SouthEastern Wildcat Review

[Quick Note: if you arrived on this page looking for the bandwagon jumping post, just see the contents section to the right or click here. If not, read on and enjoy. Thanks,Rob]

Lets's see.....what would be a good way to start off a Sunday morning?? How about with an interview with Cal from the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia?

And just because I would hate to bring the mood down around here, let's go with one more video, this one from WYKT that has footage of Coach Cal addressing the Pike County Chamber of Commerce.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To start off the basketball links for today, everybody head on over here and vote for Coach Cal. Go ahead, I'll wait. Now that you're back, can you really believe that a poll was put up asking who the better recruiter is between Cal, Tom Crean, and Pitino? Better yet, how are the results not unanimous? On to something that everyone is bound to agree with, Coach Cal definitely has Kentucky back, and back in a big way. What a great thing that is. Are you curious as to who will win the SEC West this fall? Rivals has their opinion and like everyone else, already handed the East to Kentucky. What a great time to be a 'Cat fan!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The newest version of ESPN's Bracketology is out, and Joe Lunardi has Kentucky seeded where they rightfully belong. The NCAA Selection Committee swears that they don't look at the possible TV matchups when they reveal seedings and brackets. However, look at some of the teams Lunardi has in the same bracket as the 'Cats: Duke (of COURSE!!), Oklahoma State (ex-Wildcat at the helm), and Tennessee (Another of UK's hated rivals). I really have no problem with this, it's just that it seems to happen every year. And if they're going to do it, please put Minnesota in Kentucky's bracket next year. What a great story that game would have!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of Kentucky's most coveted players in the 2010 class, Brandon Knight, finished runner-up to receive the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year Award. Something great to see in a UK target, and the young man also carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He is ranked #1 by Rivals and #2 by Scout. Knight also talks a little about his recruitment in the article.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like Cal will be back on the summer recruiting trail soon with the start of the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas July 23-26. Great to know we are involved in discussions for the TOP players in the nation now, instead of everyone else's leftovers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of my childhood memories about Kentucky include this man. As a family, Dad would turn the sound off and we would listen to Cawood call the game on the radio as we watched along on the television. There was nothing like hearing his voice describe what our beloved 'Cats were doing and how they were playing. Wildcats Thunder has a brief but very good tribute post to the "Voice of the Wildcats." Now onto something that would probably make Mr. Ledford turn over in his grave, Antoine Walker played in a celebrity golf tournament immediately after posting bail to get out of jail. Amazing. I wouldn't want to show my face after something like this, and reportedly he never even mentioned it. Just answer me one question, how in the world do you spend over 100 million in a few years, let along a lifetime??
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just couldn't resist re-posting this picture, but seriously, how nice was it to hear the news report in the WKYT video above mentioning LeBron just stopping by the Joe Craft Center to visit Coach Cal and tour the facilities like a recruit? Great recruiting tool, great to see Cal all buddy-buddy with the greatest NBA player on the planet. The articles also make King James seem like a really down to earth guy, so here's to hoping that one day we'll get to see the infamous dunk in his face by the brother of former 'Cat Joe Crawford. And here is the Courier-Journal's Sunday College Basketball Notebook, which also has a mention of James in Lexington along with a good interview with Darius Miller.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for a couple of football links, How many games do you think the 'Cats will win this year? After you come up with your prediction you can read Bozich's prediction of the area teams. Tim Tebow is entering the season in the same fashion as last year, one vote short of being a unanimous 1st Team All-SEC selection. Now who was the coach that didn't vote for him? (Personally I don't blame whoever it was, I'm Tebow'd out). Nobody really knows, but my money is on Kiffin. And finally, I'll end with a note on the lighter side. Here is an old post on a Louisville blog telling Card fans all about Clyde Gillispie. After reading it again, man they were right!!

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. Seems like that is all that is in the news today. With the Adidas Take5 Classic in Cincinnati and the LeBron James Skills Camp in Akron, it seems like every prospect in the country worth mentioning is currently spending time in Ohio. At least the coaches don't have to travel too far on the opening weekend of the summer AAU season. The great Tom Leach gave a little insight into how important this month is to Coach Cal, even though it has no bearing on the upcoming season. After the recently mandated "dead" period, all the coaches are feverishly trying to play catch up, including the UK Staff. A venerable Who's Who of Division 1 head coaches started the day watching as much of the action as they could in the Queen City. The "Big Three" of the Kentucky state schools were there, their staff in tow, analyzing, evaluating, and even talking a little about scheduling. Of course, without being there, we have to rely on the reports and opinions of others, and Dave Telep, one of the pioneers of recruiting rankings, asked a few coaches and players what the month of July is like.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And who seemed to be the biggest draw during Monday's games? Fabricio DeMelo. He is a 6'10" Brazilian from Fort Lauderdale with great hands, polished post moves, and a decent outside game. The Rivals #5 rated player consistently had a throng of coaches watching his games. Doesn't appear that the 'Cats are real high on his list right now, but after we have witnessed Cal in action, who knows what will happen if he decides to put the full-court press on the post player dubbed "Fab Melo." Check out his game here. Another player that received some of the UK staff's attention was Vinny Zollo, the BCG commitment from Winchester who recently re-opened his recruitment. I would like to see Zollo in Blue one day if Cal sees fit, but he really is just another case of a coach offering a younger player too soon. Speaking of Clyde's early offers, it is good to see that Dakotah Euton is moving on and getting his name out there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something that I didn't know and was a little surprised to hear, John Wall was expected to be at the LeBron James Camp in Akron. He didn't show for the Sunday start to the camp, but I imagine if he does participate, he will garner the most attention there. And with several high-profile UK targets in attendance, the attention Wall will get and the possibility of him whispering in the ears of the young guys considering UK is nothing but great exposure for Cal and the 'Cats. Again I have to say how great it is that Kentucky has returned to the forefront of being mentioned in the same breath as the best high schoolers in the country. Brandon Knight, point guard and #1 overall player according to Rivals, was on Kentucky fans' minds when Gary Parrish of CBS Sports reported that Knight is being considered as a near lock to UK. And then more great news for the Wildcat Faithful as it seems that the consensus best player in the country regardless of class, Michael Gilchrist, will eventually chose between Kentucky and Villanova. William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley is his uncle, so forgive me if I believe that this deal will been done. One last recruiting tidbit as one of my favorites, Jeff Drummond of The 'Cats Pause, gives his rundown of Monday's action in Cincinnati.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only four players have been named to the Parade High School All-American list three times. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Earl Jones, and Chris Washburn. (Pictured on right). His story is one of greatness and sadness, and one that Rich Bozich relates in this article. Definitely something I hope all these young players we have been talking so much about keep in mind. What if Washburn had made just a few different decisions? So much might have been different for him. Mark Story has quite a few very interesting "What If" scenarios in his latest column. Check it out and wonder what might have been. As 'Cat fans, we know that Jodie Meeks is a good defensive player. Maybe not great, but good. Now Buck fans are wondering if that might be his gratest liability. I certainly hope not, and I know that Jodie will work hard to change this perception if he feels that he needs to.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Gotta love it when one of our own stands out in a crowd. Not that I consider Pat Forde one of us, because he is most certainly Ricky P's pal now, but his recent ranking of the UK-UL rivalry as #1 for this upcoming season has apparently got this UNC blogger's panties in a wad. He even concedes that UK-UL might be #1 this year, but pretty much takes offense at everything else "The World's Most Dangerou Hair" Forde had to say. Pretty funny too might I add. And to close, I still find it amusing that some Memphis fans desperately want to stop talking, thinking, or even referencing their dearly departed Coach Cal, but like some twisted addiction to self-abuse, just can't let seem to let it go.