But what you probably haven’t seen is the gem of video below. It’s worth a view, regardless of your fan affiliation:

What you just witnessed was two reporters, one from Lexington and one from Louisville, literally chase Gillispie through the Joe Craft Center (UK’s practice facility). Nevermind the fact that he was supposedly on the phone and went through a door that required security credentials. Had the secretary not stepped in at the end, Gillispie might have ended up tied down to a chair in his office until he talked.

You can read Eamonn’s take on this ridiculousness here.

Kentucky, which ran a perfectly respectable coach in Tubby Smith out of town a mere two seasons ago, is reportedly on the verge of severing ties with Billy Gillispie. The rallying cry amongst Big Blue Nation has shifted from ‘Blame Tubby’ to ‘Blame Billy.’

The notion of changing coaches after just two seasons is drastic and unheard of in most cases, but Gillispie’s unwillingness to stray from his stubborn ways have probably sealed his fate more than the wins and losses.

(Excessive phone calls do not qualify as most cases.)

But ultimately, like any top five job, the pressure to win big and win immediately might be more apparent at Kentucky than anywhere else.

Win a championship and you’re the king of the bluegrass. Fail to lure big recruits and reach the Final Four for nine seasons (Smith) or fail to make the tournament and embrace what it means to be the coach at a school like UK (Gillispie) and you’ll find a for-sale sign in your front yard. (By the way, my guess is that Gillispie’s going to have a hard time selling this.)

You’ll get no argument from me that Kentucky is one of the top jobs in America. Their fans show up and travel in droves. Their facilities are state of the art. And Kentucky basketball is the main event in Lexington and across a majority of the state.

But the pressure and unrealistic expectations would make any sensible coach think twice about taking the job, right? Perhaps that’s why the first time UK settled on Gillispie, a coach without a trip past the Sweet 16, a questionable personality and a past that included arrests for driving while under the influence.

For whatever reason, the intensity and spotlight in Lexington is dialed up off the charts. Maybe it’s the bourbon. Or maybe it’s a fanbase that is so obsessed with winning that they’ll call for a change after just two seasons. Or a combination of the two. Either way, it’s easy to understand why any coach would think twice before submerging into the pressure cooker in Lexington. And who can blame them?

- Not a lot going on in Hoosierland this weekend, but there is a game going on down in Lexington, Kentucky that could be interesting for those of you not obsessed with the NFL playoffs. Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals will travel to Rupp Arena to take on Billy Gillispie and the Kentucky Wildcats. Neither team is off to a good start, Louisville is 9-4 and Kentucky is 6-6. Louisville is coming off of a head scratching loss to Cincinnati at home and Kentucky has already dropped games at Rupp to Gardner Webb and San Diego. I’ve got no clue who will come out on top in this one (is it possible for both teams to lose?), but a loss from Kentucky pretty much seals their fate as a NIT-at-best team and a loss for Louisville will look terrible to the selection committee come March.

- The Big Ten schedule kicks into full gear with the following games:

• Saturday: Iowa @ Wisconsin; Michigan @ Purdue; Minnesota @ Michigan State
• Sunday: Northwestern @ Ohio State; Penn State @ Illinois

Nothing really great, but it’ll be interesting to see how Tubby Smith and the Gophers fare in the Breslin Center. My prediction: not very good.

- One final note: Indiana receiver James Hardy has moved on to the NFL and we’d like to wish him the best of luck. He’s got the necessary skill set to have a long and successful career at the next level and we can only hope he ends up on the Bears. Sorry Colts fans.

See you Monday.

– First, that Kentucky team. How awful. I’ve been watching Kentucky basketball for, oh, 10 years — longer than I’ve been intently watching IU, thanks to a brother that used be obsessed with Kentucky — and this is by far the worst team I can remember them putting on the floor. I’m sure there have been worse teams. But this one is so thoroughly mediocre, and slow, and uncoordinated, that they never really looked like a challenge to a team missing its top two guards. That makes it tough to figure out how much of the credit for the blowout goes to the Hoosiers, and how much goes to the Cats.

– Earlier in the year, I talked about how no one on this team was a “true” point guard, and while that didn’t bother me, it did bear watching throughout the season. For all his strengths, I don’t see Kelvin Sampson as the most position-liberated coach out there; would he force Armon to be a distributing guard even though it’s clear he’s at his best as a shooter? What would he do with Jordan Crawford?

After Saturday, I think it’s clear that Crawford has the potential to be an every-play point guard on this team. He still has those freshman faults — too much lateral movement against the full court press, too many traps in the corner of the half-court, etc. But he also has a fully realized skill set. He’s great at attacking the basket, can shoot from the perimeter well, is athletic and big enough to guard opposing studs … he can do it all. It looks like he and Armon will complement each other really well in the next couple of years, each one doing some of the things the other can’t. That gives the Hoosiers plenty of guard depth to look forward to.

(More after the jump including my thoughts on Eric Gordon’s absence, Jamarcus Ellis and Sampson’s control of the program.)

– I’m sure I read a comment or two yesterday saying, essentially, that because IU played so well Saturday they don’t need Eric Gordon. Stop that. That’s silly.

I will say this: Without Gordon, IU is a considerably slower team. Again, some of that might be Kentucky — Billy Clyde seemed really anxious to slow the game down whenever possible — but the rest of that is probably the lack of Gordon’s sheer athleticism in the open floor. Crawford was really the one guard left that can operate like that in the open floor, and he is far less athletic and slower than Gordon is. Without Gordon, the Hoosiers were forced to turn to their half-court game in a larger percentage of their possessions. It’s good to see the Hoosiers adapt appropriately to Gordon’s absence and work on half-court team basketball in the meantime. IU is definitely not better without Gordon. A little Gordon-free experience, however, can’t hurt.

– I also continue to be impressed by Jamarcus Ellis. He is the definition of solid. His one glaring flaw up to this point in the season was his desire to squeeze passes into places where passes can’t do, specifically deep into a crowded zone from the top of the key. Saturday, Ellis cut down on those turnovers (he had two, with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and five assists) and maintained his, oh, what’s the word? Ah yes: solid production. Solid.

– I heard a bunch of comments yesterday — including some from our own Big A — criticizing Sampson for the three suspensions he’s had to make thus far this year. That, plus his own apparent lack of attention in PhoneGate, give many of you the impression that Sampson doesn’t have the proper amount of control over this program, that people should start looking more closely at Sampson for the behavior of his players in addition to his own. I disagree.

I think Sampson’s indiscretions in calling recruits are far, far more serious than any brief suspension he can hand out to a player. Those suspensions are the product of choices by players away from the team. I don’t know what the suspensions are for exactly, but the rumors I’ve heard include some mix of academic issues and, in Armon Bassett’s case at least — again: this is a rumor — a quick puff of the wacky tobaccy. Whether that’s true or not, how is Sampson supposed to police that? Do your parents, or guidance figures, police everything you do when you’re away from them? What did you get away with when you were 20 years old?

These are 18-22 year olds who are responsible for themselves in many ways. It’s their job to be academically responsible; it’s their job not to break team rules; it’s their job to be discreet if they go out and party. Many college kids do these things, and if they get caught, they pay the price. But I’m not sure how that’s Kelvin Sampson’s fault. So long as he is willing to make the punishments stick — so long as he is willing to hurt his own chances of winning by suspending these players — then I find it impossible to criticize Sampson for mistakes over which he has almost no control.

The phone stuff? Fine. But for anyone else’s behavior, don’t blame Sampson.

– As always, your comments and additions are welcomed in the thread.

It’ll be the first appearance for Big Blue in Assembly Hall in 17 years. That meeting saw a No. 7 Hoosier team hold off the pesky Wildcats, 87-84.

There’s a saying that anything can happen in a rivalry game, but make no mistake about it: Indiana is 20-0 at Assembly Hall under Kelvin Sampson, they’re more talented and the fans expect to win this game.

With that said, here are three keys to the game for each team:

Kentucky

- Keep Patrick Patterson involved and out of foul trouble: Kentucky is rail thin in the frontcourt and they must have a spectacular effort from their prized freshman if they plan to pull off the upset. Patterson is one of the top 10 freshmen in the country and is surprisingly polished inside the paint. The Hoosiers will probably rotate D.J. White, Mike White, Lance Stemler and DeAndre Thomas on Patterson to try to wear him down. If he can stay on the court and avoid silly fouls, he gives Kentucky a chance to stay in the game.

- Senior leadership: If there was ever a time for Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford to play like seniors, this is it. Both are extremely talented, but have also been labeled as inconsistent. Crawford has come on strong since coming out of Billy Gillispie’s doghouse. His field goal percentage is solid at 47.7 percent and he’s by far the closest thing the Wildcats have to a go-to-guy on the perimeter. Bradley has also played well and he’s shooting well from behind the three-point arc (46.4 percent).

- You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him: I’m talking about Eric Gordon. If not for his injury against Tennessee St. on Monday, he would probably be the leading scorer in the country entering this game. That begs the question: How will the Wildcats game plan against Gordon? Crawford seems to be a step slower and Bradley will probably have a hard time matching his strength and quickness. Perhaps the answer is Ramon Harris, but he too will probably look like a player stuck in quick sand if he tries to stay in front of Gordon in transition. If the Wildcats can’t prevent Gordon from running wild, it’ll be a long day.

Keys for IU and our predictions after the jump…

Indiana

- Pound the post: The Hoosiers have put a greater emphasis on getting D.J. more involved recently and are reaping the benefits. He’s clearly improved his conditioning and looks to be as healthy as we’ve seen him since his freshman season. You can also bet that he’s ready to prove he’s a better player than Patterson in front of a national television audience. The Hoosiers must establish White early. That will open things on the perimeter for Gordon, Armon Bassett, Jamarcus Ellis and Jordan Crawford. Getting Patterson into foul trouble wouldn’t hurt, either.

- It’s IU-UK, not Crawford vs. Crawford: Jordan Crawford will certainly be thrilled with the opportunity to match-up with his brother, Joe. I expect a little bit of trash talking (Jordan said so himself), but this can’t turn into a “me versus him” situation. Crawford has, at times, had a tendency to put his head down, dribble into the lane and throw up a wild shot. I expect a good game out of Jordan in his return, but he must stay on an even keel and remember that this game is much bigger than Crawford versus Crawford.

- EJ’s efficiency: If Eric Gordon is anywhere near 100%, you can expect a big game out of him. Gordon’s offensive efficiency is matched by no one. He’s shooting a ridiculous 53.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. He’s also hit 62 of 74 free throws. Even though he would probably tell you this is just another game, we all know there’s a flame burning from within Gordon that wants to beat Kentucky. This is simply the nature of anyone who grows up following Indiana and Gordon has a chance to make it happen.

And last, but not least, here are our picks for the game:

- PostmanE: Indiana 78, Kentucky 72

- PostmanR: Indiana 76, Kentucky 70

- Big A: Indiana 74, Kentucky 63

Miller had been heavily recruited by Illinois and their former assistant coach, Tracy Webster. At one point there were rumors that Illinois was leading for Miller.

However, a funny thing happened this week when Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie poached Webster from the Illini and then received a verbal commitment from Miller just two days later.

Our good friend Jody Demling from the Louisville Courier-Journal breaks it down:

His commitment comes just two days after news broke that UK is planning to hire former Illinois coach Tracy Webster as its third assistant coach. Webster was a key factor in Miller’s interest in Illinois until recent weeks.

“I think that was a factor,” Brian Miller said. “But also he really liked and felt comfortable with Gillispie and his staff. He just felt very comfortable.”

So yeah, not only is Bruce losing major recruits left and right, he’s now losing assistant coaches. Is there any doubt that the Illini program is full blown Titanic mode?

That’s why it was a bit surprising when Bud Mackey, from Scott County in the Bluegrass state, committed to the Hoosiers in October of 2006. At the time, Mackey was relatively unknown on the national recruiting scene and was still growing into his 6′5″ frame.

Fast forward to June of 2007: UK is no longer coached by Tubby Smith, whom Mackey wanted nothing to do with. They hire ace recruiter Billy Gillispie. Mackey attends UK’s elite camp. The Lexington Herald Leader publishes a story suggesting that Mackey may still be looking at Kentucky.

Meanwhile, IU fans wonder if they could have another Eric Gordon type recruiting saga on their hands. Only this time, IU would be playing the role of Illinois.

Worry no longer.

Mackey is solid with IU and plans to be a Hoosier according to comments he made earlier today to The Courier-Journal’s recruiting guru, Jody Demling.

When I asked him about all the chatter about his commitment, Mackey just looked at me and smiled as he said “It’s all talk. Just talk.”

Score this as a major recruiting win for Kelvin Sampson. And a big loss for Big Blue Nation.