say that he was more concerned with what his son learned in school than on the court. And as evidenced by the careers of other five stars recruited by Bill Self such as Josh Selby and Xavier Henry, it's important to have something to fall back on in case basketball doesn't work out...

Doug Gottlieb caused an uproar in Big Blue Nation when he put Kentucky 7th in his preseason poll, even though every other expert at CBS had the Cats ranked 1st. Though many UK fans were quick to criticize him, how many of those fans played college basketball at the highest level? At two schools, no less? Also, Gottlieb has a history of being right about stuff. Last year, he was practically the only national pundit who predicted Louisville would not win the national championship. If not for a few well timed three pointers by Luke Hancock, Doug Gottlieb is a genius. And on a pregame show during the NCAA Tournament, Doug said his purpose there was "to bring a white man's perspective." Doug Gottlieb is white. And he had a perspective. In other words, he was right again. Want more proof of his brilliance? Check it: In 2012, Doug said that Kentucky would not win the national championship because they were led by freshmen. In the title game, UK's best player was Doron Lamb. A sophomore. Uncanny. I could find other examples of when Doug Gottlieb was correct about something, but that dead horse doesn't need to be beaten anymore...

When asked to name the 5 best players he has played with during his time at UK, Jon Hood rattled off names one would expect: #1 overall picks John Wall and Anthony Davis topped his list. As well as $62M dollar man and budding superstar DeMarcus Cousins. However, Hood also named Aaron Harrison. This does not bode well for Kentucky. What does it say about the other players of the John Calipari era that they can't beat out a guy who's never even played college basketball before?

On this date in 1995, Doug Gottlieb had never been charged with stealing credit cards from a roommate and two others and fraudulently charging over $900 to those cards.

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-139

notJerry implied that because Gottlieb had Oklahoma State one spot ahead of UK and Gottlieb is always right, Kentucky should have hired Travis Ford.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 17h
By saying Memphis had the best fans in the country, Seth Davis has done the impossible. He made Doug Gottlieb seem halfway not stupid.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 17h
He's much more familiar with "closing time." #L1CFloor RT @KKcards Rick Pitino will appear on CNBC's Closing Bell today. #L1C4

[jbcarol]

CBS's Seth Davis tweeted that "Nobody can beat Memphis fans when it comes to support and enthusiasm." Predictably, he took heat from Kentucky fans for making this remark. However, upon closer inspection, it's hard to argue with him. Consider: The Tigers routinely almost sell out their home arena night after night, even though the program has won just a single NCAA Tournament game in the past 4 seasons...

Kentucky spent $400,000 on Big Blue Madness. As many pundits are probably pointing out privately, this is a tremendous waste of resources. For that amount of money, for example, UK could have bought laptops and other supplies for various schools in the area. Or, it could have provided thousands of local children with raincoats and galoshes. Better yet, it could have funded much-needed repairs on Kentucky's highways and byways. But by opting to spend nearly half a million dollars on what amounted to a high tech laser light show, it called into question its priorities. Sure, the 24,000 UK fans in attendance, not to mention the hundreds of thousands watching from home, probably enjoyed the show. Unless they have a conscience, that is...

While several NBA scouts and pundits were in Lexington last week for the festivities surrounding and leading up to Big Blue Madness, several "experts" who watched UK's practices opined that James Young will be a top 5 pick. This does not bode well for Kentucky. Julius Randle, another UK freshman, is also projected to be a top 5 draftee. Apparently excited UK fans are unaware that the last team featuring a pair of top 5 picks – last year's Indiana Hoosiers –failed to advance beyond the Sweet 16...

On this date in 2007, anticipation and excitement surrounded the Big Blue Nation, as the Billy Gillispie era was set to kick off.

The last bullet point is actually true.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 2h
Charlie Strong maintains that Louisville is the best team in the country. Remove the "r" from "country" and he's right.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 53m
Due to new anti-hack rules being enforced, Louisville's exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan last night is still being played.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 2h
For Halloween, Tom Crean dressed up as a coach who can actually get past the Sweet 16 with two top 4 NBA draft picks on his roster.

[jbcarol]

Kentucky held its Blue-White scrimmage on Tuesday. Big Blue Nation was abuzz about it afterwards, as the Blue downed the White 99-71. Specifically, people were more than upset at what transpired. Altogether, Kentucky gave up 170 points. That kind of defense, to be blunt about it, will not many basketball games. And collectively, the team's three point defense was abysmal, as it allowed 15 for 28 shooting from behind the arc. Again, this simply will not get it done once the real games start. To make matters worse, the Cats also allowed four freshmen to score 25, 21, 21 and 19 points, respectively. If freshmen are scoring that many against you, what happens when you go up against veterans? Stephen Van Treese is probably licking his lips right now.

In a recent exhibition, Oklahoma State came from behind to defeat Campbellsville University by 10 points. This does not bode well for Kentucky. OSU is projected to be better than Kentucky by many experts• and Campbellsville is an NAIA team. If the Cowboys are only 10 points better than an NAIA team, what does that say about Kentucky? ...

On this date in 1995, Kentucky was about to tip off a season that would see it lose to UMass. The same UMass who finished 11th in the Atlantic 10 four years ago.

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/not-jerry-tiptons-friday-basketball-notebook-140

Not so subtle jab at Doug Gottlieb who projected that Oklahoma State would finish ahead of UK.

Travis Ford's first head coaching job was at Campbellsville University, the school from which Rick Stansbury and Phil Cunningham graduated.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 3h
Alex Montgomery tears ACL celebrating touchdown. In the history of Kentucky football, this is the Kentucky footballest.

[jbcarol]

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 37m
PJ Hairston was suspended from UNC basketball from July til September. This is like being suspended from eating breakfast from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Not Jerry Tipton ‏@NotJerryTipton 11h
Kevin Ware said he was "back to normal." Guess this means he'll resume tweeting threats at people way more important than him. #Botch