Kentucky basketball strength and conditioning coach charged with assault on his wife

An assistant on the coaching staff of the UK basketball team has been arrested and charged with assault and wanton endangerment after an incident involving his wife.

Brian Shorter, a part-time assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Kentucky's basketball team, was arrested early Thursday morning accused of shoving his wife into an unheated garage and throwing water on her.

A source said there was an argument between Shorter and his wife at their home on Russell Springs, early Thursday morning. According to the victim, it came to a head when Shorter pushed her into their garage, which had no heat, and locked her in there. The victim claimed that about 40 minutes later, Shorter returned and threw a bucket of water on her. She, then, apparently made her way to a nearby hotel where she called for help.

Shorter was arrested at his home.

Shorter is in the Fayette County Detention Center, charged with assault and wanton endangerment.

It's hard to envision Shorter having a job after this alleged incident.

Former Kentucky player, Richie Farmer, sentenced to 27 years in prison

Former Kentucky Wildcats standout basketball player Richie Farmer was best known for being one of 'The Unforgettables', making a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Duke in perhaps  the most epic game in tournament history.

Farmer who was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball, was a state legend and revered by many in his home state.

He used his fame on the court to launch a political career that saw him heading up the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for two terms. Today his world came crashing down.

Farmer was the former Kentucky Agriculture commissioner and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $120,500 in restitution for abusing power as the state’s agriculture commissioner.

Farmer reached a plea deal in September that allowed him to avoid a larger sentence. Defense attorney Guthrie True said at the time that "Richie deeply regrets the pain which has been inflicted on his family, as well as any embarrassment he has caused the good people of Kentucky. In part, this is why he has decided to bring an end to what would have turned into a spectacle which would have run on for months, if not years."

It was during his time running to be elected lieutenant governor on a ticket with then Senate President David Williams in 2011 that complaints began to surface about his management at the Agriculture Department.

Eventually Farmer was charged with 42 ethics violations, the most charges ever filed against a single individual in the executive branch ethics commission's history.

The alleged violations included using workers on state time to take Farmer and his family to medical appointments, personal shopping trips, and hunting trips.

Farmer was also cited for using state workers and state resources to mow his lawn, build a basketball court in his back yard -- even chauffeur his dog.

"Excessive gifts were purchased and then taken home by the defendant. He used state personnel to perform tasks for his personal benefit, including building a basketball court and driving him and his family to events and hunting trips. He hired friends and relatives and expected little from them. He had items such as laptops, personal refrigerators, filing cabinets purchased with state funds and then used them at home, keeping some of them after leaving office.

"He pre-selected employees for merit positions, essentially rigging what should have been a competitive hiring process. Farmer also exhibited a pattern of requesting and expecting persons and businesses to give him things free of charge."

Farmer will have one more court appearance. On Friday he is scheduled to be sentenced in Franklin Circuit Court on a state charge that he took thousands of dollars in funds left over from his 2007 election campaign by filing false expenses with the campaign. Under his agreements with prosecutors, Farmer's sentence on this state charge will run concurrent with the time he serves in federal prison.

Kentucky's Alex Poythress wants to go 40-0

Last year Kentucky's basketball team had the highest rated recruiting class and a few holdovers from the national title team from the year before. The end result was an appearance in the NIT, which ended in a loss to Robert Morris.

This season Kentucky has what most call the best recruiting class of all time. Expectations are high or the Wildcats. Despite the youth and returning members from last year, many think the 'Cats will win the national championship once again.

Sophomore forwards Alex Poythress isn't backing down from the hype. He's aiming high and not just national championship high. He's talking about going 40-0.

“If we put our mind to it, once everybody gels, I say we can do anything. The sky is the limit for this team, so why not aim at 40-0? We might as well try to do it, right?

“Why not? What's stopping us? The only thing stopping us is us this year, so we might as well try to do it.”

What's stopping Kentucky is the schedule. The Wildcats have their annual Bluegrass rivalry with defending national champion Louisville. Also games against North Carolina (Chapel Hill), Baylor (might as well be a road game) and Michigan State, Boise State and Providence will provide the team with some good competition. Throw in the SEC slate and Kentucky will be challenged game in and game out.

No doubt the Wildcats will be very good. Might even be great. But they'll have to be on their game every night if they want to go undefeated. They'll have a target on their backs and will get everyone's best shot.      

Charles Barkley says none of Kentucky's players are ready for the NBA

Former NBA and Auburn star, Charles Barkley was in attendance for the Kentucky-Auburn basketball game Saturday. While the Tigers got hammered by their superior SEC foe, Barkley went on the telecast for a few and explained why he doesn't like the one and done rule and that none of Kentucky's are ready for the NBA, while slamming the agents and family members that steer kids to go pro.


"John Calipari's a friend of mine. I love him as a friend. There ain't one player on this Kentucky team who should go pro early. I hate the one-and-done rule in college basketball. Just 'cause there's a rule does not mean you have to do it. Listen, Anthony Davis played well enough for him to go pro. ... I wish some of these parents would talk to their kids."

"I would love for guys to stay three years," Barkley said. "I think the best we can really get is two years. ... The family members are greedy, the agents are pigs, also. So they tell these kids, 'Go to college for one year.' ... It's driven by the agents, to be honest with you, and listen, it's a corrupt system. ... These agents are such scumbags, and yo know that, they just want their percentage of the money. Matt (Doherty), you know that. They don't care about these kids, how well they do in the NBA."


Are you listening Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin?

Shaquille O'Neal came out and said that a player should be removed three years from his high school class to enter the NBA draft, similar to the NFL draft rule.

Personally there should be a two year rule, that way you can see if a kid is all potential or possibly the real deal. Currently, this draft class is looking pretty weak, so Noel, Poythress, and Goodwin are looked at as possible top 10 picks this year. I just don't see a surefire star coming out. There are good players out there but no difference makers to help an NBA team.  Maybe when the NCAA tournament starts we'll see the cream rise  to the top.

Kentucky's Eloy Vargas takes a fan to her prom

Seldom used Kentucky center Eloy Vargas made one fan queen for a night. During an autograph signing session Saturday Vargas was approached by Natascha Richardson, a 17-year-old student at Gatton Academy. She then asked Vargas to accompany her to her prom.


“It was my turn to get an autograph and I was just like, what are you doing tonight, and he was like ‘what are you doing tonight’ and I was like, you should go to prom with me and it just kind of happened and I was like ahh, cool.” 


Vargas accepted and hurried to get ready for his date. He was happy to be doing something tho make someone else happy.

"She didn’t have a date so I thought, I should do something for her,” Vargas said.


"It's a lot of blessings to be a part of this thing right now and be over here, part of this girl's life and making her dream come true," says Vargas.


Vargas did a nice thing for someone on their special night.

No word on who was voted prom queen.

Izzo thinks it would be different if Kentucky's players were white

John Calipari doesn't have too many fans in the college basketball world. Bob Knight is the most famous Calipari critic, citing his recruitment of one and done players that many say are ruining the sport of college basketball.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has a different take on the national championship winning program. In an article with William C. Rhoden of the New York Times, Izzo doesn't hold back when he was asked if the Kentucky players were white and athletic, would they be thought of differently.

 “I want to answer that as honestly as I can,” Izzo said. “I think it would be different. I hate to say that.”


The perception is that these five black players are not serious students and don’t belong at the university. If they were white, there would be more acceptance that they belong at the university.


“It’s sad for me to say, but it’s probably the truth,” Izzo said. Perception or not, the reality is that the sports industry has done its part preparing young men and women for their careers as professional athletes. Only a small percentage will succeed, but only a fraction succeed at the highest level in any profession.


It's the age old question. The double edged sword. No one says anything when a bonus baby is drafted out of high school into Major League Baseball. Or when golf, tennis, or hockey players go pro. But when underclassmen declare for the NBA draft, most of them young and black it's a big deal. It's like when the Fab Five were at Michigan, when they lost they were undisciplined and thuggish. But when they won they were "playing the right way".

Can someone please define that one for me. If you can play and are good enough to go pro right away, then go.

Calipari Gets A Corn Maze In His Likeness

It seems like having a corn maze in someone's likeness is all the rage nowdays. The latest to get a corn maze in his honor is Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

This was done at the corn maze at Kelley Farms.

“We think a lot of Coach Calipari,” said farm owner John Kelley. “He’s almost like part of the family. Kelley. Calipari. I think we might be related, somewhere way back,” he laughs.



“Really, we just want to let Coach Cal know how much he means to Kentucky and how much Kentucky appreciates having him lead our basketball team.”


In addition to the image of Coach Cal, this year’s maze will also feature a basketball-themed word puzzle, spread throughout the winding paths.

The people of Kentucky would appreciate it even more if he can bring home a national championship.