Kentucky

Saturday Afternoon Update: Wall Leads UK to Easy Win

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:28:05 -0500

An update of the day's college basketball action so far:

- John Wall filled up the stat sheet in the Wildcats easy 92-63 win over Rider. Wall paced Kentucky with 21 points, 11 assists, 6 boards, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Patrick Patterson added 19 points and 18 boards.

- Big West title contender Long Beach State picked up a nice road win at Green Bay 81-69. The 49ers next face West Virginia and Texas to finish up a tough stretch to start the season.

- George Washington improved to 3-0 after blowing out UMBC 94-51. Freshman Lasan Kromah continues to impress for GW. The 6-5 guard scored 21 points, including 6 of 9 from three in limited action due to the blowout. GW's been struggling the past couple seasons, but perhaps Kromah will help the turnaround.

- Northeastern came back to topple Utah St 64-61 in a good battle between quality mid-major squads.

- American, coming off back to back tournament trips, fell to 0-4 against FAU 81-69. The Eagles are rebuilding after replacing all 5 starters. 3 of their 4 losses have come at home.

- Oklahoma St put away a somewhat pesky North Texas squad, 82-68. James Anderson led all scorers with 25. On the season, he's averaging 25+ ppg and 11+ rpg.

- Mid-way through the 2nd half, Duke is putting a hurting on Radford 75-46. Duke is 15-26 from three, with 12 minutes left.

Any of today's results interest you? Post your commentary below:

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:39:13 -0500

This is the time of year when college basketball takes a step back in terms of nationally televised games in favor of college football, but there are some intriguing games on the schedule. Kentucky, who's been lights out offensively but hasn't defended at the level that John Calipari desires, hosts a dangerous Rider team licking its wounds following a 79-46 beating at the hands of Virginia. Duke hosts the defending Big South champions in Radford and big men Artsiom Parakhouski and Joey Lynch-Flohr will look to hang with the deep Blue Devil frontcourt.

Five other ranked teams play on Saturday, including #10 Butler (at Evansville) and #17 Oklahoma (at VCU, where Jeff Capel used to coach). The game of the day: that may be Utah State's visit to Northeastern at noon. Both teams (and their leagues) could use a solid resume-building result at this point in the season.

TV GAMES

Rider @ #5 Kentucky - 1PM - ESPN360
East Tennessee State @ #22 Louisville - 4PM - ESPN360
Presbyterian @ #25 Illinois - 8PM - BTN
Georgia @ UAB - 8PM - CSS

OTHER GAMES

Utah State @ Northeastern - Noon
#20 Georgetown @ Savannah State - 1PM
Radford @ #8 Duke - 3PM
Oral Roberts @ Virginia - 2PM
UCF vs. Niagara - 4PM (in Daytona Beach)
Siena @ Temple - 7PM
Marshall @ Old Dominion - 7PM
Oregon @ Portland - 10PM

ONE PREDICTION

Northeastern over Utah State: I really think this could be the game of the day, with the Huskies winning a close one at home. Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh can hold their own inside while perimeter players Matt Janning and Chase Allen are two very dangerous players. Stew Morrill's Aggies usually do a good job in regards to their offensive efficiency, something that usually bodes well in road games. Jared Quayle vs. Janning is one of the better individual matchups as well but look for the Huskies to win by three.

Predictions? Feel free to post them below.

Poll: Best Backcourt in the Country?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:37:13 -0500

SEC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:28:59 -0500

A new era of Kentucky basketball begins, but will the likes of Mississppi St, Tennesse, or Vanderbilt spoil John Calipari's entrance. Perhaps no league is loaded with NBA talent like the SEC.

Conference Rank: 4th

10 year average: 2nd

SEC Page

All-SEC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	John Wall	Kentucky	Fr
G	Devan Downey	South Carolina	Sr
F	Tyler Smith	Tennessee	Sr
F	Patrick Patterson	Kentucky	Jr
F	Tasmin Mitchell	LSU	Sr
Second Team
G	Terrico White	Ole Miss	So
G	Chris Warren	Ole Miss	Jr
G/F	Jeffrey Taylor	Vanderbilt	So
C	AJ Ogilvy	Vanderbilt	Jr
C	Jarvis Varnado	Mississippi St	Sr

Player of the Year - Devan Downey Freshman of the Year - John Wall
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Devan Downey (2nd Team) Patrick Patterson (2nd) John Wall (2nd) Tyler Smith (3rd) Tasmin Mitchell AJ Ogilvy Jarvis Varnado Terrico White All-Freshman Team Kenny Boynton (1st) John Wall (1st) DeMarcus Cousins (2nd) Eric Bledsoe (3rd) John Jenkins		Points: Devan Downey 19.8 Rebounds: Michael Washington 9.8 Assists: Courtney Fortson 5.9 Team: Tennessee 878.4

SEC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

6	Kentucky	SEC	1	NCAA
9	Tennessee	SEC	2	NCAA
23	Mississippi St	SEC	3	NCAA
30	South Carolina	SEC	4	NCAA
32	Mississippi	SEC	5	NCAA
39	Florida	SEC	6	NCAA
47	Vanderbilt	SEC	7	NCAA
63	LSU	SEC	8	NIT
73	Arkansas	SEC	9	NIT
79	Auburn	SEC	10	NIT
96	Alabama	SEC	11	CBI/CIT
180	Georgia	SEC	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the SEC?

Other SEC Content

SEC Fantasy Stats Preview

SEC 5-Year Ranking

SEC: Top 25 Players

SEC Media Poll & All-Conference Team

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Hoops: Monday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:21:39 -0500

Thankfully Monday was a busy night on the schedule even before ESPN's 24-hour marathon (even if you had fantasy football interests Ravens/Browns should not have been an option) and it didn't disappoint either. John Wall made his regular season debut for Kentucky and to say the least the phenom showed why people are touting him as a National POY possibility. And there were other key results on Monday/early Tuesday that could have a long-lasting impact on this season as well.

Three Key Happenings

1. The embarrassment of riches at the point for Kentucky. Eric Bledsoe scored twenty-seven in the Wildcats' season opener, and all John Wall did last night was score nineteen points and knock down the game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 72-70 win over Miami (Ohio). He also had five assists and three steals, and while the five turnovers could stand to decrease you have to like the options that John Calipari has at that position.

2. UCLA can expect to see a lot of zone defenses. The Bruins went 5-for-29 from three in their 68-65 double overtime loss to Cal-State Fullerton. Michael Roll was 3-for-8 from behind the arc, which makes the team's percentage look even worse. And outside of Malcolm Lee, who battled cramps last night, no one had the look of a guy who can create their own offense on the perimeter. Not good.

3. Don't sleep on St. Mary's. Due to the 2 AM start time a lot of people may have missed the Gaels' impressive 80-58 beating of San Diego State, but if you can catch a replay I urge you to tune in. Randy Bennett's team didn't bother to wait for ESPN to switch over (the UCLA game was in overtime), running out to a 25-5 lead and not looking back. Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson may be gone but they've still got Omar Samhan and Mickey McConnell. And freshman Matthew Dellavedova has the look of a future star.

Top Three Games

1. Cal State Fullerton 68, UCLA 65 (2 OT) The Titans picked up their first-ever win over the Bruins in spite of eighteen turnovers, with Aaron Thompson leading the way with twenty-two points and nine rebounds. UCLA simply could not hit an outside shot to save their lives and as it was noted earlier outside of Malcolm Lee they didn't have a creator on the perimeter. Fullerton threw a zone at the Bruins in the win, a look that UCLA should expect to see until they show that guys not named Michael Roll can hit long-range shots.

2. #5 Kentucky 72, Miami (Ohio) 70 It took some heroics from John Wall to ensure the victory for Kentucky, as he hit a pull-up jumper with six seconds remaining to provide the final margin. The RedHawks shot lights out from behind the arc, making fifteen of twenty-six attempts. Nick Winbush made eight, setting the Rupp Arena record for three pointers by an opponent.

3. Norfolk State 72, Maine 71 Kyle O'Quinn's layup with five seconds remaining was the difference in Norfolk as the Spartans came back from a 52-38 deficit with under twelve minutes remaining to knock off the Black Bears. Rob Hampton led the Spartans with seventeen points while Gerald McLemore (Maine) led all scorers with twenty-four.

Three Player Performances

1. F Kyle Singler (Duke) 23 points, 11 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 74-49 win over Coastal Carolina.

2. F Nick Winbush (Miami-Ohio) 26 points (8-10 3PT), 6 rebounds in the RedHawks' 72-70 loss at Kentucky.

3. G A.J. Slaughter (Western Kentucky) 30 points (10-16 FG) in the Hilltoppers' 69-65 win over Milwaukee.

Kentucky Adds Top 50 Prospect Stacey Poole Jr.

Press Release — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:38:10 -0500

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Stacey Poole, Jr. has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Kentucky, Head Coach John Calipari announced on Wednesday.

A senior at Providence High School in Jacksonville, Fla., Poole is ranked the fourth best small forward (27th overall) by Rivals.com recruiting service and the 11th best small forward (58th overall) by Scout.com.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Poole, a first-team All-First Coast selection last season, averaged 17.3 points per game his junior season at Jackson High School.

He is the son of former University of Florida standout Stacey Poole, who still ranks as the Gators' No. 4 all-time scorer with 1,678 points.

Poole is the first signee for the Wildcats of the 2010 class.

College Basketball: Preseason All-America Team

CHN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:50:56 -0500

A pair of Kansas Jayhawks lead the CollegeHoops.net 2009-10 Preseason All-America Teams. Guard Sherron Collins is CHN's Preseason Player of the Year, and is joined on the First Team by big man Cole Aldrich. Luke Harangody, a member of our 2009 All-America Team, is the lone returnee. Three freshmen are on the list in John Wall, Derrick Favors, and Avery Bradley. A handful of players from outside the power conferences are included such as Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Butler's Gordon Hayward. Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue, Texas, and West Virginia have multiple players.

CollegeHoops.net Preseason Player of the Year: Sherron Collins (Kansas)

CollegeHoops.net First Team All-American

Sherron Collins	Kansas	SR	G
Kalin Lucas	Michigan State	JR	G
Evan Turner	Ohio State	JR	G/F
Luke Harangody	Notre Dame	SR	F
Cole Aldrich	Kansas	SR	F

CollegeHoops.net Second Team All-American

John Wall	Kentucky	FR	G
Devan Downey	South Carolina	SR	G
Scottie Reynolds	Villanova	SR	G
Kyle Singler	Duke	JR	F
Patrick Patterson	Kentucky	SO	F

CollegeHoops.net Third Team All-American

Willie Warren	Oklahoma	SO	G
Greivis Vasquez	Maryland	SR	G
Manny Harris	Michigan	JR	G
Tyler Smith	Tennessee	JR	F
Derrick Favors	Georgia Tech	FR	F/C

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team All-American

Jerome Randle	California	SR	G
James Anderson	Oklahoma State	JR	G
Devin Ebanks	West Virginia	SO	F
Craig Brackins	Iowa State	JR	F
Ed Davis	North Carolina	SO	F

Honorable Mention

Al-Farouq Aminu	Wake Forest	SO	F
Luke Babbitt	Nevada	SO	F
Talor Battle	Penn St	JR	G
Trevor Booker	Clemson	JR	G
Avery Bradley	Texas	FR	G
Da'Sean Butler	West Virginia	SR	F
Denis Clemente	Kansas State	SR	G
Malcolm Delaney	Virginia Tech	JR	G
Jimmer Fredette	BYU	JR	G
Gordon Hayward	Butler	SO	G
Robbie Hummel	Purdue	JR	F
Damion James	Texas	SR	F
JaJuan Johnson	Purdue	JR	C
Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	SR	C
Tasmin Mitchell	LSU	SR	F
Greg Monroe	Georgetown	SO	F
AJ Ogilvy	Vanderbilt	SO	F
Larry Sanders	VCU	JR	F
Jon Scheyer	Duke	SR	G
Isaiah Thomas	Washington	SO	G
Jarvis Varnado	Mississippi St	SR	F
Nic Wise	Arizona	SR	G
Terrico White	Ole Miss	SO	G
Chris Wright	Xavier	JR	F

Other CollegeHoops.net Preseason Awards

- Preseason All-Freshman Team

Preseason All-Freshman Team: 2009-10

CHN — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:12:32 -0500

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason All-Freshman Team is led by Kentucky uber-prospect John Wall. Wall's teammates DeMarcus Cousins & Eric Bledsoe also make the 2nd and 3rd team respectively. The list is dominated by power-conference players, but 3 make it from non-BCS leagues: La Salle's Aaric Murray, San Diego St's Kawhi Leonard, and Greg Smith of Fresno State. Besides Kentucky, other teams with multiple players include Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, UNC, Oklahoma, and Texas.

CollegeHoops.net Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year: John Wall (Kentucky)

CollegeHoops.net First Team All-Freshman

John Wall	Kentucky	G
Avery Bradley	Texas	G
Kenny Boynton	Florida	G
Xavier Henry	Kansas	G
Derrick Favors	Georgia Tech	F/C

CollegeHoops.net Second Team All-Freshman

Abdul Gaddy	Washington	G
Lance Stephenson	Cincinnati	G
Keith Gallon	Oklahoma	F
DeMarcus Cousins	Kentucky	C
Mouphtaou Yarou	Villanova	F/C

CollegeHoops.net Third Team All-Freshman

Eric Bledsoe	Kentucky	G
Maurice Creek	Indiana	G
Tommy Mason-Griffin	Oklahoma	G
Jordan Hamilton	Texas	F
Dante Taylor	Pittsburgh	F

CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention All-Freshman

John Henson	UNC	F
Tyler Honeycutt	UCLA	F
John Jenkins	Vanderbilt	G
Wally Judge	Kansas State	F
Ryan Kelly	Duke	F
Kawhi Leonard	San Diego St	F
Aaric Murray	La Salle	F
Kyryl Natyazhko	Arizona	F
Alex Oriakhi	UCONN	C
Mason Plumlee	Duke	F/C
Durand Scott	Miami	G
Greg Smith	Fresno State	F
Peyton Siva	Louisville	G
Michael Snaer	Florida State	G
Dexter Strickland	UNC	G
Hollis Thompson	Georgetown	F
Mfon Udofia	Georgia Tech	G
Derrick Williams	Arizona	G

Other CollegeHoops.net Preseason Awards

SEC Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:28:19 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

SEC

PG
1. Devan Downey - South Carolina
2. John Wall - Kentucky
3. Chris Warren - Ole Miss
4. Courtney Fortson - Arkansas
5. Dee Bost - Mississippi State

SG
1. Terrico White - Ole Miss
2. Kenny Boynton - Florida
3. DeWayne Reed - Auburn
4. Brad Tinsley - Vanderbilt
5. Scotty Hopson - Tennessee

- While Downey is a senior, most of the SEC's top guards are quite young. Wall & Boynton are freshmen, while White, Bost and others are sophomores. Ole Miss has an underrated backcourt now that Warren & Eniel Polynice return from injury to join the improving White.

SF
1. Tyler Smith - Tennessee
2. Jeffrey Taylor - Vanderbilt
3. Dominique Archie - South Carolina
4. Ravern Johnson - Mississippi State
5. Darius Miller - Kentucky

PF
1. Patrick Patterson - Kentucky
2. Tasmin Mitchell - LSU
3. Howard Thompkins - Georgia
4. JaMychal Green - Alabama
5. Michael Washington - Arkansas

C
1. Jarvis Varnado - Mississppi State
2. AJ Ogilvy - Vanderbilt
3. Alex Tyus - Florida
4. Wayne Chism - Tennessee
5. DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky

- The SEC's big man crop is as good as any league out there. Besides the guys listed, you have the potential inclusion of MSU's Renardo Sidney and UK's Daniel Orton. The SF position isn't quite as strong however.

Poll: Who Will Win the 2010 National Championship?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:41 -0500