The kid was only 5 years old, but he could dribble a basketball and shoot it. There’d been a ball in Doron Lamb’s hands since he was 2 years old, so his knack for the game was no surprise, but his mother couldn’t help but marvel at how confident he looked on the court one particular day in Brooklyn, N.Y. “He was 5 years old playing with 15-year-olds, and he really thought, ‘We’re all equals here,’ ” Brigitte Grant said. “It was really funny.”
Three future Cats in running for Naismith Player of the Year
Three highly touted high school basketball players that have signed to play at Kentucky next year are finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award. Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague, all of whom have signed nationall letters of intent with UK, made the 10-player watch list for the award. The watch list was comprised by leading basketball journalists from around the country who form the national voting academy and identify players under consideration for the award.
Kentucky is Dick Vitale’s Team of the Week
From Dick Vitale: “The Wildcats scored a pair of big wins, beating Notre Dame and Indiana. John Calipari’s team saw its two diaper dandies, Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight get into foul trouble against the Hoosiers. A strong finish led the ‘Cats to the winner’s circle.”
Brandon Knight named SEC Freshman of the Week
University of Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight on Monday was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week. Knight averaged 19 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in UK’s wins against Notre Dame and Indiana. Knight was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line against the Hoosiers and has made 19 of his past 20 free-throw attempts. Through nine games, Knight is averaging 17.4 points, 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Tennessee’s Scotty Hopson, a junior from Hopkinsville, Ky., was named SEC Player of the Week. Hopson scored 27 points in the Volunteers’ win against Pittsburgh last Saturday.
Kentucky basketball’s quiet giant making big impression
You’d probably figure that, given everything University of Kentucky freshman Terrence Jones has done this season, and all the attention he’s getting, he’d have been the one guy who occupied the most time in Indiana University’s preparation. You’d be wrong. Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said the defensive game plan was just to take Jones away. And in large part IU did, holding Jones to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in Saturday’s 81-62 UK victory in Rupp Arena.
Deandre Liggins rediscovers true colors in Indiana win
DeAndre Liggins, you remember him, right? You know, the guy that used to dive on the floor, scrap for every ball and provide the spark when Kentucky needed to bring the fire? That guy returned Saturday night in Kentucky’s 81-62 win over Indiana. “This is my first game that I actually played like I did last year, bringing the energy, diving on the floor,” Liggins said. “I just felt like I played today like I did last year.”
Boxscore and Game Notes: Kentucky vs. Indiana
Boxscore and Game Notes: Kentucky vs. Indiana
Kentucky closes with 25-5 run, whacks Indiana (with video)
DeAndre Liggins scored a career-high 19 points, Brandon Knight added 18 points and six rebounds and No. 17 Kentucky bulled its way past Indiana, 81-62, on Saturday. Josh Harrellson added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats (7-2), who continued their dominance in the once-heated rivalry by shutting down the Hoosiers in the second half.
Kentucky tall order for Hoosiers
Victor Oladipo’s Facebook status Friday said it all very succinctly. “Can’t stop thinking about Saturday,” the Indiana University freshman wrote. Even though IU (7-1) is a decided underdog when it travels to face Kentucky (6-2) at Rupp Arena in Lexington today, there has been a buzz in the air in Bloomington all week at practice. “I get excited about every game, but being an Indiana kid, and having played in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series, there’s no doubt this is a big one…”
Cats host Hoosiers in border rivalry
The Wildcats return to Rupp Arena for only the third time in nearly a month, hosting border rival Indiana. Kentucky enters the game off a 72-58 victory over 23rd-ranked Notre Dame, handing the Irish their first loss of the season. Terrence Jones led the Wildcats with his fifth double-double of the season, producing monster numbers with 27 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Brandon Knight was the only other Wildcat in double-figures with 20 points, his fourth 20-point effort this season.