+ PAY IT FORWARD: CAL’S SCHOLARSHIPS
+ NOVEMBER 2014 VOLUME 2
+ B THREE’S BEST: MAXIMIZE YOUR GAMEDAY
+ DEVIN BOOKER: SHARPSHOOTER
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BOOKMARK BTHREEMAG.COM LIKE /BTHREEMAGAZINE FOLLOW @B3BASKETBALL
Volume 2 | 3
TYLER ULIS POINT GUARD
6 ON THE COVER 8 2014-2015 SCHEDULE 10 IN ACTION: A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST PHOTOS 20 CALIPARI DONATES SCHOLARSHIPS 24 B THREE’S BEST 26 WILDCAT PROFILE: WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN 30 WILDCAT PROFILE: DEVIN BOOKER 34 CONTRIBUTIONS
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IBE R C S SUB MAG.COM
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SPOTLIGHT
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WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN LEADS THE SQUADRON OF BIG MEN THE CATS HAVE ON THEIR ROSTER THIS SEASON. HE AVERAGED 2.9 BLOCKS PER GAME LAST SEASON. PHOTO | MICHAEL REAVES | STAFF
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Staff File Photo
11/02
PIKEVILLE
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/09
GEORGETOWN (KY.)
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/14
GRAND CANYON
LEXINGTON, KY
8:00
11/16
BUFFALO
LEXINGTON, KY
12:00
11/18
KANSAS
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
9:00
11/21
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/23
MONTANA STATE
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
11/25
UT ARLINGTON
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/30
PROVIDENCE
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
12/05
TEXAS
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
12/07
EASTERN KENTUCKY
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
12/10
COLUMBIA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
12/13
NORTH CAROLINA
LEXINGTON, KY
12:00
12/20
UCLA
CHICAGO, IL
3:30
12/27
LOUISVILLE
LOUISVILLE, KY
2:00
01/06
OLE MISS
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
01/10
TEXAS A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TBD
01/13
MISSOURI
LEXINGTON, KY
9:00
01/17
ALABAMA
TUSCALOOSA, AL
4:00
01/20
VANDERBILT
LEXINGTON, KY
9:00
01/24
SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, SC
12:00
01/29
MISSOURI
COLUMBIA, MO
9:00
01/31
ALABAMA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
02/03
GEORGIA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
02/07
FLORIDA
GAINSVILLE, FL
9:00
02/10
LSU
BATON ROUGE, LA
7:00
02/14
SOUTH CAROLINA
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
02/17
TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, TN
7:00
02/21
AUBURN
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
02/25
MISSISSIPPI STATE
STARKVILLE, MS
7:00
02/28
ARKANSAS
LEXINGTON, KY
4:00
03/03
GEORGIA
ATHENS, GA
9:00
03/07
FLORIDA
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
Volume 2 | 9
IN ACTION
Started from the top JOHN CALIPARI AND DRAKE OPEN BIG BLUE MADNESS, MARKING THE START OF THE SEASON FOR THE #1 RANKED WILDCATS. PHOTO | JONATHAN KRUEGER | STAFF
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IN ACTION
Let the games begin SCRATCH THE MASCOT REPELS FROM THE HALLOWED RAFTERS OF RUPP ARENA AT BIG BLUE MADNESS. PHOTO | JONATHAN KRUEGER | STAFF
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IN ACTION
parting the paint AARON HARRISON DRIVES INTO THE LANE FOR A LAYUP IN THE CATS’ 2014 BLUE-WHITE SCRIMMAGE. PHOTO | EMILY WUETCHER | STAFF
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IN ACTION
quick cats DOMINIQUE HAWKINS AND TYLER ULIS ARE THE SHORTEST UK ROTATION PLAYERS, BUT ALSO THE QUICKEST DEFENDERS. PHOTO | MICHAEL REAVES | STAFF
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PAY IT FORWARD: CALIPARI DONATES SCHOLARSHIPS WORDS ANNE HALLIWELL
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PHOTOS ADAM PENNAVARIA
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UK COACH PAYS TUITION FOR TWO Biosystems senior Catherine Wolf and integrated strategic communications freshman Phillip “Hank” Curtis were selected to receive about $5,000 in scholarship aid for the price of a student ticket to a basketball scrimmage. UK announced in October that men’s basketball coach John Calipari would again pay in-state spring semester tuition for two randomly selected students who attended Monday night’s Blue—White Scrimmage. “Actually, I wasn’t even a basketball fan before I came to UK,” Wolf said. “Then once I got here I realized that basketball is a little bit of a big deal … then I started going to games, watching on TV. Actually, the first UK game I watched Anthony Davis throw it down pretty hard and immediately fell in love.” The selected students had to both buy tickets for the scrimmage and be present in Rupp Arena to be awarded the scholarships, according to a campus-wide email from UK administration. “I actually quit baseball to come here,” Curtis said at the scrimmage. “The way this all worked out was pretty cool, so I just want to thank Coach Cal for the opportunity, it’s pretty cool.” In-state tuition for one semester of the 2014-2015 academic
year equals $5,232, according to the registrar’s webpage. Last year, it was $4,983. The scholarships were funded by proceeds from Calipari’s Coaches’ Clinic, a daylong workshop for basketball coaches that focuses on the strategies Calipari uses in the UK basketball program. In 2013, a record 15,035 people attended the scrimmage after students heard about the scholarship. Five-dollar upper level seats and ten-dollar lower level seats became available on Sept. 29. Students lined up to get a chance to watch the Cats and win a scholarship. Calipari began the tradition of awarding spring semester tuition to Blue—White Scrimmage attendees last year, the email read. The tradition is a carryover from his time at University of Massachusetts. Amanda Dowell, then a biology freshman, and Josh Lawson, a mechanical engineering senior at the time, were selected for the 2013-2014 scholarships. The in-state tuition applied to out-of-state and graduate students as well, the email read. “The more games I go to, the deeper I fall in love with (basketball),” Wolf said. “It’s such an awesome sport and the best tradition.”
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B THREE’S BEST | MAXIMIZE YOUR UK GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE WATCH PARTY VENUES
tin roof IN THE HEART OF THE LIMESTONE SCENE, TIN ROOF KNOWS HOW TO SHUT DOWN THE BLOCK FOR THE CATS. THE PARTY’S BEEN KNOWN TO SPILL FROM THE BAR TO THE PATIO TO THE PARKING LOT, AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE STREET. 303 S LIMESTONE TINROOFBARS.COM 859 317 9111
jdi grille and tavern A FEW BLOCKS FROM RUPP ARENA, JDI HAS TWO FLOORS WORTH OF TABLES, TELEVISIONS, AND TAPS. THEY OFFER EXCELLENT APPETIZERS AND AMBIANCE. 319 CEDAR ST JEFFERSONDAVISINN.COM 859 246 0202
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TWITTER FEEDS DREW FRANKLIN | @DREWFRANKLINKSR THE KSR VETERAN COMBINES HUMOR AND ACCESS, MAKING FOR AN ENTERTAINING GAMEDAY FOLLOW. COACHCAL.COM | @COACHCALDOTCOM THE UK COACH’S SITE MAINTAINS A GREAT IN-GAME FEED, INCLUDING PLAYER UPDATES, COMMENTARY AND BOX SCORES. WILDCAT COREY | @WILDCATCOREY RIVAL FANS BEWARE: WHETHER ON THE RADIO OR THROUGH HIS TWEETS, COREY IS QUICK TO MAKE FUN OF OPPONENTS’ EMBARRASMENTS. KYLE TUCKER | @KYLETUCKER_CJ THE COURIER JOURNAL’S UK BEAT WRITER, TUCKER WILL PROVIDE THE INFO YOU CRAVE, BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE GAME. ONENESS287 | @ONENESS287 WANT A PAIR OF AARON HARRISON’S NIKES? ONENESS IS YOUR BEST BET. SUPPORT THE CATS AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS. TOM LEACH | @TOMLEACHKY THE VOICE OF THE WILDCATS. WHO’S A BETTER FOLLOW THAN THE GUY WITH THE EXCLUSIVE POST-GAME INTERVIEWS?
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WILDCAT PROFILE
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Photo | Tessa Lighty
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WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN OLATHE, KS #15 WORDS KYLE ARENSDORF
F
ans caught a glimpse of all but two members of UK’s roster in August at the Big Blue Bahamas Tour.
Freshman forward Trey Lyles and junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein traveled with the team but sat out of competition due to injury. Cauley-Stein continued to rehabilitate after surgery to repair the left ankle injury he sustained last season in UK’s Sweet 16 win against Louisville.
championship game with his 186th block. And a season later Nerlens Noel picked up right where Davis left off and notched 106 blocks. But despite a relatively average 60-block freshman season in 2012-13, Cauley-Stein stepped up in a big way during his sophomore season, tallying 106 blocks of his own.
Cauley-Stein grabbed just one rebound before exiting the game after playing only four minutes in the first half, but his presence was felt in the Cats’ previous two NCAA Tournament matchups. The Olathe, Kan., native had a monster first round game against Kansas State, posting four blocks and four steals to go along with eight boards. He followed up the dominant defensive performance by adding two steals and another block to his tournament total in UK’s 78-76 upset win against Wichita State. UK could have used Cauley-Stein in its championship loss to UConn, as 10 of the Huskies’ 22 field goals came in the paint. “Willie’s a great defensive presence,” sophomore center Dakari Johnson said of his teammate. “That’ll be great to have again. He can really guard one through five on the court.” Before the 2013-14 season, there was concern that UK’s recent trend of a stifling big man defending the paint was in jeopardy. Three seasons ago, Anthony Davis snapped the freshman single season block record in the national 28 | B Three
In spite of his defensive track record and less-than-stellar offensive numbers, the 7-foot forward urged observers not to label him just yet. “People have always said that I don’t have that offensive game, but I’ve always been able to do different things,” Cauley-Stein said. “My time here has been about building on what I had and adding parts and pieces. (I feel) like I’ve always had the ability.” Cauley-Stein was adamant about wanting to win a national championship, but admitted he had ulterior — and personal — motives. “I know that I can become a better player,” he said. “My stock can improve, and my NBA readiness can too. I want to prove that I’m not just the rebounding and blocking (player) that people perceive.”
Photo | Tessa Lighty
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WILDCAT PROFILE
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Photo | Tessa Lighty
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DEVIN BOOKER GRAND RAPIDS, MI #1 WORDS KYLE ARENSDORF
U
K head coach John Calipari is known for recruiting point guards and allowing them to flourish in his dribble-drive system. But in the past, UK hasn’t been an overly popular place for shooting guards.
Of the 32 commitments Calipari has received in his tenure, only six have been from shooting guards, and even fewer have been from shooting guards labeled as “shooters” out of high school. But along with sophomore shooting guard Aaron Harrison, freshman Devin Booker thinks he can represent a changing of the guard in recent UK lore. “I think I can be (that guy),” Booker said. “I have a lot of confidence in my jump shot and that’s how I am going to assert myself.” Booker is a 6-foot-6, 206-pound guard and was the third commitment to UK’s four-player 2014 recruiting class. One factor in his decision to play at UK was the relationship he has with fellow freshman guard Tyler Ulis, who played with him on teams during high school at various camps. 32 | B Three
“We’ve been friends for a while,” Booker said. “I just love his game. It’s an easy one to love, you know?” Another interesting dynamic in this year’s team is the one between Aaron Harrison and Booker, two shooting guards that have virtually the same game. There were even whispers of an in-practice shooting competition between the two. Booker avoided the question, but took the opportunity to commend what kind of player Aaron Harrison is. “Everyone saw what he did in the NCAA Tournament,” Booker said. “Playing against a pro like that every day is going to make it a lot easier for me. It’s going to make me a better player. That’s what you want out of (a teammate), someone who’s going to push you like that.” Despite carrying the moniker of a “shooter,” the Moss Point, Miss., native said that Calipari and assistant coach Kenny Payne see more from his game than being a simple spot-up shooter. “They want me to attack more,” Booker said. “They’ve stressed to me that I’m not just going to be a shooter.” Booker said that UK fans can expect him to be a hard-working player and someone who will “always” be in the gym. “I’m always going to (work) my hardest,” Booker said. “I’m just trying to get better. And what’s a better place than Kentucky to … get better?”
Photo | Adam Pennavaria
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CONTRIBUTIONS
EDITORIAL NICK GRAY KYLE ARENSDORF CHELSEY GOODEN TAYLOR CLEMENTS ANNE HALLIWELL KATIE SALTZ
PHOTORAPHY MICHAEL REAVES EMILY WUETCHER TESSA LIGHTY ADAM PENNAVARIA JONATHAN KRUEGER TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
DESIGN JODY BEAMER BLAKE BEAMER MAY MAY BARTON UNDERGROUND DESIGN
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