Category Archives: Basketball

John Calipari is going to stay at Kentucky

Everyone at Kentucky can rest easy now. John Calipari is staying. It seemed at one point that Calipari was going to take the Cleveland Cavaliers job worth 56 million. After weighing his options, He finally took a historic extension offer worth 52 million over the next 7 years to stay at Kentucky. John’s coaching career is 552-172(.762). He is a great recruiter and has coached Kentucky to 3 final 4 ncaa tournaments, and won the ncaa tournament championship in 2012.

Kentucky basketball legend Wah Wah Jones dies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Wallace ”Wah Wah” Jones, a multi-sport star who helped Kentucky win the first two of its eight national titles and is considered the school’s greatest all-around athlete, has died. He was 88.

Jones, an All-American, was the last surviving member of the Wildcats’ ”Fabulous Five” that won the 1948 national championship and went on to claim Olympic gold that year with the U.S. team. He returned with three teammates under Hall of Fame coach Adolph Rupp to repeat as titlists in 1949.

That wasn’t Jones’ only talent.

Jones played football from 1945-48, including three seasons for legendary coach Paul ”Bear” Bryant, and earned all-Southeastern Conference honors in 1946 and ’48. Tall and chiseled, he also played baseball for the Wildcats.

Jones is the only Wildcat to have his jerseys retired in basketball and football.

Anderson, Laws and Jones funeral home in Harlan confirmed that Jones died Sunday. His funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

Kentucky coach John Calipari was among many posting condolences on Twitter, saying, ”Sad to hear of the passing of arguably the greatest UK athlete, Wah Wah Jones. He was an All-American under Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant. … please join me in praying for both his family and friends. He will be missed.”

As good as the Harlan, Kentucky, native was in football, he is best remembered for basketball skills that helped Kentucky begin its run of championships in the late 1940s.

Two years after the 6-foot-4 Jones teamed with Ralph Beard to lead the Wildcats to the 1946 NIT championship – then considered equal in stature to an NCAA title – those two joined Alex Groza, Kenny Rollins and Cliff Barker to form the so-called ”Fabulous Five” that went 36-3 and beat Baylor 58-42 for Kentucky’s first national title. The entire starting quintet was named to the U.S. Olympic team that routed France 64-21 for the gold medal in London.

All but Rollins returned the next season as Kentucky beat Oklahoma A&M 46-36 behind Groza’s 25 points to repeat as champions. Jones, Beard and Groza were named All-Americans that year.

Jerseys of the Fabulous Five, including Jones’ No. 27, were retired by the school. In 2012, he was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jones was also elected Fayette County sheriff in 1953 and founded Blue Grass Tours, a bus charter company that transports Wildcats basketball teams.

Gators tame the Dawgs on beard night

Last night wasn’t just any typical night down in the Stephen O’Connel center. It was Patric Young ‘beard’ night. Dozens of fans and students rocked the orange beard for the game against Georgia.

As usual, the Gators do their normal stretching routines every pregame out on center court. Last night, Patric Young looked up into the student section and found every orange bearded student stretching at the same time.

“They make me laugh,” Young said.

And they must make Florida play good as well I’d say. Florida destroyed Georgia 72-50, a game that was never close the entire time. The Gators also set their streak for most consecutive home wins.

Students also decided to give the Tim Tebow statue the orange beard look.

But focusing back on last nights game, Florida played as if they were making a final-four run. Their offense played outstanding despite shooting terribly from beyond the arc in the first half. Michael Franzier found his rhythm in the second half stroking just about any shot he took from three. If Frazier continues to have a hot hand like he did last night, you can expect this Gator team to make a deep run into the tournament this year. Frazier also set a career high with 21 points last night.

“Any time you can get hot like that, catch fire, it feels good,” Frazier said. “My teammates had great confidence in me, coaches told me to keep shooting. That always feels good to have my teammates and my coaches behind me.”

Dorian-Finney Smith scored 14 points for Florida, while Will Yeguete added 12 and Young 10.

“I’m really, really proud of our guys,” Gators coach Billy Donovan said. “That’s great. The guys that had won that many in a row obviously did some really special things. These guys haven’t won national championships, but they’ve done some special things as well, and I’m proud of them. It’s a good milestone.

“I think any time you can do something for the first time in school history, it’s always nice.”

Florida looks to continue their streak as they travel to Auburn (8-5, 0-2 SEC) on Saturday.

UF’s TV schedule for non conference

The Gators TV schedule is set for the rest of their non-conference schedule, and they will tip off their seasons on Nov. 8 at 3pm on Sun Sports. The game is set to begin after the Homecoming Parade and then leading into Gator Growl that same evening.

Previously the Gators had announced that five of their games will be aired on ESPN and ESPN2. They will also play six times on Sun Sports, one time on Fox Sports Florida and one game on CSS vs Richmond.