Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne knows the NCAA championship he helped win at Louisville looks good on his resume, but he knows his NBA experience brings him “instant credibility” that is even more important in recruiting. “What is instant credibility for kids? I want to be a NBA player. The moment you have been in the NBA and are coaching and talking to a kid, you have got his ear,” said Payne. “That’s what they want to hear and be associated with.
Kenny Payne is already nervous about the Kentucky-Louisville game
Former Cat Darnell Dodson arrested
Former Cat Darnell Dodson was arrested in Lexington last night for disorderly contact. Sources say he was involved in a fight off Vine Street. Details will be forthcoming I’m sure.
Terrific story on Terrence Jones – Kentucky is home
The moment he picked up the phone, Kentucky coach John Calipari could sense Terrence Jones was crying. Less than an hour earlier, during a press conference at Jefferson High School in Portland, Ore., the 6-foot-9 Jones had revealed his plans to sign a basketball scholarship with the University of Washington.
Questions linger on the eligibility of Enes Kanter
Three days before official practice begins, Kentucky’s national title hopes could hinge on the freshman center Enes Kanter, a star recruit from Turkey whose eligibility remains in question. Kanter played for the senior club of Fenerbahce Ulker, a top team in a professional basketball league in Turkey.
Doron Lamb: Not a Culture Shock at UK
You would think Lexington Kentucky would be a culture shock for someone from New York City. Not Doron Lamb, who played his high school basketball at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson Virginia. Population 1,600. “Back in Oak Hill there was nothing else to do except play basketball and go to school. There were no stores, no people. You see the same people everyday,” said Lamb.
1967: Adolph Rupp not ready to retire
Many basketball coaches around the country would gladly settle for a .500 season. But not Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, the recognized Baron of Basketball and the winningest coach active on the collegiate scene today. Opponents naturally chortled when the Wildcats wound up their worst season ever back in March with a 13-13 record but the smile…
Deandre Liggins turns game around, now integral part of Kentucky attack
Arguably one of the most misunderstood basketball Wildcats in recent memory has to be DeAndre Liggins. A highly-rated wing player coming out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Liggins was that one recruit with incredible length and agility that drew comparisons to greats like Scotty Pippen.
Kentucky freshman Brandon Knight is Wildcats’ workhorse
Efrem Knight works graveyard shifts as an engineer for Florida East Coast Railways, transporting cargo sometimes for 12 hours at time. So don’t tell his son Brandon, a heralded freshman point guard at the University of Kentucky, how hard it is to balance basketball and academics.
NCAA officially closes case on Eric Bledsoe
From Jerry Tipton: “The NCAA announced on Tuesday that it is officially closing its review of former Kentucky player Eric Bledsoe. “On Monday, we reached out to Birmingham school district officials to officially confirm they do not plan to take any further action regarding Eric Bledsoe,” NCAA spokesman Chuck Wynne wrote in an e-mail. “They…
Wayne Turner joins men’s basketball staff
Kentucky head coach John Calipari is pleased to announce the addition of former UK guard Wayne Turner to the 2010-11 men’s basketball staff. Turner, who is currently finishing his undergraduate degree at UK, will assist pre-, during and post-practice and primarily focus on working with UK’s guards. Read full article here.