Courtside with the Kentucky Wildcats

Free-lance columnist Norman Chad (you may better know him as the commentator on ESPN’s coverage of poker) writes a weekly column. He ends each column by answering reader questions, a feature he calls “Ask The Slouch.” Especially funny questions earn the reader $1.25 from Chad.

This week’s column, which appears on The Washington Post website, had what Chad called a “special Kentucky-Louisville  Edition” of this Ask The Slouch feature.

Here it is (and remember, Chad specializes in an irreverent view of sports):

Q: If John Calipari takes Kentucky to the Final Four and has the season essentially erased due to NCAA sanctions, it would be the third school at which he will have done that. Is that record more unbreakable than Bobby Knight’s 902 career victories? (John G. Roby; Avon Lake, Ohio)

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

Q: To promote safe-sex practices, will the University of Louisville be issuing tablecloths to all incoming freshmen or just to those on the basketball team? (Steve Gallagher; Milwaukee)

A: Pay this fella, too.

Q: Does John Calipari have a plastic surgeon-on-retainer to reduce the size of his nose every time he speaks? (Michael Woods; Houston)

A: It pays — exactly $1.25 — to be a keen observer of college basketball.

Q: Rick Pitino was pictured in the Louisville media guide with the pope last year. Who is he pictured with this year, former senator John Edwards? (T. Ponton; Hyattsville)

A: Another slam dunk, another buck-and-a-quarter.

UK wing Darius Miller said he couldn’t explain his slow start to the season: averaging 7.5 points in two exhibition games and then going scoreless against Morehead State.

Although Miller acknowledged that he’s still trying to settle into a role in the new offense, he dismissed that as a factor.

Meanwhile, teammate John Wall joined Patrick Patterson in saying Miller needed to clear a mental hurdle. “It’s just about him getting his confidence up,” Wall said.

UK Coach John Calipari said only “demonstrated performance” can boost a player’s confidence.

“Not me pumping you up,” Calipari said.

Like a good poker player, UK Coach John Calipari did not reveal hiis cards on Sunday.

He declined to say who might start in Monday’s game against Miami (Ohio). He also declined to say if DeAndre Liggins would see his first action.

After not being happy with UK’s performance in beating Morehead State Friday, Calipari said he could be confident in penciling in only three of five starters: John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson.

When asked Sunday about the other two spots, Calipari said he would wait until after Sunday’s practice — or perhaps later — to decide.

As for Liggins, he didn’t play in either exhibition game nor in the opener against Morehead State. Calipari has declined to say why he hasn’t played Liggins despite earlier praising the sophomore guard’s transition to a new system.

Talk among reporters Sunday was that Liggins would play against Miami. But when asked about Liggins Sunday, Calipari said, “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. He’s doing good things.”

With his belated college debut at hand, Kentucky freshman John Wall expects to feel butterflies Monday night against Miami (Ohio).
“If you don’t have jitters, you’re not a basketball player,” he said on Sunday.
Wall’s return figures to cause the Kentucky camp to feel other emotions: elation, reassurance, anticipation.
But Coach John Calipari downplayed this first time to see his star freshman guards, Eric Bledsoe and Wall, on the court together against outside competition.
When asked what he expected Wall’s addition to mean Monday, Calipari said, “I don’t know. Hopefully, less turnovers. But maybe not.”
Wall sat out the opener against Morehead State on Friday as part of the punishment for allowing an agent, his AAU coach Brian Clifton, to pay some of the recruiting expenses.
That made Miami Coach Charlie Coles re-think his schedule.
“We should have scheduled this game on Friday,” he quipped. “Oh, man, he’s going to play Monday, buddy.”
Coles saluted the speed and assertiveness that Wall can bring.
“I like him because he can go from one end of the court to the other,” the Miami coach said. “That’s the best weapon a point guard can have. Because what that does (is) it never lets you set your defense. When you don’t set your defense, that means dunks, open three-pointers, fouls, offensive rebounds.”
For a while in the recruiting process, it appeared Wall and Bledsoe would go to different programs to ensure each a starring role.
Calipari sold them, especially Bledsoe, who committed first, on the idea of playing together.
What sounded to some like a recruiting pitch has become reality. Calipari has spoken often how each plays better in tandem.
By following through on his recruiting pitch to play Bledsoe and Wall together, Calipari said he was acting like any coach on any level.
“If your best two players are at the same position, play them both,” he said.

Kentucky’s next opponent, Miami (Ohio), lost 82-71 at Towson Friday night.

As Miami Coach Charlie Coles described what happened, his analysis would have to reassure any UK fans.

“They just beat us up inside real good,” Coles said in a telephone conversation Saturday morning. “Their guards penetrated. We didn’t do a good job containing their guards. And when guards get inside, big guys either get rebounds or direct passes for dunks or layups.”

If that’s not a description of the dribble-drive, what is?

Coles noted that Miami has struggled to contain the dribbler consistently in practices and pre-season play. And Kentucky will have its two star freshmen point guards — John Wall and Eric Bledsoe — for the first time in Monday’s game.

“That’s what’s got me real, real, real worried,” Coles said. “This thing could turn into a dunk fest immediately. Immediately! It could be a nightmare.”

Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke’s 51-point performance Friday night broke several records, including Jodie Meeks’ record for points in Bud Walton Arena. Meeks led Kentucky to a victory at Arkansas last season by scoring an arena record of 45 points.
Clarke set an Arkansas record for points and the school and SEC records for three-point baskets in a game wiht 13.
“He threw us on his back tonight and just had an unbelievable performance,” Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey said after the game. “I haven’t seen a better shooting performance than that. That was really, really remarkable.”
Also noteworthy was the attendance. Only 7,713 attended.
“I had no idea about the records,” Clarke said. “It was just fun being able to get a win.
“To be honest with you, I don’t even care about any records that I broke. It was just being able to come out here and play well as a team and seeing guys’ unselfishness, celebrating with me.”
Clarke’s performance lifted a basketball program that has endured a tumultuous off-season that included five players being suspended to start this season. Foot injuries sidelined a sixth player, forward Michael Sanchez.
Then All-SEC senior forward Michael Washington went to the bench 36 seconds into the game after picking up two fouls.
Clarke made his first seven three-point shots to spark a one-sided victory.
“Phenomenal, that’s unbelievable,” Pelphrey said of Clarke’s game. “But in a way, I’m not surprised, because we see him shoot so much, work so hard, understand the type of human being he is.
“He’s capable of making shots like that if he gets them.”

The John Calipari era of Kentucky basketball begins tonight without the new coach’s picture on the cover of the opening-game program.

UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said he decided to have only players or the Wildcat mascot on game programs this season. Calipari had no objection, Peevy said.

The Wildcat mascot is on the cover for the Friday night game against Morehead State, Calipari’s first as UK coach.

Calipari’s first game will not pass without some sort of recognition. His picture was on the game ticket, Peevy said.

Kentucky’s opener Friday night sets up as a classic contest between talent and experience. Kentucky has the more highly-rated players even with John Wall, who is projected as the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, sitting out the game. Morehead State has the know-how of battle-tested veterans.
Morehead State Coach Donnie Tyndall called experience “our one advantage in the game.”
One of his players, Ty Proffitt, noted that Kentucky had “off the charts talent.”
In an early-season game, experience versus talent has the feel of a rock-paper-scissors  game. Multiple scenarios and outcomes seems possible.
Maze Stallworth, one of the perimeter shooters that Morehead State uses to balance highly-regarded Kenneth Faried around the basket, suggested one benefit produced by experience.
“We’re not going to show any fear,” he said. “. . . That’s our thing. We don’t want to show any fear.”
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas saw a clear preference in the talent-versus-experience question.
“I would rather have experience and good talent than super talent that is inexperienced early in the season,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I think that Kentucky has a good enough mix against Morehead State, even though Kenneth Faried is the real deal. He could be taken in the second round of the NBA Draft.
“If Kentucky didn’t have such truly outstanding guard talents, I would be concerned. But, the talent that Kentucky has should overwhelm Morehead State over the course of 40 minutes.
“The early minutes are really important. Kentucky may not be able to blow past them early, but should be able to ‘methodically blow out’ Morehead over the course of the game.”
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Kentucky Coach John Calipari described new signee Stacey Poole, Jr., as the kind of prospect he’s used to gain much success at Massachusetts and Memphis.
“A competitor,” Calipari said. “Plays multiple positions. Slasher. Athletic. In time, he could be our best perimeter defender.”

Recruiting analysts liken Poole to his father, Stacey Poole, Sr., who starred as a multi-talented wing for Florida  in the early 1990s.
When asked if UK might add other recruits in this week-long November signing period, Calipari said he hoped that could happen but it was impossible to know.
“At the end of the day, recruiting is the least of my worries,” the UK coach said. “I’m worried about Friday.”
Kentucky opens the season on Friday against Morehead State.

With star freshman John Wall having to sit out Kentucky’s opening game against Morehead State on Friday, Coach John Calipari offered good news: Alternate point guard and fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe should be ready to go.
Bledsoe sat out UK’s second exhibition game after spraining an ankle in the first.
When asked about Bledsoe’s availability against Morehead State, Calipari said the freshman was “very, very fast” in Wednesday’s practice.
The UK camp conceded that not having Wall makes a difference. The NCAA ordered Wall to sit out one regular-season game as punishment for having some recruiting expenses paid by an agent, AAU coach Brian Clifton.
“John is more advanced in his conditioning and pace of the game,” Calipari said. “That’s it. If Eric went just as hard up and down the court, you’d see the same kind of speed.”
UK players voiced confidence in Bledsoe.
“I don’t think much will be different,” Josh Harrellson said before identifying one difference. “The game probably won’t be as fast-paced.”
Wall has a “quicker change of direction,” Darnell Dodson said.
But in terms of running the team and basketball knowledge, Calipari vouched for Bledsoe, who the UK coach called “one of the most intelligent players I’ve coached. He also has unbelievable instincts. We have a lot of key words. (When a key word is said), This kid — boom — he’s right into it.
“Now, what he’s got to start doing is be more vocal. He’ll do it with a head nod when they need a yell.”