Michael Gilchrist

ATLANTA - Not many things upsetMichael Kidd-Gilchrist. The Kentucky freshman doesn't worry about individual statistics or media attention. If UK wins, he's happy. If UK loses, he's not. That's why stats don't matter to him. However, he was “mad” going into Friday's NCAA Tournament South Region game with Indiana. No, it was not because the Hoosiers beat No. 1 Kentucky 73-72 in mid-December, one of only two losses the Wildcats have. Instead, he was upset over an ESPN report by Chad Ford Thursday that Kidd-Gilchrist had already decided to put his name into the NBA draft and would leave UK. “I was mad. It was a false statement.

Anthony Davis only weighs 208 pounds and knows he needs to add weight — “for some reason that has just always been a problem for me” — to be a more effective inside presence at Kentucky next season. However, UK coach John Calipari thinks the 6-10 Chicago prep standout is going to be just fine despite his lack of weight and continues to compare him to Marcus Camby, his former star player at Massachusetts. “Anthony brings a skill level, a Camby-esqueness to him where we can press more and run the lanes more.

It’s no surprise that Chicago high school coach Cortez Hale has had nothing but good things to say about his star player, 6-10 center Anthony Davis. However, Hale seems just as excited about the other members of Kentucky coach John Calipari’s incoming recruiting class — Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer — as he does his own player. Hale got to spend time with Davis’ future teammates — as well as their parents — at the Jordan Brand Classic when Davis impressed everyone with his play.

Greg Wiltjer said his family’s overall visit to Kentucky in mid-October “far exceeded” his expectations even though he had done “his research” on Kentucky. “I was so impressed with the facilities, the campus and the city of Lexington,” Greg Wiltjer, the father of UK signee Kyle Wiltjer of Portland, Ore., said.  “And the fans were off the chart. I have played in countries where fans were fanatical, but nothing like Kentucky. It’s really a fun environment and one I am sure players just love.

Alabama senior shooting guard Trevor Lacey will make an unofficial visit to Kentucky on Saturday to watch the Wildcats play South Carolina. “I am looking forward to it,” said the Huntsville, Ala., standout. " Lacey, who plans to have several family members, including his father, with him, says he’s no closer to a decision even though the national signing period opens again in less than two months. He still has Alabama, Auburn, Connecticut, Kansas and Kentucky on his final list of schools.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach John Calipari knows that South Carolina will have “no fear” when it hosts his No. 1 Wildcats on Saturday. “The last time we were in this position, we lost at South Carolina. They will have no fear playing us,” Calipari said. “I imagine it will be sold to the hilt. When we got done with our game against South Carolina (in Lexington, former UK) coach (Joe B.) Hall came up and said they were a long, athletic team and that it was a good team. And they are.” Kentucky had just climbed to No. 1 two years ago when it went to Columbia, S.C. The Wildcats got a congratulatory call from President Obama before the game - and then lost and had to watch South Carolina fans storm the court.

LEXINGTON - He's struggling from 3-point range and played a season-low 17 minutes in Saturday's win over Auburn. Yet Kentucky freshman Archie Goodwin insisted Monday that he could not wait for tonight's game at No. 7 Florida. “I love playing big games. These are the type of games that I feel like I was made for and I know this team's made for. I feel like we're going to go out there and get a win,” said Goodwin. He still leads the Wildcats in scoring at 14.2 points per game, but in Southeastern Conference play he's averaging just 12 points per game and hitting only 36.8 percent from the field.

LEXINGTON - If Kentucky coach John Calipari is right, last year's NIT season was “the beginnings of success” for the upcoming season for the Wildcats. “What we're about to undertake has never been done before. Trying to put teams together like this, where you're talking a big number of players, whether it be the Lakers, the Miami Heat, it takes time,” said Calipari during his summer press conference Wednesday. “There's a learning curve. There's a galvanizing process that we have to go through.

Kyle Wiltjer isn’t the highest ranked player in what will be John Calipari’s third straight No. 1 recruiting class at Kentucky. Yet recruiting analysts agree that the 6-9 Portland, Ore., could be a nightmare matchup for opponents because of his shooting ability. It’s an assessment that Wiltjer not only accepts, but one that he relishes. “I like to think I can look at the defense and see who is guarding  me and take advantage of the matchup,” Wiltjer said.

This time there appears to be no drama at all with John Calipari’s third straight No. 1 recruiting class at Kentucky. As expected, Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer all signed national letters-of-intent with Kentucky on Wednesday to give the Wildcats four players ranked in the top 25 of every major recruiting service. All are also five-star players. “These are not just terrific basketball players, but they’re terrific students and terrific people as well,” Calipari said in a statement released by the school.

LEXINGTON - If Kentucky coach John Calipari is right, last year's NIT season was “the beginnings of success” for the upcoming season for the Wildcats. “What we're about to undertake has never been done before. Trying to put teams together like this, where you're talking a big number of players, whether it be the Lakers, the Miami Heat, it takes time,” said Calipari during his summer press conference Wednesday. “There's a learning curve. There's a galvanizing process that we have to go through.

LEXINGTON - He's struggling from 3-point range and played a season-low 17 minutes in Saturday's win over Auburn. Yet Kentucky freshman Archie Goodwin insisted Monday that he could not wait for tonight's game at No. 7 Florida. “I love playing big games. These are the type of games that I feel like I was made for and I know this team's made for. I feel like we're going to go out there and get a win,” said Goodwin. He still leads the Wildcats in scoring at 14.2 points per game, but in Southeastern Conference play he's averaging just 12 points per game and hitting only 36.8 percent from the field.

LEXINGTON - When Kentucky players came out for their pregame shootaround Wednesday before playing Eastern Michigan, there was a familiar face with them - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He had a night off from playing with the Charlotte Bobcats and came back to see UK play for the first time since he helped the Wildcats win the national title last year and was the second overall pick in the draft. He joked with UK assistant coaches and hugged various players as they came over to see him. He sat on the bench for most of the pregame warmups and then was on the front row to watch the game.

As he got ready to leave the podium after announcing he was leaving Kentucky after his freshman year to play in the NBA, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist stopped to give Kentucky coach John Calipari one more hug. “I wanted to win this (national) title so much for him.¿He means everything to me,” said Kidd-Gilchrist Tuesday after himself and four other teammates - Anthony Davis, Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones and Marquis Teague - all said they were going to the NBA. “He did so much for my to help my dream come true.

NEW ORLEANS - It's hard to pick out exactly what was the best part of Kentucky's postgame celebration Monday after the Wildcats won the national championship. Perhaps it was just watching the way the players interacted on the court from dancing to hugging each other to embracing coach John Calipari and his staff. Maybe it was seeing how the players reacted to the fans, especially the students who found a way to make it to the Big Easy for basketball and Bourbon Street. There's just something about seeing players who are so skilled and so driven on the basketball having a chance to resort to acting like 18, 19 or 20 year olds.

NEW ORLEANS - When he was coaching at Memphis, John Calipari had one of the nation's premier players in current NBA star Derrick Rose. Now the Kentucky coach says there is one big similarity with UK freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. “He's like Derrick Rose in that he is harder on himself than anybody could be on him. I'll give you an example. After yesterday's game, he was like despondent, down. What? When I came to talk to you all, all you could talk about was the five points he got on his own to break open the game,” said Calipari Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS - If Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is hurting, he's not telling anyone. The Kentucky freshman took a hard spill late in the second half of Saturday's 69-61 win over Louisville and an initial report on CBS-TV said he would not be back because of a quadricep injury. However, he was back on the court for the end and smiling and celebrating the win that put UK¿into Monday's national title game. “It is all good,”¿Kidd-Gilchrist said. “I did not hurt nothing. It is all good.

After Sunday's win over Baylor, ¿Michael Kidd-Gilchrist wasn't worried about being named the most outstanding player in the NCAA Tournament South Region.¿Instead, he was icing his right elbow and thinking ahead to the Final Four - and possible national championship “It has been wonderful here, but I¿am not finished yet,” said Kidd-Gilchrist. “I want to go out on top.” What about the elbow that he hurt late in the game? “It is all good. Just icing it,” he said.

ATLANTA - Not many things upsetMichael Kidd-Gilchrist. The Kentucky freshman doesn't worry about individual statistics or media attention. If UK wins, he's happy. If UK loses, he's not. That's why stats don't matter to him. However, he was “mad” going into Friday's NCAA Tournament South Region game with Indiana. No, it was not because the Hoosiers beat No. 1 Kentucky 73-72 in mid-December, one of only two losses the Wildcats have. Instead, he was upset over an ESPN report by Chad Ford Thursday that Kidd-Gilchrist had already decided to put his name into the NBA draft and would leave UK. “I was mad. It was a false statement.

Kentucky freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist did his best to quickly dismiss a report that he has already decided to put his name into the NBA draft no matter how UK finishes the season. “I don't know where this is coming from. This is MY decision. Right now all I'm focused on My teammates and winning Games. After the season I'll make a decision that's best for me and my family!” That what a Twitter message from Kidd-Gilchrist not long after No. 1 Kentucky's open practice in preparation for tonight's NCAA Tournament South Regional semifinal game against Indiana.