For the entire month of November, as Ryan Harrow struggled in the opener then missed 17 days and four games because of a mystery illness that has never been explained and a “family issue” that has remained equally unspecified, it was hard to imagine the sophomore point guard being a factor for the University of…
Ryan Harrow has been arguably the Cats’ best player over the past five games
No. 4 Louisville holds off Kentucky, 80-77
Russ Smith scored 21 points and Chane Behanan had 20 and No. 4 Louisville ended a four-game losing streak against rival Kentucky with an up-and-down 80-77 victory on Saturday. Peyton Siva added 19 points as the Cardinals (12-1) won a hard-fought Battle of the Bluegrass. Though the Cardinals trail the series 30-15, their victory followed…
Nerlens Noel on historic defensive pace
Nerlens Noel came to Kentucky as the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruit. He was a skinny, 6-foot-10 kid. He had signature hair (albeit atop his head, not on his face). He had a ridiculous reputation as a shot blocker. So, yeah, folks were going to compare him to Anthony Davis. Which seemed (and sort of still…
Ryan Harrow may be battling more than flu
Former University of Kentucky basketball star John Wall is entering his third season with the Washington Wizards, but he still tracks the Wildcats the way weathermen track storm fronts. “Every game,” Wall said by telephone Friday. “Come on, man. I don’t miss a game.” But Wall, like the rest of the nation, has been unable…
Derek Willis: ‘I didn’t go to UK to start. … I went there to win’
Nearly 10 months ago, Derek Willis stood before a big crowd in the Bullitt East High School library to say he was committing to play basketball for the University of Kentucky instead of with Louisville, Indiana or Purdue. It was a highly anticipated announcement in one of the state’s most closely watched recruitments in years.…
Five star prospect surprised at Kentucky offer but calls it a “blessing”
Back in the early spring, Troy, Mich., five-star wing James Young was telling everybody who would listen that he wanted the University of Kentucky men’s basketballprogram to recruit him. The Wildcats hadn’t previously shown a lot of interest. “Kentucky would be No. 1,” Young told The Courier-Journal in April. “That’s where I want to go. They…
Future Wildcats will hold court in McDonald’s All-Star game tonight
All eyes in the Bluegrass State will be on the men’s basketball Final Four this weekend when Kentucky and Louisville meet in New Orleans. But tonight, UK fans can catch a glimpse of the future. Two Kentucky signees, several recruiting targets and one UK women’s signee will be competing in the McDonald’s All American game…
This time the Wildcats shot free throws like Kyle Macy
When it ended this time, Darius Miller was not on the court being swarmed by a knot of celebrating Indiana University basketball players. When the final seconds ticked away this time, Miller was walking along the University of Kentucky bench hugging all of his coaches and teammates. This is the reason: Beaten by one at…
Kentucky tops Pomeroy ratings, but not Sagarin or RPI
The three primary computer power polls in college basketball have spoken in the aftermath of all the weekend games — and they speak in different languages. You can find Kentucky ranked Number One (Pomeroy) and as low as No 20 — the mostly inferior and relentlessly questionable RPI. Duke tops Jeff Sagarin predictor ratings, followed…
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…