Kentucky Wins Battle for the Bluegrass

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Brandon Knight scored 25 points and Josh Harrellson added a career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds as No. 11 Kentucky defeated No. 22 Louisville 78-63 on Friday.

The Wildcats (11-2) used their size to improve to 2-0 against their rivals since John Calipari became head coach. Kentucky dominated the smaller Cardinals (11-2) in the lane behind the stellar play of Harrellson, who took advantage while Louisville focused on Terrence Jones.

Harrellson and the Wildcats controlled the glass, particularly on the offensive end.

Preston Knowles led the Cardinals with 22 points and Chris Smith had 15 points and six rebounds. Louisville went through a long dry spell spanning the first and second halves, allowing the Wildcats to build an 18-point lead they would not relinquish.

A rare 3-pointer by Harrellson gave Kentucky a 44-26 lead early in the second half before the Cardinals finally sprang to life.

Louisville hit nine straight shots while slicing the lead to 59-49, but the Cardinals couldn't get any stops.

Whenever Kentucky appeared to be in even a hint of trouble, the ball would end up in the hands of Knight. The freshman star lacks predecessor John Wall's athleticism, but is a stellar floor general.

---

More Coverage: Harrellson Takes Center Stage

---

He ran Kentucky's dribble-drive with precision, pulling up for a 3-pointer (finishing 4 of 6) when the defense sagged off him or dishing it to a teammate after slicing through the lane.

Often the ball would make its way into the hands of Harrellson. The senior, a leftover from the Billy Gillispie-era, has blossomed this winter under Calipari.

While the Cardinals threw two or three bodies trying to limit Jones - who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds - it left Harrellson open. He dunked several times, hit an open jumper or two and was never rattled.

Heady territory for a player who had his Twitter privileges suspended by Calipari before the season began for venting frustration at the coach's alleged inability to offer him praise.

Calipari punished Harrellson by ordering an additional 30 minutes of conditioning before practice. It helped get the affable 6-foot-10 Harrellson into the best shape of his life. He's provided the Wildcats with the inside presence they've needed while heralded freshman center Enes Kanter waits to see if he'll be ruled eligible by the NCAA.

Kentucky shot 51 percent from the floor, turned it over just 13 times and never lost its poise during the series' first game inside Louisville's sparkling new downtown arena.

The Cardinals never got closer than nine points in the second half, with Jones effectively sealing it with a lay-up in traffic that gave Kentucky a 69-52 lead.

Both sides pledged a more genteel approach this time after last year's ugly 71-62 Kentucky win, a game featuring 51 fouls, five technicals and a couple of wrestling matches.

Things weren't nearly as chippy this time. There were no technicals and only one instance where referees stepped in between players. That doesn't mean it wasn't intense, at least early. Both teams played erratically in spots and out of control in others.

Yet there was little doubt once things settled about who was in control. Kentucky's size and talent rendered Louisville's smaller lineup ineffective.

Kentucky forward DeAndre Liggins swarmed the point guard, making it difficult for the Cardinal to get into any kind of offensive flow. If Louisville couldn't get a 3-pointer or a pick-and-roll, it stalled.

The Cardinals led by six early and Kentucky appeareed to be in trouble when sixth man Doron Lamb went to the bench with two fouls in the first half. Instead, the Wildcats picked up the pace.

Kentucky outscored Louisville 29-12 over the final 14:10 of the half to take a 35-24 lead into the break. The Wildcats were on their way to their sixth straight win. 

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.


By FanHouse Newswire
ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com

Kentucky - Game Analysis

Center: Josh Harrellson vs. Gorgui Dieng

Believe it or not, Dieng is a very serviceable center. He is very long and athletic, and runs the floor like a deer. Long, lean, athletic and with reasonably good hands if not a big body, Dieng is much more capable than I would have expected at this point in the season.

That being said, Josh Harrellson (no matter what you may have thought of him at the beginning of the year) is quite possibly the biggest surprise on either squad. Harrellson has dedicated his game to doing the little things that help the team, like blocking out, getting offensive rebounds, and playing tough post defense. Harrellson has learned at the knee of one of the best unavailable college basketball players in the country, Enes Kanter, and he has learned a lot.

Glenn Logan

aseaofblue.com 

Does today’s NCAA release not bode well for Kanter?

Eammon Brennan of espn.com takes a look at the NCAA’s release this afternoon defending its rulings in the Cameron Newton and Ohio State cases, and sees something that may not bode well for Enes Kanter.

In the release, the NCAA says:

Put simply, had Cam Newton’s father or a third party actually received money or benefits for his recruitment, Cam Newton would have been declared ineligible regardless of his lack of knowledge.

Brennan’s take:

Why does this matter for Kentucky and Enes Kanter? Because Kentucky’s current case for Kanter’s eligibility is based on the idea that Kanter is just like Newton: His parents may have been organizing and/or receiving benefits for their son’s talent, but the son didn’t know about it, and that makes it OK. That’s the “new information” Kentucky presented to the NCAA to land a second hearing and a second chance at getting its all-important Turkish big man eligible.

With the quoted portion above, the NCAA seems to have squashed that notion, albeit indirectly. Kentucky, the Kanters and the NCAA have all agreed to the basic fact that Kanter did receive about $30,000 for his time with a club team in Turkey. Whether he knew about that monetary exchange or not doesn’t seem to matter. All that matters, apparently, is whether money was exchanged at all.

(Hat tip Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog)

John Clay

johnclay.bloginky.com

Does NCAA release shed light on Kanter?

The NCAA is tired of your insinuations.

That's the message at the heart of this release, which the NCAA published Wednesday. After widespread criticism of the Cam Newton decision, as well as the decision to suspend Ohio State football players from five games next season but not from this year's bowl game, the NCAA apparently felt the need to respond to the haters. It's a bit defensive, a bit doth-protest-too-much (and it's "further", not "farther," NCAA PR folks) but you can understand the frustration.

In any case, there's at least one interested hoops-related nugget wedged in there, a bit of information that could have a large effect on the way Kentucky forward Enes Kanter's eligibility case is eventually decided in the coming weeks. From the release: 

While efforts are being championed by NCAA President Mark Emmert to further clarify and strengthen recruiting and amateurism rules when benefits or money are solicited (but not received), current NCAA rules would be violated and students declared ineligible should a parent or third party receive benefits or money, regardless of the student's knowledge.

Put simply, had Cam Newton's father or a third party actually received money or benefits for his recruitment, Cam Newton would have been declared ineligible regardless of his lack of knowledge.

Why does this matter for Kentucky and Enes Kanter? Because UK's current case for Kanter's eligibility is based on the idea that Kanter is just like Newton: His parents may have been organizing and/or receiving benefits for their son's talent, but the son didn't know about it, and that makes it OK. That's the "new information" Kentucky presented to the NCAA to land a second hearing and a second chance at getting its all-important Turkish big man eligible.

With the quoted portion above, the NCAA seems to have squashed that notion, albeit indirectly. Kentucky, the Kanters and the NCAA have all agreed to the basic fact that Kanter did receive about $30,000 for his time with a club team in Turkey. Whether he knew about that monetary exchange or not doesn't seem to matter. All that matters, apparently, is whether money was exchanged at all.

In other words, Kanter's eligibility case isn't looking good. We'll have to wait until the NCAA finishes its hearing and releases its decision, of course, but the Cam Newton Loophole, in so far as it exists, no longer seems to apply.

Why isn’t NCAA vacating Ohio State’s football seasons?

AOL FanHouse’s Clay Travis, an attorney who can also write, makes an arresting case for just how illogical and inconsistent the NCAA has been with its 2010 rulings. The grid-obsessed Travis makes no mention of Enes Kanter, but he does bring up an interesting question about Ohio State football and the word “vacate”, as in vacating a season for playing an ineligible player.

An excerpt:

4. Why isn’t Ohio State’s entire 2009 and 2010 season vacated?

This is the second part of the NCAA ruling, the one no one has questioned. If playing with ineligible players leads to vacated wins, why isn’t Ohio State being forced to vacate its past two football seasons when ineligible players, by its own admission, took the field?

The NCAA says the players didn’t gain a competitive advantage. Okay, gotcha. But did Alabama gain a competitive advantage when its players resold textbooks? Did that make them better at tackling or catching? Of course not. But it was an improper benefit.

So why did Alabama vacate 21 wins in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07 and Ohio State vacates none?

How can you reconcile this?

You can’t.

Think John Calipari might be asking the same question?

John Clay

johnclay.bloginky.com

Morning Five: 12.29.10 Edition

...


5.  A few days ago we had some fun at Joe Lunardi’s expense based on his ridiculous early assertion that both Gonzaga and Butler may have played themselves out of the NCAA Tournament by early December, but his list of 37 thoughts (ESPN Insider again, sorry) is worth a look even if most of them aren’t particularly insightful or earth-shattering. The most interesting thing in there is that he think that Kentucky will get a #1 seed. . .in the NCAA Tournament. If he is right, I will have to tip my hat even if I will ridicule some of his other assertions as I don’t think you will find even the most delusional Wildcat fan who would agree with this team of being deserving of a #1 seed based on their play this season and Lunardi does not even seem to be insinuating that he thinks that Enes Kanter might be coming back to play for the Wildcats this season.


rushthecourt.net

2011 NBA Draft Big Board v 2.0: Holiday Edition

If you missed Part 1 (see it here). I will supplement this board with some thoughts on a few players and a few links to my site when appropriate. Comments always accepted.

Some assumptions before you get to the list:

- This is a list of all eligible draft players and assumes all will enter the draft.

- This is not a mock draft but a big board of the best prospects available, ranked by talent.

1) Kyrie Irving, Duke, G (Freshman) (rising): Even though he is injured now, I think he is the most NBA ready player in this draft. Great at getting to the rim (seen here).

2) Perry Jones, Baylor, F (Freshman) (steady): Athleticism through the roof, has not had to show too much yet with strong team against weak competition.

3) Harrison Barnes, UNC, F (Freshman) (falling): Has not yet proved the hype yet but potential is still there. I am a little worried about him turning into Marvin Williams, but not ready to quit on him yet. Needs to be more aggressive (here),

4) Jonas Valanciunas, C (18) (rising)

5) Enes Kanter, unknown, C (18) (rising)

6) Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, F (Freshman): I am not as high on Sullinger as other people. He has put up numbers but he has not showed me he has the moves to do it at the next level. If he gets two feet in the paint, he can score in college but can he replicate that in the pros? (here)

7) Terrence Jones, Kentucky, F (Freshman) (rising): Jones is one of the freshman I have been most impressed with so far. His footwork is polished (here) and he can score in a variety of ways.

8) Donatas Motiejunas, F (20) (falling)

9) Josh Selby, Kanses, G (Freshman) (falling): Selby has shown he is a great player but others have had more time to prove it.

10) Kemba Walker, UConn, G (Junior) (falling): Leading contender for player of the year right now. Probably second best player at getting to the rim (here)

11) Mason Plumlee, Duke, F (Sophomore) (rising): One of the best big man passers in the nation (here)

12) John Henson, UNC, F (Sophomore) (rising)

13) Jan Vesely. 20, F (falling)

14) Marcus Morris, Kansas, F (Junior) (rising)

15) Jordan Hamilton, Texas, G (Sophomore) (rising)

16) Chris Singleton, FSU, F (Junior) (rising)

17) Derrick Williams, Arizona, F (Freshman) (rising)

18) Kris Joseph, Syracuse, F (Junior) (falling): Still higher on him than most people but he is starting to slip. Players that come out of Syracuse always seem to be weak in terms of NBA defense.

19) Mouphtaou Yarou , Villanova, F (Sophomore) (rising): I expect him to stay another year but potential is there.

20) Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA, F (Sophomore) (rising)

21) Brandon Knight, Kentucky, G (Freshman) (falling)

22) Trey Thompkins, Georgia, F (Sophomore) (falling)

23) Nolan Smith, Duke, G (Senior) (rising)

24) CJ Leslie, NC State, G (Freshman) (falling)

25) Fab Melo, Syracuse, F (Freshman) (falling): Melo has been a great disappointment so far this season. He has showed me little to prove that he is a NBA player so far.

26) Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt, F (Junior) (falling)

27) Travis Leslie, Georgia,F (Junior) (rising)

28) Elias Harris, Gonzaga, F (Sophomore) (falling): Hampered by injury so far this season, starting to show some flashes of why he was highly touted in preseason.

29) Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, F (Senior) (rising): A bit undersized but would be a very valuable asset with rebounding and hustle off the bench.

30) Rodney Williams, Minnesota, F (Sophomore) (rising)

31) Kyle Singler, Duke, F (Senior) (falling): Singler is taking a backseat to Smith and Irving (when healthy) on offense so far this season.

32) Alec Burks, Colorado, G (Sophomore) (falling)

33) Tyler Zeller, UNC, F (Junior) (rising)

34) Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas, G (Junior) (falling)

35) Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State, F (Sophomore) (falling)

36) Tobias Harris, Tennessee, F (Freshman) (rising)

37) Demetri McCamey, Illinois, G (Senior) (rising)

38) Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech, G (Junior) (rising)

39) Patric Young, Florida, F (Freshman) (rising)

40) Aaric Murray, La Salle, F (Sophomore) (falling)

41) Scotty Hopson, Tennessee, F (Junior) (rising)

42) Shelvin Mack, Butler, G (Junior) (falling)

43) Keith Benson, Oakland, F (Senior) (falling)

44) David Lighty, Ohio State, G (Senior) (rising)

45) JuJuan Johnson, Purdue, F (Senior) (falling)

46) Klay Thompson, Washington State, G (Junior) (falling)

47) Jimmer Freddette, BYU, G (Senior) (falling)

48) Malcolm Lee, UCLA, G (Junior) (falling)

49) Wesley Witherspoon, Memphis, F (Junior) (falling)

50) William Buford, Ohio State, G (Junior) (rising)

51) Jon Leuer, Wisconsin, F (Senior) (rising)

52) Chandler Parsons, Florida, G (Senior) (falling)

53) Kevin Jones, West Virginia, F (Junior) (falling)

54) Lavoy Allen, Temple, F (Senior) (falling)

55) LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor, G (Senior) (falling)

56) Jeremy Tyler, F, 19, (falling)

57) DJ Kennedy, St, John's, F (Senior) (falling)

58) Quincy Acy, Baylor, F (Junior) (rising)

59) Kalin Lucas, Michigan State, G (Senior) (falling)

60) Gilbert Brown, Pitt, F (Senior) (rising)

Players who fell off include (but not limited to): Robert Sacre, Gonzaga, Renardo Sidney, Mississippi State,Durrell Summers, Michigan State

by JoshuaR 

ridiculousupside.com