Cats Bring Out Interesting Observations
A Look Back At Virgie's Todd May
Something new, something old. The Eddie Sutton Era is well underway and while the competition has been lightweight so far the team has played very well, particularly on defense. Some observations...
1. The Wildcats appear extraordinarily relaxed and crisp with few if any pondering glances from the starters toward the bench to see if a sub was on the way.
2. Kenny Walker has not exhibited (yet) any frustration with the double and triple team attention he is getting. In fact, the Ail-American is using his All-American temperament to good effect and does not seem to mind being a decoy in the offense occasionally. A good sign.
Bob Watkins
Cats' Pause Columnist
Comment: Remarks made by Hawaii coach Frank Arnold summed up well enough.
"The kid is like a greyhound. I bet there isn't 5 percent body fat on the guy. He's strong, fast, rebounds, shoots and works so well without the ball. When he doesn't have the ball he is working, working and working so that when he catches the ball in the point he is in prime position to score. You know that he is going to have a great shot because he has worked so hard for it."
3. Winston Bennett is playing very well, not only taking medium range jump shots, but swishing them.
4. While it may change when the stakes become higher, say. against Indiana, Coach Sutton has remained under control at the bench instead of raving, pacing and "working" the officials. A nice change.
5. Sutton teaches during a game too. On a number of occasions when substitutions were made he spoke quietly with the outgoing player upon his arrival at the bench, presumably, pointing out ways to improve play.
6. While many fans believe that UK's success this season rests on Walker's shoulders, I suggest that is not the case. Two other things have to happen as well. The guards must score from the perimeter naturally, but perhaps more vital, UK must get help from Cedric Jenkins and Rob Lock.
Jenkins shows promise. The gangly 6-9, 205-pound sophomore is a raw talent at this point. But he is quick, jumps well and runs the floor well. He looks to be quite capable of becoming a good rebounder and playing solid defense, when the experience comes.
UK football season
The season is history and the Wildcats' 5-6 record was a disappointment of course, particularly to those who predicted an 8-3 season (blush). But there are reasons for optimism too.
First, Coach Jerry Claiborne and staff will be back  a major plus in that UK fans can be confident the program is in good hands and the Tireless One (Claiborne) will not rest until "we get it right."
Second, the returnee roster is impressive with 29 regulars as well as a 22-man red-shirt list that includes the 'incredible hulk' type troops UK needs to compete in the SEC  Mike Pfeifer (6-7, 265), Gardner Sorrell (6-3, 280), Russell Viel (6-4, 250), Tony Nash (6-5, 245), Doug Houser (6-4, 247), Oliver Barnett (6-4, 225) and Vic Adams (6-2, 230). Congratulations
Kentucky football led the SEC in one category this season, for the second year in a row. Ten Wildcats were named to Southeastern Conference Academic All-SEC team last week, most in the league. Vandy was second with eight, Ole Miss with seven.
The UKs chosen were: Chris Derry, Kevin Dooley, Eric Haas, Richard Ledford, Matt Lucas, Pietrowiak, Ransdell, James Reichwein, Gary Sexton and Tom Wilkins.
Last year UK led the league with eight, giving Claiborne and staff 18 SEC all-academic performers.
To qualify, players must maintain a B average and be a regular on the team.
Missing...
Whatever happened to football players Tom Becherer ('65) and Bobby Wixson
(71)?
Becherer, a defensive back for Charlie Bradshaw's only winning team at UK (6-4) is one of Kentucky's most successful high school football coaches at Shelby County. In fact, Becherer ranks 18th on the Coaches 'active Win List' with 123 victories. Rocket teams are virtual fixtures in the playoffs.
Wixson is head football coach at Wayne County High School in Monticello.
Whatever happened to basketball players Merion Haskins ('77) and Lloyd Ramsey ('42)?
Haskins is an international buyer for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. A native of Campbellsville, Haskins lives in Richmond, Va. Ramsey is a doctor in Nashville, Tenn.
People
 George Stout, promotor for the Kentucky-Indiana summer all-star basketball
series announced last month that Gene' Kirk (Woodford County High) and Bill Brown (Louisville Southern) will coach the Kentucky all-star boys and girls teams respectively next summer.
"Players for the teams will be announced in April," Stout said. 'Ballots will go out to coaches on Jan. 25."
Stout said that a decision on whether or not there will be tryouts next summer will be decided after the ballots are scrutinized.
"Personally I like tryouts," he said, "because you always find a sleeper." But it costs between $3,000 and $4,000 to assemble 25 or so players for tryouts. Stout added.
Kentucky's teams will have 11 players each this year and every player will be guaranteed five minutes playing time.
The Kentucky-Indiana games are June 15 in Indianapolis and June 21 at Freedom Hall in Louisville.
Comment: For the boys team the only problem Kirk and assistant Gary Moore (Franklin County) will encounter in putting together a team, it seems to me, is having to leave someone out since the state has a bumper crop of talented seniors this season.
Everyone knows the top candidates are: Rex Chapman (Apollo), Felton Spencer (Lou. Eastern), Scott Draud 'Highlands), Frank Persley (Scott Co.), Reggie Hanson (Pulaski Co.), Myron DeVoe (Lou. Western), Shawn Pennington (Clay Co.), Lawrence Buell (Middlesboro i and Brian Jointer (Lou. PRP).
But there are some good ones among the less-well-knowns who fans (and coaches) will want to keep an eye out for too. 6-1 Greg Baughn (Apollo), 6-6 Vernon Billups (North Hardin), Forrest Woodfork (Graves Co.), Nick Sanford (Cawood), Avery Taylor (Owensboro), 6-5 Matt Deneen (Elizabethtown), Kent Johnson (Nelson Co.), Woody Asher (Clay Co.) and Bob Ruf (Augusta).
"It's an up year in the state all right." Stout said. "It's going to be tough to narrow it down to 11 players."
Comment: Given his talent and publicity, Rex Chapman, Stout believes, will be named Mr. Basketball.
On the girls side "The girl from Louisville Atherton (Michelle Clark) looks like a shoo-in (for Miss Basketball)," he added. Those honors will be announced in April.
Todd May revisited
The ballyhooed and much travelled former Mr. Basketball (1982) from Virgie High School is a starter at Pikeville College these days. May sat down last month with Terry Spears, sports editor of the Pikeville News-Express, and talked about his career. Todd May had some things to say of interest to UK fans.
 Why did May leave Kentucky?
"It just wasn't the ideal situation for me. The school was so large that I was lost, you know, with 25,000 on campus, and all the people that were there. I was just lost in the crowd. And there wasn't much playing time to be seen, not only that year, but for probably two, maybe three years to follow.
 When he was being recruited did May receive any illegal offers? "People probably won't believe it, but I never was. All of them (recruiters)
went directly by the book. And I'm glad that they did. A lot of things happen because the people who are being recruited maybe ask for it, and I never was one to ask for anything."
 When May was at Kentucky did anyone hint that perhaps there might be some type of summer job or payoff?"
May: "No, like I say, I worked down there in the summer, but I got the job myself, and I was paid for a day's work like everybody else that worked there. I worked every day, I didn't get paid to not show up. I lived in an apartment, which I paid weekly rent for, and never received anything, any extra money or anything free."
Comment: Todd May. I still believe had the "situation" been made right, he could have become one of the best if not most popular UK players of all time.
Watch Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky plays in one of the country's toughest, if unheralded leagues, the Sun Belt, but the Hilltoppers could be a Top 20 team by next week.
Victories over Chaminade and Auburn in the Wendy's Classic this weekend, coupled with an impressive 69-58 victory over Cincinnati last week, could do it for Clem Haskins' crew.
Western showed itself to be a very fine basketball team when the Hilltoppers smothered Cincinnati last week in Bowling Green.
Bearcats coach Tony Yates said, "We knew what they (the Hilltoppers) were going to do. There were no surprises."
And yet Western shut Cincinnati down, which brings us to a bit of a quiz.
1. How many times can a college team shoot only 40 percent, score four fewer field goals than an opponent, finish no better than even in rebounds, and still expect to win a game?
Answer: In the 1980s, seldom and never.
2. How did Western smother Cincinnati, a team picked as high as third in the Metro Conference?
The answer to to both questions is the same. Defense.
The Hilltoppers shooting was spotty, 22 of 54, but coach Clem Haskins got 28 points from substitutes and the Toppers made only eight turnovers. Good signs, all. But more than anything WKU's defense was superb, taking Cincinnati totally out of its offense and keeping it there.
Western Kentucky. College basketball fans in these parts will do well to watch for the Hilltoppers.
If WKU and Auburn make it to the Wendy's Class finals I believewhile the game won't receive the media hype it deservesit will be one of the finest matchups of the season.
Footnote: A Western victory could also be very important to Haskins future as
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