UK Basketball Preview - Know Your Enemy: Miami (OH) Redhawks

GAME 1 - 11/13/2009

6:30 PM EST - RUPP ARENA

TV - ESPN-U

MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES

UK LEADS SERIES 8-0

RECENT MEETINGS:

12/18/2004: UK 71 MOREHEAD STATE 40

The official debut of the Calipari era comes against a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year and for a half, entertained thoughts of becoming the first ever #16 seed to upset a #1 seed. In the Tournament, the 20-16 Racers trailed the top seed Louisville Cardinals by just 2 points, 35-33 at the half. Four of the five starters return from that team and it would appear that the Wildcats face a formidable task in their first game of the season.

THE STARTERS

KENNETH FARIED - F/C - 13.9 ppg, 13.0 reb, 1.9 blocks

The Eagles boast a NBA caliber center who was one of the top rebounders in the country. Faried is just 6'8 and 225 so he will have his work cut out for him as UK has four taller bodies to throw at him. He may have the experience on Orton and Cousins, but he will be facing larger potential NBA bodies. He had a .556 FG percentage last year but is prone to committing TO's and averaged 2 a game.

MAZE STALLWORTH - F - 12.1 ppg, 4.1 reb, 1.1 assists

As of now, the status of Stallworth is up in the air as he suffered a concussion in the Eagles first exhibition game and sat out the second game. Stallworth averages a couple of 3 pointers a game and his 3 pt shooting % of .380 is just slightly worse than his .389 FG % last year. If Stallworth can not play, Terrance Hill may be the fill in starter. Hill averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in about 13 minutes a game last year.

DEMONTE HARPER - G - 10.6 ppg, 4.1 reb, 3.4 assists

Harper is the third returning starter that averaged more than 10 points a game last season. Harper shoots enough threes to keep the defense honest but his overall FG percentage is not that good (.375). Harper is a big guard (6.4) and had slightly more TO's than assists per game (3.8-3.4).

BRANDON SHINGLES - G - 5.0 ppg, 4.0 assists, 2.6 reb

Shingles appears to be the best ball handler on the team with 4.0 assists to 2.7 turnovers a game. Shingles has good size (6'3) and a pretty good shooting percentage at 48.4%. Shingles is not a threat from deep as he did not attempt a three point shot all season.

STEVE PETERSON - F - 1.8 ppg, 2.1 reb

Peterson appears to be the new starter for the Eagles this year filling the spot of Leon Buchanan. Peterson boasts a 14.3% from behind the 3 point line and 28.4% overall.

OUTLOOK

Aside from Faried, there are not a lot of players on the Eagle roster that would give UK fits. Morehead is not a big team as only Faried and London England freshman Jason Beharie the only players over 6'7. While the guards are a pretty good size, they don't seem to be that adept at ball handling and you would have to think Eric Bledsoe can be in for a very big game. If Stallworth plays, the Eagles can keep it respectable but if he is unable to play, this can get ugly early.

I know that Morehead State is a tourney team, which UK was not, and UK needs to respect them, but UK's size, depth, and quickness should result in a 88-63 opening night victory for the Cats.

Meet the Wildcats: #54 Patrick Patterson

PATRICK PATTERSON

JUNIOR

FORWARD

6'9 235

HUNTINGTON, WV

HUNTINGTON HS

BEFORE UK:

Was part of one of the most dominant HS teams ever as his Huntington squad won three straight Class AAA Championships in West Virgina. With his team mate OJ Mayo, Huntington HS team won their 3 2007 State Tournament games by an average of 48.3 points. For his senior season, Patterson averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks a game. For me personally, the news that Patterson was a Wildcat was a sign that UK was on their way back. Rivals had Patrick as the 3rd best PF and 17th best player overall.

AS A WILDCAT:

It only took a handful of games for Patrick to establish he was going to be something special at UK. He scored 23 points in just his third game a Wildcat and was averaging 16 points a game just four games into his career. This was just an early sign of his dominance as Patterson scored in double digits in all but 2 games and had 5 double doubles to his credit when a stress fracture knocked him out of the lineup for the season. For his freshman campaign, Patterson averaged 16.4 points, and 7.7 rebounds.

Last season was a frustrating season as he was one of only two key scoring threats on the team and on any given night, it would be either him or Jodie Meeks that would be keyed on and double and tripled team. Regardless of all the extra defensive attention, Patterson was a beast and increased his numbers to 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds. Patterson became the 1oth quickest player to score 1000 points at UK and is now 56th on the scoring list with 1020 points. Patterson had an amazing 15 double doubles last season and was the first Wildcat in 19 seasons to have four straight double doubles. While Meeks was the scorer and the flash on last season's team, Patterson was the heart and the muscle.

CAREER HIGHS:

Points: 33 - 12/22/2008 - vs Tennessee State

Rebounds: 18 - 1/21/2009 - vs Auburn

Assists: 6 - 11/24/2008 - vs Longwood

Blocks: 8 - 3/4/2009 - vs Georgia

Steals: 3 (2x) - last 11-24-2008 - vs Longwood

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER:

As expected, Patrick Patterson put his name into the NBA Draft and even though he was widely projected as a first round pick, (right out of lottery range). Patrick thrilled the BBN by announcing his return for his junior season.

Then, Patrick spent the rest of his summer (with Daniel Orton) training with Frank Matrisciano, otherwise known as "Hell's Trainer" in San Francisco. Matrisciano is a personal trainer who has pushed many to their absolute limits which some say is his ultimate gift: the ability to identify exactly where each of his client's "limit" is. He has trained boxers, MMA & Martial Artists, Federal Marshalls, Firemen, Policemen, Pro Athletes, and Military Personnel. And of course, he trains the occasional basketball player. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin trained with Hell's Trainer before dominating the Big 12 last year and one hopes that Patterson can benefit accordingly. You can tell by his sculpted physique that the summer was a tremendous success.

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SEASON:

Even with the newcomers, Patrick is the heart and soul of this team. One of the reason cited for his return to UK was that he had never experienced a NCAA game and he will get the opportunity to lead his team deep. A lot of people have made too much of Patterson's role in the DDMO and if he can adapt or not, but I am not worried a bit. He will be the unmatched leader and the mentor to the younger players.

From the scrimmages, it looked like Patterson had addeds some wrinkles to his game as he went 2-2 from beyond the 3 point line vs Clarion. This season should present Patterson with lots more open scoring opportunities unlike last year where he had two guys hanging on him on almost every shot. I am going to show PPatt some love and say he will average a double double. 20 points and 10 rebounds. Plus will be a top 8 lottery pick in the NBA Draft.

Patrick on playing outside the lane this season: "It's definitely a beautiful thing. Doing the individual workouts with the perimeters, (Calipari) even put me at the top of the key where normally a "1" or a "2" might be. I was running stuff from there, making moves, ball handling, everything. By doing that, I could see myself broadening my game and getting better day after day" (from Catspause)

CALIPARI ON PATTERSON:

“Patrick is a remarkable individual. His decision to return to the University of Kentucky for a chance to graduate in three years is admirable. Fans will see things from him this season that they didn't think were possible. Players like Patrick make coaching seem easy. ”

UK Basketball Preview - Know Your Enemy: Morehead State Eagles

GAME 1 - 11/13/2009

6:30 PM EST - RUPP ARENA

TV - ESPN-U

MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES

UK LEADS SERIES 8-0

RECENT MEETINGS:

12/18/2004: UK 71 MOREHEAD STATE 40

The official debut of the Calipari era comes against a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year and for a half, entertained thoughts of becoming the first ever #16 seed to upset a #1 seed. In the Tournament, the 20-16 Racers trailed the top seed Louisville Cardinals by just 2 points, 35-33 at the half. Four of the five starters return from that team and it would appear that the Wildcats face a formidable task in their first game of the season.

THE STARTERS

KENNETH FARIED - F/C - 13.9 ppg, 13.0 reb, 1.9 blocks

The Eagles boast a NBA caliber center who was one of the top rebounders in the country. Faried is just 6'8 and 225 so he will have his work cut out for him as UK has four taller bodies to throw at him. He may have the experience on Orton and Cousins, but he will be facing larger potential NBA bodies. He had a .556 FG percentage last year but is prone to committing TO's and averaged 2 a game.

MAZE STALLWORTH - F - 12.1 ppg, 4.1 reb, 1.1 assists

As of now, the status of Stallworth is up in the air as he suffered a concussion in the Eagles first exhibition game and sat out the second game. Stallworth averages a couple of 3 pointers a game and his 3 pt shooting % of .380 is just slightly worse than his .389 FG % last year. If Stallworth can not play, Terrance Hill may be the fill in starter. Hill averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in about 13 minutes a game last year.

DEMONTE HARPER - G - 10.6 ppg, 4.1 reb, 3.4 assists

Harper is the third returning starter that averaged more than 10 points a game last season. Harper shoots enough threes to keep the defense honest but his overall FG percentage is not that good (.375). Harper is a big guard (6.4) and had slightly more TO's than assists per game (3.8-3.4).

BRANDON SHINGLES - G - 5.0 ppg, 4.0 assists, 2.6 reb

Shingles appears to be the best ball handler on the team with 4.0 assists to 2.7 turnovers a game. Shingles has good size (6'3) and a pretty good shooting percentage at 48.4%. Shingles is not a threat from deep as he did not attempt a three point shot all season.

STEVE PETERSON - F - 1.8 ppg, 2.1 reb

Peterson appears to be the new starter for the Eagles this year filling the spot of Leon Buchanan. Peterson boasts a 14.3% from behind the 3 point line and 28.4% overall.

OUTLOOK

Aside from Faried, there are not a lot of players on the Eagle roster that would give UK fits. Morehead is not a big team as only Faried and London England freshman Jason Beharie the only players over 6'7. While the guards are a pretty good size, they don't seem to be that adept at ball handling and you would have to think Eric Bledsoe can be in for a very big game. If Stallworth plays, the Eagles can keep it respectable but if he is unable to play, this can get ugly early.

I know that Morehead State is a tourney team, which UK was not, and UK needs to respect them, but UK's size, depth, and quickness should result in a 88-63 opening night victory for the Cats.

Former Wildcats in the NFL: Week 9 edition

As NFL Week 9 got underway, some of our most notable former Cats found themselves in a BYE week unable to take part in the glory that is NFL FOOTBALL! With that said, several others had some really nice games with a couple of wins to show for it. Let’s take a look at the action:

Myron Pryor (Patriots)- Pryor saw significant time in an impressive win for the Patriots over AFC East rival Miami on Sunday, recording three tackles, two of them solo. New England now sits at (6-2) with a two game lead over the Jets with Pryor being a reliable back-up to starting defensive nose-tackle Vince Wilfork. The two are interchangeable and provide much of the same qualities. Both players pressure the opposing quarterback with a mix of speed and strength, something Pryor knows all too well. He continues to get quality minutes in a reserve role and the experience will help immensely for the rookie out of UK. Wilfork saw a little bit of injury time earlier this season so reliability on his part may be in question if something were to happen. Looking at all things positive, however, it looks like Pryor will lead a group of capable defensive reserves all season long.

Jeremy Jarmon (Redskins)-The Redskins and Jarmon had a rough outing with the Falcons on Sunday, losing to a tune of (31-17). Jarmon didn’t see a ton of time on the field as many of the regulars got time instead. An injury to defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin earlier in the season gave Jarmon the opportunity to step in and play a little more. With Griffin healthy once again, it appears as if Jarmon’s time may be cut into. It shouldn’t be discouraging for the rookie from Kentucky because he’s gotten quality time and experience playing in a position he’s just getting used to. Like Pryor, Jarmon is using this early season playing time as a positive moving forward. No one likes sitting on the bench but some players must bide their time. Jarmon is one of those. He’ll get plenty of opportunities down the road. The Redskins are hurting this season so anything is possible for Jarmon as Washington as lost four straight games. The team will continue to struggle for the rest of 2009.

Keenan Burton (Rams)- Keenan and the Rams were in a BYE week so he made his way down to Lexington to take part in the festivities for the Kentucky vs. Eastern Kentucky football game. Burton has made it known that he would like to be further involved with the Kentucky football program in the future, specifically to help out another fellow wide receiver. Head coach Rich Brooks noted the importance in saying, “it’s been a growing process for our program that now we have guys coming back on their bye weeks from the NFL.” That’s a good indication of what Brooks has been able to do with the players he coaches and Burton was one of those. He sits as the Rams #2 wide receiver and has been getting better as the weeks go on. He hasn’t dazzled anyone but it still learning the ways of the NFL. Burton needs to rely on instincts and stick to the basics. He still hasn’t scored a touchdown on the season, something all UK fans are looking for in the coming weeks. The lowly Rams take on the Saints next week which should be a blowout and might present some problems in Burton getting his first score on the year. Let’s hope for the best.

Wesley Woodyard (Broncos)- If anyone watched the Monday Night Football game, then they would have realized just how much time Woodyard spent on the field last night. He has become a mainstay on the Broncos defense and special teams units and has been spectacular throughout the season. Woodyard won’t blow you away with lighting quick speed or Superman strength, but uses his smarts and versatility to get the job done. The Broncos defense suffered all night containing the Pittsburgh offense, as Ben Roethlisberger kept plays alive using his feet. Woodyard was the second leading tackler last night for the Broncos with 8 total and six solo. He had one quarterback hit on Big Ben, a feat that is hard to come by. Woodyard has shown he is capable of playing sideline-sideline and that he is a solid tackler. The Broncos have lost two straight by way of inept offensive running and giving up a ton of points to their opponents. Last night as just another example as the Steelers and running back Rashard Mendenhall ran for 173 yards on 29 carries. If Woodyard and the Broncos want to get back to their winning ways, the defense must step up like it did at the beginning of the season.

Jacob Tamme (Colts)-As I’ve said all season, it’s been tough for Tamme to crack into the playing time of all the talented wide receivers the Colts boast. Tight end Dallas Clark isn’t going anywhere and the young wide receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have created a playing wall Tamme can’t get over. He’s a versatile tight end, but he’s playing on one of the best NFL teams this season. There could be opportunities on special teams to get some tackles. He is however finding other ways to spend his time this season by participating in a Family Reading Night hosted by the Colts, which encourages spending time reading with your children. Hey, at least he’s getting it done off the field right?

Stevie Johnson (Bills) - BYE week

Garry Williams (Panthers)-reserve left tackle

Andre Woodson (Redskins)-practice squad

Braxton Kelley (Broncos)-practice squad

Rafael Little, Johnny Williams, Ventrell Jenkins -free agents

Some other former Wildcats are also playing football elsewhere in and around the United States and here’s a look at them:

Marcus McClinton- I had the pleasure of meeting Marcus while working this past Friday and got to chat with him about how things are going for him right now. The former UK safety is currently playing in the UFL alongside other former Wildcats quarterback Shane Boyd and wide receiver Glenn Holt. Both players, like McClinton had found their way into the NFL only to have their careers cut short. Having been waived after the combine by the New England Patriots, Marcus finds himself playing in the UFL for the California Redwoods as a rookie. Several other players on the team have found themselves playing in the NFL at one time or another. This league is much like what the NBDL would be for the NBA. A stepping stone type atmosphere, players are still able to play competitively against NFL players with an opportunity to play for a contract down the road. If Marcus continues to excel in the UFL another chance in the NFL might come knocking. Let’s hope for the best.

Andrew Hardison is a recent UK alum and frequent contributor to Wildcat Blue Blog. You can find more Andrew Hardison articles on his Kentucky Examiner site.

Meet the Wildcats: #34 DeAndre Liggins

DeANDRE LIGGINS

SOPHOMORE

GUARD

6'6 202

CHICAGO, IL

FINDLEY PREP

BEFORE UK:

After playing HS basketball in Chicago for his first three years, Liggins headed west to play his senior year at Findley Prep in Las Vegas. There he averaged 13.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists a game. Liggins special skillset had him considered a "point forward" and he was actually rated the 6th best PG and 28th best recruit overall by rivals.com and 13th best SF and #57th overall by ESPN.

FROM ESPN: DeAndre is a multi-dimensional prospect with point-forward skills. He can take the outlet pass and dribble it up the floor and score or make the pass that leads to basket. He is a very good passer who has tremendous peripheral vision. In the half-court set he can score in a variety of ways around the basket. He handles the ball extremely well in the open floor and can run the show and get his team in an offense. On his penetration he finds the open man. DeAndre pulled down a game high 11 rebounds (championship game) and would lead the break himself. As his jumper gets more consistent he will be one of the more special players in the class of 2008.

AS A WILDCAT:

No UK player had as big an up and down season than Liggins. His freshman season got off to a bumpy start and then came the infamous "Vegas road trip" which cast some doubt about his future as a Wildcat. Perhaps inspired by that event, Liggins played his best basketball of the season in a four game stretch that saw him score 16, 18, 10, and 10 points. Then the struggles started and Liggins was as guilty as the rest of the Wildcats for having the "turnover" bug but for some reason Gillispie seemed to put the brunt of his frustration on Liggins who had wildly sporadic playing time and would only hit double digits one more time the rest of the season. By the end of the season, he was the forgotten Wildcat on the bench and only saw 26 minutes the last 6 games. Liggins finished his freshman campaign averaging 4.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds a game.

CAREER HIGHS:

Points: 18 - 12/6/2008 - vs Miami

Rebounds: 7 (4x) - last- 2/25/2009 - @ South Carolina

Assists: 7 (2x) - last -2/25/2009 - @ South Carolina

Blocks: 2 (2x) -last - 2/17/2009 - @ Vanderbilt

Steals: 3 - 12/20/2008 - vs Appalachian State

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SEASON:

There is no player who has a more confusing outlook than Liggins just 3 days before the season opener. It appeared that Calipari coming to UK would signify a rebirth of sorts for Liggins, as he was recruited by Calipari at Memphis and the DDMO has a special role for a "point forward" of Liggins skillset. It seemed throughout the summer that Liggins was doing and saying all the right things and the mutual respect between Calipari and Liggins seemed to be mutual.

Just a few weeks ago, former Wildcat coach Joe B Hall singled out Liggins as the most improved on the team and Calipari has said on more than one occasion that we would not recognize Liggins due to his improved play this season. Liggins was the only Wildcat not to score in the Blue/White game and then the real mystery began. Liggins did not see the floor in either of the two exhibitions and no one really seems to have an idea why. Calipari has said that he preferred to talk about players that played in the exhibitions and that he would not "throw any players under the bus". Several sources close to the team have hinted that this situation would be resolved soon, hopefully before the season starts.

If Liggins lives up to his praise over the summer, he can be an integral role for the Wildcats this year with the ability to play both the SF role and that of a SG. Calipari has said that Liggins would just play the wing positions and Darius Miller would be the 3rd PG so a return to the point is unlikely, which is good for Liggins. I can foresee Liggins getting 18-20 minutes back at his natural position and he has the potential to create his own plays and average about 8-10 a game. Here is hoping that whatever is going on with Liggins will be resolved quickly as he suffered the brunt of Billy G more than anyone and he deserves a chance at redemption.

DeAndre on last season: "I put that all on myself. I don't blame Gillispie or his coaching staff. I put that on me. The way I handled situations were really in a negative way. I think the best part of being a freshman is becoming a sophomore and now I've got a chance to prove myself to be the player everyone thought I would be and can be. I think I put myself in a bad situation, not just during games but the way I handled situations in practice. I handled all of those situations wrong. I have a fresh start now. I can show people I'm capable this year. " (from Catspause)

CALIPARI ON DeAndre:

"DeAndre is an inspired player heading into his sophomore season. I expect him to be a totally different player on the court this year. He worked really hard in the offseason to put himself in a position for extended playing time."

Meet the Wildcats: #33 Daniel Orton

DANIEL ORTON

FRESHMAN

FORWARD

6'10 255

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

BISHOP McGUINESS HS

BEFORE UK:

Daniel did not play in most of his senior season due to a knee injury but he did return to play in the Oklahoma State Tournament. As a junior, Daniel averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game. Even though he missed most of his senior season, Daniel was still very rated very highly: He was rated the #4 highest C and #13rd best player overall by ESPN and 3rd best C and #22 overall by rivals.com.

FROM ESPN: Orton is a true center that is very strong and athletic. He runs well even through when I saw him he was wearing a huge knee brace on his left knee that seemed to slow his mobility at times especially when he became tired. His productivity in the post is centered on his quick post moves after he establishes himself in the lane by using his big body to seal his man. Orton likes to use the up and under move on the left low box and on the right low box he favored the quick spin baseline to attack with his right hand if the defender was to close on the catch.

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER:

Daniel spent most of the summer with Patrick Patterson training with Frank Matrisciano, otherwise known as "Hell's Trainer" in San Francisco. Matrisciano is a personal trainer who has pushed many to their absolute limits which some say is his ultimate gift: the ability to identify exactly where each of his client's "limit" is. He has trained boxers, MMA & Martial Artists, Federal Marshalls, Firemen, Policemen, Pro Athletes, and Military Personnel. And of course, he trains the occasional basketball player. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin trained with Hell's Trainer before dominating the Big 12 last year and one hopes that Orton can benefit accordingly.

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SEASON:

Orton has the unenviable job of competing for playing time with DeMarcus Cousins, but if early reports from practice are accurate, Daniel has a very good shot at being a big contributor this season. Orton had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the Blue/White game and played very well in the first exhibition and showing a good grasp of the DDMO. He only played a few minutes in the Clarion game due to mysterious chest pains, but he appears to be in good health now. He also seems to be fully recovered from last season's knee injury.

Calipari has stated that he will try to find ways to get both Orton and Cousins on the court at the same time and it looks like Orton can average about 15 - 18 minutes a game, but will get more minutes depending on the matchups. From what we have seen, Orton is as good creating scoring opportunities for himself as well as for others. We could probably expect him to average around 8 points and 6 boards a game but like most players on this roster, he has the potential to get a double double on any given night.

Daniel on the benefits of his offseason training program: "I'm more explosive. I'm able to jump a lot quicker. I was already a pretty quick jumper, but I was jumping a whole lot quicker. I was also catching tip dunks like I never had before, and I was tipping the ball back in really well" (from Catspause)

CALIPARI ON DANIEL:

"Daniel is a very, driven and passionate individual. He has worked himself into excellent shape during the offseason. The adversity he has overcome in the last year seems to have made him stronger. He gained confidence over the summer that should be beneficial in the upcoming season."

The race to 2000 wins: UK/UNC update

#1 - 1988 (0-0)
#2 - 1985 (1-0)

Thanks to an early opening night 88-72 win over the FIU Isiah Thomas's, the UNC Tar Heels have drawn first blood in the race to 2000 wins. The Tarheels, due to a busy early schedule, actually have two more games scheduled this week, and they should get the Tarheels up to 1987 by Monday morning. UNC will face North Carolina Central on Wednesday Night, and then they play Valparaiso on Sunday the 15th. Unfortunately this does not appear to be the version of Valparaiso that can be a sleeper as Valpo was 9-22 last season.

There is just one game this week for UK and that is Friday Night against 2009 NCAA team Morehead State. Wildcat fans should not fret about the busy early UNC schedule. Next week, UK has 3 games and the Tar Heels just one, so whatever early ground is lost will be made up next week. The race to 2000 will be a weekly Monday morning piece on Wildcat Blue Blog this season.

FORECAST: After Sunday night, the win totals should stand: Kentucky 1989, UNC 1987.

Rondo, Azubuike continuing to represent the Cats in the NBA

by Andrew Hardison

Rajon Rondo (Celtics)-10.6 PTS, 9.0 AST, 4.0 REB, 3.1 STL
Rondo has kept the Celtics rolling at the start of this long NBA season with a mix of everything. The first four games of the season saw Rondo dish out double-digit assist totals, giving him a 5-1 assist to turnover ratio. There wasn’t much scoring on his part but that also began to pick up as the games went on. He’s averaged nearly 14.5 points in his last four matchups, leading the Celtics to a 7-1 record. Rondo is one of the most versatile point guards in the league and is developing into one of the better defensive players in the game. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he made the All-Defensive 1st team at the end of the season. He’s averaging 3.1 steals/per game and picked apart the New Jersey Nets for five on Saturday in East Rutherford.

Rondo is clearly backing up the contract extension he just signed, which will net him around $11 million a season. That’s Top-10 point guard money in terms of highest paid players at that position. The Celtics are looking very good at this point in the season and are already the East’s best team. The month of November looks promising for the Celtics as they only have three road games. Look for Rondo to continue to push the Celtics at full throttle well into the winter months.

Kelenna Azubuike (Warriors)-12.4 PTS, 5.0 REB, 1.2 BLK
Azubuike has found his way into Golden States starting lineup by stepping into the small forward position rather than the shooting guard spot. Here, he has outplayed veteran Corey Magette by way of getting aggressive and improving his rebounding totals. He’s averaging a solid 12.4 points on the season, giving head coach Don Nelson reliability from both the starting lineup and bench play. The emphasis on a smaller lineup by Nelson, allows Azubuike to step up in several different ways. He can start and come off the bench, rebound, and block shots as well. Through five games played, he leads the Warriors in blocked shots at 1.2 a game. He isn’t much of a distributor but that’s no different than when he was in college. Azubuike’s assist totals are going to be very low for the entire season. He’s not even averaging one assist after five games.

A rotation of Azubuike, Magette, and Anthony Marrow has been apparent for the past couple of games, as rookie Stephan Curry looks to have hit a mild rookie wall. His minutes are getting cut into and Azuibuike is getting some of those. If Azubuike is to continue his solid play, look for him to be in the starting lineup on a regular basis.

Chuck Hayes (Rockets)-7.7 PTS, 7.3 REB, 1.7 AST, 2.3 STL, 0.7 BLK

The workhorse formerly known as a Kentucky Wildcat, Hayes has led the Rockets to a surprising (4-2) start and has been a serviceable replacement for starting center Yao Ming. Hayes isn’t your prototypical NBA center. At just 6’6” and 238 lbs, Hayes uses hustle to get the job done against taller opponents. As you can by his statistics he doesn’t do one thing great, but instead does everything well. He can get points here and there, rebound at a high rate with his season high at 14 against the Lakers, and play defense. He’s already recorded three steals during a game three times this season. What’s even better is that all of his teammates are extremely fond of the fourth year pro and his work ethic, that he has become a leader on and off the court. Hayes was never the best in college but he put forth a tremendous amount of effort and became one of the best. His name will never be synonymous with “super-star” but every team in the league would love to have a player like Hayes on their team. He, Luis Scola and Carl Landry have been doing a fantastic job at the post-positions this year with Yao out and look for it to continue.

Jodie Meeks (Bucks)-8.3 PTS, 0.7 AST, 50% 3P

Meeks is the benefactor of an injury to starting shooting guard Michael Redd. Meeks has stepped in for Redd nicely thus far, an opportunity that wasn’t presented to him earlier in the season. Meeks has had a helping hand in two straight wins for the bucks, as he is teaming up with starting point guard and fellow rookie Brandon Jennings to create quite a rookie duo. In a win over the Timberwolves, Meeks saw nineteen minutes of play, while scoring 6 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. He showed some jitters in his first extended action with three turnovers but settled down the next night against the Knicks.

On Saturday, Meeks finally displayed some of his talents when he scored a season high 19 points to go along with 3 rebounds. He was 7/11 from the field and 5/7 from three-point land, showing many why the Bucks decided to draft him in the first place. Meeks will give the Bucks much of what he gave Kentucky during his college years. His high motor, constant activity on offense and light’s out shooting will give Jennings another option to look for on offense. Meeks has fresher and younger legs than Redd and could be just what the doctor ordered for the Bucks.

Tayshaun Prince (Pistons)-12.3 PTS, 5.0 REB, 2.3 AST

Prince is unfortunately out with a ruptured lower disk in his back. He hasn’t played in four straight games and will be out of the Pistons lineup indefinitely until further word is given. It looks to be a rather serious injury so several weeks could be the prognosis on Prince’s status. It’s a hit for the Pistons and as he is one of their best defenders, usually guarding the opponents start player. After the injury subsides, it will take a while for Prince to get back into playing mode and who knows where the Pistons will be by then. They are (3-4) on the season so far and if they can get by without the services of Prince, it will be a definite bonus. This will be the first time Prince has seen extended time on the bench due to injury, as he is usually a durable player throughout the season. However, after seven years of playing 82 games in a season, your body begins to wear down. Prince may have hit that point, with the possibility of smaller injuries becoming more persistent throughout his career. Let’s hope for the best.

Keith Bogans (Spurs)-1.8 PTS, 1.3 REB, 0.8 AST

Bogans started in place of Michael Finley recently as the Spurs have been struggling as of late. It could be a move to shake up the roster and jump start the Spurs with some extra defense on the floor, but don’t look for it to be a permanent move. At this point in his career, Bogans could serve more as a Bruce Bowen type player, focusing on defense more than offense and giving the Spurs an extra body when needed.

Jamaal Magloire (Heat)-

Magloire recently served out his suspension for an altercation during a pre-season game. Don’t look for too much production out of Magloire as he is closer to an 11th or 12th man off the bench.

Nazr Mohammed (Bobcats)-

One night Mohammed with get 15 minutes and put up fairly decent production. On other nights, he’ll get 3 minutes of play and do nothing. It’s a roller coaster ride for Mohammed in his 11th NBA season, as Larry Brown seemingly doesn’t know where to use Mohammed. He had 8 points and 3 blocks in a 20 point win over the Hawks, his best outing of the year thus far. Don’t expect too much from the big-man, as his contract looks enticing in the trade market.

Randolph Morris (Hawks)-0.5 PTS, 0.5 REB, 0.5 BLK

Morris scored his first point of the season against the Bobcats on Friday and also recorded a rebound the next night against the Nuggets. Morris will likely only see minutes during mop-up time and won’t likely be much of a factor for the Hawks this season.

Andrew Hardison is a recent UK alum and frequent contributor to Wildcat Blue Blog. You can find more Andrew Hardison articles on his Kentucky Examiner site.

Mid week basketball fix ... before the season gets in full swing

Don't fret because the Tar Hells pulled out win 1985 against the FIU Isiah Thomas's tonight ... UK basketball and the race to 2000 wins is just a few days from kicking off. But in case you missed it, here is EVERY basket from the Cat's two exhibition wins over Campbellsville and Clarion.

Randall Cobb should play, Mike Hartline may play vs Vandy

It's looking more and more that the UK football squad may be whole again heading into this crucial three game season ending stretch. Most reports are that WR Randall Cobb should play Saturday vs Vanderbilt. There is no ligament damage to the thumb he injured in practice on Thursday and by most indications, just a really bad sprained thumb.

Coach Brooks also indicated that Derrick Locke and Trevard Lindley would be practicing tomorrow as well. Lindley's injury Saturday was not related to his previous ankle injury, which is a good thing.

From all indications, the jury is still out on Mike Hartline. He has been practicing this week and looked "pretty good" but there is no indication if that is game time "pretty good". If it is, Brooks has some decisions to make as QB Morgan Newton just received props as SEC freshman of the Week for his performance against EKU.