UK does well academically in latest report

Published by jtipton on May 6, 2008 in National news. 0 Comments

The University of Kentucky could feel good about when the NCAA on Tuesday released its latest findings on academic performance by athletic teams.

All 22 of UK’s teams surpassed the NCAA target score, and 13 teams exceeded the national average for public universities in their sports.

Therefore, UK will not be subject to any penalties. The latest findings, in the Academic Progress Rate, cover the school years of 2003-04 through 2006-07.

Here’s a portion of the UK news release:

The women’s swimming team led the way for UK with 986 out of a possible 1,000 points, followed by women’s soccer (985), men’s outdoor track (976), women’s outdoor track (976), men’s indoor track (973) and women’s basketball (972).  The marks are a four-year composite, covering the 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years, that measures academic eligibility and retention of student-athletes.  The NCAA target score for each sport is 925.

 

The 13 Wildcat teams that exceeded the national average among public universities in their sports included baseball (940), men’s basketball (941), women’s basketball (972), men’s cross country (970), football (943), rifle (966), women’s soccer (985), women’s swimming (986), men’s tennis (958), men’s indoor track (973), women’s indoor track (971), men’s outdoor track (976) and women’s outdoor track (976).

 

“We’re proud of our student-athletes and coaches, who are committed to academic success, and we’re happy to see their hard work pay off,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics.  “One of our core principles is to provide student-athletes with the best possible experience.  Academics, obviously, are a key component of that experience.” 

 

Two UK teams posted perfect 1,000 scores for the most recent year surveyed (2006-07), men’s basketball and women’s tennis. 

 

With each team exceeding the NCAA target score, no Wildcat squads are subject to penalties, such as scholarship reductions or postseason restrictions. 

Zollo may move to Lexington

Published by jtipton on May 6, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

The latest member of Kentucky’s Kiddie Corps of basketball recruits may move to Lexington. Vinny Zollo, a ninth grader from southeast Ohio who committed to UK on Monday evening, is considering switching high schools.

His mother, Robyn Curry, said Tuesday that among the schools under consideration are Lexington Catholic, Scott County and Dunbar in the Lexington area. Zollo is also thinking of about Culver (Ind.) Academy, Oak Hill Academy and Wayne High in Dayton.

Zollo, a 6-foot-9 forward, has several ties to Lexington and Kentucky. His god parents live in Lexington. One of his mother’s brothers graduated from UK Law School. His mother parents and her husband all graduated from Morehead State.

Zollo committed after visiting UK. His mother noted the positive impression made in a 30-minute meeting with UK president Lee Todd.

The visit was one of several made by Zollo. He had also visited West Virginia, Ohio State, Dayton, Xavier, Tennessee, Ohio U and Miami of Ohio.

Zollo had attended UK summer camps since the fourth grade.

Chris Johnson of the Hoop Scoop recruiting service rates Zollo the seventh best player in Ohio in the high school class of 2011.

Zollo became the second prospect of a tender age to commit to UK in recent days. Late last week, Michael Avery, an eighth grader in the Los Angeles area, committed to the Cats.

Gillispie welcomes Harrellson

Published by jtipton on April 30, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

UK Coach Billy Gillispie welcomed the latest recruit, junior college forward Josh Harrellson, to the fold.

In a news release on Wednesday, Gillispie said:

“We’re extremely happy to have Josh become a part of our basketball family. He’s a guy who continues to improve and will fill a need for us next year. My excitement is growing about the prospects of next year’s team.

“Josh has a ton of potential, and possesses a great basketball IQ. One of the most appealing things about him is that he has three years left coming out of junior college.

“When he came on his visit to Kentucky, he loved it here. It went unbelievably well because our current players did a great job of making him feel a part of our family, and Josh meshed with them immediately. He kept talking about the fans and the exposure. I like having guys who look forward to accepting the challenge of playing at a place like Kentucky.”

NCAA rules prohibited Gillispie from speaking about the other player who committed to UK on Tuesday, high school sophomore Dominique Ferguson of Indianapolis. NCAA rules do not allow coaches to comment on players until a national letter of intent arrives on campus. Ferguson cannot sign until the fall of 2009.

Harrellson joins three other recruits who will join the UK team in 2008-09. The three are Darius Miller of Mason County, DeAndre Liggins of Chicago and Kevin Galloway of the College of Southern Idaho.

Kecman commits to Ohio State

Published by jtipton on April 29, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

Forward prospect Nicola Kecman committed to Ohio State over Kentucky, his junior college coach said on Tuesday.

Kecman, a forward with three-point shooting range, had been targeted by UK.

Tim Walsh, his coach at Eastern Arizona College, cited academics as a reason for the decision. He also noted how Kecman felt a greater sense of excitement with Ohio State, where he visited last weekend.

“I think when he left there, that’s where he wanted to go,” Walsh said. “When we rode back from the airport, I had a feeling that’s where he’d go.”

When asked what gave him that feeling, Walsh said, “The way he spoke of the team, the coaching staff. With everything, there was an excitement in his voice.

“I didn’t get that same sense when he came back from Kentucky. He enjoyed the visit (to UK). Who wouldn’t? But I didn’t see that excitement and energy.”

Ohio State apparently also had an advantage academically. Walsh noted OSU’s aviation engineering program as key.

“That really settled it,” the junior college coach said. “That’s what he wants to get into and he was very impressed with what Ohio State had to offer.”

Kecman, a 6-foot-9 player from Serbia, averaged 13.3 points and made 46 percent of his three-point shots this past season. He became the second prospect to get away from Kentucky this week.

On Monday, big man Ater Majok, a native of Sudan via Australia, committed to Connecticut.

Kentucky remains involved with at least two big men: junior college strongman Josh Harrellson of Southwestern Illinois College and high school senior Maurice Sutton of Largo, Md.

Ben Hansbrough to Notre Dame

Published by jtipton on April 29, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Ben Hansbrough, the former Mississippi State guard and the brother of North Carolina All-American Tyler Hansbrough, will transfer to Notre Dame.

That was reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Here’s the wire story:

Ben Hansbrough, who helped Mississippi State advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament last month, is transferring to Notre Dame.
<*J>The 6-foot-3 guard started 28 of Mississippi StateÕs 34 games and was fourth on the team with a 10.5 scoring average. Hansbrough is the younger brother of AP Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough, a forward for North Carolina.
<*J>The younger Hansbrough said he chose the Fighting Irish over Purdue and Oklahoma State.
<*J>ÒThey have a great style that I feel I can flourish in,Ó he said by phone Tuesday from Starkville, Miss., where he prepared for his last two finals. ÒThey have a great team and itÕs a great school.Ó
<*J>Hansbrough announced earlier this month that he would not return for his junior season at Mississippi State. He said Tuesday he decided to leave because Òit wasnÕt the best fit for me.Ó
<*J>After sitting out a year at Notre Dame, Hansbrough would be allowed to play in the 2009-10 season and have two seasons of eligibility. He could fill the void left by Kyle McAlarney, who has one year of eligibility left with the Irish.
<*J>Hansbrough said he informed Irish coach Mike Brey of his decision Monday night. It was first reported by the South Bend Tribune.
<*J>ÒI absolutely love the way they play,Ó he said. ÒHe (Brey) lets his players get up and down and play.Ó

Ater Majok is going to UConn

Published by tvancampen on April 28, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

Ater Majok will attend Connecticut because the school offers a chance to contend for a national championship next season, his coach/advisor Ed Smith said.

Kentucky and Baylor were also in the running as possible choices for Majok.

Smith today said that UConn center Hasheem Thabeet’s decision to return to school for his junior season instead of entering the NBA draft factored into Majok’s picking UConn.

Harrellson ‘confused and torn’

Published by jtipton on April 28, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

Junior college prospect Josh Harrellson I feeling “quite confused and torn” about his college choice.

Harrellson, a 6-9 power player for Southwestern Illinois College, visited St. Louis this past weekend. He has also visited Kentucky.

“When I went to Kentucky, I loved it,” he said on Monday. “I was ready to commit.

“When I went to St. Louis, I loved it a lot.”

So Harrellson said he planned to “do research” on the two programs this week before making a decision.  He said he’d look at such factors as the coaches, playing time and what players the programs might try to recruit next year.

“It will come down to the coaches,” he said before adding, “Distance might play a key factor.”

St. Louis is about a 30-minute drive from his home. UK is about five hours away. Harrellson cited “family problems” that might cause him to stay closer to home.

Tradition and status clearly weigh heavily in Kentucky’s favor.

“I would love to be able to tell my kids that I played for Kentucky,” Harrellson said. “That would be great.”

Harrellson averaged 14.8 points and eight rebounds last season.

Newspaper: Majok to UConn

Published by jtipton on April 28, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

The Hartford Courant’s website is reporting that prospect Ater Majok has committed to UConn.

The report came on a blog by writer Mike Anthony on Monday.

On Sunday, Majok’s coach/mentor, Ed Smith, said that UConn led the recruiting race. Kentucky and Baylor were the other schools on Majok’s list.

Majok made a big impression at the recent Derby Festival Basketball Classic. A 6-foot-11 forward, he scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and made both of his three-point shots.

McCoy narrows to Kentucky and Virginia

Published by jtipton on April 25, 2008 in Recruiting. 0 Comments

Point guard prospect Paul McCoy has narrowed his college choices to Kentucky and Virginia, his high school  coach said on Friday.

“He’s still in the middle of making his decision,” said Tony Broadous, McCoy’s coach at Grant High in Portland, Ore.

McCoy enjoyed his visits to UK and Virginia, Broadous said.

When asked  what factors McCoy would weigh in making a decision, Broadous said, “I don’t know. I tried to get as much information from him as I could because I knew I’d get phone calls. He just said he liked the visits, had fun, played with the guys. He just didn’t know which one to choose.”

Earlier in the recruiting process, McCoy had been linked to Washington State, SMU and Southern Cal.

Newspaper: Jasper misses family

Published by jtipton on April 25, 2008 in players. 0 Comments

Kentucky guard Derrick Jasper spoke of his possible transfer for a story published Thursday in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

In the story, Jasper noted how he misses his family.

Here’s a portion of the story:

For the second straight year, Derrick Jasper is considering a transfer from the University of Kentucky to a men’s basketball program located on the West Coast.

Only this time the Paso Robles High graduate sounds serious about making the move.

“I want to get closer to my family,” he told The Tribune on Thursday in a phone interview from Lexington, Ky. “I’m kind of homesick, playing here in Kentucky, and I have been thinking about transferring to a West Coast school so that my family can attend more of my games.”

Jasper would have to sit out the 2008-09 season if he transfers to another Division I university, which might not be a bad thing for a surgically repaired knee that kept him out of the lineup for the first three months of this past season.

Jasper is considering at least three programs, although he wouldn’t name the schools.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore averaged 4.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his second season with the Wildcats and has been receiving letters from fans urging him to remain in Lexington.

“I like Kentucky, and I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction,” Jasper said. “It’s just that I want to be closer to home. Sitting out a year would also be good for my knee.”

Jasper considered transferring a year ago when then- Wildcats head coach Tubby Smith, who recruited Jasper, left to take over the program at Minnesota.

Jasper, a point guard in high school, played the point under Smith but was moved off the ball and used largely as a wing under Gillispie. On Thursday, Jasper admitted he’d like to move back to his natural position again.

“Yeah, I miss playing the point, definitely,” he said.

Jasper said his decision would not be influenced by the players Gillispie is bringing into the program, although the Wildcats recently signed 6-foot-6 guard Kevin Galloway out of the College of Southern Idaho, where he ranked fourth in the nation in assists.

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