Scotty Nguyen's Friday News and Views

Tonight I took a break from the world of UK basketball and recruiting and hit the felt. I went to the Horseshoe outside of Louisville and played some No Limit Hold Em with the best of the best…..aka the random people who sat around me eating hoagies during the four hours. It ended up being a VERY productive night (the double down is at Keeneland on Saturday) thanks to pocket sixes when the board came out Q-Q-6, when my opponent had A-Q. I tell you this not because you care, but because today is the birthday of one Scotty Nguyen, my personal favorite professional poker player (for those that say that our society is not what it used to be, I say….well I say we have “favorite professional poker players”…which is nice). Nguyen grew up in Vietnam and came to America at a young age and has found glory through the world of poker. He is a former World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, and more importantly to me, he ends most of his sentences with “Bay-beeee.” While I havent incorporated that into my everyday lexicon, (“Your honor, I ask this court to grant Summary Judgment Bay-beeee”), I still find it quite enticing and it is the reason we salute Scotty on this his birthday.

To the news….

— When not focusing on real estate values on Richmond Road (did someone know Hubby just got a new neighbor?), we learned today that Daniel Orton will be coming to Kentucky. At the Jordan Brand Classic, Orton told reporters that he would be coming to Kentucky and that the decision was final. Later this afternoon, Jody Demling spoke with Orton’s dad, who wasnt quite as definitive but seemed to suggest that Orton is a Cat and that all would be known for certain in four to five days. The Jordan Classic on Saturday night is turning out to be a showcase for future UK stars with Cousins and Orton being joined by potential Cats like Wall and Henry. But if no other news comes out of the week except Orton solidifying his hold on UK, it has been a good news weekend.

— In other news, the fight for John Wall continues to rage on, with Wall telling the reporters at the Jordan Classic that UNC is not recruiting him…..just one day after listing UNC as one of his schools on his list. This comes after forgetting to mention Duke on the Summit telecast, not mentioning UK at the beginning of his ESPN chat and announcing to the world that Florida was now a contender for the first time yesterday. Let me say this about Wall….I dont know where he will go and I am fairly certain few others do either. But I do know this….DONT LISTEN TO THE DAY TO DAY STUFF ON HIS RECRUITMENT. We will report it here and I know you will read it, but dont take it seriously. The kid could legitimately end up anywhere….and to think otherwise is to ignore the signs.

— The folks at the Frosted site report that Calipari is going to visit Eric Bledsoe on Friday, a report that hasnt been repeated elsewhere but is certainly possible. If Calipari makes his trip to see Bledsoe, it should certainly help make clear to Eric that he is welcome in Lexington and that he is a priority for the Cats. While one cannot pass on John Wall due to his “out of this world” talent, Bledsoe is without a doubt a star in the making. He jumped up to #23 in the Rivals rankings this Spring and has the potential to be one of the three best point guards in the class in college. PLUS he isnt a one and doner. While Cat fans should still want Wall first…..Bledsoe isnt a bad consolation prize.

— Calipari held court again today and once again put on an epic performance. First he told the Lexington Herald that he wouldnt coach forever but that he might coach long enough to coach Lebron James’s kids, as King James has told Calipari he wants them to play for the new UK coach. Then he had his first call-in show in which he took barbs at Tennessee (saying he would send a “Witness” shirt to Bruce Pearl), made sure to let it be known he would make owning Louisville a priority and excited the fans by talking about what would happen if “we get who I think we will get” in recruiting. It sounds like we are just repeating ourselves, and maybe we are…..but damn he is good.

I hope you read Tomlin’s post earlier….it was brilliant. We hope to have more of that type of thing later today, including a look at the historical ramifications of the potential recruiting class that Calipari is looking to bring in. Stay tuned………

And finally, from EDBDS, the new East Carolina logo: