re: Watching the Blue vs White basketball game tonight is showing me

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We will be competing with UK and UF for SEC titles.

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What's funny? Behind Calipari and Donovan and I think Anderson (would have to look it up). Coach Frank Martin has taken his past teams deep in the tourney (elite 8, sweet 16s, etc..

How's his recruiting at SC?

Not trolling, but I thought he benefited greatly from Huggy Bear's recruiting at Kschtate.

He certainly had Mizzou's number on the court.

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Seems they want someone to argue basketball with and realized their is only like one fan base that will actually do that in the SEC with a few stragglers from other fan bases.

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I wouldn't say argue basketball with as just talk it. As my Mizzou homie mentioned, no you could not be a rival to us like ku was and never will, that spans beyond hoops and beyond sports and is a blood battle that won't ever die.

But in terms of talking basketball, its interesting because Devin Booker's recruitment between Kentucky and Mizzou has WAY more history between our schools than you may realize. Here is the path to how Devin Booker became a blue chip basketball recruit:

It actually started back in 1989, when a Parade All-American point guard from Kentucky was pondering where to go to school. In all likelihood he'd have gone Big Blue, but Eddie Sutton's program was getting slammed with probation. Enter Norm Stewart's Missouri Tigers, a perennial top 20 team at the time who was free and clear of the NCAA.

Travis Ford signed with Mizzou and played his freshman year there. He was the backup point guard on a Mizzou team that was ranked #1 in the nation for several weeks, won the conference title, went 26-6 on the year. Ford hit game clinching free throws at kansas for Mizzou. He was by far one of the most popular freshmen in recent Mizzou history.

Two things then happen. Rick Pitino takes over at UK, and Mizzou itself is slapped with an NCAA investigation that leads to a one year postseason ban. Pitino takes full advantage, and according to Ford's dad, used a UK walkon to mail a note to Travis Ford telling him "If I (Pitino) had been at UK I'd have never let you leave the state." The interest was mutual, and Ford transferred home to UK. But you need to realize, this was to Mizzou coach Norm Stewart a major slap in the face. He prided himself on not having lost a player to transfer in a long time, and Ford's defection combined with NCAA sanctions left a sour taste.

It also left Mizzou without a returning point guard on its roster for the 1991 season. In a mad scramble, Mizzou unearthed an unheralded PG from Moss Point, Mississippi. He had been a teammate of eventual Georgia Bulldog star Litterial Green. His name was Melvin Booker. He had no other D-1 scholarship offers, but Mizzou liked him.

Booker signed and was the starting point guard at Mizzou from day one of his freshman year onward. While Travis Ford was chilling with the Unforgettables and going to the Final Four with Monster Mash, his replacement at Mizzou, Booker, began to forge his own legacy. By time Booker was a senior, he became an All-American, Conference player of the Year for a team that went undefeated in conference, finished 28-4, was a #1 seed in the NCAAs. Booker's team advanced farther in the Big Dance, and his career lasted longer, than Travis Ford's senior year UK team did that same year (due to Ford sitting out a year from the transfer).

Melvin fathered a son, Devin, and after returning from a professional career in Europe, Melvin has spent the past few years acting as a father-coach to Devin teaching him all he knows about the game. Strangely enough, that son is now torn between two schools - Kentucky and Mizzou - whose feud over a point guard all those years ago led to Devin's father's opportunity to play big time D1 hoops.

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How's his recruiting at SC?

Not trolling, but I thought he benefited greatly from Huggy Bear's recruiting at Kschtate.

He certainly had Mizzou's number on the court.

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While I'm not sure so much about getting to UK's and UF's level, I would think Martin can build USC up to a 20+ game a season program that appears occasionally in the NCAAs. Other HCs in the past that were no better than CFM were able to do that, so why not?

Martin's first class wasn't anything to write home about in terms of star rankings, but he didn't have a lot of time to work with. He still brought in 3 players that are big-time hustlers and workers on the floor, and the best of them - Michael Carrera - is substantially underrated.

Martin's 2nd class includes 2 4*s in SG Sindarius Thornwell (43rd in Rivals150) and C Demetrius Henry (100th in Rivals150), and also includes a transfer from Villanova in former 4* PG Tyrone Johnson (52 in Rivals150). His 2014 class is small right now but includes 4* PG Marcus Stroman (83rd in Rivals150) and 3* SG TeMarcus Blanton (123 in Rivals150).

We're hosting an OV from 3* PF Dante Buford (128 in Rivals150) this weekend, and it's reportedly between us and Oklahoma for his services.

Future targets he's working on is 2015's Perry Dozier Jr. and 2016's Seventh Woods, two future studs....

Cliffnotes

Mike is a shithead.

But yeah, that was a blog entry if I've ever seen one.

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Can I have the Cliff Notes on that please. Not reading that…good gawd.

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It involves UK basketball history which theoretically you would like, LSU degree aside and all.

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Mizzou Fan in Da ATX

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Giving you a hard time. Have undergrad from UK as well…so, no sidewalk.

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Mizzou Fan in Da ATX

Melvin fathered a son, Devin, and after returning from a professional career in Europe, Melvin has spent the past few years acting as a father-coach to Devin teaching him all he knows about the game. Strangely enough, that son is now torn between two schools - Kentucky and Mizzou - whose feud over a point guard all those years ago led to Devin's father's opportunity to play big time D1 hoops.

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Cheese Grits

Play for Mizzou and have a pro career in Europe
Play for Kentucky and have a pro career in the NBA

Dad may have his heart in Mizzou but his mind may know UK is the better probability for a pro career.

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Mizzou Fan in Da ATX

Melvin Booker played in the NBA for awhile in addition to Europe. But don't let your lack of actual knowledge get in the way of your smug bullshite that you pull out of your arse.

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Mizzou Fan in Da ATX

Nothing magical about UK at all, and Cheese Grits' statement was smug bullshite with nothing to back it up.

"Learned so much from (former Mizzou coach) Norm Stewart in the 2 hours I was with him. One of the greatest to ever coach." - Devin Booker last weekend

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Cheese Grits

Norm Stewart will not be coaching his son. Norm is almost 80 and has not coached Mizzou since the 90's!

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Devin Booker picks Kentucky over Mizzou

Mizzou Fan in Da ATX,

Looks like what you thought was smug bullsh*t was actually what happened!

We have some really good talent this season.

Buzz is growing around town about the team. Excited to see how we do.

And, yeah, Kentucky looks sick.