LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Lamar Thomas is never short on words, chatting up anything and anybody no matter the subject.Hes especially talkative discussing the art of catching the football and turning it into a game-changing play, which are his primary goals coaching Kentuckys wide receivers. Developing that same big-play ability and swagger begins with mastering the important first step of consistent pass-catching, the bottom-line strategy being stressed by the former University of Miami standout and NFL veteran.Thomas is among five new assistants brought in by Wildcats coach Mark Stoops this season in hopes of making the programs first bowl appearance since 2010. Thomas arrives after two seasons at rival Louisville, which has denied Kentucky that critical sixth victory necessary for bowl eligibility the past two seasons thanks to a dynamic receiver corps he coached.Though mindful of how his cross-state move raised eyebrows in the Bluegrass State, Thomas prefers not to discuss his former job and is more focused on establishing consistency for a unit that has lacked it.Guys in that room are striving to be better, Thomas said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. Im jovial and let them know I want them to be better. Being across the field from them, I saw and heard stuff around here that guys have been very inconsistent, and they cant run from that.They have to accept it, but theyve got to get better.Thats especially important with Kentucky switching to a pro-style offensive scheme with new co-coordinators Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw. Asked this week whether that means receivers could be free to improvise routes, Stoops said they must understand what defenses are showing and be able to alter them.Improvement is necessary for an offense that averaged 11.5 yards per reception and managed just 10 touchdowns last season.Thomas believes the first step is finishing plays. Rather than watch video of past performances to gauge where his receivers needed growth, he viewed their workouts this spring and focused on tweaking mechanics, footwork and concentration in an effort to get it right.Its just repetition and getting them to be able to do it in their sleep, said Thomas, adding that he began noticing improvement by the end of drills.Kentucky begins practice Thursday with the return of top receivers Garrett Johnson and Dorian Baker, who each had more than 600 yards receiving and combined for five touchdowns last season. Thomas has sought to instill his passion for playing the position to them and other receivers while making sure they develop off the field.Gran credits Thomas for making an immediate impact.(Hes) someone thats been there, someone who played at a great program and played in the NFL, Gran said. All these guys want to play at that level, so he brings credibility. He gets after their tails and lets them know you cant perform like this if you want to get to that level.The Wildcats will be hard pressed keeping pace with Thomas loquaciousness, especially on social media. On Thursday, he told his nearly 10,000 Twitter followers on his UK account that he was retiring from the site before returning 30 minutes later to tweet: I just couldnt Live with myself !!!!! ... IM BACK.Stoops welcomes Thomas outspokenness and notes that personality is key to effective recruiting and coaching. For a Kentucky squad seeking its first bowl bid since 2010, its definitely part of the process.I like the way Lamar coaches, I like the way he goes about his business, the coach said. If it was just the flair I wouldnt be very into it (because) youve got to have some substance behind what you do. ... I want to see results with our receivers -- by any means necessary. DreMont Jones Womens Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Noah Fant Womens Jersey . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Steve-Atwater-Jersey/ . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Drew Lock Jersey . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Terrell Davis Youth Jersey . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end.Pittsburgh Penguins C Sidney Crosby put his stamp on the series with the Ottawa Senators, scoring three goals in the Penguins 4-3 Game Two victory, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 series lead. Crosbys hat trick chased Senators G Craig Anderson 1:15 into the second period. After a stellar first round against Montreal, when he posted a .950 save percentage, Anderson has a 5.19 goals against average and .863 save percentage through the first two games against Pittsburgh. Small sample, obviously, but if the Senators are going to upset the Penguins, theyre going to need their goaltending to be excellent. Of course, it doesnt help matters when the Senators give up 21 shots in 21:15 -- thats a losing recipe no matter who is in goal. By games end, Pittsburgh had outshot Ottawa 42-22, which makes a 4-3 final score seem closer than play dictated. Penguins G Tomas Vokoun, who had been a stabilizing presence since taking over from Marc-Andre Fleury in the Islanders series, wasnt strong in Game Two, allowing three goals on 22 shots. The Penguins won, so Vokoun will probably keep starting, but this game could open the door for Fleury to return if Vokoun stumbles in Ottawa. Crosby had six shots on goal, while RW Jarome Iginla had eight shots on goal for Pittsburgh. It was the first game in the playoffs that Iginla recorded more than two shots on goal. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin, who was ccentering Iginla incidentally, recorded an assist for the eighth consecutive playoff game.dddddddddddd Only Bobby Orr, in 1971-1972 (11 times) has done it more in one playoff. Senators LW Colin Greening, who scored their second goal and had five shots on goal, was the only Ottawa player with more than two shots. Greening and C Zack Smith had the best possession numbers for the Senators. On a night in which the Senators had four defencemen play more than 20 minutes, Erik Karlsson logged a season-low 15:54, after playing 26:58 in Game One. If Karlsson is feeling the effects of trying to return so quickly from his Achilles injury, that will be crushing for the Sens. Karlssons dynamic puck-moving ability gives Ottawa a much better chance to succeed, but he has to be able to handle his defensive responsibilities too. A couple other notes: It was also a tough night for Sens rookies Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad, both were minus-2 in limited ice time, 10:12 and 7:52, respectively. Inserted into the lineup for an injured Eric Gryba, Senators D Andre Benoit was plus-2 for Ottawa. Penguins D Matt Niskanen was plus-3 and had the best possession numbers for the Penguins in Game Two. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '