Best of KSRCollege From the Weekend

This week’s best of KSR College is brought to you by Rajon Rondo hiding in a closet at Fashion Week to eat a cupcake undisturbed.

I’m sorry, but is that not the funniest thing you’ve ever seen? Glad you liked it. Let’s move on to the best of KSR College so far this week.

Andrew Cassady, the consummate professional, pushed aside his UK pride to honestly rank the SEC football teams in this week’s SEC Power Rankings. Read to see if Kentucky has a chance against Florida this week.

Speaking of Florida, Brooks Holton did a little digging and found a look at the Kentucky football program through a Florida football writer’s eyes. Brooks also drops an absolutely terrifying stat regarding Kentucky and Florida scoring in the first quarter of their previous four match ups. Yikes. However, I do think it was kind of the Florida writer to refer to our Western loss as “humbling.” That’s a nice little spin.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams both earned victories this week. Dean Bowling covered the men’s win over Eastern Tennessee last night, and I wrote briefly about the women’s soccer team, who are still undefeated in SEC play against some really tough competition. Check it out.

It’s Big Blue Madness time, so let’s have some fun. JC Ausmus provided some fun facts surrounding the madness, and Havana Childers wandered around the tents to photograph some of the Big Blue Faithful. So did Tara Bilby. Did you make it onto their iPhones?

And finally, in case you’ve somehow missed hearing about the epic Stone Cold vs Nerlens Noel one-on-one game that’s taking place tonight, Hayley Minogue wrote up a quick pre game preview. Read it, then go check out the matchup at 9 pm behind the Craft Center. Who’s side are you on?

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Best of KSR College From the Weekend

Well, that was a roller coaster of the weekend. From the Fantasy Camp experience to the Alumni Game, to the Western debacle to the women’s soccer win, Kentucky sports experienced every emotion on the spectrum this weekend. Luckily, KSR College writers were on hand to cover all of it. Here’s what you might have missed (while napping at Wildcat Lodge) over at KSRCollege.com:

Let’s get the ugly stuff over with. Andrew McCarthy had the dubious task of writing the post-game summary of the Western Kentucky overtime win, and he managed not to shatter his keyboard when angrily blogging away. That deserves a click, amirite?

Brooks Holton is a freshman at Centre College and is apparently really enjoying the discussion-based classes he’s taking, because he took the concept to his post Sunday Discussion: What Happened to Maxwell Smith and the UK Offense? It’s similar to a difficult therapy session- you don’t want to talk about it, but you know you’ll feel better after.

As David Mulloy sunnily phrased it, “At least we didn’t lose the tailgate.” He and Havana Childers roamed the Commonwealth parking lot to capture on film what is now widely considered Kentucky’s greatest strength as a football program. JC Ausmus also got a fun perspective with access to the John Calipari Fantasy Camp’s tailgate, and let me tell you, it is something swanky.

And to wrap up the football section, I wrote about why I’m already getting a little bit fed up with coaching speculations. Guys. It’s September. There is a whole lot of football season left, for better or for worse. Nothing good can come from pressing fast forward on this football season, and I explain why in my post.

Let’s lighten things up a bit. Jack Heyburn brought the laughs this weekend, with one of the most unlikely pictures to ever be taken and a brief discussion afterwards. Jack also browsed the Oklahoma City message boards for fan reactions after the announced signing of DeAndre Liggins, and the results are NOT what you would expect. I died laughing.

The Billy G saga continues. Doctors have advised Billy Gillispie to stay stress-free for the sake of his health- how will he possibly fill his days? I offered a few suggestions for him.

And finally, after watching Jim Calhoun’s retirement press conference, I started musing on Calipari’s (hopefully very far off in the distant) future retirement, using The Sandlot as my analytic lens. I wrote this before the Fantasy Camp and Alumni Game, which would definitely impact my thoughts if I were to rewrite it today- but you’ll have to read it to find out why.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Catch the KSR Pregame Show on WLAP 630

After they get done watching the UK Alumni Charity game this afternoon, Matt and crew will head straight in to work to bring you the KSR Pregame show. Tune in to 630 WLAP AM or 98.1 The Bull at 4 pm for Matt’s broadcast from Commonwealth stadium before the Cats take on Western Kentucky. You can also listen online at WLAP.com.

And because we at KSR live to diversify, radio isn’t your only medium to experience the glory that is our humble website. Log on for the live blog, starting right here around 6:30 pm. Have your “But seriously, what is WKU’s mascot?” jokes ready to go, and we’ll see you there. Go Cats.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

What if Kentucky Moved to the ACC?

Conference realignment. The carousel has seemingly not stopped for the past few years, and it doesn’t look like it will slow down anytime soon. The most recent move has Notre Dame ditching the Big East to join the ACC in every sport but football, leaving the ACC with fourteen football schools. As of now, ACC league commissioner John Swofford says they’re not recruiting any more schools to join, plus adding one more league would mean fifteen schools and a bit of a football scheduling headache.

However, according to Mark Story of the Herald-Leader, rumors are still circulating that the ACC is looking for one more solid school (probably a Big East seceder) to join and strengthen its conference. Story asks the question that made me reel in disbelief: what if that next school to join the ACC was Kentucky?

Take a second and gag a little. Get it out of your system. I’ll wait.

Story argues that a Kentucky move to the ACC would help us tremendously with our struggling football program. Basically, we can’t win in the SEC. Barring a major program reform, we’re always going to be second fiddle to Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Florida, even Vandy some years. It’s disheartening. Texas A&M was in a similar position in the Big 12, but made the bold move to the SEC in hopes of securing a new football identity. Why shouldn’t Kentucky football get the same opportunity?

As for the basketball purists, you can’t deny the ACC’s traditional strength of conference. A move to the ACC would give Kentucky regular opportunities to play against Duke and UNC, plus increase the conference’s revenue by adding at least two more hugely profitable games that would garner enormous ratings for television and guarantee a College Game Day visit. We’d get to see Duke and UNC in Rupp as well as periodically invade their home courts and those irritating Cameron Crazies. Also, the SEC has been weak for the past couple of years, and a move to the ACC would nip any “yeah, Kentucky has a great conference record, but their conference sucks” arguments in the bud.

Plus, we’d get to see more of this.

Rationally, it could work. It could even progress our athletic program. After all, the basketball team is well-established enough that we can succeed wherever we go. The football team needs an extra leg up, and a conference shakeup could be just what the doctor ordered. It could even be a way to show the football players and coaching staff that we value them just as much as basketball, if not more, because this move would benefit them the most.

But you know what? The thought just feels icky in my stomach. Kentucky football may struggle, but our tradition is more than just wins and (lots of) losses. It’s about our state’s Southern identity, our hatred for Tennessee and all things orange, and our road trips to the meccas of tailgating culture. It just feels wrong to think about Kentucky being an ACC school.

Luckily, this speculation is all incredibly premature, and good only for “what if” fodder. For now, Kentucky is safe and sound in the SEC, and there’s no reason to think anything otherwise.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Official Team Rosters for Charity Game

Blue Team:

Darius Miller

Nazr Mohammed

Randolph Morris

Jeff Sheppard

Wayne Turner

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

(Coached by John Wall)

White Team:

DeMarcus Cousins

Anthony Davis

Perry Stevenson

Antoine Walker

Tony Delk

Jared Prickett

(Coached by Drake, below, who is apparently buddies with Davis)

(h/t @KSR_allHayl)

White Team looks to have the advantage on the inside, but you can never underestimate MKG.

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

College Football Viewing Guide

Well, someone who works at CBSSports.com woke up hungry this morning. For your viewing ease, Tom Fornelli wrote a guide to college football games today, cleverly organized by what meal you would be eating while viewing. A couple of SEC-related highlights:

Arkansas vs. #1 Alabama - CBS 3:30pm ET

This game lost a bit of luster with Arkansas’ loss to Louisiana-Monroe last week and the injury to quarterback Tyler Wilson, but it’s still your first chance to listen to Uncles Vern and Gary call SEC football this season.

…

#23 Tennessee vs. #18 Florida - ESPN 6pm ET

What is easily the biggest game in the SEC since the loser could have a tough time winning the Eastern Division. Is Tennessee really a program on the rise, or will Florida once again have its way with its rivals to the north?

Fornelli paired his post with pictures of breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates. Someone get this guy a cheeseburger before he passes out from low blood sugar.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com