Kentucky basketball roster possibilities and more random notes
A Monday morning roundup of links as we leave no note behind:
MORE KENTUCKY BASKETBALL ROSTER POSSIBILITIES
▪ Kentucky basketball is among four finalists for Evansville transfer DeAndre Williams. The 6-foot-9 forward cut his list to UK, Arkansas, Baylor and Memphis. A back injury limited Williams to just 18 games last season for the Purple Aces, who upset Kentucky back in November. Williams averaged 15.2 points per game. After sitting out a season, he would be a sophomore.
▪ Kentucky also reportedly has interest in Olivier Sarr, the Wake Forest center who has entered the transfer portal. Sarr averaged 13.7 points, nine rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season as a junior. The 7-footer would be eligible immediately as a graduate transfer. Saar is originally from Toulouse, France.
▪ Five-star 2021 prospect Moussa Cisse has cut his list to Kentucky, Georgia, LSU, Georgetown and Memphis. The 6-foot-10 forward from Memphis could reclassify to 2020. He’s ranked No. 8 for the class of 2021 by 247 Sports.
▪ As always, check out Ben Roberts’ Next Cats blog of recruiting news and links.
▪ NFL All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the guest on “Coffee with Cal” on Monday at 10:30 a.m. Watch it on the John Calipari Basketball Fantasy Experience Facebook page.
▪ In his Sunday notebook, Jerry Tipton wrote about what basketball games might look like with no fans in the stands.
KENTUCKY FOOTBALL COMINGS AND GOINGS
▪ UK football freshman Cavon Butler announced he has entered the transfer portal.
▪ Kentucky picked up a commitment last week from Kahlil Saunders, a 6-5, 260-pund defensive end from Huntsville, Ala. Saunders received offers from Virginia Tech, Kansas, Memphis and Southern Miss, among others.
▪ Check out Josh Moore’s story on UK offensive lineman Darian Kinnard and his mother, Mandy Headrick, a registered nurse in Lexington. It’s a terrific story.
▪ While you’re at it, check out our medical heroes section that ran in the print edition of Sunday’s Herald-Leader. We’ll be rolling stories online from the section during the week.
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL ON A RECRUITING ROLL
▪ Tennessee football is on a recruiting run. The Vols have added two more commitments in four-star running back Cody Brown out of Georgia. and three-star safety De’Shawn Rucker out of Florida.
▪ John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel thinks Tennessee can surpass Kentucky in the SEC in 2020-21.
▪ New Mississippi State coach Mike Leach and his staff will be paid $3 million more than previous coach Joe Moorhead and his staff was making. Fired after two seasons in Starkville, Moorhead is now offensive coordinator at Oregon.
▪ Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun writes about how the Gators can topple Georgia in the SEC East. “I’d go all Nick Saban on Georgia.”
▪ Report shows that Auburn needs to play football in 2020 for the school’s overall athletic budget, reports the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
▪ NCAA’s top doctor says testing is crucial to having sports in the fall. “It’s not going to be risk-free, that’s for sure,” Dr. Brian Hainline said in an interview with the AP. “If this is rolled out in stages and reasonably, we’re really paying attention to proper surveillance and we get the tests available, I think we can have fall sports.”
▪ Kentucky senator and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told Louisville radio station WLCL, “I think there will be a college football season. They may have nobody in the stands or reduced attendance, but my understanding is, particularly in the ACC, which I follow, that they’re anticipating having a season.”
▪ Former Mississippi State quarterback Keytaon Thompson has transferred to Virginia.
ANDY DALTON RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS
▪ Andy Dalton as backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys makes perfect sense, writes Mac Engel of the Star-Telegram. Dalton signed a one-year deal with Dallas for a guaranteed $3 million. With incentives, he could earn up to $7 million. Dalton, who played at TCU, already owns a home in Dallas.
▪ Dalton thanked the Bengals in an Instagram post.
▪ Ex-Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant slammed the Cowboys for signing Dalton while also negotiating with first-stringer Dak Prescott.
▪ The Bengals have declined the fifth-year option on wide receiver John Ross. He will be a free agent after 2020.
▪ Pro Football Focus revisits its grades for the 2019 NFL Draft. It says the Bengals had an average draft.
▪ The NFL is reportedly is ready to release its 17-week schedule for 2020 and still plans to start its season on time. The league is reportedly looking into switching some games to Saturdays if the college football season is canceled.
PENNY HARDAWAY BLASTS THE G LEAGUE
▪ Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway is critical of the G League’s effort to sign elite high school players. “I didn’t think the G-League was built — and I could be wrong — to go and recruit kids that want to go to college out of going to college,” Hardaway, the Memphis coach, said. “I thought they were going to be the organization that was going to be, if you want to go overseas or you absolutely did not want to play college 100 percent, that this would be the best situation for you before you go into the NBA. But taking guys out of their commitments (or) they’ve already signed and continuing to talk to their parents, it’s almost like tampering. I really don’t agree with that.”
▪ Adidas has countersued Brian Bowen Sr. over his son’s recruitment at Louisville.
▪ Georgia’s Rayshaun Hammonds is staying in the NBA Draft. Hammonds joins Anthony Edwards in leaving the Bulldogs.
▪ UCLA’s Jalen Hill has withdrawn from the NBA Draft. Kentucky plays the Bruins in the CBS Sports Classic during the 2020-21 season. A site for the event has yet to be named. The 6-10 Hill averaged nine points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game last season.
▪ Indiana forward Damezi Anderson is transferring to Loyola Chicago.
▪ The 2021 Maui Invitational will feature Butler, Chaminade, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Saint Mary’s, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
▪ The NBA has postponed its draft lottery. “While the delay was no surprise — the lottery order cannot be set until the rest of the regular season is completed or canceled — it was a reminder that many teams already have shifted focus to offseason planning during the novel coronavirus pandemic,” writes Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
HOW ABOUT SPORTS MOVIES FOR KIDS?
▪ Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune enrolled her 7-year-old son Aiden to pick the 15 best sports movies to watch for kids.
▪ Best wishes to longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and rabid Springsteen fan Bernie Miklasz, who lost his morning radio show on 101.1 FM in St. Louis because of the coronavirus pandemic. An authority on the baseball Cardinals, Bernie will land on his feet.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 7:56 AM.
