Stacey Poole: “This is my decision”

Stacey Poole Sr. has made his son’s possible transfer a different type of story by saying he would make the decision himself.  Stacey Poole Jr. tweeted out something that sounds a little different:  “Thanks for all the support from the #BBN an to everbody out there thats supporting me, This is my decision an im…

Maturity, experience hope to push Terrence Jones to greatness

The idea — or maybe more accurately, the hope — was to take the all-boy bundle of energy and tire him out.  Run him like you would a golden retriever puppy.  And so Ava Mashia would pack everything she could get her hands on — football, basketball, tennis racket, baseball and bat — and grab…

Stacey Poole’s father wants to discuss possible transfer from UK basketball

The University of Kentucky basketball team might be losing sophomore guard Stacey Poole Jr. if his father has his way. Stacey Poole Sr., upset over a lack of playing time, said he will fly to Lexington this weekend to discuss his son’s future with him.  “He’s a battler. He’s not thinking about leaving. But it’s…

Transylvania players vividly recall 1952 scrimmage

Transylvania University

According to official records, Kentucky and Transylvania have not competed in basketball since March 3, 1911. That 100-year gap closes when the teams play an exhibition game Wednesday in Rupp Arena.  But lost in time is a scrimmage the teams staged in 1952.  As might be expected, this competition made life-long memories for Transy’s players.…

Kentucky commit Willie Cauley discovers it’s OK to stand out

For a guy who doesn’t like to stand out, Willie Cauley continues to make decisions to separate himself from the crowd.  The latest? His pledge, confirmed Monday by Cauley, to sign with Kentucky next week as the early period opens for basketball.  “They have everything,” Cauley said. “My thing was, do I have the confidence,…

Defeat and failure to me are enemies…

In Basketball, as in all phases of human endeavor, there are certain laws that govern and regulate the pattern that measures success and failure. In the business world there have been many men of outstanding talents who have molded large corporations into world leadership. This is true in religion, in education and also in sports.…

Original Old School: A Man Called Horse

Some guys just have to keep proving themselves. Take Dan Issel. The University of Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer, the 6-9 Issel averaged 33.9 ppg and 13.2 rpg his senior year to lead the Wildcats to a 27-2 record and the top of the regular-season polls. Still, NBA scouts considered his future shaky, dubbing him too…

Kentucky eyes title with mix of veterans, freshmen

John Calipari embraces being a player’s first college coach and he has yet another crop of talented freshmen eager to end Kentucky’s national championship drought.  Going into his third season, Calipari also has some veterans returning to help ease the path back to a second straight Final Four for the Wildcats, ranked No. 2 in…

Kentucky ranked 2nd in AP preseason poll

The UK men’s basketball team checks in at No. 2 in the newly released Associated Press preseason Top 25.  It marks the second time in the John Calipari Era that Kentucky ranks in the top 10 in the AP’s preseason poll. The Cats checked in at fourth in Calipari’s inaugural year.  It also marks the…

On this day in Kentucky basketball history…

Marquis Estill totaled 28 points and Keith Bogans scored 24 as Kentucky held its annual Blue/White Scrimmage before 2,300 fans at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.  Coach Tubby Smith interchanged his Cats between both teams but it was Estill’s play early that led the White squad to a 104-78 victory. Estill, who missed his freshman season…