Kentucky

LEXINGTON - Junior safety Ashley Lowery was fifth on the team in tackles (43) last year despite missing four games due to injury and believes he can have a much better season for Kentucky next season under new defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot. He has 59 tackles in 20 career games and feels he had a “great” spring practice to get him ready for UK's first season under coach Mark Stoops: Question: How do you like D.J. Eliot's defense? Lowery: “It is kind of different from the past defense, but it is a lot more simple so you can play a lot faster and not think as much.

Rather than feel miffed over not getting an immediate scholarship offer from Kentucky, Bowling Green receiver Nacarius Fant is more than willing to come to UK's camp on June 8 and show what he can do. Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown recently watched Fant practice and told him he liked his “footwork” and other things. “He wants me to come to camp June 8 and compete against SEC type cornerbacks in the 2014 (recruiting) class,” said Fant. “Once he sees that - and he has to make sure I am the type receiver he's looking for - and I prove I can play one on one versus elite players, then the offer will come.

He's what his coach calls an “efficient player” who doesn't mind working to make himself better, something that coaches like John Calipari of Kentucky like about Mississippi guard Devin Booker. “He is a smart player, too, along with being a hard working player,” said Moss Point (Miss.) coach Micoe Cotton. “His work ethic is non stop. He puts in hours working on his game just trying to get better at his craft. He's an excellent shooter, but the strongest part of his game is his basketball IQ and decision making.

Several weeks ago, I received a call from an executive at one of the major utility companies in Kentucky. After he identified himself, he said, “You do realize you live in the classiest town in Kentucky, don't you?”  With some modesty, I thanked him for his observation. He then went on to ask, “Why do you all fight so much down there?” He then opined this might be the reason we have not had the kind of success in luring more jobs to Danville. Allow me to further his opinion.

The Marshall County Hoop Fest featured some of the nation's best high school talent last year and Hoop Fest director Dan Hudson is already putting together another star-laden even for Dec. 5-6-7 in Benton. “We really think we could have a special event again,” said Hudson. Kentucky recruiting target Cliff Alexander of Chicago Curry will be back to play in the event for the second straight season. The 6-9, 240-pound Alexander is ranked as the nation's second best center and No. 5 overall prospect by Scout.com.

Terrence Commodore recently was sitting around with one of his mentors when it was suggested maybe he put together a summer basketball camp featuring some of the players he got to know when he was on John Calipari's staff at Kentucky. “I have a good relationship with a lot of guys that came through Kentucky and was good friends with them,” said Commodore, a former Mason County basketball player. “I just put a concept together and ran with it. They were all pretty open to it. The main part was just scheduling and making sure who was available when.

His high school coach doesn't expect five-star recruit Stanley Johnson to make a college decisions until September at the earliest after he's had time to thoroughly evaluate and visit his top schools. The 6-7, 230-pound Johnson has a scholarship offer from Kentucky and has coach John Calipari's team on his preferred list along with UCLA, Southern California, Arizona, Florida, Oregon and Duke The standout from Mater Dei High School in Los Angeles played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Hampton, Va., over the weekend and Calipari was one of many coaches there to watch him. “He is pretty wide open about college,” said Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight.

As Youngstown (Ohio) Christian coach Brian Marrow watched Tymere Dubose play basketball, he kept thinking what a superb football player he could be, too. “He is raw. Last year was his first year playing football, and he showed a lot. I talked him into playing football. I told him with his size and the way he moved on the basketball court, he could get something in football,” said Marrow. He got that, too, Saturday when he became the first football player from his school to commit to a Division I program - Kentucky.

Three Boyle County groups have been awarded Arts Access Assistance Grants from the Kentucky Arts Council to bring arts to a population that doesn't always get to see artistic events: seniors. “Arts Access Assistance grants will provide diverse populations of Kentuckians with programs of value benefiting their quality of life,” said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. “The grant recipients were chosen by a panel of professionals who responded to their ideas, their established history of working with artists and seniors, and their capacity to carry projects through to fruition.” The grant theme for this first round of funding is “Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning in the Arts.” The Boyle County Public Library and the Norton Center for the Arts are collaborating, and Pioneer Playhouse will have a summer program for seniors.

As expected, Kentucky got another verbal commitment today from an Ohio prep standout - tight end Darryl Long of Westerville South High School. He was expected to pick the Wildcats Saturday and the 6-4, 225-pound Long, ranked as the nation's 22nd best tight end prospect by Rivals.com, gives UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown the the big target he likes in his offense. His list of offers included Louisville, Missouri, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Indiana, Boston College, Purdue and Duke.