Which UK basketball players are returning to UK and will make them a better team next year? Well, we know Derrick Jasper is leaving and that does hurt, but UK has some great talent returning. UK has Meeks, who is one of the best UK players on the team, at guard and I believe Porter will continue to improve under Gillispie and become a sharp shooter.
Two freshmen that stick out to me are Andre Liggins and Darius Miller. Both of these UK basketball players are unselfish and very coachable. I notice that Billy Gillispie really loves players, who are coachable and team players. If you're not, you simply don't play for Gillispie no matter how talented you are. We saw that last year when Gillispie was sitting Bradley and Crawford on the bench because he didn't feel like they were playing his style of basketball.
These two freshmen along with Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson give UK a great nucleus for the next few years. UK basketball players are known to overachieve just because of the name they're representing. There is something about putting on a UK jersey that elevates play to another level. This, plus the rigorous conditioning and effort that Billy Gillispie implements will deliver results next year that exceed this year's team performance.
Next season's UK basketball players also have a lot to prove to themselves and fans. It's been noted on several occasions that players are not happy with last year's performance. Getting eliminated in the first round of the tournament is not satisfactory for UK basketball players during any time in history.
That's just the way it is for UK basketball players. Some pundits and sports fans say UK fans are irrational. Some say the same thing about the New York Yankees franchise. Expectations are large, and UK basketball players have a way of meeting those expectations year in, year out.
Click Here for Original Article
Friday, January 2, 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
UK vs Longwood Notes
Hey, it's a win....
It seems that all players improved tonight. Darius Miller continues to look great and Patrick Patterson is starting to turn things around.
Darius has unbelievable maturity and you can tell he's coached very well. He looks like the Randall Cobb of UK basketball! This guy will become one of the UK greats and a fan favorite by the time he leaves. He is a coach's dream.
Liggins continues to gain confidence and Billy Gillispie is forcing him to shoot more. He is just too quick and too good of a floor general to keep off the court. I really think he needs to start soon and Porter needs more time on the pine. Nothing against Porter, but he's just not going to get the job done for UK as a point guard. Keep Liggins in and take some hits as a Freshman. It's going to pay off in the end.
I heard Coach Gillispie talk after the game. He said that Harris and Harrelson need to be tougher. He's always emphasizing toughness and I think this will end up being a fantastic defensive basketball team.
It's good we've got some of these cupcakes on the schedule so we can gain some confidence going into the SEC schedule.
Go Big Blue!
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
It seems that all players improved tonight. Darius Miller continues to look great and Patrick Patterson is starting to turn things around.
Darius has unbelievable maturity and you can tell he's coached very well. He looks like the Randall Cobb of UK basketball! This guy will become one of the UK greats and a fan favorite by the time he leaves. He is a coach's dream.
Liggins continues to gain confidence and Billy Gillispie is forcing him to shoot more. He is just too quick and too good of a floor general to keep off the court. I really think he needs to start soon and Porter needs more time on the pine. Nothing against Porter, but he's just not going to get the job done for UK as a point guard. Keep Liggins in and take some hits as a Freshman. It's going to pay off in the end.
I heard Coach Gillispie talk after the game. He said that Harris and Harrelson need to be tougher. He's always emphasizing toughness and I think this will end up being a fantastic defensive basketball team.
It's good we've got some of these cupcakes on the schedule so we can gain some confidence going into the SEC schedule.
Go Big Blue!
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
Friday, October 3, 2008
UK Basketball Recruiting - It's a Mystery
UK basketball recruiting has not really picked up like I expected it to under Billy Gillispie. Yes, UK has signed Andre Liggins and Darius Miller, but I expected UK recruiting to be getting a lot more interest from some of the top McDonald's all-Americans by this time.
I noticed UK basketball recruiting has involved a lot of junior college players recently. Nothing against these players, but there is just not enough data to show these recruits pay off very often. I guess beggars can't be choosers sometimes. I have no doubt Billy Gillispie is trying to take UK basketball recruiting to the next level.
Nobody has really mentioned that UK basketball recruiting has been effected by replacing a black head coach with a white head coach. Now, this doesn't cause any concern to me. I know that Tubby Smith was treated like royalty at UK and he got the respect he deserved, but I have to believe there are many African American players that may not like the fact UK chose to hire a white coach after Tubby Smith left. I hope this doesn't effect Kentucky recruiting because it shouldn't.
Coach Smith definitely had an advantage with some recruits at UK because he was African American so we will see if Billy Gillispie and UK basketball recruiting can quickly regain some of the top recruits' attention at UK. I know he has already garnered the attention of a few top profile recruits, but this coaching change and its effect on the Kentucky Wildcats basketball hasn't been fully absorbed yet.
I believe Billy Gillispie will start to lock up all the top in-state talent because he works harder than Pitino as a recruiter and his down-home Texas style will be very appealing to many Kentucky high school players and their families. In addition, after watching the improvement of Crawford and Bradley under Coach Gillispie, players are going to soon discover they can elevate their games tremendously under Coach Gillispie who develops talent as good as any coach in America. This will also boost UK basketball recruiting.
Billy Gillispie could form some truly amazing teams at UK once he gets top talent at the University of Kentucky. This could be the best UK basketball recruiting we've ever seen.
http://ezinearticles.com/?UK-Basketball-Recruiting&id=1245577
I noticed UK basketball recruiting has involved a lot of junior college players recently. Nothing against these players, but there is just not enough data to show these recruits pay off very often. I guess beggars can't be choosers sometimes. I have no doubt Billy Gillispie is trying to take UK basketball recruiting to the next level.
Nobody has really mentioned that UK basketball recruiting has been effected by replacing a black head coach with a white head coach. Now, this doesn't cause any concern to me. I know that Tubby Smith was treated like royalty at UK and he got the respect he deserved, but I have to believe there are many African American players that may not like the fact UK chose to hire a white coach after Tubby Smith left. I hope this doesn't effect Kentucky recruiting because it shouldn't.
Coach Smith definitely had an advantage with some recruits at UK because he was African American so we will see if Billy Gillispie and UK basketball recruiting can quickly regain some of the top recruits' attention at UK. I know he has already garnered the attention of a few top profile recruits, but this coaching change and its effect on the Kentucky Wildcats basketball hasn't been fully absorbed yet.
I believe Billy Gillispie will start to lock up all the top in-state talent because he works harder than Pitino as a recruiter and his down-home Texas style will be very appealing to many Kentucky high school players and their families. In addition, after watching the improvement of Crawford and Bradley under Coach Gillispie, players are going to soon discover they can elevate their games tremendously under Coach Gillispie who develops talent as good as any coach in America. This will also boost UK basketball recruiting.
Billy Gillispie could form some truly amazing teams at UK once he gets top talent at the University of Kentucky. This could be the best UK basketball recruiting we've ever seen.
http://ezinearticles.com/?UK-Basketball-Recruiting&id=1245577
Thursday, July 17, 2008
UK Basketball Recruiting
UK basketball recruiting has not really picked up like I expected it to under Billy Gillispie. Yes, UK has signed Andre Liggins and Darius Miller, but I expected UK recruiting to be getting a lot more interest from some of the top McDonald's all-Americans by this time.
I noticed UK basketball recruiting has involved a lot of junior college players recently. Nothing against these players, but there is just not enough data to show these recruits pay off very often. I guess beggars can't be choosers sometimes. I have no doubt Billy Gillispie is trying to take UK basketball recruiting to the next level.
Nobody has really mentioned that UK basketball recruiting has been effected by replacing a black head coach with a white head coach. Now, this doesn't cause any concern to me. I know that Tubby Smith was treated like royalty at UK and he got the respect he deserved, but I have to believe there are many African American players that may not like the fact UK chose to hire a white coach after Tubby Smith left. I hope this doesn't effect Kentucky recruiting because it shouldn't.
Coach Smith definitely had an advantage with some recruits at UK because he was African American so we will see if Billy Gillispie and UK basketball recruiting can quickly regain some of the top recruits' attention at UK. I know he has already garnered the attention of a few top profile recruits, but this coaching change and its effect on the Kentucky Wildcats basketball hasn't been fully absorbed yet.
I believe Billy Gillispie will start to lock up all the top in-state talent because he works harder than Pitino as a recruiter and his down-home Texas style will be very appealing to many Kentucky high school players and their families. In addition, after watching the improvement of Crawford and Bradley under Coach Gillispie, players are going to soon discover they can elevate their games tremendously under Coach Gillispie who develops talent as good as any coach in America. This will also boost UK basketball recruiting.
Billy Gillispie could form some truly amazing teams at UK once he gets top talent at the University of Kentucky. This could be the best UK basketball recruiting we've ever seen.
See Original Article Here
I noticed UK basketball recruiting has involved a lot of junior college players recently. Nothing against these players, but there is just not enough data to show these recruits pay off very often. I guess beggars can't be choosers sometimes. I have no doubt Billy Gillispie is trying to take UK basketball recruiting to the next level.
Nobody has really mentioned that UK basketball recruiting has been effected by replacing a black head coach with a white head coach. Now, this doesn't cause any concern to me. I know that Tubby Smith was treated like royalty at UK and he got the respect he deserved, but I have to believe there are many African American players that may not like the fact UK chose to hire a white coach after Tubby Smith left. I hope this doesn't effect Kentucky recruiting because it shouldn't.
Coach Smith definitely had an advantage with some recruits at UK because he was African American so we will see if Billy Gillispie and UK basketball recruiting can quickly regain some of the top recruits' attention at UK. I know he has already garnered the attention of a few top profile recruits, but this coaching change and its effect on the Kentucky Wildcats basketball hasn't been fully absorbed yet.
I believe Billy Gillispie will start to lock up all the top in-state talent because he works harder than Pitino as a recruiter and his down-home Texas style will be very appealing to many Kentucky high school players and their families. In addition, after watching the improvement of Crawford and Bradley under Coach Gillispie, players are going to soon discover they can elevate their games tremendously under Coach Gillispie who develops talent as good as any coach in America. This will also boost UK basketball recruiting.
Billy Gillispie could form some truly amazing teams at UK once he gets top talent at the University of Kentucky. This could be the best UK basketball recruiting we've ever seen.
See Original Article Here
Sunday, June 15, 2008
U of K Football on the Rise
U of K football is progressing under the same coaching staff that was almost fired a few short years ago. Rich Brooks endured some major pain and heartache with many Kentuckians calling for his ouster after he arrived.
It was unbelievable to me that so many U of K fans acted like idiots with no knowledge of football whatsoever. It made no difference to many U of K fans the U of K football program was in the middle of probation and struggling to regain any kind of recruiting success. Not sure why, but players like Andre Woodson chose to join U of K and help turn around the program.
If it wasn’t for players like Woodson, Woodyard, and Burton, the U of K rebuilding process would have taken so much longer. I know these guys, including Tamme have gotten a lot of praise, but when you analyze the U of K situation a few years ago, they truly deserve all the praise they’ve gotten. Now U of K football is on a different track that should continue to get better with more talent and experience on the team.
U of K football fans are also getting more excited each season with wins over teams like LSU and UL. The fans have also been making a great showing at the bowl games getting behind the Cats for the last two years. Expect more from U of K football. I believe this trend will continue. I always believed U of K football was a sleeping giant because there’s a lot of high school talent in the state of Kentucky.
In addition U of K football has a lot to promote. The Cats have some of the best practice facilities, academic support is great with the CATS center, and the campus is beautiful. Players also graduate at a high rate when leaving U of K football.
It was unbelievable to me that so many U of K fans acted like idiots with no knowledge of football whatsoever. It made no difference to many U of K fans the U of K football program was in the middle of probation and struggling to regain any kind of recruiting success. Not sure why, but players like Andre Woodson chose to join U of K and help turn around the program.
If it wasn’t for players like Woodson, Woodyard, and Burton, the U of K rebuilding process would have taken so much longer. I know these guys, including Tamme have gotten a lot of praise, but when you analyze the U of K situation a few years ago, they truly deserve all the praise they’ve gotten. Now U of K football is on a different track that should continue to get better with more talent and experience on the team.
U of K football fans are also getting more excited each season with wins over teams like LSU and UL. The fans have also been making a great showing at the bowl games getting behind the Cats for the last two years. Expect more from U of K football. I believe this trend will continue. I always believed U of K football was a sleeping giant because there’s a lot of high school talent in the state of Kentucky.
In addition U of K football has a lot to promote. The Cats have some of the best practice facilities, academic support is great with the CATS center, and the campus is beautiful. Players also graduate at a high rate when leaving U of K football.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
U of K Basketball - Is UK Basketball Bigger than the SEC?
I have to believe U of K basketball is on the rise under Coach Billy Gillispie. U of K fans have been frustrated recently with an inability to reach the Final Four. Tubby Smith left the program very dispirited and they’ve been struggling to recover ever since.
Coach Gillispie is knows as a miracle worker, but even a coach with his talents will have a hard time resurrecting a U of K basketball program to nation prominence again. Today, the landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically. For one, the SEC has other top college basketball programs that usually didn’t exist.
Florida has won two national championships under Coach Billy Donovan and Tennessee is a top 10 program now under Bruce Pearl. U of K basketball is not sitting alone on top of a mountain in the SEC. Those days are long gone and they will continue to dwindle in the future. There is just too much money behind many of the athletic programs in the SEC for basketball programs to struggle.
If SEC basketball coaches aren’t winning games, there is enough money in athletic budgets to hire another coach. With more winning, comes more fan support. Places like Florida will continue to solidify quality basketball programs as they win more games and draw more fans to games.
U of K basketball is still U of K basketball though. It will just take more time and effort to dominate the SEC like in years past. The name Kentucky on the front of a jersey is still very appealing to many recruits and I’m sure U of K basketball will continue to grow in tradition with many talented players and championships.
As we know, U of K basketball is bigger than any coach and it will continue to flourish as the top college basketball program with the most loyal fans.
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
Coach Gillispie is knows as a miracle worker, but even a coach with his talents will have a hard time resurrecting a U of K basketball program to nation prominence again. Today, the landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically. For one, the SEC has other top college basketball programs that usually didn’t exist.
Florida has won two national championships under Coach Billy Donovan and Tennessee is a top 10 program now under Bruce Pearl. U of K basketball is not sitting alone on top of a mountain in the SEC. Those days are long gone and they will continue to dwindle in the future. There is just too much money behind many of the athletic programs in the SEC for basketball programs to struggle.
If SEC basketball coaches aren’t winning games, there is enough money in athletic budgets to hire another coach. With more winning, comes more fan support. Places like Florida will continue to solidify quality basketball programs as they win more games and draw more fans to games.
U of K basketball is still U of K basketball though. It will just take more time and effort to dominate the SEC like in years past. The name Kentucky on the front of a jersey is still very appealing to many recruits and I’m sure U of K basketball will continue to grow in tradition with many talented players and championships.
As we know, U of K basketball is bigger than any coach and it will continue to flourish as the top college basketball program with the most loyal fans.
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
Sunday, June 8, 2008
UL Really a Tough Game?
I am so tired of hearing about UL football from UL fans. I'm sorry, but UL fans are the most delusional fans I've come across in all of sports. I've lived all the way around the country in several places and I stand by that statement.
This year, UL has both a decimated offensive line and defensive line while UK returns a lot of talent on both lines. In fact, many believe UK's defensive line is the best they've seen since Art Still's team in the 1970s. Couple this with a defensive secondary being anchored by Trevard Lindley and a very talented group of linebackers, and you've got the recipe for a great UK defense.
UK's running game could be one of the best in the SEC with Derrick Locke, Alphonso Smith and senior Tony Dixon. They will be running behind a UK offensive line that was impressive last year and will only get better this year with players such as Zipp Duncan, Jeffries, and Alexander.
So how could UL be favored to win? Many people around the country just don't believe UK can survive the losses of Andre Woodson, Keenan Burton, and Raphael Little, but they haven't looked very deep into our roster. People, who know UK football know that UK has a lot of talent returning in all spots. The only spot I'm worried about is wide receiver because we are very young at the position.
In closing, I don't even think it's going to be close. UK will win this game running away easily. UK will control both lines of scrimmage and they will run the ball and the CLOCK effectively. UL has lost all of their running backs to scandal, transfer, or injury and I don’t believe their O-Line can protect Hunter Cantwell effectively against UK’s D-Line.
I can't wait to see the UL delusions wiped away with a new pair of glasses once UK wins the first game of the season.
See ya soon,
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
This year, UL has both a decimated offensive line and defensive line while UK returns a lot of talent on both lines. In fact, many believe UK's defensive line is the best they've seen since Art Still's team in the 1970s. Couple this with a defensive secondary being anchored by Trevard Lindley and a very talented group of linebackers, and you've got the recipe for a great UK defense.
UK's running game could be one of the best in the SEC with Derrick Locke, Alphonso Smith and senior Tony Dixon. They will be running behind a UK offensive line that was impressive last year and will only get better this year with players such as Zipp Duncan, Jeffries, and Alexander.
So how could UL be favored to win? Many people around the country just don't believe UK can survive the losses of Andre Woodson, Keenan Burton, and Raphael Little, but they haven't looked very deep into our roster. People, who know UK football know that UK has a lot of talent returning in all spots. The only spot I'm worried about is wide receiver because we are very young at the position.
In closing, I don't even think it's going to be close. UK will win this game running away easily. UK will control both lines of scrimmage and they will run the ball and the CLOCK effectively. UL has lost all of their running backs to scandal, transfer, or injury and I don’t believe their O-Line can protect Hunter Cantwell effectively against UK’s D-Line.
I can't wait to see the UL delusions wiped away with a new pair of glasses once UK wins the first game of the season.
See ya soon,
Tyler
Wildcat-Sports.com
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