8 Burning question answered by Greg Hoover Aka Geekcat

1. First off I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to do this interview with us. At this moment you are now on the Wildcat Insiders Hot Seat lol. It appears that you think the 2007 recruiting class is not going very well. Could you please explain why you feel this way?

There are three different paradigms to look with regards to the recruiting of the 2007 class.

First. What are we losing and what are our deficiencies. We are losing 2 senior forwards and our backup center. We have signed as of 11/13/06 the backup center and a forward who will be better than our 2 forwards who are graduating. So in that sense we have done well. Williams could be a steal or he could be another flop. I tend to the latter in that he is a positive kid and great work ethic. Everything that the coaches he has had have told him to do, he does. I dont see anything but positive progression from Williams when he gets here. AJ Stewart impressed me from the first time I saw him at the 2004 Hoopfest when Jacksonville Arlington Country Day (JACD) played Westbury Christian. When he came in the game he had a presence that they other players didnt have. That team also had 3 D-1 signees on it. Jason Bennett, David Huertas (Florida) and Josue` Soto (Miami, FL). AJ though has that sixth sense of the game. He knew what to do and how to do it. Something that is not coachable. No, he isnt the most gifted athlete but he is athletic. No he isnt the flashiest but he gets the job done, and he does whatever the coaches tell him. A great team player.

SO where does that leave us. We still need PF. And that is the other paradigm. Why has Tubby turned his back on half of the nearly 2 dozen he started with in July on his list. Some, I see and others well, it leaves me scratching my head. For instance Chris Barnes. He came here, visited, all went VERY well, he loved UK. Then we inexplicably backed off. Without knowing what Patrick will do, why back off. There are even reports that PP heavily favors Florida. and that the only reason he hasnt committed is space on the roster (waiting for Noah or Horford to say that they are going pro) or that Billy isnt staying at Florida. The ONLY reason he hasnt said more is that his parents favor UK. So, why allow ALL these other forwards to move on?? It makes no sense. If it came down to the Barnes kid saying I will commit now but I need to know... then I would have taken Barnes. We just have no clue what PP will do.

The third paradigm is how hard did Tubby work. In May and June I would have told you he is stinking it up. He was. In July that changed. He worked his butt off in July going to 3 shoe camps and 7 AAU events in 4 weeks. He made over 200 calls and nearly 40 visits in the same period. I think he was working hard. I think he pared his list down to who he was really interested in, and then started missing on some but wasnt worried because of PP> Now this leads back to last year and putting all of your eggs in one basket. It didnt work for us last year with Brandan Wright and Deon Thompson (while letting Kevin Durant go). and it isnt working this year with letting DeAndre Jordan and ANthony Randolph go and letting Julian Vaughn and Chris Barnes commit to other schools and just going after Stewart and Patterson....

In summation, all the hard work he showed and performed will be for naught if the leading people are Stewart Williams and Moses. Tubby needed a powerhouse recruiting land and he isnt going to get it.

2. Let's say Kentucky strikes out with Patrick Patterson. What is the backup plan?

The only possible candidates are in the 100-200 range and one is an instate player who is on the rise. Jeff Brooks. He isnt a power forward like Charles Hurt or Chuck Verderber or Winston Bennett were so it isnt that big of a move.

Other candidates are Isiah Martin of Chicago Morgan Park and teeng Akol of Our Savior New American School in NYC.

Teeng is ranked high and that is based on HIGH potential and EXTREMELY GOOD ATHLETICISM. To me, Teeng is another Jules Camara or Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje. He could pan out and be good like RB-B or just be available like Jules was.

Isiah is a your prototype sleek PF. 6'8" 210. He just isnt that good in all aspects of the game. He is good rebounding and defending but just average offensively and needs some work on passing and low block moves.

3. Is it possible that the Morris twins could be rethinking their decision to go prep school? If so, then one would have to assume that they become the backup plan to Patterson.


They might but it would be a bad decision. These kids need one more year of playing against peer talent. These kids were home schooled much of their life and only have played 1 1/2 year of organized HS ball. They really need the prep year. They would be 17 year old freshmen next fall. I dont think they would be ready.



4. How do you feel about AJ Stewart and Mike Williams becoming Wildcats? Do you think they are UK material?

I firmly believe AJ is going to be a fan favorite just like Chuck was, and Winston Bennett was. He wont be an All-American type player like Kenny walker or Ron Mercer was but he has their tools. He just isnt a 10 on the forward scale. he is a 8.5. He will get the job done. It will be like you will leave the game and think he didnt do too much. Wake up the next morning and read the boxscore and see 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks. and say well he did do alot. You just wont see his stuff on ESPN SportsCenter highlights.

Mike CAN be UK material. I mean that this way. Mike is originally from England and started his career there. He just came here recently and isnt fully attuned to the Americanized HS and college game. He has the physicality and he has the game (the low block game) to be a force in college if he listens to the coaches. Which he does. He just needs the next step of development. He has a year to do so and most feel it will happen and so do I.


5. Razor Ramon Harris is now going to be a part of the 2006 recruiting class. He should be able to play by December. How do you feel about this young man and what does he bring to the table?

Freakish athlete. I dont think there is anything you could ask him to do athletically and he couldnt do it. There are conflicting reports on his shooting ability and offensive prowess. One reporter told me and I blurted it everywhere that he hit 55.8% from three. I dont have any links to the stats and I took his word for it. Can he play? Yes. in the games I saw him he has all the raw talent and he shot well the games I saw. It is just going to be the attenuation of him to UK and to the team. He will bring an athleticism we havent had for a while (Fitch and Azubuike type athleticism).

6. Let's talk about yourself a little bit here Greg. Why do you think you have become such a polarized figure on the UK basketball forums?

Because I can be very opinionated myself and if I hear something from someone that needs to be shared I share it. For instance the Wright Young, Kemp thing about this time last year. I cant stress enough how much BW was a UK fan and until the week before he went to CH, NC he was coming here. his HS asst coaches, his teammates, most reporters in the Franklin/Nashville area were convinced he was headed to Lexington. I asked his mother about it and she said it was UK in the lead, easily. Young had just visited with Tubby and said he liked tubby and wanted to play for a black coach (there was more to the puzzle and it involved $$$ but we knew about that all along), and Kemp was convinced he was ready to commit so that is what I reported. I heard all of that in 2 days.

THEN, Kemp visited. He was told to hold off his commitment because we were expecting commitment from another player, Derrick Jasper. We (UK) wanted Jasper and we felt Kemp and Jasper couldnt co-exist so we told Kemp to wait... and Jasper commited and then we completely backed away from Kemp.

Then Young visited GT and he got the attention($$$) he wanted from GT...

Then we all know what happened with Wright.

What am I going through that for? I believe what I am told and I tell it. I dont lie or make up stuff which is what one site says. Was I wrong to be that forceful and opinionated.. probably. that is what some people dont like. If you are opinionated and then your information turns out to be wrong, the highly opinionated opposite you tend to be venomous in their retorts. It is part and parcel of the game.

Going back even further was the tenure at Inside Kentucky (which followed Big Blue Nation). Most people know about the BBN stuff and Brian Poe, the former owner of Big Blue Nation. He was the one who got us in trouble with football recruiting... and got banned for 26 years from UK athletics. when he had to sell BBN it was bought by another individual who is now one of my best friends. at the time, I was very confused and being pulled at many different directions. the other moderators and former editor of the magazine were telling me the new owner wasnt who I wanted to be involved with. Now, after being with these mods and friends with former editor I at first was that way and was going to go back to my old job of being an independent recruiting analyst. Then the new owner of IK (and I am not using his name because he has asked me not to use it, some know it and if they use it then it is their head) and I talked 14 times in 3 weeks concerning what he wanted from the "old style BBN" and the NEW Inside Kentucky. he asked me until things work out to be the head moderator (all the others had left with the old editor) and work with Rob Gidel on the new magazine. I run the website and Rob run the magazine. I agreed and went on my way. We (IK) were trying to keep our media outlet and media passes with us, so the website had to be sanitized. when people saw the new website many thought that they could just say what they wanted. I was told to sanitize. the owner told me that certain posts and certain topics were to be deleted. Also that questionable material would be deleted also (humpin bananas for example). When I started warning people in public and private and they continued and were banned ... they called me ALL KINDS of names ... so that started alot of the animosity towards me.

I dont mind it. It comes with the territory. I do wish I could just do recruiting analysis which is what I have been doing since 1991 when I started working for one of the Street and Smith evaluators Howard Pressman. Howard has since passed away. I was able to work long enough for Howard that S&S used me as one of their analysts until I went to BBN in 2002.

Some others analysts and I are starting Midwest Prep Hoops and will be online in January 2007 (Maybe February 2007). It will be a free site for posters everywhere.

7. Should Perry Stevenson be starting at power forward for Kentucky this season? We have already seen what Thomas brings to the table over the past few seasons.

I think Thomas should start. Until he shows he cannot do anything at all. Sheray has had some good games and has the experience and the strength. Perry should be used as a weapon off of the bench. Reminder that most of the stuff you have seen from Perry is in a practice situation (BBM) or against NAIA or D-2 talent in exhibition games. He might even continue to play well against Miami and Miss Valley but Sheray has earned the spot and until he completely falters... its his.


8. Okay Greg, who do you feel out of the freshmen will have the biggest impact on this year's squad?

That is hard to say for One to be THE stud. I think at some point ALL FOUR will have their moments, yes even Michael Porter. Mike is very comfortable running the team and the team responds to his leadership. Derrick is going to be a stud on his own and it will be just a matter of time. Jodie also. Jodie has too much athleticism and shooting ability to not show it. And we have seen the snippets of Perry's ability. BUT they are freshmen and they will have their freshmen moments.

I think though that over the course of the season, the one that will make the most impact is Jodie Meeks because of his scoring ability. we didnt have that last year and if Jodie shows any consistency there to be the scorer... he will be used that way.

Wildcat Insiders would like to thank Greg for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in this interview. It's been a real joy to have you as a guest on our blog.

Stability, Bowl Eligibility, and a Positive step.

The game tomorrow against Vanderbilt is going to be a very important game for the Kentucky football program. Right now the cats have an overall record of 5-4 and are 3-3 in SEC play, which leaves them just one victory of becoming bowl eligible. This would be the first time this has happened since 1999, and believe me when I say the Wildcat fans have been up in arms over this. Although I understand that the SEC is the best football conference in the land, I’m still one of many Kentucky football fans who believe we can do what Louisville has done with their program. A win over Vandy can do so much for this program. 1) It helps Recruiting; 2) It offers stability into a program that has lacked that over the years, and 3) The programs prestige increases. All of these are crucial things that need to happen in order for Kentucky to ever compete at a higher level.
The Rich Brooks era has been shaky at best, but his and this team’s chances of moving the program into a positive direction will come this weekend against the commodores. A win will most likely secure Rich Brooks job, and at the same time send this football team to a bowl game.

UK Recruiting: An Interview with Matt Jones

1. How do you personally see the whole Lucas recruitment playing out?

Personally thought and have thought for some time, that Jai has always favored UK. Other factors may ultimately sway him another direction, including potential playing time. But going into these last few days, I think UK has a great chance and is likely his leader.

2. It's apparent that Patrick Patterson is going to wait until the spring to make his announcement. In your opinion, does this increase or decrease UK's chances of landing Mr. Patterson?

I don't think it is great news for UK, but I don't think it is awful either. We of course all would like Patrick to go ahead and commit to UK, but I think he was and is very fond of Florida. Why he is waiting is a bit of a mystery to me, but nevertheless, I don't think UK is out by any means. UK is going to try and get a commitment.....If they don't get it this fall, which it looks like they won't, it will be a disappointment, that is for sure.


3. Various reports about Ramon Harris indicate that he is a really good basketball player. Are these reports true? And if so, doesn't this make the already very good 2006 class even better?

Definitely. Ramon Harris is exactly the kind of player I like to see UK take. He is very athletic and has succeeded on the high school level. I have a lot of people telling me that this kid will be a good player at UK. I don't know what, if anything we will see THIS year, but by next year, I think he will be quite solid.

4. Getting back to Patterson...If somehow UK does not get him to suit up in the Blue and White next year, what is the back up plan? Personally, I think Tubby is thinking about getting Moses here to play PF.

Marshall Moses can play PF, but he isn't qualified yet. I honestly don't know what UK is thinking as a backup to Patterson. I think UK has gone about this year very well. However if they don't get Patterson, the lack of a solid backup will be a very poor decision.

5. It appears with your recent success and following you are getting to meet all kinds of wonderful people LOL. How has this attention from fans of other programs affected you?

It can be tough sometimes, but I enjoy it. As you get successful in anything, people start to come after you. We have been fortunate to break some stories and get some news and when it is against other schools, folks get mad. But the people who come in on a daily basis know what we are about and our success so far has been amazing.

6. If the scores come through, is Moses UK bound?

Absent a late offer from UNC, then yes.

7. Last question for you Matt, have you heard anything interesting lately about the team since the exhibition games have ended?

This has been a relatively quiet few weeks....Which is good. This team is ready to get down to business and I think they will surprise a lot of people. What I think we will see quickly is that Jodie Meeks will be the 6th man scorer and that he will be the focus of the second team offense. But I expect good things from this group and by the end of the year, this is a Top 10 team.

Thanks for having me.

Matt

Wildcat Insiders would like to thank Matt for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in this interview. It's been a real joy to have you as a guest on our blog.

Recruiting Concerns by UKfan215

Looking at how college basketball and more specifically....college basketball recruiting and how it's changed in recent years leaves me feeling a bit sick to my stomach. Can any true, purist college basketball fan take a look at the situation and not feel the same way? It just seems that the much greater attention given to college basketball recruiting has elevated many kids who are still high school sophomores and juniors into national celebrities, whom college coaches and fans alike drool over. Add in some AAU coaches who are frequently thought to be "middle men" in the recruiting process, the shoe companies and the more dishonest college coaches in the business and suddenly you have something that looks as sleezy and dishonest as (gulp) politics or the used car sales!

How has the sport we so greatly love been reduced to this point? To find the answer, you have to go back a number of years as this didn't all start overnight, though the effects have become greatly magnified over the past 10 years. In 1978, the AAU went through a change that took it from being mainly an organization that trained and prepared hopeful Olympians to what it has become today. The AAU does do some good things. They give these talented kids the chance to play against lots of other equally talented kids from around the nation. Thus, they develop from very good players into outstanding players at a much quicker rate than they would do otherwise. Without the AAU, kids who are now making major contributions as freshmen or sophomores might not reach their full potential until they are juniors or seniors. But with this good comes an even greater amount of bad. It's no great secret that some of the AAU coaches are looked upon as dishonest....guys who steer players toward certain programs, probably for compensation. Some of these coaches are so well known for their tactics that even fans of college programs cringe when they hear their schools are recruiting players associated with them. Kentucky fans who frequent the various message boards were upset about a certain player UK was rumored to be recruiting in the 2006 class, simply because he was associated with a certain AAU coach who I will leave nameless.

But this is just scratching the surface. What other negative things can we readily identify about the world of recruiting and college basketball in general that have drastically changed over the course of the last 10 years?

How about shoe companies? I remember not too many years ago to a time when you had to be Michael Jordan to have your own line of shoes. Now the shoe companies are going after high school kids who are demonstrating the potential to be future NBA stars! Look at all the shoe camps. And look at all the talk by some high school kids who base their list of schools on what brand of shoe the teams wear! It has become ridiculous. And the way shoe companies target what is essentially kids is sickening.

Now the recruiting business has also spawned for profit ventures that follow recruiting in-depth. Fifteen years ago, most fans of college basketball had no idea who their recruits were until they laced up their shoes and took the court as freshmen. Now, these same fans are treated to a daily diet of reports about recruits who are often still high school juniors. They know who all the recruits are that even have a remore interest in attending their respective schools. And they know based upon rankings where each kid stacks up in relation to another, provided you believe this numerical ranking system really provides a realistic measure of how kids will perform. While such services are fun for fans and bring them into the mix, it also serves to elevate the celebrity status of these kids. What would have been only known to the inner circles of college programs just little more than a decade ago is now common knowledge among hundreds of thousands of fans around the nation. Having lots of high school games and the McDonald's All American game now airing on ESPN each year only makes matters worse. So instead of having these kids, even the good ones, show up on campus as freshmen who are relatively unknowns, they are now arriving on campus as super stars before they ever even play a single college game. Doesn't that just seem wrong?

As if this isn't already enough to make one vomit, look at what this increased exposure and attention has done to the mindset of the recruits themselves. How many times do we see these top rated, 5 star caliber recruits who have been elevated to celebrity status by the internet, ESPN, Nike, Adidas, etc behave as prima donnas? All too often I am afraid. Now, I can't really blame these kids for this. Afterall, they are just kids. This is how one would expect most 16 year olds to act when suddenly elevated to celebrity status. But I do blame the adults who create these situations in the first place. That includes us all to some degree. It includes talking heads at ESPN. It includes radio. It includes internet recruiting services. It includes shoe companies who are "robbing the cradle" in an attempt to find the next big star. It includes college coaches who are forced to stoop to new lows in order to secure verbal committments from these young hotshots to keep their programs at a high level in an age of greater parity and less patient fans. It includes the NBA who's seeking new blood and until the past year had begun plucking many of these top kids straight out of high school. And sadly, it even includes many of us, ordinary college basketball fans. Today fans are connected to the business of recruiting in ways previously impossible before the explosion of the internet. Fans of top schools expect their coaches to land some of these top notch recruits (the 5 star Mickey D's types) each and every year. If they fail to do so, these fans take to the airwaves and internet, calling for the heads of the coaches. It puts even greater pressure on the coaches to succeed and no doubt contributes to the cheating that seems to be taking place on a fairly regular basis. Just look at the number of programs who have been on probation over the last ten years or who are being investigated for possible violations. And look at the number of coaches who are widely viewed as dishonest and sleezy who haven't yet been caught....or have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar but are still coaching. It's mind boggling. And of course, the NCAA in it's infinite wisdom seeks to punish only the program while these coaches are free to walk away from the mess they have created and take a new job elsewhere, while the fans, the team and the university take the real punishment. This hardly seems fair, does it?

After looking at all of this, I am sure you are thinking it can't get worse. But can it? I am afraid so. Just look at how the attitudes of many top recruits have changed lately. Fifteen years ago, most of these kids chose programs based on their history of excellence, their ability to win championships, because of their coaches, etc. They wanted to be a part of that excellence. They knew they would have to work hard. They knew it was a team effort. And in many cases, kids in the past would beg coaches for a chance to play for them. Now, it's often just the opposite. Coaches have to get down on their knees and beg these kids to come play for them. They have to promise many starting jobs as freshmen to get them to jump on board. And rather than many being interested in the program and asking how they can help it, they are now asking what the program can do for them. Rather than asking, can I come in and help win a title here, many are asking if they can come in, play one year then be a lottery pick. Kids often choose their schools not based on that school's tradition, the quality of the program, the quality of the coach or the things that would have been important 20 years ago. Now, many sadly want to go to whatever school will give them the best chance to get maximum minutes early on and allow them to shine so they can get to the NBA as quick as possible. Rather than a "team effort", many are more interested in a "me effort". We see it countless times each year. And it truely is sickening. And to some degree, we are all a bit responsible for taking this sport we love and making it into this sleezy, dishonest, big business that it has become.

Is it possible to change this? Probably not fully. Things have just travelled too far down this path already to regain full control over. But conditions could be improved. Get the shoe companies out of these camps and away from 15 and 16 year old kids. Clean up the AAU. Punish college coaches who cheat instead of the schools. Get the NBA to change it's policies for entrance to resemble that which the NFL uses, ensuring these kids stay in school until they are at least juniors, rather than allowing them to turn pro after just one year. If a kid has immense talent but not the brain to be a student, then leave them another option such as the NBDL in which to develop and refine their skills. But for goodness sake, lets stop college basketball from simply being a year long barrier between these kids and the NBA. To many, that's how they seem to view it, a necessary hassle they must endure for a year before they can get a multi-million dollar contract in the NBA. Such a situation is really hurting college basketball. And it's not helping these kids any either. Sure, some of them get a chance to be millionaires earlier as a result. But many don't have the maturity to handle such fame and fortune at so young an age. Many attempt to make the jump to the NBA before they are ready....thinking they are the next Jordan based on the amount of hype they have recieved dating back to their high school days. But how many have we seen end up not being 1st round draft picks who just disappear within a couple of years? How many of these kids simply flame out because they don't have the level of maturity or experience that 3 or 4 years of college basketball would give them? We may never know. But until something is done, I expect college basketball recruiting to become even more cut-throat, dishonest and shamful than it already is. You can expect the "posse" effect of unsavory characters surrounding top recruits and guiding their decision making, often for personal gain at the expense of these kids to continue. And it's sad. It's sad that a sport I love so dearly is being reduced to a sleezy business consumed by greed....greedy coaches, greedy shoe companies, the greedy NBA, greedy young recruits who are tempted by millions of dollars and even greedy fans who only want their programs to win and will simply turn a blind eye to the unsavory behind the scenes stuff that often takes place to reach that outcome.

I suppose in light of all of this, we should all as fans be really proud whenever we end up getting classes such as Derrick Jasper, Michael Porter, Jodie Meeks and Perry Stevenson....all quality kids, though who may be slightly below Mickey D's AA status. These are all kids who chose UK because this is where they want to be. They all love UK. They like our coach. They like us as fans. They didn't come here with the intent of all being starters from game one and simply being here for a year getting their ticket punched to the NBA. They all came here with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. They came because they love UK's rich tradition and because they want to be a part of it. They didn't come because our coach was the high bidder who promised them max PT to get their stats in order to be 1st round draft picks after one season. I am proud we have kids like that. Those are the kids who will stay 3 or 4 years. Those are the kids who will play as a team. Those are the kids who will listen to their coach. And those are the kids who won't pout if they don't all start the first game. And those are the kids who will help us win another national title. I am so proud we have kids like this. And I am proud that we have a coach who is honest and doesn't stoop to the levels of some coaches just to get a kid at any cost. And I am proud I have never heard Tubby piling it on thick, such as taking a kid's hand in his and telling him how he has "angelic eyes" or promise him he'll be in the NBA the next year. If we must resort to using the tactics that I see some coaches use in order to land the hotshot 5 star recruits who are NBA bound within a year, then I don't want them. Because the whole process is gross. And unlike some people, I am unwilling to stoop to any level just to win.


What do you think? Doesn't looking at what this process has become make you feel ill at times?

Blue/White Game Observations

By: Ryan Daniel
WI Senior Moderator

Ramel Bradley and Bobby Perry lead the Kentucky Blue squad over the Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris lead Kentucky White squad. I watched some of this game and I will tell you I am very opptimistic about this team.

The freshmen were very productive. Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks are both beasts. Jasper will be the best passer on this team, he runs the offense very well and plays outstanding defense. Meeks can just flat out score and he will do this for us consistently.

Stevenson may have only scored two points today, but i was impressed by him. He had 7 rebounds and one or two blocks. No one really expects him to score a lot, but they do expect him to help on the board and defense, which is what he did. Stevenson did get a chance to score a couple of more times, but he seemed happier just dishing the ball off. He is also very athletic, maybe the most athletic person on the team, and i would say when Holsopple is done with him, he will be a very good player down in the post.

Porter did well today, but wasn't overly impressive. He did alright leading the team, but seemed to be outplayed by Jasper or Bradley for most of the game. He did make a really nice runner off the glass and a good three point shot, but not much else offensively. He did alright distributing the ball, but he seemed nervous and it showed, he was really shut down by Jasper by most of the game.

Morris is THE MAN. He can score at will and is the best player on this team. He has the NBA body and is showing NBA skills. He didn't play 100% the entire game, but hopefully that will change during the season. Joe Crawford scored at will today. He was shooting the ball from the perimeter and he drove to the basket with ease. He will be a beast this year and will compete with Morris for leading scorer on this team.

Ramel Bradley lead this team very well today. I actually saw him pass up shots today, I had never seen him do this before today. He was distributing the ball very well, and he drove to the basket very strong.

Bobby Perry looked very good today and showed that he still intended to play this season like he did in last year's tourny. He scored 6 threes if I am not mistaken, he may have made more. He reminded me today a little of Jeff Sheppard. If you remember, Jeff Sheppard was the master in 1998 of coming off the screen and shooting the three, well Bobby Perry did that all day today, he shot very well and he looked more comfortable on the court than i have seen him in a while.

Sheray did pretty well, he held his own in the post. He did well on the boards and scored when he found the oppurtunity. Good overall game by Sheray.

Jared Carter was very dissappointing today and I don't see him starting any time soon. He did not score one point today and was repeatively beat up and down the court today and beat down low and on the boards by Woo. Woo really did well in my mind today. He scored 14 points and made several good jumpers, one of his jumpers actually was crucial for the blue team and helped lead the blue squad to victory, pretty good game by Woo in my opinion.

The team did very well overall and i was impressed, I hope this is a good sign for the upcoming season. Well guys this is my two scents, hope this helped those of you who didn't get to see or listen to it.

Also here is the box score for the scrimmage:
http://www.ukathletics.com/stats/2006_07/mbasketball/10-21-06.htm

WI Weekly 10-4-06

WILDCAT INSIDERS WEEKLY
Written By Daniel Gary of WildcatInsiders.com
Hello and welcome to Wildcat Insiders Weekly. Wildcatinsiders.com is a website that was started in 2005 to give UK fans a place to get the latest news on UK sports and to voice their opinion. Now you can get the latest scoop on what's going on with UK Sports anytime at WI or here at the WI Blog.

UK Men's Basketball
It is the first week of October. Midnight Madness is still over a week away, and the seasonal temperatures make it perfect to be out on the links. So what is Tubby Smith doing? Here's a hint, his golf clubs are collecting dust. The much debated Coach of UK is out wooing recruits. In home visits, hosting recruits on campus, and making calls are in Tubby Smith’s daily planner. Many recruiting analyst have made note that Smith is recruiting harder than ever before. Some note the reason being the 13 loss season a year ago, others the fact that the last two major Power Forward targets, Tyler Hansbrough (2005) and Brandan Wright (2006) both chose North Carolina over UK. In any case, the fact of the matter is that the 2007 class is more important than any other class in recent memory.

The lone commitment for 2007 is:Mike Williams- Originally from England, this 7'0" 280 lb. Center now resides in surburban Washington, DC. Williams recently emerged as a D1 prospect after losing over 50 lbs. Williams made a visit to UK in middle September. Williams would more than likely be a recruit who would not contribute immediately, but is more of a Shagari Alleyne or Lukasz Orbzut type recruit. Some recruiting gurus have noted that the potential is there to be better in the long run than Alleyne or Orbzut.

The targets for the 2007 class are:
(1) Patrick Patterson- A 6'8" 220 lb. PF out of Huntington High in Huntington, WV, Patterson is the No. 1 target of the class without question. Patterson would be the recruit that makes UK fans forget Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright. Patterson has all the tools to make an immediate impact, and will likely be a McDonald's All American. Patterson has narrowed his list down to basically 3 schools, UK, Florida, and Duke. UK has 2 things in their favor in this recruitment. Location plays in UK's favor, but even better for the Cats is that Coach Smith was onto Patterson before the other coaches were, and with that Coach Smith has built a good "rapport"-in her words, with Patterson’s mother Tywanna.

(2) Jai Lucas- A 5'8" 145 lb. PG out of Bellaire High School in Bellaire, TX, Lucas is the son of former NBA Player and Coach John Lucas. Lucas older brother John III was a star for Oklahoma St. a few years back. Although some feel that he is too small for SEC basketball, Lucas has made an impression on several scouts over the course of the summer on the AAU circuit. Lucas has stated that Coach Smith makes him feel "very comfortable", and Smith is good friends with the elder Lucas. Jai is currently choosing between UK, Maryland, and Oklahoma St. Most Analyst feel that Lucas is leaning to UK. That is great news, because Lucas and Patterson have talked about attending school together, and they have one school in common, UK. In fact, they are both scheduled to visit together on Midnight Madness weekend.

(3) AJ Stewart- A 6'8" 195 lb. Combo Forward from Jacksonville, FL, Stewart is ranked in the 90's nationally, although many analyst proclaim him to be underrated. Stewart played with 3 upperclassmen that will play D1 ball ,which kept him out of the spotlight. Known as a good defender with a good attitude, Stewart would be the prototypical Tubby Smith player in the line of Eric Daniels or Chuck Hayes. Stewart is deciding between UK, Illinois, and Florida. UK leads in his recruitment according most insiders. In fact, there is actually an internet rumor that Stewart has made a verbal commitment to UK, and that he doesn't want to announce it until after his visit on Midnight Madness weekend in order to try to persuade Patterson and Lucas to UK during the visit.

(4) James Anderson-A highly ranked SF out of Arkansas that will possibly be visiting sometime in October. In fact, Anderson may even be visiting at madness with the other above mentioned recruits. Thought once to be headed to Arkansas or Kansas, Anderson recently emerged onto the recruiting scene for the Cats. Don’t get your hopes up too much Cat fans, however we are in better shape than previously thought.

(5) Darnell Gant- A 6'8" 220 lb. Forward from Los Angeles, CA. Gant recently visited the Wildcats. Gant is also considering UCLA and Washington. Gant is described as an excellent shooter for his size. Although Gant would make a great player for the Cats, word is he will be difficult to get off of the West Coast.

(6) Chris Barnes- Barnes, a 6'8'' PF out of Georgia, visited the Cats the last weekend of September. Appears that Kentucky is a definite possibility for Barnes. Barnes has since spoken highly of he visit. Barnes and Gant, along with other members of the UK team surprised campers who were in line for Madness Tickets with Donuts.

(7 and 8) Marcus and Markieff Morris-Twins out of Philadelphia, Pa, who play for Philadelphia Prep Charter. Marcus is 6'7" 215 lbs, while Markieff is 6'8" 225 lbs. Both plan to attend the same college, however which school that is up in the air. Markieff favors UK, while Marcus favors John Calipari's Memphis squad. Both are visiting Madness weekend, so the hope is that Marcus is awed by the experience and agrees with his twin that UK is the place for them.

Those 8 are the offers that are extended that seem to be UK's most likely targets. Prep recruiting changes daily, and Coach Smith has other players in mind in case some choose other schools (which undoubtedly will happen). The two most talked about players are both in state prospects. They are Stefphon Pettigrew from Elizabethtown High School, and Jeff Brooks from Doss High in Louisville. Pettigrew burst onto the scene this summer at the Las Vegas AAU tournament where he scored 72 pts. in 2 games. Brooks just recently visited UK, and wants to play his college ball in the state of Kentucky it appears. Look for at least one of these players to be a Cat, if not both.

UK Football Heading In the Right DirectionCount me as one of the people that doesn't like Ohio St., Florida St., Penn State or even Louisville Football. Often times I talk to UK Hoop fans and ask them about Rich Brooks' squad, only to get "I like (insert team) football and UK basketball.” I am not one of those people. I am a UK fan, even though I admit there has been little too cheer about over the past 7 seasons. First Claude Bassett brought sanctions against the program, losing scholarships and leaving UK with a postseason ban. Guy Morriss saw that he would lack the upperclassmen needed to be competitive and left for Baylor. Enter Rich Brooks a little over 3 years ago. Brooks entered the picture at the lowest of lows. Brooks has taken a lot of grief, especially after this season’s loss to Louisville. The fact of the matter is that Brooks is turning things around for the Cats. UK just last year got all the scholarships back, and Brooks hauled in a Top 25 recruiting class with those scholarships. Included in that class was centerpiece recruit, 5 star DT Micah Johnson from Ft. Campbell. Johnson already has started against Texas St., and will be a major player for the Cats with experience. Brooks and staff are getting football players with talent, and with depth that will come after another full recruiting class, UK football will return to making Bowl Games with consistency.

Major Kudos goes to the UK Football team after the Florida game. Visiting the #5 ranked Gators at "The Swamp", the Cats held the lead toward the end of the second quarter. The football Cats were hurt by two questionable calls that helped seal their fate, eventually losing 26-7. The game was actually closer than the final score indicated. The Wildcats didn't go to Gainesville looking for a moral victory, however after a history of losing to Florida the past 19 seasons, many by 40+ pts, the fact of the matter is that the Cats showed just how much they have improved against Florida.

For up to date information for UK Sports, please visit http://www.wildcatinsiders.com. Sign up and join in on the discussion, its free. If you have any questions, comments, or have trouble signing up, please email us at wildcatinsiders@yahoo.com.

The Season is Upon Us

After a disapointing season, our UK Wildcats look to have a bounce back year. WI's own Administrator Richard tries to answer key questions that loom into this season.

The Season is Upon Us
By: Richard
WI Administrator
9-26-06

As the season approaches closer and closer, the Big Blue Nation continues to get ready for another year of basketball. It is this time of the year when expectations are the highest and fans look for anything to give them hope that this could be the year that leads us to #8 or at least another Final Four. What are our expectations this year? Where do we stand as the largest group of fans in the country? Will this team live up to expectations?

This off-season has seen more fans divided than ever. On one end of the spectrum there are fans that want Tubby Smith gone from his position to the other end of the spectrum that would support him regardless of the outcome. It is kind of weird to think about how far apart some fans are on this. There where rumors of Smith leaving for the NBA, rumors of the University buying out his contract, and rumors of him being fired. None of these came true and he is here for his tenth season. He is a very solid coach but even this writer still has doubts if he is the right man for the job. With that said, I will support him as the coach of our beloved Wildcats as long as I feel confident that he can win games and improve (that did come into question this year as very few changes where made to his staff). He is the coach and I want UK to win no matter what, so I will show my support for this team and this coach.

Now that we have that out of the way, what are out expectations this year? I have a feeling that there will be a lot of surprised people out there in the big blue nation as well as the world of college basketball. I see this team as a group of players that want to prove that this is still Kentucky and that we are still the team to beat in the SEC. I think that we go into Maui Invitational and come out either as the Champion or suffer only one loss. I think that we do not lose again until we play UNC. I also think that this game will be closer than some think and if it were at Rupp, I might give the Cats a better chance. But since it is at the Dean Dome, I think that this will either be the first loss or the second loss of the young season depending on what happened at the Maui Invitational. We then kick off conference play without another loss. I think that we take care of a young but talented group of Cardinals at Freedom Hall and make it three in a row against our rivals to the west.

Once we hit SEC play, we have a very favorable early schedule which will get us off to a great start. We will go all the way to Feb 13th before we get our first loss in the SEC when UF comes to Lexington. I was torn on this game but just do not think that we have the front court personnel to compete with UF this year. I do think that this game will be much closer than last year but we will not have enough at the end to win it. Then we lose the next game at Tennessee. That will be the only time this year that we lose two games in a row. We then run the table until we meet UF in Gainesville where they take care of us again.

We go into the SEC Tournament with 4-5 losses at this point and make it to the final game where, guess what, we face UF again and they will win it again. This will not sit well with the big blue nation, as UK should never lose to the same team 3 times in one year, but I have a feeling that this UF team has our number and will win in a very close game that may even be one of the best games all year. We enter the NCAA Tournament with a 26-6 record at worse with a top 4 seed. This is where it gets iffy as anything can happen in March Madness. I believe that we will at least make it to the Elite 8, so I will go with that. After all of this we finish with a 29-7 record for the year. Now, will this happen? I have no idea but this fan likes to think in positive ways so this is my take on it.

The final part to all of this talk comes to us now. Can this team live up to the expectations that one fan has put on them? I think so. First of all, we have a very solid group of returning players. The three juniors (Morris, Bradley, Crawford) will have great years. With the new conditioning that they are receiving and the bad taste of defeat and disappointment from last year, they will finally live up to the hype that brought them to UK as the #1 overall class in 2004. You then have a senior in Bobby Perry that will want to go out in a positive light. He is our leader and is very intelligent. I really believe that he will push this team to work as a group and make them want this more than anything. These four players will be the heart and soul of this team. They will have to be as they are the leaders. UK also has Obrzut and Thomas that should also bring some leadership to the team. Although I do not think that they have the skills of the other four mentioned above, but I believe that their experience will be the key in helping this team through tough times. Woo may not have great numbers all year, but I have a feeling that he will give us something to cheer about at some point this year. As for Thomas, I think that he gets more grief than he deserves sometimes. I do not expect him to have a great year, but he will still contribute to this team and provide very valuable minutes.

This leaves us with the young guys on the team. As I talk with other fans about this team, one name continues to creep up as someone that everyone thinks could have a great season. That name would be one Jared Carter. He is the only sophomore on the team and people feel that he could be the back-up to Morris that we need. Some feel that he could be the starting Center to allow Morris to take care of the Power Forward spot. If he can get the plays down, we might see a whole new Carter this year which would give some hope that the world will not be over when Morris leaves for the NBA, as we know we will have a solid player to replace him with. Then you have the new comers (Jasper, Meeks, Porter, Stevenson, and Coury). With these young players, you have three very well know players in Jasper, Meeks and Stevenson (all of whom are 4-star recruits that can make an impact this year). Then there is Porter who most thought would be a football player instead of a basketball because of the schools that where recruiting him and Coury who no one had heard of until he decided to walk on this year. Of all of these new players on this team, the only one that I am not sure about how he will do is Coury. I think that the other 4 can and will be productive for the Cats this year as they give rest to the upperclassmen.

So, with these group of kids in the Blue and White our Cats can and (according to this writer) will be able to get the job done as I only see one weakness on this team and that is the PF. If Carter (by allowing Morris to move to the PF), Stevenson or Thomas can provide enough to keep UK from loosing games, then the other players can carry UK to wins. Points will come from the first four mentioned and I feel they will come at a rate higher than we have seen in the past. If that is the case look for a great year and some very happy Big Blue Fans as we at least reach the Elite 8 and possibly the Final Four. And remember, if you are going to dream, dream big.

2006 Heisman Contenders

Brian Miner
WI Administrator
9-19-06

After three weeks of college football, I think it is pretty clear who the top four contenders are for the Heisman Trophy. All four of them play in different conferences and likely won't see each other on the field until early January. Two of them are running backs and two of them are quarterbacks. If by this time you are still unaware of who I am talking about (the head picture may have given a clue to some folks), I am talking about Troy Smith of Ohio State, Steve Slaton of West Virginia, Adrian Perterson of Oklahoma, and Chris Leak of Florida.

Troy Smith is the leader of #1 ranked Ohio State. He already lead them to a huge victory at Texas in week 2. Ohio State still has three big games left on their season. They still have to play Penn State and Michigan at home but have to travel to Iowa to play the Hawkeyes.
2006 Season Stats:
Passing: 769 YDS | 7 TD
Rushing: -14 YDS | 0 TD
0 INT | 69.1 CMP%

Steve Slaton is the young leader of the West Virginia Mountaineers. He started the season by rushing for over 200 yards in his first game. WVU is clearly the class of the Big Least (.....oops....I mean the Big East). With UofL's Brohm and Bush hurt, look for WVU to run the table and play for the 2006 National Championship.
2006 Season Stats:
62 ATT | 503 YDS | 6 TD
8.1 AVG | 52 LNG

Adrian Peterson and Oklahoma should be 3-0 heading into the fourth week of the season. But instead suffered a last second loss to Oregon thanks in large part to a Pac-10 referee crew that has since been suspended for terrible calls. After a dissapointing sophomore season, Peterson looks to be back to his freshman form.
2006 Season Stats:
90 ATT | 515 YDS | 4 TD
5.7 AVG | 37 LNG
2 REC | 75 YDS | 1 TD

Chris Leak is living up to his high school reputation this season. He lead the Gators to a come from behind victory against archrival Tennessee last week and looks to shred apart UK's secondary this week. Look for Leak to put up alarming numbers this weekend.
2006 Season Stats:
Passing: 799 YDS | 10 TD
Rushing: -16 YDS | 0 TD
3 INT | 63.5 CMP%

Interesting Football Stats

Jmelton21
WI Senior Moderator/Football Analyst
9-18-06 12:06pm

-Dicky Lyons has 9 catches for 221 yards and 6 TD. Coming into this year he had 2 catches in his career.

-Also Dicky leads the nation in TD, 38th in Yards and 5th in YPC.

-Andre has had 9 TD passes he had 8 TD passes in his career.

-Andre is ranked #21 in Passing Yards, 11th in Yards per Attempt, 2nd in TD, and 12th in Passing Eff.

-Keenan ranked #28 in Yards, 20th in YPC.

UK is #58 in Offense Yards, #25(tied) in PPG, 27 in Passing Per Game.

NCAA Preview: Week 2

Jmelton21
WI Senior Moderator/Football Analyst
9-6-06 10:48am

Thoughts on the UL game.

Offense- I think that the QB question should have been answered. Woodson is the man. We threw the ball down field nicely. The only problem I have is that Raf only had around 10 touches or so. Between he and Keenan they should have 30-35 a game.

Defense- I plead the 5th.

Special Team was nice. Mattsay actually punted the ball good. Also the Kickoff were well.

Game Balls:
Offense: Dicky Lyons & Andre Woodson
Defense: Wesley Woodyard
Special Teams: Keenan Burton


On another note, I would like to send a get well soon to Micheal Bush. I am not a UL fan however this kid is a class act.




Now on the news of the week.


Injury notes Durrell White is questionalbe for the TSU game. Pryor is doubtful for it.

Also some depth chart changes.
Dicky Lyons Jr will start in place of DeMario Ford. Micah Johnson in for Braxton Kelley. Garry Williams and Christian Johnson in on the Left side of the Line.


Scouting Report for Texas State

Texas State (1-0) W Tarelton State 27-23
Returning Offense Starter: 4
Defense Starter Returning: 7


Depth Chart: (Returning Starter in Bold)
QB: Chase Wasson (JR) 11/17 75 Yards and 1 INT. 15 carries for 91 yds 2 TD.
HB: Daniel Jolley (SR) 13 carries for 42 yards 2 TD. 1 catch for 7 yds.
FB: Blake Burton (SR) 1 catch for 2 yards
WR: Tyrone Scott (JR) 2 catches for 16 yards
WR: Morris Crosby (SO) 4 catches for 42 yards
TE: Galen Dunk (FR) 3 catches for 15 yards.
LT: Matt Jenkins (JR) 6-3 301
LG: Ryan Miller (SR) 6-4 309
C: Buck Koalenz (SR) 6-3 304
RG: Justin Boren (JR) 6-3 336
RT: Calvin Gore (FR) 6-5 291

Key Offense Reserves:
HB: Alvin Cannady (FR) 5 carries for 59 yards
HB: Stan Zwinggi (SO) 5 carries for 33 yards.
WR: Camerson Luke (SO) 2 catches for 16 yards
WR: Adrian Thomas (SO) 2 catches for 12 yards
WR: Alex Darley (FR) 1 catch for 5 yards


Defense Starters: (They play a 4-2-5)
LE: Nick Clark (6-0 253 JR) 2 tackles
DT: Wellington DeShields (6-2 242 JR) 2 tackles (.5 TL)
NG: Ramel Borner (6-0 304 JR) 2 Tackles (.5 TL)
RE: Nate Langford (6-1 242 JR) 6 Tackles (1.5 TL) 1 sack

Mike (backside LB): Shola Obafemi (6-1 208 SR) 3 tackles (1 TL) 1 sack
Sam (strongside LB): Nate Castaillio (5-11 220 SR) 10 tackles (1.5 TL) 2 Forced Fumbles 1 Recrovery and 1 sack

LCB: Jamarqus O'Neil (6-1 192 SR) 3 tackles
WS(Weakside Safety): Epilson Williams (5-11 209 SR) 3 tackles
FS: Daniel Vervil (6-3 216 SR) 4 tackles (1 TL)
SS: Gary Shepard (5-10 214 SR) 4 tackles
RCB: Walter Musgrave (5-9 190 SR) 7 tackles

Key Defense reserves:
CB: Crenshaw (6-0 185 JR) 4 Tackles and a Fumble Recrovery
LB: Gotte (6-1 216 SR) 2 tackles
LB: Bell (6-0 210 FR) 2 tackles (.5 TL)



Top 10 games of the week:
Last week 7-3

10. Miami (OH) vs Purdue
Purdue stuggles against Indiana State last week. Will have to play better to win this week and they do. Purdue 41-31

9. Colorado vs Colorado State
Colorado will try to bounce back after a embrassing week will a loss to Montana State. They don't get it here. CSU 24-17

8. Vandy vs Alabama
Bama struggled with Hawaii. While Vandy comes in still trying to replace Cutler. Vandy offense continues to struggle. Bama 24-7.

7. Minnesota vs California.
Big game for Cal after being dismantle vs Tennessee. This is a big game to go towards saying last week was just a bad game and we aren't overrated. Cal must stop the run to do that though. Cal 31-17.

6. Washington vs Oklahoma
Oklahoma played bad without Romar last week. And last time I check he is not coming back. Washington is better than UAB. Washington 21-17.

5. Air Force vs Tennessee.
This is a "Trap Game" for UT. Comes between the big win against Cal and the rival game against UF. Remember AF runs that weird option attack. UT wins 31-7.

4. Texas State vs Kentucky.
Big game for the Cats TSU is a running team and UK sucks against the run. If the Cats want to have a chance at a bowl game and keeping there staff they must win here, period.
UK 41-17.

3. Georgia vs South Carolina
Big test early for a young UGA team. SC must show signs of improvement after a ugly win against MSU.
UGA 31-21.

2. Penn State vs Norte Dame: Great Offense vs a Great Defense. I still love ND offense. Also I think PSU doesn't have one yet. ND 38-20 (sorry Neo)

1. Ohio State vs Texas. #1 vs #2 early in the year wow. This is going to be a great one folks. If you are not at the UK game I say have a couple of friends over, crab a case and some wings and enjoy. Oh for the game a young OSU defense loses this one for them. UT 31-21.

NCAA Preview: Week One

Jmelton21
Wildcat Insiders Senior Moderator/Football Analyst


This is something new we are going to do this year. I will have a little review of any news from the football team, review from last week game, and a scouting report for the next one. Also it will have my Top 10 games of the week and with prediction.


First off I would like to say that I am sorry that it is late, I will have it out no later than Tuesday.

Another thing I would like to send my best regards and a Get Well Soon to JD from Catspause.


Now with the big news from this week of course it Andre being named starter. I can say that I am surprised I said I wanted him to start dating back to the spring. Andre I think is the best QB we have.


Scouting Report for Louisville (9-3 5-2)
Offense Starter Returning (6)
Defense Starters Returning (5)

QB: Louisville has a very good QB in has you know Brian Brohm. However this is a lot of question with the most looked at Knee in Loserville. IF he is ready physically, is one question. Question #2: Is he ready mentally?. However Cantwell is not a bad backup. He played pretty good last year when Brohm did go down. EDGE UL

RB: The three-headed monster of Bush, Smith, and Strickland is a damn good group. Bush lead the Nation is TD last year. And is one great RB. They have a good combo with the other two with the speed they bring to the table. EDGE: Noone (Uk has a darn group to)

WR: Urrita (who was a UK verbal) is one of the toughest players to defend in the nation at 6-6 with hands and speed. Other than that I question Douglas and company. EDGE UL


Offensive Line: They lost three starters from a year ago, two of whom were drafted. LeFew is starting for the Packers. They do have a great one at Center (Eric Wood). Also Renardo Foster was a starter who has had injury problems recently. EDGE UK


Defense Line: They lost one of the best DE have had seen in a while (Dumerville). You don't just replace 20 sacks. Zach Anderson though is a good one to try. They have both DT back. However there are question at both Ends. (EDGE UK)

Linebackers: Nate Harris returns and is a Butkus watch list member. He is a very good player. However they did lose alot in Johnson. So I think they will have to prove themselves. (EDGE UK)

Defensebacks: Lost only Safety Sharp. They should be better as long as the DL gets pressure.


Predictions UK 24 UL 21.


Top 10 games to watch this long weekend.

10. Marshall at #5 West Virginia (-23)
The reason I but this here is can WVU live up to the hype. They have unheard of hype in Morgantown this year. I say at least yes for one week. WVU 31-10

9. Vanderbilt at #14 Michigan (-26.5)
Michigan is trying to bounce back from a horrible year at 7-5. With Carr's job possible on the line. Vandy tries to replace Cutler. Michigan starts of good. UM 34-7

8. Stanford at #21 Oregon (-12) This is interesting game. The Pac-10 every team plays each other with the 12th game this year. Oregon tries to replace Clemens. Stanford tries to get to a bowl game for the first time in 5 years. Oregon starts of right. Oregon 21-10

7. Washington State at #4 Aurburn (-15) The Tigers starting hunting for a national title. It going to Starting with a bomb. UA 44-10.

6. UAB at #10 Oklahoma(-21) A lot of eyes will be on Norman to see the QB. Last year the Sooners lost to TCU. This year they might have it happen again. Oklahoma 21-17.

5. #6 USC at Arkansas (+8) Again the nation will watch to see how you replace over 6,000 yards and over 60 TD. Can Carrol reload or will he rebuild? USC 34-17.

4. #2 Norte Dame at Georiga Tech (+7.5) Norte Dame is ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since 96. The Irish fans and the nation will be watching the Defense. ND 34-24.

3. Kentucky at #13 Louisville (-22.5) The battle for the bluegrass. Uk will pull the upset. UK 24-21

2. #9 California vs #22 Tennessee (-2). This is going to be a great one. Can UT bounce back? Can Cal live up to the Hype? Cal 21-20.

1. #11 Florida State vs #12 Miami (-3.5) This is almost always a great game. Wide Right 1,2, and Wide Left. The two used to be a national title type game. It is going to be again. Canes 13-9

2007 Recruiting Update

Written by: UkFan215 of wildcatinsiders.com

As I do often as the recruiting landscape starts to change, I sit down and look at situations and re-evaluate where we are, what is available and what we need. I mainly do this for my own amusement but also my understanding of the situation. Sometimes while I am in the process, I just throw my thoughts and reflections together to form a post. So here that is. I may at times ramble and pass up and come back to points, but hopefully it will remain coherent enough to be readable.First, what scholarship players do we have returning after next season and at what positions?C Randolph Morris? (Sr)C Jared Carter (Jr)PF Perry Stevenson (So)SF Joe Crawford (Sr)SG Jodie Meeks (So)PG Ramel Bradley (Sr)PG/SG/SF Derrick Jasper (So)PG/SG Michael Porter (So)What players are we replacing and what positions did they play?C Shagari Alleyne (we never replaced him yet)PF Rekalin Sims (we never replaced him either)SF/PF Bobby PerryPF Sheray ThomasC Lukasz ObrzutPF/C Randolph Morris?Looking at who we'll have coming back and who will have to replace, it is very obvious the need lies with the front court. If Morris goes after this season, we'll only have two returning players in the entire front court (Carter and Stevenson), who yet are both unproven. We'll also be losing our only true SF in Bobby Perry, who out of necessity really hasn't played that spot much anyway. So what should UK do? It's obvious we are going to have to have a couple of studs who are capable of stepping in and providing major contributions to the team immediately in the front court. But we are also going to have to take as many as 5-6 guys overall, meaning we won't be able to sign an entire class full of McDonald's All American types either. We are going to have to take a couple of guys on the edge of or just outside the top 100 probably as well. I don't know what Tubby's strategy is for this class, but here's mine (keeping in mind I am just an amateur with no college coaching or recruiting experience) and my thoughts behind the strategy:We obviously need a stud PF and this is the most critical need on the team. We'll only have Stevenson coming back and we don't yet know how quickly he's going to be able to develop and gain weight/strength. So we need to land at least one PF capable of starting and playing well from Day 1 if need be. What group of players fit into this category of must get PF's?PF Group One (Top Priority) (we need at least 1 of these)-Patrick Patterson-J.J. Hickson-Anthony Randolph (may also be offered as a SF)I think you have to get one of those 3 guys if you want to have a really good class. But we are losing so many post players I think you also need a 2nd PF in the class also. If he (or one of the Group 1 PF's) can man the 5 spot as well, that would be a plus. Being that Gani Lawal, Gary Johnson, Andre Jordan and now Julian Vaughn are off the market, the current remaining options seem a bit low in numbers compared to our needs. So I think if I were Tubby, I would go hard and heavy after a number of other PF's now and try to get an early committment. It's time to extend offers to some new guys. We can't depend on basically 3 players (those mentioned above) to fill 2 needed spots with so much competition for their services. We're only likely to get one of those 3 guys at best. So we need to offer more PF's now and try to get one of them to verbal. Players who belong in this group include:PF Group 2 (one of the following)-Nayal Koshwal-Trevor Mbakwe-Teeng Akol-Markieff MorrisThe goal is to get a quality PF onboard now. All 4 of those guys are still quality recruits however, ranked solidly inside the Rival's Top 100 (minus Morris). All of them have excellent height for the position and two of them already have the body to play the 5 if need be in Tubby's system. So I'd love to see us go after, offer and land one of those 4 guys now. It's extremely unlikely that we'll be able to get 2 of Patterson, Hickson or Randolph. One from that group is about the best we can hope for. That said, we aren't likely going to find any guys better than Koshwal, Mbakwe or Akol for the other available PF spot. We should go get one of them if at all possible to assure we have a quality PF onboard and to make the fanbase relax a little, knowing that they aren't gonna head into the 07-08 season with one PF on the roster. In doing so, you'd still be reserving a spot for one of the stud PF's. IMHO, this would be a terrific and smart move. This player doesn't even have to be a major contributor his first season if we also get a stud, just good enough to play backup minutes as needed. I think all of those guys are actually capable of much more than that. So if we are taking 2 PF's, how can you go wrong by getting of those guys as your second option? Those are pretty good second options!Next come the SF/SG positions. We are actually in a little bit better shape at the SF spot than at PF, but not by much. Though Joe Crawford is really more of a 2G than a dedicated SF, he will be a senior by the time this class comes in with several years of playing that spot under his belt. He'll be anywhere from very solid to a superstar. And Jasper has the size to play the spot if need be in a backup role, though obviously I'd rather see him playing his natural position at PG. So, we'll need at least 1 quality SF in this class to back up Joe C. We seem good to go at SG with Meeks and Porter can back him up when needed. So recruiting a dedicated SG in this class is not a must, though we may ultimately end up with a tall SG playing the spot in this role. In today's game, that's actually very common though and I have no issue with it. Who are the current options at this position?SF/SG Group (we need 1 or 2 of these guys)-Marcus Morris (if we get his twin, he likely would come too)-Markieff Morris (same height/weight as his brother, so he could also be a 3)-James Anderson (seems a bit of a longshot)-Dante Jackson (we could have him now if we offered)-Steffphon Pettigrew (same for him)-Anthony RandolphNone of those guys are pure studs besides Randolph. But all are 6-5 or taller, all are athletic and all could develop into very good players. Again, with Crawford returning as the starter, whoever this person is would only need to be good enough to play backup minutes and be ready to start the following season. I think all of those guys have that ability. I hope Tubby stays in very close contact with Jackson and Pettigrew. Heck, maybe go ahead and make them a conditional offer to keep them very interested. That will give Tubby time to work on Randolph and Anderson, or someone new if he comes across such a player. I think Jackson and Pettigrew would both wait a while if they sense they have a good shot of us offering them, so that is very helpful. And while Pettigrew is not highly rated now, he's grabbing a lot of attention. I think he will be highly rated by Spring. A kid who can put up the type of numbers he does against good competition can play. I don't give a damn where he's ranked. I'd love to see him wearing the blue and white. As such, I would strongly considering making him an unconditional offer NOW, regardless of who else remains out there. At center, we're going to be trying to replace 2 maybe 3 guys. But I don't think we have to try to sign that many dedicated centers. To be honest and with all due respect to Shagari and Woo, we never really got much out of them anyway. With Carter returning for sure and possibly Morris, I think we can get by with one center in this class, provided he's pretty good. That's especially true if we can land two quality PF's. Having 4 guys manning the 2 front court spots seems adequate. So here are the center options:Centers we need 1 guy here-Josh Southern (gotta be the priority)-Ayodele Coker-Isaiah Rusher-one of the before mentioned PF's if he's willing to play the 5I think I'd wait as long as I could on Southern and take a chance with him, especially if we take care of our PF needs fairly early on. Coker and Rusher aren't quite as hot of a commodity, thus they'll probably still be options in late Winter should we need to take that route. Or I might just consider taking one of the other PF's if any are left over and would be willing to play at the 5 spot. A guy who's in the 6'9" range and weighs 230 or 240 could handle that duty. I'd rather have someone like this as opposed to a dedicated center with less ability, coordination and overall talent. So if I were Tubby, I'd go full tilt boogie after Southern and try to get him. I worry Tennessee may grab him if we don't work him hard. He seems impressed by them. And as far as a PG, I am not even going to say much. It appears Jai Lucas is the only PG we are even seriously looking at now. So at this position, it looks like it may be either him or nobody. And that's ok by me. We are really ok at PG and have much greater needs elsewhere. If we miss on Jai for some reason, I think I'd just offer his ride to another SF or whatever is most needed at that point in time and wait for a PG in the 08 class, unless Ty Proffitt comes on big this season and is proven worthy of an offer. That pretty much sums up all of my current feelings about our recruiting needs this year. I think we must wait on certain guys and leave room for a guy like Patterson, Hickson or Randolph, should they decide to come. But at the same time, I also feel like we should go ahead and take care of some other needs if we can. I'd love to see us get a center, one PF and a SF squared away quickly. Then if we have to wait on a couple of studs, we won't be totally putting all our eggs in just a couple of baskets and will already have quality players on our commit list. I'd rather be caught in late Winter or Spring scrambling to sign one or two guys as opposed to 3 or 4. With all the needs we have, such a scenario would prove disasterous. Thus, I'd love to be able to get some guys to commit within the next couple of months. If Patterson decides by Fall, that would be nice (especially if he picks us). As I said, we can save him a spot. But while we're waiting, let's go out there and get another top 100 PF if we can, as well as a SF/SG and a center. Let's try to get as many needs taken care of as possible with quality players. Then we'll only end up waiting one 1 or 2 studs at most, rather than see Christmas come and pass and still be with zero commits. That would be very worrisome.While we'd all obviously love to have a class of Patterson, Hickson, Randolph, Southern and Lucas, that seems pretty unlikely. But looking at who'll we'll be returning, I'd be very happy with a class featuring Patterson, Koshwal or Mbakwe, Southern, Marcus Morris, Steffphon Pettigrew or Dante Jackson and Jai Lucas. It would still be a very good class with a pure stud at PF and very good players at all other positions. The only player outside the Top 150 on that list would be Pettigrew and he won't be off that list much longer. Thus, I'd be very happy with that group. They would meet our needs and meet our needs nicely. It is not necessary to have multiple 5 star caliber recruits in this class in order to have a very good recruiting year. Therefore I suspect we may end up with one 5 star, several 4 stars and one or two 3 stars. That would be fine by me. Also, I am still not ready to panick or give up as some are doing. I am itching to get our first committment for sure, but I realize it will come sooner or later. And once that first committment rolls in, the others may start to fall like dominoes as things come together. I fully expect most of our class will be accounted for by Christmas. And if Tubby uses my strategy, I really expect 80% of the class to be complete by then. Now only time will tell me whether or not I am right.

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