http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/players/willie_cauley_stein/240298 Recent articles about Willie Cauley-Stein en-us Willie Cauley-Stein came into the fold at Kentucky as the “other” big guy in a recruiting class that featured the #1 overall recruit and maybe the next #1 NBA Draft pick. Cauley-Stein was highly rated, but not as high as a typical John Calipari recruit. He was not the #1 player at his position, he wasn’t winning player of the year awards, and he had a fairly quiet recruitment. John Calipari saw something in a guy that’s 7’0” and plays football as well as basketball. When Nerlens Noel went down with an ACL tear at Florida, Cauley-Stein was immediately thrust into the spotlight left by Kentucky’s best player. While Cauley-Stein was able to be a presence, he couldn’t fulfill the center position like Noel. He lacked the confidence, shot blocking ability, and leadership that Noel provided. Cauley-Stein did however step into the role and learned a lot from his time as a starter. Is he ready for a breakout year in 2013-14? CBS.com writer Gary Parrish is known for his favoritism towards Kentucky and J Fri, 17 May 2013 20:20:50 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/is_cauley_stein_ready_for_a_breakout_season/13642876 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/is_cauley_stein_ready_for_a_breakout_season/13642876 Is Cauley-Stein ready for a breakout season? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/is_cauley_stein_ready_for_a_breakout_season/13642876 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg Willie Cauley-Stein has been working to expand his skillset as he prepares for his second season at Kentucky. "(I want to) become more of an all-around basketball player, a guy that can step out, shoot threes, hit the 15-footer, take people off the dribble," Cauley-Stein said. "Just become more of a complete dude, not just a guy that's going to sit in the paint. That's not the way that I wanted to play coming in, it just ended up being like that." The 7-foot, 244 pound Cauley-Stein requested evaluations from the NBA draft advisory committee after a freshman season in which he averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. "I heard anywhere from (picks) eight to 10, 15 to 20, 22 to 25," Cauley-Stein said. "And you're like, 'That's the whole dang scale. That's everywhere.'" Cauley-Stein plans to bring a different attitude to practice when Kentucky begins its workouts in October. "I kind of got like a dominating m... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:53:36 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/willie_cauley_stein_wants_to_expand_skillset_return_to_kentucky_with_dominating_mindset/13484101 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/willie_cauley_stein_wants_to_expand_skillset_return_to_kentucky_with_dominating_mindset/13484101 Willie Cauley-Stein Wants To Expand Skillset, Return To Kentucky With 'Dominating Mindset' http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/willie_cauley_stein_wants_to_expand_skillset_return_to_kentucky_with_dominating_mindset/13484101 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Kentucky's freshmen fell short of expectations in a disappointing season, and those returning are looking forward to using their experience to help the next crop of highly touted Wildcats avoid suffering the same fate. Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress said Monday they're looking forward to fulfilling their potential, and helping others do the same. Despite promising rookie moments, neither came close to leading Kentucky to another NCAA title. So after some soul-searching that included meetings with coach John Calipari, Cauley-Stein and Poythress delayed their pro plans and returned to school, providing experience and depth for a Wildcats team that lacked both during a 21-12 season that ended with a first-round NIT loss at Robert Morris. Both want to provide leadership to an incoming class considered the best in Kentucky history. ''Last year just left a bad taste in your mouth and I feel like something's empty,'' Cauley-Stein said. ''I want to fill it. Next year, w Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:25:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/freshmen_look_forward_to_season/13466701 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/freshmen_look_forward_to_season/13466701 Freshmen look forward to season http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/freshmen_look_forward_to_season/13466701 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg Kentucky's freshmen fell short of expectations in a disappointing season, and those returning are looking forward to using their experience to help the next crop of highly touted Wildcats avoid suffering the same fate. Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress said Monday they're looking forward to fulfilling their potential, and helping others do the same. Despite promising rookie moments, neither came close to leading Kentucky to another NCAA title. So after some soul-searching that included meetings with coach John Calipari, Cauley-Stein and Poythress delayed their pro plans and returned to school, providing experience and depth for a Wildcats team that lacked both during a 21-12 season that ended with a first-round NIT loss at Robert Morris. Both want to provide leadership to an incoming class considered the best in Kentucky history. ''Last year just left a bad taste in your mouth and I feel like something's empty,'' Cauley-Stein said. ''I want to fill it. Next year, w Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:12:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/wildcats_freshmen_look_forward_to_second_season/13458805 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/wildcats_freshmen_look_forward_to_second_season/13458805 Wildcats freshmen look forward to second season http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/wildcats_freshmen_look_forward_to_second_season/13458805 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein met with the media on Monday at the Craft Center to talk about some of the factors that went into his decision to return to the Wildcats for his sophomore season. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:14:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/kyscout_video_cauley_stein_on_return_to_cats/13458376 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/kyscout_video_cauley_stein_on_return_to_cats/13458376 KyScout Video: Cauley-Stein on return to Cats http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/kyscout_video_cauley_stein_on_return_to_cats/13458376 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg More Kentucky players have made their decisions: Willie Cauley-Stein has announced that he will stay at Kentucky. Willie and Kyle believe it is in their best interest to return to UK next season to achieve those dreams, & I fully support their decisions. — John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 1, 2013 On the other hand, Archie Goodwin has officially declared for the 2013 NBA Draft but has not signed with an agent. Remember: Archie Goodwin said after the NIT loss that any UK freshman, including himself, would be “delusional” to leave for the NBA now. — Aaron Smith (@ASmithRivals) April 1, 2013 Although I really wanted Archie to return for his sophomore season, I fully support him choosing to pursue his dreams. — John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 1, 2013 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:10:55 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/report_willie_cauley_stein_will_stay_at_kentucky_archie_goodwin_to_enter_nba_draft/13285603 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/report_willie_cauley_stein_will_stay_at_kentucky_archie_goodwin_to_enter_nba_draft/13285603 Report: Willie Cauley-Stein Will Stay At Kentucky, Archie Goodwin To Enter NBA Draft http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/report_willie_cauley_stein_will_stay_at_kentucky_archie_goodwin_to_enter_nba_draft/13285603 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg ‘After the season-ending loss to Robert Morris, a few select players said in the post-game interviews they would be back at Kentucky next season. Most notably, Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress both said they are definitely not ready for the NBA. Willie Cauley-Stein mentioned the same notion, and tweeted a countdown to Big Blue Madness after getting word that Julius Randle was coming to UK. If any of those three players were to jump, Cauley-Stein would be the one to do so. The draft stock in Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin has plummeted since the loss at Robert Morris to close the season. Both players are still projected first round pics, but neither player is nowhere near the draft lottery. It’s still very possible that one or two could leave, but highly unlikely that all three of them enter the draft. As for Cauley-Stein, he may be giving us a clue with his new Twitter name and what he has been tweeting lately: As you can see, he has changed his Twitter username from WCS15TimeFor9 to TrillWill15. It Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:13:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_to_the_nba/13258438 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_to_the_nba/13258438 Cauley-Stein to the NBA? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/cauley_stein_to_the_nba/13258438 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg Willie Cauley-Stein School: Kentucky HT/WT: 7’0’’ 244 Birthday: 8/18/93 (Age: 19) Class: Freshman Primary Position: C Secondary Position: PF Overall Ranking: 14 Position Ranking: 4 (School Bio) (Stats) Scouting Report Strengths:                                                                             Weaknesses: + Shot Blocking + Explosive Athlete + Length + Developing Offensive Game – Strength Overview: Coming into the season as Kentucky’s lowest ranked recruit, Willie Cauley-Stein has surprised a lot of people with his play. He is a legit 7-footer with excellent athleticism, and his length allows him to be an absolute monster in the paint. His combination of explosive leaping ability and ridiculous length allow him to block or alter a majority of his opponent’s shots in the lane, and he is currently No. 3 in the SEC in blocks per game with an average of 2.1. On offense, Cauley-Stein has displayed exceptional touch around Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:13:40 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/willie_cauley_stein_nba_draft_profile/13076620 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/willie_cauley_stein_nba_draft_profile/13076620 Willie Cauley-Stein NBA Draft Profile http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/willie_cauley_stein_nba_draft_profile/13076620 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg A pair of big performances against Vanderbilt and Missouri helped Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein earn Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:27:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_named_secs_freshman_of_week/12990076 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_named_secs_freshman_of_week/12990076 Cauley-Stein named SEC's Freshman of Week http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/cauley_stein_named_secs_freshman_of_week/12990076 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Kentucky Wildcats head basketball coach John Calipari took an unconventional approach to preaching team unity Tuesday.  Calipari thought his team could benefit from a break from all the recent engulfing stress, so he decided to take them back to high school gym class with an old-fashioned game of dodgeball.  The idea, though a bit cliché, was to remind his team to have fun, and work cohesively. It remains unclear whether the message was received; Kentucky did pick up a 74-70 victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, but scraping by a team just 4-9 in SEC play this season tends to leave much to be desired.  Still, Calipari’s last resort may end up being just what the doctor ordered for Kentucky, after taking yet another of what seems to have been a multitude plunges into the doldrums in this rollercoaster season. Nerlens Noel is out for the season, but Kentucky still has hope. What was set to be a prime time game for the Wildcats against Florida, ended up being nothing but a nightmare.  In an instant, 7-foo Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:18:38 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/dodgeball_approach_addresses_one_of_many_problems_for_kentucky_basketball_squad/12968146 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/dodgeball_approach_addresses_one_of_many_problems_for_kentucky_basketball_squad/12968146 Dodgeball approach addresses one of many problems for Kentucky Basketball squad http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/dodgeball_approach_addresses_one_of_many_problems_for_kentucky_basketball_squad/12968146 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/4/c4b231c8f93bb1224fcbda6d9c8f6f149ce8817d/mini/NCAA_Basketball_Tournament_54fe.jpg LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Willie Cauley-Stein scored a career-high 20 points, and his two crucial blocks and key rebound in the final 34 seconds helped Kentucky outlast Vanderbilt 74-70 Wednesday night for its first win without injured star center Nerlens Noel. Cauley-Stein, a 7-foot freshman manning the post for Kentucky (18-8, 9-4 Southeastern Conference) with Noel sidelined, blocked attempts by Kyle Fuller and Kedren Johnson 9 seconds apart before grabbing Johnson's missed 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and drawing a foul. Cauley-Stein made 1 of 2 free throws for 74-67 lead that offset Sheldon Moats' 3 for Vanderbilt (10-15, 4-9) with 3 seconds remaining. Cauley-Stein finished 8 of 10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds to provide Kentucky a sorely-needed victory after the Wildcats were shellacked 88-58 Saturday at Tennessee in their first game since Noel sustained a season-ending left knee injury at Florida on Feb. 12. Noel's first public appearance since tearing his anterior cruciate li Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:39:46 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_kentucky_survive_vanderbilt/13007311 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_kentucky_survive_vanderbilt/13007311 Cauley-Stein, Kentucky survive Vanderbilt http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/cauley_stein_kentucky_survive_vanderbilt/13007311 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/a/eabc24027afe56a2239b09b1de3c6fac46be397e/mini/6780778.jpg Kentucky has announced that forward Willie Cauley-Stein is out after undergoing a `minor procedure' on his left knee. The 7-foot freshman did not practice Friday before the Wildcats (11-5, 2-1) departed for Saturday night's Southeastern Conference game at Auburn. Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy would not say if Cauley-Stein had surgery, but said the freshman's availability for Saturday is uncertain after Thursday's procedure. Kentucky coach John Calipari said Cauley-Stein's injury was an old one that he could have been played through, but the coaching staff decided to ''play it safe'' and address the injury now. Cauley-Stein had started the Wildcats' last five games and is averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in nearly 21 minutes per game this season. His 31 blocks rank third in the SEC. . Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:44:34 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/uks_cauley_stein_has_minor_procedure_on_knee/12696412 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/uks_cauley_stein_has_minor_procedure_on_knee/12696412 UK's Cauley-Stein has 'minor procedure' on knee http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/uks_cauley_stein_has_minor_procedure_on_knee/12696412 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after posting a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Eastern Michigan. Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:34:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_named_sec_freshman_of_week/12601108 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/cauley_stein_named_sec_freshman_of_week/12601108 Cauley-Stein named SEC Freshman of Week http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/cauley_stein_named_sec_freshman_of_week/12601108 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png