Wodie Crew - Global Edition

The Football Cats finished their spring season in exciting and entertaining fashion last Saturday. For the first time in over five years there was enough depth on a Spring roster to properly complete a split squad scrimmage. Coach Phillips got first pick in front of Coach Brown during the Thursday draft. Fun wagers were made among the staff. Jawing ensued on Friday. Then cleats were laced and pads popped on Saturday. Brownie’s White squad upset Joker’s Blue squad 23-22 in part due to late game heroics courtesy of Curtis Pulley and Dicky Lyons Jr. On paper it looked as though Joker got the better end of the deal. His roster included all three starting linebackers; both starting safeties; both starting tackles; the starting center; and the best player of Spring Ball…David Jones. The blue team had their moments. There was a time when the Whites were stuffed on third and fourth and short on consecutive drives. Blue Quarterback Michael Hartline scored two touchdowns. One on a perfect throw to Lanxter and the other on an impressive 5 yard naked bootleg. The problem was the best players for Brown’s defense were ideal for taking away Hartline’s arm. The defensive coordinator’s Whites got Trevard Lindley and Paul Warford as corners and they dominated the Blue’s Kyrus Lanxter and Anthony Moseley for most of the day. Hartline and the Blues also got robbed by several drops which kept stalling drives. The Blue team grew too reliant on the running game…22car/170yds for Alphonso Smith…and the inability to generate big plays through the air cost them. In the end, the split rosters played at a high level and proved to be more even than anticipated. A testament to the recruiting and player development under Head Coach Rich Brooks.

What did we learn?

Dicky Lyons showed up to play football on Saturday and that created a problem for the Blues. Dicky played like a fiery senior leader should, catching ten of Curtis Pulley’s 12 completed passes for 107 yards and two TD’s. His touchdown receptions were something to behold. The first was a diving one hander on a Pulley 90MPH bullet. The other was an opportunity to show off his speed as he blew by the defense piling up 45yac yds off a Will Fidler slant throw. On the White’s final scoring drive he found a hole in the coverage and completed a huge 23 yard reception. Blue coach Joker Phillips called out the senior the previous Monday for his lack of focus and intensity in the practice. The verbal lashing brought out “pissed off Dicky” the rest of the week. Dicky Lyons made his offensive coordinator pay for passing him up in the Spring Game Draft. However, if UK’s young receiving corps is going to succeed in SEC play then “pissed off Dicky” is going to have to be a fixture in games, on the practice field, and in the weight room. This is Dicky’s offense to lead…the sooner he realizes it the better the offense will be.

Curtis Pulley got the better of Michael Hartline on the field on Saturday but not by much. Pulley completed one more pass, ran for more yards, and finished a late game winning drive. Curtis had some really nice throws. Particularly late in the game when his offense had to get a touchdown to win. Pulley’s late game heroics signified that he is ready to lead an offense to victory. The Whites marched 80 yards in 3:40 and scored on a 17yd Pulley scramble for the go ahead TD. It should be safe to say that Curtis won the spring battle for starting quarterback. However, the war is far from over. Both QB’s overthrew receivers and put the ball on the turf. Both made disastrous decisions on poor throws that ended up being interceptions. The completion percentage needs to come up as well. The good news is that UK has two pretty good QB’s that are neck and neck for starter and should push each other into Fall Camp.

Alphonso Smith arrived as a front line SEC tailback. For the last week and a half of Spring Ball the junior has torn through holes and brandished a new found toughness in his running. Smith is finally starting to pile up the yards after contact so heavily sought from him over the last three seasons. Add in his game breaking speed and you have a potential break-out star in the making. An impressive 3 carry/66yard drive was part of an awesome 170 yard performance the final Saturday. As for the rest of the backs…Moncel Allen sort of faded over the last few days of spring. He still ran well and even completed a 23 yard halfback pass to TC Drake during the Blue/White Game. Derrick Locke did not disappoint, he still has blazing speed and had several nice carries going against the best of the run defense during the Saturday split scrimmage. AJ Nance improved as a fullback considerably particularly in the short passing game. John Conner has his hands full when trying to fight off the newly converted linebacker.

The backs owe their success to a beastly, rough and ready, SEC caliber offensive line. As good as they’ve been through spring the last week was their best. UK has developed 11-12 solid players for the offensive line rotation. Run blocking is the calling card. This unit will wear more than their fair share of defenses down come fall. The pass blocking has picked up considerably through every level of the depth chart. Both sides had plenty of time to throw the ball for a majority of the Blue/White game. Sacks were few and far between and the yards per carry on the rush was fairly healthy. There were a couple times the white offensive line got pushed back in short yardage, but they were two’s going up against the best part of UK’s run defense.

The UK defense played like a nasty and stingy unit rarely seen in Lexington. A majority of the seasoned playmakers for the Wildcats play on the defensive side of the ball. All of them are playing with a refreshing level of focus and intensity especially on third down. Coach Brooks has stated this group of defensive backs are the best he’s had at Kentucky. There was absolutely nothing in the secondary’s play this spring to refute their head coach. Trevard Lindley was dominant. David Jones was reborn. Paul Warford dusted the cobwebs. New faces took their redshirt years seriously and learned how to play the game while transforming their bodies to SEC standards. Incumbent players like Ashton Cobb and Marcus McClinton found ways to improve instead of resting on last year’s laurels. The secondary is fast, relentless, tough, deep, and probably the best unit UK has seen in years beyond Coach Brooks’ tenure. The linebackers excelled in new roles. Braxton Kelley took to Will like a fish out of water. Micah Johnson looks primed to take the role as the leading star of the defense. Johnny Williams has learned new skills in coverage and rushing the passer as the Sam front runner. It does look as though Williams may play with a hand down in nickel situations due to his new found ability to get to the quarterback. Which will help Corey Peters and Myron Pryor, who turned it up a notch in the spring and began to make significant plays as well as soaking up blockers. Jeremy Jarmon recovered nicely and had a sack in the Blue White game. The thing to take away from this spring is the defense was down several key starters and reserves yet still found a way to play solid throughout the entirety of Spring Practice.

UK Football took a big step forward during the last week of practice. The Cats found a player willing to step up and carry a unit in Dicky Lyons. Curtis Pulley isn’t faltering in a bid to win the role as the starting quarterback. Michael Hartline proved he’s worthy of healthy consideration as the starter. The defense delivered on its athletic and experienced promise. New stars were found in David Jones, Alphonso Smith, and Kyrus Lanxter. Most importantly, even though there were several players recovering for the fall, there was enough depth to pull off a full intrasquad scrimmage for the first time in half a decade. This version of UK Football looks as though it is more ready to handle the attrition of an SEC campaign than previous editions. This is a group playing with a sense of purpose. A team that has to keep a new tradition alive instead of rebuilding from probation. A unit that can go bowling again come fall so long as they stay focused. Kentucky Football 2008 will prove to be the version that shows the rest of the football world that the Wildcats are no fluke. They will sock foes in the mouth from the opening whistle and will wear them down until the final horn sounds.

The UK Football Cats persevered through the second week of spring practice. Few questions went on their way to being answered due to much of the week reinforcing what was learned during the first few sessions. There were losses…Tony Dixon went down with a strained MCL on Wednesday and Josh Winchell was carted away from Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Ricky Lumpkin needs a second and more invasive surgery on his calcification which further risks his status for fall camp. The Cats also had to battle the weather with breezy and rainy conditions with Friday's session being forced inside. Still, even with the setbacks Brooks and Co. managed to forge ahead with a little progress in Week Two.

DEFENSE WINS:
The defense allowed three points during the second Saturday scrimmage. The victory resembled what had happened over three practices during the week. The defense dominated as a unit with more seasoned playmakers throughout the first eleven should. Familiar faces returned to contact and players kept shining in their roles. Both of those elements gave the defense a boost as the week progressed and the unit showed an ability to make the plays that get them off the field…an important new development for a Kentucky defense.

The defensive backs kept leaping over the high bar they set for themselves at the beginning of April. Every level improved their understanding of their respective roles in Chris Thurmond's new coverage scheme. The coverage last week yielded extra time for developing DE's and resurgent DT's extra time to get pressure on the quarterbacks. David Jones keeps winning coaches and observers over with his renaissance. The former wideout has found a knack for batting down throws and jarring the ball lose. It was nearly impossible for UK's struggling wide receivers to catch a pass on Trevard Lindley. The young safeties Taiedo Smith, Greg Wilson, and Matt Lentz continued to grow. Wilson especially, he has an incredible ability to find the ball carrier on every play. A minor critique of the defensive backs is the slowed progress of Randall Burden. The learning curve ran past him slightly last week. However, he is growing into a decent nickel/dime package asset. This unit is fast, strong, relentless, and deep.

The new look linebackers grew into their new roles well. Micah Johnson is going to draw a lot of attention to the Kentucky defense as the leader and marquee star. Good for him…he's done the work; he's transformed his body; he is commanding in the defensive huddle, and plays every play as if it were his last. Braxton Kelley and Johnny Williams locked up roles with the ones over the week. Kelley showed improved quickness and bone jarring tackling ability at Will and Johnny Williams has an uncanny ability to either cover or rush the passer at Sam. The depth is developing as well…Maxwell, Mabry, Schwindel, and Cessna all had good weeks in their campaign to be back ups. The unit is still a little soft in the running game though. It could be for a number of reasons including…DE by attrition or a phenomenal run blocking line. In Saturday's scrimmage it looked as though there were moments of indecision that resulted in more yards allowed. This was addressed by the staff with extra post scrimmage running for Kelley and Johnson.

Corey Peters and Myron Pryor carried a developing defensive line last week. It was a great week for the DT's. They got great push and batted down several throws at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, they called out and defended the screen pass fairly well. The problem in evaluating the defensive line this spring is lack of depth. Especially on the outside…despite going through drills earlier in the week…Ventrell Jenkins, Jeremy Jarmon, Chris Goode, and Ni'i Adjei Oninku did not play in the scrimmage on Saturday. Jarmon's return to contact during weekly practices definitely had an impact on the D-Line. His energy and enthusiasm on every play rubbed off on the rest of his counterparts as they all played better. Josh Minton's knee is still a work in progress. The trainers had the knee wrapped in ice during the latter moments of Saturday. There has to be better penetration against the run even though going up against UK's O-Line while down several men is a bit daunting. All in all, the D-Line had a good week, but they have to thank the DB's for buying them extra time in coverage; inexperienced WR's and Jeremy Jarmon's rehab.

OFFENSE DRAGS:
The offense, with their lack of improvement, hampered the overall practice grade of the team. There were bright spots…the O-Line, both QB's were better, Moncel Allen, and Alphonso Smith. There were injuries…Tony Dixon will be out the rest of the spring with a strained MCL and Josh Winchell was carted from the stadium on Saturday. The problem is the same questions that were asked at the onset of Spring Practice still remained as unanswered as when they were uttered. There is no clear cut starter at quarterback and the wide receivers did not step up their play.

The staff briefly experimented with the second string O-line personnel plus first string skill position players last week. The results were mixed. UK's calling card will be the running game with 11 quality linemen plus six pretty good backs and the number two's showed that. Jake Lanefski struggled with the shotgun snap a little which gave Jorge Gonzales the lead at center for the moment. The number two's pass blocking left little to be desired when going up against number one d-linemen. The majority of the hurries, hits, batted throws and sacks came about in these situations. The wide receivers failing to get open didn't help the pass blocking situation either, but improvement is needed from the second tier nonetheless. Overall, the line was the best positive for the offense last week. The run blocking was superb and the second string did improve their pass blocking during Saturday's scrimmage.

The running backs followed a good week one with an improved week two despite depleted numbers. Moncel Allen and Alphonso Smith made the most of their opportunities as Tony Dixon went down and Derrick Locke was at a track meet. Moncel furthered his reputation as the hardest man to tackle on the team. Smith hit holes with reckless abandon. Neither put the ball on the turf. Fullbacks John Conner and AJ Nance left the staff feeling warm and fuzzy with their ability to clear a path. Also, both fullbacks are capable of getting up the field in a hurry after catching the flat route. Tony Dixon should be OK to go in the fall. His MCL was sprained and the staff likes the prognosis.

Curtis Pulley moved ahead of Mike Hartline on Saturday. Both quarterbacks improved their leadership capabilities and got the team out of the huddle efficiently. Pulley has a distinct advantage with his legs but still misses throws he shouldn't. Curtis did throw the only pick of the week on a silly throw to Braxton Kelley. This has left the door open for Hartline and he has kept himself in the game by showing some surprising savvy in the running game along with marginally better execution in the passing game. However, he did overthrow a few routes and left first downs on the table. Will Fidler was throwing again this week albeit in a red jersey. He did not fare well with the third team in Saturday's scrimmage. As one could imagine a clear cut starter hasn't emerged. Pulley's feet have him ahead, but not by much. The good news is Hartline and Pulley both got better where it was needed the most…leadership on the field. That has to have the staff feeling better about the QB situation.

The receiving corps undoubtedly disappointed with their performance last week. With the running game getting four yards a carry conventional wisdom says that there should be one on one match-ups for the taking in the passing game as the defense dedicates a safety to help in run support. The wide receivers have habitually failed to beat their man and it is the number one reason the offense failed to score points in Saturday's scrimmage. Inconsistency with the hands has also plagued the receivers. Kyrus Lanxter would make a great one handed catch one play then drop a sure fire first down the next. Anthony Mosely had a dreadful drop of a perfectly thrown Pulley pass that would have yielded a TD. The alarming trend is the lack of leadership from the lone senior Dicky Lyons. The receivers aren't competing and the staff has laid that at the feet of the UK legacy. Dicky Lyons has to pick up his game and light a fire under he and his colleagues or they will find themselves behind freshmen come fall camp.

The troubles brewing at wide receiver made the lost opportunities of TC Drake and Ross Bogue all the more painful. Both squandered golden chances to shine in the passing game. Bogue had the only catch of note for the entire week as the tight ends struggled to separate from the linebackers and safeties covering them. The good news is they are catching the ball better in drills and one on ones. Now they need to work on their route running and fighting off jamming linebackers. The tight end position is in dire need of a playmaker. UK has three solid potential candidates in Drake, Bogue, and the recovering Maurice Grinter. A capable tight end is needed for the UK offense to work properly. One of those three must step up if UK is to have any hope of continuity on offense.

GRADE…C

Overall the team took a step forward during the second week. The stride was smaller however as the pass blocking of the second tier O-Line was exposed; the tight ends left opportunities on the field; neither quarterback in the running for starter did anything to definitively separate themselves; the front seven proved to be softer against the run than it should; and the detrimental performance of the wide receivers provided the offense's undoing in the Saturday scrimmage. The passing game has to come around otherwise the Cats will lose more games than expected come fall.

Huge questions loomed at the start of Spring Practice for the Football Wildcats. What are the strengths? What are the weaknesses? Who's going to play quarterback? Who's going to catch the ball? How banged up are the Cats? Who are going to be the leaders? Popping pads in April is the first step into finding the answers. Here's what we've learned after the first week.

GOOD NEWS:

Coach Brooks lauded his offensive line with praise after Week One. The O-Line proved to be the best overall unit. There are eleven players that are SEC starter caliber in the trench rotation thereby making UK two deep at every position. The competition throughout the spring and summer should be as heated as the battle for the first five spots at fall camp. The best battle could be at center...new face Jake Lanefski changed his body by adding 25 pounds and is giving Jorge Gonzales a great run. This group could forge themselves into the best unit UK has ever seen.

Five running backs performed well over the first week. Even though John Conner more than likely has fullback locked up he's still working as though he's trying to make the team. UK is four deep at tailback and all are playing at an SEC front line level. Tony Dixon proved to be the most consistent and stayed atop the depth chart as the starter. He will have to fight off burners Derrick Locke, Alphonso Smith, and the star of Week One Moncel Allen. Locke and Smith have shown they haven't lost a step of their blinding speed plus Smith ended up with the most yards after the first scrimmage. Allen has turned the most heads with his ability to obliterate tacklers and showcasing some surprising speed. If there was ever a year UK could look like they won't miss a 1,000+ yard rusher it could be next season. However, there are a few things this group needs to work on over the next couple of weeks…pass blocking, blitz pick-up, and their roles as receivers out of the backfield.

The emergence of David Jones led to a great first week from the defensive backs. The standout plays of Jones within every practice revealed that he has immersed himself in the defense and is ready to break out on that side of the ball. The Jones phenomenon has rubbed off the rest of the DB's. Trevard Lindley is still Number One as the best of the bunch and he's improving like a man jaded from being left off All-SEC teams. The cornerbacks toiled in a tight competition for the number two and nickel positions. Jones' great week put him ahead of a rusty Paul Warford, talented but green Randall Burden, veteran playmaker Shomari Moore, and a struggling Ahmad Grigsby. Marcus McClinton is playing like a man on a mission. He has improved his reads and pursuit angles without losing the ability to hit like a Mack truck. There is a ton of young promise as well. Greg Wilson and Matt Lentz are making strong cases for playing time come fall. Wilson utilizes his newly transformed athletic body by getting in on several plays. Lentz, a converted quarterback is the fastest riser on the depth chart with eagerness to learn and complete lack of fear. Ashton Cobb will have to bust the back of his Volkswagen to keep his job as the other starter at safety. Calvin Harrison will have to work incredibly hard coming back from a knee scope to get his job as the primary substitute back.

Micah Johnson grasped the role of middle linebacker with both hands and Braxton Kelley outran the learning curve after he moved outside. UK is fielding a formidable unit with the ones this spring with Johnson, Kelley, and either incumbent Johnny Williams or the emergent Sam Maxwell. The improved quarterback pressure from the LB's up to this point reveals that they've worked on their blitzing technique…the stars here have been Johnny Williams and Micah Johnson. Kelley looks like Will was his original position with each practice. He's got surprising speed and quickness to go with his size. Sam Maxwell has been great at getting in the mix to stop plays. Mike Schwindel put on a few good pounds and has shown flashes as a back up Will. Jacob Dufrene has been a pleasant surprise of late. The redshirt freshman took reps with the first group at the end of Saturday's scrimmage. Chris Cessna has gotten off to a good start in recovering from another knee injury. He's not having the spring of a year ago, but the road to recovery is a long one.

BAD NEWS

The quarterback position remains in limbo. Neither Curtis Pulley nor Mike Hartline stepped up to be the man in the first week. Both had their moments…Pulley has been as nimble as expected in the pocket and Hartline has shown significant improvement in the passing game. It's not that both players have played poorly…in fact both are significantly better than they were a year ago. Plus, neither has been getting much help from the receiving corps. It's that either player seems unwilling to take the lead on offense. Whoever decides to take charge first and do the little things will be the starter. Will Fidler probably had the best first week of any of the QB's. He's rusty, but his surgically repaired shoulder has healed well and Fidler is showing a strong arm. Fidler could be a dark horse in the QB race once spring is all said and done.

The wide receivers provided little in the search for consistent options. Right now a dependable throw to him on third down guy doesn't exist. Demoreo Ford went down with a torn patella tendon on the second day and Terrence Jones has been withheld from contact while recovering his knee. Dicky Lyons has been hurt a little. With the door wide open Kyrus Lanxter has barely stepped through it. He has the best chance to secure a starting job of anyone. While he's done some good things with his downfield blocking and his hands…Lanxter's lack of focus chips away at his candidacy for starter. EJ Adams has some wheels and shows some promise as a playmaker, but he needs to learn how to play the WR position at a high level. Anthony Mosely has hands of glue one play then hands of stone the next. Ford and Jones should be healed and there are a lot of players coming in over the summer that could challenge for playing time come fall. Adams, Lanxter, Lyons, and Mosley better improve or they could find themselves on the sideline.

Filling the hole at tight end proved enigmatic. TC Drake and Ross Bogue are making headway as the next guys. Both have big catches and block well in the run game. They also have some dreadful drops. The both resemble the receivers in their lack of reliability as third down pass catchers. Maurice Grinter, the best option as far as a playmaker, has been hobbled to the point of wearing a red jersey. Tight end is the thinnest position on the roster numerically, but the situation isn't as dire as WR. Drake and Bogue while shaky haven’t been as inconsistent as the WR's and Grinter has caught everything thrown his way in drills.

The gap between the first and second rungs of the defensive line widened. Most of this can be explained knowing that more than the fair share of good players didn't see action in the first week. Jeremy Jarmon spent the first week in helmet and shorts. Ricky Lumpkin got in two days before his hip acted up and set him on a course for surgery. Ni'i Adjei Oninku and Charles Mustaafa were held out of contact while recovering from surgeries. Josh Minton just got back in the saddle after going down in last year's spring game. There is good news. Jarmon will be cleared for contact soon and Ventrell Jenkins was moved to end. Jenkins has been a wrecking crew at defensive end with sacks, tips, break-ups and hurries. It also gives UK great size up front…with a healthy Jarmon on the field there isn't a d-line starter under 285. Once all four are replaced with the available twos there isn't a player ABOVE 271 in the front four. There is promise, Austin Moss has looked fairly solid running with the makeshift ones. Chris Goode made a few plays showing the right move for him was switching to defensive end. Greg Meisner, while undersized has made the most of his reps. Antwane Glenn has looked serviceable at defensive tackle, but he needs more bulk. Fortunately, most of this unit in recovery should see contact by the end of spring. However, Lumpkin going under the knife on Monday means UK will more than likely have to rely on a couple true freshmen switching positions for depth at tackle. Fortunately for the Cats the leading candidates, Donte Rumph, Osaze Idumwonyi and Dave Ulinski, were also some of the best signings of the incoming class.

GRADE…B

Overall the team progressed well over Week One. UK found some powerful assets with the running backs and offensive line. Micah Johnson and Braxton Kelley's near seamless transitions are bright spots. The depth and consistent solid play from the defensive backfield is a huge plus. The problem spots seem easily remedied. Three experienced players are going to return to the defensive line during spring and the really young guys are getting good reps. If Grinter can get healthy to the point of taking contact he may steal the tight end position. What takes away from the Cats is lack of leadership and maturity at the biggest question marks of the spring. One of the quarterbacks will have to step up and proclaim the offense theirs and the wide receivers are going to have to concentrate their focus over the next two weeks if those questions are to be answered correctly.

In the aftermath of the Kansas Jayhawks’ improbable comeback victory in last night’s thrilling championship game, I figured now was as good a time as any to take a look at my ten predictions going into the tournament and see how I fared.

1)The story of the first weekend of the tournament will be the Big East. Some of this is just simple math as the Big East has the most bids, so therefore it’s the conference most likely to send the greatest number of teams marching on. Expect the battle tested entrants from this conference to advance to the Sweet 16 en masse. I wouldn’t be shocked if as many as 5-6 Big East teams were standing on Monday. However, I’d be floored if more than one were to crack the Final Four. The league is solid and deep, but there is no great team in the bunch and the Big East won’t take home the big trophy.

Well, it looks like I overestimated the Big East somewhat. They did manage to get the most teams through to the Sweet 16 as predicted, but only managed to advance three total teams from the first weekend and lost a couple of heavyweights early. They had no team in the Final Four and aside from Louisville weren’t much of a factor after the opening weekend. I’m going to give myself credit for a correct prediction here. If you don’t agree with that, feel free to write your own blog and use it as a bully pulpit to point out how terrible I am. Score: 1-0

2) The conference with the best chance to send multiple teams to the Final Four is the Big 12. The Longhorns of Texas have their first round games in Little Rock, Arkansas. If they survive those then it’s back to the Lone Star State for the remainder of the tournament. The Kansas Jayhawks set atop the Midwest Regional as the number one seed. KU has bowed out short of the Final Four each season under head coach Bill Self. Please stand back and take cover as I invoke one of sports’ oldest and most tired clichés; they’re due. If the shoe fits…Talent. Depth. Experience. A number one seed. And bonus points for the Girls of KU Calendar they put out each season. .

The key here was I said the best chance to send multiple teams to the Final Four. Based upon the fact that the Big 12 was the only conference with multiple teams in the region finals I am going to award myself another correct prediction. Score: 2-0

3) The Louisville Cardinals will not be in the Final Four. I know they’re a trendy pick and a local favorite, but they’re facing too many obstacles in the East Regional to find themselves playing on that final Saturday of the college basketball season. If they manage to survive the first weekend, something they’ve only accomplished once under head coach Rick Pitino, then they’ll likely find themselves in the unenviable position of having to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte is a mere 240 miles from Knoxville, TN and the heart of Vol Country. If the Cardinals do manage to send Chris Kentucky Didn’t Recruit Him Lofton off to the NBDL, then the team most probably standing in their way will be the Tar Heels of North Carolina. Distance from Chapel Hill to Charlotte? 140 miles. If the seeds hold, the odds certainly aren’t in the Cardinals favor of knocking off two top 10 teams in their own backyard. I certainly wouldn’t bet on it.

And the Cards while impressive in their win against Tennessee came up short against the Tar Heels in Charlotte. This one wasn’t that hard of a pick if you follow historical trends. UNC has lost but one game in the NCAA Tournament while playing in the state of North Carolina. Score: 3-0

4) Seth Davis will draw the ire of the Kentucky fanbase before the ink is dry on the first day’s results of the tournament. Hopefully for Davis’s sake he won’t have the audacity to actually pick Marquette, the favorite to beat the Cats. The guy has two strikes going against him without saying a word though; that smirk and he’s a Duke grad. Poor bastard doesn’t stand a chance against the Big Blue Nation. He’ll probably be cleaning out his inbox for the next six weeks.

I think I’m going to have to give myself a miss on this one. Davis actually picked the Cats to win and didn’t do anything to raise the blood pressure of the Big Blue Nation, at least on the first day of the tournament. Score: 3-1

5) The UCLA Bruins will not be taking home their record 12th national championship this season. Howland has a great squad and Love is a phenomenal player, but the Bruins' offensive woes will catch up to them. The Pac-10 champs may very well find themselves in San Antonio, but the competition they’ll face will be able to score on the vaunted Bruin defense. The problem is the Bruins won’t score enough themselves to overcome it. They also won’t be able to count on atrocious Pac-10 officiating to bail them out or at least I hope not.

This one played out almost to perfection. The Bruins did find themselves in San Antonio and when faced with equal or greater talent their defense was not enough to carry the day. The Memphis Tigers managed to put 78 points on the Bruins and they were unable to match it and were dispatched short of a record 12th national championship. Score 4-1.

6) Take everything I just said about UCLA and invert it for the North Carolina Tar Heels. They too won’t be taking home a fifth national championship or hanging a twenty-second banner in Chapel Hill, but for precisely the opposite reasons. The Heels can score in bunches. They also have a proclivity to give up points in bunches. Ultimately a more balanced team will be able to hold their high octane offense in check just enough to send them back to ACC country hat in hand. Their fans shouldn’t panic though as Psycho-T will likely take one more bite at the apple in college, before heading off for a career in the NBA as a journeyman backup power forward.

This one didn’t completely stick to the script, but it was the Tar Heel defense that failed them in that embarrassing loss to Kansas. The Jayhawks shot 53% from the field for the game and put up 84 points on the Heels. The vaunted Carolina offensive juggernaut was held firmly in check by a balanced, athletic Kansas defense that surrendered only 66 points. Thanks for playing Carolina. Another one in the win column for yours truly. Score 5-1.

7) And now I’m going to give you my absolute biggest lead pipe lock of the NCAA Tournament: Coach K.’s commercials will have a deeper run this March than his basketball team. What’s in his wallet? Hopefully tickets to the Final Four, because that’s the only way he’ll make it inside the Alamodome. I wouldn’t be shocked if Huggy Bear and the physical style of play of his ~~Cincinnati Bearcats Kansas State Wildcats~~ West Virginia Mountaineers overwhelm the perimeter oriented Blue Devils in the second round.

Was Duke even in this year’s tournament? The former media darling is slowly and quietly slipping into basketball irrelevance. I’m sure Coach K. and Tubby Smith will have fun over dinner rehashing that 1998 region final. Score: 6-1

8) Dwight Perry will not earn a second consecutive first round start.

Winner winner chicken dinner. Score 7-1

9) Chalk. It’s midnight for Cinderella and the double digit seeds this season. The selection process for the at large bids for this tournament was a veritable hot potato of teams passing the chance to crash the party on to the next less than deserving entrant. The theme of Championship Week 2008 was failure as major conference teams from across the country fell flat on their face as they limped toward the finish line. The mid-majors are mostly middling with no standard bearer standing out. So there’s a good chance that next Monday will see more top four seeds standing than any other NCAA Tournament this decade.

Well, here’s the thing. Chalk was the theme of the tournament as the first time ever all four number one seeds made the Final Four. However, Davidson did make it to the Elite Eight as a ten seed. Upon further review, I’m going to give myself a win here as the Davidson Wildcats were woefully underseeded. This team was clearly not a 10 Seed and their resume reflected as much. I’ll throw in the fact that a record 42 games were decided by double digits just to help my cause. Score 8-1

10) More Chalk. As in Rock Chalk Jayhawk. The Kansas Jayhawks will end a twenty year NCAA Championship drought and cut down the nets in San Antonio after surviving the Texas Longhorns in an epic rematch of the Big 12 Tournament Championship game. People tend to forget that this is the same Kansas team that knocked off last year’s champion Florida Gators in Las Vegas early in the 2006-07 season. Much like last year’s Gators, who dropped three of four late in the conference schedule, the Jayhawks seemed to undergo the February doldrums, and just as the Gators did, the Jayhawks came roaring back to capture their conference tournament championship. Kansas stands atop Ken Pomeroy’s computer rankings as well as his overall efficiency ratings for all NCAA Division I teams. They’re the only team that ranks in the top five in both offensive efficiency (1) and defensive efficiency (3). Come April 7th, it’s gonna be Rock Chalk on the River Walk.

Onions! Just ignore the part about the Longhorns as no one pays attention to the bridesmaids during the ceremony anyhow. It’s all about the bride. In this case, Kansas was the deepest and most balanced squad of the four teams that separated themselves from the pack and made the Final Four. It’s great to be a Jayhawk fan today and kudos to Bill Self for a masterful job of undressing Calipari in the closing minutes of that game. Final Score 9-1; Digger Phelps ain’t got shit on me.

Comments? Email me at mattox@wodiecrew.com

The East Region Final that pits the Louisville Cardinals against the North Carolina Tar Heels makes this Kentucky fan envious of the poor bastard that’s trapped between a rock and a hard place. At least he can saw off a limb and possibly escape. There is no escaping from the fact that one of the Kentucky Wildcats’ arch rivals is going to find themselves in a place the Cats haven’t found themselves in a decade; the Final Four. Any self respecting fan most certainly practices the time honored tradition of rooting against their rivals in the event that their own team falters in the post season. Kentucky fans, particularly this one, are no different. I was a Mountaineer in the second round and briefly pondered torching my couch. Last week I found myself calling the Hogs. Hell, if my adopted Washington State Cougars could have shocked the world I wouldn’t even be writing this today. But here I am. Damned if I do. Damned if I don’t. It’s impossible for me to not choose sides in this game. It goes against my very nature as a sports fan. Neutrality is for the Swiss, not the die-hard, message board posting, blog writing, sports radio listening, tailgating, road tripping, hard core fan. I must cheer for someone to fail. The downside to that is by default, I must begrudgingly cheer for someone else to succeed. Now to make the impossible decision of adopting the Louisville Cardinals and their whore of a coach who left me for someone with more money only to return to date my younger, uglier brother or the North Carolina Tar Heels and the program that likely has the most legitimate chance to claim the mantle of greatest college basketball program from the University of Kentucky. Let’s take a look at the matchup and break it down from a fan’s perspective.

The Fans
Whine and cheese v. Look at me. Talk about an absolute contrast in styles in this matchup. The Cardinal fanbase epitomizes inferiority complex and you sure as hell don’t need Dean Smith’s nose to sniff the arrogance and entitlement of the Carolina fans. Both have substantial pockets of bandwagon fans. UNC fans seem to exist as a result of a brilliant marketing strategy and a marriage to the ESPN hype machine. Louisville fans came into existence as a brilliant marketing strategy with Kroger and the Courier-Journal hype machine. The Carolina fans have a holier-than-thou attitude about their program that grates on your senses like a Luke Whitehead album. Again, in contrast, the Cardinal fans have no shame as they quickly fell into rank and file behind Rick Pitino, the man who restored the Kentucky program to prominence in the 90’s, the same man they once loathed with every fiber of their being. That last nugget is what tips the scales in favor of the pompous Tar Heel fanbase. The Heel fans would never adopt Coach K. as the savior to their program. Advantage: UNC

The Coaches
As different as their respective fanbases are, the two coaches in this game have many similarities. Both coaches work diligently to cultivate the perfect public persona. Each coach had the perception at one point in their career of not being able to win the big one. Roy Williams has actually gone on record as stating he doesn’t give a shit about North Carolina. Rick Pitino has made it clear through his career path that he doesn’t necessarily care much for whatever university that he happens to be coaching at a given moment either. Roy Williams while at Kansas once ran the score up on Pitino’s Cats to the tune of 150-95 drawing the ire of the Kentucky fanbase. Rick Pitino often uses the media to take subtle and not so subtle jabs at the Kentucky fanbase. In the end though, this one is no contest. Roy Williams is not responsible for any national championships at the University of Kentucky. Roy Williams did not guide the Kentucky Wildcats to three Final Fours in five seasons. Roy Williams does not have his jersey hanging in the rafters at Rupp (although he probably does have 2-3 hanging in the rafters at the Dean Dome). Rick Pitino in a landslide. I like my hypocrites better when they’ve done something for me. I don’t give a shit about Roy Williams. Advantage: UofL

The Programs
Well, here we have one program that is truly among the elite of the elite in college basketball and another that likes to fancy itself as being on that same plane. The truth of the matter is Louisville probably heads up the list of the second tier programs just below the Mt. Olympus of college basketball. They’re running a bed and breakfast about two thirds of the way up the elevation, saving their money and hoping to invest in a penthouse at the mountain’s peak. At this point, they’re drawing dangerously close to being able to make that move. Louisville basketball is the proud owner of 2 national championship trophies and has been a part of 8 Final Fours. One more trophy and they’re sticking out a for sale sign and moving on up like George Jefferson on a ski lift. North Carolina is already there. They aren’t going anywhere. Kentucky’s status as the best of the best will certainly be put to the test in the coming years as the Heels add to an already impressive resume. However, as Kentucky fans we shouldn’t sit back and idly hope that others help us maintain our spot at the top. The Kentucky program has always been able to maintain its status as the best by getting it done on the court. I have faith that will again be the case, sooner rather than later, and Kentucky will defend its place at the top. In that same respect, it’s crowded at the top and no one likes new money moving into the neighborhood and devaluing their property. Advantage: UNC

The Verdict
For one night only, hide the women and children, put the old people to bed, and have your pets spayed or neutered, because I’ll be cheering for the Tar Heels. I’m sure as hell not going to don that sissy shade of blue or pray at the altar of St. Dean Smith, but in the interest of insulating myself from dealing with a fanbase that would equate a Final Four appearance with the moon landing on the scale of importance in human history I’ll be hoping for a Tar Heel victory. Yes. This is a humiliating and emasculating endeavor, but that which does not kill us makes us stronger. I should be pretty damned strong on Sunday, because this is almost killing me. I’ll grit my teeth and bear it holding onto the fact that I’m certain that Kentucky Basketball is once again on the fast track to the Glory Road and the days of being on the outside looking in of the greatest weekend in sports are fast coming to a close.

Comments? Email me at mattox@wodiecrew.com

As far as numbers go, the 2007-08 basketball season goes down as so-so in the UK record books. When young Wildcat fans open future editions media guides and notebooks and look up the past they will see an 18-13 record and ask their parents what happened to a seventeen year streak of 20 win seasons and a twenty year streak of NCAA first round victories. The parents will look their children in the eye and tell them that was the year of the Most Valuable Seniors. A season salvaged because Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford saved themselves and in so doing became a part of UK basketball lore.

During a tumultuous start the UK seniors played like two men at the end of their rope. Bradley and Crawford looked as though they were biding their time while UK played to 6-7 in the non conference season. It was easy to understand their indifference. Both players were maligned for three years and had been abandoned by the man that recruited them as part of one of the most underachieving UK classes in some time. The pair simply had no place else to go. Neither player could transfer to a Division I program due to their senior status, so it was either gut it out under Gillispie or wallow in Division II obscurity. Their choice to man up under a new head coach proved to be rough going through the first half of the season, but unbelievably rewarding when they chose not to quit.

Both players shared a room at Wildcat Lodge. Perhaps it was one of several late night discussions where the topic of their UK legacy emerged and the light came on, Is this how we are going out? Are we going to be the worst UK team ever? The Hell with it, we aren’t going out like that! Whatever was bantered about in their private time was for the better as the attitude and demeanor of Bradley and Crawford changed once SEC play began. The UK seniors played with a new understanding of how they would be remembered. They finally played as if each game would be their last.

Bradley and Crawford improved in every facet of their game and the rest of their comrades followed. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, the University of Kentucky Wildcats played better as the season progressed. Thanks to the leadership of their Most Valuable Seniors, UK successfully challenged the notion of, “you are what you are.” The pair shed their disappointment monikers and stepped up their game in victories over supposed conference betters. Their team thrived with previously unseen energy and toughness as they won 11 of their last 14 games while suffering devastating season ending injuries to key players. All of a sudden in miraculous fashion, the Wildcats had gone from out of everything losers at 7-9 to an improbable NCAA berth at 18-13.

The moment that Bradley and Crawford decided to lead from the front not only provided immediate impact on 2007-08, their enlightenment also left an indelible mark on the fabric of Kentucky Basketball. The foundation they laid after dedicating themselves to a new system and a new way of thinking will be the impression that lasts. A slew of new faces enter their first season of Wildcat Basketball next year. Those helping and leading the young players on their way are a core of juniors that were part of the revival led by Bradley and Crawford. A group steeped with an understanding of tradition, toughness and work ethic and how that pertains to Kentucky Basketball. A team that knows how hard it is and what it takes to win at the highest level despite any discrepancies thanks in part to the bond shared with Bradley and Crawford as they sang their swan song.

The hardest two steps of a long journey involve choosing the right path and taking a confident first step. For the University of Kentucky, those two steps came in the form of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. They proved to the college basketball world they were capable of trailblazing the right road to success during their senior seasons. The curtain fell on their enigmatic careers at Kentucky on Thursday, but their watermark will be seen on future editions of Wildcat Basketball. The value of Bradley and Crawford’s final season will prove immeasurable as victories and championships mount while Kentucky Basketball continues down the road its Most Valuable Seniors of 2007-08 paved.

On the eve of the 2008 Men’s NCAA Tournament, I thought I’d impart some of my vast basketball knowledge on to the general public in the form of ten iron clad NCAA Tournament predictions. I’m personally guaranteeing that at least two of them will prove to be completely accurate, which would automatically make me more reliable than your local meteorologist. Hopefully, if anyone is fine tuning their bracket for the office pool in hopes of knocking off last year’s champion, the hot secretary in the green sweater, these predictions will prove to be enough ammunition that you can sneak up from behind and conquer her.

1) The story of the first weekend of the tournament will be the Big East. Some of this is just simple math as the Big East has the most bids, so therefore it’s the conference most likely to send the greatest number of teams marching on. Expect the battle tested entrants from this conference to advance to the Sweet 16 en masse. I wouldn’t be shocked if as many as 5-6 Big East teams were standing on Monday. However, I’d be floored if more than one were to crack the Final Four. The league is solid and deep, but there is no great team in the bunch and the Big East won’t take home the big trophy.

2) The conference with the best chance to send multiple teams to the Final Four is the Big 12. The Longhorns of Texas have their first round games in Little Rock, Arkansas. If they survive those then it’s back to the Lone Star State for the remainder of the tournament. The Kansas Jayhawks set atop the Midwest Regional as the number one seed. KU has bowed out short of the Final Four each season under head coach Bill Self. Please stand back and take cover as I invoke one of sports’ oldest and most tired clichés; they’re due. If the shoe fits…Talent. Depth. Experience. A number one seed. And bonus points for the Girls of KU Calendar they put out each season.

3) The Louisville Cardinals will not be in the Final Four. I know they’re a trendy pick and a local favorite, but they’re facing too many obstacles in the East Regional to find themselves playing on that final Saturday of the college basketball season. If they manage to survive the first weekend, something they’ve only accomplished once under head coach Rick Pitino, then they’ll likely find themselves in the unenviable position of having to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte is a mere 240 miles from Knoxville, TN and the heart of Vol Country. If the Cardinals do manage to send Chris Kentucky Didn’t Recruit Him Lofton off to the NBDL, then the team most probably standing in their way will be the Tar Heels of North Carolina. Distance from Chapel Hill to Charlotte? 140 miles. If the seeds hold, the odds certainly aren’t in the Cardinals favor of knocking off two top 10 teams in their own backyard. I certainly wouldn’t bet on it.

4) Seth Davis will draw the ire of the Kentucky fanbase before the ink is dry on the first day’s results of the tournament. Hopefully for Davis’s sake he won’t have the audacity to actually pick Marquette, the favorite to beat the Cats. The guy has two strikes going against him without saying a word though; that smirk and he’s a Duke grad. Poor bastard doesn’t stand a chance against the Big Blue Nation. He’ll probably be cleaning out his inbox for the next six weeks.

5) The UCLA Bruins will not be taking home their record 12th national championship this season. Howland has a great squad and Love is a phenomenal player, but the Bruins' offensive woes will catch up to them. The Pac-10 champs may very well find themselves in San Antonio, but the competition they’ll face will be able to score on the vaunted Bruin defense. The problem is the Bruins won’t score enough themselves to overcome it. They also won’t be able to count on atrocious Pac-10 officiating to bail them out or at least I hope not.

6) Take everything I just said about UCLA and invert it for the North Carolina Tar Heels. They too won’t be taking home a fifth national championship or hanging a twenty-second banner in Chapel Hill, but for precisely the opposite reasons. The Heels can score in bunches. They also have a proclivity to give up points in bunches. Ultimately a more balanced team will be able to hold their high octane offense in check just enough to send them back to ACC country hat in hand. Their fans shouldn’t panic though as Psycho-T will likely take one more bite at the apple in college, before heading off for a career in the NBA as a journeyman backup power forward.

7) And now I’m going to give you my absolute biggest lead pipe lock of the NCAA Tournament: Coach K.’s commercials will have a deeper run this March than his basketball team. What’s in his wallet? Hopefully tickets to the Final Four, because that’s the only way he’ll make it inside the Alamodome. I wouldn’t be shocked if Huggy Bear and the physical style of play of his ~~Cincinnati Bearcats Kansas State Wildcats~~ West Virginia Mountaineers overwhelm the perimeter oriented Blue Devils in the second round.

8) Dwight Perry will not earn a second consecutive first round start.

9) Chalk. It’s midnight for Cinderella and the double digit seeds this season. The selection process for the at large bids for this tournament was a veritable hot potato of teams passing the chance to crash the party on to the next less than deserving entrant. The theme of Championship Week 2008 was failure as major conference teams from across the country fell flat on their face as they limped toward the finish line. The mid-majors are mostly middling with no standard bearer standing out. So there’s a good chance that next Monday will see more top four seeds standing than any other NCAA Tournament this decade.

10) More Chalk. As in Rock Chalk Jayhawk. The Kansas Jayhawks will end a twenty year NCAA Championship drought and cut down the nets in San Antonio after surviving the Texas Longhorns in an epic rematch of the Big 12 Tournament Championship game. People tend to forget that this is the same Kansas team that knocked off last year’s champion Florida Gators in Las Vegas early in the 2006-07 season. Much like last year’s Gators, who dropped three of four late in the conference schedule, the Jayhawks seemed to undergo the February doldrums, and just as the Gators did, the Jayhawks came roaring back to capture their conference tournament championship. Kansas stands atop Ken Pomeroy’s computer rankings as well as his overall efficiency ratings for all NCAA Division I teams. They’re the only team that ranks in the top five in both offensive efficiency (1) and defensive efficiency (3). Come April 7th, it’s gonna be Rock Chalk on the River Walk.

Comments? Email me at mattox@wodiecrew.com

Tipman Book Club
The Kentucky Wildcats’ offseason will certainly be starting sooner rather than later. In that time the coaches can unwind somewhat and relax a little as the pressures of the day-to-day grind of the season are no longer present. Most people like to use their time off to read a good book. I don’t know if Coach Gillispie is an avid reader or not, but one book I might suggest is the NCAA Rule Book. Reading it and being familiar with the current rules may prove to be the difference in another first round flameout at the SEC Tournament and actually advancing beyond the last place team in the league.

NCAA Tournament
Despite the aforementioned choke job in the waning minutes against a terrible Georgia team in Atlanta, the Cats miraculously received an at large bid to the NCCA Tournament. Something tells me that the Cats should pack light. The 11 seed that the Cats entered the tournament at is the first double digit seed the Cats have gotten since probation. Coach Tubby Smith’s Cats never received worse than a 9 seed while he was at the helm. Coach Pitino’s Cats never dipped below a 3 seed. No team seeded 11 or below has ever won the NCAA Championship. The lowest seed to ever win the tournament was the number 8 seeded Villanova Wildcats in 1985.

Bubble Bursts for Minutemen
Last week we took a look at the way the University of Kentucky bought their way out of a likely loss to the UMass Minutemen in December. Now the Minutemen at 21-10 have in fact been left out of the NCAA Tournament field. I don’t think it’s any stretch to believe that a win over a name opponent like the Wildcats on a neutral court would have been enough to get Travis Ford’s team over the hump. Instead, for $50,000.00 the Cats were able to in effect purchase an at large bid from the Minutemen. That’s a pretty good deal by any standard with the exposure and payout NCAA Tournament teams receive. It also calls into question which team deserves that exposure and payout; the team that tried in vein to schedule a quality non-conference opponent on a neutral court or the team that cowardly bought their way out of the game in fear of a loss and ensuing backlash against their struggling head coach. Again, a nice lead in to this week’s mail bag dealing with the NCAA Tournament selection process and its inequities.

Tipman Mail Bag
Dear Tipman:

I follow the NCAA Tournament selection process very closely, and I have to say that the decisions made by the Selection Committee this year are some of the most baffling that I've ever seen.

A lot is being made about Arizona State getting left out, and rightfully so. The Committee apparently focused on their RPI (82) and supposedly "weak finish" (5-10 in the last 15 games), but in my estimation, those are two completely arbitrary and irrelevant metrics that have no bearing at all on whether a team should get a bid or not. What truly matters is whether a given team passes the "eye test," i.e., whether -- when you watch them -- they appear to be one of the 34 best at-large teams in the country. When you apply such a pragmatic standard, the Sun Devils clearly deserved a bid.

Another team that unfairly got left at home was Dayton. Their RPI was 32, which in and of itself should have qualified the Flyers for the Big Dance. They also dealt with injuries this season, which you must consider if you want the process to be completely fair.

Add Virginia Tech to the list of teams who should feel slighted. Not only did they finish on an uptick by narrowly losing to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament (proving that they are CURRENTLY one of the 34 best at-large teams in the country, which is the standard that should be used) but they also posted a winning record in the ACC, and any team that finishes above .500 in a power conference should be given the benefit of the doubt. And spare me the talk about their 1-7 record against the RPI top 50, as there were several close losses included in that mark, for which they must be given credit.

On the other side of the coin, Kentucky must be thanking its lucky stars that a tornado hit Atlanta this past weekend (the Committee admitted not giving much credence to the results of the SEC Tournament, due to the unique circumstances), or else they'd be at home. Which is exactly where they should be. How can a team that lost to Gardner-Webb and San Diego even be considered? Getting beat by those squads should automatically remove a team from consideration, in my view. Also, their RPI was 59, Tipman. 59! That's 27 spots worse than Dayton. The RPI is an objective, quantifiable tool that is invaluable in this process, and it completely removes the prospect of human error from the equation, of which there was plenty in this case. Want another reason why Kentucky should not have gotten an invite? They only went 4-7 against the RPI top 50, and all 4 of those wins were decided in the last minute. And speaking of close wins, they had a bevy of those this season, for which they should be penalized. Also, I don't want to hear about their "strong finish" (9-3 in the last 12), either. Why is the last 12 games more important than the first 12 games? It's just another random metric applied in a random fashion by people that never played the game. I also don't care about their several last minute losses (at SEC West Champ Miss. St. by 5, at Florida in OT, at #1 Tennessee by 3, vs. SEC Tourney Champ Georgia in OT). A loss is a loss, no matter the margin of defeat. Speaking of which, this team lost by 41 points to Vanderbilt! Anyway, it's a good thing for Kentucky that Mike Slive is on the Committee, because I have a feeling he pulled a couple of strings to make sure that the SEC's favorite son didn't get left out.

Anyway, I love your work, Tipman. Keep it up!

Jay

Bristol, CT

Tipman Responds
Those were all excellent points and you won’t get any argument from me that the teams you listed were more deserving than the Kentucky Wildcats for an NCAA Tournament at large bid. I think the thing I find most interesting is the role that Mike Slive likely played in all of this. As commissioner of the SEC, he wields enormous influence and power. It was mentioned by the Chairman of the Selection Committee later that the games in Atlanta at the SEC Tournament were given no weight in the selection process. I submit to you the inherent unfairness of that ploy. If that were the case, then I’m sure there are several teams in the country that would like for the committee to blatantly ignore losses on their record, especially to teams with an RPI in the 100’s. Mike Slive clearly played the role of the Wizard of Oz on the Selection Committee and was successful in getting the other members to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain—the SEC Tournament.

Ticket Refunds
The Southeastern Conference may not be the only one refunding tickets to the league’s tournament in the coming months. Jeff Carter, father of Kentucky reserve Jared Carter, may be joining them. The elder Carter was recently indicted on charges related to the selling of SEC Tournament tickets that he allegedly failed to provide. This is not the first time that scandal has encircled a Kentucky player’s father. Kenneth Azubuike is still serving time in a federal facility over a scam he orchestrated in Oklahoma.

Want your letter published? Email me at Tipman’s Mailbag

The unintentional comedy of how a situation changes over a year’s time rears its head yet again.

Last year the University of Kentucky’s fan base writhed with apathy and division. Several sequential ten plus loss seasons and Thursday game dates in the SEC Tournament had severed the emotional attachment fans had with the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball team. The only passion within Wildcat Nation was the ferocity of debate between supporters of Tubby Smith and those who wanted him gone. The seemingly endless array of slings and arrows in the form of statistics supporting Smith and historic recruiting miscues finally quelled with the announcement that Tubby was leaving for the browner tundra of Minnesota. The collective shudders of shock and sighs of relief quickly became a wellspring of mania over who would become the next Head Coach of Kentucky Basketball.

Billy Donovan instantly became the coveted object of desire for Wildcat Nation. Billy D’s ties to the University of Kentucky as an assistant under Rick Pitino and tutelage of “Unforgettable” John Pelphrey were surely the kind that bound Donovan to Kentucky in the eyes of Cat Fans. Speculation reached a national fervor as every talking head in America lampooned UK Fans for their expectation that Billy Donovan would depart what he built in Gainesville. At the time Coach Donovan was the reigning National Champion and a solid favorite to replicate his greatest triumph. He and his Florida Gators were a story of togetherness and belief in each other. Donovan had forged an unheralded recruiting class into a core of four juniors with bright NBA futures. The University of Florida basketball family ignored the gorilla in the room as they easily repeated as National Champions and the Top Flight Juniors collectively announced their departure. Soon after, Billy Donovan stated he had no desire to leave the University of Florida. Then he promptly accepted an offer to coach the Orlando Magic only to tear up his contract a week later citing that he had a strong foundation and a bright future in Gainesville. No one blamed Coach Donovan, a second consecutive National Title and a number one recruiting class would implore one to think that way. Nonetheless, a brief period of reeling by Cat Fans followed Donovan’s spurning.

All lament ended with the coronation of Billy Clyde Gillispie as new Wildcat Basketball Head Coach. The new coach immediately won hearts over by landing the program’s number one recruiting target Patrick Patterson. The Patterson signing was UK’s first victory over Billy Donovan and Florida of any kind in nearly four years. UK fans tired of laziness emoted by the previous regime admired the hungriness and tireless work ethic of a basketball crazed Gillispie. Excitement in the UK program reached highs unheard of in the past half decade as Coach Clyde added highly touted Oak Hill shooting guard Alex Legion and the near legendary “Boot Camp” workouts began in the off-season.

Then the season began in rather unstellar fashion for Gillispie’s Wildcats. Injuries mounted as Derrick Jasper struggled to recover from microfracture surgery; Jodie Meeks was hampered by a groin injury; senior Joe Crawford developed plantar facitis; and Patterson sprained an ankle. After UK hobbled to a stunning blowout home loss to Gardner Webb questions about Gillispie inevitably surfaced. Fans frustrated at early season maladies stirred over pre game practices. Wildcat Nation began to fracture yet again with a faction insisting that Gillispie was too hard on players. There were murmurs that several players were going to transfer in the wake of Legion’s departure after six regular season games. Billy Clyde’s loyalty was questioned with the knowledge that he was working under a Memorandum of Understanding as opposed to a signed contract with the University. Coach Gillispie’s lifestyle was also questioned as rumors of Caligula-like exploits circled. UK ended their non-conference schedule with additional detrimental home losses; road miscues to Conference USA also rans; and a record of 6-7.

Foul moods ruled the day as conference play began. Billy Donovan his new Gators were riding high at 13-2 while UK was limping toward the SEC schedule with hobbled stars and players that fans felt didn’t belong at Kentucky. Conference play opened well for the Cats as Vanderbilt marked UK’s first victory over a ranked foe in nearly two seasons. However, another on court loss at Florida sealed a 1-2 SEC start for Kentucky and an overall record of 7-9.

At this point fortunes began to turn. The play of the vaunted first year players got more frazzled with each SEC game played. The cords tying together Donovan’s basketball family began to fray as the Gators unraveled within the rigors of conference play. Losses mounted for the Gators as they traveled to hostile SEC venues. Billy Donovan’s frustrations with his players began to mount as he watched the Gators slip to fourth place in the SEC East.

Conversely, UK only lost two more times after traveling to Gainesville on their way to a 12-4 record in conference. Critics and fans united in praise of Coach Gillispie citing that his players finally began to play the way he wanted, lockdown defense with guts and determination for forty minutes and unrelenting faith in each other’s abilities on the court. The Wildcats toughness bonds grew stronger with each victory culminating in a 2-1 finish after losing SEC Co-Freshman of the Year Patrick Patterson for the season, an end to the season that included an on court streak breaking triumph over Florida in the season finale.

The onset of the SEC Conference Tournament completed the programs’ transition. Kentucky enjoyed a refreshing Thursday evening off as Florida toiled against Alabama. Florida’s loss to the Crimson Tide ended their microscopic chances at a three-peat. The toil of Donovan’s first season without his Forged Four seemed to tax the Florida coach. Donovan expressed his lack of enthusiasm for next season in last Thursday’s post game press conference. He threw his highly touted recruits under the bus saying that his current group doesn’t have what it takes to win and he doesn’t know if another year will necessarily mature them. The Florida basketball family, invariably fractured, now faces the daunting task of shedding the disgrace of playing in the NIT as the first National Champion that failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in twenty years.

What a difference a year makes. That phase has been cliché for centuries. The furnace of Wildcat Nation had been re-lit. The Kentucky fan base, united behind Coach Gillispie and a team battle hardened by fighting through close games and tough times, will undoubtedly travel in mass to Anaheim, CA to insure life is horrible for their opponents in the NCAA Tournament. With the lack of excitement at a potential trip to New York on the horizon, the Florida fan base has shifted its focus on to Spring Practice just as it has every previous March save the last two. Florida Basketball is reeling in the shadow of a monster football program once again and Kentucky Basketball has a coach and a team who care deeply about what it means to wear the name on the front of the jersey. It looks like UK got the Billy they wanted after all.

Well, Southeastern Conference officials huddled in a conference room in the bowels of the Georgia Dome for hours tonight and emerged with a solution to the SEC Tournament Conundrum. The show must go on. Kentucky will play Georgia at noon at Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum, the location for all the remaining games. Tennessee will face Arkansas at 6pm on Saturday and the Kentucky/Georgia winner will face Mississippi State in a night cap at 9pm. Sunday’s championship game will be played as scheduled at 1pm. On CBS. And that last bit of information is all anyone needs to have to understand why the decision was made to continue the tournament in this fashion.

The Fans
Here’s the best part, the fans, you know, the people that put these athletic programs on the map by paying for multimillion dollar practice and playing facilities and attending these events, well, they’re shit out of luck. The only folks who will be allowed to attend the game are the players families and members of the media covering the event. What, you drove six hours from Lexington paying well in excess of $3.00 a gallon for gas? Well, that’s nice, but you don’t have a contractual right to show the SEC Championship Game. Sorry. The Eye has it. CBS takes precedent. They’re entitled to a game and they’re going to get it. As a fan, well, I guess you’re entitled to the same as Carmella Soprano. I’m sure there will be ticket refunds, but that’s probably little consolation to those who have booked hotels, paid for travel, and taken vacation days from work.

The Teams
Well, sorry Georgia, sorry Kentucky. If you want to win this thing you’re going to have to do the improbable (impossible?) and win three games in about 27 hours. Good luck with that. Kentucky is the big loser in all of this. The hard work and dedication to finish second in the SEC East has been pretty much neutralized by the scheduling of the games. Clearly the best interest of the players weren’t at the heart of the decision to play this ridiculously grueling schedule over the next day plus.

The Bottom Line
That’s it. The bottom line. That’s what’s important. The CBS television contract is one of the most lucrative assets the SEC has. The decision to continue this tournament in an absurdly taxing format and without the fans is clearly in the interest of television. Having a two hour block of programming to generate advertising revenue on Selection Sunday is paramount to the health of the student athlete and the interest of the fans. It’s a nice reminder of what college athletics are really about amidst all the hyperbole of fans and student athletes that is rampant this time of year.

Apologies if this isn’t my best effort. It’s late and I’m frustrated.

Comments? Email me at mattox@wodiecrew.com

The Anti-Pearl Crowd Reveals Itself – Brett Hait

Urschel’s Response
Great article. I mean, the other SEC coaches hate Bruce Pearl so much that they actually voted him Coach of the Year. Wow. The whole thesis of your argument keeps ringing in my ears, and I just can’t even begin to make heads or tails of it. They despise him. They’re annoyed by his carnival-barker antics, are envious of his leadership ability, and so they collectively show their disgust by……voting him SEC Coach of the Year?

Like Joe Miller, Denzel Washington’s character in Philadelphia – I’m going to ask you to explain this to me….like I’m a 3 year-old. Because I just don’t get it.

We can argue semantics all day long – your gripe being that, boo-hoo, he has to SHARE the award. Instead of chasing after stories of jealousies and deceit, hatred and back-stabbing, can you bring yourself to actually admit that maybe, just maybe, Kentucky Coach Billy Clyde Gillispie actually deserved the award, too? Call me crazy, but I think they both deserved it, and what do you know? They both get a fancy little trophy to put up on their mantle. I’m still searching for the scandal in that, and I’m not coming up with much.

The bottom line is, both coaches deserved it, and they both got it – they just happened to earn it in different fashions. Bruce Pearl came to Tennessee 3 years ago to take over a program that had suffered through years and years of mediocrity, and quickly turned them into a national power. Despite his impressive coaching resume and boundless energy, nobody expected the Vols to be a #2 seed in their first season under Pearl, make the Sweet 16 in the second, and be poised for a possible #1 seed in their 3rd. But Pearl didn’t step into an unwinnable situation, with the SEC’s all-time leading 3-point shooter in Chris Lofton leading the charge for the run-and-gun Vols. This year, All-American transfers Tyler Smith and JP Prince fell into Pearl’s lap, the former somehow convincing the NCAA to waive the mandatory 1-year waiting period because his transfer allowed him to move closer to his Pulaski, Tennessee home to be closer to his cancer-stricken father. Pulaski is 250 miles from UT’s Knoxville campus.

As far as Billy Gillispie is concerned, the guy can flat-out coach. In fact (I’m sure you already know this, but I’ll throw it out there anyways), he’s won the Coach of the Year award 5 consecutive times – in 3 different conferences. Must be the most popular guy in town. Either that, or he knows his X’s and O’s. I’ll let you decide. Yeah, you can certainly argue that he dug his own hole early in the season – beginning SEC play with an ugly 6-7 record. However, I’m fairly certain he didn’t ask to be left with a depleted roster and varying injuries throughout the year to each of his top 7 scorers. Patrick Patterson suffered a stress fracture that ended his season after the February 27th Ole Miss game. Point guard Derrick Jasper missed nearly half the season after having microfracture surgery over the summer. Jodie Meeks has missed 18 games and won’t be back this season. All-SEC guards Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford each missed a game. And so on.

Even through all the turmoil and injuries Kentucky has faced, do you happen to remember the head-to-head record between the Co-SEC Coaches of the Year? One win apiece. And conference records of 14-2 and 12-4 for Pearl and Gillispie, respectively. Taking all factors into consideration, it’s pretty difficult to put one’s resume in front of the other’s. Gillispie has had to transform his team to fit the style of play he insists upon, fight through injuries, roster challenges, and NCAA Tournament-like pressure for 16 straight games just to get his team on the proverbial Bubble. Pearl, on the other hand, has in 3 short years taken Tennessee to #1 in the AP poll for the first time in school history, and built the team into a true national power. Personally, I can’t think of two better coaching jobs this year – and they both deserve the recognition they were awarded. Now, if you insist on digging for idle rumors and slander, perhaps your talents would be better served writing for the National Enquirer or Globe. Until then, I suggest you stick to what you know best – Kenny Chesney and abstinence.

Senior Day Leftovers
Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford managed to eek out a win against the mighty Florida Gators in their Rupp Arena swan sang despite combining to shoot 12 of 29 from the field. Bradley also added to the less than stellar performance by missing several critical free throws that nearly cost the Cats this important win. Coming into Kentucky in the fall of 2004 Crawford probably never thought he’d see the day when he’d burst through that hoop and be honored as a senior Wildcat. Of the Rivals top 10 recruits in his class Crawford is the lone holdout still playing college basketball. The remaining nine players now receive a paycheck for their efforts out on the court. Which leads me to this week’s entry from my mail bag…

The Tipman’s Mailbag
Tipman - I've been a Kentucky basketball fan for many many years, and I have to say I have a few concerns about what I'm seeing with this present team, and in particular, the coaching staff. Specifically, I'm talking about the ability of this staff to get their players ready for the NBA Draft. I've been looking at the projections and predictions of all the so-called "experts," and NONE of them seem to think that either of our two seniors -- Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley -- are ready to play in the NBA.

Why is that? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we've won a few games lately (even if it wasn't against great competition), but kids nowadays are more concerned with their chances to play in the NBA than they are their chances to beat Auburn.

What's the reason that the seniors aren't projected to get drafted? Are the scouts concerned about the injuries these guys have had? If so, maybe they don't need to playing so many minutes. Or, do the experts think that no player who loses to powerhouses like Gardner-Webb or San Diego (or by 41 points to Vanderbilt!) can possibly compete in the NBA?

Whatever the reason is, the bottom line is that this coaching staff has had almost a whole year to get these players ready for the next level, but so far, they haven't done that. (And before anybody points to Acie Law as evidence that this coaching staff is capable of developing players and getting them ready for professional basketball, let's not forget that Law was actually recruited by the previous Texas A&M coach!)

Anyway, every time I see names like Prince, Mohammed and Magloire in NBA boxscores, I can't help but wonder whether Crawford and Bradley would see their names on those draft lists if Tubby Smith were still here, since he didn't seem to have a problem developing players into draft choices.

Don't get me wrong, Tipman. I haven't given up on this staff yet, even if they really haven't given me any reason to be optimistic about our ability to get kids ready for the NBA, or for that matter, even get to a Final Four.

Keep up the good work, and Go Big Blue!

Stancil Willoughby
Ashland

Tipman Reacts
An excellent observation from a true blue fan. In today’s college basketball environment getting players to the NBA is very important on the recruiting trail. High school kids will take notice when no Kentucky players are drafted in this summer’s NBA Draft. I don’t know if there is any correlation between Gillispie’s lack of getting his seniors to the NBA and the Cats accepting a commitment from junior college point guard Kevin Galloway, but it would be easy to make that connection. A junior college shortcut is a quick fix when things aren’t going as well on the high school front.

Clock Ticking on the Minutemen
Former Kentucky point guard, Travis Ford’s UMass team is planted firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. UMass currently sits at 21-9 and they’re 40 in the R.P.I. A quick look at their resume reveals that their non-conference slate is somewhat lacking. Ford and his Minutemen did travel to Nashville and play the Vanderbilt Commodores. They managed to keep the game 32 points closer than Gillispie’s Cats, but it still wasn’t enough for a signature non-conference win. This isn’t from a lack of trying though. The Minutemen were originally slated to face the Wildcats in Boston, but Kentucky backed out of that commitment and instead opted to exercise a $50,000.00 buyout clause at the eleventh hour. I assume that the thinking of the current regime is that the modern day 30 pieces of silver was a small price to pay if it ultimately leads to the Cats being selected as an at large team and Travis Ford is left out in the cold as a result of Kentucky’s betrayal.

Winning Without Patterson
Much has been made about the Wildcats play lately with freshman phenom Patrick Patterson sidelined with injury. With Patterson down and Legion long gone, Kentucky is now winning games on the backs of players that were recruited soley by Tubby Smith. According to the over-zealous fan base, particularly those that frequent the cess pool of fan message boards, Smith’s recruiting was lacking and a large reason why he was practically ran out of Lexington. Now that it’s time to make a statement and win basketball games, the same recruits that Wildcat fans did not believe to be up to Kentucky’s standards have put the Kentucky team in a position to receive an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Certainly these fans will recognize that Tubby Smith may have been a fairly good recruiter after all as Billy Gillispie is winning with Tubby Smith’s players.

SEC Tournament
The SEC Tournament returns to Atlanta’s Georgia Dome this season. Kentucky has failed to win the tournament the past three seasons. If the Cats fail to win the tournament this year it will mark the first time in the post-probation era that a Wildcat senior class has come through the program and not won at least one SEC Tournament.

Want your letter published? Email me at Tipman’s Mailbag

It all started 4 years ago in Austin, Texas. Kentucky was playing Utah and their All American center Andrew Bogut. Our defense was frustrating the hell out the future player of the year when he decided to pick on the smallest guy on the court. Little did he know Ramel "Smooth" Bradley would not be intimidated by the 7' Aussie but he was also 150% Brooklyn…. "Do something, Do Something" was Bradley's response. He is extremely proud to be from the streets of New York City as we have all learned over the last few years. He pays tribute to the borough and local superstar rapper Jay-Z when he gets an opportunity by throwing up the rock. He was asked by Billy Gillispie to tone that particular celebration down this year with the intention of focusing on a team atmosphere. He obliged but the fans didn't, any time he steps to the free throw line or hits a deep three you can see thousands of fans honoring Bradley with their hands raised high in the air in the shape of a diamond. Was there any doubt this kid from New York City would be a fan favorite for the next 4 years? His attitude and energy are infectious. You can tell he is having a blast and feels blessed to wear the Kentucky jersey every day.

Ramel?
There is no doubt Ramel has been a joy to watch since he has arrived but at the same time he is one of the more frustrating players I can remember in a Kentucky uniform. The last two years seem as if Bradley has been trying to force the issue and is exemplifying the stereotypical selfish New York City street baller that he is. The number of ill-advised shots and errant passes has literally taken years off my life. Even this year with a noticeable improvement in both leadership and contribution on the court he still has those moments when I can say nothing but….. "RAMELLLLLLLL!!" I have come to realize that he is so consumed with helping the team that he is not being selfish at all but the exact opposite, he is trying to shoulder the responsibility on his own and he is doing an unbelievable job this year.

1st Team All SEC
Before you shun the notion hear me out. Ramel Bradley is the most important player on this team and has been all year. Wow, in 2004 I would have never dreamed this high school kid from NYC that spent a year prepping in Florida before becoming a Wildcat would be the most integral piece of the puzzle. He was over shadowed by 3 McDonald’s All American classmates and never showed an ounce of jealousy. Finally in 2008, this is his team. With all the injuries and ailments, a coaching change, and a losing record in January he did what any great leader would do and put his team on his back. Over the next 8 games he averaged more than 40 minutes per game. That's insane. Bradley wheeled off 6 straight 20pt games (breaking Jamal Mashburn's record) and ended up with 7 of 8 games over 20pts before getting knocked out (literally) by Georgia center Dave Bliss. Even after suffering a concussion and already having a viral infection Ramel tried to re-enter the game in the second half much to the dismay of the coaching staff. While other injured players in the league are joyfully eating popcorn on the bench, Ramel was trying to convince the staff he was ready to go and for good reason… the team looked lost without its leader on the court for the next 3 halves. UK persevered and Ramel got better.

His leadership and importance to the team are only two intangibles, but he is flat out getting it done on the court. He is the leading free throw shooter in the SEC at 84%, averaging more than 16 pts, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 40.2% fg, and 39% from 3pt. He has clutch shot after clutch shot starting with a fall away jumper against Vandy to seal the first victory over a ranked opponent in the past two season and the first glimmer of hope this year for the UK faithful. Ending, for now, with a deep 3 last night that rattled around the rim and finally went down to put a nail in the coffin of Dave Odom. Not only is he getting it done on offense but the kid from NYC is averaging almost 2 steals per game. He has two teammates that are also worthy to be in the All SEC discussion but in my humble opinion Bradley is the team's Most Valuable Player and the most valuable player to his respective team in the SEC.

My Old Kentucky Home
I'll be one of the loyal fans watching while holding back tears as Ramel "Smooth" Bradley is introduced for the last time in Rupp Arena. When he breaks through the paper I'll be holding up the rock and cheering as loud as possible. This is certainly one Wildcat that we are all going to miss but remember for years. Thanks for the memories Ramel.

Comments? Email me at anth@wodiecrew.com

Remember in “Rocky IV” when Rocky goes to Russia to fight Drago and in the final scene the Italian Stallion enters the ring to a raucous crowd of communists booing him unmercifully? Then, as Rocky proceeds to take the mammoth Russian all 15 rounds on nothing but pure guts (and as we know now, HGH), the crowd slowly starts to cheer for him and by the end of the fight the crowd is chanting “Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!” Finally, Rocky proceeds to give what might be the single greatest victory speech of all time…”during this fight, I seen a lot of changin. The way youse felt about me, and the way I felt about you…” Well, Joe Crawford might as well put on a pair of American Flag shorts, because he has pulled a Rocky Balboa with so many Kentucky basketball fans this year.

Early Struggles
Crawford came to Kentucky as a decorated high school All American in what was celebrated as being Tubby Smith’s greatest recruiting haul. He was dubbed a high flying, high scoring, two guard the likes of which Kentucky had not seen since the days of Derek Anderson. He – along with Rajon Rondo, Randolph Morris, and Ramel Bradley - were going to come in and dominate the college basketball world, and in the process throw some ice on that ever warming Kentucky coaching seat that Tubby Smith had occupied. Well, that’s the way it was supposed to go.

The talented freshman was lost his first year. Crawford wasn’t used to sitting the bench and getting mop up minutes. He got frustrated, home sick, and those “handlers” who so often attach themselves to basketball stars began to get into his ear. So Joe quit. He quit on his coach, his teammates, the University of Kentucky and its fans. To Crawford’s surprise, however, he didn’t find D1 coaches lining up to take a kid who had thrown in the towel on his team in just a handful of games. Crawford returned to Lexington, reluctantly.

The next couple years Crawford would rack up a lot of minutes and a lot of stats, but they were mostly empty. The team was struggling, Joe was out of shape, he showed the basketball IQ of a grapefruit, played defense as if he were allergic to the notion, and he pouted when things were going south. He may have worn a Kentucky jersey, but he didn’t play Kentucky basketball. Of the class that was supposed to save Tubby Smith’s job, Joe Crawford became the poster child for the class that lost Tubby Smith his job…fair or unfair.

Sweet Redemption
Enter Billy Gillispie. All indications were that it pained the new coach to watch Joe play basketball every bit as much it did most UK fans. Gillispie refused to start the senior, he nipped at him in the media, and scowled at him during games. In fact, for a while, one would have sworn that Billy G was trying to run Joe Crawford out of town…only this time for good. But, Crawford - the one time quitter and pouter - responded like he was made of Teflon. He busted his ass to get in shape despite some nagging injuries. He suddenly began taking better shots, making the extra pass, and using his talent on the defensive side of the ball. By the time conference play rolled around UK fans were beginning to see a new side of the much maligned high school All American. He was hitting clutch shots, he was leading, he was becoming the guy we thought we were getting when he signed out of Michigan 3 years ago. All the sudden, it became easy to cheer for Joe Crawford, not just because he was wearing a Kentucky jersey, but because he was finally playing Kentucky basketball.

Maybe nothing truly changed with Joe. Maybe he just finally got the right coach to push the right buttons. But, I like to think it was a little more than that. I like to think that the preverbal light went on for Joe Crawford at some point. That, as he saw his career at UK winding down he figured that this place was more special to him that just a stop gap before going to the NBA (which he has to realize might never happen). That he realized it was a privilege to play basketball for the University of Kentucky. That he decided he was going to bust his ass and adjust his game because of those things. After bitching about him for 3 straight years and yearning for the day he graduates, I feel myself sad to see his career coming to an end. It’s too early, he was just getting it! There are a boat load of Kentucky basketball fans who feel the same way. Joe has won us over in Rocky Balboa fashion. About the only thing left for him to do is grab the microphone on senior night in front of 24 thousand cheering cat fans and scream “if I can change…and you can change…everyone can change!” Hey, it’s not single handedly bringing down the USSR, but it would make for a hell of a sign off, right?

WodieCrew.com

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