If you are unaware John Calipari decided to throw a combine for his four players that are currently eligible for the NBA draft on June 23. The question is, was that the best idea for his players? All 30 NBA teams were invited to the two-day workout that was being held in the Joe Craft center and Calipari was hopeful that close to 20 of the NBA teams would be in attendance.

Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and DeAndre Liggins all put their names in the draft but did not hire an agent. This gives them till May 8 to decide on whether they made the correct decision. The lone senior Josh Harrellson was also expected to be competing in the combine.

For players such as Liggins and Harrellson the combine has the potential to be positive and they have something to gain. Liggins is trying to turn heads to get himself into the second round of the draft. He is pure defense and shaky offense. He has the ability to get to the rim and knock down some jumpshots but his offense is far from consistent.

If he has a good workout in front of the scouts then it could easily sneak him into the draft. Josh Harrellson is another player who is trying to impress.

It is a long-shot that Harrellson will be able to impress enough to get himself into the draft but if he performs well and catches the attention of one team then it is possible that he could as an undrafted free-agent.

Both Liggins and Harrellson are great college role players. Liggins is the full defensive package and Harrellson is a rebounding machine but that is about all the two players have going for them. The only other thing that Liggins has going for him is that he is a junior. He still has another full season to prove his worth and potential.

The combine was good for these two players because it got there names out there and gave them the chance to grab the attention of some NBA teams.

As for Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, I don’t see how this could be very much help for them. Sure, Terrence Jones’ stock could rise a little bit but Brandon Knight’s is as high as it is going to get this season. This gives the scouts a look at both players but what do you really gain from this?

I find it very difficult to believe that the NBA teams that do show up will be very honest and up front with the players if they don’t like what they see. They real workouts will take place towards the end of the week in New Jersey and that is when players and NBA teams will have a better idea of what they are looking to accomplish during the draft.

If both players perform poorly during this workout then their draft stock will take an early hit which they may not find out about until draft night.It’s dangerous territory to hold a workout for just your team because they get all the attention which may not necessarily be a good thing.

Brandon Knight has scouts raving about his transition offense and his good shooting ability. He will be the second best point guard, behind Kyrie Irving, in the draft. With one more season Brandon Knight could be a top 5 pick this time next year. He will gain more experience from another year in college and he may put on a little more muscle which can only help his game.

Terrence Jones has scouts worried that he may never develop. At 6’9″, Jones will have to play small forward in the NBA and without a consistent mid-range and outside game he will be nothing but an average power forward, most likely coming off the bench.

He is another player that could benefit from one more season under John Calipari’s tutelage. Calipari has proven he can get players into the lottery of the NBA draft and Terrence Jones may fall deeper then he would like to in the draft at this point in time.

We will find out soon enough what each of these players is thinking come this Sunday when the deadline arrives to pull your name from the draft if you wish to play college basketball for another season. I believe that Brandon Knight will end up pulling his name from the draft but Terrence Jones and DeAndre Liggins will most likely stay in.

John Calipari has landed himself on yet another radar. The Dominican Republic national basketball team has contacted John Calipari about possibly coaching their 2012 Summer Olympic team. The Dominican Basketball Federation has taken interest in John Calipari recently because they have seen the staff working with China in efforts to try and improve the coaching quality. The Dominican Republic is trying to get the same help.

If John Calipari decides to take the task on, he will inherit players such as ex-Louisville Cardinal standout Francisco Garcia and current Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford. After that though the roster begins to look a little bleak.

Calipari has been doing great work internationally, trying to pull in international talent to the college ranks. Like most people know he had signed, sealed and delivered Enes Kanter from Turkey but was unable to play at the collegiate level. That could become a common problem with most international players.

Most basketball players in other countries do not have much of a choice rather then to play for club teams. Their club team is the equivalent to America’s AAU. Also, many families do not have to finances to support their child moving to the states to play in the necessary camps and leagues to prepare their child.

The question that many should be asking themselves is if John Calipari does decide to take this job how does it affect his obligations with Kentucky? Odds are that Calipari is not going to take a job that will hinder his goals at Kentucky.

You would think that coaching this national team may have an affect on recruiting. The 2012 Olympics take place in the summer when most recruiting is done by college coaches. So, in the end will Calipari be able to handle both responsibilities and continue the tear on the recruiting trail that he is allowing the Kentucky faithful to become accustomed to?  If the answer is yes then I would say without out a doubt take the job and then he will be getting the best of both worlds. Coaching in college and at the professional level all at the same time.

There is much speculation on what the two star-studded freshmen from Kentucky will be doing next basketball season. With an NBA lockout looming many projected top picks have decided to return to their respective campuses.

Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones both were great talents this season and were a huge reason why the Wildcats finished their season in the Final Four.

Brandon Knight gained much of his drat potential in the tournament. His scoring was around all season long as the ‘Cats struggled on the road but were able to win big games at home.

Every time the Wildcats found themselves in a difficult situation Brandon Knight was there to take the shot. That is something not traditionally found in freshmen players. Knight was “Mr. Big Shot” in every sense of the term for the Blue and White.

It will not be soon forgot the big shots that Knight took and made versus Princeton in the first round, when Kentucky could have easily ended their season on a disappointing note. The shot versus Ohio State when Aaron Craft could not have played better defense and Brandon Knight made the shot of his young basketball career.

Knight was everything that coach John Calipari wanted from a point guard. Sure, he wasn’t flashy or the quickest man to the paint but if you needed a basket Brandon Knight was the man to take it.

I don’t believe Knight should leave yet for the NBA but could you blame him? He will most likely never be a No.1 pick in the draft and will always float around being a lottery pick.

Do you risk another season at the college level to try and win a championship or do you leave for the NBA and not risk the injury?

Brandon Knight is not physically built big enough to be a tremendous NBA player, which is why I believe he should come back. If he comes back and puts a little bit more muscle on his body then he could maybe test the waters next year.

On the other hand we have Terrence Jones, the other tremendous freshmen with a ton of upside. The problem is that he is all upside. Since he had his coming out party during the Maui Invitational, he has been unable to perform in the big games. When he is matched up against more physical opponents he struggles.

Terrence Jones has little to gain from going to the NBA and everything to lose by making that decision. If he were to come back for another season it would help him greatly.

Unlike Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones has the ability to become the No.1 or 2 pick in the NBA draft. It just won’t be this season. He was far to inconsistent and disappeared many times during the season.

He is an athletic freak that could really use one more year in the college game. He will then have more time to develop an outside jumpshot and work on taking people off the dribble as well.

With the class that is coming in next season for the ‘Cats, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to be a part of the team.

Kentucky is already being projected by some, as the No.1 team in the country next season even without Knight and Jones. With them coming back to Lexington next season it would only solidify themselves as the country’s top basketball team. One thing is for certain, they will be a fun team to watch.

The 2011 SEC Men’s basketball awards were announced today. Terrence Jones won the battle of the freshmen bringing home back-to-back SEC Freshmen of the Year awards for the Kentucky Wildcats. You would believe that the Wildcats were a strong favorite to win this award with the likes of both Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones.

Also, Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones were placed on the First Team All-SEC with their productive play. All three freshmen were also awarded to the SEC All-Freshmen team.  Doron Lamb, Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones each had very special seasons as freshmen and it could be debated that the three headed tandem were the top three freshmen in the conference.

Rounding out the awards is DeAndre Liggins, the junior from Chicago made the SEC All-Defensive team. This is an award that he will be glad to receive but John Calipari may enjoy it even more. Liggins was the main staple on the defensive end of the floor for the ‘Cats and night in and night out he was given the task of guarding the opposing teams best guard/swingman.

Here’s a complete rundown of the awards:

First Team All-SEC
JaMychal Green, Alabama – F, 6-8, 228, Jr., Montgomery, Ala.
Chandler Parsons, Florida – F, 6-1-, 218, Sr., Casselberry, Fla.
Trey Thompkins, Georgia – F, 6-10, 245, Jr., Lithonia, Ga.
Terrence Jones, Kentucky – F, 6-8, 244, Fr., Portland, Ore.
Brandon Knight, Kentucky – G, 6-3, 185, Fr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Chris Warren, Ole Miss – G, 5-10, 168, Sr., Orlando, Fla.
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee – G, 6-7, 200, Jr., Hopkinsville, Ky.
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt – G, 6-4, 215, So., Hendersonville, Tenn.

Second Team All-SEC
^Tony Mitchell, Alabama – F, 6-6, 210, So., Swainsboro, Ga.
^Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas – G, 6-0, 184, Jr., Verdigris, Okla.
^Kenny Boynton, Florida – G, 6-2, 183, So., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Erving Walker, Florida – G, 5-8, 171, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Travis Leslie, Georgia – G, 6-4, 205, Jr., Decatur, Ga.
Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 176, Jr., Concord, N.C.
Tobias Harris, Tennessee – F, 6-8, 226, Fr., Dix Hills, N.Y.
Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt – C, 6-11, 255, R-Jr., Benin City, Nigeria
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – F, 6-7, 225, Jr., Norrkoping, Sweden

SEC All-Freshman Team
Trevor Releford, Alabama – G, 6-1, 180, Fr., Shawnee Mission, Kan.
Patric Young, Florida – F/C, 6-9, 245, Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Terrence Jones, Kentucky – F, 6-8, 244, Fr., Portland, Ore.
Brandon Knight, Kentucky – G, 6-3, 185, Fr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Doron Lamb, Kentucky – G, 6-4, 195, Fr., Queens, N.Y.
Ralston Turner, LSU – G, 6-6, 193, Fr., Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Bruce Ellington, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 194, Fr. Moncks Corner, S.C.
Tobias Harris, Tennessee – F, 6-8, 226, Fr., Dix Hills, N.Y.

SEC All-Defensive Team
Delvon Johnson, Arkansas – F, 6-9, 220, Sr., Chicago, Ill.
DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
Reginald Buckner, Ole Miss – F, 6-8, 233, So., Memphis, Tenn.
Sam Muldrow, South Carolina – F/C, 6-9, 222, Sr., Florence, S.C.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – F, 6-7, 225, Jr., Norrkoping, Sweden

SEC Coach of the Year: Billy Donovan, Florida
SEC Player of the Year: Chandler Parsons, Florida
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Riley Benock, Mississippi State
SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrence Jones, Kentucky
SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brian Williams, Tennessee
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Muldrow, South Carolina

^ This indicates ties that are not broken by the SEC.

It has been a long and trying season for the Wildcats and Big Blue Nation.  It was a season full of plenty of home wins and plenty of road woes. Kentucky fans had their hearts broken by the NCAA when the Turkish god was ruled ineligible and watched the lone senior take the brunt of the criticism for why Kentucky’s low post was going to be non-existent.  Fans got to see three freshmen basketball players carry their beloved blue and white for yet another season. The fans also were given the pleasure of watching two juniors grow-up right before their eyes.

The regular has finally come to an end and now in my opinion the most exciting time of the year in sports is upon us.  The Wildcats with their win over the Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday clinched a first round bye in the SEC tournament, which will be a much needed break for a team that is not very deep.

The Wildcats finished the regular season at 22-8 (10-6).  The Wildcat faithful was spoiled last year when they were given the pleasure of watching three freshmen play together that easily could have gone directly to the NBA.

This season was a bit different. The ‘Cats freshmen are tremendously talented but don’t have the same set of skills that John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe brought to work every game.

The young and unproven Wildcats were given their first test of the season when they faced off against a much more experienced and disciplined team in the Connecticut Huskies in Maui. The country was able to see what Kentucky’s strength’s were going to be and weaknesses.

The weakness was very apparent. Kentucky lacked the post game that Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins had provided just a season ago. Alex Oriakhi was able to have his way with the ‘Cats in the post and it helped that Kemba Walker had his coming out party, finishing with 29 points in a 84-67 rout of the Wildcats.

Kentucky was then again test shortly after that when they went on the road to play North Carolina at the Dean Dome. A similar story unfolded as the Wildcats were manhandled in the post yet again by Tyler Zeller and John Henson.

The ‘Cats then rattled off seven straight victories beating the likes of then #23 Notre Dame, Indiana and at the time #20 Louisville.

A sign of things to come were displayed when Kentucky headed down to Athens, Georgia to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in their first conference match-up.  The Wildcats lost a close one 77-70. Trey Thompkins was the headline and reason the ‘Cats were unable to come away with the win.

The conference schedule was the most consistent basketball the Wildcats played throughout the season. You could chalk them up for an automatic win at Rupp Arena and you could give them an automatic loss in just about every road game they played in. The biggest win of the season for the Wildcats would have to be the game in Knoxville versus the Volunteers.

Kentucky was playing for their first round bye on Tennessee’s senior night and while Tennessee was playing to pick up a key win to boost their tournament résumé. Kentucky started the game off as they do most games on the road. Slow and awful. The Volunteers jumped out to a 7-0 lead and had the lead at halftime.  Without the tremendous second half from Brandon Knight the Wildcats were on a one-way road to being coined the worst road team in the country. The ‘Cats escaped with a 64-58 victory.

The Wildcats had a shaky regular season and other then Brandon Knight they were very inconsistent. Consistency is something that will be needed moving on to tournament play.

The Wildcats have a very winnable road to the SEC tournament finals.  They will most likely play Ole’ Miss in the second round and in the semi-finals will probably get the likes of either Alabama or Georgia.  With their win they were able to sneak on to the opposite side of the bracket and avoid both Vandy and Florida. This is something that John Calipari can be nothing but pleased with.

The win at Tennessee hopefully gave the Wildcats some confidence heading into the tournament as well. We now know that Kentucky can beat a solid team away from Rupp Arena.

Kentucky didn’t have the most ideal regular season but twenty wins and sitting in a very good position to get to the SEC finals for the second straight year is all Big Blue Nation can ask for.  It’s time for everyone to get their brackets ready and hopefully the freshmen enjoy pandemonium because they are about to walk into an atmosphere they have never been a part of.

The Kentucky Wildcats are heading into the conference tournament with just one SEC road win at South Carolina. They are 1-6 in SEC road games.  This is why the final game of the season with the Tennessee Volunteers is vital.  The ‘Cats desperately need a road win. You know it, I know it and everyone in the conference knows it.  The Wildcats have been abysmal in clutch situations on the road.  This game is a must win, not because the Wildcats need it to get to the big dance.  It’s a must win to build some confidence and prove that they can win away from Rupp Arena.

Tennessee is not the easiest game that Kentucky has seen away from Rupp but it is winnable.  Then again, every game has been winnable this season for the Wildcats.  There was not a single game on the schedule that you can look at and say that Kentucky was over-matched.

Road wins are pivotal in a team success throughout the season.  You get to see what teams are made of when they play on the road.  Kentucky always seems to be fighting an up hill battle from the start of their road games.  In order to establish themselves, they have to get out on top early and set the tempo.

When the Volunteers come to play they are a top 25 team and they have a ton of talent.  Tobias Harris might be the most underrated freshman in the country, which is hard to believe seeing that he was a top 10 recruit.

Scotty Hopson can be dynamic when he wants to be. The reason that Tennessee is so inconsistent is do in large part because Hopson is hit or miss in every game he plays in. Lately he has been more hit than miss.

Another point that will not help Kentucky’s cause is that Tennessee is playing for a tournament appearance.  They currently are 18-12 with only three key victories versus Pittsburgh, Villanova and Vandy. You would think they have a good shot of making the dance and a win over Kentucky could solidify their spot in the tournament.

Bruce Pearl will have his team ready to play and he may not have to do much to motivate them on their senior night. Brian Williams, the big man in the middle, will be playing his final regular season game for the Volunteers.  This game will be very close throughout its entirety.

When it comes down to it, Kentucky knows that this is a statement game and that they will not be getting pushed over during the conference and NCAA tournament.  There isn’t much left to say except if the Wildcats don’t win tomorrow then there should be serious discussion on whether or not they deserve to be ranked as a top 25 team come next week’s poll release.

It’s difficult to predict the way this game is going to go because on one side you have a team with a ton of talent that can’t buy a road win and the other team has alter ego’s that make it completely impossible to predict which one will show up. Kentucky is a better team than Tennessee but on any given day anybody can beat anybody.

The Wildcats started off their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks like they do most home games. Fast and getting out on top quick.  The Gamecocks didn’t really stand a chance in Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats jumped out to a 50-21 halftime lead and didn’t really allow South Carolina breath. The ‘Cats ended the game in a blowout win 90-59 over the ‘Cocks. Darius Miller and the Wildcats were simply impressive for the entire game.

To hit on some highlights, the most impressive Kentucky Wildcat of the afternoon was Kentucky native Darius Miller.  Miller scored a career high 22 points in the game and shot 60-percent from the field.  He also shot 6-8 from behind the arc, where most of his damage was done.

The only thing that would have made this day any better was if he could have recorded one more board. Miller ended his spectacular performance with nine rebounds.  This was by far the best performance of his season.  I wouldn’t go so far to say his career because he has been pivotal throughout his career in the blue and white.

Terrence Jones also played another fantastic game.  I understand the South Carolina Gamecocks are far from a good team in the SEC but it still was a good win that pushed Kentucky to 19-7 (7-5).

Jones scored 19 points on 6-13 shooting.  He pulled in 12 rebounds which helped his double-double tally for the season. His physical presence on defense could not have been matched throughout the game.  Out of the eight players who played in the game for South Carolina only two players reached double figures and the high scorer finished up with 12 points.

The Kentucky defense was fantastic, only allowing 59 points.  It’s difficult to hold any team to under 60 points and the Wildcats just seemed to get after it on the defensive end of the floor.

At halftime the Gamecocks were only shooting 29-percent from the field and was the reason for the 30 point deficit. It got a little better in the second half and they finished up the game with 34-percent.  Still not the greatest number you would like to see if you were the head coach of any team.

Kentucky shot the lights out as most know they are capable of.  They shot 55-percent from the field and 11-20 from three point.  The ‘Cats played yet another complete game at home but we are still waiting for them to show their poise on the road.

We know they are capable of being a very good team but without picking up quality road wins, it is difficult to gauge exactly what kind of tournament team the Wildcats are going to be.  One thing is for sure, we could use a win like this on the road against, say, the Tennessee Volunteers?

The kid out of St. Charles, Missouri had not really done much in his career as a Wildcat.  When he was first brought to Lexington as a junior college transfer by Billy Gillespie, no one had really heard of him (much like most of the recruits Billy G extended scholarships to during his tenure).

The first time you saw him step on the floor you noticed his decent mid-range game, but you also saw him shy away from going hard in the paint.  Harrellson wasn’t a force to be reckoned with during his first two seasons in the blue and white, but oh how the tides have turned.

At the start of the season, Harrellson displayed to big blue nation something that many people overlooked.  His ability to rebound.  In the Blue-White scrimmage, he was screaming to be recognized.  He pulled down 26 boards and didn’t even receive a “pat on the back” from his coach.  What John Calipari did have to say was, “Either we are the worst offensive rebounding team or he had gotten better”.

Josh Harrellson then had his twitter account reprimanded shortly after for tweeting that he was displeased with his coaches’ remarks. He then responded again, this time not on his smart phone, but on the court.

All he has done thus far is become the leading rebounder in the SEC and a human wrecking ball on the offensive glass.  He also seems to thrive in important games. Two of his best games of the season have come at Lousiville and just a few days ago against Tennessee.  In those two games he averaged 20 points and 10 boards.  Not too bad for a JUCO transfer that made everyone cringe when they saw him in opening day starting lineup.

This season, Harrellson is averaging nearly nine rebounds a game.  The more amazing stat line is that out of the 199 rebounds he has this season, 82 of them are offensive.  He is one of, if not the best offensive rebounder in the country. More often then not, his offensive rebounds turn into points.

John Calipari found his diamond in the rough this season and he didn’t even have to yell. All he had to do was respond to a question the media asked him after a scrimmage.

The lone senior on this Kentucky basketball team plays with the emotion and the desire that you want every player on your team to play with.  He has more hustle and determination than every player on the Kentucky team.

After Harrellson put in two of his sixteen points against Tennessee he was fouled hard and was still able to make the lay-up.  Normally big-men shouldn’t receive praise for absorbing contact and making the lay-up because that is what the job description entails. But, it was what happened after the lay-up that made the difference.  Big No. 55 got to his feet and with somewhat of an arrogant smile on his face, pounded his chest while his teammates came over to help him up.

This was before Kentucky pulled away from the Volunteers and it changed the atmosphere of the entire game.  It was the most I had seen the team smile all season.

I had not seen Doron Lamb smile once or even look like he was having fun on the floor.  Terrence Jones didn’t have a great offensive game, but he was a shot-blocking machine on the defensive end and you could tell he was having fun.  Brandon Knight clapped his hands in Melvin Goins’ face every time down the floor, while smiling right at him.  As if he was saying this is going to be a long night for you.

Tuesday night was the moment that every Kentucky fan had been waiting for the entire season.  John Calipari’s favorite word from a season ago was “fun”. It should be the most important word for any sports team.

The minute a team with a plethora of talent starts to have fun they instantly go from being a skilled team to a contending team.  John Calipari has not emphasized “fun” as much this season.  The only thing you hear him say anymore is we just need to get better.

He’s right, there is always room for improvement, but you have to be enjoying yourself while getting better. Every player filled their role on Tuesday night and Deandre Liggins looked like the scoring guard that also plays lockdown defense.

Josh Harrellson is the heart of this team.  The players responded to both him and Liggins on Tuesday and sometimes all it takes is a rivalry game to wake some people up. If Kentucky plays like that the rest of the season then they could be better than even John Calipari thinks they can be.

Josh Harrellson, keep doing what your doing, because it works.  There is nothing better then watching your team have fun while they are playing and their is nothing worse for the opposing coach, to recognize that they are enjoying themselves.  Keep smiling Kentucky because that could be the trick to you figuring out your road woes.

There really hasn’t been much talk about the return of Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who is getting set to return to the sidelines tonight in Lexington against the Kentucky Wildcats.  He was suspended for the first eight conference games of the season after inviting recruits over to the Pearl household for a nice southern cookout. Pearl got burnt and suffered the consequences.

For a violation that most coaches lose their jobs over, Tennessee felt all that was necessary was for him to miss eight games and make his comeback for the most anticipated game of the season.

You have to give the Tennessee athletic department some credit. I’m sure when they found out the allegations against Pearl they went straight to the basketball schedule and looked for the first meeting between them and the University of Kentucky.  They lucked out and it was eight games into the conference schedule.  Perfectly long enough for people not to question the length of the suspension or to question them bringing him back for a big game.

Tennessee hasn’t won a big game since January 5th, when they defeated the Memphis Tigers.  Tonight’s game versus the Wildcats has turned into a must win game for the Volunteers.  It is only fitting that Bruce Pearl is on the sidelines in his hideous golden suit as Calipari beats him once again.

In my opinion, Pearl should have been suspended for the season.  I don’t blame Tennessee for not firing him because if you take a look at their current coaching hoopla, they haven’t been too successful.

They went from a hall of fame coach in Phil Fulmer to Derek Dooley former Louisiana Tech football coach.  To his credit he has been doing alright with the program but it’s going to take some time to turn around the devastation Lane Kiffin did on the program.

Getting back on track, Bruce Pearl is coming back to a game that is very winnable for Tennessee.  Kentucky has been playing terrible basketball but then again that is on the road.  They haven’t lost at home this season and it is difficult to come away with a win in Rupp Arena for the visiting teams.

Tennessee is going to need some luck tonight because Kentucky is going to come out highly motivated and playing with a chip on their shoulder.  Hopefully it was just a coincidence because I don’t expect it to be much of a legendary return for Bruce Pearl.