Sports Illustrated has listed its “Winners” and “Losers” at the NBA Draft Combine and Kentucky’s Archie Goodwin is considered considered in the latter.

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Goodwin struggled with his jump shot throughout the combine — “Very flat,” a Western Conference coach said — and looked like the player who said he would be “delusional” to think he was ready for the NBA. There is a raw, Jamal Crawford-like talent in Goodwin, an athletic, dynamic combo guard who can score in a variety of ways. But it could take years to develop that player in him, if it can be brought out at all.

Read More

Hopefully Archie is in the gym right now taking shots.

A lot of them.

The post SI.com says Archie Goodwin a “Loser” at NBA Draft Combine appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Mikel Horton jumped from #209 to #131 in updated Rivals 2014 rankings.

Mark Stoops recruiting has been magical since he has taken over the head coaching position at Kentucky and the updated Rivals.com Top 250 reflects that it isn’t an illusion.

Quarterback Drew Barker (#117), running back Mikel Horton (#131) and wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass (#205) are the highest ranking players in a class that could be the foundation for a great future of Kentucky Football.

Barker is ranked as the #8 quarterback, Mikel Horton is the #13 back and Thaddeus Snodgrass the #29 wide receiver in the class of 2014 by Rivals.

Here is a look at the entire class as of today:

Check out the entire 2014 Rivals.com Football Recruiting rankings by clicking here.

The post Three Kentucky Football 2014 Recruits in Rivals Top 250 appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Former Kentucky Wildcat Eloy Vargas has become one of the elite players in the Dominican Republic, but it hasn’t come easy.

Vargas, a member of the Kentucky 2012 national championship team, had signed a professional contract with Knet in Spain until he tore his meniscus playing for Los Caneros Del Este in the Dominican. Eloy had surgery on October 1st, 2012 and rehabbed for 7 months.

Eloy was back on the court for the first time 2 months ago playing for Los Cupes in Santiago, Dominican Republic where the 6’11″ center now makes his home. He just wasn’t on the team by any means as he finished his 12 game stint as Rookie of the Year and MVP of the semi-finals as he averaged 23.5 points and 12 rebounds.

Eloy is currently playing with the club San Lazaro in the Santo Domingo League and is averaging 21.8 points and 12.8 rebounds.

When speaking with Eloy, you can tell he is motivated for bigger and better things in his basketball future.

“I think I realized how hard I needed to work after my surgery, especially not having any strength in my leg.” Vargas said. “I had to work twice as hard as before.”

Eloy has also been gaining attention from the NBA and Europe after his stellar play in his home country.

“I have been contacted by several NBA Developmental League and European teams for next season,” said Vargas. “I am also looking forward to the possibility of playing in the NBA Summer League.”

The Kentucky graduate currently has two homes in the Dominican and gives a lot of credit to his education to help him with the management of his business affairs.

“My education has really helped me get where I am today, because basketball just isn’t practice and games, it is also a business.”

My guess this won’t be the last we hear from Eloy Vargas, so keep an eye out for him to be back in the United States grabbing rebounds, quite possibly on a NBA team near you.

The post Eloy Vargas Rebounding His Way Back From Injury in the Dominican appeared first on Nation of Blue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky women’s basketball signee Linnae (La-NAY) Harper was one of 12 players selected to the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team, announced USA Basketball on Sunday. Harper was one of 33 athletes invited to tryouts for the team, which were held May 16-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 12-member team was selected by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee, chaired by UT Chattanooga head coach Jim Foster.

Harper, a 5-foot-8 guard from Chicago and a former teammate of current Wildcat Janee Thompson at Whitney Young High School, is no stranger to USA Basketball. She won gold medals as a member of the 2012 USA U17 World Championship Team and the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship Team. She also was awarded an honorary bronze medal in the inaugural 2011 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship. She is one of eight members on the team who have won a gold medal playing with USA Basketball.

“Just being here the last day, everyone was anxious and ready to hear their name called,” Harper said. “Every year I’ve been here I’m always nervous, my stomach feels like it is dropping and spinning, lack of rest, then to hear my name called was a big relief. I was so excited. This is another opportunity to represent our country and be with another group of girls I’ve never played with, a mixture of college and high school, and I really can’t wait to spend a nice month with them.”

Harper and the rest of Team USA will compete at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship, hosted by Lithuania from July 18-28 in Klaipeda and Panevėžys. The red, white and blue has won the last four gold medals at the FIBA U19 World Championships.

“We were able to pick a U19 team that has a lot of strengths in a lot of different areas,” said Foster. “I think that bodes well for them. They have good size. They have some people who can put the ball in the basket. They’re athletic, and I think they can be good defensively. It’s a team that has a lot of potential to be very successful.

“The team has some players whose skill set is a little different than their position. Breanna Stewart, A’Ja Wilson and Brianna Turner are all 6’3” or above and are equally as comfortable putting the ball on the floor after they get a rebound and starting a fast break on their own. It’s an interesting dimension, and it makes the team that much more versatile because you could actually play some of them at wing positions and have a very, very big team on the floor. It makes for a lot of versatility.”

The 12-player team includes: Candice Agee (Penn State/Victorville, Calif.); Nia Coffey (Hopkins H.S./ Minneapolis, Minn.); Bashaara Graves (Tennessee/Clarksville, Tenn.); Gabby Green (St. Mary’s College H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Linnae Harper (Whitney Young H.S./Chicago, Ill.); Moriah Jefferson (Connecticut/Glenn Heights, Texas); Alexis Jones (Duke/Irving, Texas); Kelsey Plum (La Jolla Country Day/Poway, Calif.); Breanna Stewart (Connecticut/North Syracuse, N.Y.); Morgan Tuck (Connecticut/Bolingbrook, Ill.); Brianna Turner (Manvel H.S./Pearland, Texas); A’ja Wilson (Heathwood Hall H.S./Hopkins, S.C.).

University of Miami head coach Katie Meier will be leading Team USA and will be assisted by Nikki Caldwell (LSU) and Kelly Graves (Gonzaga).

“I’m thrilled. The length is incredible, the talent, the diversity,” Meier said. “Everybody brings a little something different. That gives us a lot of choices as coaches in a lot of different ways that we can win basketball games. (The committee) put together what I think is the team that answers any type of a question. We have speed. We have quickness. We have size. We have shooters. They really made sure that they gave us every weapon.”

The USA will regroup for training on July 1 at the USOTC prior to traveling to Europe for a July 11-14 Spain-hosted tournament in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Featuring U19 squads from Australia, Canada and Spain, the tournament will be good test for the U.S. From there, the American women will travel to Lithuania in an attempt to defend gold.

The FIBA U19 Worlds will feature 16 teams with athletes 19-years-old or younger. While Lithuania earned an automatic berth to the tournament as host, the remaining 15 nations were determined by the five FIBA zone qualifiers in 2012. In addition to the U.S., nations qualified out of the FIBA Americas zone include Brazil (silver medalist), Argentina (bronze medalist) and Canada (fourth place). Senegal (gold medalist) and Mali (silver medalist) will represent FIBA Africa; advancing from FIBA Asia are China (gold medalist), Japan (silver medalist) and South Korea (bronze medalist); Australia took FIBA Oceania’s spot after winning the best-of-three series against New Zealand; while FIBA Europe will be represented by France (gold medalist), Russia (silver medalist), Serbia (bronze medalist), Netherlands (fourth place) and Spain (fifth place).

Drawn into Group D, the U.S. will play its preliminary and second round games in Panevėžys, and opens against Lithuania on July 18, followed by China on July 19 and caps the preliminary round against Mali on July 20.

The top three finishing teams from each first-round group will advance to the second round, held July 22-24. The 12 nations qualifying for the second round will be divided into Groups E and F. Each team will play the three new teams in its new group, with all results of games played in the preliminary round carrying over to determine the second-round standings.

Teams finishing in first through fourth places in the second round will qualify for the quarterfinals, with the opportunity to advance to the semifinals and finals. The medal round will be played in Klaipeda, with the quarterfinals held on July 26, semifinals slated for July 27 and the gold medal game on July 28.

In addition to Foster, the 2013-14 USA Basketball includes NCAA appointees Melanie Balcomb (head coach, Vanderbilt University), Lindsay Gottlieb (head coach, University of California) and Joi Williams (head coach, UCF), as well as athlete representative Kara Lawson, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist who has played on nine USA Basketball teams.

The post Harper Selected to USA Basketball U19 Team appeared first on Nation of Blue.

HOOVER, Ala. – Kentucky senior southpaw Jerad Grundy has been named to the Southeastern Conference Community Service Team, it was announced by the league office on Monday morning.

A native of Johnsburg, Ill., Grundy has been active in the local community during his two years in Lexington. The Miami (Fla.) and Heartland College transfer has volunteered at local elementary schools and served as a youth baseball coach. Grundy has also been involved with the Bluegrass Miracle League, a youth league devoted to providing safe environments for handicapped children in the Lexington area.

A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2012, Grundy has been a fixture on the mound for two seasons. In his two-year UK career, Grundy has a 12-8 record in 29 starts, posting a 4.24 ERA in 163.1 innings, allowing 165 hits and 56 walks, striking out 123. In 2012, Grundy made 16 weekend starts, posting a 6-3 record and a 3.78 ERA, striking out 63 in 85.2 innings. As a senior, Grundy has a 6-5 record and a 4.75 ERA in 13 starts, walking just 20 and striking out 60 in 77.2 innings.

Kentucky will open the SEC Tournament on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Hoover Met against No. 6 seeded Ole Miss. Grundy will be making his 14th start of 2013 on the mound for the Wildcats and his second SEC Tournament start in his career.

The post Jerad Grundy Named to SEC Community Service Team appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The post Video: Patrick Patterson Interview with KSTV appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Nerlens Noel has been rehabbing during the day and watching Netflix at night while in Birmingham, but my guess he will be interested in who wins the lottery tonight.

No, not the Powerball, but the NBA Draft Lottery is on ESPN tonight at 8:30pm eastern.

Chad Ford, NBA Draft insider for ESPN, believes 9 of the 14 teams would pick Noel if the ping pong balls bounce in their favor. Four teams would take Kansas’ Ben McLemore and one would select Georgetown’s Otto Porter.

Here are each team’s chances of winning tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery:

The post NBA Draft Lottery Could Give Nerlens Noel #1 Pick appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Slam Magazine released their High School All American team today and Kentucky has 3 of the 6 honorees.

Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison were all honored as the best players in the class of 2013.

Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, Duke’s Jabari Parker and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon were also on the team.

You can check out all the photos and article by clicking here.

The post Kentucky has Half of Slam All American Team appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Source; MaxPreps.com

Kentucky Basketball 2013 signee Marcus Lee led Deer Valley to its first California state title.

In volleyball.

MaxPreps.com breaks down Marcus Lee’s historic season for Deer Valley:

But around Northern California, Lee first made big noise on the volleyball court and on Friday, he capped off his senior year in North Coast Section with the school’s first title.

Lee, an absolutely menacing and intimidating middle blocker, had 15 kills in 22 attempts to go along with 21 kills from 6-4 sophomore Jordan Ewert as the Wolverines defeated Amador Valley 25-15, 24-26, 25-16, 25-15 to improve to 40-1.

Despite a late start because of Deer Valley’s late basketball run and to commitments to McDonald’s and the Jordan Brand Classic, Lee has 154 kills on the season. He’s second on the team behind Ewert (4.7) with 3.8 kills per game.

Source

Check out the highlights of Lee and Deer Valley in pre-season action:

The post Marcus Lee Leads Deer Valley to First Volleyball State Title appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Perry Ayers of Team Manimal.

There were so many players that improved their stock at the State AAU that there are too many to name, but several players really stood out to me.

Perry Ayers, Team Manimal: One of the most outstanding 2016 talents of the weekend was Ayers, who put on a display of athleticism on both ends of the floor for the upstart Manimals. He is at his best when attacking the basket on the offensive end, and his court vision leads to involvement of his teammates with his ability to dish the basketball. He is even more impressive on the defensive side of the ball with his quick feet and hands, especially in a full court press. The Bowling Green native needs to work on his outside shot, but his motor seems never ending, which makes it hard to keep him off the court.

Carson Williams, Hoop Dreams: The big man from Owen County was the best big man in the 9th grade tournament. He threw down several big time dunks while showing how well he runs the floor. Williams also showed very nice touch with the mid-range jumper and is very tough to handle on the post. It will be interesting to see if the 6’5″ forward can create more of an outside game, especially since he would probably be a 3 in college. Carson is definitely a kid to keep an eye on as he grows as a player.

Mason Faulkner, Team Manimal: Faulkner is the makings of a complete point guard with his size, handles and stroke. Faulkner wants to have the basketball when the game is on the line and isn’t afraid to take a game over if needed. He does a great job of distributing the basketball and seems to excel in transition in an up tempo type setting. Mason seemed to flourish in the Manimal style of play, but I wonder how he would react in a slow down pace and how it would affect his decision making on the court. As the Caverna HS product continues to improve it will be exciting to see just how good this kid could be.

Evan Hall, The Ville: The Knott County sophomore was a big cog in The Ville’s lineup over the weekend and it felt like he grabbed every rebound that fell off the rim. Hall does a great job of using his body, blocking out, and making sure he is in great position in the paint. He also looked great in the high post, hitting jumpers when given them and not forcing bad shot attempts. He stayed mostly in the paint and it would have been nice to see him have more attempts from outside 10 feet, but Hall will be an excellent 2nd option for Knott County after Camron Justice next high school year.

Michael Stafford, The Ville: The Trinity sophomore, who didn’t get to see a whole lot of minutes for the veteran led Shamrocks last season, will definitely play a major factor next season. Stafford has a knack of finding lanes to basket and finishes more often than not. He also did a great job of getting to the free throw line. What stuck out to me the most about Stafford was his ability to get to the rim and his bulldog attitude. One play I remember was him getting blocked, but that didn’t stop him from going right back into the paint on the next trip and scoring on a nice driving layup. Trinity seems like they could be reloading again.

Chris Hudson, Hoop Dreams: The junior from Hazard showed he can score inside or out and will be a tough mismatch for almost any team. The 6’7″ forward has a nice outside shot, hitting several from beyond the arc, and is also a horse in the paint. His defense is lacking and I question his motor, but the talent is definitely there. This will be a big year for Hudson to really push himself to be one of the elite players in the state, or he could possibly get lost in the shuffle. One thing is for sure, Chris Hudson has a big body and talent to boot.

Chris Cunningham, Louisville Magic: The Henry Clay junior looked really good as the Magic rolled to the AAU state title. With so many talented players on one squad, it was sort of hard to pick out just one player. Having watched Cunningham in high school, he seemed a lot more comfortable playing AAU than he did in the winter. The 6 foot point guard was a floor leader and it seemed like he was always in the middle of something positive. He also displayed a nice shot when left open, doing a very good job of keeping the defense honest, especially with so many other offensive weapons on the floor. I could see Cunningham running a mid-major team in college as his basketball iq usually puts him in the right place to make positive plays. A trustworthy guard that makes positive team plays for his teammates can play on my team any day.

Other players to keep an eye on

D’Angelo Hunter, Louisville Magic, 2014, PRP
Brent Bach, Hoop Dreams, 2014, Augusta
Malik Dow, Hoop Dreams, 2016, Ballard
Tyler Sharp, Manimal, 2016, Bullitt East

A couple of thoughts about the Kentucky State AAU:

Need to do something about officiating. Seemed like a ton of calls determined the outcome of games. No surprise there, huh?

Also, someone needs to get together with all the coaches and put together a program with all the rosters. I am sure everyone would love to know who they are watching, that way the media can give these kids publicity. A lot of times an event like this could help a kid get some college looks.

If you haven’t ever been to the State AAU and you need a gym fix, this is definitely an event you need to check out.

The post Players that Improved Their Stock at Kentucky State AAU appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Here is a recap of the 9th, 10th and 11th grade tournaments.

Let’s begin with who wasn’t at at the KBA this weekend and that is the Kentucky Travelers. The Travelers are the Kentucky representative in the Nike EYBL and didn’t play. I spoke to Jonathan Davis on Friday, father of the Travelers’ Jackson Davis, and he said if they win 2 games in Minnesota this upcoming weekend they will qualify for the Peach Jam. Good luck to them!

There were also some significant injuries that kept two of the top players in the state from showing their skills. The 11th grade Louisville Magic’s Jordan Green and 9th grade Hoop Dreams’ Quentin Goodin were both sidelined due to injury. Green, who plays for Henry Clay, is out 4-6 weeks due to a groin injury. Taylor County’s Quentin Goodin, who many say is one of the top 3 players in the state, had a back injury from lifting weights and was told to rest over the weekend.

The biggest story of the weekend, in my opinion, was the 9th grade entry Team Manimal. Of course, this team was sponsored by Morehead State alum and current Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried. Just walking around the KBA you could hear parents, coaches and players talking about the Manimals. They did not disappoint being a first year team, finishing 2nd, but the game of games was the semi-final double overtime win over the tournament favorite Hoop Dreams. There were two buzzer beaters, including this one by Bullitt East’s Tyler Sharp:

Manimal went on to pull off the upset with a 102-99 win.

That draining performance, which included 8 players fouling out, was too much for head coach Maze Stallworth’s Team Manimal in the finals as the Kentucky Heat won the 9th grade state tournament 74-61.

Here are the Manimals with team sponsor Kenneth Faried:

The 10th grade tournament, which really went under the radar, was won by The Next Level Retros defeating The Ville 62-52. The Retros were led by Ballard’s Corey Douglas and Doss’ Dujuanta Weaver in the championship game. Knott County’s Evan Hall, who played for The Ville, had a great weekend as he dominated the paint and the glass.

Here are the Next Level Retros:

The 11th grade state tournament was dominated by the Louisville Magic, which was loaded with the best players in the state that aren’t playing with the Kentucky Travelers.

Louisville commit Quentin Snider was just a piece to the puzzle that included Henry Clay’s Chris Cunningham and Trey Grundy, PRP’s LaMontray Harris and D’Angelo Hunter, Ballard’s Kelan Martin, Trinity’s Craig Owens and Marshall County’s Austin Rentfro.

Coach Ellis Myles’ club won by an average of 34.5 points per game, which concluded with a 79-44 win over the Shining Stars in the Finals.

One game I would love to see, that we probably won’t get to see, is the Magic vs. the Kentucky Travelers.

Here are the 11th grade champions:

Check back later for an article on standout players, bad officiating and ways to improve the Kentucky State AAU.

The post Kentucky State AAU Recap appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Kentucky’s John Calipari has benefited from the one and done rule more than anyone, but he is ready to see it changed.

He also goes as far to say he thinks schools should secede from the NCAA if it isn’t.

The post John Calipari is Ready for One and Done Rule to Change appeared first on Nation of Blue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 12 University of Kentucky softball team will continue its 2013 NCAA Tournament run at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., starting Saturday, May 25 against No. 5 national seed Arizona State, the NCAA announced Sunday night.

Kentucky (41-19) and Arizona State (48-10) will start the best-of-three series Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with game two of the series coming Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. If necessary, game three of the series will be played at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN2. All three games will also be available on WatchESPN.

Arizona State will be the home team Saturday night, while UK will be the home team in game two on Sunday. The higher seeded team has the choice of home/away in game three, if necessary. A full schedule is listed below.

Kentucky, which is making its fifth appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament, is playing in its second NCAA Super Regional in school history. The Wildcats are having arguably one of the best seasons in program history in 2013, setting a new school record for wins in a season with 41. Freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley was fantastic for UK in regional action, going 3-1 with a 0.83 ERA.

Arizona State won all three of its games in the NCAA Tempe Regional over the weekend, taking down Southeastern Conference foe Georgia, twice, and San Jose State. Pitcher Dallas Escobedo was the star of the regional for ASU, winning all three games, including a no-hit effort against San Jose State and two shutout performances against Georgia.

For the latest on UK softball, follow “@UKSoftball” on Twitter or like Kentucky Softball on Facebook.

NCAA Tempe Super Regional
Kentucky – 40-19
Arizona State – 48-10

Schedule
Game One: Saturday, May 25 – Kentucky vs. Arizona State – 10 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Game Two: Sunday, May 26 – Arizona State vs. Kentucky – 5 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game Three: Sunday, May 26 – Kentucky vs. Arizona State – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN2*
* If necessary

The post NCAA Tempe Super Regional Dates/Times Announced appeared first on Nation of Blue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After dropping game one of the day that forced a winner-take-all regional final, the University of Kentucky softball team got three-plus strong innings of work from junior pitcher/infielder Lauren Cumbess in the circle, who also delivered the game-winning RBI single, while freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley shut the door in the final 3.1 innings, lifting UK to a 1-0 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky (41-19) now advances to a NCAA Super Regional for only the second time in school history. The Wildcats will face the winner of the NCAA Tempe Regional between Arizona State and Southeastern Conference foe Georgia. The Super Regional will be a best-of-three game series. More information will be available Monday morning on UKathletics.com.

The win for Kentucky in game two was its 41st of the season, setting a new school record for wins in a single season. The 2011 squad, which advanced to the school’s first ever Super Regional, had 40 wins. Sunday marked the third time UK has played in a regional final, now holding a 2-2 record in those games. Kentucky is 11-9 all-time in its five NCAA appearances with all five berths coming under sixth-year head coach Rachel Lawson.

Cumbess was the do-it-all star for Kentucky in the final game of the weekend, throwing 3.2 strong innings in the circle and delivering a game-winning RBI single in the fifth inning to propel UK to victory. The junior two-way player allowed only two hits in the game – both in the fourth inning – before leaving the fourth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. Nunley came in and kept the Virginia Tech bats quiet the rest of the way, getting out of the jam in the fourth and throwing the final three innings, allowing only three hits with two strikeouts.

“When I was preparing for Virginia Tech earlier in the week, I actually thought Lauren (Cumbess) was the exact matchup for them,” Lawson said. “Lauren has such a good drop ball and Virginia Tech is such a good hitting team. I wanted to keep the ball in the infield, so I actually had thought about starting her in the first place. But, when you are the head coach at Kentucky and you have a 27-game winner, and I start the one who doesn’t have 27, I am going to have my head on a platter if I am wrong. I have a lot of faith in both of them. I felt good about Lauren coming in. To be honest with you, I pulled Lauren aside before today and I said, ‘If this goes into two games, you are starting the second game and it is your job to come in and shut the door.’ So, whereas she just thinks she was giving (Kelsey) Nunley a rest, that was actually plan B. I don’t like to have plan B, but I always have plan B in case things don’t go our way. So, that was my plan going into the game. I didn’t tell anyone else that plan, but it seems like they were reading my mind I suppose.”

Cumbess did not earn a decision in the game, while Nunley picked up her 27th win of the season, moving her school-record win total to 27-9. Cumbess is still 10-7 on the year with a 3.88 ERA, striking out 82 in 110 innings pitched, while Nunley, who has thrown a school-record high 255.1 innings this season, has a 1.97 ERA – which ranks second lowest in a single-season in school history. Nunley now has 190 strikeouts on the season, which ranks fifth most in school history. Nunley needs 10 more strikeouts to become only the second player in UK history to record 200-plus strikeouts in a single season.

Cumbess and Nunley received some fantastic efforts defensively in the second game to keep the Wildcats on top. On top of the Wildcat infield turning two double plays in the game, junior outfielder Ginny Carroll made a diving catch in the first inning to rob a Hokie player of a single, while freshman outfielder Sylver Samuel made a great catch up against the centerfield wall in the third inning to rob a Hokie player of a double. In the fourth inning, freshman infielder Christian Stokes made a diving catch in shallow leftfield to take away a single.

“Our defense was huge,” Lawson said. “I thought Christian Stokes’ play when she dove and got the play behind her was big. In game one, we didn’t make that catch, and that’s why they scored two runs. So, the fact that she made that catch and really stepped up on her birthday was cool. I think the fact that Griffin Joiner did such a good job behind the plate (catch every game in the tournament) was awesome. She did a really good job. I think, too, Silver Samuel made a big catch at the wall. I always tell the team that you never know when the game-winning play is going to happen. I believe those were the game-winning plays. And then Nunley coming in and closing the door – being able to come in with the bases loaded and jamming them in and being able to get them to popup was huge.”

Offensively, Kentucky had eight hits in the game, getting multi-hit games from Carroll and Stokes, who each went 2-for-3. Senior infielder Kara Dill, sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner and Samuel each had singles, while Samuel scored the game’s only run on the RBI single by Cumbess.

Virginia Tech (38-21) started pitcher Jasmin Harrell in the game, who went seven innings, allowing only one unearned run on eight hits with two strikeouts. Harrell, who threw all 13 innings against Marshall on Saturday night to get Virginia Tech into the regional final, picked up the tough-luck loss, moving to 18-9 on the season.

The Hokies earned five hits the game, getting a multi-hit day from Baily Liddle, who went 2-for-3, while Dani Anderson, Courtney Liddle and Bkaye Smith each had singles.

Kentucky scored its lone run of the game in the fifth inning, moving to 26-5 this season when it scores first in the game. Samuel started the rally by reaching on an error by the second baseman, moving to second on Dill’s groundout. After Joiner flied out to deep leftfield to move Samuel to third, Cumbess hit a laser at the first baseman that deflected off the edge of her glove and rolled into foul territory for a single, scoring Samuel.

Virginia Tech forced the seventh game of the regional with an impressive performance in the first game of the day, taking down the Wildcats 2-0 behind a strong pitching effort from Kelly Heinz. The Hokie hurler threw a complete game in the contest, allowing only three hits with three strikeouts, besting Nunley, who started for UK in game one, allowing two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts.

For the latest on UK softball, follow “@UKSoftball” on Twitter or like Kentucky Softball on Facebook.

Lexington Regional – May 17-19 – John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.
Kentucky (41-19)
Virginia Tech (38-21)

NCAA Lexington Regional Schedule
Friday, May 17
Game 1 –Virginia Tech def. Notre Dame 4-3
Game 2 – Kentucky def. Marshall 2-1 (8)

Saturday, May 18
Game 3 – Kentucky def. Virginia Tech 6-2
Game 4 – Marshall def. Notre Dame 3-1
Game 5 – Virginia Tech def. Marshall 3-2 (13)

Sunday, May 19
Game 6 – Virginia Tech def. Kentucky 2-0
Game 7 – Kentucky def. Virginia Tech 1-0

The post Nunley, Cumbess Propel No. 12 Softball to Super Regionals appeared first on Nation of Blue.

HOOVER, Ala. — Former Kentucky All-America infielder Terry Shumpert will serve as one of four members of the Southeastern Conference Baseball Legends, Presented by AT&T, to be honored at the SEC Tournament, May 21-26 at the Hoover Met.

Shumpert (1985-87) will be one of four SEC Legends to be honored during the week, joining former Auburn head coach Hal Baird, LSU legendary head coach Skip Bertman and Missouri’s Gene McArtor. Four legends are honored each year as part of the SEC Baseball Tournament.

“The SEC Baseball Legends, Presented by AT&T, allows us to honor the deep tradition and history of baseball in our league and show why the SEC is the nation’s premier baseball conference,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “We are grateful to our friends at AT&T for helping to continue to make this program possible.”

A three-year starter in the middle infield for coach Keith Madison’s club, Shumpert earned All-America honors at second base in 1987. He was named first-team All-SEC in 1986 and 1987 and was a member of the SEC All-Tournament Team in 1987.

As a sophomore in 1986, Shumpert hit .364 with 19 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 37 RBI, stealing 28 bases. Had a dynamic junior season in 1987, hitting .376 with 19 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 32 stolen bases. His .374 average in 1987 ranks as the 11th-best mark in program history and he finished ranking sixth and eighth in the UK single-season stolen base record book.

A second-round pick in the 1987 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, Shumpert had a 14-year MLB career conclude in 2003, seeing time with the Royals, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A product of Paducah Tilghman High School, Shumpert hit .252 during his MLB career in 854 games, with 49 homers, 223 RBI and 85 steals.

2013 SEC Baseball Legends – Presented by AT&T

Auburn – Hal Baird, Head Coach, 1986-2000
Hal Baird was the head coach at Auburn from 1985-2000 and is the all-time winningest coach in school history having guided the Tigers to a 634-328 (.659) record during his 16 seasons on the Plains. Twice he led the Tigers to 50-wins seasons (1995 & 1997), while also taking the Tigers to the College World Series in both 1994 and 1997. A fixture in the Auburn dugout, Baird left an indelible mark on the Auburn baseball program. In his final seven seasons alone, Baird guided the Tigers to three NCAA Regional titles, an SEC Western Division Championship and an SEC Tournament Championship and 10 times during Baird’s stay did his teams finish the season ranked in the top 25. Baird’s teams won at least 30 games in every season he was the head coach and the program participated in nine NCAA Regionals during his stay, including seven in his last eight years at Auburn. During the 1990’s, Baird’s teams won 68.1 percent of their games, the 21st-winningest program in the decade. Ten Auburn players earned All-America honors under Baird’s tutelage while a total of 51 players were drafted off of Baird’s teams, which included Gregg Olson, Frank Thomas and Tim Hudson.

Kentucky – Terry Shumpert, Second Base, 1985-87
A three-year starter in the middle infield for coach Keith Madison’s club, Shumpert was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection (1986-87) and earned All-America honors at second base in 1987. The native of Paducah, Ky., also earned SEC All-Tournament Team honors in 1987. Shumpert led the Wildcats in batting average, at bats, hits, runs, doubles and stolen bases in both 1986 and 1987. As a junior, he hit .376 with 19 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 32 steals. His .376 batting average in 1987 ranks as the 11th-best mark in school history while he ranks sixth (1987; 32) and eighth (1988; 28) on the UK single-season steals list. Following his junior season he was picked in the second round of the 1987 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, going No. 41 overall. During his 14-year MLB career, he hit .252 during in 854 games, with 49 homers, 223 RBI and 85 steals, playing for the Royals, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

LSU – Skip Bertman, Head Coach, 1984-2001
Bertman directed the LSU baseball team to five College World Series titles and a sterling 870-330-3 mark (.724) in 18 seasons (1984-2001), giving him the highest all-time winning percentage among SEC coaches. Bertman is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to win five national championships. In addition to the five national championships, Bertman’s LSU teams also claimed seven SEC championships 11 CWS berths and six SEC Tournament titles. Bertman’s jersey #15 has been retired by LSU, and the street in front of the original Alex Box Stadium was re-named Skip Bertman Drive. During Bertman’s tenure at LSU, more than 100 players were drafted into professional baseball, with 41 Tigers reaching the major leagues. He also coached 11 LSU first-team All-Americans. Bertman was also an accomplished international coach, serving as pitching coach on the 1988 United States gold-medal squad, then leading the USA as head coach to the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. On January 19, 2001, the LSU Board of Supervisors unanimously approved LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert’s selection of Bertman as the school’s athletics director. As athletics director from 2001-08, Bertman supervised a highly successful 20-sport program. With a diverse and talented coaching staff as well as some of the best facilities in the nation, Bertman enhanced LSU’s status as one of the best athletics programs in the country.

Missouri – Gene McArtor, First Base, 1961-63; Head Coach 1974-94
As a player at Missouri, McArtor won all-conference and all-district honors as a first baseman from 1961-63. He played on two Big Eight Conference championship teams and two squads which advanced to the College World Series. He served as team captain as a senior. He returned to MU as assistant baseball coach in 1969 after coaching and teaching at the high school level in his hometown, St. Louis. McArtor served in that role until 1974 when he succeeded John “Hi” Simmons as the Tigers’ head coach. During his 21 years at the helm, McArtor compiled a 733-430-3 record and won Big Eight championships in 1976 and 1980. He guided six teams to the NCAA Tournament and coached 13 All-Americans and 41 all-conference players. McArtor served on the NCAA Baseball Committee from 1987-92, including two years as chairman, during a period of unprecedented growth for the CWS. Former president of the American Baseball Coaches Association, McArtor is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame, the Webster Groves High School Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. Since retiring as baseball coach, he served MU as director of project management and was the interim director of athletics for several months in 1998. McArtor currently works with the NCAA as an umpire coordinator.

The post Terry Shumpert to Serve as SEC Baseball Legend appeared first on Nation of Blue.

HOOVER, Ala. — For the first time in 14 years, Kentucky will be making back-to-back Southeastern Conference Tournament berths, drawing six-seed Ole Miss in the opener of the tournament on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Kentucky (30-24, 11-19 Southeastern Conference) earned the No. 11 seed in the nation’s best conference tournament. The Wildcats will face the Rebels for the fourth time in 2013, claiming two of three games over Ole Miss in Oxford, April 25-27. Last season, UK and Ole Miss also opened the SEC Tournament with the first game of the day, with UK advancing with the win.

The first round of the 2013 SEC Tournament will be played as a play-in game, single-elimination format to advance to the double-elimination round, starting on Wednesday. Top-four seeds Vanderbilt, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina earned byes on Tuesday.

The Wildcats will send senior southpaw Jerad Grundy (6-5, 4.75 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday to face the Rebels for the second time in 2013. Grundy has made 13 starts – 11 weekend starts – tossing 77.2 innings, walking just 20 and striking out 60. Over his last two starts, Grundy has a 1-0 record and a 1.64 ERA, allowing just nine hits and two walks in 11 innings. In his last start, Grundy posted a win over No. 15 Indiana last Tuesday, working six strong innings, allowing just four hits and one run, walking two and striking out two. In his decorated two-year career, Grundy has made 29 starts and posted a 12-8 record and a 4.24 ERA, striking out 123 in 163.1 innings. In his two starts vs. Ole Miss in his career, Grundy has a 0-2 record and a 13.06 ERA, allowing 15 runs in 10.1 innings. In 2013, Grundy suffered a loss on Friday at Ole Miss, surrendering nine hits and 12 runs in 5.2 innings. Ole Miss has yet to announce a starting pitcher, using the rotation of Mike Mayers-Sam Smith-Bobby Wahl on the final weekend of the regular season.

UK is coming off a series loss at Missouri over the weekend, falling in the first two games, before rebounding to post a 5-1 win over the Tigers to end the regular season.

Kentucky has hit .256 as a team, slugging .363 and reaching base at a .361 clip. UK has belted 36 homers and stolen 56 bases. Defensively, UK has fielded a strong .973, turning 58 double plays and surrendering just 29-of-51 steal attempts. On the mound, UK has a 3.56 ERA, allowing a .333 on-base percentage and a .363 slugging mark, striking out 370 and walking just 144 in 487.1 innings.

UK has been led offensively by freshman outfielder Kyle Barrett, who has hit .352 to rank 10th in the SEC and second among SEC freshmen, just behind potential NCAA Freshman of the Year Alex Bregman. Junior J.T. Riddle has hit .284 with seven doubles, two triples, one homer and 20 RBI, stealing six bases. Slugger A.J. Reed has batted .281 with eight doubles, two triples, 13 homers and 52 RBI, ranking third in the league in RBI. Austin Cousino has hit .251 with 12 doubles, one triple, six homers and 27 RBI, stealing 13 bags. Max Kuhn has hit .247 with nine doubles, five homers and 29 RBI, stealing seven bags. Catcher Micheal Thomas has hit .246 with three homers and 21 RBI.

In relief for UK, senior Walter Wijas (2-1, 1.45 ERA) has appeared in a staff-best 27 games, working 31 innings and allowing 29 singles. Junior Trevor Gott (4-1, 1.20 ERA) has a school-record 12 saves in 30 innings, walking five and striking out 35. Chandler Shepherd (5-0, 2.89 ERA) has been a force in his 25 appearances, tossing a strong 53 innings, allowing 48 hits and 17 walks, striking out 37. Freshmen Ryne Combs (0-0, 2.01 ERA), Zach Strecker (1-1, 2.35 ERA) and Dylan Dwyer (1-0, 3.86 ERA) have each appeared in at least 10 games in relief.

Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15 SEC) has hit .278, with a .369 slugging a .361 on-base percentage, belting 23 homers and stealing 43 bases. Defensively, the Rebels had fielded .970, turning 49 double plays and allowing just 26-of-53 steals. On the mound, Ole Miss has a strong 3.15 ERA, walking 202 and striking out 403 in 503 innings.

The Rebels have been led at the plate by star catcher Stuart Turner, a laser-armed backstop who thwarts opponents running games. He has hit .377 with 15 doubles, one triple, five homers and 47 RBI. Third sacker Andrew Mistone has a .320 average with 10 doubles and 33 RBI, with centerfielder Austin Anderson batting .296 with eight doubles, three homers and 37 RBI. First baseman Preston Overbey has a .283 average with eight doubles, five homers and 36 RBI, with outfielder Will Jamison batting .281 with a homer and 16 RBI. Standout leftfielder and leadoff man, senior Tanner Mathis, has hit .272 after a blistering weekend against LSU pitching, with 13 doubles and a 32-17 walk-strikeout ratio.

In the bullpen, Ole Miss has been paced by closer Brett Huber (3-2, 1.59 ERA), who has 12 saves in 22.2 innings, allowing just 14 hits and walking 17, striking out 26. Tanner Bailey (4-1, 2.65 ERA) has appeared in a staff-best 27 games, with three saves, striking out 36 in 37.1 innings. Aaron Greenwood (3-4, 2.98 ERA) has appeared in 24 games and worked 42.1 innings. Lefty Matt Denny (2-1, 2.18 ERA) has appeared in 20 games, striking out 22 in 20.2 innings.

Ole Miss leads the all-time series with UK, 43-30, with the series tied 1-1 in neutral site meetings. UK has won five of the last seven meetings between the two teams, claiming series victories in 2012 and 2013 and picking up a SEC Tourney win in 2012.

In the series with Ole Miss in 2013, UK posted a 3-2 win on Thursday night as part of the ESPNU SEC Thursday Night Game of the Week. UK got a solo homer from Austin Cousino off Bobby Wahl in the first inning for an early lead, then falling behind after two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh. UK rallied with two runs in the top of the eighth inning, getting clutch RBI from Cousino and J.T. Riddle. Chandler Shepherd worked 2.1 innings for the win for an exhausted UK bullpen that worked 18 innings at Western Kentucky just 40 hours earlier and then traveled back to Lexington to leave the next morning for Oxford. Wahl worked seven innings for Ole Miss, allowing four hits and one run. Aaron Greenwood took the loss with two decisive runs in the eighth. Ole Miss bounced back to even the series with an 11-5 win in the second game, getting nine runs off UK starter Jerad Grundy. Mike Mayers worked six innings, allowing just one hit and three runs – one earned – walking three and striking out eight. Stuart Turner led the Rebels with four runs on a 2-for-3 game, blasting a homer. In the rubber match UK got a strong start from junior Corey Littrell who hurled eight innings and UK took a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning after three runs over the seventh and eighth. Closer Trevor Gott battled through a pair of hits and a run to pick up his 10th save, with UK getting a clutch game-tying homer from Greg Fettes in the seventh inning. Sam Smith worked for Ole Miss, allowing just two hits and two runs in 4.2 innings.

In the meeting in the SEC Tournament opener in 2012, UK posted a 2-0 win over the Rebels to set up a strong run in the tournament. A.J. Reed was a force at the plate and one the mound, going 4-for-4 with a homer and working 5.2 shutout innings in a start. Taylor Rogers picked up a 3.1 inning save, allowing just two hits and no runs. Bobby Wahl started for the Rebels, allowing two runs in six innings.

The Wildcats enter the SEC Tournament owning a No. 38 RPI, after falling 11 points on the final weekend during a series loss at Missouri. UK has 13 wins over top-50 teams in the RBI, including series wins over Michigan State (39), at Florida (26), at Ole Miss (19) and vs. Mississippi State (10). UK also has midweek wins over No. 14 Indiana, No. 13 Louisville and No. 29 Austin Peay.

UK ranks throughout the SEC stats, with Kyle Barrett ranking 10th in average (.352) and second among SEC freshmen. A.J. Reed ranks ninth in slugging (.524), third in RBI (52) and fourth in homers (13). Austin Cousino leads the league with 21 HBP, also ranking 13th in steals. Max Kuhn ranks third in the SEC in walks (36). Trevor Gott ranks fifth in the SEC with 12 saves, with Walter Wijas checking in ninth in appearances (27).

Records
Kentucky: 30-24, 11-19 SEC
Ole Miss: 36-20, 15-15 SEC

Schedule (times Eastern and subject to change) – Hoover, Ala.
Tuesday, May 21 * vs. No. 6 seed Ole Miss * 10:30 a.m.

Radio (UK IMG Network with Neil Price)
Tuesday: WLAP 630-AM in Central Kentucky, WKJK 1080-AM in Louisville

Internet Coverage
Live audio and stats on UKathletics.com

Tentative Pitching Matchups
Tuesday vs. Ole Miss
Sr., LHP Jerad Grundy (6-5, 4.75 ERA) vs. TBA

Stadium
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

The post Kentucky Baseball Opens SEC Tournament with Ole Miss appeared first on Nation of Blue.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Kentucky men’s golf team closed the 2013 NCAA Fayetteville Regional on Saturday, shooting a 16-over-par, 304. The Wildcats moved up one spot for the second consecutive day climbing into 10th place in the 54-hole stroke play event held at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark.

Illinois won the NCAA Regional Fayetteville Regional after overcoming a one stroke deficit entering the final round. The Fighting Illini fired a 1-over-par 289 on Saturday, beating Arkansas by four shots on the last day to shoot 863 (-1) and win by three strokes at the 54-hole tournament. Arkansas, who led going into the final 18 holes, fell to second place after a 4-over-par 293. Texas (+16), Oklahoma State (+18) and Kent State (+28) round out the top-5 to advance to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at the Capital City Club, Crabapple Course in Atlanta, Ga., May 28-June 2. SMU (+31) finished three strokes behind Kent State to finish 6th and narrowly miss the NCAA Championship.

The round of the day for UK came from senior Chase Parker, shooting even-par 72 in his final 18 holes as a Wildcat. The Augusta, Ga., native carded a blemish-free 2-under-par 35 on his inward nine. The sparkling final round capped a 9-over-par 225 for the week, good for a tie for 26th overall.

Junior Stephen Powers led Kentucky for the week, finishing in a tie for 21st at 224 strokes after a 5-over-par 77 on the final day. The Naperville, Ill., native continued his strong play on Saturday but posted double bogeys on the 3rd and 15th holes. Powers sank a team-high eight birdies and one eagle over the three days, including three birdies in his last round.

Junior Ben Stow improved his score for the second day in a row to post 3-over-par 75 and finished in a tie for 42nd. Stow posted three consecutive bogeys on his finishing three holes on the outward nine to turn at 3-over-par 38. Stow recovered and played well on the second nine, holing two birdies en route to an even-par 37 on the side to fire 75 on the day and 230 strokes total.

Cody Martin recorded 8-over-80 for the second day in a row on day, placing him in a tie for 58th place on the final leader board at 22-over-par. Martin struggled at the beginning of his round, taking triple bogeys on his 3rd and 5th holes. After bogeys on his 6th and 7th holes, The Union, Ky., native played his final 11 holes in even-par to conclude his junior season.

Sophomore Will Bishop highlighted his round with birdies on both par-5s on his outward nine to post 8-over-80 for the second time in three rounds and finished 63rd in the tournament at 26-over-par 242.

For more information on the University of Kentucky men’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on twitter @UKMensGolf.

2013 NCAA Regional
May 16-18, Fayetteville, Ark.
Blessing Golf Club
Course: Par-72, 7,251-yards

Kentucky Lineup:
T21. Stephen Powers – 75 – 72 – 77 147 (+3)
T26. Chase Parker – 73 – 80 – 72 — 153 (+9)
T42. Ben Stow – 78 — 77 – 75 — 155 (+11)
T58. Cody Martin – 78 – 80 – 80 — 158 (+14)
63. Will Bishop – 80 – 82 – 80 — 162 (+18)
10. Kentucky – 304 – 309 – 304 — 917 (+53)

The post Kentucky Men’s Golf Concludes Season in 10th place at NCAA Regional appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Stephania Bell gives you an all-access look at how Nerlens Noel, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, is progressing in his rehab from a torn ACL

The post ESPN Goes All-Access with Nerlens Noel appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Archie Goodwin talks with Jonathan Givony of Draft Express about the upcoming 2013 NBA Draft at the combine in Chicago.

The post Archie Goodwin Draft Combine Interview appeared first on Nation of Blue.

 
Coach Cal tweeted this photo of him and Coach Stoops earlier today. Support our UK teams and coaches!

Hanging out with @ukcoachstoops at the home of @joejoepalumbo & @jennimepalumbo earlier today. twitter.com/UKCoachCalipar…

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 19, 2013

The post Coaches Calipari and Stoops Hanging Out appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Courtesy of @DPZitsdatEZ

Mayor Jim Barnes of Richmond has declared May 18th as “Dominique Hawkins Day”. The city is very proud and recognizes Hawkins’ accomplishments.

Congratulations Mr. Kentucky Basketball and future Cat Dominique Hawkins!

Courtesy of @RepAndyBarr

Here’s Dominique with Rep. Andy Barr at the Key Ceremony this morning.

The post Dominique Hawkins Day Proclaimed! appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The post Twany Beckham Wrote A Book, Cal Proofreads appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The post Video: Twany Beckham on KSTV, Talks Career, Next Season appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The post Video: Coach Cal Encourages Players to Get Education appeared first on Nation of Blue.

AllKYHoops.com reports – Darius Miller will be in Kentucky to host a series of basketball camps in June.

The post Darius Miller Coming Home to Hold Basketball Camps appeared first on Nation of Blue.