Not Jerry Tipton's Friday Basketball Notebook

The 2012-13 season is still a few months away. However, the guess here is that the Cats will not be able to improve upon last season's performance, which saw losses to hated rival Indiana (which didn't even make it past the Sweet 16 lol) and Vanderbilt (which is more known for its academics than athletics). To stay apprised and educated, follow me on Twitter @NotJerryTipton. Here’s the weekly notebook: *Ruined In A Day: John Calipari recently threw up a big middle finger to Joker Phillips and the Kentucky football team when he publicly announced that he was boycotting the football team and would not be attending the game against Louisville last week. While Joker has made it clear that he hopes to take advantage of the notoriety enjoyed by the basketball team, Calipari is apparently refusing to accommodate him. Apparently stung by the public shunning they received from Coach Cal, the football team struggled through an uninspired and listless performance, losing 32-14 to the Cardinals. UofL, it bears mentioning, resides in the Big East, which is basically the Jamaican bobsled team of BCS conferences. Was the UK loss a direct result of Calipari's well-publicized and embarrassing boycott? Would the football team have won had Calipari simply bothered to show up? Is it John Calipari's fault that the football team lost? It sure seems that way. *Regret: Kentucky fans were outraged recently when a well-known NBA player guaranteed that Thomas Robinson -- not Anthony Davis -- was going to be 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year. While this is certainly a slap in the face to Davis and his parents, it can also be seen as a direct shot at John Calipari. The insinuation that Cal is incapable of preparing and developing a player who could win this prestigious award speaks to the lack of respect that NBA players everywhere have for Coach Cal. It also makes one wonder, is this a common opnion among NBA players? Do all of them think Calipari is a terrible coach, or is this just an isolated incident? It is telling to note that since this story became public, no other NBA players have rushed to Cal's defense. File this one under "things that make you go 'hmmmmm.'" *Fine Time: CBS recently published an article detailing various abuses alleged by Texas Tech players at the hands of Billy Gillispie. This does not bode well for Kentucky. As the Wildcats prepare to defend their national championship, they will now have to answer questions regarding this controversy, such as "why did your school hire such a crazy person to be your coach?" Tellingly, none of the Texas Tech players making these allegations have bothered to defend UK, which leads one to assume that the erratic behavior displayed by Gillispie is something he learned during his time in Lexington. So now, in addition to the various investigations of the UK program by talented and unbiased reporters like Pete Thamel, the Wildcats must now play the upcoming season with this dark cloud hanging over the program. Just when Big Blue Nation thought it could relax and celebrate the school's 8th national title, this bombshell is dropped. * On this date: On this date in 2012, North Carolina is not facing any punishment from the NCAA for academic fraud.