Kentucky

Picture of the Day: Patrick Patterson Close to Returning

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:59:08 -0700

Picture of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky

In a couple weeks, sophomore Patrick Patterson is set to remove his post-surgery boot and get back on track to leading the Wildcats to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

- Also check out the Cheerleader of the Day!

Derrick Jasper Leaving Kentucky

Press Release — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:50:48 -0700

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky basketball player Derrick Jasper, a 6-6 native of Paso Robles, Calif, who has played two seasons in Lexington, has asked for his release from the Wildcats, citing a desire to play closer to home as the reason for his decision

“The decision to transfer is in no way an indication of my experience playing for UK,” Jasper said. “I feel at this point in my life, it is important for me to be close to my family, and I intend to transfer to a school closer to the west coast where I can see my family more often, and they can see me play.

“It was not an easy decision for me to make, since the fans have been so wonderful and very supportive of my teammates and me. I want to thank Coach Gillispie and the entire UK coaching staff for their guidance and support they have given me these past two years. I have grown a tremendous amount as a basketball player, and most importantly a person and feel it is largely due to the people involved with the UK basketball program.”

Jasper played in 20 games for the Wildcats this season after missing the first 10 games of the year while recovering from microfracture knee surgery. He averaged 4.2 ppg and 5.5 rpg.

“It’s a disappointment to lose Derrick, who was fantastic for us both as a person and a basketball player,” UK Head Coach Billy Gillispie said. “He had to battle through some injuries, but he was always willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.

“I appreciate that Derrick was patient and took his time to make certain that this decision was what he felt was best for his future. We wish him all the best. Where ever he decides to attend will be getting an outstanding player who takes his academics very seriously.”

As a freshman, Jasper started 27 games while averaging 3.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg.

-- from UKAthletics.com -

2008 Parade High School All-Americans

Press Release — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:22:06 -0700

PARADE ALL-AMERICANS

FIRST TEAM (Name, School, City, Height)

Brandon Jennings - Arizona - Mouth of Wilson, Va. - 6'2"
Samardo Samuels - Louisville - Newark, N.J. - 6'9"
Tyreke Evans - ? - Aston, Pa. - 6'6"
Jrue Holiday - UCLA - North Hollywood, Calif. - 6'4"
Tyler Zeller - UNC - Washington, Ind. - 7'0"
Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest - Norcross, Ga. - 6'9"
B.J. Mullens - Ohio State - Canal Winchester, Ohio - 7'1"
Demar DeRozan - USC - Compton, Calif. - 6'6"
William Buford - Ohio State - Toledo, Ohio - 6'5"
Greg Monroe - Georgetown - Harvey, La. - 6'10"

SECOND TEAM

Ed Davis - UNC - Richmond, Va. - 6'9"
Derrick Favors - 2009 - Atlanta, Ga. - 6'9"
Kemba Walker - UCONN - New York, N.Y. - 6'2"
Lance Stephenson - 2009 - Brooklyn, N.Y. - 6'6"
Luke Babbitt - Nevada - Reno, Nev. - 6'8"
Elliot Williams - Duke - Collierville, Tenn. - 6'4"
Sylven Landesberg - Virginia - Flushing, N.Y. - 6'6"
Scotty Hopson - Tennessee - Hopkinsville, Ky. - 6'7"
Xavier Henry - 2009 - Oklahoma City, Okla. - 6'6"
Mike Rosario - Rutgers - Jersey City, N.J. - 6'3"

THIRD TEAM

Willie Warren - Oklahoma - Fort Worth, Tex. - 6'4"
Michael Dunigan - Oregon - Chicago, Ill. - 6'10"
JaMychal Green - Alabama - Montgomery, Ala. - 6'9"
Chris Singleton - FSU - Dunwoody, Ga. - 6'9"
Larry Drew - UNC - Woodland Hills, Calif. - 6'0"
Iman Shumpert - Georgia Tech - Oak Park, Ill. - 6'4"
Leslie McDonald - 2009 - Eads, Tenn. - 6'4"
Dexter Strickland - 2009 UNC - Elizabeth, N.J. - 6'3"
Howard Thompkins - Georgia - Norcross, Ga. - 6'9"
Darius Miller - Kentucky - Maysville, Ky. - 6'7"

FOURTH TEAM

Kenny Boynton - 2009 - Plantation, Fla. - 6'2"
DeQuan Jones - Miami - Marietta, Ga. - 6'6"
Tony Woods - Wake Forest - Rome, Ga. - 6'11"
Renardo Sidney - 2009 - Los Angeles, Calif. - 6'11"
Terrelle Pryor - Ohio State - Jeannette, Pa. - 6'6"
Yancy Gates - Cincinnatti - Cincinnati, Ohio - 6'9"
Draymond Green - Michigan State - Saginaw, Mich. 6'7"
Kevin Jones - West Virginia - Mount Vernon, N.Y. - 6'7"
Malcolm Lee - UCLA - Riverside, Calif. - 6'5"
Henry Sims - Georgetown - Baltimore, Md. - 6'11

Kentucky's Roller Coaster Season: Big Blue Heart

Jason Brubaker — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:54:53 -0700

To say the 2007-08 UK basketball season was a roller coaster is like saying that weather in Kentucky is a little unpredictable. In other words…a giant understatement.

First, there was a summer full of the joy and anticipation that comes with a fresh start, as UK welcomed new coach Billy Gillispie, fresh off a remarkable turnaround at Texas A&M. Gillispie’s energy seemed like a perfect fit for a UK program that seemed to have stagnated under Tubby Smith.

But the honeymoon was short-lived. A non-conference schedule saw the Cats endure home losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego, as well as losses to UAB and Houston on their way to a 6-7 start. In the midst of that, highly-touted recruit Alex Legion chose to transfer to Illinois in December, depleting the Cats’ depth even more as sophomore guards Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks continued to battle injuries. Then in January, the light bulb came on, as UK pulled off two huge upset wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Things looked to be coming together.

Then, perhaps looking ahead to Valentine’s Day plans with their ladies, the Cats barely bothered to show up in a match-up with Vandy on Feb. 12, losing 93-52 (and it wasn’t even that close). Adding to that was the surprise dismissal of walk-on Dusty Mills from the team, followed by a battle of words through the media about the reason behind the dismissal. Yet the Cats managed to regroup and win their next four, before suffering yet another setback when star freshman Patrick Patterson announced he had a stress fracture in his ankle and would miss the rest of the season.

Even the SEC Tournament in Atlanta, normally a safe haven as Big Blue fans take over the Georgia Dome, was bizarre. A tornado ripped through the city on Friday, postponing UK’s first game and causing it to be moved to another arena, where the small number of seats limited the crowd to players’ families cheerleaders, bands and media. After a first-round loss to Georgia, the Cats found themselves on the dreaded NCAA bubble, eventually drawing a first-round match-up with nemesis Marquette.

Yet with everything that happened this season, one image stands out to me. As the seconds ticked off the clock in UK’s 74-66 loss to Marquette, the camera panned to a close-up of UK senior Joe Crawford, who had just fouled out of the game. Crawford, normally stoic and unemotional throughout his career, had tears streaming down his cheeks, barely able to watch the final few seconds. Despite gutsy, gritty and phenomenal performance by Crawford (35 points) and fellow senior Ramel Bradley (19), the Cats would be going home. An 18-13 season, marked by extreme ups and downs, was finally over.

But the image of Crawford crying showed what this UK team was all about. There were countless times this team could have packed it in. Injuries depleted the Cats’ depth all season, as Jasper, Meeks and Patterson combined to miss 37 games. Bad losses popped up through the season like weeds, attempting to halt any momentum the Cats might be gaining. Whispers grew louder about Gillispie’s coaching style, as UK seemed incapable of playing anything less than a nail-biter, no matter who the opponent. Even a March tornado in Atlanta (how often does that happen??) took away the home court advantage the Cats normally enjoy for the SEC Tournament.

But never once did these Cats look to give up. Led by Bradley and Crawford, they continued to fight and claw and scratch, despite being undermanned on many nights. Criticized throughout their UK careers for their consistency, the two seniors showed enough heart to endear them to even the most cynical of UK fans. Who can forget Bradley’s clutch shots this year against Vandy and Florida, willing the team to victory despite fatigue from playing nearly every minute of the SEC season (570 out of 655 possible minutes, including missing one entire game with an injury). Or Crawford, who made a great Marquette defense look average as he dropped in shot after shot, leaving everything he had on the court?

What about Perry Stevenson, who weighs about 175 pounds soaking wet, battling SEC big men in Patterson’s absence, never shying away from a challenge? Or Derrick Jasper, toughing out an assortment of injuries to take the court nearly every night? Even Mark Coury and Ramon Harris, two players who don’t exactly fill up the box scores, competed hard night in and night out, despite usually playing against more talented opponents.

Granted, an 18-13 season and a first-round exit isn’t what UK fans expect. The rafters at Rupp Arena aren’t filled with banners from teams who got bounced in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. But the emotion, passion and heart demonstrated by this UK team should be recognized. Battling through obstacles, injuries, fatigue and criticism, they never made excuses and never pointed fingers. They showed their true character by staying on course and continuing to improve, even when the odds were stacked against them.

Crawford’s tears may have marked the end of this crazy ride, but he should take solace in knowing that this team won’t soon be forgotten. The 2008 national champion won’t be UK, but these kids showed the heart of a champion time and time again. So my hat’s off to these Cats, for playing with the passion and pride that makes UK basketball so special.

Three Stars of the Day: Gerald Henderson

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:49:57 -0700

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Gerald Henderson - Duke

Scored 22 points, hit the game-winning basket, and saved Duke from an embarrassing defeat to Belmont

Joe Crawford - Kentucky

Even though UK lost, Crawford was a one man show with 35 points and 5-8 shooting from three

Josh Carter - Texas A&M

Saved his best game of the season for the Tourney with 26 points, including 6 threes, against BYU

Other Top Performers

Josh Duncan - Xavier - The senior's 20 points and 9 rebounds helped Xavier overcome a slow start against Georgia

Alex Ruoff - West Virginia - On just 8 of 11 shooting, finished with 21 points in a well-played win over Arizona

Bill Walker - Kansas State - With Beasley in foul trouble, Walker took over in the 1st half and ended with 22 points

Previous Stars of the Day

March 18th - Cavel Witter, Creighton

March 15th - Joe Alexander, WVU

March 11th - Jeremy Evans, WKU

March 10th - Kevin Kanaskie, MTSU

March 9th - Brandon Johnson, San Diego

March 5th - Marquis Weddle, UTM

March 4th - Joe Alexander, WVU

March 3rd - Kevin Love, UCLA

March 2nd - Tyrese Rice, BC

Poll: What Will be Thursday's Big Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:06:24 -0700

Poll: Which Double-Digit Seed Will Advance the Farthest?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:53:52 -0700

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Kentucky

Joel Welser — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:20:28 -0700

Kentucky Wildcats

Southeastern Conference (18-12, 12-4)

Big Wins: 1/12 Vanderbilt (79-73), 1/22 Tennessee (72-66), 2/23 Arkansas (63-58)

Bad Losses: 11/7 Gardner-Webb (68-84), 12/18 at Houston (69-83), 12/29 San Diego (72-81)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007, Second Round loss to Kansas

Coach: Billy Gillispie (3-3 in 3 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Ramel Bradley, Senior, Guard, 15.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 4.2 rpg

Derrick Jasper, Sophomore, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 2.3 apg, 5.4 rpg

Joe Crawford, Senior, Guard, 17.3 ppg, 2.1 apg, 3.6 rpg

Ramon Harris, Sophomore, Forward, 4.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Mark Coury, Sophomore, Forward, 2.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Michael Porter, Sophomore, Guard, 2.0 ppg, 1.1 apg

Perry Stevenson, Sophomore, Forward, 5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley are the two healthy leading scorers for Kentucky and the explosive backcourt can keep the Wildcats in most games. Crawford has come on strong as an upperclassman and finally shown his immense potential. The Detroit, Michigan native is a superb athlete and will finish strong above the rim. His outside shooting is not very consistent, but Crawford will step outside and hit a three-pointer or two each game.

The senior leadership of Bradley keeps the team under control…usually. Bradley does commit over three turnovers per game, and that is a big problem for the Wildcats, but this team would be in trouble without Bradley. He is not a great outside shooter by any means, but Bradley is the best shooter on the team and if the outside shot is not falling for either Bradley or Crawford, Kentucky will have trouble scoring.

Why They Can Disappoint:

When Jodie Meeks went down with an injury, it was not good, but at least Kentucky had a few relatively experienced players ready to fill the void. But when forward Patrick Patterson injured his left ankle late in the season, it was a big hit. Patterson was averaging 16.4 points and a team high 7.7 rebounds and he will certainly be missed during the tournament. What is left is an inexperienced frontcourt with very little depth.

Who To Watch:

Replacing Patterson becomes the most important issue during the postseason. Ramon Harris and Mark Coury were starting most of the games anyway, but they provide nowhere near the scoring that Patterson did while he was healthy. Harris and Coury are more equipped do the dirty work. Harris, at 6-6, did the work on the wing and Coury, at 6-8, complimented Patterson under the basket. Without any scoring threat in the paint, UK might have trouble freeing up the guards to score. Perry Stevenson, who rarely starts but averages more minutes than Harris and Coury, might be the best scoring option in the paint. He averages 5.8 points per game, but it remains to be seen if he can be a consistent threat.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 69.0 (169^th in nation, 10^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 65.5 (99, 2)

Field-Goal Percentage: 47.3 (36, 2)

Field-Goal Defense: 39.4 (19, 2)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (236, 12)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.4 (72, 2)

Free-Throw Percentage: 73.8 (39, 2)

Rebound Margin: 1.9 (116, 7)

Assists Per Game: 12.9 (192, 10)

Turnovers Per Game: 16.0 (266, 12)

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage & Brackets

- Sign up for CHN's Free NCAA Bracket Challenge.. win a Wii, Guitar Hero, and other prizes!

Buzzer Beater: Bubble Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:49:36 -0700

- How about North Carolina's Danny Green? The sixth-man extraordinaire provided a huge lift for the Heels on Saturday, totaling 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 blocks as they knocked off Duke in Cameron. Green's ability to play inside or on the perimeter gives UNC a huge advantage. Green can play either forward spot, as well as shooting guard, meaning UNC can match-up with any type of line-up thrown at them. With Wayne Ellington gaining more confidence, Ty Lawson returning to full strength, and Tyler Hansbrough continuing to be…well...Tyler Hansbrough, the Heels are looking pretty good for a deep tournament run.

- Also, a very classy move by the Duke fans to don blue ribbons for the game in honor of Eve Carson, the UNC student body president who was murdered last week. As Dick Vitale pointed out, Saturday's game was huge in the basketball world, but pales in comparison to what's really important in life. The Cameron Crazies can certainly be annoying and come close to crossing the sportsmanship line (witness the Speedo Guy), but they showed their true colors with this gesture.

- Finally showing a pulse, Syracuse pulled a off a huge win over Marquette on Saturday to bolster their resume. However, with fellow bubble dwellers USC, Kentucky, Ohio State, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor and Kansas State also winning over the weekend, the Orange may want to win a game or two in the big East Tourney to feel comfortable about dancing.

- Is there another dynasty brewing in college basketball? Move over UCLA, UK and Carolina...here comes Winthrop. Okay- that may be pushing it, but the Eagles are quietly turning into the giants of the Big South Conference. With a 66-48 win over UNC-Asheville on Saturday, they clinched their 4th consecutive league crown and tournament berth. Owning wins over Georgia Tech and Miami (Fl.), this season, the Eagles could play spoiler in the tournament again this year. Last year, they knocked of Notre Dame in the first round, and led by guard Michael Jenkins, they’re not going to back down from anyone.

- They say good teams always win the close games. In that case, UCLA must be great, as they squeaked out another nail-biter against Cal on Saturday. Like their OT win over Stanford on Thursday, the Bruins again benefitted from a questionable call, as they managed to wrest the ball away from Cal's Ryan Anderson in the closing seconds with no foul call, despite enough physical contact to warrant a NC-17 rating. Then, Josh Shipp lofted a prayer over the corner of the backboard...a seemingly illegal shot that the officials allowed. The win likely secured a #1 seed in the NCAA, and the Bruins look to be ready for a third straight run to the Final Four...although they may want to be sure they have room for the officials on their team bus.

- Kentucky may have locked up a tourney berth with a in over Florida in the "Bubble Battle" Sunday. Read that sentence again, because these are the same Cats who lost at home by 16 to Gardner-Webb and by 9 to San Diego as they struggled mightily in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Yet they still managed 12 wins in the SEC, finally buying into Coach Billy Gillispie's defense-at-all-costs mentality. Even without star freshman Patrick Patterson, and despite a mid-February blowout loss to Vandy, the Cats have been remarkably steady in the conference, and they could be a tough out in the tourney.

- From that same game, Florida may have played itself out of the tournament, despite a valiant comeback in Rupp Arena on UK’s Senior Day. Down 16, the Gators battled back, but couldn’t quite make it over the hump. On the plus side, the future for Florida looks as bright as the Gainesville sunshine. Guards Jai Lucas and Nick Calathes played brilliantly at times this season, and should be even better as sophomores next year. Center Maresse Speights may not be the next coming of Al Horford or Joakim Noah, but he’s certainly capable of performing at an All-SEC level. With everyone slated to return next year, plus the addition of a great recruiting class, the Gators should be back in the national spotlight soon.

- Which Big Ten team could stick around the NCAA Tournament the longest? Try Purdue, who finished 15-3 in the conference and 24-7 overall. Indiana, despite the great inside-outside tandem of DJ White and Eric Gordon, has appeared shaky at best since Kelvin Sampson’s departure. Michigan State, a pre-season Final Four favorite, has hit some snags in the road, including scoring only 36 points against a bad Iowa team. The Spartans have also suffered losses to Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin since mid-February, and finished the season with a loss to Ohio State. Wisconsin has been solid all year, but they’ve struggled with smaller, athletic teams, such as Duke and Marquette. The Boilers meanwhile, have no glaring weaknesses outside of the youth. They’re balanced offensively, with six players averaging at least six points, and they’re incredibly tough defensively, allowing only six opponents to score 70 or more points.

- Finally, congratulations to all those who punched their dance ticket over the weekend - Belmont, Drake, Winthrop and Austin Peay. They join Cornell as the first entries in the field of 65….with an exciting week yet to come. Let the Madness begin!

Games of the Day: Florida at Kentucky

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:05:45 -0700

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

Florida (21-9) at Kentucky (17-11)

12:00 PM CBS

If I decided the field of of 65.. this game would probably be meaningless. Neither team would be included. But alas, there's a committee in Indianapolis that picks the field instead.. and surely they will invite one of these two teams to the dance. Even worse, because Florida is such a hopeless road team.. it means that a Kentucky team that lost to Gardner Webb and San Diego at home will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Prediction: Kentucky

Illinois State (24-8) at #21 Drake (27-4)

2:00 PM CBS

Barring some kind of great injustice (which I wouldn't put past the committee), both of these teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament. But still, intensity will be running high in Saint Louis because the MVC title is on the line .. and its not very often a Valley team gets to play on national TV. Drake won both earlier meetings, but the scores were close.. including the last time in Normal when the Redbirds led for 30 minutes. Drake is a 2.5 point favorite.. but I have a feeling they're going to lose today (then again I felt the same thing yesterday against Creighton).

Prediction: Illinois State

Maryland (18-12) at Virginia (14-14)

7:30 PM FSN

By most accounts, the Terps are still inside the field of 65. But due to blowing a big lead against Clemson, they're right on the bubble with no room to spare. There's no other way to describe tonight's game than "must win." I don't like to take sides very often.. but a part of me is hoping Maryland loses so that a more deserving team gets in instead.

Prediction: Maryland

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 86-50)

March 8th - UNC at Duke (2-1)

March 5th - Tennessee at Florida (2-1)

March 4th - UNLV at New Mexico (3-0)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)