Artis Gilmore's Saturday Night News And Notes

 

With the idea of an NBA team in Louisville being floated around in the last couple of years, it’s important that we remember where the history of professional basketball in Kentucky was originated. The Kentucky Colonels folded after the NBA/ABA merger but their legacy will live on in the Bluegrass forever, or at least until they return to professional ranks. Arguably the best player to don a Colonels jersey was Artis Gilmore from Chipley, FL. He was drafted by both Kentucky and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA in 1971 after dominating the competition at Jacksonville University. Gilmore still holds the record for rebounds in a game in NCAA play with a career average of 22.7 rebounds per game.

In his first season with the Colonels he was voted the ABA’s Rookie of the Year and MVP and led the Colonels to their only ABA Championship in 1975. After the ABA folded, Gilmore was selected #1 overall in the merger draft by the Chicago Bulls. He bounced around between San Antonio and Chicago before ending his NBA career in Boston in 1988. When it was all said and done, Gilmore was selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2011 and was named to the ABA’s All-Time Team with career averages of 18.8ppg and 12.2rpg while still to this day remaining the NBA’s all time leader in field goal percentage. Artis turns 65 on Sunday and we want to wish one of the best basketball players in the history of the state a happy birthday.

 

 The Rex Chapman situation made it to the news in Arizona. It’s sad to see another loved former player running afoul of the law, here’s to hoping this was just an isolated incident.

 

 It was YAHTZEE! time in Lexington again today as high 3-star recruit DE Jason Strowbridge committed to Mark Stoops and the Wildcats this morning. Strowbridge had tweeted out a Top 6 of Kentucky, Tennessee, Miami, NC State, Louisville, and North Carolina earlier in the day. The 6’4 247lb. end is rated as the #29 strong-side defensive end in the country by 247Sports’ Composite rankings. With UK’s 15th commitment, they move into 24th in the recruiting rankings, sandwiched in between Wisconsin and West Virginia.

 

 John Cena is the only person in the world I would bet for in a pushup contest with Alex Poythress. He could probably put someone on their back while taking a charge. Holy bench press. Also, a nice #BFM for the Chivers out in BBN.

 

 

 John Calipari also had some of the players over for a good time tonight, as we got to see Tyler Ulis elevate and throw down on a 7-foot goal earlier (scroll up to see) and this gem of what looks like Devin Booker doing his best Javess Blue impression with a bevy of flips on the Calipari family trampoline.

 

 

 Mark Stoops used his bye week to check on the nation’s #1 high school football team, St. Edwards of Lakewood, Ohio playing against Cincinnati Elder. Stoops was keeping an eye on 4-star WR commitment Alex Stump and also hoping to nail some brownie points with 4-star twins Andrew and David Dowell. It’s good to see Stoops has a good relationship with a program as reputable as St. Edwards, and Elder is no slouch at producing D1 talent as well. Stoops gets it.

 

That’s all for tonight. Keep bleeding blue, Kentucky. I’m Ron Burgundy? 

 

–@WillTottenKSR