Morning Wrap: Kentucky Embarrasses UCLA in Hoops

((ht: cbssports.com))

The game was over after UCLA could manage only 7 points in the first half.

Yes...seven...

Twenty minutes into their CBS Classic (made for TV) game vs. top ranked Kentucky, the Bruins trailed 41-7.

Did we mention it was 24-0 before UCLA finally got on the scoreboard?

Kentucky's long line of 6-10 plus athletes tormented UCLA, holding the Bruins to 3 for 37 shooting in the first half. After Wildcats coach John Calipari called off the dogs in the second half, UCLA managed to make the game a little closer.

The final score 83-44.

Devin Booker had 19 points and Aaron Harrison chipped in 15 for Kentucky who was able to empty the bench and shot 50 percent as a team on the night.

The Wildcats, at least early in season are proving to be the best team in all the land. And while there are still three months to go, nobody else looks to be even close.

Your highlights from CBSSports.com:

Memphis Family Comes Forward In Coach Cal Pay-For-Play Allegations

((HT: Local Memphis/ABC24))

FOSG Gil Tyree has been on top of this most recent allegation made against the University of Memphis and then-coach John Calipari by the family of former Tigers player Pierre Henderson-Niles.

Henderson-Niles’s uncle and legal guardian, Stephen Saine, is making Pay For Play accusations and is going public for the first time and has spoken to the NCAA already about it.

Saine says that Calipari's assistant at the time, and current UMass coach, Derek Kellogg was the middle man. Saine still won't say who was delivering the money or for how much. He says he told that much to the NCAA during a 45 minute interview session.

Here's GT with the knowledge...


Former players and current Memphis head coach Josh Pastner, an assistant to Cal in Memphis, are naturally coming to his defense and some claim not to have seen any indications of the arrangement Cal is alleged to have had with Henderson-Niles.

Calipari Avoids O'Reilly's Factor

((HT: Fox News))

Kentucky head coach John Calipari was making the rounds yesterday in New York promoting his new book...

Which meant the standard amount of appearances on select television shows that the publishers think would benefit the sale of the book. There was the standard amount of jousting with Dan Patrick- which actually was good television...
((HT: Dan Patrick Show))


And then there's this stereotyping conversation with Bill O'Reilly- which, really, should have come as no surprise...


The HQ posts that knowing the audience that watches him expects this kind of nonsense, but we give Coach Cal credit for not stepping in it and going where the blowhard wanted to go...

NCAA Friday: It Wasn't The Two Fours, But It Did Bring An 8

((HT: March Madness TV))

The HQ thought that the most underrated seeds in the men's college basketball tournament were the two 4's in Michigan State and Louisville...

Turns out the 8-seed Kentucky has something to say about that...
In a back-and-forth game that resembles any regular season meeting between the two, UK beat U of L to move on to the final 8 teams left and will get Michigan Sunday night.

Here's the ending...


Michigan State held off Virginia in the other Friday game- knocking out a 1-seed- by a team a lot of people thought should never be a 4-seed...

There are 3 B1G schools in the Elite 8 for 1st time since 2005- when it was Illinois, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. The Illini and MSU made the Final 4, but UNC won the title that year.

BUZZER BEATER THROW DOWN: Arkansas' Michael Qualls With An Exclamation Point For Hogs Over Kentucky

There are buzzer beaters and then there are those like Arkansas' Michael Qualls which are off the scale.

Thanks ESPN


Here's another angle with the Voice of the Razorbacks Chuck Barrett on the call.

Thanks RazorVison:

"It was an unbelievable finish." Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. “He made a great play. That’s how I saw it. It’s fortunate for us he was playing for the Razorbacks.

“What an athletic play. That’s something I wish I could say I teach it, but I do encourage our guy to go to the glass.”

“Everyone is just clinching their shirt, hoping he doesn’t hit the three,” Qualls said. “I just saw the opportunity and took it.”

“My guy watched, and that kid ran by him and dunked it,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said.  “He’s a freshman. That’s what freshmen do.”

Before you say typical Calipari throwing one of his players under the bus publicly the player he's referring to, James Young, acknowledged it was his fault.

“That was my fault, I stopped playing until the last second.”

Great win for Arkansas, they needed it after starting 0-2 in the SEC.

Here's an angle from under the basket.

Thanks NWAHompage.com

Does UK Really Care That They Lost...

((HT: WTVQ-TV))

Apparently, not...

As you see with their appearance in the NIT, they are one and done...
Here's what happened in the 3,500 seat barn at Robert Morris...


It will be interesting to see how many kids will hang around- outside of Nerlens Noel- will go NBA or not...

How many of you had this happening in your NIT pool...???
That's what the HQ thought...

DEVELOPING: Nerlens Noel Out For Season

((HT: Julie Quittner))

For the five of you that haven't seen this yet... here's the injury that put Noel out of the Florida game and out of the season...


Now, we all know the actual damage- even as Noel is set to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft after one year less than one year in Lexington...

Torn ACL, out for the season...

Coach Cal said in a few Tweets:

"Obviously this is not a career-ending injury and it's one that athletes bounce back from all the time."

"The good news is he is insured, so he would have been fine even if the injury would have been worse."

"The way he is already dealing with this injury lets me know that he is going to come back stronger than ever."

"I met with Nerlens earlier today. The meeting was really positive, and I loved his attitude."

"I've been coaching for 22 years and this is the first injury we've had of this kind during the season, which makes it even more devastating."

Here was the nervous anticipation in and around campus
((HT: WLEX-TV))
And here is the current vibe on the continuing coverage... ((HT: Broadway Video/NBC))
More when we know more...

Calipari Loses Starting 5 To Pros, Doesn't Care...

((HT: WLEX-TV Lexington))

Kentucky head men's coach John Calipari has the respect of the HQ...

Calm down... it's for his understanding of the rules in modern-day college hoops and knowing how to take advantage of the current system...

And when you can go to any kid in the country, tell him that he'll go to school at UK, win a title, and go play in the pros- a lot of kids will follow...

Yesterday, Coach Cal lost five players to the Draft and he's cool with that...

Here's Alan and MJ with the presser...


And as long as the system is what it is, Cal will coach that way- and, probably, still win...

And the fans in Lexington won't care...