After a brief hiatus, the Friday night fun facts are back! Did you miss it?

Q: How many wins does Kentucky basketball currently have?

A: 2,111. If UK goes 40-0 next season, then it would be 2,151.

Q: The famous thoroughbred Man O’ War only lost one race. Who beat him?

A: Man O’ War’s only defeat came from a horse called Upset (ironic) in 1919 at the Sanford Memorial Stakes.

Q: How many NCAA Tournament wins does UK have?

A: 111, the most in NCAA Tournament history of course.

Q: How many undefeated seasons has Kentucky football had?

A: I know many of think they have never had any. In fact, Kentucky football has had 1 single undefeated season. Granted, it was in 1898.

I’m going to put this picture of Randall Cobb here. That’s how much I love him.

Q: How many Super Regionals has the UK Softball team made it to?

A: As of tomorrow night, the Kentucky Softball team will have been in 2 Super Regionals. The girls look to get their revenge from a loss to Arizona St. earlier in the season tomorrow at 10 pm.

Q: How many times has Kentucky been the number one  seed in the NCAA tournament?

A: 11 times. I’m going to go ahead and count this upcoming season and say 12.

Q: How many times has Kentucky football had a top ten finish?

A: Twice. Once in 1950 and again in 1977.

(Regina Rickert/ acrphoto)

And finally,

Q: How many NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Players has Kentucky had?

A: 5. Alex Groza won the award twice. Others include Jack (GOOOOOOOSE) Givens, Tony Delk, Jeff Sheppard, and of course Anthony Davis.

Yes the title says it all. Drafting Noel first over all is not a good move for the Cavaliers,  and it won’t help Noel either. The Cavaliers are in a very interesting position. They have the first pick even though their roster is far from a team that needs the first pick. This is not the Charlotte Bobcats who need multiple pieces to even look respectable. No, the Cavaliers are on the brink of being a great NBA team. Yes, I mean the Cleveland Cavaliers who seem to always swing and miss on reaching the top of the basketball world are inching closer and closer to that goal. They will not make it next year by any means, but almost all of the pieces are falling into place.

Why do I say that? They are one large piece away from reaching this goal. Look at their roster. Kyrie Irving is a certified superstar in this league with an elite offensive arsenal and control of the game. Dion Waiters is the answer at shooting guard for this team who showed he is developing into a true scorer throughout last season. Tristan Thompson is a rebounding machine especially on the offensive side with an NBA body to defend any sort of front court player. The Cavs have another rebounding guru in Anderson Varejao at center who, frankly, is a perfect piece to be traded to a team to build this squad for the next 3-4 years.

Now, I just said Varejao should be traded which leaves a gap at center because Tyler Zeller will not be their answer at the starting 5 spot. It seems like Noel should fill that role, but there is one problem. Centers like Nerlens Noel do not fit the mold of how the center position has evolved in the NBA. Look at the last 4 teams in the playoffs. The Spurs start Tiago Splitter at the 5, who is simply a low salary, complementary piece that fits the system he is in. The Grizzlies start Marc Gasol, a defensive stalwart with a smooth mid range jumper. The Heat start Chris Bosh, an undersized center creating mismatches with his shooting range. Only the Pacers have a center that fits Noel in Roy Hibbert, a rim protector with limited range. Guess what? The center that matches Noel was on the bench in Game 1 because Frank Vogel feared Hibbert’s ability to defend Bosh on the perimeter.

Noel will be a solid center in the league, but he is not the answer for the Cavaliers if they wish to reach elite status. The center position is becoming less necessary by old school NBA definitions. The 7 foot tall shot blocker with solid post moves is a lost weapon that doesn’t fit the wide-open, guard oriented style the NBA has become. Nerlens will be a nice piece to have on a team because he instantly boosts your defense, but, unless he develops a mid range game, he is not a long standing answer at the center position for a championship squad. Centers like Chris Bosh, Serge Ibaka (once the Thunder realize he should play center), Kevin Garnett, and Lamarcus Aldridge are the type of centers that can elevate a good team to a great team.

So what should the Cavaliers do?

Option A Draft Otto Porter: When I tracked through the Cavaliers’ starting roster, I notably left out the small forward position. There is one small forward in the draft that would be a great addition and be able to start ASAP for the Cavaliers. Otto Porter has length, scoring, defensive versatility, and a high game IQ. If he works on his lateral quickness, he is instantly a lockdown defender in the NBA. He has experience as a point forward which would free up Kyrie to move without the ball for open shots. The only flaw in this pick would be the big elephant in the room… The Return of Lebron James. Yes, the rumors have swirled for months that the King may return to Cleveland after next season. While it seems like Lebron would fit at the 3 spot, he is the greatest and most versatile player in the world who would be fine at the 4. Leaving the option of allowing Tristan Thompson to develop as an undersized center, or using him as trade bait for a center fitting the NBA mold I spoke of above.

Option B Do anything to trade for Lamarcus Aldridge: Several NBA analysts have played around with this trade. The Cavaliers have plenty of assets to offer the Trailblazers for Aldridge, a player that is the prime example of the new age center. He’s lengthy, a good shooter, and a solid rebounder. The Cavaliers could trade a mixture of draft picks, Anderson Varejao, and other players for Aldridge. It may hurt them in the short run with bench depth, but Aldridge is the long term answer at center. The Trailblazers are still several pieces away from being great, and the first draft pick gives them tons of options from Noel to McLemore to Porter.

Where does this leave Noel?

Noel will benefit from not playing for the Cavs. I cannot see any scenario where the Magic take Noel at No. 2 since they have Vucevic at the center spot. This brings Noel to the 3 spot as he falls into the hands of John Wall and the Washington Wizards. The perfect situation for Noel. The Wizards have an aging yet serviceable veteran in Nene to play center for this season. The Wizards can let Noel take as long as he pleases to rehab his knee while a great veteran like Nene teaches Noel the game throughout the season. Nene is an excellent role model for Noel because he reflects the type of player that Noel will likely become, a high volume rebounder with average scoring and great defensive presence. The Wizards attempt to mold Noel in the next Tyson Chandler while Wall and Beal try to evolve into one of the best backcourts in the NBA for the next few years. Everyone is happy.

Does this prevent Kentucky from having another first draft pick? Yes, but who really cares. If Noel becomes a great NBA player, no one will really gripe about where he was picked. Kentucky fans will lose a very small bragging right of having the top pick, but they may get the last laugh when Noel falls into the perfect situation to reach his potential.

@JayHochKSR

With discussion surrounding the much-anticipated quarterback battle between Maxwell Smith, Patrick Towles, and Jalen Whitlow about to heat up this summer, I thought it’d be interesting to take a look back at one of the more famous QB controversies in recent Kentucky Football memory. I’m talking of course about the summer heading into the 2006 season, when Andre Woodson and Curtis Pulley dueled it out virtually all summer to be the Cats’ starting play-caller. The competition between the two is best documented here, in an article written for WAVE3.com. Papaw Brooks, Will Fidler, and a younger/less Photoshop-crazed Joker Phillips all make cameos.

If you know your UK Football, then you know that Woodson would go on to win the job and lead the program to its first bowl victory since 1984 and monumental wins over UofL and LSU the following season as the then-Heisman hopeful and unrivaled leader of the Kentucky offense. Pulley, on the other hand, spent the 2006 season backing up Woodson and seeing some time at wide receiver before redshirting in 2007 and finally being dismissed from the team in 2008 following multiple arrests. Talk about polar opposites.

Looking towards the future and this summer’s battle, we can all learn from the Woodson/Pulley battle of ’06. First and foremost, all three players should benefit from the competition. Whoever wins the job, and breaks the huddle for the first time in Nashville will have, in the eyes of the coaches, earned that opportunity through a demonstration of a combination of skill and leadership that beat out his other two competitors. They deserve the full confidence of the fan base heading into the season.

On the flip side, the other two players need to avoid following Pulley’s footsteps. Curtis saw that battle as a “make-or-break” type scenario, and he let his career at Kentucky slip out from under him once Woodson was awarded the starting job, which was sad because the former Mr. Kentucky Football was extremely talented and could have continued to be an effective multi-use guy in the offense. They can’t see this as a win/lose battle. Instead, they need to carry the battle over into the fall and make it as hard as possible on Coach Stoops and his staff to name a starting quarterback each week. This mentality will allow everyone in the system to benefit from the heightened play of competition, and will force the starting quarterback to be the best the team has to offer once Saturday rolls around. It’s an important role that can’t be overlooked, especially in Coach Stoops’ first year and with one of the toughest schedules in the country staring the team in the face.

@brooksHoltonKSR

Derek Kief a four star WR out of Cinncinati and 2014 Stoops target just announced his top five via rap lyrics.

No I’m not joking.

Kief is ranked 46th in his position nationally and 17th overall in Ohio.

These are his top five schools:

In case you missed it, that would be (in no particular order): Notre Dame, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio State, & Northwestern.

It’s kind of a catchy song if you ask me, but apparently (sadly) it isn’t him rapping. I was hoping for another Marcus McClinton type intro vid for 2014…. I guess my hopes are dashed now.

…Days until football season.

Good afternoon everybody! Happy Memorial Day weekend! Here are a few links to get you through today….

Coach Cal revealed yesterday that the Cavs have been “looking” at Nerlens all season.

Bleacher Report thinks that the 2014 Cats should be worried about facing some SEC teams. Spoiler Alert? One of them has Marshall Henderson on their team.

The Hittin’ Kittens are looking forward to getting their revenge on Arizona State in the Super Regionals.

Our beautiful state has been ranked first for trophy bucks by Outdoor Life Magazine.

Kentucky fans don’t hate many people… but when we do loathe someone, we tend to hold grudges. Here is a list of people Kentucky fans still dislike.

Draft Express has their latest mock draft out. Guess who’s the number one draft pick?

John Wall and Anthony Davis both got invites to the Team USA mini-camp.

And finally in my weird news of the day: Jacobite Cruises, a cruise ship company out of Scotland has taken out an insurance policy to protect their vessels against attacks from the Loch Ness Monster.

Photo by Regina Rickert

On April 2nd, after a thrilling extra inning win against the UL in Louisville, the Bat Cats’ record stood at 22-6, 6-3 in the SEC, and were ranked a season high fifth in the nation. Seven weeks to the day later, they were eliminated in the first game of the SEC Tournament by Ole Miss after dropping 19 of their last 27 games to finish unranked and out of the NCAA Tournament. So the question is, how can a team that was so highly ranked, so talented, and who played so well out of the gate suffer such a traumatic collapse in the second half of the season?

Where did it all go wrong?

The obvious answer is the LSU series. Following the win over UL, the Cats went down to Baton Rouge and were promptly swept by a combined score of 31-6. Although disappointing, at the time, the sweep was not overly concerning. LSU was, and still is, a very good team and a national title contender.

Where I think the season really went off the rails was the next weekend against Tennessee at Cliff Hagan Stadium. After a come from behind series opening win, the Cats dropped the next two games, giving the Vols, who finished 22-30 (8-20 in the SEC), their second of two SEC series victories. The 5-0 loss in the series finale was the first “uh-oh” moment of the season. I won’t mince words; Tennessee was not a good team and the series loss to them was inexcusable and a sign of things to come.

What made the series loss even worse was that the next four weekends were against South Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, all of whom were, and still are, ranked with three of the four legitimate national title contenders. The Cats were swept at USC, won the series in Oxford, won once against the Razorbacks and were swept at home by Vandy to put them on the brink of the NCAA Bubble. Throw in a beat down in Lexington by UL and an 18 inning loss against WKU in the middle and you have a really bad month of baseball. The final nail on the coffin was last weekend at Mizzouri where the 16-30 Tigers took two out of three to eliminate any hope of an at large NCAA bid.

What went wrong?

Last summer when Jerad Grundy announced that he would turn down draft 28th round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins to return for his senior season I thought, “That’s it. That is what is going to make them contenders for Omaha.” Grundy started slow but finished the 2012 season very strong and had two postseason wins. His return, combined with Corey Littrell’s second season and A.J. Reed’s promotion to the weekend gave the Cats a formidable and experienced left-handed weekend rotation. On March 23rd, Grundy pitched eight innings strong innings and struck out ten in a 3-2 victory over Mississippi State. His ERA was 1.99 after six starts. The win, his fifth on the season, would be his last in the SEC. In the following weeks, Grundy would drop four of his next five starts with an ERA of over 10 in those game before being demoted to the midweek starter. I don’t mean to pick on Jerad, who was really having a terrific season until April, but he was a microcosm of the entire team as he simply “lost it” and could never get back on the right track.  As Grundy went, so did the Cats.

That’s not to say that the other two weekend starters, Littrell and Reed, didn’t have struggles of their own. Reed was just 2-8 on the season with both wins coming early in the non-conference portion of the schedule but his record doesn’t tell the entire story. Reed’s problem was that the offense (despite his own efforts) simply didn’t give him enough run support. Seven of his eight losses came in games where he gave up four earned runs or less and all four of his no decisions came in games in which he gave up two or earned runs or less.

Speaking of the offense (or lack thereof), it was the Cats’ Achilles heel all season. It was especially absent down the stretch as seven of UK’s final eleven losses came by two runs or less. Of those seven losses, the maximum number of runs an opponent scored in a game? Five. To say that the offense struggled is a massive understatement. Only one starter batted over .300 on the season and that was freshman Kyle Barrett, who was inserted as the everyday right fielder midway through the season, with a .349 average. Even A.J. Reed, who led the team with 13 home runs and 52 RBI, batted just .280. Fellow sophomore Austin Cousino batted .249 and led the team with 46 strikeouts. J.T. Riddle, who collected 11 hits in 14 at bats on the first weekend of the season, was the team’s second leading hitter with a .283 average. As a team, the Cats’ batted .255.

Where does UK go from here?

First, the Cats have to take stock of who is coming and going. On top of graduating three seniors: Jerad Grundy, Walter Wijas, and Zac Zellers, the Cats have six draft eligible juniors: Lucas Witt, Paul McConkey, Matt Reida, J.T. Riddle, Trevor Gott, and Corey Littrell who will likely be drafted this summer.  Their decision return or go pro will have a large impact on next year’s team. UK has eight LOIs 2013 recruiting class which includes two of the state’s top pitchers, Hunter Green and Woodford County’s Clinton Hollon. Both Green and Hollon are expected to be selected in the MLB draft this summer so their decision will have a large impact on next season as well.

Second, the coaching staff is going to have to address the offensive woes. For the second consecutive season, the lack of offensive production down the stretch as cost the Cats dearly. I don’t know what specifically can be done to get the bats going but I do know that no matter how good the pitching staff is, it is impossible to win without scoring any runs.

If you’re anything like me, you’re already taking full advantage of the upcoming summer season. For me and my fellow college students, summer vacation is a time for soaking up sun, forgetting the worries of yesterday and tomorrow, and enjoying your much needed and deserved time off (though, admittedly, those of us with jobs, summer classes, or any other boring grown-up stuff might not be so lucky).

Summer news is slow, much like the clock on the wall. The best way of which I can think to enjoy your dog days a little more fully is to kick back, relax, and relive the glory days. I came to the University of Kentucky in 2011-2012, amidst one the greatest single seasons in college basketball history. Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, & Co. provided the Big Blue Nation with one of the most joyous rides to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship the fanbase has ever seen. Coupled with the hard times Nerlens Noel & Co. experienced this past season, 2012 only seems all the more special.

Below are the full-length videos of my three favorite games from the entire championship season, each of which I was fortunate enough to attend in person. The first game is the Battle of the Blue Bloods, when the Tarheels of North Carolina invaded Rupp Arena on December 3, 2011. The game ended in a 73-72 Kentucky victory, thanks in large part to Anthony Davis’ incredible block of John Henson’s potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer. To this day I have never experienced a louder environment.

The second video captures the 40 minutes the Bourbon Country’s Civil War temporarily relocated to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, LA. The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals met for the first time on college basketball’s biggest stage, the NCAA Men’s Final Four. The ‘Cats defeated the 4th-seeded Cards 69-61 for the second time that season behind Davis’ 18-point, 14-rebound, 5-block performance.

The third and final game featured is the last game of the entire 2011-2012 season, the 2012 Men’s Division I National Championship. The Wildcats faced the Jayhawks of Kansas for the second time on the season and once again defeated Bill Self’s squad, this time in 67-59 fashion. Doron Lamb’s 22 points led the way to Kentucky’s 8th national title in school history, capping off a nearly perfect 38-2 season. Enjoy.

12/03/11: Kentucky– 73, North Carolina– 72

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist– 17 points, 11 rebounds

03/31/12: Kentucky– 69, Louisville– 61

Anthony Davis– 18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks

04/02/12: Kentucky– 67, Kansas– 59

Anthony Davis (Most Outstanding Player)– 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 6 points, 5 assists

@Condre3000_KSR

One of the best things about the off-season is that I get to have fun with one of my favorite hobbies, Photoshop. (Hooray!) By using this wonderful tool called Photoshop, I wanted to see that if:

1) I could create something that didn’t look like a fourth grader created it.

2) Hypothetically, what would a University of Kentucky camo football jersey would look like?

Now the inspiration for my somewhat decent creation came from the Arkansas camo jersey on the right of this picture. I forgot where I originally found the picture of the Arkansas jersey, but for some reason it caught it my eye. So then of course one thing led to another, and I eventually ended up with the masterpiece above.

So what do you all think? Would a camouflage jersey be a cool idea, or just a god awful waste of fabric? Sound off in the comment section if you want to y’all.

#CountryMustBeCountryWide

Chances are, if you are my age (23) or older, you remember the Texas Hold ‘Em poker boom of the early 2000s. You may not realize, however, that it all started when ESPN decided to film and broadcast the 2003 World Series of Poker. Eric Raskin of Grantland.com has an amazing oral history of that tournament and what it meant to the sport; how the fairy tale story of the unknown internet poker player and aptly named Chris Moneymaker launched a craze across the country that lasted for the better part of a decade. The boom has died down now, but I remember playing poker on a nightly basis in high school with all of my friends, trying to be the next Moneymaker. The feature is a long read but it is well worth it.

When We Held Kings (Grantland)

@TylerJohnsonKSR

I may be in the minority but the 2010-2011 Kentucky basketball season is one of my all time favorites. The fanbase experienced highs and lows that season, and then sat on the edge of their seats as the 4th seeded Cats made a surprise run in the tourney all the way to the Final Four. Some of the games from that season like the Ohio State game and the UNC game still rank up in my top ten favorite Kentucky games. When I think back to that season, especially March, the excitement of the BBN was electrifying.That season prepared us for how #8 would feel after we finally did get it. The video above is the final 3 minutes of the North Carolina game called by Tom Leach that sent the Cats to their 14th Final Four appearance. It still gives me chills. Everytime.

Houston, we have no problem! The Cats have landed in the Final Four.

Just got done watching Julius Mays at the Nets’ combine. Julius played really well — and he played point guard!

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 23, 2013

Julius had 18 points and six assists in just two 12-minute quarters.

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 23, 2013

He played so well that people are probably wondering why I didn’t play him at point guard. Couldn’t be more proud of Julius.

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 23, 2013

Go Cats, Go Julius.

Hey everybody!!!

Good morning everyone! Happy (almost) Memorial Day weekend! Here are your afternoon links:

With the committment of Drew Barker, Kentucky has officially moved into the Top 25 recruiting classes for 2014. But there is still a long way to go and a lot of time between now and Signing Day.

The Harrisons, Julius Randle, and WCS all turned down the chance to compete on the USA Under 19 team to come to UK early and start working towards the ultimate goal of #9. Also included in the article is the little tidbit that Kyle Wiltjer will try out for the Canadian national team.

Marcus Lee is a man of many different sides. Here is a heartwarming story about his love of volleyball, graphic design, and how hard he has worked to overcome dyslexia and ADHD.

Coach Cal thinks that Nerlens would be a perfect fit for the Cavs.

Our favorite Vespa rider, Coach Cal is in Brooklyn watching Uncle Julius at the Nets’ NBA Combine.

Finally in my weird news of the day: A company called My Pet Chicken has created a line of chicken diapers. No, I’m not joking. I’m talking Huggies for chickens.

What is the world coming to?

New Releases:

Fast & Furious 6

Six? Really? While you may be surprised that Universal Studios is cranking out yet another one, Fast Five grossed $625 million worldwide in 2011 with a budget of $125 million. The five movies in the Fast & Furious franchise, begun in 2001, have made $699,105,181 in the US and over $1.6 billion worldwide. Like Tom Cruise, these things keep on making money. The combination of Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Eva Mendes, Michelle Rodriguez, and the Rock, are a hit, especially with foreign markets.

In this new film, Michelle Rodriguez’s character who debuted in the first, wasn’t in the next two, and died in the fourth, is now back for the sixth. Following? Aside from this soap opera, Fast & Furious 6 looks like your typical injection of testosterone and horsepower in which Agent Hobbs (The Rock) enlists the help of former enemies in Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) to take down a villian who specializes in “vehicular warfare.” 

The trailer highlights what this type of warfare entails–a sexy ninja girl fight, a tank (and Ludacris), and of course, a car taking down an enormous jet. Chuck Hagel take notes. This is the future of military defense

If you’re one for chick flicks or realism in your movie experience this movie is a bit too reminiscent of Michael Bay nightmares for you, but it’s sure to hold your interest.

And Fast & Furious 7 has been announced for 2014. Of course it has.

[Trailer]

The Hangover Part III

Another concept that may be getting overdone, but that everyone can’t help but go see, The Hangover Part III, brings the Wolfpack back together for the last time. It’s rumored to take place in the place where the Ruflin and face tattoos began–Vegas, with some potential side trips to Tijuana and LA. A continuation of the surprise hit of 2009,

Part III will not feature yet another bachelor party like the cheap knockoff in Bangkok. The plot will stray from the “what happened last night and where is Doug” format, as the Wolfpack stages an intervention on Alan (Zach Galifianakis) who has gone further off the deep end since his father passed away. In what should be a peaceful drive to check Alan into a mental health hospital becomes yet another misadventure with a giraffe instead of a tiger.

It’s sure to be a raunchy and a fun movie, essentially the Ted of summer 2013.  The Hangover baby from the first movie will be back, played by the same kid who is already cooler than me… Another sidenote, Melissa McCarthy of Bridesmaids and Identity Thief will be playing Galifianakis’s girlfriend. Gamechanger

[Trailer]

Epic

Epic is directed by the same guy who did Ice Age. No need to know his name

It’s the story of a girl whose father is convinced that there are tiny warriors in the forest near their house. His teenage daughter is shrunk by magic leaves that she catches, (big mistake), and then becomes a part of a tiny forest battle between good and evil.

It sounds like the old Disney movie Thumbelina with no music and an unnatural shrinking à la Honey I Shrunk the Kids. That’s surely how they arrived at this story.

Although animated movies may not be your thing, if you have kids or babysit then it can give you an hour and a half with minimal noise. And there won’t be another animated movie released until June 21st with Monsters University so this is your chance.

There are more cartoons this summer than angry KSR Bachlor comments–Despicable Me 2 July 5th, a Pixar Cars knockoff called Planes in August, another terrible Smurfs movie, and a cartoon about snails called Turbo, both in July.

None of these other animated summer films are musicals. In the good ole days of Aladdin and The Lion King, kids learned the vital skill of how to incorporate songs into their daily lives. I’m concerned for this next generation.

Without kids as incentive, there is one other reason to see this movie–the voice actors. Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Seyfried, Aziz Ansari, Jason Sudeikis, Christoph Waltz, Pitbull, and Steven Tyler make up the list of people you’d never see in the same room.

Christoph Waltz is a blue villian in furs being pursued by PETA, Beyoncé is obviously a queen, and Pitbull is a grouchy frog.

[Trailer]

Also in Theaters:

Note- I’m trying my best to avoid spoilers.

Star Trek Into Darkness

The sequel to the surprisingly good J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film had a $70 million dollars opening weekend. It was slightly less than projected but enough to knock Iron Man 3 out of its top spot. I myself am going to see it Friday, but I anticipate being cool enough for advance screenings soon enough.

In the first film Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) goes from a n’er do well to the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, saving Earth from face-tattooed time travelers, the Romulans. Zachary Quinto did a fantastic job reprising Spock (and has since befriended Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the cast is surprisingly fresh and endearing.

Star Trek Into Darkness is, as its title makes clear, is a darker film than its predecessor. Kirk leads Uhura, Sulu, Bones, Spock, and the whole crew into a war-zone world to capture a “one man weapon of mass destruction” played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The man with the best name in history is sure to be both a charming and terrifying adversary for Starfleet.

Let’s just hope there aren’t quite as many lens flares as in the first. It was a bit excessive.

Whether you are a Trekkie (aka a high school teacher) or a skeptic this movie will likely surprise you. I expect it to be not only flashy and entertaining, but have the flair, drama, and smarts that made Abrams’ program Lost such a hit. Before Abrams touches the Star Wars franchise, you should see whether he has the stuff to be the unequivocal master of the nerd universe.

[Trailer] 

Iron Man 3

Really not much to say because if you haven’t seen Iron Man 3 then what are you doing with your valuable time? The movie only bested in the all-time weekend box office by its Avengers cousin, is was what one would expect. It was at times slightly underwhelming visually compared to past Marvel films, but featured more emotional turmoil. Tony Stark has PTSD and his relationship with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) is explored. Also for all you softies out there, Tony befriends a precious 8-year old boy who is also good at inventing things.

It is a much more intimate film than many Marvel movies and features somewhat less explosions and outlandish fight scenes. But don’t worry, you get plenty of that, as Tony possibly has an army of Iron Man suits at his disposal, which obviously is the coolest.

The movie explores a lot of topics like terrorism, ‘Murica, mental health, and deception. It is not perfect, as a comic book movie or otherwise, but plot is irrelevant when Robert Downey Jr. is on the screen. He is as sharp and witty as ever in the “final” Iron Man installment.

[Trailer]

Great Gatsby

Listen to the Great Gatsby soundtrack because it’s so bizarre and difficult to relate to the book. Then see the movie. Thankfully, the film was more relevant to your favorite required-reading than the uncomfortable music, but what you see on screen does have some analgous issues to the Jay-Z tracks. At times, the movie gets too bogged down in absurd colors and rapid camera panning/zoom-ins, partially attributed to the desire to make a 3D ticket worth the money. But to be honest it was a bit tacky, though one could argue so were the Roaring 20s.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book is so beautifully written, though simultaneously simple, it is difficult to transpose the feel of the book onto the screen. Aside from the inundation in CGI, it was a decent representation of the unique world of Gatsby, with a mixture of both the surreal and the hyperreal in 1920s Long Island. It’s not only glitzy and fabulous, but delicate and depressing as you can feel Gatsby’s pain onscreen throughout the movie. Admittedly, the film was painful for a viewer at times, as the slow pace of some moments, combined with the frenetic speed of others, made the storyline feel much too choppy.

Leonard DiCaprio, a superb actor and star of many of the best films of the past 15 years, does capture Gatsby’s sheer awkwardness and desire to be loved. Hearing him say “old sport” over and over grows tiresome. Tobey Maguire is solid as the reserved and innocent neighbor to Gatsby, Nick Carroway. Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan capture Tom’s brashness and Daisy’s mild yet passionate personality to create the selfish power couple of Fitzgerald’s novel. 

As Nick Carroway said, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness…” Despite Fitzgerald’s grandiose writing, an obscenely grand film doesn’t quite capture its essence.

There is a great deal to complain about in this movie with the pacing, feel, and visual effects, yet it gets across the main themes of the book–the dark side of wealth, the flaws American dream, the novelty of hope, and the dichotomy of nouveau riche versus old.

It’s worth seeing because I’m still thinking about it two weeks later. Clearly director Baz Luhrmann must have done something right.

[Trailer]

Bottom of the Box Office Recommendation:

Mud

Don’t let the McConaughey fool you, this Cannes film features Reese Witherspoon of TMZ fame, Sarah Paulson from American Horror Story, and Academy Award winner Sam Shephard, along with two talented kids Tye Sheridan, and Jacob Lofland. 

2 boys try to help an oft shirtless island fugitive played by McConaughey in evading police and bounty hunters to reunite with his love (Witherspoon).

Check it out at Kentucky Theater tonight or tomorrow as it’s your last chance before The Iceman comes in and steals the slot.

[Trailer]

The Weekend in Television:

Arrested Development

7 years after the final episode of its three season run on Fox, the “cult” comedy Arrested Development is back for a 4th on Netflix. All 15 episodes will be released on May 26th, allowing this generation of binge watchers to enjoy the show until our eyes bleed. Fans new and old will behold the Bluth family in all its dysfunctional glory as “the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together” returns.

Michael (Jason Bateman), George Michael (Michael Cera), Gob (Will Arnett), Lindsey (Portia de Rossi), and the rest of the now much more famous and highly paid crew are sure to amuse with their antics and horrifying sense of entitlement. No family can compare to the Bluths.

My all-time favorite comedy aside from The Simpsons releasing new episodes means I won’t just have to entertain myself with Arrested Development GIFs, nostalgia, and obnoxious fangirl inside jokes.

So no touching and no j-u-i-c-e for you this Memorial Day weekend, though frozen bananas, ham water, and mayoneggs are a must for your viewing party.

[Trailer]

@BrennanKSR

As the 2014 Kentucky football class begins to gain more steam, decision time appears to be looming for a pair of Kentucky’s top defensive targets. Mike Edwards and Darius West, both of which are defensive backs from Ohio, have stated that they plan on playing together at the next level.  In the opinions of many, including current UK commits, Kentucky is the favorite to land this package deal.  Yesterday, Jon Shartzer of In Depth Sports online, spoke with running back commitment Mikel Horton and tight end commitment Darryl Long about Kentucky’s chances with West and Edwards.  Horton and Long provide and inside look, as well as their opinions as to how Edwards’ and West’s recruitment will unfold.  You can read the article below:

Mike Edwards and Darius West Update

“Here comes the boom!”

Summer is really lacking news for Kentucky football.  It sure started with a bang though.  The commitment from Drew Barker, 4-star QB, couldn’t have been any bigger for the program.  It was a great day, and still leaves that “feel good” feeling in your soul.  Since then, however, things have gone rather quite on the recruiting front.  Other big-time recruits are close to making decisions, but until then, not much can be said.  Even the UK commits’ twitter page has gone cold.

Don’t worry too much, its only 100 days until the WKU game in Nashville.  That’s something to look forward to, isn’t it?  Your darn right it is!  I can’t wait for kickoff; this is the most excited I’ve ever been for football season.  From now until the season opener, we have plenty to keep us satisfied: summer camps, fall practices, and more commitments!  As long as you stay up-to-date with us, you won’tmiss any of it.  Thanks for brining the energy and excitement back to the bluegrass, Coach Stoops.

While we wait, let’s have a look at some of the few good things we can take from last season.  For example, the 47-14 victory over Kent State.  Keep in mind that Kent State was ranked nationally at the end of the season.  In this short highlight film, we can see sparks of greatness from young players like DeMarcus Sweat and upper-classmen such as Raymond Sanders.  With coaching from the new staff at UK, all of this potential can be turned into success on the field.

“…Sanders with a crease….and a BURST…AND THERE HE GOES….TOUCHDOWN!“

@KoryHenryKSR

We as sports fans are extremely impatient. As soon as one season is done, instead of taking time reflect on the season it was, we ask the same four words: What about next season?

And to be honest, I have no complaints with the way this thing works. I enjoy projecting next season with limited roster knowledge around the country. But thankfully, this is Kentucky golf and not basketball so I don’t have to sit around and wait on late signees and NBA draft entrees. I pretty much know the roster already unless there’s an unforeseen transfer.

The Cats had a bit of a disappointing season, but they did make the NCAA tournament and had a couple of strong tournaments (specifically in the fall season) so it wasn’t all bad. There is one major positive note from the season, though, and that is that the Cats were very young and gained plenty of valuable experience moving forward.

UK only graduates two seniors, starter Chase Parker and individual performer Joseph Barr, and returns the rest of the team, and adds three talented freshmen (Cooper Musselman, Stephen Stallings, and Christopher Meuth). The biggest returners for Kentucky, though, are seniors-to-be Ben Stow and Stephen Powers.

Stow is a transfer from England who only participated in the spring season and will have another full season next year. Stow led the team in scoring average at 73.92, had one top-10 finish, and four top-20 finishes. Meanwhile, Stephen Powers may have been the best player for the Cats this past season, as he had a 74.33 scoring average, had four top-10 finishes, and five top-20 finishes. Nevertheless, this dynamic duo should be more than solid next season for Kentucky.

The two other returning starters for Kentucky are rising senior Cody Martin and rising junior Will Bishop. Martin had an up and down season (like most of the Cats), but definitely had a much stronger fall season than spring. He posted four top-30 finishes in the fall, but only one in the spring. If he can play like he did in the fall for the entire year, then UK will be much more prepared to make a deeper run in the NCAA’s next season. The exact same goes for Bishop, as he too had a much better fall season than spring, as he had three top-20 finishes including a win in the fall, but no top-30 finishes in the spring.

The only remaining question is who will be the fifth starter for the Cats? Will it be fall season starter David Snyder? Will it be one of the three incoming freshman? My money is on the rising sophomore from across the big water hazard, Harrison Greenberry.

Greenberry participated in five events as a freshman, and even posted a top-10 finish at the Bearcat Invitational. As a freshman in a new country, Greenberry received solid experience both on the course and off of it, and this should carry over into next season well.

The UK golf news will be slow over the summer but I’ll try to keep you updated as much as possible.

Peace.

@BWardKSR

I refuse to put a picture of Coach K up. Here is a picture of the “new” Dream Team and Anthony Davis instead.

Told you it wouldn’t last long. After insisting that he would not return to coach the Red, White, and Blue, Coach K will return to coach the USA Basketball team for the 2016 Olympics. The Duke (Yuck) Coach led the team to gold twice, once in 2008 and again in 2012. A formal announcement is expected within 48 hours.

It will only be okay with me if Anthony Davis goes back in 2016 too.

Good afternoon y’all! How has your day been going so far? Keep this in mind… at least you aren’t a Louisville/Tennessee fan. That would be awful. Onto the links:

It’s not a secret that Kentucky fans have big expectations for this upcoming season. With those expectations on the team as a whole, comes huge expectations for the players as a whole. Bleacher Report has a run-down on what they are expecting each projected starter to bring to the table.

As reported last night, the Cleveland Cavs won the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery last night and the first shot of getting Nerlens Noel ten years after winning the lottery that brought them LeBron James.

For all you volleyball fans out there; Kentucky has released their 2013 schedule which features match-ups with nine NCAA qualifiers from last season.

The Kentucky baseball team’s disappointing season came to an end yesterday when they got beaten in the first round of the SEC Tournament by Ole Miss.

Mark Stoops credits his late father for being a huge influence not only in his football career, but in his life as well.

Andy Roddick retired? How did I not know this? Well, apparently he is now coming to Fox Sports live to be a co-host for the three-hour news, opinion, and highlight show that is probably Fox Sports’ answer to Sports Center.

And finally, in my weird news of the day, the creator of the “GIF” finally tells us how to correctly pronounce the word. Spoiler: It’s pronounced like the peanut butter brand.

My favorite Kentucky related GIF??? The one where Coach Cal sets his inner cheerleader free.