Each Wednesday here at Cat Scratches, we’re going to take a look back at the latest week’s news in UK Athletics from around the Web.Best on the ‘netMen’s basketball: UK continues winning ways in Rupp (Michael Grant, Louisville Courier-Journal)Thanks to a strong second half, the University of Kentucky continued its mastery in Rupp Arena.The Wildcats downed Mississippi State 85-79 on Tuesday night to improve to 30-0 at home under coach John Calipari. Their 31-game home winning streak is second longest in the nation, and their home-court advantage has been vital this season because UK (18-7, 6-5 SEC) has struggled on the road.Men’s basketball: Darius Miller plays big despite injury (Larry Vaught, Danville-Advocate Messenger)Miller injured his groin in Saturday’s loss at Vanderbilt and did not practice Sunday or Monday and was listed a questionable for the game by UK coach John Calipari. He didn’t start, but he came in and played 33 minutes.”Darius being injured like he is, I thought he did a good job. Some of the shots he made were big,” Calipari said. “He didn’t practice yesterday. I just decided not to start him because of that. We weren’t going to practice him. Maybe (not starting) helped him. Maybe it takes the edge off and made it easier.”Women’s golf: Albrecht, Kentucky looking for playoff berth (Julie Williams, Golf Week)For first-year Kentucky head coach Golda Borst, it’s never too early to start thinking about the postseason. Kentucky is one of five teams in the 17-team field (of the UCF Challenge) that finds itself on the bubble for postseason play, even if it is a little early in the season to begin thinking about the NCAAs.Baseball: UK embraces new, weaker bats (Ethan Levine, Kentucky Kernel)“There are going to be a lot less home runs this year, but I feel like it helps our team,” UK senior shortstop Taylor Black said. “We are a speed-oriented team. We like to pitch and play defense, so I think it’s in our favor. But it will change the game.”UK Hoops: Henderson comes up big in clutch (Jennifer Smith, Lexington Herald-Leader)With less than two seconds to play, Brittany Henderson barely had time to think.Barely time to breathe.But the forward clearly remembered thinking two things: “Put it in the basket and don’t miss it,” she said.Men’s basketball: NBA scouts weigh in on Jones, Knight (Seth Davis, SI.com)(On Knight) Mature personality, fantastic worker, can really shoot the basketball. Winning matters to him. He’s in the first round if he comes out, for sure. People try to compare him to Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, but he’s not at their level. The one thing I will say about him is he’s an absolute gym rat. He loves being in the gym and working on his game. He may not be a prototypical point guard, but with his work ethic, size, speed and ability to shoot, you have to take a chance on him.
Wildcats in the ProsRandall Cobb’s stock on the rise (Chip Cosby, Herald-Leader) Cobb has been one of the fastest-rising players in draft projections since the deadline for underclassmen to apply passed on Jan. 15. During the season, Cobb was viewed as a middle-round prospect, and the NFL Draft evaluation that he used in helping to make his decision viewed him as a third-rounder.But in his latest mock draft, ESPN and Scouts Inc. draft analyst Todd McShay has Cobb going in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens as the 26th overall pick.UK fans have special relationship with John Wall (Adam McGinnis, TruthAboutIt.net)The birth of the John Wall Dance phenomenon was fueled solely by Kentucky Wildcats’ fans, before the craze went nationwide and ultimately became Wall’s pop culture trademark. The initial act at Kentucky’s Midnight Madness before Wall’s freshman year was the first glimpse of the special relationship between Big Blue Nation and Wall.Rajon Rondo makes case as Eastern Conference’s best point guard (ESPN)Picking the Eastern Conference’s top point guard is no easy task because, of the candidates, each player’s style is so different than the next. But here’s the bottom line: The best point guard is the one who most consistently guides his team to victory, and no player has done that more in recent years than Rajon Rondo.Daniel Orton unlikely to return this season (Zach McCann, Orlando Sentinel)Magic first-round pick Daniel Orton is working out twice a day with Magic staff, rehabbing the left knee he had arthroscopic surgery on back in December. It’s unlikely he’ll be available to the Magic this season, even for practice. Orton said it’s “hard to say” when exactly he’ll begin playing basketball again. “It’s tough,” he said. “I’ll just keep going at it.”News from UKathletics.comUK Hoops: Dunlap named to Naismith Trophy midseason top 30 listMen’s basketball: Jones receives SEC Freshman of the WeekMen’s tennis: UK prominent in latest ITA rankingsBaseball: Shortstop Black returns for senior seasonVideo of the weekIn a defensive slugfest on Sunday against LSU, UK Hoops forced a Tiger turnover with less than 15 seconds left in a tie ballgame. In one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, sophomore guard A’dia Mathies came off a screen and hit Brittany Henderson for a layup with just 1.1 seconds remaining, giving the Cats a much-needed win. The game-winning layup is at the end of the video.
‘;
//–>
