Top 10 Area Sports Stories for 2012

1. Kentucky/Louisville play in Final Four

2. Kentucky wins NCAA basketball championship

3. Louisville to ACC

4. Charlie Strong turns down Tennessee to remain at UofL

5. Joker Phillips fired as UK football coach, Mark Stoops hired

6. KFC Yum! Center financial issues… headed to bankruptcy

7. UofL football makes Sugar Bowl

8. Bobby Petrino hired at Western Kentucky

9. I’ll Have Another wins 1^st two legs of Triple Crown, injured for Belmont

10. Indiana/Kentucky basketball rivalry hiatus after 43 years


Other stories just outside the top 10:

* Mike Glaser retires as St. X football coach
* Trinity wins state basketball and football titles in same year
* WKU basketball rallies to win Sun Belt & NCAAT game
* WKU football upsets UK and makes Bowl game for 1^st time since 1963
* Murray State is nation’s last unbeaten basketball team & wins NCAAT game 

Every year we try and name the five best NCAA players in our area, regardless of position. We come up with a pre-season team and then revisit it during the season and when the year is over. It helps track who has lived up to expectations and who has not.

As a reminder, here is our pre-season list, ordered alphabetically:

PRESEASON 1ST TEAM
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Christian Watford, Indiana
Cody Zeller, Indiana

PRESEASON 2ND TEAM
Chane Behanan, Louisville
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
George Fant, Western Kentucky
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Alex Poythress, Kentucky

Now that the non-conference portion of the schedule has been played, it's time to update the list! Players again listed alphabetically:

MIDSEASON 1ST TEAM
Isaiah Canaan, Murry State
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Russ Smith, Louisville
Cody Zeller, Indiana

MIDSEASON 2ND TEAM
Chane Behanan, Louisville
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
Christian Watford, Indiana

The toughest decision was Dieng over Alex Poythress for the final spot on the 2nd team. Others who just missed making the top 10 included IU's Jordy Hulls and WKU's T.J. Price.

If this list is accurate, the thing that jumps out is that UK has only two of the top 10 players in the area. For a team with so much supposed talent, that was surprising.

agree? disagree? feel free to comment below.

we'll revise the team one last time at the end of the season.

I occasionally fill in for Terry Meiners.

Here are some of the videos I may reference during the show:

* "Danthology" = pop song mash up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5MF4wm1T8

* Mr. Trololo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavMtUWDBTM

* singing fish vendor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETSl8gWsFZ0

* songs ripped off from other songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dj1pGlIzCA 

* viral video - Russian construction worker dances like Michael Jackson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbnY6HYqgNI 

* new adidas shoes with shackles: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/18/public-outcry-after-adidas-announces-racist-shackle-sneaker/

* drowning doesn't look like drowning: http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

* 88 books that shaped America: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/books-that-shaped-america/

* parallel parking record: http://www.carsguide.com.au/blogs-and-stuff/Driven-troppo/parallel_parking_drift_record

the 2013 season is about to begin so it's time for my annual FANTASY NASCAR LEAGUE!

create a team here: http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto

then join private league #7704 with password "whas"

the winner gets bragging rights and a prize. sign up today and good luck!

I'm taking the Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics! On February 23rd, I'll jump into the freezing Ohio River to support the inspiring athletes who compete in the Special Olympics.

If you want to help out, there are three ways to be part of the fun:

* Join "Team Lach" and jump along with me! Simply commit to raise at least $75 and join me in crossing this item off your bucket list.
* Be a part of "Team Lach" without jumping. Raise the $75 minimum but never get cold or wet... and get a t-shirt that says "Too Chicken to Plunge"
* Donate to my team. I'm trying to raise $1,000

All of those options are available at the link below. Thanks for helping out a great cause!

http://soky.kintera.org/2013louisvilleplunge/whaslach

NOTE: the "Rant Line" is taking a temporary break. it will return soon!

the Sports Talk 84 Rant Line is up and running! it's your chance to comment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on local and national sports issues. if you read, see or hear something that bothers you but I'm not on the air, call 571-RANT.

then tune in nightly when I play the best messages... maybe you'll be one of them!

every Friday night in the last segment of the show I'll give you my five best bets for the college football weekend and three best bets for the NFL. point spreads from the Louisville Courier-Journal

no promises of glory but let's see how it goes...

NCAA football
week 1 = 2-3
week 2 = 3-2
week 3 = 3-2
week 4 = 2-3
week 5 = 4-1
week 6 = 3-1-1
week 7 = 2-3
week 8 = 3-2
week 9 = 2-3
week 10 = 4-1
week 11 = 2-3
week 12 = 3-2
week 13 = 2-3
season = 35-29-1 (55%)

NFL
week 1 = 2-1
week 2 = 0-2-1
week 3 = 2-1
week 4 = 3-0
week 5 = 2-1
week 6 = 1-2
week 7 = 3-0
week 8 = 1-2
week 9 = 3-0
week 10 = 1-2
week 11 = 3-0
week 12 = 0-2-1
season = 21-13-2 (61%)

every year I name an all-area college hoops team = the five best players in our region REGARDLESS OF POSITION. I take calls on it and then we revisit the list at mid-season and at the end of the year to see how it changes over the course of the year.

Kentucky makes it tough because you have to guess which freshman will be the best, but here's what I came up with.

NOTE: players listed alphabetically

1ST TEAM
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Christian Watford, Indiana
Cody Zeller, Indiana

2ND TEAM
Chane Behanan, Louisville
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
George Fant, Western Kentucky
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Alex Poythress, Kentucky

agree? disagree? feel free to leave a comment below or call the show.
let's have a great season!

here's my list of area players who have been drafted or signed as Undrafted Free Agents with NFL teams. I'll try to keep it updated.

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE

Greg Scruggs - Seattle (drafted 7th round)
Josh Bellamy - Kansas City (UFA)
Dexter Heyman - Kansas City (UFA)

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

Winston Guy - Seattle (drafted 6th round)
Danny Trevathan - Denver (drafted 6th round)
Chandler Burden - Tennessee (UFA)
Nick Melillo - New England (UFA)
Anthony Mosley – San Francisco (UFA)
Matt Roark – New England (UFA)
Ronnie Sneed – Detroit (UFA)
Ryan Tydlacka – Philadelphia (UFA)

WESTERN KENTUCKY

Bobby Rainey - Baltimore (UFA)
Derrius Brooks - Cincinnati (UFA)