Best of Midnight Madness: Kentucky transforms Rupp Arena floor into a projector screen

13 Oct
2012

Midnight Madness produces some memorable moments each year, so The Dagger is chronicling the best ones from Friday's lineup all weekend. If you spot something we missed, let us know here or .

Super Bowl halftime shows have nothing on Big Blue Madness. At the start of Kentucky's annual season tipoff event, the school thrilled a jam-packed Rupp Arena crowd by transforming the basketball floor into a 92-foot projection screen. The three minute video displayed everything from highlights from Kentucky's eight national championship banners, to highlights from past players, to images of the current Wildcats. Only Kentucky has the creativity and the cash to make its court into giant blue smart phone screen.


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Eight reasons opponents ought to be jealous of where Kentucky houses its basketball team

07 Sep
2012

If John Calipari loses a recruit to a fellow college basketball juggernaut, it certainly won't be because living conditions at Kentucky were inadequate.

Calipari posted a video on his website Monday giving viewers an MTV Cribs-style tour of Kentucky's newly renovated Wildcat Coal Lodge, which will house the basketball team beginning this school year.

The $7 million privately funded dormitory is located directly adjacent to Kentucky's  practice facility and athletic tutoring facility for maximum convenience. It features everything from a private chef, to plush lounges, to spacious dorm rooms designed with a 7-footer in mind.

Why would this be in compliance with NCAA rules when athletic dormitories typically are not allowed? Well, as Kentucky is careful to note, some lucky non-student athletes will also live in the building. Here's a look at some of the amenities Calipari showcased that are sure to entice potential recruits and enrage opposing coaches.

1. ITINERARY FLAT SCREENS: Kentucky players will have no excuse for being late to anything from now on. Flat screens scattered throughout the lodge display individual players' schedules for practices, classes and weight lifting and conditioning. If everyone had one of those in their homes, the company that makes Post-It notes would go out of business.

2. PLUSH SEATS: The lounge at the lodge features about a dozen leather recliners situated around a giant flat-screen TV. Why recliners? "They don't sit on couches anymore or chairs," Calipari explains. "They want to be on recliners."

3. POOL, ANYONE? Among the items in the  lounge is a blue felt pool table matching the various Kentucky basketball murals and championship banners hanging from the walls. Interestingly, Kentucky did not put its school logo on the cue ball the way Oklahoma State did in its practice facility. You're falling behind the competition, Wildcats.

4. WHAT A FIRST IMPRESSION: The first thing any future recruit sees upon entering the lodge is a display case that holds Kentucky's eight national championship trophies. And, as Calipari points out above, there's a blank space at the end for No. 9. Hint, hint guys. Expectations are high in Lexington.

5. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Proof that Kentucky thought of just about everything: Sinks designed with a center in mind. "For me to wash my hands on this sink, the sink is kind of high," says Calipari, standing in front of the sink in 6-foot-8 Kyle Wiltjer's dorm room. "But everything in here is for 7-footers. We want to make sure a 7-footer is comfortable."

6. A PRIVATE CHEF: Head chef Chris Cain explained to Calipari that Kentucky players who want a grilled cheese sandwich, burger or cheese steak can make a special order and their meals will be done in minutes. Hopefully Cain mixes in a few salads and grilled chicken sandwiches too or the Wildcats are going to have to do extra conditioning to burn those calories.

7. SUBTLE REMINDERS: In case current players or future recruits somehow missed the murals featuring Anthony Davis, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in the lounge, the dorm hallway features another reminder of Calipari's proclivity for producing NBA talent. The wall features a list of Wildcats drafted by NBA teams and photos of former Kentucky players currently in the NBA.

8. SINGLE ROOMS: The dorm room above is Kyle Wiltjer's. It's not lavish enormous, but it's all his except for the bathroom he shares with a teammate in an adjoining room. For those of us who still have nightmares about living in a triple freshman year of college, that's a pretty good perk too.

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Eight reasons opponents ought to be jealous of where Kentucky houses its basketball team

07 Sep
2012

If John Calipari loses a recruit to a fellow college basketball juggernaut, it certainly won't be because living conditions at Kentucky were inadequate.

Calipari posted a video on his website Monday giving viewers an MTV Cribs-style tour of Kentucky's newly renovated Wildcat Coal Lodge, which will house the basketball team beginning this school year.

The $7 million privately funded dormitory is located directly adjacent to Kentucky's  practice facility and athletic tutoring facility for maximum convenience. It features everything from a private chef, to plush lounges, to spacious dorm rooms designed with a 7-footer in mind.

Why would this be in compliance with NCAA rules when athletic dormitories typically are not allowed? Well, as Kentucky is careful to note, non-student athletes will also live in the building. NCAA rules indicate at least 50 percent of the residents of every wing or floor of a dorm have to be non-student-athletes for it to be permissible.

Whoever the lucky everyday students are who live in the lodge, it's safe to say they won the housing lottery at Kentucky. Here's a look at some of the extravagant amenities Calipari showcased that are sure to entice potential recruits and dismay opposing coaches.

1. ITINERARY FLAT SCREENS: Kentucky players will have no excuse for being late to anything from now on. Flat screens scattered throughout the lodge display individual players' schedules for practices, classes and weight lifting and conditioning. If everyone had one of those in their homes, the company that makes Post-it notes would go out of business.

2. PLUSH SEATS: The lounge at the lodge features about a dozen leather recliners situated around a giant flat-screen TV. Why recliners? "They don't sit on couches anymore or chairs," Calipari explains. "They want to be on recliners."

3. POOL, ANYONE? Among the items in the  lounge is a blue felt pool table matching the various Kentucky basketball murals and championship banners hanging from the walls. Interestingly, Kentucky did not put its school logo on the cue ball the way Oklahoma State did in its practice facility. You're falling behind the competition, Wildcats.

4. WHAT A FIRST IMPRESSION: The first thing any future recruit sees upon entering the lodge is a display case that holds Kentucky's eight national championship trophies. And, as Calipari points out above, there's a blank space at the end for No. 9. Hint, hint guys. Expectations are high in Lexington.

5. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Proof that Kentucky thought of just about everything: Sinks designed with a center in mind. "For me to wash my hands on this sink, the sink is kind of high," says Calipari, standing in front of the sink in 6-foot-8 Kyle Wiltjer's dorm room. "But everything in here is for 7-footers. We want to make sure a 7-footer is comfortable."

6. A PRIVATE CHEF: Head chef Chris Cain explained to Calipari that Kentucky players who want a grilled cheese sandwich, burger or cheese steak can make a special order and their meals will be done in minutes. Hopefully Cain mixes in a few salads and grilled chicken sandwiches too or the Wildcats are going to have to do extra conditioning to burn those calories.

7. SUBTLE REMINDERS: In case current players or future recruits somehow missed the murals featuring Anthony Davis, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in the lounge, the dorm hallway features another reminder of Calipari's proclivity for producing NBA talent. The wall features a list of Wildcats drafted by NBA teams and photos of former Kentucky players currently in the NBA.

8. SINGLE ROOMS: The dorm room above is Kyle Wiltjer's. It's not lavish or enormous, but it's all his except for the bathroom he shares with a teammate in an adjoining room. For those of us who still have nightmares about sharing a shoe box-sized room with two other people freshman year of college, that's a pretty good perk too.

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The NCAA steps up its investigation of Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel

22 Aug
2012

We already knew the NCAA was looking into the recruitment of Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel. Now we have an idea that the investigation has extended beyond the point of a routine inquiry.

Two NCAA enforcement officials traveled to Noel's New Hampshire prep school for a three-hour meeting earlier this month, SI.com's Pete Thamel reported Wednesday. Adding to the intrigue, Kentucky chief compliance officer Sandy Bell accompanied NCAA investigators for the meeting, a rarity were this merely basic fact-checking.

At issue, according to the story, is how Noel paid for his unofficial visits and why he associated himself with certain people. The two most likely to raise questions are ex-Providence assistant Chris Driscoll and former Everett High School substitute teacher Errol Randolph, both of whom have served as advisers to the 6-foot-11 center.

A previous New York Times investigative piece detailed how Driscoll was banned from Tilton Prep School's campus after coaches alleged he was attempting to steer Noel to certain schools and did not have the player's best interest at heart. Randolph, until earlier this summer, had a link on his LinkedIn page to the website of a prominent sports agency.

The obvious question in the wake of this latest report is the same as it has been for months: Will this lead anywhere? At this point, the answer remains unclear.

For this to jeopardize Noel's eligibility at Kentucky, the NCAA will probably have to find concrete evidence he has accepted extra benefits.

The lengthy New York Times investigation into Noel's recruitment this spring revealed plenty of fringe figures attempting to latch on to Noel but no money trail. NCAA officials may uncover something others have missed, but we won't know for sure until they release their findings.

Tags: Chris Driscoll, enforcement, , investigation, , , NCAA enforcement, , Nerlens, Nerlens Noel, , times
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Nascar Nationwide Series Kentucky 300 Tickets 9/22/2012

15 Aug
2012
by in Fantasy NASCAR, General
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Rapper Drake shows off personalized Kentucky championship ring

30 Jul
2012

Being a Kentucky player, coach or employee apparently wasn't a prerequisite when school officials were determining who would receive championship rings commemorating the Wildcats' 2012 national title.

Rapper Drake showed that over the weekend when he posted a photo of his personalized ring on instagram complete with his nickname "Drizzy" etched on one side.

Why would Drake receive a ring when he didn't draw up a single play or score any baskets last season? Well, those are fair questions but Drake has become one of Kentucky's most visible celebrity fans since the arrival of John Calipari three years ago.

He coached one of the intrasquad teams at Big Blue Madness in 2009. He sat behind the bench during the NCAA tournament in 2010.  And he invited Calipari and the entire Wildcats team on stage with him during a concert in Lexington two years ago, even leading a C-A-T-S cheer and performing the John Wall dance on stage.

"They gave me a chance to actually come in and talk to them early in the season," Drake told CoachCal.com in 2010. "Just them listening to me, I think we all connected. They're all my boys. This is my family."

It's definitely unusual for a college team to present a famous fan with a championship ring, but surely Drake isn't the celebrity with some jewelry from the team he supports. Actor Jack Nicholson has to have received a ring from the Lakers after at least one of their championships considering he has been a courtside regular at their games for decades.  

While plenty will argue that giving a ring to Drake cheapens what they symbolize, the rap superstar has contributed to the Wildcats' success in at least one regard. Unparalleled recruiting has fueled Kentucky's back-to-back Final Four appearances, and having Drake as a celebrity fan can only help that cause.

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Saturday night with Kentucky’s Kyle Wiltjer and Willie Cauley-Stein

16 Jul
2012

Anyone who ever spent a summer taking classes in college probably experienced a couple nights with nothing to do.

Campus is often deserted. There aren't as many parties. And you see the same handful of friends who are in town night after night.

College basketball players endure this every summer since they typically have to stay on campus to practice, work out and take classes. Most no doubt have found unusual ways to entertain themselves during those summer nights, but Kentucky's Kyle Wiltjer, Willie Cauley-Stein and Jarrod Polson are some of the first to film their boredom.

What did Wiltjer, Cauley-Stein and Polson do at 2:40 a.m. earlier this month on a quiet Saturday night in Lexington? Believe it or not, they parked at what appears to be a McDonald's, freestyle rapped for a few minutes and then danced wildly in the middle of an otherwise deserted parking lot.

File this night under the category things that only seem like a good idea in college. 

(Thanks, Cats Illustrated)

Tags: , Cauley-Stein, , College basketball players, Jarrod, Jarrod Polson, , Kyle Wiltjer, , Polson, Saturday night, Stein, Willie Cauley-Stein,
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NASCAR says no to the idea of mandatory cautions

05 Jul
2012

Bruton Smith's suggestions at Kentucky served as almost a week's worth of NASCAR fodder. And according to NASCAR president Mike Helton, that's about as much impact as they'll have.

On Saturday before the race at 1.5 mile Kentucky, a track that Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns, he brought up the idea of mandatory cautions to potentially break up long green flag runs -- like the long green flag runs that have become common so far in 2012.

From the Associated Press:

''NASCAR fans want the event to unfold unartificially,'' Helton said at Daytona International Speedway. ''The racing that goes on on the racetrack under green is as exciting as any in motorsports. Sports is a true reality show as it unfolds ... you have to be careful when you think about artificially creating the outcome of that.''

And that's the right move. For NASCAR to give any validation to the idea that another form of "competition" cautions should be added into the mix to create more excitement would be foolish, dangerous, and even outright absurd.

Smith does have a point -- with the current configuration of the cars and the type of intermediate tracks that dominate the Sprint Cup schedule, there have been times that the racing isn't what you would call visually compelling, even if drivers on the track would argue otherwise. However, preplanned cautions to bring the field closer to together, and by default, create more action and passing, would be like renovating a skyscraper with a crumbling foundation.

Instead, there are a couple logical solutions. The first is to continue to find ways to make the product on the track produce more side-by-side racing through changes to the tires and the cars, like what NASCAR did before Kentucky in adjusting the sway bar and side skirt requirements. Yeah, those rule changes didn't look like they had any effect on the parade-like atmosphere at Kentucky at times, but it's a much more sensible step than just tossing out additional yellow flags. Another is to find a tire that has significant wear, forcing drivers to manage their tires significantly more. While durability has been a non-issue, the increased durability has also meant a harder tire compound.

And as the long green flag runs have been proliferating, the number of commercials shown during a green flag run has as well. I'm no TV executive, but I do understand commercials' purpose in the live-sports business model and that more green flag racing equals more green flag commercials. But, what if NASCAR incorporated the "TV timeout" model into its current caution structure and deliberately lengthened the length of caution flags to make sure that broadcasters were able to cram in as many commercials as possible during a yellow?

Through the first 17 races of the season, Sprint Cup races have averaged 5.5 cautions a race, with the most coming at Daytona (10), and the fewest at California (1, when it started to rain and the race was eventually called). Four races so far have had three or fewer cautions.

A caution flag lap at a 1.5 mile track (assuming the caution car is going 50 MPH) is approximately 108 seconds per lap -- or a little more than three 30 second commercials. According to CawsNJaws, 58 of the 183 minutes of the Kentucky race broadcast were commercials. The race featured four cautions for 24 laps. (Though 10 of those laps were in the final caution flag because of a long cleanup.)

If a network used a lap at the beginning of each caution period to show pit stops and discuss strategy, and a lap at the end to catch viewers up on the running order before the green, that left 16 caution laps at Kentucky for commercials -- or almost 29 minutes. If each intermediate track caution flag was extended two laps, that would have allowed another 12 minutes or so of commercials, leaving just about 17 minutes of commercials during green flag racing at the Kentucky race ad ratio.

It's likely not a foolproof plan; extending cautions for commercials at the end of a race with fuel mileage implications would be dicey at best, and like I said, I'm not a TV executive, so there's likely something I'm overlooking. But I'm willing to bet that for most fans, a purposeful increase in caution flag lengths for more commercials would be a worthy tradeoff for more viewable green flag racing. Especially if that racing is fun to watch.

Thoughts? Do you like the idea of mandatory cautions? Should NASCAR reconsider? Drop us a line below.

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Power Rankings: Oh, this’ll make everyone happy

02 Jul
2012

The race is done, and that means it's time for Power Rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's back again...

1. Nobody: Every single week, hordes of people scream about these rankings and what a horrendous miscarriage of justice it is that their guy is ranked too low. (Never too high. You never see anyone saying their guy is ranked too high.) So we could go two ways: the Little League way, where everyone gets a #1 ranking and a juice box, or the angry-dad "I'm turning this car around" way. We're taking the latter, not just to prove a point but because no driver really deserves the No. 1 spot right now. Tony Stewart flamed out, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson were good but not good enough, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Last week: NR.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is biding his time for the Chase. You know it. We know it. And everybody driving against him knows it. He snagged the pole and brought home a sixth-place finish at Kentucky, and that's not a bad weekend's work. Laying low is a solid plan for now.  Last week: 2.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: One more reason why the end of the losing streak was such a wonderful thing: When Earnhardt closed to third place late in the Kentucky race, nobody even blinked or freaked out. And although nobody was catching Keselowski or Kahne, the fact that Junior brought home yet another top 5 is reason to believe. Last week: 5.

4. Matt Kenseth: It's a testament to how good Kenseth really is that his movement away from Roush Fenway has dominated headlines for so long. We don't know where he'll end up, even though he apparently does. But he's a marquee driver, restrained persona and all, and he'll do good things for [team name redacted]. Last week: 4.

5. Kasey Kahne: This is fairly unbelievable: Kasey Kahne holds the wild card spot right now. It wasn't that long ago that some people were writing him off as burnt toast. Not me, though. Never me. I believed in you the whole time, Kasey. Just don't go back and look at my earlier columns, okay? Last week: 7.

6. Tony Stewart: Smoke appeared on camera before the Kentucky race with a female companion. Smoke flamed out of the Kentucky race almost immediately with engine problems. This has led many in Smoke Territory to freak out at the thought of their beloved leader dividing his attentions between track and, uh ... live weight, I guess. Last week: 1.

7. Brad Keselowski: If you'd guessed which driver would be first to three wins in 2012, it's safe to say that Keselowski wouldn't have been in your top three. Maybe top 5. He can win a lot like that. I'm going to find him in Vegas, hit the craps table with him, make a mint when he's winning and then run like he's got the plague as soon as he craps out. Last week: NR.

8. Jeff Gordon: Yes, Gordon is still mired in the teens in the standings, and very well could miss the Chase. Which is a shame, because he's one of the best drivers in NASCAR at this very moment. Like that time you got caught spraying whipped cream down your pants and your buddies posted the picture on Facebook, you can't outrun the past, people. Last week: 8.

9. Greg Biffle: The cracks are starting to show for the Biffmeister. He's now 25 points out of first place. He should be just fine to make the Chase, even with a midseason swoon, but this is why that one win of his was so important. Think Kevin Harvick or Martin Truex Jr. wouldn't like to have that one right about now? Last week: 3.

10. Denny Hamlin: After two straight insanely ugly weeks, Hamlin comes back for a third-place finish at Kentucky, just after signing a fat new contract. Good news. Usually when guys sign those contracts, they go in the tank for a year or two. Last week: 12.

11. Martin Truex Jr.: It's not yet time for Truex or Kevin Harvick, the last remaining drivers in the top 10 without wins, to panic, but oh, it's starting to get a little dicey. The last thing you want is a couple of ugly finishes to start weighing heavily on your mind heading into that Bristol/Atlanta/Richmond stretch. Last week: 9.

12. Clint Bowyer: Somehow, Clint Bowyer, one of the most easygoing guys in the garage, got caught in the ongoing Joey Logano-Ryan Newman battle, which has to be one of the most ridiculous fights in the garage. Would love to see Bowyer-as-peacemaker mixed in with his bowhunting and car repair in those Five-Hour Energy commercials. Matter of fact, they should update those every week with new cool events, like shooting off fireworks and such. Last week: 6.

Dropping out of the rankings: Marcos Ambrose, Kevin Harvick.

Lucky Dog: AJ Allmendinger. A ninth-place finish for the Dinger, and he continues to hold out hope of better days ahead. If nothing else, Shell has to be happy he's not dragging their corporate image through the foxing mud.

DNF: Carl Edwards. We are in dark days for the 99 team. They need a win, desperately, and they're farther than they have been in years from top-flight status. Edwards is as cool a customer as they come, but these are the times that could try anyone's soul.

All right, your turn. Fire away, friends.

Tags: , , , , Jimmie Johnson, , kasey kahne, , Matt Kenseth, , ,
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Brad Keselowski wins third race of the year, cements Cup cred

30 Jun
2012

For a track already infamous for concrete-thick gridlock outside the grandstands, Kentucky gave us a race on Saturday night as wide open as rush hour on a holiday.

Brad Keselowski proved he's not just a legit Chase contender but a potential championship one, winning his third race of the year while driving a backup car and manipulating his fuel situation. With big guns like Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin suffering setbacks that kept them out of the lead, and with Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. unable to close the gap, Keselowski thoroughly dominated the final third of the race.

[Related: Results from the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway]

Hamlin wasn't able to build on what he'd hoped would be a marquee day, the announcement of the extension of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. "When you know you're locked in and know you're going to race where you're going to race for a really long time, and honest people at Joe Gibbs Racing and FedEx have your back a long time, it's a good feeling," he said. "We're really blessed to have the partnership that we have ... and a team that's capable of winning a championship.  That's all I can ask for.  So it's up to us to get that done from here on out." Hamlin now sits 5th in points, and appears a lock to make the Chase.

Kentucky spent untold amounts both in trying to rectify last year's disastrous parking nightmare and in trying to get out the word about all the changes. And indeed, there were no reports of problems getting into the track ... in part, at least, because attendance appeared to be far short of last year's total. Some of that dropoff is to be expected when you go from an inaugural race to a second one, some is attributable to the triple-degree heat, but some is certainly because of the problems from last year. Post-race, Twitter had no reports of drivers trapped in their vehicles or unable to leave the track.

The drivers didn't have a whole lot of trouble getting around Kentucky for the most part, either. Wide-open racing at the 1.5-mile track didn't produce a whole lot of drama; indeed, for much of the race it felt like a Formula 1-style "who makes the errors in the pits?" kind of race. Any driver able to find clean air could get distance on the field, and the drivers, like Busch and Keselowski, who could restart strong after one of the few cautions were able to grab and hold the lead ... and he did so in a backup car courtesy of the, in his words, "badasses" of his team.

[Related: Carl Edwards sounds off after another disappointing finish]

"They put together a back‑up car from last year in 100° heat in an hour's time ‑‑ not even an hour," Keselowski said. "It was like 40 minutes.  I wish I had a stopwatch for that.  Got it on the racetrack and got to run our laps for practice to make the adjustments we needed to be fast today.  And that's what badasses do, and that's what got us to victory lane today, and I'm proud of these guys for it.  I'm proud of them.  Damn proud of them.  I think that sums it up."

This sets up an interesting final nine races of the regular season for Keselowski. If he's able to stay in the top 10, and he's 34 points ahead of 11th right now, he'd get bonus points for the three wins. That at the moment would put him in the series lead. Fall out of the top 10, and he'll still surely make the Chase, but without the bonus points.

Either way, Keselowski showed he's now legitimate championship material. As Tony Stewart proved last year, a driver that can win at any time is more valuable than a consistent finisher, if only barely. And Keselowski now adds a 1.5-miler to his short track and his superspeedway victories this year. That's not a bad year's work, and we're not even halfway.

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