I look forward to playing games in other areas for recruiting purposes. Places like Chicago, NYC, LA, Vegas, Phoenix and Dallas to name a few.

I would also like for us to drop UL and pick up another school that has better recruiting implications for us as well. Perhaps I am in the minority of that one, but that is how I feel.

Another topic today in the Herald Leader was transfers by coaches and players. I sometimes like Mark Story and sometimes I don’t, but today I like him.

I came away with an agreement that players should have to sit out a year to remove the yearly shuffle that would surely occur if players could play immediately for a new school. I do agree that players should be allowed to transfer to any school of their choice without restraint by their former school.

Schools spend a lot of money recruiting players and they invest a lot of time and effort to develop those players so there needs to be a little hold back with transfers, but they should have free reign to go wherever they desire.

Players are immature and make rash decision where they want to attend. Many athletes choose a school because they are a fan of the school rather than what will be the best choice for them. Many times they will choose a school because of past tradition which is a good indicator of the schools commitment to their sport, but they don’t really delve into the coach as much. Ah, the coach, yes when they get to campus they find the coach lied to them or they find he really can’t develop players very well.

Tubby comes to mind in that regard (Mark mentioned him). Great guy, talked a good game, gave constant accolades to players in post game interviews, etc., but player development not so much.

I just wonder where Randolph Morris would be playing today if Cal had been given the opportunity to coach him. I bet he wouldn’t be in China! Imagine Rondo playing for Cal, wow!

The coach then is really the best reason for a player to pick a school rather than the school itself. When an athlete has a school with tradition and a great teacher-motivator like Cal and UK to pick from it is no wonder success is a given. Also, no wonder Cal was so excited to come to UK. He knew what he could do and with the facilities, tradition and fan base at UK he knew success was imminent.

After that it is up to the player to do his part. He has to be able to take criticism along with the good. He has to be able to withstand or grow into the onslaught of expectations by all including the fans. If they can’t perform on stage then a transfer is in their best interest and also the schools best interest.

Coaches leaving a school for another is another thing, though, because it is their living at stake. However, the school invests time and money to recruit them. The school also invests resources, and institutional integrity with their hire. That coach owes the university something for their faith in them. A coach shouldn’t be just allowed to walk away leaving the school holding the bag for all that whether he was good for the school or not. Perhaps there should be an insurance instrument for all parties concerned when it comes to coaches and schools. Donnie Tyndall left Morehead State to coach another school. You couldn’t blame Donnie, but Morehead had just stepped up a notch or two in the eyes of recruits and boom he leaves for greener pastures so what about Morehead State and their fortunes!?

The move gave Shawn Woods a chance to move up, but now Mississippi Valley State will definitely be starting over. I don’t know the answer, but coaches moving have more to to with disruption than a single player transfer. Therefore, I feel something needs to be done in that regard.

Closer to home for us is most of us were happy to see Cal come to UK, but perhaps we can now better understand the acrimony at Memphis because Cal left them.

One day UK and the BBN will be facing a new hire again!  As for me, I started dreading the day Cal would leave the day he was hired.  I did, really, just like the day coach Hall retired, because I knew even though many didn’t like him he would be very, very difficult to replace.  I was right because it gave us Sutton and shame until Rick came along.  Rick left us abruptly and Tubby took over his recruits giving us a championship and then down we go.

I remember Rick Stansburg saying something like ‘we don’t fear KY anymore’.  That said a lot and then we get BCG.   Well now we have Cal and we are on top of the world.  Yes, on top of the world, but one day Cal will be gone and I dread it!

TGIF——
E-town Mall had more Cats in it than some SEC teams have in their home games. I was one of 3000. Signing was from 5-8 and if you weren’t in line by atleast 4— well, you were screwed to put it nicely. My lil entourage arrived around 2 and were guarenteed, but hold the phone CatDaddy’s…….. I was bout to get pissed. I had to purchase 3 prints for 2 signatures (I subsituted one of the prints for my National Defensive Player of The Year Poster from Rupp) Hence the 2 sigs…. total cost $75. But wait what’s this—-I can’t have the damn thing signed? RUHROH…..I just drove all the way to E-town and he can’t sign it. Well you know me: I told that promoter—you best get on the horn w/Peevey at UK and find out, He’s already declared, this shouldn’t be a problem. An hour later (luckily) I was informed he could sign it. YAY ME!!!

Anyway….. on w/the show:
Enter The Brow w/a detail that makes Obama look like the pres. of the rotary club. Those of us guaranteed a signing were ushered through like cattle. Well, that’s okay— I understand, no biggie, but it woulda been nice not to have been shoved off the stage by the almighty powerful detail aka e-town p.d. —> wouldn’t even let us roll up our items or secure them.
Wasn’t expecting to shell out 75 bucks—- Problem solved, sell the additional print and make my money back + some or let SantaCat deliver it……. it’s still up for debate in this den.

Sunday Mornin Church—–
I’m up and at it! Destination: Russell Springs Pharmacy! <—- Timer, I didn’t see ya, where were ya? (:
Signing at 1-2 <— note an hour: That’s because it was free I’m sure. FREE is what brought me in the door since the Brow took all my lunch money for two weeks! LOL
Arrived w/my cuppa joe at 9 a.m.! numbers 6-10 in line. Baby it was Cold out thar! Woo! HNS I had for sure! I know a skeery thought~
Got the Celebration posters from their return signed. Love me some Terrence Jones—– I think he is truly the best on these tours! Great pics, good time…. it was well worth it.

Look out Ms.Cats~ has her marker and a notebook—- B*tch List officially started.

Now I understand and even agree to a point about the $$$$ for autographs but D*mn 75! and I got off cheap…. Florence Mall Cats are going to pay 80 smackaroos this week. YEESH.
Here’s my problem: The attitude of the promoter and some of the writers.
They are villinizing (I know spelling—sound it out!) the BBN for complaining and justifying these prices as they brought us #8 and didn’t make a dime all year. True and True. But when it gets right down to it…… Is that the BBN’s fault? NO. That is the n(azi)caa. So using that as an excuse, doesn’t jive w/me. Furthermore, Look at how much we shell out through the season…… Game Tix, Gear, Gas, Eats and column X of misc. expenses. Some Cats scrape together and save all summer just to attend one game. And this is NOT including the traveling that goes on w/in the BBN. Holy Cow: hotels, airfare/gas, eats, doubled up tix (if you’re lucky) and gear/goodies.
Let’s not forget the lil Cats who don’t have a pot to piss in and are glued to their seats not by choice but by necessity that break their necks to get out to these things—- just to share in one lil moment & wallah ….. all the money they had in their pockets is gone.
Is it too much to ask for these signings to be reasonable? I mean really they are overnight millionaires. Ya know what…. the Cats are getting a bad rap for this as well: Davis, gave every dime he made Friday to Charity—- I know this because the promoter told me so during our Poster discussion but he didn’t like it at all when I asked him, yeah, but what’s your cut outta all this? No, he never told me. <—- Just had that look, damn woman you’re a class A beep! well, truth hurts don’t it.

Oh and Promoters/Writers: stop w/the they are just kids crap <—- this was in response to the Brow leaving a signing somewhere early. They are kids and it’s the business owners fault! Shakes head rolls eyes——- That didn’t jive then and it don’t jive now——— Kids making adult money, WORKING in an adult world, having adult responsibilities = ADULTS. and I won’t even go into the business owners being blamed. CRAZY!
Last Gripe, for now:
How can you criticize the BBN and just say, Don’t like it—don’t buy it and don’t b*tch about it and leave them alone when you see them in public. Amazing how things change when the NBA comes calling and the out of state assholes get involved, they have no clue. Had one tell me “Mam (I hate being addressed as such btw, makes me feel old—- yeah I am but that’s besides the point) he’s the #1 Draft Pick…..you know what I told that yankee, well he’s a CAT first and foremost…. I could care less about his NBA status.
I wouldn’t have paid that money had I not of had that DPOY poster from Rupp—– but I paid it w/o complaint— now I’m just reflecting a lil and boiling over the statement that it is our responsibility to see them get paid since they couldn’t all year……..

Well the only one’s I will be attending now are the free one’s in reasonable driving distance.
Time to let our Cats move on outta the nest and nurture the next brood. Tough when the youngins leave home isn’t it……..

LUVTHOSECHAMPIONS!
Ms.Cats~

Coach did crack on other coaches that MKG and Teague were coming back, but then admitted that he was just kidding. Right about then my heart did a double fake, then calmly took the news in stride and buried a deep thank you.

Thank you guys for giving me the chance to watch the best bunch of kids I’ve ever seen on a basketball court. Thank you for your respect for Kentucky tradition. Thank you for adding another chapter to Kentucky history. Thank you for picking yourselves up off the floor and continuing to play with class after being mugged, bruised and battered while referees ignored the assault. Thank you for having your team mates back thru thick and thin. Thank you for the things you have given to the community off the court.

Special thanks to Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas for being the heart every team needs.

You will be missed but never forgotten.

What a championship game it was.  Actually what a tournament it was.  The Cat’s were prohibitive favorites from the get-go of the season, well almost!  UNC had some backers until the bitter end.  Kenny Smith said right up to the game they lost that UNC had the best front line in college basketball.  Well, Kenny was wrong, UK did, period, end of story!  They proved it head to head early in the season while UK’s young guys should have faltered, but they didn’t.

Give me Jones, MKG and Davis any day over those guys, but enough of that.  I want to talk about Cal a little bit.  I listened to a talk show on Sirius the next day after the championship game that had Bruce Pearl as one of the commentators.  Bruce was good, but some of the callers showed their jealousy toward Cal which is typical, but one of them was never challenged.

He is now:  The guy started his condescending speech by trying to talk down Cal’s recruiting of all things and his coaching ability as well.  He tried to say that Cal won with BCG’s recruits and that now Cal would HAVE to get the #1 recruit every year to be successful.   Hello fella, where ya been bubbuh?  I bet you have been under a rock in Bloomington (I know you were an Indiana fan) and just saw the light of day.

Yeah he did have some BCG recruits on the team each year.   First of all Patrick Patterson had been recruited heavily by Tubby Smith for years so BCG did have some work to do to keep him, but he was successful although he was a Tubby recruit.  Billy Clyde also recruited Liggins, Orton and Harrellson with Orton never having played for Billy Clyde.

Mr. Bubbuh, Cal kept those players on board and sent the rest of the team packing including every recruit that had committed to play for UK.   Cal had work to do with their psyche if they were going to contribute.  He told them they were somebody that could play for UK, but they had to work hard.  For those players to be successful they had to come out of their shell and it took a while.  Cal forced them to earn playing time.  It took Liggins a while to decide if he was going to make it and also for Cal to decide if he was worth retrieving.  Cal is a people person a player first type of person and he rescued Liggins.  Many coaches would have let him leave.

Liggins had a hard life growing up and he had to depend upon himself for survival for the most part.   The year under BCG had only made him mentally more reclusive.  Many inner city kids are that way, but Liggins had withdrawn himself to such a degree he was almost unreachable, however; Cal made him realize he had a chance, a small chance, to play professionally if he played defense like no other.  Liggins blossomed into a player everyone wanted on the court instead of the one everyone dreaded.   His defense became outstanding and he contributed offensively as well, but his defense was almost good enough to give Cal his first championship.  If not for an errant shot as time ran out he would have had it too.

I was and am so proud to see him get the opportunity to play in the NBA.  When he was awarded the spot as a keeper I was elated for him.  The transformation of an irresponsible me first type of person was complete.  He put his family first, loves his child, and has realized his dream.  Good job Cal and a loss for you Mr. Bubbah!

Jorts as we all affectionately call Josh Harrellson was recruited as a shooter, but never got the opportunity under Billy Clyde.  He was way down on the depth chart and never had the best of seasons his first year under Cal.   After seeing what Cal did with Cousins, Wall, Bledsoe, Patterson and for Orton Jorts decided (with Cal’s urging) to go for broke and remake himself.  Jorts did and became a terror on the court figuratively and in reality (anybody remember a guy named Sullinger.  Well Jorts reduced him to a mere mortal and punched his ticket to the NBA at the same time).  Jorts realized his dream and was drafted in the 2nd round.  His newly found work ethic propelled him into an NBA career.   Cal two, Bubbah zero!

Patrick Patterson was asked to take a back seat to some great talent.  PP is a young man of high character and remains one of the most beloved Cat’s of all time.  His talents would have allowed him to be drafted anyway, but under Cal he was a lottery pick at #14, but should have gone higher.  If Patrick had stayed for this 4th year this UK team would have been the best all time without a doubt.  They were great anyway, but with him the sky would have been the limit.  Along the way Patrick received his degree in three years and is pursuing his dream playing in the NBA while still representing UK well.  Cal 3, Bubbah 0.

Darius Miller, oh yes that Darius Miller!  Miller time, Mr. Enigma!  One of the greatest personalities ever at UK.  That is some company he is now keeping among UK players.  A continual work in progress to get him to showcase his immense talents rather than defer to other talented players.  He took everything BCG did to him and returned to UK to complete his career.  Cal wanted him on the team from the get go, but pulling him out of that shell and getting him to become, Miller Time, was a challenge for Cal.

This past season found UK flush with talent as good or better than any previous UK team had ever possessed to which Darius said, “This is my team”!  Yes he did prior to the season starting!  He knew what he needed to do to help bring his team along.  Yeah, Cal could do a lot of it, but the team needed a steadying force and steadying hand from within their ranks and he was it.  Not only did he accept the role, but he wanted the role of leader and flourished in his role.  He also proudly gave up his starting position for the better of the team.

Along the way it was apparent that we were going to get, Miller Time, at some point in every game.  Each time there was a need for a steadying hand in came Darius to make an immediate impact whether it was a dagger shot from three, a floater in the lane, a steal, a lob or a thundering dunk.  During one game Cal was on him hard to which he slammed home a one handed rebound to posterize the defender.  Darius let out a scream and yelled at Cal, “This is who I am”!   Well Darius was actually several players rolled into one, because he can play any position on the floor so that was actually only one of him.   He is that talented and I surely hate to see him go, but I am proud that he not only played for UK, but that he finished his career with a championship.

Darius finished his year (and will graduate) with more games played than any other Wildcat, ever.   He is a member of the 1000 point club!  He won Mr. Basketball honors in high school, won the state championship and the national title with ‘his team’!   Truly a great and talented player with extremely high character.  I am very confident that Darius will realize his dream of being selected in the NBA draft this year.  He will continue to represent UK well in years to come.  Darius has that special place in UK folklore secured that few will ever attain.   He should have his jersey, #1, retired and hung in the rafters immediately!   Cal 4, Bubbah 0!

The underlying premise to Bubbuh’s call was that Cal only won with another coaches recruits, but that isn’t true.  He took players that were failing or ready to fail and made them winners.   He has also turned recruiting upside down in the basketball arena.  It is now ‘who is Cal going to get’ or ‘accept’ (Sound like Rupp?) while other coaches watch and wring their hands, sound familiar?!

The other underlying point he was trying to make was that Cal wasn’t that good of a bench coach, but obviously that was pure jealousy talking.   Four final 4′s (yes NCAA 4 of them) and a championship should be enough to convince even the most diehard jealous fan.  A final 4 at UMass was huge and also at Memphis who hadn’t been a winner for many years.

I asked what is in store for an encore for Cal and UK?  Obviously, I don’t know, but if the past is any indication of the future it looks like fun to me.  Maybe after one more time Bubbuh will crawl back under his rock and take his red tribe with him.

catfan4life

34 years——- WOW where has the time gone?  I inadvertently hinted at this earlier——– It’s time to Capture, Embrace and not BELIEVE but KNOW we are UNBEATABLE!  <—— file through the years back to when the highlight of your day was Kickball, cops and robbers and KENTUCKY BASKETBALL!  Allow yourself to RECALL….. the UNDENIABLE 7 yr. OLD WISDOM……   “You’re not beating my team!  We’re the Wildcats, you can’t touch us!”  Say what, you got who?  Psst….rollin my eyes,  PUHLEAZE,  I’ll bet you 5 bucks and my atari we beat you down!
The year 1978.  A Season w/o joy, An expectation—- A MUST WIN.  <——- Really?  Maybe for our Elders or some of you that were already grown up.  Channel that inner childhood that emanates an aura of invincibility.  Get that swag—— AND HAVE FUN.

I don’t think we could have been granted a better gift than the way the tourney has played out (even though it may not feel like it)—— I think it’s gonna be more of an emotional roller coaster for us than OUR CATS——-   Western, IU, uofjail and then, then, then who awaits……….   won’t matter.  It’s just a name, a word ——>  They are all the same, just different names, different colors that are sub categorized into one collective known as NEXT.

History Repeats Itself, It’s Called Tradition.
Jeff, might wanna make a trip to your Old Kentucky Home this week…………  This state is gonna explode!!!!

Now Dust that Atari off and get it ready——-Throw in Pitfall, Kaboom and NightDriver while you’re at it!
“COUSIN” We’re GONNA BEAT YOUR TAIL OFF and BRING #8 home to LEX.
I’ll be watchin this one w/my Mama…….. the setting might have changed, the game may have evolved but the Spirit, the fight and our family has only grown and this 1st one will be a meeting for the generations Old to young—– a common tie that makes us who we are, a mutual kinship—– a carrying of the tradition forward……….   Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter.  Father, Son, Grandson— This is where it happens.  Right here, Right now.

Allow yourself to KNOW! Allow yourself to have fun— to make memories.  That means you too Hwy! (: It’s been oh so long and we are oh so very overdue.  Next weekend, the wait will have been well worth it and the pain won’t seem near as bad— just gonna make this one that much more appreciated!

Let’s Go To Work—- Team NEXT is up at 2:20! & It’s a Home Game………  Analyze em all you want—– I’m gonna chew gum, jack up on Pepsi and eat sweets and strut my confidence in my Big Blue Game Gear.  I’m gonna dance w/Lil Ms. Cats~  high five her and you know what……. I think I’ll pull out the 78 championship game this mornin and smile!   For 9 Glorious Days, I’m gonna be 7 yrs. old again!!!!!

All Business, A Season W/O Celebration——- that’s just an injustice I refuse to accept! In Celebration, we can now FINALLY (TRULY) Honor that 78 title team by giving these CATS the Admiration, Appreciation and JOY that the 78 team never truly received until afterward.  

Now I’m a bit looney— been burnin the midnight oil w/Jefferson Davis, then I jetted on over for a quick trip to Post-Colonial Africa—– so you’ll have to excuse my IMMATURITY & Forgive me!

THIS IS KENTUCKY BASKETBALL

LUVTHOSECATS, LUVUCATS!
From the top of my rooftop—- I send you a Resounding:
WE ARE KENTUCKY, HEAR US ROAR!
GO BIG BLUE
GO BIG BLUE
GO BIG BLUE

TAG YOU’RE IT!

LuvthoseCats!
Ms.Cats~

First of all he isn’t, period! Yes he is a great player with a load of talent and a large motor propelled by at least 270 pounds of muscle.  I give him all that and he did play well, but get real Royce come drafting time with the NBA your name will be called after other players on the UK team.  I ask the question if you are so great then why did your team have double digit losses during the season?  Something can be said about coaching and overall talent level on your team, but let us leave the best player proclamation to others.  That in itself said a lot to me.  It said to me I am glad you didn’t bring that attitude to come play for UK.  That statement also got you pretty much shut down for the rest of the game didn’t it big fella?

Now for best player mantra!  UK has a team of best players and they showed it collectively yesterday.  I will give Terrence Jones accolades for the game.  He didn’t score as many points as he usually does, but he was able to pull down 13 rebounds against you big guy.  He made life tough for you and it would have been worse if the terrible refs didn’t swallow their whistles the entire game when you were involved.  If the refs had called all those touch fouls or phantom fouls on you they called on TJ or Doron you would have been out of the game in the first 10 minutes.

To rant a little more about the officiating it was obvious Cal was having a difficult time not charging the floor on many occasions  during most of the game.  The relentless booing by the crowd was another telling sign of poor officiating.   On the other hand the reason for technical called on States coach was a smoke screen by him trying to intimidate the refs.  Why you ask, well it was because a real ‘whoppin’ was in the works and there was nothing he nor ‘I’m the better player’ White could do about it?

All game long UK was held, pushed, shoved, beat upon, tripped and verbally abused and the stripes let it happen until the game was practically out-of-hand. Kidd-Gilchrist didn’t have a great game scoring the ball, but that was because of the aforementioned sentence.  I am still burning inside those refs let that happen all game long.  To his credit he kept his cool.

Now for the reality of the game: UK was ready for that game.  They brought their A game with them.  They executed their plan almost flawlessly.  A few decent calls UK’s way and the game would have been over by halftime.

Miller was something special yesterday.  We have been waiting for that game for his entire career.  Oh yeah, he has had a bunch of really great games, audacious dunks, beautiful sticks from three and at the elbow not to mention those no-matter-who-you-are-guarding-me tear drop shots we have become accustomed to, he was a man yesterday.  It was clear that he had decided to make his presence known as soon as he entered the game.  There was no such thing as letting the game come to him.  The game was on and he guarded, deflected, harassed, blocked and scored at will.  It didn’t matter where he was when he decided to score he did.  Prior to yesterday when he willfully decided to show his immense talents his offense often suffered, but not yesterday.

Miller was a game changer so I say to Mr. White, Miller was better than you. Can’t say enough about the rest of the team either.  All of them had great games.  Davis just alters games, but unnoticed is the altering of shots other team members cause.  Immense talent on this UK team and if they are to lose it will be because of injury, poor shooting or bad officiating or perhaps all three.

The UK team are singular in purpose and it showed yesterday.  Gone (at least for that game) was any arrogance or sell will, but rather, they played as a team. Couple great players playing team ball with a super coach spells a lot of wins.

Did I mention wins, oh yeah, there can be four more to go for this season?  No I am not about to jinx them by predicting wins, but one thing we can be assured of is that the players will bring it and coach will be coaching his best.

As for the best player tag goes I think Mr. Royce White brought attention to some other players on the floor who just continued to play their game.  For that I am thankful and have I said to the UK players I have enjoyed your talents beyond measure, but your character shines even above that!

Thanks guys and go Cat’s!

Kentucky is one of those if not THE one of those. Obviously, I don’t follow all schools and what they do, but aside from that Kentucky is just special and always has been. The state itself was a place so special for scenic beauty and as a hunting paradise Indian tribes wouldn’t allow settlements anywhere in the state. Additionally, the state has achieved notoriety over the years for such songs as My Old Kentucky Home which will tug at anyone’s sentimental heart strings no matter where they call home.

On top of that there are millions of Kentuckians spread all over America who left KY for whatever reason, but still call Kentucky home. They mark the day of the Kentucky Derby and make sure they watch partly because of the respect for the Derby. Horses such as Secretariat and other Triple Crown winners are brought to mind during Derby week. The beauty of Churchill Downs during the Derby with all colors on display is one reason. The colorful ways the ladies dress with all the attention to their hat’s make one want to be a part of the pageantry even if we can’t be there in person and all of it culminated with the singing of the song My Old Kentucky Home.

It is a special song that only the Star Spangled Banner and America The Beautiful trump. Even those two are what they are because of what they represent, but everyone is sentimentally affected by My Old Kentucky Home no matter their walk in life.

The song reminds us of warmth, love, adulation, a place to kick our shoes off, let our hair down, relaxation and other attributes of a special home. The song reminds us of the finer parts of our childhood, our father and mother, siblings, and childhood friends. It is a special reminder to those of us who grew up roaming the fields, hills, hollows, swinging on grapevines across the creeks, listening to the whippoorwill, watching the stars so bright and beautiful on a clear night so still a sound could not be heard. Oh yeah, and not to forget the picnics and the special one that made our hearts beat faster.

The song is so special you never forget it. It is also so special that other basketball coaches felt the song gave a recruiting advantage to UK the NCAA banned showing it on national TV. What a bummer for millions of people many of whom are not Kentuckians. What a cancer jealousy is and what a cancer the powers that be are in the NCAA. Shame on all of them!

That brings me to senior night for the 2012 graduating seniors. Thursday evening will once again see a couple of seniors saying goodbye. It will once again be a special night that could only be better if we could see Bill Keightly sitting in his chair at the Kentucky bench while Happy Chandler belts out the words to My Old Kentucky Home in the special way only he could do.

Eloy has been a team first player and came to UK as a very raw talent. I don’t know why he hadn’t progressed further before Cal got hold of him. If he could have played more this year perhaps he would have improved considerably more.

He has improved a lot from last year. I doubt Cal told the truth about NBA scouts asking about him, but he is close to 7′ and is pretty quick. It is a shame Cal doesn’t get him for another year, but perhaps he can play for a foreign team and make an NBA roster later. Eloy I wish you well in life and I really wish that we could have cheered a lot more for you.

Miller is going to be hard to replace. He has been an enigma at times leaving all of us to ask what happened to Darius. He even earned the nickname Disapperius, but oh have pity on the opponent when he decided to bring it.

Every team has visions of a player like him. Here he is on a team that is so loaded with talent and he is as good as they are, but for the team he doesn’t start. Imagine being as talented as he is and also be able to keep his ego in check and still be able to come in and do what he does. Whatever needs to be done he does it. I will forever remember those two awesome dunks he has made this year. The sky high one handed slam with authority just froze everyone in time with big eyes and mouth open saying WOW! The 2nd one that just posterized the dude under the basket.

Even more than his talent, though, is the person who has shown nothing but great character. Darius has seen a lot in his 4 years at UK. He wears #1 for his high school achievements in basketball at Mason County and he is #1 in my book too. I cheer just as loudly for every player that wears UK blue no matter where they are from, but it sure is nice to have someone like him to reside in KY.

We have our past favorites that give us fond memories when we think of them and now we will have another one shortly to add to the growing list in Darius Miller. It is my hope that athletically he gives us a re-run of last years tournament excellence, however; if his past is an indication of his future he will be a superstar in life.

Good fortune to you Darius and Eloy and as the old saying goes, “it’ been real”!