Slam Dunk Contest - University of...
Transcript of Slam Dunk Contest - University of...
Thursday, February 16, 2012 Clinton County News Page 9
SPORTS
We arrive at a place in winter when fans aligned with a col-lege team in Kentucky can bask a little, brag a little, second guess a little, plan a little and expect a lot more.
KENTUCKY In Lexington it’s mid-Sweet-
heart month and the Wildcats have been all that. With a run of 17 wins in a row, Kentucky is Pontiff of all it surveys once more. A lofty perch in the na-tional pecking order of underling courtiers called Duke, Syracuse and Tar Heel. A condo Big Blue Nation taxpayers expect to oc-cupy every winter.
John Calipari’s Kentucky has not only beaten opponents, but bruised a psyche or two in Cha-pel Hill, Louisville, Knoxville, Nashville and Gainesville where the Gators may have had a ner-vous breakdown. In demoraliz-ing ways. (See Anthony Davis’ blocked shots file), teams aren’t the same after Kentucky.
As UK rolls on amid gather-ing whispers of run-the-table, what certainly comes with cur-rent prosperity and win-out pos-sibility and bandwagon delirium, is an echo from a time distant. “If we don’t win the national cham-pionship our season will be a dis-appointment,” – UK fan, 1978.
Fans, certainly Calipari, try to quell such alarmism with these things.
• St. Louis, March 27, 1978, thanks to Jack Givens, things turned out well enough.
Chapel Hill to Nashville, Kentucky has bruised some psyche(s)
Sports in Kentucky by Bob Watkins
• And, a reminder to savor a journey’s glimmer moments, let destination take care of itself.
MURRAY STATEOver three and a half months,
the Racers turned back all-com-ers, climbed the polls and be-came America’s Little Darling. Then, Tennessee STATE went to Murray. Before Steve Prohm could say “whaa’ happened?” the No. 7 ranked Racers had a loss at home and had a new title from ESPN, bubble team.
This week, moment of truth time for bubble team Murray and for its next opponent also, St. Mary’s.
To get a new EKG read on Murray State’s heart and St. Mary’s (23-3), the Gaels visit this weekend fresh off a 73-59 whuppin’ at Gonzaga.
LOUISVILLEBorrowing a metaphor from
nearby Churchill Downs and be-fore the Cardinals played No. 2 Syracuse Monday, Rick Pitino’s team looks like a team come to the far turn in the Derby, two lengths off the lead ... with fresh legs and nose in the wind. A team with a good run still in the tank and high seed hopes, Big East and beyond.
Wayne Blackshear added to his roster gives the man who loves options, new ones for a stretch run loaded with promise and Big East farewell implica-tions. West Virginia won’t be back, neither will Syracuse.
So, King Kentucky, bubble
team Murray State, and Big Mo Louisville, are all headed to a party in March.
Postscript: Here’s an NCAA Tournament hope Murray State is dispatched to what could be the best chance-to-advance re-gion, out West.
WESTERN & HARPER HEADS
At Western Kentucky interim coach Ray Harper remains the people’s choice and received a ringing endorsement from a lo-cal newspaper recently, but it’s still wait-and-see for the man whose supporters have started to call themselves Harper Heads. I like it.
Still, John Pelphrey and Rich-ard Pitino will be interviewed for the Hilltoppers job. For different reasons neither is a fit at Western.
As Ralph Willard did before him, young Pitino is shopping for a starter head job. And, as Willard job jumped to Pitt, Pitino would keep his bags packed.
Pelphrey has already done the Sun Belt, coaching at South Alabama before a too-soon (bad) job jump to Arkansas. Pelphrey never looked good wearing red. To regain career momentum and stay on track for chance at his dream job, the Paintsville na-tive’s next head job should be at a school in a major conference, preferably in the south.
At Western in 2012, stability, recruiting and loyalty are priori-ties. Harper’s credentials fill the
Slam Dunk Contest Last Week’s Contest Winners1st place -Randell Anderson - 16 Correct Picks
2nd Place -Butter Melton - 15 Correct Picks 3rd Place - Dennis Sells - 15 Correct picks (Lost tie breaker)
bill.Besides, Harper is best candi-
date for a four-five year contract that ought to require of all other applicants, a lie detector test.
Now, about an endorsement from the Godfather, John Old-ham?
CAROLE KING ‘N MESinger-songwriter extraordi-
naire Carole King had a mile-stone birthday last week. Me too.
King is old enough to have penned the You’ve Got a Friend classic for her pal, crooner James Taylor. Yet, at 70, she’s still a beauty.
As for me, a reader e-mailed last week with a reminder that I’m old enough to remember Adolph Rupp and able to skip past comparing Kentucky phe-nom Anthony Davis to Marcus Camby and go straight to Hall of Famer Bill Russell.
It’s true. At 19, Davis is ahead of Camby at any stage of the latter’s career and has far more than Russell’s shot-block instincts. Davis runs the floor as well as Russell did, and the kid has a soft-touch jump shot with range.
My advanced age allows the advantage of knowing Univer-sity of Kentucky basketball has had 38 All Americans (chosen 56 times). A dozen played center including Hall of Famers Cliff Hagan and Dan Issel. Davis’ game is already broader and bet-ter rounded than all 12.
Tragedy is the decadent NBA will make Davis a millionaire too soon which squelches any argument on whether or not the 19-year-old is best of them all at Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Carole King is 70 and she’s still a beauty.
And so it goes.
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1. Contestant must circle one team in each advertiser’s box you think will win that game. 2. Only one entry from each individual will be accepted per week.2. Tie breaker game must be completed. 3. Contest must be in the Clinton County News office by 4:00 p.m. Friday of each week.4. Decision of contest judges will be final.5. Claim prizes at the Clinton County News office.
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Marquette vs. UCONN, Saturday, February 18 (Women’s) Ohio St. vs. Penn St., Monday, February 20
Cori Langford - Eighth Grader Daughter of Mike and Tina Langford
Joe Davis - Freshman Son of Robbie and Amy Davis
Seventh grade team named state runner-up
The Clinton County Middle School seventh grade team traveled to Lexington, KY last week to compete in the seventh grade state tournament. The Bulldogs defeated four teams, including, Sayre, Beaumount, Anderson County, West Jessamine and Scott County to reach the final game of the tournament.
In the finals, Clinton County fell to Southern Middle School of Somerset. The team finished its season with a 19-1 record.
In the photo above, the team was recognized during halftime of the girls’ game Friday night. Front row from left to right: Jeffery Collins, Jacob Bertram, Conner Duvall and Jamison Summers. Back row from left to right: John Davis, Brett Gibson, Kyle Choate, Colin Langford, Noah Gregory, Josh Shelton and head coach Jack Gib-bons.
Butch Irwin won first place overall in the Amateur Division in the Whitetail Deer competition at the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in Nashville, Tenn., last weekend. He also received first and second place ribbons on two other whitetail mounts in the Com-mercial Division.
Irwin wins taxidermy competition at NWTF