Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods both greeted Sunday with unbridled optimism. But the day would end happily only for Mickelson.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Reuters“I think when you can get a couple of recruits in the fashion that he [did] late in the game, in terms of recruiting for the upcoming year, it certainly raises the eyebrows and the interest level of a lot of other players that might be looking for places to play in the future,” Barnhart said.
That certainly seemed to be the case. Gillisipie didn’t even take a break. Other players have flocked to Lexington for unofficial visits and the new coaching staff has turned up the heat. The younger players have been told what a special place Kentucky can be. Once Gillispie finds a player he likes, he can turn on the charm and deliver a sales pitch that makes it hard for that recruit to say no.
DeAndre Liggins, a 6-6 wing from the rising senior class, made another powerful statement when he selected Kentucky over Illinois, Kansas and Memphis. That must have created an awkward moment between Gillispie and Kansas coach Bill Self when their paths crossed this week. Gillispie was Self’s top assistant at Tulsa and Illinois and they remain good friends, but the stakes will be different now that they are recruiting against each other at two of the winningest programs in college basketball history.
Remember those competitive fires?
Kentucky also has commitments from guard G.J. Vilarino (2009), power forward Dakotah Euton (2010) and point guard K.C. Miller (2010). Vilarino is from McKinney, Texas and was being recruited by Gillispie at Texas A&M. Euton is a Kentucky product from Rose Hill Christian in Ashland. Miller is a sophomore from Dallas who was first contacted by Gillispie when he was an eighth grader. He picked the Wildcats over Texas.
Add Rick Barnes to the list of Hurricane Billy victims, along with Donovan and Self.
When Donovan turned down Kentucky’s overtures after Florida won this year’s national championship game, Barnhart turned to Gillispie. It turns out the AD’s second choice was pretty darned good. Barnhart had to find someone who could recruit. These days that means connecting with great young players — no matter how young they are.
In just three months Gillispie has delivered a strong message that he can do just that. And he is willing to work at it.
He’ll work as hard and as long as it takes.
“There have been some long days that you hope would end, but it’s been fun,” Gillispie said. “We’ve always gone at it hard. You know, everybody works hard in college basketball. It’s amazing how hard people do work, but you have to try to survive.
“Expectations are great, so you want to try to meet expectations. As hard as it is sometimes, it’s a passion more so than a job.”
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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