RBN tidbits from around the web.
* Billy Gillispie was fired at Kentucky because he was apparently not the “right fit.” And if “fit” was really what Kentucky wanted right now, then maybe Rick Pitino’s recommendation of John Pelphrey or Travis Ford might be more relevant.
But the truth is, as a scathing editorial by the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Mark Story suggests, “fit” has nothing to do with the courting of John Calipari. More like the desperate attempt of a school’s administration to sacrifice all (again) to win big (again).
Then, in 2007, Kentucky was seeking to fill it’s men’s basketball head coaching position. Which only happens to be one of the most high-profile jobs in all of American sports.
In filling this vital public relations-oriented job, UK’s background check failed to identify that it was offering the position to a prickly introvert (Billy Gillispie) prone to extreme mood swings.
Given the past performance, Dr. Todd, you’ll forgive me for being skeptical that the background check UK will run on John Calipari will actually ask the questions that need to be raised.
* Chris Low of ESPN.com has a nice write-up about D.J. Williams and his efforts during the offseason to become a more complete player. With Andrew Davie gone, Williams has bulked back up from 235 pounds to nearly 250 in order to become a better blocker. (Low reported previously that Williams was over 260 pounds at the end of the 2007 season.)
An interesting comment at the end of the article:
“It’s going to be very fun to watch next year,” Williams said. “Now we’re able to get into the meeting rooms and go over stuff, and it doesn’t sound like Chinese anymore. We’re able to add more complex things and get out there on the field and execute them. Everybody sees how well they’re working. Coach Petrino’s a great coach. The way he can break down a defense and build up an offense is amazing.”
