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:

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...

UK-Baylor Goes For 263 Points... In Women's Hoops...

((HT: ESPN))

The Kentucky-Baylor doubleheader at Jerry World took a little longer than it would have normally...

Because the women's game went 4 overtimes and was good for 263 points total in the 133-130 win by 5th-ranked Kentucky...

Here's the highlights...


Odyssey Sims was good for 47 and Jennifer O'Neill poured in 43 to lead both squads...

The previous high for a Division I women's game was 252 points in SMU's 127-125 win over TCU, also in four overtimes, on January 25, 1997. The two schools combined for 84-of-198 from the floor and 82-of-112 from the foul line on 80 fouls...

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...

KY recruit Nerlens Noel now more famous for awful missed dunk

((ht: deadspin))

Haha! Couldn't resist this video, because quite frankly, it's REALLY funny.

University of Kentucky prized recruit Nerlens Noel was trying to do a nice thing for the throng on fans camped out to get season tickets for the upcoming season.

And he decided to play pickup hoops with some of the kids out there with there parents. (We know better than ask)

Noel was having fun....all the way up to the point he tried to go for a dunk.

And yes, he missed.......badly.