Dakari Johnson is a reclassified 2013 recruit from New York. Johnson stands at a solid 6’10” 250 lbs. and has been on the UK recruiting radar since last summer. Georgetown, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Syracuse are all vying for his letter of intent to be sent their way. Johnson’s high school teammate, Kasey Hill, as already committed to the Florida Gators. Syracuse would have the home-court advantage because of their location in New York. Johnson is currently ranked as the #12 in the 2013 class by ESPN.

In the recruiting world and mostly in life, where there is smoke there is fire. A very interesting announcement occurred during the introductions of Dakari Johnson’s high school game last night against American Heritage. The announcer shouted Johnson had committed to the University of Kentucky? Johnson quickly jumped on Twitter to shoot down the rumor. Afterwards, a UK fan tweeted to Johnson that she wishes he would still come to UK even though he DID NOT pull the trigger last night. Johnson retweeted the UK fan for all of his followers to see. He also retweeted another UK blogging site, is this a sign?

Johnson put up 16 points and 7 rebounds in Montverde Academy’s 79-46 win over American Heritage. While Julius Randle seems likely to head to Texas, will Johnson head to Lexington? It’s a little known fact that Johnson played with former UK star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at New Jersey’s St. Patrick’s Academy before the school had to close it’s doors due to financial troubles. Don’t forget about California native and dunking machine, Aaron Gordon who has Kentucky still on his list. I would think that Gordon would be a bigger target for the ‘Cats. If Calipari misses on Gordon, Johnson could jump at the chance to be Kentucky’s big man for 2013.

James Young opened his senior season with 29 points and the win. Young is a apart of the monster 2013 recruiting class coming to Kentucky. Check out the video below for some highlights. He also talks about UK and how he fell in love with Lexington.

YouTube Credit: NextLevelVideo

The Wildcats were back in action today to take on the Portland Pilots. Everyone must remember last year’s game with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist putting the Pilots on a poster late in the game. As if this Kentucky team needed any more comparisons to last year, right? The Pilots come into Rupp with a 3-5 record, and the ‘Cats are coming off of a 1/2 game win against Samford. The big story through the week has been coach John Calipari putting his team through “Camp Cal”. A series of 7:00am workouts and mental toughness exercises. Would the ‘Cats show any improvement?

Much like they have done all season, the ‘Cats struggled early. If the noon tip-off was a problem, the ‘Cats may have been sleepwalking through the first few minutes. Alex Poythress tried to set the tone early by battling inside and scoring the game’s first 2 points. Nerlens Noel was noticeably limping and appeared limited to begin, it was later reported he has a leg contusion but did play the entire game. The big story of the first half was the lack of transition defense and the mental errors on the ‘Cats. Kentucky jumped out to a 16-5 lead by clamping down the Pilots offense in the half-court sets. However, the transition defense left a lot to be desired.

Ryan Harrow did not start, but was solid early. Harrow played great defense against his man and made some smart decisions with the basketball. John Calipari had to plead with Harrow to speed up the game a little. He was tired of watching Harrow walk the ball up the court, and wanted to run Portland out of the gym. Poythress scored early and often mostly down low. He only attempted 2 three-point shots, and made one of them. He’s definitely not known for his outside game, but he has a sweet stroke. Julius Mays was also impressive. Mays made a living off of faking his guy in the hair, going around, and nailing a mid-range jumper.

Kyle Wiltjer was looking to shoot himself out of a slump, and he showed the first signs of that today. He was able to catch and shoot a sweet three ball during UK’s 14-0 run that gave the ‘Cats some breathing room. Not everything was gold for the ‘Cats as they continued to turn the ball over. Some plays would be lost after a pass should have been caught. A bad pass to the wrong guy in transition would cause another turnover. Archie Goodwin also reverted back to his “bull in a china shop” mentality and got called for an offensive foul. After the ‘Cats 14-0 run, the Pilots started a little run of their own. After a 3-ball in transition, and then a lay-up between 2 Kentucky defenders, John Calipari was livid. The ‘Cats lead the Pilots 35-20 at the half behind a solid defensive effort. Poor transition defense and turnovers kept the ‘Cats from putting away the Pilots early. As you can see from the video below, the first half was very frustrating for UK head coach John Calipari:

Youtube Credit: Brian McMurtry

Some stats from the 1st half could easily point why UK had it’s 15 point lead, and why Portland was still in the game. The ‘Cats shot 44% from the field while holding Portland to only 26%. Portland only lost the rebounding battle by 2, and held the ‘Cats to only 2 fast-break points in the 1st half. The ‘Cats dominated with 7 blocks, 4 steals, and scored 11 points off of Pilot turnovers. Even though Portland wasn’t really beating the ‘Cats in any major statistic, the ‘Cats were not exactly overwhelming except for blocks and steals.

After the halftime break, the ‘Cats came out slow, sluggish and not as focused. Haven’t we seen this story before? After Kentucky’s first two possession’s end in traveling violations, the Pilots scored 4 points on the other end. Portland reeled off 7 unanswered points while the ‘Cats were still dazed and confused. With the score 46-29, Kentucky had committed 12 turnovers  and most of them unforced errors. The mental lapses that cause these turnovers are what lead to Portland being able to hang with the ‘Cats for much of the game. While limited, Noel played a great game that continued in the 2nd half. The alarms were sounding for a triple-double alert as Noel racked up 7 blocks in the game.

The ‘Cats were able to answer Portland’s 7-0 run to begin the half, with an 11-2 burst of their own. Kentucky’s lead had now grown back to 15, and they were looking to lay the hammer on the Pilots. Kyle Wiltjer caught the ball down low and hooked a shot over his defender. Anyone who has played basketball knows the best feeling in the world is to see your shot go down after a slump. With the hook falling for Wiltjer, I think we may have seen the last of that slump.

Kentucky continued to stretch their lead as the time ticked away on the Pilots. With 4:16 to go in the game, Kentucky lead Portland 60-39, and the Big Blue Nation was headed for the exit rows in Rupp Arena. Maybe they regret not sticking around for the Archie Goodwin show. Goodwin got the ball on a fast break and threw the hammer down hard over a couple of Portland defenders. You’ll be seeing that dunk on Sportscenter tonight, guarantee it. Not done, he came back the very next play and soared again for another slam. Kentucky finally finishes out a game and wins 74-46.

There is definitely plenty of good points you can grab from this game if you are John Calipari. The team as a whole played as much of a full 40-minute game as they have done all season long. You had 4 guys (Wiltjer, Mays, Goodwin, Poythress) all score in double figures. The ‘Cats shot the ball 49% and held the Pilots to only 29%. The ‘Cats dominated the paint, had 12 blocks, and 7 steals. The 14 turnovers will be something to clean up and work on. Overall, a very promising effort from these ‘Cats.

The 2013 NBA Draft looks to be as wide-open as anyone can imagine. The crop of players doesn’t seem to be very deep in potential, and there is not a clear cut #1 pick. As of now, who would be picked? In the preseason, most felt that Indiana’s Cody Zeller would be taken #1 overall. #2 was Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel. According to the latest mock draft projections, the feelings are the same.

First Round:

#1 Cody Zeller (Indiana/Washington Wizards)

#2 Nerlens Noel (Kentucky/Cleveland Cavs)

#8 Archie Goodwin (Kentucky/Orlando Magic)

#12 Alex Poythress (Kentucky/Indiana Pacers)

#14 Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky/LA Lakers)

No other SEC players were projected in the 1st round, Florida’s Patric Young was projected in the 2nd round/33rd pick to Toronto. And Texas A&M’s, Ray Turner is projected in the 2nd round/56th pick to Washington.

While NBA Draft stocks will fluctuate rapidly, Kentucky looks to add another impressive crop of freshman into the league. Keep in mind, some of those players could return to school and injuries can effect when or if players are drafted. After a full season with John Calipari, will the rising draft stock of any Wildcat push them to #1?

Arguably the best decision Michael Jordan has ever made in an executive position, was drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The former Kentucky Wildcat is now proving his worth in the NBA. The league released a statement today declairing MKG as Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. Here are his stats through October/November:

MKG was the only rookie to rank in the Top-1o in scoring  (10.9 ppg, fifth), rebounding (6.5 rpg, sixth), assists (1.5 apg. eighth), steals (1.2 spg, fourth) and blocks (1.3 bpg, second). In November against the Mavericks, he posted career highs in points (25) and rebounds (12), and lead his Bobcats to the victory.

Congrats to MKG on the award, there are much more to come. The kid is a winner! #WeAreUK

Back in 2010, John Calipari had decided to leave Memphis for the University of Kentucky. One of his first commitments was a 6’1” point guard from Alabama named Eric Bledsoe. While many questioned his ability, Cal said this about Bledose “He may only be 6’1”, but be plays much bigger than that.”.

How true that statement is. Check out this latest video of Eric Bledsoe throwing down a reverse dunk off of an alley-oop. #Beast #WeAreUK

YouTube Credit: NBA

After an ugly win against Samford, John Calipari was not all that happy with his team. A lackluster at best performance from the young ‘Cats saw them barely beat Samford in the 2nd half after leading 45-14 at halftime. Kentucky only scored 1 more point than the Bulldogs in the half, and Calipari thinks he knows why. In the post-game interviews, he stated the team must be out of shape. For them to not come out and step on the throat of Samford was discouraging to a lot of people, including myself. The 2nd half seemed to lull everyone to sleep after such a great performance in the first stanza. Coach Cal was probably the most discouraged his team didn’t play the full 40 minutes, so now the ‘Cats get to take a visit to Camp Cal.

What is this “Camp Cal”? With the middle of December approaching, the University of Kentucky will be inching towards their end of the semester final exams. After those exams are over, the NCAA mandated 20-hour a week practice limit will be lifted. Coach Cal will put these players through physical and mental workouts to prepare them for an upcoming conference slate. Kentucky will have a few cupcakes at home before heading down I-64 to meet the Louisville Cardinals on December 28th. Perhaps an ominous sign was sitting on the bench during the game with Samford. Strength and Conditioning coach Rock Oliver was among the Wildcats during the duration of the game. Calipari may have already asked him to analyze his players in game situations and form a workout plan to remedy their mental lapses and physical shortcomings.

As bad as this all sounds for the players, a lot of good can come from “Camp Cal”. Being together and going through these vigorous workouts will increase their bond with each other. Calipari has always said until the team can form together and play like brothers, they will not be special. When you care more about your teammate then you do yourself, that’s when you are going to Final Four’s and winning national championships. As for this group of ‘Cats, look for them to really show drastic improvements in their game over the next few weeks. As rabid as the Big Blue Nation can be, nobody will be harder on these guys and himself than coach John Calipari.

After the tremendous struggles against Notre Dame and Baylor, Samford is definitely a welcome sight coming into Rupp Arena. On the Samford bench was a familiar face to Kentucky fans, 1998 Champion Scott Padgett is an assistant coach with the Bulldogs. What I wanted to see most from the Kentucky players was a desire to right the ship. I wanted to see desire, fight, and improvement, just like any other ‘Cat fan. Would we be disappointed?

I’m not sure what happened in the last practice, but someone might need to take a look at Kentucky’s brand new locker room. John Calipari must have ripped his team a new one, because they came out with some defensive fire to begin the game. Nerlens Noel was chasing the Samford guards around and poking away steals. Archie Goodwin would Strait Up rob someone of the ball and race towards the goal. Alex Poythress was very active early, and often. As much as I’ve talked about the ‘Cats, they were playing someone else. However, the ‘Cats pulled away quickly with their defense leading to automatic offense.

Samford completed the entire first half with 4 made field goals. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 14 times, which lead to easy points for the pouncing ‘Cats. Perhaps Samford’s head coach fired up the ‘Cats as well. Someone overheard the coach saying to his team “This is the worst UK team I have ever seen!”. Samford then went on to score only 14 points the entire half, while the ‘Cats racked up 49. The defensive intensity was cranked up high for the entire half, and the stats showed. The ‘Cats finished the half with 9 steals and 5 blocks.

With the first half going really well for the ‘Cats, we all have to remember that this is Samford and not an SEC opponent. Samford was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb to the ‘Cats in the first stanza. The only ‘Cat that really didn’t benefit from the 1st half was Kyle Wiltjer. Kyle’s shooting struggles continued, especially from deep. He seemed lost and confused out there at times, and it was painful to watch.

Moving on to the 2nd half, the ‘Cats looked to really throw the petal to the medal and step on the throat of the Bulldogs (or what was left of it). Samford quickly jumps out to a 6-0 run, and the crowd goes silent. We’ve seen this movie before, and we don’t like it. The mental errors were still there, the sloppy play, the effort vanished. Fortunately, the ‘Cats were playing Samford who is 2-7 on the year and were no where near the talent level of Duke, Baylor or Notre Dame. After seeing the Bulldogs score 9 straight points to open the half, what stops the run? A Kyle Wiltjer three ball! Probably one of the best feelings for a shooter in a slump is to knock down a smooth long jumper, in rhythm, and have the lead.

The 2nd half was nowhere near the level of intensity or focus that the first half produced. Granted, the game was pretty much decided. However, I remember back in 2010 with the John Wall team and being as good as they were, and they struggled with keeping their foot on the gas. When you have a team down and out, you want them to stay that way. I don’t care if it is Samford, I wanted to see an old fashioned beat down. That would have certainly made me feel better about the last couple of weeks. Instead, the 2nd half just seemed to be played out to get the win and head home. They even allowed Samford to almost outscore them in the half, the ‘Cats only scored 1 more point. That’s discouraging to me.

A couple of great individual performances I want to highlight. The team as a whole showed small strides of improvement with the way they were able to systematically pick apart Samford’s defense in the 1st half. Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein combined for 5 of Kentucky’s 11 steals in the game. Noel finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 steals. WCS racked up a double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.

While Archie Goodwin still played a little out of control, he seems to be getting more comfortable on the floor. Goodwin was the leading scorer with 18 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, and went 4-4 from the FT line. Alex Poythress showed some strength and a sweet shooting stroke. He finished with 16 points, shooting 7-9 from the field, 8 rebounds, and 1 block. The most impressive thing that Kyle Wiltjer did tonight was prove he could still be a factor without scoring. He scored 10 points, and grabbed 8 rebounds. Julius Mays had a quiet 10 points and racks up another solid performance.

With the end of the game approaching, Jon Hood was on the floor for the ‘Cats. While the crowd was lulled to sleep from the decline in excitement between halves, the Kentucky native woke them up with 2 straight three pointers. The crowd loved it, and it was a nice way for Kentucky to snap their 2-game losing streak. Overall, I’m okay with tonight’s performance. Am I critical and unfair? Sure, you can say that. Small improvements are better than none at all, ‘Cats cruise past Samford 88-56