NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | April 23, 2012
When former LSU coach Dale Brown saw Kentucky coach John Calipari and his star player, Anthony Davis, in New Orleans at the Final Four, he gave Calipari a copy of a letter he gave to Shaquille O'Neal when he was about to embark on his professional career. “Anthony is a great, spiritual young man. I just wanted him to see the financial advice I had for Shaq about all the new friends and people that were going to want to get to his money,” said Brown. “There's only one word to describe Davis from all I've seen.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | March 14, 2012
The three Southeastern Conference coaches who faced Kentucky last weekend still all firmly believe that the Wildcats are indeed an elite team going into NCAA Tournament play. “I think they are the best because they have proven it beyond a shadow of doubt,” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, even though his team beat UK¿in the SEC tourney final. “I tell our team this a lot that the best team is not always the team that win. It is the team that plays the best. “I would think most people would very easily and accurately say getting to the Final Four is a realistic possibility for them.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | March 9, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - The first time Kentucky played LSU, center Justin Hamilton was just 3-for-7 from the field and had only seven points and three rebounds in 19 minutes of play against the Wildcats - all well below his season averages. Part of the reason was Kentucky center Anthony Davis, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Kentucky blocked eight shots and outrebounded LSU 39-29 in a 74-50 win that the Tigers hope to show as a fluke when they take on No. 1 UK today in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | March 8, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - For a player who is averaging only 10.2 minutes per game on a 17-13 team, LSU senior Malcolm White has had way too much national publicity for the wrong reason. It was White who reached out from behind and slammed Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis to the floor to prevent a breakaway dunk during Kentucky's 74-50 win on Jan. 28. He was ejected from the game and suspended for the next game by LSU¿coach Trent Johnson for what Johnson called a “stupid play.” White later wrote a letter of apology to UK¿coach John Calipari and Davis for his play.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | February 3, 2012
LEXINGTON - It's not necessarily about numbers for Kentucky sophomore Terrence Jones. Jones had a season-best 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots at LSU last Saturday before getting 11 points, six rebounds and three assists in Tuesday's win over Tennessee. However, both coach John Calipari and Jones felt he played just as well against Tennessee. “The biggest thing is he's being physical. See, you can't negate how we're being played. Hopefully people watched tonight and know that kind of game plan - even if it's not coach-wise, it's player-wise watching us, looking at this and saying, 'You know, it's hard to play them that way,'” Calipari said after Tuesday's win. “But Terrence gives us a physical presence.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | January 31, 2012
Kentucky coach John Calipari didn't want to embrace LSU coach Trent Johnson's proclamation that if Terrence Jones plays like he did Saturday at LSU when he had 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks that it would be time to “crown them” and name the Wildcats national champion. “I don't know if it's that much, but let me just say this. We were all happy in that locker room. The team was ecstatic. It wasn't scoring. He was tough. He came up with balls. He posted physically strong even though the guy battled him. He battled back,” said Calipari about his sophomore forward.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | January 31, 2012
LSU coach Trent Johnson made sure that Kentucky coach John Calipari knew immediately Saturday that he did not approve the flagrant foul on his team that resulted in Anthony Davis being jerked to the floor during Saturday's game. LSU's Malcolm White grabbed Davis from behind on a fast break and pulled him to the ground where Davis landed awkwardly on his back. White was ejected from the game. “The conversation I¿had (with White) was immediately afterwards. I asked him what he was doing.
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | January 30, 2012
It's easy to look at what Terrence Jones did Saturday at LSU and believe the sophomore is why No. 1 Kentucky won 74-50 in a Southeastern Conference road game that was expected to be close. Jones did have a season-high 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting, nine rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and one assist in his best 30 minutes of the season.¿It was the kind of performance everyone expected consistently this year when Jones turned down a chance to be a likely lottery pick in the 2011 NBA draft and came back to UK where he was named the SEC preseason player of the year.
NEWS
January 28, 2012
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Terrence Jones highlighted a 27-point performance with a 13-0 run on his own and No. 1 Kentucky pulled away in the second half for a 74-50 win over struggling LSU Saturday night. Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds despite briefly leaving the game when he hurt his right shoulder in a scramble for a loose ball. Darius Miller added 13 points including three 3-pointers for Kentucky (21-1 7-0 Southeastern), which has won 13 straight games. Johnny O'Bryant III had 12 points and nine rebounds for LSU (12-9, 2-5)
NEWS
By LARRY VAUGHT and larry@amnews.com | January 27, 2012
LSU guard Ralston Turner doesn't know Kentucky coach John Calipari personally, but that doesn't mean he's not a fan. “I love the way his teams win. He is animated on the sideline with his team. It's obvious his players love him. I think he allows his players a little bit of controlled freedom on the court, and he's winning games. Everybody loves success. That's attractive to people, and players,” Turner said. LSU will host No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats are the only Southeastern Conference team unbeaten in league play.