KentuckySports: Top Story

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Howard Thompkins III had 14 points and nine rebounds, and the United States qualified for the quarterfinals with an 82-61 win over Puerto Rico at the FIBA under-19 world championships Tuesday.

The summer buzz surrounding the Kentucky football camp has almost exclusively been directed at freshman quarterbacks Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski.

Kentucky basketball led by John Calipari will make success more difficult to achieve in the Southeastern Conference, Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl said on Monday. "John raised the bar tremendously for all of us," Pearl said on an SEC coaches' teleconference. "... He is a big thinker."

When writing about thereunion last weekend of Paul Bryant's former players at Kentucky, it hit me that, starting with the Bear, UK has had 10 football coaches since 1946. Seemed liked the perfect opportunity for a Top 10 list. But if the Bear is the certain No. 1, who's No. 2? And, for a program that has struggled so over the years, who deserves the bottom of the list?

Former University of Kentucky All-American Jodie Meeks was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, 41st overall in Thursday's NBA Draft.

Maybe having already played for three college teams, basketball nomad Kevin Galloway could sense his days as a Kentucky Wildcat were numbered.

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Committee on Infractions conducted an unexpectedly short hearing Saturday on allegations of major rules violations by the University of Memphis men's basketball program when it was led by John Calipari.

MEMPHIS — University of Memphis officials say the school's athletics staff, including former basketball coach John Calipari, had no proof of academic fraud involving a player.

There are some divorces in which, once the union is torn asunder, the parties are so hurt, so angry, so disappointed in each other they seem more intent on punishing the other party than pursuing their own self-interest.

There may come a day when John Calipari's detractors will finally catch the coach red-handed at something other than guilt by association.

The University of Kentucky filed a countersuit Thursday against former basketball coach Billy Gillispie asking a Franklin Circuit Court judge to rule that the memorandum of understanding UK had with Gillispie is not a formal contract.

Former University of Kentucky men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie levied a multi-million dollar federal lawsuit against UK's Athletics Association in Dallas late Wednesday.

With its basketball roster overstuffed, the University of Kentucky announced Tuesday that A.J. Stewart, Donald Williams and Jared Carter will not return to the team next season.

Kentucky's incoming recruiting class has been ranked the best in the nation by Scout.com.

Those looking for signs of Daniel Orton's intentions may have seen something significant in the player introductions for the Derby Festival Basketball Classic Saturday night.

University of Kentucky basketball great Mike Casey died Thursday at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

When introducing a player who really needed no introduction on Thursday, Derby Festival spokesman Mark Shallcross said, "Daniel Orton of Kentucky. (pause) Hopefully."

Highly-regarded prospect DeMarcus Cousins became the first recruiting notch in John Calipari’s belt as Kentucky coach late Tuesday night. “He wanted to do it at the highest level and with a coach he’s grown to feel comfortable with,” said Otis Hughley, Cousins’ high school coach, in explaining the decision.

Michael Porter has decided to forgo his final season of eligibility and move beyond basketball, his father said on Tuesday.

John Calipari would be highly marketable, said the managing director of IMG College, which has the sports-marketing contract with the University of Kentucky. "He's a nationally known coach with a great record and a marketable personality," said Tom Stultz, senior vice president of IMG College.

Former Kentucky All-American Mike Pratt isn't sure exactly how he can help as a participant in UK's search for a new basketball coach. But as he did as a glue-guy on the great Dan Issel-led UK teams in the late 1960s, he's willing to do what he can to bring about a successful result.

Billy Gillispie took the high road Saturday, even when some thought he might not. He's a battler, after all. He's never walked away from a fight. He takes pride in that.

Your coaching vacancy edition of What I Know:

INDIANAPOLIS — You knew the questions about the University of Kentucky basketball coaching situation would start rolling in for Rick Pitino. And after showing some initial restraint, Pitino didn't resist the opportunity to give his take.

The circle of University of Kentucky insiders hunting for the next basketball coach will grow a bit wider than it was two years ago when Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart made the decision to bring in Billy Gillispie.

The news of Billy Gillispie's firing was all the talk at the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Regional in Lucas Oil Stadium. The move drew a wide variety of responses from national media covering the event.

The televised announcement Friday was anticlimactic, word already having swept across the University of Kentucky campus that Billy Gillispie's UK basketball coaching career was over after just two seasons.

Billy Gillispie's dismissal as Kentucky's basketball coach on Friday drew similar reactions from the Cats' recruits and their families.

A steady rain fell, and a news helicopter buzzed busily over Wildcat Lodge. There was buzz in and around the lodge, too, as Kentucky players, student managers, former assistant coaches and others entered and left the residence of the UK basketball team.

Hiring Billy Gillispie was a mistake. Someone didn't do their homework. Someone had the wrong idea about who they were getting. But what's done is done. Troubled waters under a very big and costly bridge.