Football shake ups, basketball scraps

If any of you get Time Magazine, go ahead and skip the 10 Questions with Andy Roddick. The guy comes across like a pompous ass.

Onward:

1. Football is blowing up in Utah. BYU and Utah are both found in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Poll. Football there is growing in popularity, and the explosion of two programs allows for the creation and expansion of a rivalry. Nothing like an in-state rival to boost team spirit and ticket sales (just look at the Duke UNC game, Florida and Florida State, Kentucky and Louisville, Memphis and Tennessee, etc etc etc…and yes I realize some of these are more basketball than football, but that’s where my mind is right now).

2. The Alamo Bowl is getting an upgrade. It currently matches the 4/5 team from the Big Ten with the 4/5 team from the Big Twelve, but starting in 2010, it’ll match the 2 team from the Pac-Ten with…well, that part is still in negotiations, but the Alamo Bowl is talking to the Big 12 to put up the other half of that match up. While it’ll mean more travel for Pac-10 fans (San Antonio is a ways away from San Diego), this should be a great match up.

3. Pittsburgh has a bit of a worry on its hands: forward Gilbert Brown has been suspended from games this fall due to academic issues. He will be eligible to play again December 20. Brown played a large role last season, and it’ll be interesting to see how Pitt adapts to no longer having him on the roster.

4. SEC, and especially UK, fans – if you want to read a fairly interesting and often times very exciting preview of the upcoming basketball season, check this out. After reading that, and hearing all summer how great Wall and Bledsoe are, I am even more pumped for the season to start.

After a long break

I’m back in business and back in Lexington. I had forgotten how much UK gear everyone wears here. It’s a good look. I wish it’d make its way out west.

People are doing their rivalry rankings, and not to be outdone, I will be doing one in the next few days, too. Pat Forde of ESPN has already put his out, and while he generally favors the Louisville Cardinals over the Wildcats, he made some interesting picks. Right now, UK is in 2 out of his top 3 rivalries. The UL vs UK rivalry is in its rightful number 1 spot, while the UK vs UT rivalry is down at number 3. It’s a fun little read, but I can guarantee my list will be way better, so stay tuned.

Eric Bledsoe has really been making a name for himself at the summer work outs and pick up games. I am not surprised. I always thought that Bledsoe was a great get for the program and point guard who could compete with and push John Wall. With the departure of Meeks, the team is able to reshape in a way that allows Bledsoe to show off his talent and make an immediate impact. He has never seemed to back down from a challenge and he is incredibly athletic. I love hearing these stories of how he is just exceeding everyone’s expectations and I cannot wait to see him UK blue.

Ralph Willard has been replaced at Holy Cross. After Willard made the somehwat puzzling move from head coach to Rick Pitino’s assitant, Holy Cross has been scouting for their new coach. Well, now they have him: Notre Dame associate head coach Sean Kearney.

Ricky Rubio is staying in Spain. I’ve already talked about how he’s thrown a bit of a childish fit and that the Timberwolves wasted a pick on him, so I won’t continue that here.

Matt Pilgrim’s future has been decided. The former Cat (who never saw a moment of game time thanks to his transfer from Hampton) will now be at Oklahoma State, choosing the program over Memphis. There was news that Calipari and Pastner were working together to get Pilgrim to Memphis, and Pilgrim himself said he hoped for a meet up against Kentucky. Whatever happened at Oklahoma State must have been special. I hope that Pilgrim is successful in getting a transfer waiver. I would like to see the guy described as amazing and “a beast” play, and that 20 second clip from him at Hampton isn’t cutting it.