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 ‘netBaseball: Alex Meyer realizes potential (Aaron Smith, Kentucky Kernel)
When Alex Meyer turned down a multi-million dollar deal from the Boston Red Sox out of high school after being drafted in the 20th round, it was a risk. Sure, he certainly had the potential to end up making his decision worth it — look at any picture of Meyer throwing and you think of a slightly lesser version of Randy Johnson — but there’s also many things that could lead to regret by going to college.
Men’s basketball: 2011 class puts UK atop SEC yet again (Jerry Meyer, Rivals.com)
The string of No. 1-ranked recruiting classes at Kentucky under John Calipari continued in 2011. All four of Kentucky’s recruits are five-star prospects, and three of those prospects rank in the top 10 in the country.
Track and field: Sprinter Tyson Gay a UK fan (Larry Vaught, VaughtsViews.com)
“It is really more fun to keep up with UK and follow UK again now. I love Kentucky basketball. They are great,” he said. I am gone a lot, but it’s nice to have Kentucky basketball to watch and talk about. It’s really nice when I come back home. I go to a lot of beautiful countries and cities, but there is nothing like coming home and I love watching UK.”
Men’s basketball: Jones chooses summer school over Team USA (Jerry Tipton, Lexington Herald-Leader)
University of Kentucky forward Terrence Jones will not try out for the USA Basketball team that plays in the Under 19 World Championship this summer.Jones will attend summer school at UK, USA Basketball’s Sean Ford said Tuesday.
Football: Phillips sees perception of Kentucky changing (Edward Aschoff, ESPN.com)
Kentucky has now played in five straight bowl games and has won three of them. Second-year coach Joker Phillips is looking to take the Wildcats to their sixth straight bowl game — something Kentucky football has never done. For a school known more for hoops than pigskin, that’s an accomplishment. But it’s not enough for Phillips. Phillips said he and his players are focused on something else, something more exciting. Phillips doesn’t just want to reach bowl games, he wants to compete for SEC titles.
Men’s basketball: Lamb one of college basketball’s most underrated (Jason King, Yahoo! Sports)
Doron Lamb, Kentucky, guard – Although he tapered off a bit at the end of the season, Lamb still played a vital role in the Wildcats getting to the Final Four. He averaged 12.3 points and shot 48.6 percent from 3-point range – not bad for a freshman coming off the bench.
Former Wildcats making headlinesJohn Wall brightens youth basketball clinic (Dan Steinberg, Washington Post)
Horn said the guard spent at least 30 or 45 minutes with the group, taking individual pictures with every kid, signing everything that was given to him and chatting with the parents, who were also excited. One of those parents — David Cordell — sent an e-mail about the experience to Ted Leonsis, who passed it along to me. Cordell isn’t much of a pro basketball fan, but he’s seen pro athletes act in ways he doesn’t always like, and he wanted to thank Wall for changing his impression.“A lot of stars don’t even have the time to sign autographs; the fact that John Wall would actually come down on his own volition after working out, I think it was great,” Cordell told me. “I have to tell you, I think it’s so refreshing. All I can say is, I don’t know who his mother is, but she brought up him up well.”Cordell’s 14-year old son, Sam, left the gym having made his first basket — “one of the best days ever,” his dad wrote. David, meanwhile, wrote that Wall “restored my faith in professional basketball players.”
Rex Chapman set to enter Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame (Mark Story, Herald-Leader)
On Wednesday night in Louisville, King Rex will be among seven taking their place among our state’s sports royalty.In the rich history of hoops in our state, I’m not sure any home-grown player has ever electrified the commonwealth quite like the bundle of contradictions that was Rex Everett Chapman.
Mallory Blackwelder qualifies for US Open (Irv Moss, Denver Post)
A long day on the golf course and perhaps what seemed like a longer wait afterward proved worthwhile for Mallory Blackwelder in Sunday’s qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor.Blackwelder, from Versailles, Ky., shot a 14-over-par 156 over 36 holes, good enough to claim the third and final qualifying spot by one stroke. She will play in her first U.S. Open, to be held July 7-10 on the same Broadmoor East Course.
News from UKathletics.comTrack and field: Nine athletes set for NCAA Outdoor ChampionshipsBaseball: Chad Wright drafted in ninth round; Black and Kapteyn picked; Cooper selected in 23rd roundWomen’s basketball: Pam Stackhouse named Associate AD by BellarmineGolf: Current, future golfers begin summer playSwimming and diving: Derek Perkins named assistant coachMen’s tennis: Quigley named ITA Singles All-American
Tweet of the weekMonday night I mentioned the mini-UK alumni club that is developing in Washington, D.C. with Alex Meyer joining John Wall, Jeremy Jarmon and Victoria Dunlap in the nation’s capital. After Meyer’s selection, Wall reached out to Meyer to congratulate him, prompting a brief interaction between the two.“@AlexMeyer17 (what’s) good man and congrats on getting drafted.” – @jimmywa11“@jimmywa11 Thanks man I appreciate it..maybe I’ll run into (you) sometime soon. Hope you’re doing well man.” – @AlexMeyer17“@AlexMeyer17 yep we will and I’m (doing) good man” – @jimmywa11
