FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009
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PAGE A2 | Friday, October 16, 2009
Star recruits visiting for Big Blue Madness By Metz Camfield mcamfield@kykernel.com
When it comes to recruiting, there are certain styles, visits and personalities that click for prospects. At Big Blue Madness, UK head coach John Calipari and the rest of the Cats are hoping that certain something clicks for everyone in attendance. Big Blue Madness is a practice put on unlike any other. There’s a grand entrance of the head coach and team, a dunk contest and a scrimmage that could be considered one of the most relaxed games of five-on-five UK will play this year. For basketball recruits attending Big Blue Madness, this isn’t their typical campus visit. The everyday, run-of-the-mill practice or pickup game taking place on the practice court isn’t there. They won’t see the coach crouched down, barking out orders in his normal practice mindset. They’ll see the program and its fans in a mood of sheer glee. Though it’s a visit unlike any other they will take, Jerry Meyer, a national college basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said the impact an event like Big Blue Madness has on a recruit depends on personality. “Some get into the ‘rah-rah’ stuff, some don’t,” Meyer said. “If they’re captivated by the event, it could be influential. Some are more methodical in their approach. Some are more influenced by the academic personnel and the thought of getting their degrees.” While recruits are constantly attending games and fans take opportunities to impress, Big Blue Madness is always a little different. In attendance will be some of the most prized recruits in the country. Among the recruits expected to be in attendance are class of 2010 prospects Tobias Harris, Kyrie Irving and C.J. Leslie; the No. 5, No. 9 and No. 14 ranked players, respectively, in the country, according to Rivals.com. Also
expected to be in attendance are 2011 prospects Mike Gilchrist, Quincy Miller and Achraf Yacoubou; the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 76 ranked players, respectively, according to Rivals.com. In addition, Friday will be fans’ first chance to be formally introduced to UK head coach John Calipari, who has been making headlines weekly outside the court. The combination of the high-profile recruits scheduled to attend and Calipari’s introduction has made 2009 one of the most anticipated Big Blue Madness events at UK since its inception in 1982. Two years ago current UK basketball players John Wall, Jon Hood and Darius Miller, among others, attended Big Blue Madness. In 2008, Hood was in attendance again, along with another current Cat, 6-foot-10 forward Daniel Orton. Orton, who was ranked a fivestar recruit by Rivals.com, committed to UK the day after Big Blue Madness. Meyer said Big Blue Madness is one of the best madness-type events in the country and that it competes with the other elite programs in how well it’s put on. Meyer said what recruits look for in an event like this varies from person to person. However, one common denominator that plays a key role in the eyes of recruits is the interaction of everyone present. “They’re going to take it all in,” Meyer said. “Anytime a recruit steps on campus he’s studying the player-coach interactions, the players by themselves and what they’re like, the fans interactions, and the interactions among the fans, players and coach.” Though only a glorified scrimmage, Meyer said Big Blue Madness will present the recruits with a unique opportunity to see the different parts of the program all on display at once. “The event will be more emotional, energy packed and exciting than probably any other visit,” Meyer said.
Recruits in attendance
TOBIAS HARRIS
KYRIE IRVING
C.J. LESLIE
Power forward Height: 6’8” Weight: 220 lbs Class: 2010 5-star (No. 5 overall)
Point Guard Height: 6’2” Weight: 175 lbs Class: 2010 5-star (No. 9 overall)
Power forward Height: 6’8” Weight: 205 lbs Class: 2010 5-star (No. 14 overall)
MIKE GILCHRIST
QUINCY MILLER
ACHRAF YACOUBOU
Small forward Height: 6’6” Weight: 190 lbs Class: 2011 5-star (No. 1 overall)
Power forward Height: 6’8” Weight: 193 lbs Class: 2011 5-star (No. 3 overall)
This weekend only!
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Shooting guard Height: 6’3” Weight: 200 lbs Class: 2011 4-star (No. 76 overall)
All rankings and information received from Rivals.com
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Friday, October 16, 2009 | PAGE A3
Big Blue Madness continues Calimania I wasn’t around for Beatlemania. It sure sounded like fun, though. Hysterical fans waiting at airports, crying. Hysterical fans watching The Beatles in concert, crying. Hysterical fans drooling over word of print and second of broadcast with any regard to their JAMES beloved Fab Four. PENNINGTON Is living in LexKernel ington right now all columnist that different? On March 31, some of the loudest-and-proudest UK fans — fans that would put teenage girl Beatles fans to shame — showed up at Blue Grass Airport on a cold, rainy day, just to catch a glimpse of the man apparently pegged to lead their program back to “where it should be.” Fans stayed at Blue Grass for hours after the sun had gone down, the rain had picked up and word had spread that new head coach John Calipari had not only signed his contract, but had done so after landing at R.J. Corman’s private airstrip in Nicholasville. Still, many stuck around for a while, talking to each other about basketball, starting some of Rupp Arena’s favorite chants, and breathing fresh air after a
short, odd, suffocating Billy Gillispie era. That was only the start of Calimania. Once the fans claimed the air, they moved swiftly to The Final Frontier: the Internet. On April 23, Coach Cal registered his Twitter account. Less than six months later, Cal has over 860,000 followers. He’s the most-followed coach, pro or college, and the eighth most-followed sports figure on Twitter. Calipari’s Twitter account has yielded hundreds of thousands to create their own Twitter account, just so they can see what their coach is up to on any given day. And Cal’s tweets now fuel hundreds of blogs, thousands of message board posts and millions of basketball-famished fans trying to kill time in the offseason. It seems lost in it all, but Calipari and his hysterical fans are all fueled by one thing: basketball. Even if nothing happens at Big Blue Madness — and nothing really does — the Calimaniacs will flock to Rupp Arena on Friday to catch a first look at the new coach and 13 players that will dominate their minds and dictate their emotions and dinner plans for the next seven months. Sure, the fans that camped out to get Madness tickets — certainly some of the elite Calimaniacs — already have seen Cal and the team up close and personal, handing out breakfast treats and staging cornhole tournaments. But the team’s true unveiling is Friday.
And fans will be — and I try not to use this word lightly — crazy. Most will leave Rupp on Friday night without any voice to speak of. Fans will bring their entire families, even the little ones born since Calipari was hired, just to say they were there on a night when nothing happens, other than a few hokey videos and a fun-butminimal-effort dunk contest. Why all the trouble for an event billed as a practice, though the team doesn’t even really practice? Because these members of the Big Blue Nation, the Calimaniacs, feel they have to. And as long as Calipari is in town, energizing the troops through his inspirational tweet of the week and any other method he may employ throughout his tenure, fans will keep coming out. If the scene at the airport this March was wild, what will it be in April if the Cats are flying back from the Final Four? Surely fans would be hysterical while waiting for the team, maybe some will even be crying. Already, those fans would be itching for that next game and drooling over every ounce of Cats coverage available. I guess it’s oddly fitting “John” refers to both Lennon and Calipari. James Pennington is a journalism senior. E-mail jpennington@kykernel.com.
PAGE A4 | Friday, October 16, 2009
UK hoops sets sights on nation’s top recruits By Nick Craddock sports@kykernel.com
The UK women’s basketball coaching staff has gone above and beyond state boundaries, scouring the nation for the top recruits, and this season is shaping up to be no different. “Our recruiting philosophy is we start in Lexington and then work our way out,” UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “We try to do a good job in the state, and make sure we’re doing a good job regionally, then one of the real benefits we have being at UK and being associated with great basketball is that it gives a national presence that allows us to go after the best players in the country.” That was evident last year, as UK picked up a commitment from one of the nation’s best prospects last season, guard A’dia Mathies, the No. 65 recruit in the country, according to ESPN.com’s HoopGurlz. Mitchell described Mathies as “one of the best players to come out of Kentucky in many years.” In addition to Mathies, UK picked up commitments from Anna Cole from Wisconsin and Brittany Henderson from California and No. 46 prospect Jeniece Johnson, according to HoopGurlz, who has deferred her enrollment at UK until the spring of 2010. The path of UK’s recruiting trail reaffirms Mitchell’s belief that a recruit’s distance from the UK campus does not stop the UK coaching staff from targeting the players they desire. “If a team only goes after the top recruits they’re shooting them-
selves in the foot,” said Chris Hansen, the national director of prospects for ESPN’s HoopGurlz. “I see no harm in UK staying in the race (for top recruits) as long as possible, if (UK) takes care of their business in-state.” Hansen added that UK has been a “bridesmaid” in several of the battles for blue-chip recruits, but should be able to get a player “who makes a good recruiting class a great class” in the near future, possibly even this season. With Big Blue Madness quickly approaching, the Cats certainly hope to sway potential recruits into seeing their future on the court at Memorial Coliseum. “What I think (Big Blue Madness) can do is if it’s your first exposure, on an unofficial visit, it’s a great way to see the passion for Kentucky basketball,” Mitchell said. “If it’s a player who we have developed a relationship with then they get to experience what we’ve been telling them.” Mitchell added that Big Blue Madness is not a substitute for all the time and effort required to develop a relationship with a recruit. Instead, Big Blue Madness acts as a tool that might solidify a recruit’s decision. Jennifer O’Neill, a 5-foot-6 point guard at Saint Michael Academy in New York City, and the No. 30 prospect in the Class of 2010, will be visiting UK for Big Blue Madness, according to HoopGurlz. O’Neill’s decision is likely to follow soon after this weekend, the last of her official visits, having taken trips to California and Georgia already.
STAFF FILE PHOTO
UK women’s basketball head coach Matthew Mitchell makes his entrance at Big Blue Madness last year. Mitchell and his staff have targeted some of the country’s top players in recent years. UK is also in the mix for another point guard from the Empire State, Bria Hartley, the No. 14 prospect, according to HoopGurlz. Hansen describes O’Neill and Hartley as “program-changing kids” should UK be able to land one, or both, of them in the ultra-competitive New York City recruiting scene. So far, UK has verbal commitments from Nelson County High School (Ky.) center Samantha Drake, the No. 74 prospect, according to HoopGurlz, fellow Kentuckian Sara Beth Barnette and Maegan
Conwright, a point guard from Arlington, Texas. Aside from Big Blue Madness, Mitchell sees UK’s 10 televised games this season as a prime opportunity to reach out to non-local prospects. “When people see a game broadcast from Memorial Coliseum and see that we are one of the top teams in the country in attendance, and they can see the players they’d be playing with and the style of play, that’s a huge recruiting advantage,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell added that UK’s record of five straight post-season appearances has also helped entice recruits to view the program in a positive way. And he said he can’t understate the initial buzz UK head coach John Calipari has made in getting UK’s name national media attention. “It’s a special time to be involved in this program,” Mitchell said. “The conditions are right for some of the top players in the country to come in and make a big difference and take us to a level we’ve never previously been.”
Friday, October 16, 2009 | PAGE A5
Men’s Schedule Date
Opponent
Oct. 28 Nov. 2 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 16
Blue/White Game 7 p.m. Campbellsville 7 p.m. Clarion 7 p.m. Morehead State 6:30 p.m. Miami University 7 p.m. Cancun Challenge vs. Sam Houston State 7 p.m. vs. Rider 1 p.m. vs. Cleveland State 4:30 p.m. vs. Stanford/Virginia 7/9:30 PM
FS South/BBSN FS South FS South ESPNU FS South/BBSN
vs. UNC Asheville (at Louisville) 7 p.m. North Carolina 12:30 p.m. SEC/Big East Invitational vs. Connecticut 9:30 p.m. at Indiana 12 p.m. Austin Peay 4 p.m. Drexel 7 p.m. Long Beach State 1 p.m. Hartford 7 p.m. Louisville 3:30 p.m. Georgia 4 p.m. at Florida 9 p.m. at Auburn 4 p.m. Arkansas 4 p.m. at South Carolina 9 p.m. Vanderbilt 4 p.m. Ole Miss 7 p.m. at LSU 4 p.m. Alabama 9 p.m. Tennessee 9 p.m. at Mississippi State 9 p.m. at Vanderbilt 6 p.m. South Carolina 9 p.m. at Tennessee 12 p.m. at Georgia 8 p.m. Florida 12 p.m. SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.) SEC Tournament First Round TBA SEC Tournament Quarterfinals TBA SEC Tournament Semifinals TBA SEC Tournament Finals TBA
FS South CBS
Nov. 19 Nov. 21 Nov. 24 Nov. 25 Nov. 30 Dec. 5 Dec. 9 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 Dec. 21 Dec. 23 Dec. 29 Jan. 2 Jan. 9 Jan. 12 Jan. 16 Jan. 23 Jan. 26 Jan. 30 Feb. 2 Feb. 6 Feb. 9 Feb. 13 Feb. 16 Feb. 20 Feb. 25 Feb. 27 March 3 March 7 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14
Time
TV
FS South FS South TBD TBD
ESPN CBS CSS ESPNU FS South ESPN2 CBS SEC Network ESPN SEC Network SEC Network ESPN ESPN ESPN SEC Network ESPNU ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN or ESPN2 CBS SEC Network CBS SEC Network SEC Network ABC ABC
PAGE A6 | Friday, October 16, 2009
Players out to help recruiting after watching Madness By Metz Camfield mcamfield@kykernel.com
It can mean all the difference in the world for a recruit. That’s the impression the UK men’s basketball team gave when talking about Big Blue Madness. In one of the most elaboratelyplanned practices in the country, some of the country’s best high school basketball prospects will see the “Mecca” of college basketball dressed up for a good time. When the Cats take the court for the first time on Friday night, the basketball team will be suited up to put on a show for 24,000 rabid fans, and numerous recruits in search of where to play their college ball. “It can have a big impact,” freshman point guard John Wall said. “I think that’s one of the ways you can get somebody to sign. You see how the fans support — I mean it’s probably going to be cold (Friday) night and they’re going to come out there with their shirts off and Kentucky painted on them. And then see how we play as a team and how the offense is run and how crazy the fans are. That can get somebody to commit.” Wall, then the No. 1 recruit in the country according to Rivals.com, was in attendance two years ago for Big Blue Madness. As a recruit searching for what school to attend, Wall said it was “crazy” just to be in the stands seeing all the fans cheering on their team like they did. Now, as a member of that team, and one of the most popular players on that team, Wall said there will be a big difference, partly because instead of being recruited, he’s the recruiter. “I’m basically just trying to bring people on with me,” Wall said. “I’m trying to bring the next best point guard, the next best players in the country to come here and keep this tradition going. Since this is the school I came to, Kentucky, I don’t want them to start slacking off and not getting those good players and not keep getting better.” While this recruiting class is billed as one
of the best in college basketball history by many college basketball recruiting analysts, it doesn’t mean they’re all immune to getting nervous. Freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins, also known as Big Cuz and Dancing Bear, said he was nervous for the event. “It’s crazy … 24,000 (people for a practice),” Cousins said. “I’m gonna go have fun. I’m anxious to go out there.” Junior forward Patrick Patterson, sophomore guard Darius Miller, and freshman guards Jon Hood and forward Daniel Orton were all high school prospects that attended Big Blue Madness. “Once you come for Madness you see everything that Kentucky has to offer from a basketball standpoint, you can just come here right off the bat,” Patterson said. “I know when the recruits come down (the steps) and the fans start screaming their names they’ll be like ‘How does he know me? I don’t know him.’ Their mouths are going to drop, they’re just going to be amazed and it’s just more reason for them to come.” Big Blue Madness will be different this year, UK head coach John Calipari said. For one, he said he will talk to the crowd, something he won’t do as much in the future because he wants events like this to be more about the players. He also said there will be a surprise guest along with the normal dunk routine and scrimmage. With the record setting number of people that camped out to attain Big Blue Madness tickets, Calipari and the players said they want to show them a good time and show them how much they appreciate their support. “It’s the perfect picture,” Wall said. “To see all those fans sitting outside when it’s freezing cold, and it’s raining outside and they’re in their tents just eating food, just sitting there waiting to get their tickets to Big Blue Madness. It’s great. I love the fans here and I’m glad that I chose this school. “I’d camp out too to see this team play if I was one of them.”
PHOTOS BY ADAM WOLFFBRANDT | STAFF
Above: Junior forward Patrick Patterson attended Big Blue Madness when he was a senior in high school. Below: Freshman point guard John Wall said he’ll be trying to recruit the next great UK player with his performance at Big Blue Madness.
Friday, October 16, 2009 | PAGE A7
Women’s schedule Date
Opponent
Nov. 9 Nov. 13 Nov. 15 Nov. 17 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 28 Dec. 1 Dec. 4 Dec. 13 Dec. 20 Dec. 22 Dec. 28 Jan. 1 Jan. 7 Jan. 10 Jan. 14 Jan. 17 Jan. 21 Jan. 24 Jan. 28 Jan. 31 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 25 Feb. 28
Blue & White Scrimmage TBA Boston University 11 a.m. Butler 1 p.m. at Morehead State 7 p.m. UT Chattanooga 6 p.m. at UC Santa Barbara 3 p.m. McNeese State TBA Miami (OH) 7 p.m. at Cincinnati 11 a.m. Florida A&M 1 p.m. Louisville 1 p.m. UT Martin 7 p.m. at Middle Tennessee State 8 p.m. Mississippi Valley State 7 p.m. at Georgia 7 p.m. Vanderbilt 1 p.m. at South Carolina 7 p.m. Alabama 2 p.m. Arkansas 7 p.m. Auburn 2 p.m. at LSU 8 p.m. at Mississippi State 3 p.m. Ole Miss 7 p.m. at Arkansas 3 p.m. Georgia 7 p.m. at Vanderbilt 6 p.m. Florida 7 p.m. South Carolina 2 p.m. at Tennessee 7 p.m. at Auburn 3 p.m. SEC Tournament (Duluth, Ga.) SEC Tournament TBA SEC Tournament TBA SEC Tournament TBA SEC Tournament TBA
March March March March
4 5 6 7
Time
TV
BBSN/FSN
BBSN/FSN BBSN/FSN
BBSN/FSN SEC Network SEC Network
BBSN/FSN FSN ESPNU
FSN
PAGE A8 | Friday, October 16, 2009
Former walk-on top choice for this year’s Madness superstar By Ben Jones bjones@kykernel.com
For each of the last two years, a relative unknown has transformed himself into a scrimmage superstar during Big Blue Madness. Unheralded recruit Morakinyo Williams shined in 2007. Matthew Pilgrim, a transfer player who had to sit out last season, wowed fans with his performance in 2008. Teammates pegged senior guard Mark Krebs, a former walk-on, as a candidate to break out in this year’s scrimmage at Big Blue Madness. Krebs registered just 25 minutes all of last season, but survived the housecleaning new UK head coach John Calipari did when all the other walk-ons were cut after his arrival. “The past three years, he hasn’t been playing much,” senior forward Perry Stevenson said. “But he’s gotten a whole lot better.” Even though he fits the mold of a Big Blue Madness breakout star, he was still surprised that his teammates chose him as the leading candidate to exceed expectations in the scrimmage. “I hope I surprise (the fans),” Krebs said. “I do the same thing every time. I just try to go out and have fun and play as hard as I can and I hope everything works out, but I’m glad they said that about me.” Junior forward Josh Harrellson named some more conventional candidates as players who could shine Friday night. He said highlytouted freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins should put up impressive per-
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Forward Matthew Pilgrim impressed fans at last year’s Big Blue Madness but never saw the court for the Cats. formances. Krebs accepted the praise from his teammates even though the distinction of being a standout at Big Blue Madness might be considered a dubious honor: Williams saw little playing time in his freshman season before transferring to Duquesne and Pilgrim left the program for Oklahoma State after last season before he even became eligible to play for the Cats. But Krebs wasn’t worried about that, and neither were his teammates. “I think that’s a coincidence,” Stevenson said. “(Krebs) will be here.” For a Kentucky native
like Krebs, any time he gets on the court at Rupp Arena is special. He approaches every game, practice or scrimmage the same. “It’s the most amazing thing to see so many fans out there to see you,” Krebs said. “It’s so awesome to see that.” Krebs’ plan is to go out and enjoy himself. After working as a walk-on for three years and finally earning his place on the team, he brings a different perspective than any of the returning stars or hyped freshmen. “I’ve always got the same philosophy,” Krebs said. “ I just go out there and have fun.”
Friday, October 16, 2009 | PAGE A9
Send your Big Blue Madness photos to madnessphotos@gmail.com
ESPNU selects UK as part of coverage for Midnight Madness special UK fans who didn’t camp out for days waiting on Big Blue Madness tickets won’t have to miss out after all. ESPNU has selected UK as one of nine schools to be showcased for its annual Midnight Madness special on Friday. ESPNU will broadcast its Midnight Madness special from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and ESPN2 will show a simulcast of the ESPNU coverage from 11:30 p.m. to midnight. Along with UK, North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown, Washington, Connecticut, Michigan State, Kansas and North Dakota State will be showcased
in the special. ESPNU will provide look-ins of each event along with interviews of coaches and players from across the nation as part of the basketball special. Dave LaMont and Jimmy Dykes will be ESPNU’s commentators at Rupp Arena.
Big Blue Madness to be streamed live UK athletics will stream Big Blue Madness live on UKathletics.com. It will also be televised on the Big Blue Sports Network. Fans will be able to access the streaming broadcasts free of charge.
Army ROTC to give away BBM T-shirts UK Army ROTC will give away 500 special edition UK basketball Tshirts before Big Blue Madness. Shirts will be available in the Army ROTC department of Barker Hall to anyone with a ticket to Big Blue Madness. There will also be 200 shirts available at Big Blue Madness. Fans who are not on campus can get shirts at the US Army office on 112 S. Mount Tabor Road. There will also be a table on the concourse at Rupp Arena where fans can enter to win prizes. — BEN JONES
Big Blue Madness through the years October 1982 — Madness debuts at UK as “Midnight Special.” 1985 — The Eddie Sutton era is introduced. 1989 — The Rick Pitino era is introduced. 1991 — The Cats are eligible for postseason play for the first time under Pitino after being placed on probation by the NCAA on May 19, 1989. All four recruits who attended Madness that year — Rodrick Rhodes, Jared Prickett, Tony Delk and Walter McCarty — verbally committed to UK the following week. 1995 — Seniors McCarty and Delk scale down on ropes from high above dressed as “Catman” and Robin. The two seniors would help lead the Cats to their sixth national championship later in the season. 1997 — The Tubby Smith era is introduced. Smith made his appearance in the second deck of the arena. Smith wound up guiding the Cats to their seventh national championship that year and second in the last three years. 2000 — Tickets were offered on the Internet for the first time. All 700 were distributed in 13 minutes. 2001 — UK celebrates Big Blue Madness’ 20th anniversary. 2002 — UK celebrated its 100th season of basketball. Beloved equipment manager Bill Keightley popped out of a giant birthday cake and many UK legends were introduced to the crowd. 2003 — For the first time, new women’s basketball head coach Mickie DeMoss is introduced at Big Blue Madness. 2005 — Big Blue Madness is held at Rupp Arena for the first time. 23,000 tickets were distributed in less than 48 hours and Big Blue Nation set a national attendance record for a practice. 2007 — The Billy Gillispie era is introduced as giant white curtains were dropped from the center of the court to reveal Gillispie standing in the middle. The event was televised live throughout the region on FSN South.
Information courtesy of UK athletics
kernel. we do it daily.
PAGE A10 | Friday, October 16, 2009
AND THE MADNESS BEGINS
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Junior forward Patrick Patterson is introduced to the Rupp Arena crowd as he runs through a line of teammates.
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Junior point guard Amber Smith dribbles past a Georgia defender last season.