Calipari on Sarr Eligibility: 'We Feel Confidant'

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL

Calipari on Sarr eligibility: ‘We feel confident’

BY JERRY TIPTON

JTIPTON@HERALD-LEADER.COM

Kentucky Coach John Calipari expressed confidence on Tuesday that the NCAA will rule transfer Olivier Sarr eligible to play this coming season. But he added that the high-profile nature of the decision is a reason the NCAA has yet to announce its decision.

“We feel confident,” Calipari said on a Zoom teleconference. “But you never know till you hear it’s good to go. He’s got a great case. But we’ll wait to hear.”

Calipari said he could not comment on the elements of UK’s appeal that Sarr not have to sit out the 2020-21 season as a transfer. Sarr transferred from Wake Forest, where last season he was named to the All-ACC Third Team and was runner-up in balloting for the ACC Most Improved Player designation.

Sarr, a 7-footer and native of France, is seen as key to giving Kentucky a big man presence. For Wake Forest last season, he scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against Notre Dame, scored 25 points in a game against Duke and posted a double-double (20 points and 13 rebounds) in an ACC Tournament game against Pittsburgh.

Experience with players transferring elsewhere (most recently Johnny Juzang this offseason) gives UK a sense of how the appeal process works, said Calipari, adding that a high-profile case can slow the process. Sarr is considered one of the best transfers this offseason. And Kentucky is Kentucky.

“They’ll want to make sure ‘Let’s really make sure we have this right,’” the UK coach said of the NCAA, “and they may take more time. . . .

“I know they don’t treat it any differently than any other case. But it is more of a high-profile case, so they’ll look at it.”

NO POSITIVE TESTS

UK players have returned to campus. Without directly saying so, Calipari seemed to say no players have tested positive for COVID-19.

“Everybody is practicing,” he said.

Calipari said the men’s basketball players are in a “tight bubble” with no outsiders allowed in Wildcat Coal Lodge and the practice facility a short walk away.

To enhance safety, weight training and conditioning drills are being done outside, he said. Players are served boxed meals.

Calipari, who suggested the SEC had imposed stringent guidelines, said he has remained off campus.

“I’m not allowed to be in my car waving to them . . . ,” the UK coach said. “They keep asking, when are we going to see you? I can’t work with them until the 20th (of July).”

UK announced Monday that three individuals with ties to the men’s basketball, women’s soccer and volleyball teams tested positive during the most recent round of COVID-19 testing for that group. The school, citing privacy concerns, did not say whether the individuals were athletes or staff members.

POSITIVE THINKING

Calipari said the hope was the players could start playing three-on-three and five-on-five within a week or so.

“I said to them, let’s use this time to separate from everybody else,” Calipari said. “Let’s use this time to get in the greatest physical condition.”

Players — one at each basket — are using a shooting machine to practice shooting.

“We should be a great shooting team because it’s all you can do right now is shoot,” Calipari said.

Kentucky’s in-state archrival, Louisville, announced last week it had temporarily suspended men’s basketball workouts after two individuals in the program tested positive.

WEAR A MASK

In saluting how the state of Kentucky has reacted to the coronavirus pandemic, Calipari offered advice on masks.

“Wear a mask,” he said. “It’s not a statement. Just wear the mask. It protects you. It protects somebody else. . . . Everybody has got to do what they can. But we also have got to follow the science. I mean, you know, you’ve got to follow the science. What it says.”

LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

Calipari detailed how UK will implement the Minority Leadership Initiative that was announced on Monday. It is designed to create access and opportunity for minority applicants to get practical work experience in college athletic departments.

UK will have five such employees in each of the next six school years, said Calipari, who suggested he would enthusiastically support a means by which some could shadow Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart and school president Eli Capilouto.

Calipari said his role might be to invite the employees to dinner at his home at least once a month and arrange for speakers. He said he had spoken to filmmaker Spike Lee and actor-comedian Jamie Foxx.

When asked how he could define success in the program, Calipari said athletic departments would be more diverse in 10 years and that in 20 years there would be five times as many minority athletic directors.

BIGGEST WORRY

Calipari said his biggest worry with the program was an avalanche of applicants.

“What if a thousand applications come in,” he said. “Who the hell is going to go through those? Like, I don’t have time to do that.”

ProLink Staffing, a job search company, has donated $250,000 worth of work hours to staff a crew to handle applications. The company said it would need about three weeks to handle the hypothetical 1,000 applications, Calipari said.

Applicants turned down will get guidance on how to better prepare for reapplying the following year, the UK coach said. Some not hired will go into a data base for possible recommendation for job openings elsewhere.

 

‘RIGHT THING TO DO’

On July 3, five-star prospect Makur Maker committed to Howard over UCLA and Kentucky. At No. 16, he became the highest-ranked prospect to commit to a Historically Black College or University since ESPN began its recruiting database in 2007.

When asked if the fear of losing prospects fueled the support coaches and schools have pledged to the Minority Leadership Initiative, Calipari said, “I just hope they do it because it’s the right thing to do. That they see we lack diversity, not on fields but in athletic departments.”

JERRY TIPTON: 859-231-3227, JERRYTIPTON

UK 103 UNC 100 !2/17/2016

Monk buries the Tar Heels

By Drew Franklin on ©December 17th, 2016 @ 7:41pm

Posted in Basketball, Main, Top Story | Leave a response

Kentucky won, 103-100, and Malik Monk is a bad, bad man.

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At The Half: Kentucky 56, Fake Classes University 51

By Drew Franklin on ©December 17th, 2016 @ 6:27pm

Posted in Basketball, Main | Leave a response

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Roy Williams is Mad

By Nick Roush on ©December 17th, 2016 @ 6:16pm

Posted in Basketball, Main | Leave a response

@rwhiteleather

Ol’ Roy got a little mad in the first half against Kentucky.

Wenyen Gabriel grabbed an offensive rebound, but fell to the floor with a North Carolina Tar Heel beneath him.  The refs called a foul on North Carolina, when Ol’ Roy wanted a walk called on Gabriel.  His response:

Ol’ Roy received a technical foul for the left-handed jacket toss.

[comment 0] [Link]

Thx Judi C! From one of her many UK Basketball sources

INDIANAPOLIS - For the first time since April 7, 2014, when the final
horn sounded the Kentucky Wildcats were not celebrating a victory.

For the first time all season, it was Kentucky that faltered down the
stretch as the opponent surged, and for the first time all season
Kentucky (38-1) was on the losing side of a game, falling to Wisconsin
71-64.

"Could not be more proud of this group of young people," UK head coach
John Calipari said. "What they did all year, just took us all on a
ride, our staff, our school, our state. Took us on a ride. We all
wanted to win those last two. These kids wanted to win it in the worst
way."

It was a season to remember, but more specifically, it was a team to
remember. Nine McDonald's All-Americans bought in, put the team and
their teammates before themselves, sacrificed, gave back and showed
what hard work and a selfless attitude can accomplish.

After the game, players spoke about the heartache of defeat in a
somber locker room reminiscent of a funeral visitation, and looked
back on the bond they shared throughout a historic season.

"The journey that we made with these guys right here--I know everybody
says that they love their teammates but we really are like brothers,"
sophomore Andrew Harrison said.

"It's the best team I've ever been a part of," freshman guard Devin
Booker said. "Best guys I've ever been a part of. Best coaching
staff."

"I think I'll just remember how much we love each other," freshman
forward Karl-Anthony Towns said. "We really love each other a lot. I
think it's our love that keeps us so together, even in this hard time.
It's hard. It's hard to think right now, but we just love each other
so much. That's what I'm going to take away: how close we really are
as a family, and how people really don't understand how close we
really are. Like brothers. How we almost always do everything
together, no matter what."

Despite the loss, the Wildcats still made history in a number of ways.
Their 38 wins are tied for the most wins in college basketball
history, and their 38-game winning streak is the longest ever to open
a season. The Cats became the first team from a power conference to
enter the postseason undefeated since Indiana in 1976.

They faced adversity, rallying from late deficits in each of their
first two Southeastern Conference games to ultimately win in overtime.
They also rallied late on the road against LSU and Georgia and again
in the Elite Eight round against Notre Dame before coming up with the
winning plays.

The fifth-youngest team in the country, these Wildcats played, spoke
and acted like seasoned veterans throughout a season in which they
received more national attention than any other college basketball
program has in the history of the sport.

Thirty-eight and 0 is how they started the night. The lone blemish
they leave it with is what had each of them questioning whether the
season was a success.

"For our personal goals I feel like it kind of ruins the season,"
Booker said. "But again, you can't overlook what we've done this year.
Thirty-eight and 0 is incredible, but we wanted the championship."

Kentucky's ninth championship banner will have to wait. After having
played in the Final Four in four of the past five seasons, no one
knows how long that wait will last. The 2015-16 version will
undoubtedly be a different one as some Wildcats will surely leave
Lexington after the semester is over to pursue their professional
careers.

In the immediate aftermath of the loss, however, all of the focus was
pointed inward toward each other and how much they will miss the team
camaraderie and brotherhood established through a grueling season that
began in the summer at the Bahamas, and ended in the spring in the
national semifinals.

"It's definitely a close-knit group and I'm going to miss all these
guys because the seniors and the rest of us who have a decision to
make, we won't ever be on the same team," sophomore guard Aaron
Harrison said. "It's just disappointing."

Disappointing, sure, but the special nature of their accomplishments,
despite the loss, wasn't forgotten.

"This season is historic," Coach Cal said. "I just can't believe
anybody is going to do what these kids just did to get to this point
unblemished with the schedule they played, then how they did it."

And it wasn't only what the team accomplished on the court, but also
all of their acts of greatness off the court. With a fan base as
passionate as any in the country backing the team's every basket or
defensive stop, these Wildcats recognized their place in the fabric of
the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as well as the Big Blue Nation as a
whole.

They visited hospitals, connected with fans and those less fortunate,
participated in the ALS Challenge and Samaritan's Feet, and
represented what many ask for in a team: humility, selflessness,
teamwork and talent.

In the eyes of Towns, more than the records, more than the numbers,
that may be what this team is remembered for the most.

"I think we should be remembered as great basketball players (and)
great human beings," Towns said. "A team that shows that success is
more important than individual success. Accolades don't count as much
as the team success. That we all gave up a part of ourselves for each
other to make a perfect mold in our minds. I think that just shows
that talent doesn't always come with egos, but it comes with great
human beings also."

UK's Final Four loss to Wisconsin, record 38-1 ... Thx Judi C and Matt Jones!

Sam Kegley

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Matt Jones' take on the loss 3 messages

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Judi Cole	Sun, Apr 5, 2015 at 11:40 PM
To: Sam Kegley , victor cole , stephen cole
24 hours later, it still sucks. The saying is that time heals all wounds, but at least in my case, the restoration process has yet to begin. Today involved sleeping late, eating a mediocre lunch, making a depressing early drive home from Indianapolis and doing everything I could to avoid any commentary or discussion about the events in Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night. The loss to Wisconsin still hurts and my guess is that it will for a long time. Even though Kentucky had a season that was objectively historic and consisted of some of the most exciting moments of my UK basketball fandom, it also feels a bit empty this Sunday evening with the “1” in “38-1″ looming large in the record book. I want to be in Indianapolis right now, culminating a long Easter Sunday of celebration with by Big Blue Nation brethren, getting ready for a raucous live show Monday morning and building up to a game that might have been the most hyped of my lifetime…Duke vs Kentucky with a perfect season and a 9th National Championship on the line. What else could possibly have been better? Instead, I am sitting on a couch watching baseball (of all things) and just trying to avoid any mention of college basketball. It is a reality of human life that all too often what we do is permanently colored by how it ends. I was once wisely told that the two most important days of your working career at a job are your first and last days in the building. Like some of you, I have had a good job experience blemished by the way that it ended and all memories of my time there unfortunately are seen through that prism. Like virtually all of you, I have had relationships end so negatively that it is hard to think of the many good times that proceeded the fall with that person without being jaded by the final crash that brought the two of us apart. The same is unfortunately true of sports fandom as well. If you are a hardcore UK fan, you may not recollect every game, but you can almost certainly remember how every season ended. Whether it was Dwayne Wade’s triple-double in 2003, Simon Says Championship in 1997, Missed threes in Syracuse in 2010 or Dale Brown hurting his shoulder in 1993, the way that great seasons end become tattooed on our brains and stay with us for years to come. That has always been my biggest complaint about the otherwise nearly perfect NCAA Tournament. The stakes are so large and the finality so stark that when it is over, it tends to completely engulf everything that happened before it. A season’s worth of games and memories can hinge on one bad possession, missed shot or blown call and that moment makes everything that happened before it pale in comparison. This is especially true this year when this Kentucky team gave us the greatest regular season of my lifetime. Part of the reason for this is of course the play on the court. The Cats became only the second team in school history to finish the regular season undefeated, and their spectacular play will be the stuff of UK fan legend for years to come. The Kansas beating that began the season, the humiliation of UCLA, the dismissal of UL on their home court, the comebacks in the SEC, that great night in Baton Rouge, the run through the SEC Tournament and the heart attack-inducing victory over Notre Dame, all saw UK player performances of the highest level. But it wasn’t just the great play on the court, but the way we followed this team that made the entire year feel so special. Because the goal of “40-0″ loomed so large in the back of our minds, every single game felt like it meant something. I can remember pacing on the sidelines at Rupp for a January game versus Ole Miss and jumping in my shower out of nervousness for an otherwise meaningless Saturday afternoon in College Station. In most years, a random loss has little significance, but this year history loomed and thus every game felt like the NCAA Tournament…making the year more stressful but also much more exciting. Then there was the coverage of this team, bringing Kentucky basketball to the national spotlight like never before. It is not an exaggeration to say that this was the most covered UK team in history, with the Wildcats the lead topic for nearly two straight months on every ESPN platform imaginable. No matter the day, someone in the national media was talking Kentucky and their opinions, whether good, bad or simply trolling, made this season feel so much more important and meaningful. While you could still listen to KSR after a game to hear discussion, this season also saw UK as a perpetual topic on Mike and Mike, PTI, Around the Horn and profiles of UK players, managers, fans and everything Blue showed up in the New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and every other journalistic entity that touches on athletics. While it may have been originally said as a boastful crack to a rival about football, Neal Brown’s famous quote from earlier this year was truly correct this season. “We were the show” in college basketball and the entire season revolved around Kentucky and its quest for history. Throw in all of that coverage and the ubiquitous nature of UK information drowning Kentucky from our local media (KSR included) and we could follow this team unlike any other in UK history. And then when we followed them, we found out that the players were as likeable as any we have ever seen. Beginning with the Bahamas trip, it became obvious that Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl Towns, the Harrison Twins and all of the other players were as well-rounded off the court as on and that made us enjoy their play even more. It is great to win no matter what, but to do it when you know that the players wearing the uniform genuinely like each other, feel a closeness with the program and in their spare time make an impact on the lives of others…well that makes the victories just feel a little better. The entire season felt like a joyride that we were all a part of, each getting a chance to experience moments that would one day become a part of history. All year long I would have callers and fans say to me, “I will be telling my grandkids about this team” and this was the year that it really seemed it was actually true. A chance to pursue perfection with a group of kids that seemed worthy of that historic standard in every way. It had (to quote Aaron Harrison) the makings of a great story. Last night however, that story ended and honestly, it doesn’t really seem fair. Some can debate the shot clock call, the late decision-making or a play that could have gone the other way, but the reality is that Wisconsin was just a little bit better than Kentucky on one given night. While I think UK is the better team, because of the NCAA Tournament’s cruel one-and-done format, that fact is irrelevant. Kentucky was the best team all season and won’t win the title, and that wasn’t the way this was supposed to end. What Calipari did this year was unbelievable…to bring this group of talent together, have them sacrifice their own personal glory for the greater good and then see that sacrifice rewarded…well that was how the story should have come to an end. This was the year when Kentucky would finally extinguish the Laettner demons and take out Duke in the final step to a season that would forever entrench this team, one that seemed so worthy of being remembered all time, into not just UK lore, but college basketball immortality. Three shot clock violations and one Sam Dekker step back three last night and now those dreams are shattered. We all objectively know that this team was still great and deserves to go down as one of the handful of the best to ever wear the uniform. But basketball is fickle and even though 38-1 is unbelievable and the historic nature of this team’s defensive efficiency and insane winning percentage will always be remembered, we will also unfortunately always recall the sad ending. One can’t think of Rupp’s Runts without Texas Western. Wall and Cousins’ season will always include Bob Huggins. And the Unforgettables never get a moment without at least a passing glimpse of Hill to Laettner. Even as a grown man with what I hope is a reasonable perspective on life, 24 hours after the game I am still sad. This team had the best season of my lifetime up until the final weekend and accomplished things that will never happen again. I hope in the future I will be able to remember all of those great moments without allowing the last four minutes of a tremendous battle in Indianapolis cloud them. Rationally, I know I should be able to celebrate the unbelievable success without having it tarnished by the disappointing end. However realistically I know that’s unlikely and even though this team deserved college basketball perfection, the memory of the final loss will remain. This team deserved to cut down the nets and become a part of history. But unfortunately in college basketball and life, as Snoop once said on “The Wire”, “Deserve’s got nuthin’ to do with it.”

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Sam Kegley	Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 8:32 AM
To: Beth Stanley Garvey , Elmer Craft , Jim Kegley , Judi Cole , Kary Alexander , Linda Ruh , Ralph A Hovermale , "Rosa D. Waller" , Jill Rappis , Central Ohio UK Alumni , "Dr. J" , Kelli Elam , Dick Klitch , Diane , Stan Key , "Culp, Nancy A" , Christ's Church , Matt Jones , Gary Sheppard
Thx Judi, Matt Jones,founder and owner of Kentucky Sports Radio and Oscar Combs' successor, not in a blog but in "The Cats' Pause" newspaper, is an excellent writer and has such excellent perspective.  All of we fans envy the access to John Calipari and his teams by these two megafan pros.  Although I watched the King of Kings and enjoyed the 1961 classic yesterday, I spent most of the day in a UK fog. UK did not get UP for the game and that hurt the BBN at its' core. The Harrison twins and Karl Towns were where they should have been, but few of the others mastered their opponents as they should have.  We love Coach Cal, his staff, and players anyway.  At UK's pre-game party, I am now ashamed that I reminded Stan Key, our great UK Alumni Director that I had watched his loss to Marquette in a UK uniform in 1972 (also Coach Rupp's last game}; his face changed from always being friendly to a hurt expression.  "Please don't remind me.  That is my worst memory in life."  I'm sure that these individuals on this current team will have that memory of Saturday's game for the rest of their lives.  Each Division one basketball player has always reminded this 'schoolyard only' player of what making Dvision 1 teams anywhere in America so special. Matt does an outstanding job with this piece.  Thanks again, Judi! SamKat   aka Sam Kegley of skegley,blogspot.com. [Quoted text hidden]

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KSR AM 4/2/2015 Final Four

Wednesday Night News and Views

By Drew Franklin on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 11:00pm

USA Today

The Final Four is here, Cats fans!

After months and months, wins and wins, and zero losses, the final stage of college basketball is upon us. Now there’s only one thing left to do: bring home the title.

But before we get to Monday night’s title game, there’s a ton of stuff going on in Indianapolis in the days before Kentucky’s seminfinal game with Wisconsin. I will make the drive up to Indy early, early, early tomorrow morning and KSR will have coverage from the scene as soon as I touch down. (And check in to the hotel. And eat. And pick up my media credential. And sit by someone I will probably hate in the media room.)

So check back with us often as we bring you everything from the Final Four these next few days. It’s going to fun a weekend and hopefully an even better Monday and Tuesday as the Cats attempt to complete what so many have said can’t be done.

Let’s. Go.

The team is in Indianapolis.

The Cats arrived in Naptown around 7:00 pm Wednesday to begin the biggest five-day stretch of their lives. Tomorrow they will talk to the media in Lucas Oil Stadium, beginning with John Calipari and Bo Ryan at the podium at noon, followed by one player from each of the four teams. They will return to Lucas Oil on Friday for more media and the open practice, scheduled for 3:00 pm.

Saturday, it’s on.

Oh look, Kentucky is on the cover of Sports Illustrated again.

Do it again next week?

Jason Whitlock blasted Karl Towns on PTI.

Whitlock, filling in for Michael Wilbon, said he expects Karl Towns to have a tough time with Wisconsin’s “grown men” inside. Whitlock said Towns will “get handled” by Frank Kaminsky & Co., although Kentucky may still win the game without a big contribution from arguably its biggest offensive contributor.

He also called Towns “a kid” and “overvalued” and then spoiled The Wire ending with no warning.

Isaiah Briscoe wants Jaylen Brown and Malik Newman at UK.

Sitting courtside with Jay Williams at the McDonald’s All-American game, Isaiah Briscoe told ESPN viewers he would like to play with Jaylen Brown the most out of the eight uncommitted players in Chicago this week. Briscoe said he is also recruiting Malik Newman to Kentucky with Brown.

“I just need somebody on the wing that can catch and shoot,” he told Williams.

Briscoe, the lone Kentucky representative at the game, said John Calipari’s proven record with guards is what drew him to Kentucky.

“It’s the highest stage of college basketball and that’s something I couldn’t say no to,” he added.

Williams then asked if the pressure of playing in Lexington scares Briscoe.

“Pressure is not in my vocabulary.”

Other notes from the McDonald’s All-American game:

— The East (Briscoe, Jaylen Brown, Cheick Diallo, Thomas Bryant, Ben Simmons, Antonio Blakeney, Luke Kennard, Diamond Stone) won, 111-91.

— Cheick Diallo took MVP honors with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

— Briscoe had 11 points and five rebounds.

— Malik Newman doesn’t have a lot to say interviews. We did learn his father’s ties to Mississippi State will have no impact on his own decision, though.

— Jaylen Brown has phenomenal hair. It would look great with a Kentucky uniform next season.

— Brown also picked Kentucky to win the Final Four.

— UK target Stephen Zimmerman dunked on UK target Thomas Bryant.

— Jay Williams said, “Tom Crean has done nothing but win at Indiana.” He did. He said that. That is something that left his mouth and went on national television.

— Don’t forget: Caleb Swanigan will decide at the Nike Hoop Summit next week and Kentucky is in the mix.

John Wall is a wizard.

Wall went between the legs then no-look pass to Otto Porter before Nerlens Noel ruined the highlight play, blocking Porter’s layup attempt at the rim.

And I just realized Wall is, in fact, a Wizard. My headline was unintentional and I’m leaving it.

Boogie messed around and got a triple-double.

Cousins had 24 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists and a career-high six blocks in the loss at Houston. There’s talk Sacramento may shut him down for the season.

STOP RUINING COLLEGE BASKETBALL, WILLIE!

Willie had a Monday lunch date with one of his biggest fans, a four-year-old with cerebral palsy who hopes to one day be his wife. A nurse posted a video of her confessing her crush on Willie on Facebook, he saw it and arranged a lunch date in Wildcat Lodge.

These guys really are the best, on and off the court.

For KSR radio show fans in Indianapolis…

Friday’s show will be in studio, then Ryan and I will host the pregame show at Tin Roof Indianapolis at 6:00 Saturday. The plan is to do Monday’s show at Tin Roof, assuming Kentucky beats Wisconsin. I hope this helps.

Check out the new KSR Pop Up Shop in Lexington!

We are set up in the Crossroads Plaza at 3270 Nicholasville Road in Lexington. Stop by to get your official KSR merchandise, just in time for the Final Four.

See you in Indianapolis!

[comment 1] [Link]

UK fans show you how to properly to burn a couch

By Drew Franklin on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 10:00pm

First of all, Kentucky Sports Radio does not condone the burning of couches or any other form of comfortable living room furniture. Couches are for Sunday naps, losing change, high school romance and, in my case, a place to eat a lonely dinner every night. Couches are not to be torched.

But if you’re going to do it, and many of you will, you should know how to do it right. So let these UK fans show you in their Guide To Burning A Couch:

[comment 0] [Link]

KSR’s Guide to the Final Four in Indianapolis

By Drew Franklin on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 9:00pm

We are days away from the Final Four in Indianapolis and excitement is at an all-time high around Big Blue Nation as the Cats chase No. 9 and perfection. Kentucky fans will soon take Naptown by storm, but first, let’s all make sure we’re on the same page before we come in hot and uninformed.

Here’s the official unofficial guide to Final Four weekend in Indianapolis. Stick to this and you’ll have the time of your life. (Maybe.)

*****

Still need to get a hotel?

You’re pretty much screwed. Indianapolis is completely sold out and options are running dry outside the city.

Good luck, though. I hope things work out for you.

Still need tickets?

I hope you have deep pockets because this is one of the toughest tickets the Final Four has ever seen. A quick glance at StubHub tells me you can sit in the lower level for around $5,000 apiece, upper level end zone for around $500. I recommend checking out our friends at Guy On The Corner tickets or selling a kidney on the black market.

Monday’s ticket will be a little easier obtain, assuming UK handles Wisconsin.

Things to do when you’re not watching basketball…

Fans will have plenty of free time on Friday and Sunday, and during daylight hours on Saturday and Monday. Here are a few of my recommendations for ways to pass the time:

— $3 bowling at Latitude 360

— Visit the zoo and other sights of White River State Park

— Get lost in the World’s Biggest & Best Children’s Museum (but only if you have children; don’t be creepy)

— Go shopping at Edinburgh Premium Outlets

— Pacers vs. Hornets, Friday; Pacers vs. Heat, Sunday

— Pee on the side of the NCAA Headquarters

Or you can check out these Final Four-related events…

— Final Four Fan Fest at the Indiana Convention Center (Friday, noon-8; Saturday, 10-8; Sunday, noon-8; Monday, noon-8)

— Capital One Jam Fest featuring Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Kacey Musgraves and Cole Swindell (Sunday, 2-10)

— Three free days of music at the March Madness Music Festival at White River State Park

— Reese’s College All-Star Game (Friday, 4:30)

— Taking pictures of famous head coaches at bars and strip clubs

Hoosier Gym is a short drive away…

A quick, 30-minute drive east will put you in Hoosier Gym, where you can pretend you’re Jimmy Chitwood in Hoosiers. Guests of the famous gym are not only allowed to grab a ball and start shooting, it is encouraged.

If you get hungry…

St. Elmo is my favorite spot in Indy but it is all booked up for the weekend. I’m hoping to land a spot in the 1933 Lounge or its sister restaurant, Harry & Izzy’s, with hopes of getting my hands on that World Famous Shrimp Cocktail. (Warning: It will light you up.)

For fans looking for cheaper fare, there are plenty of options around downtown and the arena. I hear the food trucks are excellent, as are the tamales and nachos at The Tamale Place.

Don’t let me catch you at Old Spaghetti Factory. You’re better than that.

If you’d like to hear the KSR pregame show…

Ryan Lemond and I will broadcast from Tin Roof Indianapolis at 6:00 pm Saturday night, right as the first game tips off. Tin Roof is a short walk from the arena so join us as we rally Big Blue Nation before the Cats take the floor. We hope to add a couple guests to fill Matt’s shoes and we are open to suggestions.

What to do if Kentucky wins it all…

PARRRRRRTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[comment 1] [Link]

Rex Chapman is doing well, apologized to Cal for the tweet

By Drew Franklin on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 8:30pm

Jerry Tipton over at the Herald-Leader took a break from writing terrible things about the Kentucky basketball program to write something positive, in this case, our good friend Rex Chapman.

Last year was a rough year for Chapman, as you know, but he has gotten his life together since hitting rock bottom with his September arrest for shoplifting. He is doing well in his recovery from painkiller addiction, he’s down 40 pounds, and “feeling great,” he says.

And there is this:

UK associate coach Kenny Payne, a contemporary of Chapman as a player, called weekly. UK Coach John Calipari joined Payne on a visit to The Brook Hospital.

When Calipari visited, Chapman said he apologized for “the tweet thing.”

Hours before Kentucky played Connecticut in the 2014 national championship game, Chapman tweeted that it was a “done deal” that Calipari would leave UK to become coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“He’s been great to me,” Chapman said of Calipari.

Chapman’s return to the broadcast table for the Final Four Team Stream has received mixed reviews from UK fans, understandably. But like him or not, you have to be happy he’s overcome his addiction and owned up to his mistakes.

Read more over at the Herald-Leader.

[comment 9] [Link]

Butler’s “Thringers” look familiar…

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 7:00pm

Stop me when this starts to sound familiar: four Butler students came up with a foam finger that looks like three finger salute players make after they hit a three-pointer. They dubbed the creation the “Thringer.” Get it? Like three fingers…yeah.

Wait, what? That’s a three goggle, right? Well, not according to the NCAA, who bought 3,000 “thringers” from “Freelance Foam,” the company the four Butler students created. They will distribute 750 to each student section at the Final Four this weekend as a “student gift.”

Now, I’m not the type of fan who thinks Kentucky created the three goggle. The Trailblazers started doing the motion in 2010, and Kentucky basketball and other college teams quickly adopted it, although there is a fair argument that the Cats made it mainstream. I’ve seen three goggle foam fingers around for years, most recently at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Anyways, if you’re one of the lucky 750 UK students to get a student ticket this weekend, enjoy your three goggle. (I will never call it a thringer.)

[Indy Star]

[comment 1] [Link]

Wheels up to Indianapolis!

By Drew Franklin on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 6:25pm

The Wildcats are taking off from Lexington for one final trip to close out this college basketball season. Tomorrow they will practice and chat with the media to kick off what will hopefully be five fun days in Indianapolis.

LESSSSSSGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOO!

[comment 1] [Link]

Read this defense of John Calipari and say “Amen”

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 6:00pm

Photo by Chet White, UK Athletics

Fox Sports’ Reid Forgrave interviewed John Calipari one-on-one before this season, and today, he’s got an excellent column on FoxSports.com about why American needs to retire the “simple and lazy narrative” about Cal–you know the one–and appreciate the incredible coaching job that he’s done this season:

The story of this Kentucky team isn’t just a story of the most talented team in college basketball. It’s a story of a coach who has gotten his absurdly talented players to play as a team, which any college coach can tell you is one of the greatest challenges in the profession.

People are complicated; people change. And so the public narrative about a person should be just as nuanced as the person himself, and ought to be able to change, too.

Preach it, Reid. More where there came from, so go check it out.

[FoxSports]

[comment 0] [Link]

The tide continues to turn in Karl Towns’ direction for the #1 pick

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 5:00pm

During his weekly chat this afternoon, ESPN NBA guru Chad Ford said he believes Karl Towns is now the slight favorite for the #1 pick in June’s draft:

I’d say, talking to NBA folks this weekend, that the a small majority of them now have Towns ranked ahead of Okafor which is why I made the chance to the Top 100 on Sunday. However, it doesn’t mean he’s the consensus No. 1 (yet). When you check out our Lottery Mock Draft, you’ll see scenarios where Okafor is still the No. 1 pick. It’s been that way for over a month however. They are different players, both elite prospects, and just fit differently on different teams. Scouts are praying that Kentucky and Duke meet in the NCAA Finals. To see them go head-to-head could determine who goes No. 1 overall, though I’m still a pretty firm believer that who’s No. 1 between the two is pretty contextual.

Ford also said that while Andrew Harrison’s stock is rising, his brother Aaron’s is not. “Aaron’s stock is still in pretty bad shape,” Ford writes. “He hits big shots, but not every game is the March Madness and shooting guards who only real strength is shooting, need to hit every day three point shots with much more efficiency.” Ford projects that Aaron will go late second round to undrafted.

For more of Ford’s insight, including where he thinks Trey Lyles will be drafted, head on over to the newly redesigned Worldwide Leader.

[ESPN]

[comment 1] [Link]

KentuckyOne Health Anywhere Care’s Afternoon Notes and Podcast

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 4:00pm

KentuckyOne Health Anywhere Care at home, at the office and everywhere. Anywhere Care is a 24/7 service that lets you see or talk live to a primary care provider by phone or video chat… even from the comfort of your own couch.

Click here to learn more or get care now.

****

Hello, friends. Have we all recovered from today’s slate of emotional Willie and Karl features? Me neither. Tried to work at the coffee shop earlier and even with sunglasses, I couldn’t do it. As excited as I am about this weekend, the fact that at this time next week, the season will be over is really starting to hit me. It feels like only yesterday we were in the Bahamas watching the team goof off at the pool, and now we’ve only got two games left with them, at best. Hopefully, they’re two games to remember.

Now, before I fall into a puddle of tears again, let’s get some notes rolling…

— In case you haven’t fallen victim yet, today is April Fools’ Day, and even though I hate the holiday, I have to give kudos to the folks behind the Green Bay Packers reddit page, who turned it into a Kentucky page to mess with Wisconsin fans:

I’ll be honest, I still don’t really understand reddit, but that’s funny. (Also, if you’re wondering, yes, there is a reason I have two KSR bookmarks on my toolbar and no, I’m not telling.)

— Remember those 40-0 shirts that popped up a few summers ago? Well, the guy who designed them tried to trademark “40-0″ and is now fighting with UK over who should own the term in court. For what it’s worth, the creator says he’s a die-hard UK fan and would be fine with UK using “40-0″ on national championship items, but not as a “stand-alone brand.”

I can’t even think about any of that until late Monday night.

— What if I told you there was a Kentucky fan that has Wisconsin blood running through his veins? That’s the case for Salvisa native Scott Logdon, who received bone marrow stem cells from a Wisconsin student two years ago when he was being treated for high-risk leukemia at the UK Hospital. This is a really cool story, so go check it out at The Courier-Journal.

— The team has arrived in Indianapolis, but before they left, Sam Malone took a chance to reflect on his last practice at the Joe Craft Center:

Oh god here come the tears again…agh!!!! Happy, something happy…

— How much does this guy at my local coffee shop look like Tom Crean?

I originally took the picture to make fun of this guy for bringing his desktop computer to a coffee shop, but the resemblance is uncanny. Maybe that’s what Crean is doing with his time these days.

— How awesome is this sign at the Space Center on Winchester Road?

@CherylTruman

Yes, yes, he would have. Ditto for Bill Keightley, who passed away seven years ago yesterday.

Let’s close it out with today’s podcast, which features a great interview with Orlando Antigua in the first hour:

Hour 1:

Hour 2:

[comment 8] [Link]

John Calipari, Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, and Coach K release joint statement about the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 3:18pm

The Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act is going to be a huge issue this weekend in Indianapolis, and in an attempt to get ahead of the story, John Calipari, Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, and Mike Krzyzewski released a joint statement in support of the NCAA’s stance this afternoon:

“We are aware of the recent actions in Indiana and have made a point to talk about this sensitive and important issue among ourselves and with our teams. Each of us strongly supports the positions of the NCAA and our respective institutions on this matter – that discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated. As a part of America’s higher education system, college basketball plays an important role in diversity, equality, fairness and inclusion, and will continue to do so in the future.”

I’m sure each coach will still be asked about the law, but kudos to them for trying to get ahead of the issue.

[comment 27] [Link]

A Karl Towns profile that finally does Karl Towns justice

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 3:00pm

Photo by @bigbluexpress

If I had my way, every day on KSR would be Karl Towns Day, but today certainly feels like it. First, we found out Karl was on the regional cover of Sports Illustrated and then we saw quite possibly the best baby picture ever, and now, we have an extra special treat for you guys: Ian O’Connor’s excellent profile of Karl for ESPN.

O’Connor covers a lot a lot of familiar ground: Karl’s big heart, his work ethic, and the time he gave one of his shoes to paralyzed UK super fan Matt Bunk after the Florida game. O’Connor’s piece focuses on Karl’s remarkable kindness, a trait which will make even the biggest Kentucky hater fall in love with him. Here are two of my favorite paragraphs:

Jacqueline said her son forever gravitated toward kids who were considered outsiders, kids who might not have felt wanted or comfortable in social or classroom settings, “because Karl was also the outsider when he was younger. He was too tall, his feet were too big, he didn’t fit into his desk, and sometimes kids can be cruel.”

Jacqueline laughed when recalling the time she asked Karl-Anthony if she could quit her job at the behavior health hospital at Rutgers after he made his NBA millions, only for her son to express concern for the patients who might need her continued help. But truth is, Karl-Anthony is always looking out for his mother. When Jacqueline’s father died, Karl-Anthony brought her a gift in a box — new sunglasses for the funeral. “I know you’ve been crying a lot,” he told his mother. “I thought you would need these.”

Actually, Karl, I need those right now. Go read the rest and bring some sunglasses and tissues with you.

[ESPN]

[comment 0] [Link]

Two things the national media won’t tell you about Wisconsin this week

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 2:30pm

Halfway through Final Final week, it’s clear that the Wisconsin Badgers are the media darlings. Each team has a storyline–Kentucky: undefeated; Duke: Coach K is a legend; Michigan State: Izzo has never been more Izzo–but Frank Kaminsky and his ragtag group of happy go lucky kids have become the latest team to, as the national media says, “play basketball the way it’s meant to be played.” They have an efficient offense! A goofy white guy in the middle who’s actually amazing! WHOA they play video games! (Does the national media care that UK plays the same video game? Of course not.) Bo Ryan called himself the Pinball Wizard! Swoon!

So, in what will likely be an ill-fated attempt to balance the coverage, here are two things the national media WON’T tell you about Wisconsin:

They have one of the lowest graduation rates in the country

From Derrick Z. Jackson’s article for the Boston Globe:

If the 68 teams were seeded by graduation rates, the Badgers would be a bottom seed. They have the lowest Graduation Success Rate for black men of zero and the third-lowest overall at 40 percent. They were one of 16 teams that should be disqualified for historically graduating less than 50 percent of either black or white players or having an overall rate under 50 percent.

Before the haters that are lurking call me a hypocrite for bringing up graduation rates, Jackson also notes that 89% of UK’s student athletes graduate. But we’re the ones ruining college basketball?

Bo Ryan tried to block one of his players from transferring

This story’s a little old, but worth revisiting. Remember when Jarrod Uthoff tried to transfer from Wisconsin a few years back? Probably not, but it became news when Bo Ryan blocked Uthoff from transferring to at least 25 schools in what he says was an attempt to get him to fully explain why he wanted to leave Wisconsin. Uthoff ultimately appealed the restrictions by meeting with Wisconsin’s AD Barry Alvarez and the school lifted the restrictions for all the schools outside the Big 10, but it was a bizarre move by Ryan. Uthoff now plays at Iowa anyways.

Just a few things to keep in mind as the national media polishes Wisconsin’s halo this week.

[comment 10] [Link]

Willie Cauley-Stein had a lunch date with a special fan yesterday

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 1:38pm

Last week, a 4-year-old fan named Olivia made a video for her favorite Kentucky player, Willie Cauley-Stein. In the video, Olivia, who suffers from cerebral palsy, asked Willie to marry her:

Through the wonders of social media, Willie saw the video, and visited Olivia at the Child Development Center of the Bluegrass on Monday to invite her to lunch at the Wildcat Lodge. Here are the heartwarming pictures and an update from the CDCB:

Our hearts are full today! We are so proud and excited to let you all know why the UK Wildcat visited CDCB on Monday! He came to deliver an invitation to our Olivia…. Willie Cauley-Stein requested her presence for a lunch date!

Yesterday Olivia got to have spaghetti with Willie at the Wildcat Lodge. She was SO charming and he made her feel SO special. Very happy for our little girl, and very proud to be a part of ‪#‎BBN‬ …. that a player of Willie’s caliber would take time out of his day on perhaps the most pressured-filled and anticipatory week of his college career speaks volumes about the outstanding character of Kentucky’s Basketball team.

Willie and Olivia’s story will be a feature on CBS’ “March Madness Confidential” show after the tournament. We’ll bring you more details as we know them.

These kids, guys…I can’t.

[comment 18] [Link]

This baby picture of Karl Towns is the best thing you’ll see today

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 1:00pm

Photo by Bill Kostroun via the NY Post

The national media profiles of Kentucky’s players continue to pour in, and while most of them aren’t news to us (Willie played football! Karl Towns is a great kid!), I had to share this one from The New York Post’s Zach Braziller just for that picture of a baby Karl and his sister, Lachelle. Can you believe Karl was ever that small?!

Braziller spoke with Karl’s dad Karl Sr., who had some great quotes to share about Karl’s famous work ethic. This one stood out to me:

“Our motto has always been [bad] things happen after midnight,” Karl Sr. said. “He didn’t party, he didn’t drink. He was always focused on his basketball, he was focused on his education, and he was focused on all the things in life he wants to do. He wants to build a hospital in the Dominican Republic. He wants to be a kinesiologist.”

I was fortunate enough to stand next to Karl Sr. on the court after UK beat Notre Dame, and as Karl climbed the ladder to cut the net, Karl Sr. yelled at his son to turn around so he could take a picture. Karl put his piece of the net in his mouth, turned and gave his dad a smile that spoke volumes.

[New York Post]

[comment 4] [Link]

Going to the Final Four? Don’t bring your big purse

By Mrs. Tyler Thompson on ©April 01st, 2015 @ 12:30pm

Remember that pesky bag policy from last year’s Final Four? It’s back again. If you plan on attending any of the Final Four festivities in Indianapolis this weekend, don’t plan on bringing a big bag with you. Here’s the clear bag policy from the NCAA:

NCAA-provided clear bags, other clear bags not exceeding the size of the NCAA-provided clear bags, and one gallon clear plastic storage bags will be permitted at the aforementioned events, in addition to purses smaller than 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches (please see the attached diagram). 

Clear bags will be provided by the NCAA for free and can be found at downtown Indianapolis hotels, the Indiana Convention Center and most entrances and exits at events where clear bags are required.

For a full list of security policies and procedures, please visitwww.ncaa.com/finalfour/champgame.

For serious, y’all, don’t bring the fanny pack.

[comment 3] [Link]

Four