LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – News that fans of Kentucky,
Louisville and Indiana can wake up and discuss -- a big night by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a big recruiting score for Tom Crean at IU and Louisville tips off its season as a big favorite over Manhattan.
*Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is settling into this NBA thing. The
rookie from UK's 2012 national championship team played like the Number Two
pick in the draft Saturday night for the Charlotte Bobcats.
MKG had a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds and played
41 minutes without a turnover as the Bobcats defeated Dallas 101-97. He
dominated Jae Crowder and Elton Brand.
Is MKG making a difference in Charlotte? The Bobcats are
2-3. Their record last season was 7-59.
Former UK players rank second (Anthony Davis, Hornets, 17.3)
and fifth (MKG, 12.2) in scoring among NBA rookies.
Here is the top five: Damian Lillard, (Weber State) Portland,
18.8; Davis; Dion Waiters, (Syracuse) Cleveland, 16.7; Bradley Beal, (Florida)
Washington, 13.0; and MKG.
*Mark down another substantial recruiting score for Indiana.
Noah Vonleh, a 6-8 forward from New Hampton (N.H.) Prep, saw enough during his
official visit to Bloomington this weekend that he orally committed to Tom
Crean's program Saturday night, according to multiple media reports.
Vonleh is ranked the No. 8 prospect is the Class of 2013,
according to Dave Telep of ESPN.com. He gives the Hoosiers a six-player class
that also includes three other top 100 players – wing Troy Williams, guard
Stanford Robinson and center Luke Fischer.
Indiana has four seniors, but is likely to lose center Cody
Zeller and perhaps guard Victor Oladipo after this season.
I saw Vonleh play in Indianapolis last summer. He has guard
skills on the perimeter but can also get to the rim. UConn, Syracuse, North Carolina, Georgetown,
Kansas and Ohio State were the other teams chasing Vonleh.
*Louisville is an 18 ½ point favorite over Manhattan in the
Cards' season-opener against Manhattan at 4 p.m. in the KFC Yum! Center. Ken
Pomeroy puts the Cards' win probability at 92 percent.
Manhattan went 21-13 last season but the Jaspers could be
without their best player – wing George Beamon, who scored in double figures in
every game last season and averaged 22.5 over the final 10 games.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
News on UK, U of L and IU Basketball.
