Team USA Trio Could All End Up At Kentucky

I just returned to my hotel after watching the practices for this weekend's Nike Hoop Summit. I made a point to find DeMarcus Cousins and congratulate him on his recent commitment to Kentucky. He was excited to meet someone who had gone to school there.

After talking about all the positive experiences he should expect while at UK, I asked him flat out if he was going to bring some of his Team USA teammates with him to Lexington. And without blinking an eye, he said he thinks both Xavier Henry and John Wall will eventually sign with Kentucky. Neither player had told him that directly, but based on their most recent conversations, Cousins' gut feeling told him that all three would end up playing for the Cats.

A few moments later, I spoke to Henry. He told me that since he had been released from his letter-on-intent by Memphis, he now had three schools on his final list: Memphis, Kansas and Kentucky. He wouldn't say which way he was leaning, but he did say he was a huge fan of John Calipari's dribble-drive offense. In fact, he said it was Cal's system that led him to sign with Memphis in the first place, in addition to the opportunity to play with his brother CJ.

And speaking of, Henry told me that he plans to visit UK's campus shortly after he plays in the Jordan Brand Classic in New York, and he won't be alone. Both Xavier and CJ will tour the campus and the facilities together. Thus, reinforcing the idea I mentioned earlier this week. Xavier and CJ Henry will more than likely be a package deal.

By the way, PJ Carlesimo told me today that CJ is not just a throw in. The kid can play!

Finally, I got the chance to talk to John Wall. When I first asked him to name the schools on his list, he ran off about half of all the Division 1 programs. Jordan Brand Classic organizers asked Wall to have his list narrowed down to just a handful of teams by next week, but I didn't feel like waiting that long.

I got right to the point and asked him with Calipari going to Kentucky if that meant UK was a strong candidate, and he said "Definitely."

Wall went on to tell me that the reason he would be interested in playing for Calipari is because of his ability to put players on the fast track to the NBA. He mentioned Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans by name, both of whom spent only one season at Memphis before heading to the draft.

I want to reiterate that neither Henry or Wall confirmed to me that they would end up at Kentucky, but if Las Vegas was to set on a line on the chances, UK would be a good bet. I was left with the impression that playing for John Calipari was more important than the school they represent, which of course, is great news for Big Blue Nation.
Be sure and catch the game Saturday night on FSN.

LAKERS HEAD COACH PHIL JACKSON WILL NOT ACCOMPANY TEAM TO PORTLAND

EL SEGUNDO--Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will remain in Los Angeles instead of accompanying the team on its road trip to Portland, due to pain and swelling in his lower right leg caused by plantar fasciitis, it was announced today.

The Lakers will fly to Portland following tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets, and will play the Trail Blazers in Portland tomorrow night. The team will be coached by assistant coach Kurt Rambis in Jackson's absence.

Jackson missed the Lakers' first preseason game back on October 7 in Anaheim versus the Utah Jazz. He will rejoin the team for Saturday's practice and is not expected to miss any additional games.

We All Need To Do Our Part To End Driking And Driving

I went to bed last night with the thought of writing a blog post this morning about drinking and driving in response to the recent arrests of some professional athletes for DUI. But before I could even get out of bed, I heard the news about Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart dying as a result of a DUI-related accident overnight.

I had originally planned to call out the likes of Joba Chamberlain, Donte Stallworth, Zach Randolph and Leon Hall. Pro athletes make way too much money and have way too much at stake not to have a designated driver. If you can afford a Rolls Royce Phantom, you can afford a driver.

However, I was also going to point out that pro athletes should not be held to a higher standard when it comes to drinking and driving. When you consider that over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, you know that doctors, lawyers, teachers and executive VP's accounted for more DUI arrests than professional athletes. Their arrests just don't make Page One of the country's sports pages, nor are they the lead on SportsCenter.

This problem, though, is not about athletes thinking they are invincible. This problem is about all of us thinking something tragic will never happen to us. Well, we all need to wise up.

*In 2007, an estimated 12,998 people died in drunk driving related crashes. Those deaths constitute 31.7% of the 41,059 total traffic fatalities in 2007.

*On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes.

*About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

Talk about sobering news. Those statistics, courtesy of MADD, suggest that we are more likely to be involved in a DUI-related accident than to visit a foreign country. More Americans will die this year after drinking White Russians than those who will actually visit Russia.

But don't think this sermon is being delivered without sin. I am not proud to say that I have gotten behind the wheel of my car more than once when I probably shouldn't have. For someone who refuses to co-sign stupidity, I consider those incidents some of the most stupid things I have ever done in my life. I was just fortunate to have avoided tragedy. Now, I am committed to avoiding even the possibility of a DUI.

I just hope the rest of America joins me.

ANGELS' ADENHART, TWO OTHERS, KILLED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT

ANAHEIM, CA: Angels Baseball this morning announced the passing of right-hander Nick Adenhart, the victim of a fatal automobile accident in Fullerton, CA. Two other individuals were also killed in the incident.

Adenhart, 22, was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi along with three others. Fullerton Police reported the Mitsubishi proceeded through an intersection, when a van ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle. A female driver and male passenger were in the Mitsubishi were dead when police and fire department personnel arrived. Adenhart died as the result of his injuries at UCI Medical Center earlier this morning.

No other members of the Angels organization were involved.

Adenhart pitched a masterful six innings in last night's game against Oakland (6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO), leaving with a 4-0 lead before a late-inning rally resulted in a 6-4 Angels defeat.

Originally drafted by the Angels in the 14th round of the June, 2004 draft, Adenhart was in his fifth professional season and made the Angels Opening Day roster for the first time. He opened the 2009 campaign with a 37-28 career minor league record and a 3.87 ERA (506.2 IP - 218 ER). Adenhart made his Major League debut last May 1 against Oakland. At the time, he was the youngest active-roster pitcher in the majors.

Adenhart earned his spot in the Angels rotation via a spring training in which he recorded a 3-0 record and a 3.12 ERA (26 IP - 9 ER) over the course of six starts. During that span, he struck out 18 while allowing only five base on balls.

Adenhart is survived by his father Jim and mother Janet. His family released the following statement:

"Nick's family expresses sincere gratitude for all the help the Angels have provided. He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people. The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."

Angels General Manager Tony Reagins issued the following statement on behalf of the club:

"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today. We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's famil, friends' loved ones and fans."

Memorial services are pending.

Xavier Henry's College Decision Will Be All About Family

Just ran across an article with some good insight on Xavier Henry, one of the top recruits in the country. He originally signed with Memphis, but when John Calipari took the Kentucky job, Henry and his brother CJ were both released from their commitments.

According to their dad, former Kansas player Carl Henry, the two brothers are deciding between Memphis, KU and UK. He doesn't expect a decision, however, until a couple of weeks.

“Xavier is leaving tomorrow for Oregon (and Nike Hoop Summit). After that he goes to New York (for Jordan Classic, April 18),” Carl Henry said. “The only way they could do it is if C.J. and Xavier talk (soon) and decide something between themselves. Our family likes to sit down and discuss things. That’s the way we do things and Xavier will be gone two weeks."

The key word in that statement is "family". In the March edition of SLAM Magazine, Xavier talked about why he chose Memphis, and it had everything to do with family and the opportunity to play on the same team as his brother for the first time.

"We've never had a chance to play together--he was a senior when I was in ninth grade--and my parents really wanted us to stay together," said Xavier. "My whole family is going to move out there (Memphis) next year. We figure, we're gonna split up soon, so this is kind of a last chance to be together as a whole family. I'm looking forward to it."

So it seems pretty simple. Wherever Xavier Henry ends up, that school won't just get one of the top recruits in the country, it will get the entire Henry family.

DeMarcus Cousins Will Follow Calipari To Kentucky

Several news outlets are reporting that DeMarcus Cousins will follow John Calipari to Kentucky. He is the first in an expected line of top recruits Calipari will bring to UK.

I will be working the sidelines on this weekend's Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. The game will feature not only Cousins, but also Xavier Henry and John Wall, both of whom could very well end up in Lexington alongside Cousins.

I plan to talk to all three players Friday afternoon. I hope to share some of those conversations with you over the weekend.

As far as Cousins is concerned, his high school coach, Otis Hughley, said that he was glad Cousins went ahead and made a decsion instead of dragging out the process.

You can read more info here.

Be sure and catch the Nike Hoop Summit Saturday evening on FSN, as I will be interviewing some of these players live during the game. Check your local listings.

DODGERS ANNOUNCE 2009 OPENING DAY ROSTER

SAN FRANCISCO-- The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their Opening Day roster for the 2009 championship season. The club also placed right-handed pitcher Jason Schmidt on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 30, to recover from a right shoulder labrum tear. General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

According to Major League Baseball rules, each of the 30 teams had to set their Opening Day roster today by 12:00 noon Pacific time. The Dodgers will make additional roster moves prior to tomorrow's Opening Day game at the San Diego Padres.

The 25-man roster, which today stands at 24 players, as broken down by position:

Pitchers (11):
Chad Billingsley
Jonathan Broxton
Clayton Kershaw (L)
Hiroki Kuroda
Hong-Chih Kuo (L)
James McDonald
Guillermo Mota
Ramon Troncoso
Claudio Vargas
Cory Wade
Randy Wolf (L)

Catchers (2):
Brad Ausmus
Russell Martin

Infielders (6):
Casey Blake
Blake DeWitt
Rafael Furcal
Orlando Hudson
James Loney
Mark Loretta

Outfielders (5):
Andre Ethier
Matt Kemp
Juan Pierre
Manny Ramirez
Delwyn Young

Tim Floyd To Stay At USC

Looks like Tim Floyd had second thoughts about going to Arizona. Considering how much he pleaded with some of his USC players--particularly DeMar DeRozen--during the team's banquet on Tuesday to stay at USC instead of going to the NBA, it was good to see Floyd follow some of his own advice.

Here's an excerpt from the LA Times on Floyd's decision to stay in Los Angeles.

"I listened, I heard what they had to say," Floyd said. "But there is something really special about building your own traditions and your own history."

He acknowledged that in addition to meeting with Arizona, he had also talked to Memphis, saying, "At the end of the day I have a great situation here."

Tim Floyd To Stay At USC

Tim Floyd Swept Up In The College Coaching Carousel

This off-season figured to be an active one for college athletic directors. Several good coaching jobs were set to be available, and with a few schools recently making new hires, the coaching carousel is currently spinning out of control.

John Calipari going to Kentucky was the big news Wednesday, but later that evening came the news that Tim Floyd was in Tucson interviewing for the Arizona job. A position that became available following the retirement of Lute Olson. Russ Pennell, who was supposed to be an assistant for Olson this season, served as Arizona’s interim coach but was told quite early that he would not be retained on a permanent basis—despite getting the Wildcats to the Sweet 16.

Floyd’s interest in Arizona was quite peculiar to some. It’s not that often you see a coach move from one job to the next within the same conference. Tubby Smith did it by going from Georgia to Kentucky. But certain programs, such as UK, UNC, KU and UCLA, are on a different level. Any coach would want to take that job. Arizona, however, is not exactly one of those schools.

One obvious reason Floyd would leave the beach for the desert would be money. Arizona will always pays its basketball coach more than USC. But even beyond that, Floyd is not exactly a big city guy. He grew up in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi and went to school at Southern Miss and Louisana Tech. Both of those campuses couldn’t fill up LA’s Memorial Coliseum. As much as money is a motivation for any coach, lifestyle is sometimes even more important.

So with Floyd reportedly going to Arizona, two prime jobs are now available—Memphis & USC. Calipari had tried to get Memphis Athletic Director RC Johnson to hire UTEP Head Coach Tony Barbee, who had served on Calipari’s staff with the Tigers. However, Johnson made it perfectly clear Wednesday that he has much higher aspirations.

Missouri’s Mike Anderson would have been a great choice for Memphis, but Anderson—the last coach to hand Memphis a Conference USA loss when he was at UAB—just re-upped with Missouri for another 7 years.

I think Johnson should make a serious pitch at Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel. He’s done a tremendous job in just three seasons leading the Sooners. Of course, having future number one draft pick Blake Griffin certainly helped. But Capel has also shown his recruiting skills are no joke. He currently has commitments from two McDonald’s All-Americans for next season.

Some might wonder why he would leave the Big 12 for Conference USA. Excuse me, but didn’t John Calipari just prove what you can do at Memphis even if you play in C-USA? Final Fours are Final Fours regardless of the conference in which you play.

Sean Miller is another hot commodity on the coaching circuit. Since moving from his assistant role at Xavier to replacing his boss, Thad Matta, Miller has turned Butler into a mid-major powerhouse. But the question is can he recruit the “best of the best” as Calipari said he did while at Memphis—something Tigers fans would certainly expect the new coach to do.

But even if he falls short of Calipari’s recruiting acumen—which he will—Memphis is a hotbed of athletic talent. A coach could recruit nothing but kids from the Mid-South and keep his program perennially in the Top 25.

With coaches and athletic directors all converging on Detroit this week for the Final Four, expect even more coaching news to start spilling out over the next few days.

The John Calipari Era Officially Begins At UK

When Rick Pitino took over the UK program back in 1989, it was the best beginning of a coaching era I have ever seen. John Calipari topped that performance this morning.

He didn't just say all the right things, he said them with confidence yet humility. He seeks immediate greatness, but does not consider himself a miracle worker. He displays a Northeast attitude that's been wiped down with Southern charm.

The only problem with this morning's introductory news conference is that it came two years too late.

PERFECT FIT?

People keep asking me if I think Calipari is the right coach for Kentucky. I don't know the answer to that long term, but I think he's a perfect fit for right now.

He is exactly what UK fan, uh I mean, the program needs in the wake of the Billy Gillispie debacle. Fans and, more specifically, recruits need to believe in UK Basketball again. The program has more doubters right now than Congress.

Is Kentucky still one of the best jobs in the country? Do the best players in the country still want to play there? Will the Cats ever achieve the same level of success they experienced in the 1990's?

Those are all legitimate questions right now. And basketball insiders all across the country have been asking those questions for the last couple of years.

It's now up to Calipari to prove that the answer to all those questions is not just a yes, but a resounding one!


BE COOL, UK FAN

As I watched John Calipari answer questions this morning, I couldn't help but to think about UK fan. You know the person.

UK fan cares more about the program than most of those who played for the school.

UK fan finds talking about the Cats more important than discussing their own family issues.

UK fan would rather UK win a national champion than receive a promotion at work.

Yes, that's how devoted UK fan is to the program.

Well, UK fan, did you finally get the coach you wanted? Did you get a coach that can charm candy away from a baby and appear in the right doing in doing so? Did you get a coach that can talk a mean game as well as coach one?

I hope the answer is yes, especially for your sake. You've tortured yourself enough the last two seasons.


HE'S JUST A MAN

I do have one plea for UK fan though.

Please, please, please do not treat this man as if he's some type of basketball deity. His name is John Calipari, not Jesus Christ. Hell, he's not even one of the disciples.

He's just a man who coaches basketball--nothing more, nothing less. I was so glad he said as much during today's question and answer session.

We all know how loving and accepting UK fan can be, but before you start giving Calipari your undivided devotion, how about letting the man earn it? Now, I think he will. He will bring some of the top players in the country to Lexington, and the Cats will win games.. lots of them.

But remember how crazy everyone went over Billy Gillispie? He came to Lexington with more fanfare than President Obama received in Washington, DC on Inauguration Day. And we all remember how the ill-fated Gillispie era turned out.

We all want Kentucky to be great again. But give Calipari the opportunity to earn his greatness instead of just anointing him with it.