Mark Story
Why stop at a double sweep of Louisville?
Fast-break points from the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan:
21. A double sweep of Louisville? In the modern history of the Kentucky-Louisville sports rivalry, the Cats have never beaten the Cards in both football and men's basketball in the same school year (U of L has only done it once: 2003-04).
With a UK football victory already in the book, this is sure looking like the year that finally changes.
20. A triple sweep of Louisville? If Matthew Mitchell's undefeated (but largely untested) Kentucky women's basketball team can beat U of L (6-3) for the first time since 2003-04, that would give UK a shot at a "triple play" against the Cardinals in the three most visible sports.
19. Mitch Barnhart. Given that his coaching hires in the big three sports are a combined 4-11 (Rich Brooks 3-4; Billy Gillispie 0-2; Mickie DeMoss 1-3; Matthew Mitchell 0-2) against Louisville, a triple sweep for the Blue in 2009-2010 might have the UK athletics director dancing a jig.
18. Cat from the past: Mark Coury. Ex-Kentucky big man is averaging 4 points and 2.6 rebounds for Cornell (7-2).
17. Kentucky's retro zone: It was fun seeing John Calipari whip out a 1-3-1 zone against Indiana. Back in the day, the 1-3-1 was the only zone that man-to-man devotee Adolph Rupp would deign to play.
16. John Wall parlor game: Just for amusement, run down the starting point guards of every NBA team and see how many you would pick over Kentucky's fantastic frosh.
15. My John Wall parlor game answer: I took Wall over 19 of the NBA's 29 starting point guards, not based on potential, but right now.
14. John Wall inspires Steve Johnson: Check out the rap video the former UK wide receiver (now with the Buffalo Bills) has on YouTube in praise of Wall.
13. Cat from the past: Alex Legion. Former (briefly) Kentucky wing is struggling — averaging 3.3 points while shooting 11-of-34 from the floor — at Illinois (8-2).
12. Rick Pitino: The problem when you go through the kind of summer that the Louisville basketball coach endured is that everything that happens afterwards is viewed through that prism.
So, fair or not, the facts that U of L has lost back-to-back home games to Charlotte and Western Carolina and that it's recruiting for next season has so far been a bust are being laid at the feet of Pitino's scandalous summer.
11. Jake the phat man: The Jake Robinson who hit 6 of 11 treys and scored 23 points in Western Carolina's victory in Freedom Hall is the same Jake Robinson who began the season going 0-for-7 on three-pointers against St. Catharine (yes, that one, the former junior college in Springfield).
10. Cat from the past: Donald Williams. The guard who never played last year at Kentucky was averaging 11.8 points through his first eight games at Antelope Valley, a junior college in Lancaster, Calif.
9. A.J. Slaughter: The Western Kentucky guard has had more success in Nashville than Taylor Swift. A year ago, Slaughter had 25 points and nine rebounds in an upset of Louisville in the Music City. Last Friday, he had 27 points as WKU beat Vanderbilt in its hometown.
8. Bill Walton, Sam Bowie and Greg Oden: Is there any position in all of sports that seems more cursed by injuries than center for the Portland Trailblazers?
7. Cat from the past: Matt Pilgrim. Granted immediate eligibility at Oklahoma State by the NCAA, the forward who sat out last season at UK as a transfer is shooting 59.1 percent from the floor and averaging 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Cowboys (8-1).
6. Charlie Strong: The thing I'm most curious about with the new Louisville football coach is whether he will install the Florida spread-option offense at a school long associated with pro-style passing attacks.
5. Cat from the past: Hal Mumme. The ex-UK football coach finished his first year at McMurry University in Texas with a 4-6 record.
4. Brian Kelly's exit: Football coaches leaving for new jobs before their teams play in post-season games make a mockery of the bowl system. You don't see basketball coaches leaving for new positions before their teams play in the NCAA Tournament, do you?
3. Cat from the past: Guy Morriss. The former Kentucky football coach led Texas A&M-Commerce to a 5-5 record that included its first Lone Star Conference North Division championship since 1990.
2. C.J. Spiller: In his previous Music City Bowl appearance against Kentucky, the current Clemson star ran five times for 24 yards as a freshman in 2006.
1. Mark Ingram: The Alabama running back's Heisman Trophy acceptance speech — humble, emotional, appreciative — was such a nice moment, it almost made Nick Saban seem human.
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