Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Passing the Torch
Leonard DeLautre was a dear friend, in my last few years of ministry in Georgetown, Kentucky. I was the Pastor of Central Church of God and he lived across the street from the church. I spent many hours sitting, listening, and learning from him. He gave me books every time I visited, and now looking back I wonder why I didn't see him more often.
When I left the community in 2004, to move to Texas, he blessed and prayed for me and my family and believed in me.
I will never forget him.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jodie Meeks!
Dan Issel scored 53 points in 1970 that stood for 39 years! Until last night, Jodie Meeks scored 54 against Tennessee, in Knoxville! He went 15-22 FG, 10-15 3PT, 14-14 FT...simply amazing shooting!
He is also a very good defensive player and came into the game averaging 24 pts a game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3831403
He is also a very good defensive player and came into the game averaging 24 pts a game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3831403
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Kentucky
Land of the Feebacks, with the exception of Florida and Texas! My home, heritage, and roots. God's country. Horses, small towns, and Bluegrass.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Kentucky Bound!
The kids and I are leaving today after school. It's a 20 hour haul and we will be gone for a total of four days! We haven't been there in 2.5 years. The weather will be very cold (27 & 14) on Monday...thank God for Texas!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
When Neighbors Die
I did a google search of my name and found this 3-year old post I had made on my xanga page - the precursor to this blog:
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Bobby Wilhoite. Friend and Neighbor. These two words are rarely used together. We never fought over property lines, dandelions, or dog poop (though we both owned one). Instead we chose to speak about our kids, our wives, our jobs, our love of the Dallas Cowboys, and our God.
How many footballs and baseballs did he throw to my young son Jon Mark? How many times did he smile as our young daughter, Emily, learning how to ride her bike would turn around in his driveway and bump his garage door? How many times did he get pulled outside by their dog Autumn just so she could find some relief? Bobby died yesterday @ 5:10 AM of brain cancer. I called April at 9:30 AM and we spoke for about ten minutes. After hanging up, the tears came easily and abundantly.
Goodbye Bobby, we will once again throw footballs as we live by one another forever, never having to move again. Bobby Wilhoite was 31.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Bobby Wilhoite. Friend and Neighbor. These two words are rarely used together. We never fought over property lines, dandelions, or dog poop (though we both owned one). Instead we chose to speak about our kids, our wives, our jobs, our love of the Dallas Cowboys, and our God.
How many footballs and baseballs did he throw to my young son Jon Mark? How many times did he smile as our young daughter, Emily, learning how to ride her bike would turn around in his driveway and bump his garage door? How many times did he get pulled outside by their dog Autumn just so she could find some relief? Bobby died yesterday @ 5:10 AM of brain cancer. I called April at 9:30 AM and we spoke for about ten minutes. After hanging up, the tears came easily and abundantly.
Goodbye Bobby, we will once again throw footballs as we live by one another forever, never having to move again. Bobby Wilhoite was 31.
Friday, May 09, 2008
The Youngest Kentucky Basketball Recruit
by Jeff Drummond of CatsPause.com
To hear Howard Avery describe it, Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie knew nothing of his son when their paths happened to cross at a recent AAU basketball event. As fate would have it, though, that chance encounter led to a scholarship offer from the Wildcats and perhaps the earliest verbal commitment in the history of college basketball's winningest program.
Michael Avery, a 6-foot-4 eighth-grader from Lake Sherwood, Calif., says he will play for the Cats. Now on with the business of finding a high school. "That's the funny thing," Howard Avery said with laugh. "We've got our college. Now we need our high school."
Avery currently attends Ascension Lutheran School in Thousand Oaks. He recently came east to interview with a private school in Culver, Ind., that he is considering attending next year. During that trip, the coach of Culver's upstart basketball program introduced the family to the Indiana Elite AAU staff, who subsequently invited Avery to play with their team in the King James tournament in Akron, Ohio.
According to Avery, Gillispie was scouting the event when the young player caught his eye. "The second game we played, coach Gillispie was there watching a couple of other players that he may have had an interest in," Avery said. "There was a 7-footer from Africa, a 6-10 player and a 6-8 player, so there were a lot of talented players at that game. I don't even think he was aware of Michael before this game.
"Michael came off the bench each half and had a good game against some really good competition. From what I understand, he displayed a total skill set and the basketball IQ to know when and where to use that skill set within the context of the game. I think that's what really impressed coach Gillispie."
Rules prohibit college coaches from initiating contact with prospects and their families at events like the King James tournament, but word was later filtered through the Indiana Elite staff that Gillispie was very impressed with Avery.
"So what I proceeded to do was make contact with coach Gillispie," Avery said. "I got a contact number for him and left him a message, but didn't hear back from him. I started wondering, does he really like my son? When I got in Los Angeles Monday morning, I decided to try again, and he answered the call. He told me he remembered my son, and that he was really glad that I called. He explained that he wasn't allowed to call me back, so it had to be me that initiated the call.
"We talked for a while and he said, 'I like your son. In fact, I like him so much I want to offer him a scholarship here at Kentucky.' I was like, 'You're joking, right?' He said, 'Nope. I'm serious. I really love the way he plays." When he told his son about the UK scholarship offer, the first official offer Michael Avery had received, it was difficult to restrain the excitement.
"I think Michael wanted to commit right then," Avery said. "But this is all so new to us, and I'm aware of the unusual nature of an eighth-grader giving a commitment to a college. I wasn't really sure how to react to it at first. A lot of people will say it's too early in the process, but after talking to some people who know coach Gillispie, we decided it really can't get much better than this opportunity.
"It's a dream school for any kid who grows up wanting to play basketball. There's only a few of them out there: Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Indiana back east; UCLA out here. If you've got an opportunity to play for one of those schools and get a great education, why not? We don't need a hundred offers; we just need one great program and one great coach."
Avery had also been getting early interest from USC, who according to his father had invited him to the Trojans' elite camp this summer. Several other programs were just beginning to inquire about him. Family ties could make it easier for Avery to see himself playing in this part of the country. His mother is from Indiana, and his grandmother still lives near Indianapolis.
The elder Avery said he is not a diehard fan of college basketball, but his son is. "Michael's a student of the game. When he's not playing or studying, he's watching basketball. That's his life. He's really passionate about it. He must have watched about 12 Kentucky games last year. He knew all about them."
And what does the family know about Gillispie and his coaching style thus far?
"We just know that he's been really, really successful no matter where he's been," Avery said. "The turnaround at UTEP and the turnaround at Texas A&M... they speak for themselves. He's got a tremendous track record, and everyone we've talked to about coach Gillispie have nothing but great things to say about him. We know he's a coach who can develop Michael's game and get the most out of his ability."
Much can change in a player's body and physical development between the eighth grade and his senior year of high school. Avery could end up being much taller and developing into another position, but his father said the UK staff envisions him as a combo guard at this point.
Rivals.com does not rank players at such an early age, but some services list Avery among the top 10 players in his class. "He was ranked third in the U.S. Elite Camp at Baylor," Avery said. "And he was ranked eighth at the Junior All-American Camp.
"But, you know, I don't think coach Gillispie was aware of any of that. He just saw my kid play. There's something to be said for that. He's not going based on what anyone has told him or where some website has Michael ranked. He saw his ability and potential himself. I really respect it."
The Averys have not made a final decision on his high school future. If he does not come to Indiana, he will likely play for Crespi High School in the L.A. area.
"No matter where he is, he's got a lot of motivation now," Avery said. "He's going to be working really hard to improve his game because he knows a lot will be expected of him when word gets out that he's going to a school like Kentucky.
---------------------------------------------------------
So, how young is too young for a college coach to offer a kid and his family a college scholarship? I say it's never too young. That's a chance the college coach is taking assuming the kid will remain as competitive as he has been against his own competition. We'll see in like the Fall of 2012, when Michael arrives on campus in Lexington as the youngest "signee" Kentucky has ever recruited.
To hear Howard Avery describe it, Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie knew nothing of his son when their paths happened to cross at a recent AAU basketball event. As fate would have it, though, that chance encounter led to a scholarship offer from the Wildcats and perhaps the earliest verbal commitment in the history of college basketball's winningest program.
Michael Avery, a 6-foot-4 eighth-grader from Lake Sherwood, Calif., says he will play for the Cats. Now on with the business of finding a high school. "That's the funny thing," Howard Avery said with laugh. "We've got our college. Now we need our high school."
Avery currently attends Ascension Lutheran School in Thousand Oaks. He recently came east to interview with a private school in Culver, Ind., that he is considering attending next year. During that trip, the coach of Culver's upstart basketball program introduced the family to the Indiana Elite AAU staff, who subsequently invited Avery to play with their team in the King James tournament in Akron, Ohio.
According to Avery, Gillispie was scouting the event when the young player caught his eye. "The second game we played, coach Gillispie was there watching a couple of other players that he may have had an interest in," Avery said. "There was a 7-footer from Africa, a 6-10 player and a 6-8 player, so there were a lot of talented players at that game. I don't even think he was aware of Michael before this game.
"Michael came off the bench each half and had a good game against some really good competition. From what I understand, he displayed a total skill set and the basketball IQ to know when and where to use that skill set within the context of the game. I think that's what really impressed coach Gillispie."
Rules prohibit college coaches from initiating contact with prospects and their families at events like the King James tournament, but word was later filtered through the Indiana Elite staff that Gillispie was very impressed with Avery.
"So what I proceeded to do was make contact with coach Gillispie," Avery said. "I got a contact number for him and left him a message, but didn't hear back from him. I started wondering, does he really like my son? When I got in Los Angeles Monday morning, I decided to try again, and he answered the call. He told me he remembered my son, and that he was really glad that I called. He explained that he wasn't allowed to call me back, so it had to be me that initiated the call.
"We talked for a while and he said, 'I like your son. In fact, I like him so much I want to offer him a scholarship here at Kentucky.' I was like, 'You're joking, right?' He said, 'Nope. I'm serious. I really love the way he plays." When he told his son about the UK scholarship offer, the first official offer Michael Avery had received, it was difficult to restrain the excitement.
"I think Michael wanted to commit right then," Avery said. "But this is all so new to us, and I'm aware of the unusual nature of an eighth-grader giving a commitment to a college. I wasn't really sure how to react to it at first. A lot of people will say it's too early in the process, but after talking to some people who know coach Gillispie, we decided it really can't get much better than this opportunity.
"It's a dream school for any kid who grows up wanting to play basketball. There's only a few of them out there: Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Indiana back east; UCLA out here. If you've got an opportunity to play for one of those schools and get a great education, why not? We don't need a hundred offers; we just need one great program and one great coach."
Avery had also been getting early interest from USC, who according to his father had invited him to the Trojans' elite camp this summer. Several other programs were just beginning to inquire about him. Family ties could make it easier for Avery to see himself playing in this part of the country. His mother is from Indiana, and his grandmother still lives near Indianapolis.
The elder Avery said he is not a diehard fan of college basketball, but his son is. "Michael's a student of the game. When he's not playing or studying, he's watching basketball. That's his life. He's really passionate about it. He must have watched about 12 Kentucky games last year. He knew all about them."
And what does the family know about Gillispie and his coaching style thus far?
"We just know that he's been really, really successful no matter where he's been," Avery said. "The turnaround at UTEP and the turnaround at Texas A&M... they speak for themselves. He's got a tremendous track record, and everyone we've talked to about coach Gillispie have nothing but great things to say about him. We know he's a coach who can develop Michael's game and get the most out of his ability."
Much can change in a player's body and physical development between the eighth grade and his senior year of high school. Avery could end up being much taller and developing into another position, but his father said the UK staff envisions him as a combo guard at this point.
Rivals.com does not rank players at such an early age, but some services list Avery among the top 10 players in his class. "He was ranked third in the U.S. Elite Camp at Baylor," Avery said. "And he was ranked eighth at the Junior All-American Camp.
"But, you know, I don't think coach Gillispie was aware of any of that. He just saw my kid play. There's something to be said for that. He's not going based on what anyone has told him or where some website has Michael ranked. He saw his ability and potential himself. I really respect it."
The Averys have not made a final decision on his high school future. If he does not come to Indiana, he will likely play for Crespi High School in the L.A. area.
"No matter where he is, he's got a lot of motivation now," Avery said. "He's going to be working really hard to improve his game because he knows a lot will be expected of him when word gets out that he's going to a school like Kentucky.
---------------------------------------------------------
So, how young is too young for a college coach to offer a kid and his family a college scholarship? I say it's never too young. That's a chance the college coach is taking assuming the kid will remain as competitive as he has been against his own competition. We'll see in like the Fall of 2012, when Michael arrives on campus in Lexington as the youngest "signee" Kentucky has ever recruited.
Monday, May 05, 2008
WLEX & Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck
In Lexington, KY I enjoyed the news on WLEX-TV (NBC), where my favorite weather caster Bill Meck still gives the daily report on the weather at www.lex18.com. 
He won an award for his coverage of the 2005 tornado at Masterson Station, which also sent us running for cover in our Georgetown home. Well, actually after I saw that the family were bunkered safely in the basement, I ran upstairs onto the deck to try to see a twister! It was lightning like crazy, so I knew the night sky would be lit up enough for me to catch a glimpse of one, but never saw it. It was a terrifying night for everyone in the area and there were prayers ascending from our family and many more I am certain.
He won an award for his coverage of the 2005 tornado at Masterson Station, which also sent us running for cover in our Georgetown home. Well, actually after I saw that the family were bunkered safely in the basement, I ran upstairs onto the deck to try to see a twister! It was lightning like crazy, so I knew the night sky would be lit up enough for me to catch a glimpse of one, but never saw it. It was a terrifying night for everyone in the area and there were prayers ascending from our family and many more I am certain.
April 3, 1974
Click the link below (or paste the link into your browser) to be connected to the Tornado History Project website:
F4 Tornado of April 3, 1974 which removed the roof of our church gym while my parents and others were in worship that night.
http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/map.php?i=19740403.21.20&source=map&ref_url==&yr=1974&mo=4&day=3&st=Kentucky&fu=%25&co=Any&l=auto&submit=Map&ddat=on&dsta=on&dfuj=on&dfat=on&dinj=on&dcou=on&format=basic&p=1&s=1&submit=Go
other sites and cool links to April 3, 1974:
wikipedia
April 3, 1974
Louisville, KY
F4 Tornado of April 3, 1974 which removed the roof of our church gym while my parents and others were in worship that night.
http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/map.php?i=19740403.21.20&source=map&ref_url==&yr=1974&mo=4&day=3&st=Kentucky&fu=%25&co=Any&l=auto&submit=Map&ddat=on&dsta=on&dfuj=on&dfat=on&dinj=on&dcou=on&format=basic&p=1&s=1&submit=Go
other sites and cool links to April 3, 1974:
wikipedia
April 3, 1974
Louisville, KY
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The Dunk!
Derek Anderson's dunk over Louisville ages ago ranks as one of my favs. I guess b/c I love his game and personality so much that though there have been more spectacular dunks by UK players (Dirk Minnifield, Ron Mercer, Kenny Walker, Azabukie - spelling?, and others); this dunk brought the house down in Louisville!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
UK & Ashley Judd
Living away from the Bluegrass makes you realize just how much you miss the Wildcats. It is really tough to follow what's going on with the team while living in Houston.
To be honest, I can't name more than Joe Crawford on the team. I have no idea what their record is this season. I have not watched a full UK game since leaving Georgetown in 2004. After being immersed in Kentucky religion for so long, it's weird not hearing about the team or the University for that matter.
However, I came across a quote this week on the internet (I added the pics of course, including the famous 1998 shot of the UK Hockey jersey!):
"I'd just as soon freeze to death." - Actress Ashley Judd after being offered a University North Carolina - Chapel Hill jacket on a chilly movie set. - Lexington Herald Leader, August 15, 1996.
To be honest, I can't name more than Joe Crawford on the team. I have no idea what their record is this season. I have not watched a full UK game since leaving Georgetown in 2004. After being immersed in Kentucky religion for so long, it's weird not hearing about the team or the University for that matter.
However, I came across a quote this week on the internet (I added the pics of course, including the famous 1998 shot of the UK Hockey jersey!):
"I'd just as soon freeze to death." - Actress Ashley Judd after being offered a University North Carolina - Chapel Hill jacket on a chilly movie set. - Lexington Herald Leader, August 15, 1996.
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