GJ Getting Better

I have found out that GJ Vilarino is getting a whole lot better after having a huge slump after he committed to Kentucky. People have wondered if he is good enough to go to Kentucky and play. I am really confident to see him as a GREAT Kentucky player. Here is what he had to say about his game.

“When I first committed, I don’t think I fully understood the magnitude of it,” he said. “Now I understand it better. People are going to come after me because I am going to play for the best program in the country, so basically it is just me trying to get better every day.

“I love the fans and how they love basketball down there. I think it’s a perfect fit for me when I get there.”

The ESPY's

Well I have to say the ESPY's was the best ESPY's I watched in a long time. The show was great, Justin was great the light were great, I give the show a A+. Here are some of the clips that were funny and inspiring.

Galloway and Liggins back on track

I don't know if this is true or not but I hope it is. This morning I heard that Deandre Liggins and Galloway will probably be eligible.

….for all intents and purposes right now, they are eligible. Everyone is much less worried as the biggest concern has been taken care of and everyone is operating under the assumption that both will play. Like everything, this could change, but no one expects any result but both playing next year. The final official word is likely to come early next week.

If this is true then Kentucky Will be really great next year.

Qua Huzzie a Wildcat

Kentucky Got another Great Commitment the other day as they got Qua Huzzie. He is ranked as Rivals’ 39th best linebacker (30th on Scout.com). Huzzie, 5′11″ 205, is a three-star player in the mold of former LaGrange linebacker Wesley Woodyard and is the Cats’ 13th commitment for the class of 2009. Some scouts are concerned with his size, but like his ability to stop the run and the way he uses his leverage to get through the line and make a stop. ESPN says that he can be very effective in a system that uses him as a blitzer and he will be a “future special teams stud”. Last year at LaGrange, Huzzie recorded 102 tackles and had two INTs (one for a TD) for the Grangers who finished 8-3. Huzzie runs a 4.59 40 and picked the Cats over Ole Miss, South Carolina, Oklahoma State and Duke.

Huzzie is the latest in a long list of players from LaGrange. Woodyard got the ball rolling and now the Cats have three other former Grangers on the roster in DB Randall Burden, WR Demoreo Ford and LB Braxton Kelley. The Cats might not yet be done with LaGrange either as Huzzie’s fellow linebackers Demetri Merritt and Kobina Essandoh, as well as DE Tristan Johnson, list the Cats as possible destinations.

Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team Released

The Cats get five guys on the preseason lists this year…..Garry Williams is 2nd team on offense…..Trevard Lindley and Jeremy Jarmon are 2nd Team on Defense…..Braxton Kelly and Micah Johnson are 3rd team on Defense. Here is this list:

2008 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM

(#-Ties / *-Unanimous Selection) (Coaches could not vote for themselves or their own players)

Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown

FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE Cornelius Ingram Florida 6-4 223 Sr. Hawthorne, Fla.

OL *Andre Smith Alabama 6-5 340 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.

OL *Michael Oher Ole Miss 6-5 318 Sr. Memphis, Tenn.

OL *Anthony Parker Tennessee 6-3 305 Sr. Jonesboro, Ga.

OL Herman Johnson LSU 6-7 351 Sr. Olla, La.

C *Jonathan Luigs Arkansas 6-4 314 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.

WR Percy Harvin Florida 5-11 178 Jr. Virginia Beach, Va.

WR Kenny McKinley South Carolina 6-0 182 Sr. Mableton, Ga.

QB Tim Tebow Florida 6-3 232 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla.

RB *Knowshon Moreno Georgia 5-11 207 So. Belford, N.J.

RB Arian Foster Tennessee 6-1 215 Sr. San Diego, Calif.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE Richard Dickson LSU 6-3 237 Jr. Ocean Springs, Miss.

OL Ciron Black LSU 6-5 314 Jr. Tyler, Texas

OL Tyronne Green Auburn 6-2 307 Sr. Pensacola, Fla.

OL #Ramon Foster Tennessee 6-6 325 Sr. Henning, Tenn.

OL #Lee Ziemba Auburn 6-8 288 So. Rogers, Ark.

OL #Mitch Petrus Arkansas 6-4 305 Sr. Carlisle, Ark.

OL #Garry Williams Kentucky 6-3 300 Sr. Louisville, Ky.

C #Antoine Caldwell Alabama 6-3 292 Sr. Montgomery, Ala.

C #Brett Helms LSU 6-2 283 Sr. Stuttgart, Ark.

WR Demetrius Byrd LSU 6-2 195 Sr. Miami, Fla.

WR Mohamed Massaquoi Georgia 6-2 198 Sr. Charlotte, N.C.

QB Matthew Stafford Georgia 6-3 237 Jr. Dallas, Texas

RB Anthony Dixon Mississippi State 6-1 240 Jr. Jackson, Miss.

RB Ben Tate Auburn 5-11 215 Jr. Newark, Md.

THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE Jared Cook South Carolina 6-5 242 Jr. Suwanee, Ga.

OL Phil Trautwein Florida 6-6 301 Sr. Voorhees, N.J.

OL Jim Tartt Florida 6-3 300 Sr. Sochoppy, Fla.

OL John Jerry Ole Miss 6-5 350 Jr. Batesville, Miss.

OL Anthony Strauder Mississippi State 6-3 290 Sr. Natchez, Miss.

C Josh McNeil Tennessee 6-4 280 Jr. Collins, Miss.

WR Lucas Taylor Tennessee 6-0 185 Sr. Carencro, La.

WR Brandon LaFell LSU 6-3 194 Jr. Houston, Texas

QB John Parker Wilson Alabama 6-2 213 Sr. Hoover, Ala.

RB Keiland Williams LSU 5-11 223 Jr. Lafayette, La.

RB Terry Grant Alabama 5-10 188 So. Lumberton, Miss.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL *Greg Hardy Ole Miss 6-4 265 Jr. Millington, Tenn.

DL Sen’Derrick Marks Auburn 6-1 288 Jr. Mobile, Ala.

DL Tyson Jackson LSU 6-5 292 Sr. Edgard, La.

LB *Brandon Spikes Florida 6-3 245 Jr. Shelby, N.C.

LB Rico McCoy Tennessee 6-1 215 Jr. Washington, D.C.

LB Darry Beckwith LSU 6-1 232 Sr. Baton Rouge, La.

LB Dannell Ellerbe Georgia 6-1 232 Sr. Hamlet, N.C.

DB Eric Berry Tennessee 5-11 195 So. Fairburn, Ga.

DB Derek Pegues Mississippi State 5-10 196 Sr. Batesville, Miss.

DB #Rashad Johnson Alabama 6-0 187 Sr. Sulligent, Ala.

DB #Captain Munnerlyn South Carolina 5-9 185 Jr. Mobile, Ala.

DB #D.J. Moore Vanderbilt 5-10 182 Jr. Spartanburg, S.C.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE

DL Ricky Jean-Francois LSU 6-3 281 Jr. Miami, Fla.

DL Geno Atkins Georgia 6-1 290 Jr. Pembroke Pines, Fla.

DL #Jeremy Jarmon Kentucky 6-3 277 Jr. Collierville, Tenn.

DL #Peria Jerry Ole Miss 6-2 290 Sr. Batesville, Miss.

LB Jasper Brinkley South Carolina 6-2 275 Sr. Thomson, Ga.

LB Rolando McClain Alabama 6-4 255 So. Decatur, Ala.

LB Eric Norwood South Carolina 6-1 270 Jr. Acworth, Ga.

LB #Tray Blackmon Auburn 6-2 220 Jr. LaGrange, Ga.

LB #Jamar Chaney Mississippi State 6-1 236 Sr. Fort Pierce, Fla.

DB Emanuel Cook South Carolina 5-10 214 Jr. Riviera Beach, Fla.

DB Asher Allen Georgia 5-10 198 Jr. Tucker, Ga.

DB Trevard Lindley Kentucky 6-0 175 Jr. Hiram, Ga.

DB Jerraud Powers Auburn 5-9 188 Jr. Decatur, Ala.

THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL Antonio Coleman Auburn 6-2 250 Jr. Mobile, Ala.

DL #Antwain Robinson Arkansas 6-2 258 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.

DL #Kirston Pittman LSU 6-4 254 Sr. Garyville, La.

DL #Jeff Owens Georgia 6-3 298 Sr. Sunrise, Fla.

LB Rennie Curran Georgia 5-11 220 So. Snellville, Ga.

LB Micah Johnson Kentucky 6-2 250 Jr. Ft. Campbell, Ky.

LB Braxton Kelley Kentucky 6-0 230 Sr. LaGrange, Ga.

DB #Reshard Langford Vanderbilt 6-2 208 Sr. Tanner, Ala.

DB #Chad Jones LSU 6-3 222 So. Baton Rouge, La.

DB #Major Wright Florida 6-0 194 So. Miramar, Fla.

DB #Joe Haden Florida 5-11 180 So. Ft. Washington, Md.

DB #Wondy Pierre-Louis Florida 6-0 182 Jr. Naples, Fla.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Colt David LSU 5-9 175 Sr. Grapevine, Texas

P Ryan Shoemaker Auburn 6-0 192 So. Birmingham, Ala.

RS Brandon James Florida 5-6 179 Jr. St. Augustine, Fla.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS

PK Ryan Succop South Carolina 6-3 224 Sr. Hickory, N.C.

P Ryan Succop South Carolina 6-3 224 Sr. Hickory, N.C.

RS Javier Arenas Alabama 5-9 193 Jr. Tampa, Fla.

THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Leigh Tiffin Alabama 6-1 198 Jr. Muscle Shoals, Ala.

P Brian Mimbs Georgia 5-11 205 Sr. Dublin, Ga.

RS Trindon Holliday LSU 5-5 159 Jr. Zachary, La.

Lindley Looks Like he is getting National Attention

Lindley is getting national attention from everywhere this year. This is really good news as this is probably going to be the only good news for the Kentucky Football team this year during the season.

Reese a Wildcat?

The buzz on Sunday night was the speculation on another site that Kentucky may have another 2008 commitment, potentially as early as this week. If this news is true (and I have no reason to believe it isnt), then it is Brad Reese, the young man from the Florida Community College that we spoke about a couple of weeks here and who a couple of people have told me may have already committed to UK privately. Reese is a wing player who can put the ball in the basket and is said to have a great deal of skill. Very little (if anything) is known about the kid beyond that and my assumption is that almost no one outside of the coaching staff has ever seen him play. If he indeed is announced as a new UK player soon (and gets deemed eligible), fans must trust that he truly is a “diamond in the rough” of the highest degree. My only worry….that having a guy named Reese, leads to far too many “Reese’s pieces” jokes by Herald Leader headline writers in the near future.

Azubuike has new contract

Looks like Azubuike has a new team to go to and that team would be the LA Clippers for 3 years, 9 million dollars. Not bad. Congrats to Azubuike and his new contract.

Here is a Funny Clip of Azubuike at the University of Kentucky.

Billy Gillispie press guotes

“It’s been a good summer so far. I’m excited about what’s going to happen in the fall and I hope our guys are going to do well. I’m really excited about their enthusiasm and their work. I’m excited about the upcoming year.”

How different is this summer than last summer?

“The players have a greater sense of comfort because there is not as much that is unknown.They’ve developed relationships with other players and I think they know more of what to expect.”
You said that Patrick (Patterson) is farther along than you expected. Can you tell us some of the things that he has been doing?
“He’s working hard. He had surgery and he was going to be in a cast for six weeks and a boot for six weeks. They took x-rays after they took off the cast and they said the healing was farther along than expected. So, they put him in the boot and he is going in for another x-ray tomorrow. He’s been doing a lot rehab in the pool on campus in the underwater treadmill. It’s a great rehabilitation device. It’s probably helped him with conditioning and I think it may help him return a little quicker.
He’s been doing his rehab on the treadmill, but he hasn’t been able to return to the court yet. I think that the treadmill will help him return to the court in about three or four weeks. It looks like things are way ahead of schedule as far as recovery.”
Who do you think is going to be your on-court leader next year?
“Our on-court leader is probably going to be Patrick Patterson. He’s not going to initiate the offense unless he had a recovery that would allow him to be a lead guard; and that would be okay. He’s been our off court leader. His attitude is fantastic. So far I have not been a part of a group, as a whole, that is as determined and eager. I’m not making any predictions for the NCAA tournament, but I really do like what’s going on. As far as who is going to play the point guard position for us, that is yet to be determined. I believe that we have many options, but as far as saying, ‘this is going to be our point guard’, is undetermined. We have a lot of inexperience right now.”
Any thought at playing Meeks at point guard?
“As he progresses in his rehab, he’s done well. They say the soreness is subsiding and getting better on a daily basis. I think that he does have some of those leadership qualities. He’s a fairly experienced guy just not at that particular position, but if that’s what we need to do, I think he’s a candidate to do that.”
You mentioned Patrick’s off-court recovery. How central is he to what you plan on doing in the upcoming season?
“He’s very important and we’re going to throw it in their a lot. We’re going to play off him a lot. I think that the post is an area where our team is going to be vastly improved. I think that we’re going to be able to feed the post a lot better a lot earlier in the year. We obviously know that that’s where our bread is going to be buttered. He’ll get a lot of touches a game. Last year, the least amount of times that the post players ever touched the ball in a game was 84 times. The most they ever touched it was 125. In Patrick’s last five games, he touched the ball an average of 68 times. I would assume those numbers will be fairly consistent next year.”
I know you had an All-American player at Texas A & M. Are you going to find that kind of leadership out of Patterson not just on the court, but off the court as well?
“He’s a very special person. He’s a very determined basketball player. He’s determined ineverything he does. His reaction, response, and the way he is going about his rehab is great. Hemight have actually lost weight during his rehab. That’s one of the things a player has to concern themselves with is inactivity and gaining weight from it. His conditioning for not being able to do anything for a long period of time is fantastic. He’s working and his body looks great. He’s a very determined guy. Everyone knows it and everyone can see it. He’s been talking a lot with his teammates, he’s played a great recruiter, and he is a great ambassador for the university, but to answer your question, he’s responded to such a great responsibility so early in his career. He’s never let us down on anything.”
There was some talk last year about Patrick possibly playing forward, but right now itsounds like you would rather continue to feed him in the low post.
“In those last five games, he got as many touches in the high post as he did in the low post. I think that this year we will probably be able to utilize him more in the high post because I think Perry Stevenson has really emerged. I thought that he had a really good season last year and I think that he has taken another step forward this spring and summer. He feels more confident and comfortable that he can be a really good player at this level and then have a great future after he gets done here. I think A.J. (Stewart) has really improved and he’s maturing quite a bit. Jared (Carter) has had a good summer so far and a good trip over to Africa. I’m really excited about (Josh) Harrelson and what he’s going to do. So, I think we’re going to have an infinitely higher amount of options and flexibility than we’ve had in the past; but we’re not going to say that Patrick is a prototype power forward and let him play on the perimeter. That’s just not going to happen, but he is going to be a versatile player. You’ll see him probably have a great deal more of success in the high post area as far as scoring.”
Is Mark Coury coming back to play?
“At the end of the year, he asked if he could — he wasn’t on scholarship — and he asked if I would mind if he got a release to five or six different schools so that he could seek a scholarship and I said, ‘Absolutely.’ The way I look at it, I want Mark back, and he hasn’t decided if he’s going to come back. He was an important part of our team last year, but if I can’t give him a scholarship, or if I choose not to give him a scholarship, and he can get a scholarship somewhere else to pay for his school, I understand that totally. He’s in the midst of talking to some people.”

Been Gone again

sorry if I have not posted anything lately as I had computer Difficulties. These next posts is what has happened these past few days.