Great Wall of Kentucky?

SLAM is reporting that John Wall has committed to Kentucky. Matt Jones blogged that we will find out something today.

As much as I am happy to hear this and hope its true, I am equally ready to hear the recruiting over for the year so we can find out who stays and who goes. Could he be the final missing piece? Will Jodie stay in the draft? Is everybody's grades OK? There is still a summer of speculation before , well we speculate if Big Blue Madness is at Commonwealth? Are we a final four contender? Will Wall and Cousins be one and done?

There are still plenty of questions, but I am just delivering the mail. And this mail is worth reading to tell the neighbors before they read their mail.

Happy Mother's Day, Tywanna Patterson

It has been hard to keep up with all that is happening these days surrounding the University of Kentucky Wildcat Basketball team. Blink and Coach Cal has signed another five star recruit.

But the biggest recruit he signed so far has to be convincing Patrick Patterson to return to school even though he never had a work out for a NBA team. He was a projected first round pick by almost everyone. Happy Mother's Day Big Blue.

And Happy Mother's Day Tywanna Patterson. Your son seems to be completely a class act. Everyone who interacts with him just gushes about such character traits as good manners, being nice, work ethic, etc. Better yet, you have to be proud that he is on track to graduate in 3 years. So by coming back, he will get the diploma before the NBA contract. That speaks volumes of the young man you have raised.

Additionally, congratulations on your son's legend growing in UK lore. If Kentucky does something special next year, everyone will remember how Patrick came back for his junior year to help the Big Blue win. Wildcat fans have special places in their hearts and in their stories for the young men who hustle, put off the rewards of years of hard work to come back for one more year, and most importantly, for the one's that win. And your son fits all of the above. You should be very proud as I am sure you are. I am your mailman, and it has been my pleasure to deliver your mother's day card.

Maybe I should enter the draft, too

I have to go off topic. Worse than that, it is about Ohio State ( and I refuse to put THE in front.) But this is one of those stories that shows on yahoo when you log on. Being about basketball, I had to read.

Now, you never know the validity of blogs, so you must take it at face value. I am not a big fan of the Big Ten, other than it is technically college basketball, so I don't know for sure that he is even on the team. But if the post is true, pompous and arrogant would not begin to describe the NBA.

To summarize, somebody on the end of the bench has a blog to chronicle his splinters. Mr. stand up and clap when the players with talent do something enters his name in the draft. No kidding. NBA says you can't do that. Yes I can. No you can't..or else. From Jerry Seinfeld lore, "No Soup for you." BTW, did you know that the soup nazi has his own website. (picture from www.jimfravel.com) Seriously, like this scrub was getting drafted. People question how high Meeks would/will be this year. The NBA thinks he is making a mockery of the draft? Are they watching the playoffs? Didn't Detroit already do that with the Iverson for Billups trade? What about the "dress code" fiasco that they tried to enforce. It makes you want to support the NCAA about challenging the big bad NBA's withdrawl date. They thought when he entered his name in the draft he was making a mockery, then what do they think it is when they ask him to withdraw? And now when it makes headlines? Better yet, he is not offended. Or mad. He gets a kick out of it. And true to point, he may be the only person this year that was asked to leave, in that way the bouncer asks you to leave when you have had way too many.

Why not just let it pass? Is this a sign of the times? Maybe it wasn't so much he put his name in the draft, but he has his own blog. What could he have posted that they are so scared to be made public. Much like the tootsie roll pop, it will probably be left a mystery.

But it makes you wonder what would have happened if John Wall had tried the loophole to enter the draft this year. Is there a conspiracy? A cover-up? I don't know, but I thought about entering the draft, but alas they called me too. I have a blog. But that's not the problem. Karl Malone threatened to kick their collective butts if they let me. He wants ownership of the mailman. But this is my message, and I am just delivering the mail (Sorry Karl...or I mean Mr. Malone. Don't you remember the size of his arms?)

Kentucky's future days are numbered

That's right, our future days are numbered... thank goodness. I am really looking forward to seeing a number beside Kentucky. A place at the big table. A national rank. And not for just one week before we lose to a team that plays out of their mind and still should lose to the walkons.

It is something we have not seen very much the last four years since Chuck Hayes took that winners mentality to Houston. It assures television coverage. Future recruits see you that want to be seen. Better seeding in the tournament, NCAA not NIT, that is.

Several national pundits are ranking the Cats high. Even as high as fourth.

There is talk of both Patterson and Meeks returning next year after testing the NBA interests. Tom Leach feels it, and you have to value his opinion.

Demarcus Cousins has signed on.

Daniel Orton is still in the picture, his dad thinks its a good chance of happening. Better yet, now he is saying it himself.

The Henrys are visiting according to Jerry Tipton.

Liggins is staying.

And all of this with Calipari in charge. There are more numbers involved than the number next to Kentucky's name to show a national rank finally. There is a question of finding spots for freshmen, who will stay, who will leave. Porter is already gone, who else. On a side note, I want to wish Michael Porter all the best, no one has ever taken as much abuse from fans in such a classy manner since Saul Smith. With all the numbers involved, you need a Statistic professor just to figure it all, but wait a minute, Basketball U. is also an university. They probably have a few that would love some tickets to a few home games. So would I, but I am no professor. Or coach. Or statistician. I am just the mailman, delivering the message. And for once in a loooong time, no one is trying to shoot the messenger.

Who's Next?

Who's the next coach at UK now that Gillispie has been fired?

Billy Donovan has said he is committed to Florida. “In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible," Donovan said in a statement. "I am committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here."

Memphis coach, John Calipari is not interested.

Tom Izzo is staying at Michigan State.

So where does that leave us?

The popular rumor is Pitino. Seriously. Seriously? Not impossible, but if he is back in blue, call up that supermodel and tell her to pack a coat for your date, because the devil just felt a chill. I've heard the talk about how he said he should have never left for Boston, or his ego would love to take UK back to the promised land. No, his ego would love to tell everybody that he turned UK down for the coach position, again. Yes his run in Lexington was impressive in eight years, but he has not accomplished the same at Louisville in eight years yet. Will this Cards' team do it? It has the talent, but what about the brains? He has said that he is not interested and that Kentucky should pursue Ford or Pelphrey.

Billy Donovan gets a phone call, again. And while above is the quote and link of where he says he is committed to Florida, but you still make that call. Of course he has to say that until he knows for sure. He has recruits as well. But there is that clause in his contract that has the one month in it where there would not be a buyout, that is why you will know for sure about Donovan by Wednesday. I am not sold on him as a coach personally. One set of players won two championships. Other than that, Tubby OWNED him. Since then, two trips to the NIT, zero to the NCAAs.

Then there is the wish lists with Barnes and Izzo, but its not going to happen. Some are calling for Calipari, which I think is very interesting.

Will Barnhart turn to his West Coast ties and try for Mark Few from Gonzaga. While you admire his work and there is no doubt of his coaching abilities, he would fall in the same category as Gillispie, good coach but questions about his living in the fishbowl of Kentucky basketball. Sorry, coaching at Gonzaga in Washington does not compare to the pressure of Lexington and the SEC.
I think the same argument goes for Sean Miller from Xavier, great ability on bench, questionable ability of the pressure.

Jay Wright has come up in conversation around the water cooler as well. This one is intriguing. He always handles himself with class. He has coached in the Big East, which has proven itself this year in the tournament, so he knows how to coach and handle the pressure of the big games. His style would be welcomed at Rupp, as it is entertaining, his teams play hard and he gets the most out of his teams. Would he make the trip south? Supposedly, there were feelers sent out two years ago if you believe the rumors, but he said no thanks.

Travis Ford, John Pelphrey, and Darrin Horn were all mentioned as young coaches with ties to either UK or the state of Kentucky. Pelphrey did not have a good year this year at Arkansas, which may have doomed his chances for the job opportunity this year. Horn doesn't have strong enough ties and yet to proven himself enough for the job despite having a very good year this year in turning around the South Carolina team.

That's why when the dust clears, the job may be Travis Ford's to refuse. He has the ties to UK. His style of play in entertaining. Oklahoma State made a big turnaround to make the tournament. Also, don't downplay the fact that Daniel Orton highly considered Oklahoma State with Kentucky and John Hood is from the same hometown as Ford. Hood and Orton are UK's top two recruits next year. He is not necessarily an easy choice as he did not get any of his teams at UMass to the tournament and can have some attitude himself. Plus, the money at Oklahoma State can compete with UK's. So if he comes, it is loyalty to Big Blue.

Just to throw another name that had some rumors with it two years ago, how about Mike D'Antoni. Something just screams he is not happy with the Knicks. And if the Lexington and Kentucky press thinks it is rough, it would seem like your high school paper compared to that of New York. And you would think coaching college kids having fun would be more enjoyable that men playing for endorsements and money. Just a thought.

Who knows where Todd and Barnhart look for the next coach, but after making such a mess with Gillispie and Tubby, they had better get it right. Because the natives are getting restless. There are a lot of people to sort for the job. My money is on Ford if he wants it. But I am not in charge, I am just the mailman, and Barnhart and Todd have mail, with a lot of mailboxes to deliver.

Not so fast my friend

As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my Friend!"

WHAS jumped in and actually reported BCG was fired! Then had to come back and retract, say he had not been fired yet, but expect he would still be fired. Danielle Santoro was the reporter who reported for WHAS that it was already done. She has now changed her title from reporter to second most nervous about her job in Kentucky.

Thing is, he is still the coach at Kentucky. As of early Friday morning, there is still no press conference called. Some people claim to have sources, but still no press conference. There may be later, but not yet. Did you listen to the coach's call in show. A lot of support, he talked about Orton like he was ready to coach him next year. But that is open to interpretation.

Dick Gabriel on his show last night stated he never said BCG was gone.

WLKY talks about Liggins and how coach didn't play him the way he had hoped to help the team, but stops his quote before Liggins says it wasn't coach's fault, it was his own due to his own actions.

Whether he is gone or not, whether it has already been decided or not, we do not know yet. There is not enough certainty to have a breaking news report. But that is just the latest step in the "coverage" (I use loosely) in the Kentucky basketball situation. A lot of journalists have stated their opinion that Coach was gone, some with more confidence than others, but it was always with the premise of opinion. Even ESPN had a piece. Some of them seem more on a witch hunt. Some just have a hunch. But in today's time, it is all in who can break the news first. Well, WHAS and Danielle, you are definitely in the news first. If you are wrong though, its not the news they had hoped. The proverbial limb is not as steady as they had hoped. As for this mailman, I wouldn't want to bet the stamp collection on it. WHAS and Danielle, y'all just had a little premature journalism. I don't think there is any medication, but they say it is not that uncommon. Don't be too depressed or mad at the message. I am just the mailman delivering the mail. Next time, read the mail before going on TV.

Neither rain...

It's another rainy morning, but I am not talking about the weather. Last night our Cats' season ended, but was it their Coach's last game as a Wildcat? We shall find out soon enough. Looking on the internet this morning, many pundits talk like its a forgone conclusion that BCG is already gone. He may very well be, but let's wait till an official announcement. Seems like everyone knows already, but not everyone has been brainwashed. I found this post which I found extremely entertaining. I personally believe he deserves another year with his own players and the recruits he has coming in, but I don't have a judgment.

Speaking of judging, I have to admit to be taken back, but impressed with how Coach answered the question of being judged at the years end. "There's only one judgment that I ever will be concerned about, and I hope I pass that judgment," he said. "That's the only one I ever will be concerned about, and I'm really proud that that's the only judgment that will ever have a real effect on me, and I hope I pass that with flying colors." How's that for an answer!

So that's it for now. I am not a judge, nor should any of us judge. I am just the mailman, delivering the mail.