What’s New in Blue
Posted: November 21, 2012 Filed under: Weekly Issue | Tags: Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin, college basketball, John Calipari, kentucky basketball, Kentucky Wildcats, NBA, Nerlens Noel, Willie Cauley-Stein Comments Off
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Get to Know Kentucky’s Freshmen Before They Jump to the NBA
There are three reasons a recruit goes to Kentucky: To win, to play with great players and to get to the NBA. A combination of all those factors lured the Wildcats’ four starting freshmen to Lexington, and under John Calipari’s coaching, Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin and Willie Cauley-Stein are just starting to roll, learning to thrive playing the college game. Chris Mannix breaks down what each brings to the team.
Over the last three years 21 players have been selected in the first round of the NBA draft after finishing their freshman seasons. Nine (42.9%) have been from Kentucky, and the trend will likely continue with this year’s group. Says one NBA executive from a Western Conference team, “I’ll be watching Kentucky all season. It’s NBA U” (page 46).
The Kentucky Wildcats Culminate Their Sensational Season With a National Title
Posted: April 3, 2012 Filed under: Andy Staples, College Basketball, Kelli Anderson, Richard Deitsch, Sports Illustrated Cover, Weekly Press Release | Tags: John Calipari, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky, kentucky basketball, Kentucky Wildcats, National Champions, National Champs, NCAA Title, NCAA Tournament, Wildcats Comments Off
The Kentucky Wildcats survived an intrastate showdown with the Louisville Cardinals in the national semifinals and a furious rally from the Kansas Jayhawks in the national championship game to win their first NCAA basketball title since 1998. The champion Wildcats appear on the cover of the April 9, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now. This is the twelfth time that Kentucky basketball has appeared on the cover.
Kentucky, which started three freshmen and two sophomores, proved to everyone that a team this young could be poised enough to win a championship. The victory also put to rest the question whether coach John Calipari could win “the big one.”
1996 Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Title cover resembles the 2012 cover.
The accomplishment was a team effort, conceived by Calipari and implemented by his team. Senior writer Kelli Anderson writes, “The Wildcats led the nation in blocked shots (344), field-goal-percentage defense (37.4%) and scoring margin (16.8 points), but the stat Calipari likes to tout the most was this: He had seven players who put up 20 points a game in high school, yet none of them averaged more than 9.3 shots this season. And all seven led the team in scoring at least once.”
Commentary on Twitter on National Championship night:
Seth Davis: @SethDavisHoops
“Lotta debate ahead but I say this is the best team of this millennium. Fla ’07 is second. NC ’09 is third.”
Andy Glockner: @AndyGlockner
“Good ballgame. Congrats to Kentucky, very worthy champ. Kansas was game, but not quite good enough.”
Amanda Younger: ayounger45
“Regardless of how you feel about Coach Cal/Kentucky, there’s no denying the best team in college hoops won.”
Andy Staples: @AndyStaples
“Anthony Davis made 1 of 10 shots. He also won Most Outstanding Player. He deserved it.”
Tim Layden: @SITimLayden
“2011′s Lamb: UConn’s Jeremy with door-slamming dunk. 2012′s Lamb: Kentucky’s Doron with 3 key threes”
Richard Deitsch: @RichardDeitsch
Sixteen years ago this week, Antonie Walker was on the cover of SI under the headline BLUE HEAVEN
