Today is moving day in the U.S. Open, and Phil Mickelson is your current co-leader with Billy Horschel. Steve Stricker, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods are all within one stroke of the lead, among many others. Should be an exciting, big-name finish tomorrow. Here is the leaderboard.
Tweet of the Morning:
You want to know why players are picking Kentucky? Here's what I think: Their families trust us with their child.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 15, 2013
They know we're about education and they know we're going to do what we say.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 15, 2013
They know we have their child's interest on the forefront of our minds. It's players first.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 15, 2013
Lastly, we're not trying to recruit kids to our style of play. We're recruiting kids to try to do everything we can to make them better.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 15, 2013
Calipari, doing what he does.
Your Quickies:
Kentucky football
Derek Kief, Rivals 2014 4-star from Cincinnati, will be committing to a school tomorrow via Twitter. His list includes Kentucky, Alabama, Northwestern, Ohio St., Louisville, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and a host of others. Keep your fingers crossed. [Via Hank]
Looking ahead to the top prospects from Georgia for 2015. [Via Hank]
For you UK football pessimists out there:
National recruiting analyst Mike Farrell dismisses those who want to squash the excitement surrounding the [Kentucky] program.
"We have never seen anything like this from Kentucky, ever," Farrell said. "I understand that it is only June, but I cannot remember that program having this kind of momentum in all my years covering recruiting. The class has added some tremendous playmakers, and they are getting guys from all over."
As a point of fact, Kentucky has never had double-digit commitments prior to the ides of June, let alone a 16-man class ranked ahead of Notre Dame, Michigan and Florida State -- Stoops' former school.
Farrell again:
"There is no doubt that it is getting under the skin of a lot of programs that wanted these kids, because it wasn't long ago that none of them would have given Kentucky the time of day."
Read the whole thing. [Via Hank]
How did Mark Stoops feel about Stanley "Boom" Williams' commitment?
What was the coaches’ reaction to your decision?
Coach (Mark) Stoops was blown away. He didn’t believe it. He was at a loss for words.
There's plenty more in this interview. Read the whole thing.
Ben Roberts has more on Mike Farrell's comments I linked above:
UK's recruiting rivals won't give up just because a player says he's committed to the Cats.
That's just not how it works in football.
On Wednesday, UK commitment Denzel Ware posted an apparent Facebook exchange between himself and Louisville assistant coach Ron Dugans.
In the back and forth — which occurred after Ware committed to Kentucky on Sunday — the Cardinals coach attempts to get the lineman to flip his commitment to U of L. Ware eventually tells him that he doesn't want to play for anyone other than the UK coaches.
I think this is right, and honestly, it is entirely likely we may lose one or two, although probably not to Louisville.
What getting "Boom" Williams means to Kentucky.
More on Tyre Brady's commitment.
Best week ever for Kentucky football? KSR thinks so, and I think they have a case.
Kentucky basketball
Check out Karl Towns Jr. getting it done in the NBPA Top 100 camp. Hat Tip: Zach Fleer
Point guard Josh Perkins is waiting on a Kentucky offer. The article calls him a 5-star, but Rivals.com has him listed as a 4-star. If he's really 6'3", he's about the right size for a UK point guard, although he needs more weight than 185#.
I'd say Calipari might consider him as a backup plan, but he'll have a chance to get an offer next year. I suspect Cal is waiting to see if he's good enough. His lack of physicality is also a negative from Calipari's perspective. Emmanuel Mudiay is the guy Cal wants right now.
Devin Booker is very high on UK, but will visit Michigan anyway. Booker looks to me like a Calipari priority, even though he is ranked a little low right now as a Rivals 4-star and the #23 player in 2014.
The thing is, James Young is likely to be back next year, and it would be ideal to bring a guy like Booker in as relief. Booker is a little small for an SEC shooting guard at 6'3", but Calipari offered him in person. To me, that says enough.
Don't count out John Beilein or Tom Izzo, though. They are serious comp for this guy, but Calipari always has the edge.
The Sporting News (got it right this time) has Julius Randle as the #3 power forward for next year. I think Mike DeCourcy is wrong to rank Parker ahead of him, though.
Karl Towns says Josh Perkins (see above) was "excellent."
Is Myles Turner 2014's Anthony Davis? Of course Calipari is interested. More on Turner from NBC.
Calipari says, "Tough guys win." That's right, I think.
Other UK sports
You might think Louisville would be ahead of Kentucky in the latest Director's Cup standings. You'd be wrong.
Links posts
John Clay's Big Blue Links
John Clay's SEC Links
The Leach Report -- Saturday's Wildcat Links
College football
Heck of a discussion going on here about the possibility of a 9-game SEC schedule. Check it out, if you haven't. I was late getting it up on the front page #RealWorkSucks.
Comparing NCAA Football 14 rankings to F+/-. For you football nerds out there. Kentucky has a pretty big disparity, but by no means the biggest.
Tim Brando ranks Louisville football #1 in the land. Larry Glover and I had a lot of fun at his expense last night, if you were listening in. I'm on Larry Glover Live every Friday night at 6:35.
Without intending disrespect to Louisville (at least, no more than you can reasonably expect from a UK fan), their schedule precludes this as a reality. That's not their fault, but does anyone really think they could get to 10-2 in the SEC next year? Nobody I know of. Does anyone really think they could beat Alabama or Georgia? Nobody I know of.
Tim Brando doesn't have much credibility as an analyst, and this is unlikely to enhance that image.
Heh.
Day 2 of NCAA Miami hearing:
The focus of the session Friday morning is expected to center on football. Former assistant coaches Aubrey Hill and Clint Hurtt were among the first to arrive for the hearing at a hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
Don't be surprised if you've seen the last of Hurtt at Louisville.
Alabama won't be behind Kentucky long in the recruiting rankings.
College basketball
Eric Crawford has commentary on a lot of area teams, including Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana and Western.
Montrezl Harrell says he's looking forward to the UK-Louisville game. So are we, Montrezl.
Surprisingly, Indiana blog Crimson Quarry has Kentucky #1 for next year. I think I would swap Arizona and Kansas, and Duke for Louisville.
Their poll results, though, predictably don't agree with the writer. I think they are picking Louisville more for detestation of Kentucky than an actual belief they should be ranked higher.
Other sports news
The North Carolina academic scandal continues to fester, like a puss-filled boil. Lancing that boil is going to be ... messy, and painful.