First off, it sounds like Ramon Harris is going to be just fine.  All of the tests they ran last night didn’t show anything but he was kept overnight for observation.  We saw Michael Porter on the bench for the second half but I don’t think he was all there.  He looked dazed and confused a couple of times, probably the results of a concussion.  I wouldn’t be suprised if Harris didn’t have one as well.  Here are some other things from last night.

How about the play of DeAndre Liggins and his backup for the second half, Kevin Galloway.  Liggins replaced Michael Porter when he went down and did a great job.  He went 6-6 from the floor, hitting two threes in the second half on his way to scoring 16 points.  He dished out 4 assists as opposed to only 2 turnovers in 27 minutes of work.  He also added 7 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal.  Not a bad night considering the drama that happened in Las Vegas.  Kevin Galloway also had his best night as a Wildcat, seeing 19 minutes of playing time.  Although he only scored 2 points, he had 5 assists,  3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and only 1 turnover.  Looks like these two are gaining confidence as the season continues.  Look out Michael Porter, you have competition.

The one downside to last night (other than the injuries to Harris & Porter) had nothing to do with the players on the court.  Students, where the heck were you.  Now I realize next week is the “dead” week before finals but come on.  You guys get great tickets for these games and proceed to not show up.  The upper deck had hardly anybody in it in the student section.  Again, I know school is most important but a basketball game usually takes maybe 3 hours total between travel, the game, and leaving.  If you are too busy to set time out for UK basketball then maybe you should not get tickets to future games or give them to me.

We’ve got Miami coming to Rupp on Saturday fresh off of a home loss to Ohio State Tuesday night.  For anyone who saw that game, Miami’s leading scorer and best player Jack McClinton got ejected in the first half for swinging at a Buckeye player who was playing intense defense.  Now, my question is whether or not he will be playing Saturday.  According to NCAA rules, any player who is ejected for fighting is required to sit out their next game.  Many have argued that he was tossed for a flagrant foul but in the rule book, what he did is considered fighting (from page 69 of NCAA rule book) 

Section 26. Fighting
Art. 1. A fight is a flagrant foul.
Art. 2. A fight is a confrontation involving one or more players, coaches
or other team personnel wherein (but not limited to) a fist, hand, arm, foot, knee or leg is used to combatively strike the other individual.
Art. 3. When during a confrontation, an individual attempts to strike another individual with any of the actions defined in Art. 2, whether there is contact is irrelevant. The perpetrator shall be deemed to have been involved in a fight.

Article 3 pretty much sums up what he did.  Whether there was contact is irrelevant.  If the NCAA sticks to it’s rules, he should not be in uniform on Saturday.  Of course, the NCAA often has crazy interpretations of their own rules so we still may see him.

Last but not least, last night North Carolina visited Michigan State for a game in the BIg Ten/ACC Challenge.  The game was played at Ford Field in Detroit, home to the 2009 Final Four.  If you remember, Ford Field also hosted the BasketBowl between Michigan St and Kentucky a few years ago, which produced the largest crowd to ever see an NCAA game.  The attendance for that game was 78,129 compared to a measily 25,267 at last night’s game.  My point is this: Kentucky has the greatest fans in the country, by far better than UNC’s.  It was easy to see last night.  Now I know it was a weeknight game and it wasn’t billed as the BasketBowl, but I somehow think that if Kentucky were playing MSU instead of UNC, the venue would have still had 50-60 thousand people.  It’s just how dedicated and diehard Kentucky fans are.

So, the Kentucky basketball team held an open gym on Saturday afternoon before the football game. Thanks to a few of my friends at my other favorite UK site, TCP, I managed to compile some firsthand accounts of how the guys played. The total amount of information is seven pages, so I’ll condense it into some main bullet points on select players. Keep in mind that Patrick Patterson had not been cleared to play yet, but according to Jerry Tipton, as of today, he can start practicing again.

KEVIN GALLOWAY

“He played PG today and was matched up with Liggins. He was very vocal and I can see him being a leader. Watching him in shoot arounds and during the game, it appeared his shot is definitely suspect and his strength is driving to the basket and using his athleticism (which he has tons of). I hate making comparisons to former players, and you may disagree, but I have to say he reminds me of Antwain Barbour (that’s not a knock, btw). He’s going to be a solid player for us.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“He had great D and drove hard to the basket. He will be a great addition this year.” – PRPCATS

“Galloway looks like he could be a power foward. He has a very strong, athletic body but moves very fluidly out on the court. He sees over the defense with ease. He likes to take the ball to the hole and finishes well around the rim. He had a couple plays where he would take it inside for a layup in traffic and tuck the ball down low while he jump to avert a blocked shot and then come back with a smooth scoop finger roll to finish the play. He also backed his defender down in the post a couple times and then converted the layup.” – VernHatton52

JOSH HARRELLSON

“Solid, but not a spectacular player…Think a notch below (Mark) Pope. Nice shot and can bang, but Pilgrim wore him out. Footspeed a tad slow, but he will mix it up underneath. Like his work ethic and attitude he will help keep the D honest on PP.” – ErupptionZone

“Harrellson: was sort of low-key yesterday ala Miller but you can tell he is skilled, had some nice up and unders and some good 5-7 foot jumpers off the glass, he positions himself very well on the boards and on defense to make up for any lack of athleticism, that’s not saying he isn’t athletic, very solid and I thought he did the best job at guarding Pilgrim, seemd to pester him a bit, I think Perry starts over him but he will be off the bench before Stewart.” – VernHatton52

RAMON HARRIS

“Ramon looked like he was trying to do a lot more this year. He was penetrating a lot and taking it to the hole a lot more aggressive. He is like Perry in a way where you will get about the same as you did last year but maybe a tad bit more.” – PRPCATS

“Wow! If Ramon plays like this when the lights turn on, he would be all SEC. If practice turns into gametime production, Ramon would be an offensive weapon. Just got to get him to relax when the lights turn on. James Blackmon had the same problem when he was here. You’d watch him in pickup games, and scratch your head when the season started. Ramon just needs to believe in himself.” – ErupptionZone

“He still has all of the qualities we love: good on d, hustles, team player. What has seemed to change is his confidence level. He looked like a veteran player out there. Handled the ball a lot for him team without turning it over much. He routinely dribbled through traffic and many times initiated the offense for his team. He attacked the rim with more control too helping him finish off more plays.” – VernHatton52

JON HOOD

“Another absolute stud. He is tall at 6′6 or even 6′7. Watching him play brought back memories of a UK legend and I don’t want to stir up anything or put pressure on the kid but he was knocking down the three and had a breakaway power dunk like the King Rex did back in his days. John has a Cameron Mills type release where it is out in front of him and he releases quick, which will help against the defense.” – PRPCATS

“This kid has the skills. Looked like he could have taken over the game if he wanted to. Looks like he might have grown an inch as well. Put a little muscle on this kid, and he will play in the pros for years. He will be a star and fan favorite very soon.” – ErupptionZone

DEANDRE LIGGINS

“I’ve been saying I thought Gillispie would start out the season with Porter at PG, but it will be tough to keep Liggins off the court. He is as advertised: Very long, very good passer, extremely quick. His hands are lightning quick and I think he will excel on defense.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“Such fast feet and hands for his size. Oh, btw, 4-5 from three point land, and a couple of those contested. All net too I might add. Nothing wrong with this kid’s shooting ability folks, he didn’t have to shoot it as much at Findley. People forget he shot it very well in Chitown. He’s a 5* player…I’ve seen 5* that didn’t have his talent. Team player and great defender.” – ErupptionZone

“I know it was only a pick-up game but I firmly believe Liggins is ready to go at the point guard spot right now. He is so fluid and effortless while handling the ball that it seems like he’s not using any energy. He always has his head up and is very alert of the defenders around him. Very good passer and also a good defender. He was really being scrappy yesterday all over the floor. He is also very vocal on the court, seemed to have a very high bball IQ. We all have heard numerous complaints about his shot but yesterday there were no complaints. He hit about 4-5 long range shots off the dribble, a couple with a hand in his face.” – VernHatton52

JODIE MEEKS

“He is back 100% I would say. He looked absolutely beautiful. He ran the court well and knocked down at least 7 threes with pressure D while I was there.” – PRPCATS

“He’s baaaaack! Man did he look good. The speed is back, no limping, and IS in shape. Was one of the studs of the day. Shots were fallin’ and couldn’t be guarded.” – ErupptionZone

“But the most impressive aspect of Meeks’s game yesterday was his tenacity when taking it to the hole. Twice he tried to throw down vicious dunks in traffic but couldn’t convert b/c he was fouled or just missed it. But it was evident that he is more than capable of converting such plays. He also seemed the most upbeat out of all of the players.” – VernHatton52

MATTHEW PILGRIM

“Very quick and great moves down low. His athleticism and leaping ability were off the charts as he ripped down any rebound near him. He also stepped outside and knocked down jumpers. It appeared his jump shot wasn’t very consistent, however. Anyway, after sitting out a year under Gillispie he will be something very exciting to look forward to next year.” – BrassowBrouhaha

“An absolute stud. He was a man down low even when he was doubled and tripled.” – PRPCATS

“If he were eligible this year, we would be a Final Four lock. This manchild is the player we’ve been looking for. No one could guard him, and he was a total beast on the boards. Great explosiveness and touch around the basket. Mashburn like skills, folks…no kidding. Has Mash type guns and can muscle anyone around the basket. Has great speed to beat you off the dribble.” – ErupptionZone

“He looks more like a tight end/linebacker than a bball player. His game looks even stronger than he does. As soon as he gets the ball in the post he operates immediately with an arsenal of post moves. With his back to the basket he is most impressive. He can hit you with a head fake/ up and under, he can hit the turn-around J, or he can just back a man down and power it up over him. Plus, he’s an absolute warrior at following his own shot usually resulting in him putting back his misses.” – VernHatton52

I realize that this is just pickup basketball, but it is still basketball,
which is the game I know and love the most. I advise you to take all this information with a grain of salt, but at the same time, feel free to be excited about the talent Kentucky has coming in for 2009. Madness is getting closer and closer, and I can’t wait.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and this next month will feel like a century.

KC already posted on this, but I felt compelled to share my opinion on the matter as well. The University of Kentucky has varied between vague and bipolar when discussing the eligibility of UK point guard prospects Deandre Liggins and Kevin Galloway.

First they’re eligible. Then they might not be eligible.

Now they’re probably eligible, but nobody knows enough information to come up with a good concrete answer.

Then this week, Kentucky released its season prospectus and both guys were on the roster.

Then later that day they went back to not knowing.

I think Coach Gillispie did a smart thing when he told everybody to just assume that Liggins and Galloway would be on the roster unless somebody said otherwise. Since then, nobody has said otherwise.

In fact, Kevin Galloway somehow leaked to some press outlet that he knew he had made it and would definitely be on the roster. Now all that’s left is Liggins.

Which brings me to Baghdad Bob.

For those of you who don’t recognize the nickname, Baghdad Bob was Mohammed Said el-Sahhaf, the Information Minister of Iraq at the time of the US invasion in 2003. In the first month of the conflict, Baghdad Bob made appearances on television every day and gave facetious accounts of what was going on. He said that Americans were killing themselves by the hundreds when American tanks were storming Baghdad and taking it down.

It made for good laughs, but it was painfully obvious that Baghdad Bob either had no idea what was going on or was trying to divert the supporters of Saddam Hussein from what really was happening.

So what does Baghdad Bob have to do with the UK PR department’s handling of the Liggins and Galloway situations?

Basically, both parties have mishandled their respective situations. The only difference is that UK probably didn’t have to deal with death threats from Lee Todd.

Why would you keep countering your previous statements when nobody knows anything? Why would you include both guys in the prospectus, only to go back and say that you don’t have enough information before the end of that day? The Sporting News and other publications are going to be releasing their college basketball previews in about a month, and they will probably be using prospectuses (prospecti?) to compile their rosters.

Other than Jason Parker in 2002, I can’t think of a player who made the prospectus, made the preseason preview magazines and didn’t end up playing, and Parker’s case was a disciplinary one that happened after the release of the prospectus and magazines.

In the case of Deandre Liggins and Kevin Galloway, no news is good news. There is no need to have a press conference and announce that these players are eligible. You expect them to be eligible. I fully expect both guys to be eligible for the 2009 season, and the words of Galloway and Coach Gillispie have made me feel comfortable about this assessment. UK doesn’t have to announce any press conferences about this situation unless there is bad news.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I’m ready for this to be over.

I’m tired. You’re tired. Everyone is tired. Tired of what? Of this ring a round the rosie dance that the NCAA and UK are doing involving DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway.

Are they qualified. Or not? It’s a simple question friends. You see, yesterday UK released a summer roster and both players were on it. But then, NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS! says UK. Just being on the roster means nothing, UK says. Well, then sign me up Coach Gillispie, I’d like to be on the roster for giggles too.

Galloways says he’s eligible. Cross him off the list. Fianlly. Liggins? Who knows. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Maybe we aren’t going to say whether anyone is actually able to play. Just guess everyone! Sounds like a fun game!

It’s silly. The NCAA should come out and say whether they are cleared or not. If UK knows, they should say. Who are they hiding from? Did the NCAA say to UK “If you announce they are cleared, we’ll reverse and deny them. Because we are douches.” Must have.

Of course, they are on the summer roster, UK says they will only announce if they aren’t qualified and Galloway says he already is. And it’s August. Football is just two weeks away. And I could care less if Liggins, Galloway, or NCAA Basketball croaks tomorrow. Because you’re just annoying now boys and stepping all over my football time.

So as MC Search would say… you know, VH1’s white rapper…Step Off!

I’m a basketball junkie. It’s the one thing I don’t enjoy about July through September. I’m desperate to get a basketball fix in, but luckily, there are a couple of outlets that will keep me from losing my mind. The first is the occasional pickup game report that you get by reading message boards. I know you can’t make judgments on players based on their performances in these pickup games because there are no coaches, no defense and no structure. But let’s just suspend all disbelief and pretend that Jules Camara did play like a lottery pick and Josh Carrier did have the ability to hit dozens of threes in a row. Based on the handful of reports I’ve read, here are the five players who will impress you the most.

5. Jodie Meeks – If you believe the reports, Mr. Meeks has only been playing in these games for a couple of weeks now, but it was as if he had never been injured. He was spotting up and nailing threes, and even taking it to the rack and getting tough scores inside, which hasn’t been a major staple of the Jodie Meeks repertoire. If he’s back to 100%, I think we’ll see more of the player we saw in the first exhibition when he hit eight threes.

4. Josh Harrellson – I probably know less about him than any player on the roster, but all I know is that the staff loves him. He has excellent range for a big man, but still has the ability to bang because he’s 6’10” and 260 pounds. I don’t know if it was Coach Gillispie who said this or Harrellson himself, but one of them said that if Harrellson doesn’t start, that’s his own fault. I think this is more of a praise of Harrellson than a knock on Perry Stevenson.

3. Kevin Galloway – The more I read, the more this kid reminds me of Derrick Jasper, only more confident in his abilities on offense. He’s been the guy in the pickup games who does all the intangibles – making the extra pass, grabbing the big rebound, blocking the big shot and making the key deflection. This kid is going to be a very effective player for this team, and his length will create some serious matchup problems on defense.

2. Ramon Harris – We all knew that Razor was an exceptional defender, but apparently he’s taken it to a whole new level this season. I’ve also been pleased with the reports that his handle has improved and he has become more aggressive on offense. These were his biggest flaws last season along with FT shooting, and the more complete his game becomes, the better off everybody will be.

1. DeAndre Liggins – This is just a conjecture, but I’m pretty sure that Liggins moved from George Washington HS in Chicago to Findlay Prep in Nevada to get his academic situation fixed, and basketball didn’t have much to do with the decision. By the way, I’ve always been under the impression that as far as Ligging, Galloway and eligibility are concerned, no news means good news. Anyway, Liggins has shown why he was once a ***** prospect and considered to be the 2nd best player in Chicago behind Derrick Rose. He has generally been regarded as the best on the roster in these games (keep in mind Patrick Patterson hasn’t played in one game yet).

I use the phrase “best on the roster” because the best player in these games is not actually on this roster, and that’s Matt Pilgrim. I was as shocked as you are. Apparently, this guy is a Patterson clone, only a couple inches shorter. Again, take all of this with a grain of salt, but July and August can be boring.

Now then, I want to say a few words about USA basketball. For starters, I am thrilled that Tayshaun Prince has been chosen to represent his country in these Olympic Games. Not only am I happy for Tayshaun that he was chosen, but I am happy for Team USA because they are finally figuring out how to compile one of these teams. I remain convinced that Isiah Thomas put together the 2004 squad that won the bronze in Athens. Whoever was in charge of it epic failed like nobody else. He included Tim Duncan to play center, even though the international style of play doesn’t cater to what Duncan does best. He started the backcourt of Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury, and you can imagine how that went. The rest of the players were chosen after Isiah went to various playgrounds across this great country. He visited a playground a day for a whole month, then he counted the jerseys that were being worn. He must have spent a lot of time in New Jersey, because how else can you explain starting Richard Jefferson? Finally, USA basketball put Larry Brown in charge of the team, and defensive coaches like Brown just struggle in international play.

Today, it’s a different story. Jerry Colangelo, one of the best personnel handlers in NBA history, compiled the team. He put Mike D’Antoni on the coaching staff with Coach K, which is perfect because nobody knows the international style better. He loaded up the team with specialty skill players. Tayshaun Prince is the token lockdown defender because that’s what he does. Michael Redd is the shooter, and so on. The mix of role players like Prince and focused superstars like Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony have convinced me that this is going to be the best incarnation of Team USA since the original Dream Team back in 1992. And it will feel good to be on top of the world in our game (we claim Naismith) once again.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, ready for the butt kicking to commence.

First things first, more and more sources are saying that Kevin Galloway and Deandre Liggins are good to go, which once again proves me right. Did you go get that bread and milk at Kroger? If so, you’re no better off than Randy Quaid in “Major League II.” I told you people to wait and see, and now it’s looking like everything’s going to be alright, and everything’s going to be taken care of faster than Randolph Morris and the case of the missing fax. Now then, let’s go back to your regularly scheduled roster breakdown.

Perry Stevenson is my boy, and I don’t try to sugarcoat it. My favorite play in basketball is a good block, and nobody can do that better than Perry Stevenson. It was the best player development I’ve seen between a freshman and sophomore year since Nazr Mohammed in 1997. There’s something special about watching the proverbial light come on in a player when he finally starts to realize his potential, and it happened with Stevenson during the Florida game in Gainesville.

During November and December, Perry Stevenson was just not getting it done. He couldn’t rebound, he couldn’t finish at the rim, and he got into awful foul trouble because he would come over to provide help defense, the extra pass would come to his man, and he would be out of position. I remember a play against Indiana where I had my fill of him, and decided that he’d never get it. There was a breakaway, and Stevenson was under the basket, waiting for the pass. He bobbled the pass, then went up for a finger roll like he was George Gervin or something. An Indiana player goaltended the shot, but that was enough for me. I was done with Perry Stevenson. I was more upset at Tubby Smith than anybody else, mainly because I thought he had killed Perry’s confidence during the previous season. Still, I thought it was over.

He played a couple of solid yet unspectacular games to start SEC season against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, but then it was a nationally televised game against Florida, and I didn’t expect much. Florida got off to a pretty good start inside with Marreese Speights, but then Stevenson came in to spell Mark Coury, and he immediately got two huge dunks in the post. One was after an awesome drop step that would have made Hakeem the Dream proud. He fouled out of the Florida game, but made every one of those fouls worth something. There’s nothing I hate worse than a soft foul. It’s a sign of both mental and physical weakness. Stevenson became one of the most physical players on the team after that.

If the Florida game was when the light came on for Stevenson, then the Tennessee game that followed was the coming out party. I have to thank Coach Gillispie for this because he realized that without Duke Crews, Tennessee’s big men were softer than cotton, and he got awesome games out of both Stevenson and Patrick Patterson. They fed off of each other better than any pair of big guys I’ve seen since the days of Hayes and Daniels. The momentum from those games carried into the rest of the season, and the emergence of Perry Stevenson as a sixth man was a huge contributing factor to the 12-4 conference record.

I fully expect Stevenson to be able to continue with the momentum gained last season and become a very good player. If you believe what Coach Gillispie said at his press conference last week, he’s well on his way. The man has a mean streak. Remember the loss to Vanderbilt? Only one good thing happened in that game. Perry Stevenson tied up AJ Ogilvy, Ogilvy threw him to the floor and Stevenson popped up immediately, ready to give him a Louisiana beatdown. This is not the same mentally weak Perry Stevenson that couldn’t have suited up for Georgetown College in December. Watch out, SEC – the Thin Man is coming, and he’s very upset.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I have Perry Stevenson’s back for the rest of his life.

This is a tough period for people like the staff at UK Wildcat Country. Nothing is happening – absolutely nothing. So in turn, I can’t write a long column on one subject, and I don’t like doing a WGCGA on consecutive days. I still have some information and opinions, but they’re all pretty short takes, so I’ll just post them all, Larry King style.

WHERE’S MARK COURY?

I’m not sure. If you believe what was said at yesterday’s press conference, then he isn’t here, at least not right now. I had a source tell me a couple weeks ago that Mark Coury had not only transferred, but the transfer occurred less than a month after the season ended. I was reluctant to post this information because it was the only source I had, and the last time I got information from that source, he told me Chris Singleton was coming to Kentucky on the same day he committed to Florida State. Turns out he may have been right after all. If I interpreted the press conference correctly, Coury is not in Lexington, but he might be by the time the season starts.

I always try to be as respectful as possible when talking about the players because every one of them is more deserving of wearing that jersey than I am. I can understand why Mark Coury started so many games and why he played so many minutes in December. Perry Stevenson didn’t find himself until January, and even when that happened, he preferred coming off the bench because he could get a feel for how the officials were going to call the game. Still, I wish it didn’t have to come to that, because Kentucky was usually in a bit of a hole by the time Mark Coury came out of the game at the first TV timeout. Sometimes he was responsible, other times it wasn’t, but it still happened. Without Coury, maybe we can see more minutes from Stevenson, plus extra minutes for Darius Miller, AJ Stewart and Josh Harrellson. If he comes back, he can do what he did last season – do everything his coach tells him in practice, except this time there will be more depth at his position. I say it’s a win-win situation.

AN UPDATE ON LIGGINS AND GALLOWAY

Things are looking better, especially compared to the pessimism apex that was last Friday. Remember last Friday? It seemed like both of Coach Gillispie’s 2008 point guard prospects were not going to get to play at all. Didn’t you get depressed? I know I did. No offense to Michael Porter or Jodie Meeks, but neither of them can be a point guard on a team that can optimize its potential. My man Dave Kersey seems to have a good grasp of the situation. I’m paraphrasing here, but he says that UK feels that DeAndre Liggins has met all eligibilty requirements for the University, and everybody’s just waiting on the NCAA clearinghouse. UK and the clearinghouse have sent paperwork to each other a couple of times, so the staff must be extremely confident in the chances of Liggins suiting up this year. The Kevin Galloway situation is even better, as Dave has called his likelihood of playing in the blue and white “a slam dunk.” This was to be expected when it came out that the Galloway situation was more of a Kentucky problem than an NCAA problem. Does that make you feel better? It should.

KNOW YOUR ROLE, SEC COACHES: A MINI-SHOOT

The views I’m about to express are my own, blah blah, etc. etc., you know how it goes. Here are two quotes from the SEC teleconference that have really started to grind my gears. Both quotes concern the commitment of Austin Rivers to Florida and the horrible double standard that has established. First up is South Carolina’s Darrin Horn.

“In Florida’s case, for example, that’s obviously a unique circumstance where there’s a great relationship there. It’s been built over time, and that kid’s been watched and evaluated. To me, that’s a very careful, wise thing versus something that’s very flippant and off the cuff, which I think is what the intent of that suggestion is.”

Now, here’s Billy Donovan.

“We have not done that (offer a young player based solely on potential, the main thing the NCAA wanted to get rid of with the “Billy Gillispie Rule”). Our situation is much more based upon what we feel is in the best interest of the young man and the University of Florida by way of (building) relationships.”

It is what it is, guys. Florida received a commitment from a freshman in high school, just like Kentucky did. The situations aren’t different. Nothing makes one situation okay and the other one bad. Donovan might be deserving of a pass because of the two national titles, but Darrin Horn? This isn’t the Sun Belt, Skippy. You actually have to run plays to win, unless you’re playing Tennessee. Trent Johnson’s new to the conference, and he didn’t say anything. You know why? Because he’s new to the conference – that’s why. I value the opinion of Mark Gottfried more than that of Darrin Horn, and Gottfried is one of the five worst coaches in the country, but at least he’s been around long enough to know that either both situations are okay, or they both aren’t.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I’d love some news.

Mr. Meeks is the single biggest x-factor for the 2008-09 Kentucky Wildcats. Is he completely recovered from the stress fracture or sports hernia or groin pull or whatever the deuce was wrong with him last year? That is the $64,000 question going into this upcoming season. I figure that what you saw from Patrick Patterson is what you’re going get this season, only on a much grander scale. You still don’t know what you are going to get from Stevenson, and the underclassmen (sans Patterson) are all going to be extremely unpredictable. Jodie Meeks may be the big difference between a good season and taking it to the next level.

We only saw Jodie Meeks healthy in one game. It was an exhibition against Pikeville. He made eight threes and scored 34 points. I know you always have to take the level of competition into account, but eight threes and 34 points are eight threes and 34 points. There’s no dancing around eight threes and 34 points. He looked ready to make “the leap” in the same way that Jamal Mashburn and Nazr Mohammed made “the leap” between their freshman and sophomore seasons. But then the injury happened. Meeks still played a vital role in SEC wins against Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU.

He was always a step slow on defense because of the injury, but he still showcased some of the skills that made us love him so much when he was a freshman. I personally believe that if he is healthy, we’ll see more performances like the one Meeks put on against Pikeville. I’m not saying he’ll average 34 points a game – that would be foolish – but I think he will be a very effective second banana to Patterson. And because of Patterson’s presence on the floor, he should see more open looks from three than what he got in years past, similarly to the kind of looks that Travis Ford got in 1993 because of the attention defenses paid to Mash.

Besides the shooting, Meeks brings a lot to the table. He isn’t very fleet of foot when it comes to on-ball defense, but he showed in his freshman year that he is pretty good at jumping into passing lanes and getting steals (a no-no in ball-line defense). Even on a bad wheel, he showed that he could still take it to the rack like he did against South Carolina, or pull up from about 15 feet like he did against Tennessee. He’ll probably be the most reliable FT shooter on the team, as even with a bad leg, he shot 80% from the line. If he can provide the same explosive scoring he showed in his freshman year and in brief flashes of brilliance last year, then this team might be in decent shape when defense inevitable decide to double down on Patterson.

Also, I’ve heard all the rumors about DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway. I don’t know what to think of them, but the timing of the rumors is weird enough to make me take a “wait and see” approach, and I’d advise the rest of you to do the same instead of running out to Kroger and getting bread and milk. The sky is not falling, at least not yet.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I hope I’m right.

Deandre Liggins is from Chicago, Illinois, George Washington High School. He is one of the top point guards in the 2008 class, and is the highest ranked **** recruit in his class. Make no mistake about it, the kid can go. He would no doubt be the crown jewel of Kentucky’s incoming class of newcomers, except there’s this one little problem.

Nobody knows if he has qualified to play yet. Academic issues sent him to Findlay Prep School n Nevada, where they help players take care of those things, but everything still rides on the results from the SAT that Liggins took three weeks ago. However, it isn’t my job to be the bearer of bad news, so I’ll just tell you everything I know about the situation. All signs point to Liggins making it. There are some pretty good pieces of concrete evidence that backs my hypothesis, and I have some conjectures to back it up as well.

Liggins is enrolled at the University of Kentucky. I never did this because stalking is wrong, but apparently, you can look him up in the university’s directory and he’ll be there. That’s a good sign. I found out last night from unofficial recruiting insider Dave Kersey that there was a scrimmage yesterday, and that Liggins was introduced to the rest of the team at this scrimmage. That can’t be a bad sign. The SAT results were also supposed to come out on the 26th, which came and went without any bad news. I am of the belief that bad news travels faster than good news, which makes me think that if Liggins wasn’t going to make it, we’d have already known by now.

So, I’m writing the rest of this piece under the assumption that Liggins will be eligible to play for the Big Blue in 2008-09. The man is the real deal. For a point guard, he’s huge at 6’5”. His court vision is nothing short of phenomenal. Honestly, he reminds me a lot of Derrick Jasper, only everything Jasper could do, Liggins can do better. He’s a pretty assertive guard, considering that Washington and Findlay had deep rosters that kept Liggins’ minutes reasonably low for a starter. He’s got a decent jumper with a rainbow arch on it, so it’s very tough for opposing guards to block. He can step into the path of a defender and take a charge if necessary, and he’s a good enough leaper to block shots like Jasper did.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C1Y8jY-E6k&hl=en]
Highlight reel (also includes clips of Darius Miller)

If Liggins qualifies, there is no doubt in my mind that he’ll start. That will take tons of pressure away from Kevin Galloway and Michael Porter, and will also keep Jodie Meeks at his natural position at the 2. His passing should leave Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson open for easy baskets in the paint, and his penetration should make it easier for Meeks to spot up on the corners and hit threes. Simply put, if he plays, Deandre Liggins may very well be the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to helping this team take the next step. We already know that we’re probably going to see consistently great efforts from Patterson and Meeks. Liggins can make them and everybody else on the team so much better.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I’m appalled at the lack of props for Joker Phillips on this site.

Think about it. It’s not unusual for a walk-on to play a good role at UK. Historically, there’s a good line of good walk-ons. And with DeAndre Liggins iffy on being able to qualify, the chance Jodie Meeks doesn’t heal or re-injures himself, and with Derrick Jasper gone, could a walk-on be big for UK this year?

Eric Lindsey of the Lexington Herald-Leader asked the question and Landon Sloan, an incoming walk-on from Paintsville, hopes he’s the answer.

Sloan is an All-Stater who averaged 25 points a game at Paintsville High School. He’s participating this weekend in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game, alongside fellow incoming Cat, Darius Miller. Game 1 is 6 p.m. Friday at Canseco Field House in Indianapolis. Game 2 is Sunday at 2 p.m. in Louisville Gardens.

Sloan’s high school coach calls him the greatest offensive player he has ever coached (that list includes John Pelphrey and J.R. VanHoose). He is already enrolled, taking summer classes at UK, and is working out at the Craft Center.

But here’s the thing that makes me think Sloan could be a huge contributor if his name gets called this basketball season … a quote from the story: Playing hard in practice and developing into the type of player Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie wants him to be is his first priority.

I’m not saying that Sloan is better than Meeks or Liggins. But hey, that quote says the kid has his head on straight. Maybe he can provide some guard depth that looks to be lacking right now.