TRUE BLUE THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving Catland:

In honor of our festive holiday…. I’ve put together a lil Top 10 of things that we can all be Grateful for this season… So Raise your cup high & toast the CaliCat Era!

10.   Cheers to Bill, the founder of our feast.  Bill, I know I speak for all of us when I say …. “I can’t thank you enough for caring enough to take the time to set up this community giving us a place to Laugh, Cry, Fight, Argue, Agree & tell tall tales &  share the Spirit of KY BB Family.”   It’s a tireless, thankless job for the most part & many here couldn’t begin to imagine all the time & effort it takes in keeping Catland alive, thriving & growing.   Kudos & Kisses to you CatDaddy, you’re my Hero.  NOW…. please do us all a favor & keep your glass on the table instead of between your legs…. Frostbite on Thanksgivin is definitely a sight I think we can all live w/o.  Course now when New Years rolls around— you may very well find yourself in good company & ifn your lucky an offer of assistance in removal of said glass from… well—-CHEERS!                       

9.  NO MORE WE GOT WHOOPED speeches.  God, isn’t it just top it all to have a REAL COACH again?!  The more I watch our Cats grow & see Cal~ workin his magic the more I fall in love.  We’re gettin our swagger, pride & identity back.  Faster than anyCat could have imagined at that.  Recruits will once again want to take their place at our table.  TIS GOOD TO BE A CAT!  We deserve this & have waited too many years for that bird to finally come outta the oven.

8.  Old Feline Friends & the coming of the New~  Part of the mystique of  KENTUCKY BASKETBALL is the coming together of the young & old, rich & poor, foul & proper, the knowledgable & dumb….around the world making us a breed of our own— 1 BIG BLUE NATION!  Through it all, we have a common bond that is unrivaled by anthing in sports & most cultures in life….. FAMILY, IDENTITY, FRIENDSHIP.  WE RULE! (:

7. Demarcus Cousins—- We’ve waited & waited for his arrival.  Oh sure, we didn’t know his identity but the idea of him has certainly been there!… He’s not just bringin inside presence to the table— he’s bringin it w/a vengeance!  The last several years we’ve had some decent big men but they were lackin that FIRE in the belly/Take No Prisoners attitude electing not to let their size do the talking.

6.  Lit’s You Pick Em’s—- Love em & love the challenges, boasts & brags that accompany them.  Word to Jeffro Nolte— it’s on this year “Sweetheart”!  Get your game face on & Bring it!   Oh & Bama— I’ve seen your picks for week 1…you’re slackin Sunshine—thought you were better than that SNICKER SNICKER.   HO HUM …. who to copy & paste off of??? Well I wonder??! (:

5.  A big CAT applause for Cat8 & his killer video’s.   Whadda way to enhance our board not to mention the ability to visually capture just exactly what is KENTUCKY BASKETBALL.  A treasure to say the least.

4.  JAGOFF! That’s right— you read right!  Fellow Felines, Coach Cal~ has just kicked the Border War w/those tennessee turds up 10 knotches!   I love all his lil suttle jabs…. More Boast & Swagger added to the SEC pot w/a dash of Witness 54 delivered to their door.   WE’RE BACK! TIME TO STRUT LIKE A CAT & MORE IMPORTANTLY ROAR LIKE A CAT! ALL THAT’S LEFT IS THE POUNCE & KILL! (:

3.  THE GREAT WALL OF KENTUCKY THAT PLAYS W/ALL THE PRIDE & HEART IN THE WORLD.  Love him while we can— By March, he’s gonna be one of our greatest Floor Generals!  Perhaps in his retirement, he’ll come back to his Old Kentucky Home. (:

2.  RUPP ARENA IS ROCKIN AGAIN & we shall soon witness RUPP in her finest hour.  Cats, that’s just not expectations, hopes & dreams —- NO, it’s better than that—- IT’S A UNITED NATION W/1 BIG BLUE VOICE!  Oh how sweet the sound!   Sigh~  relish & a reminder to never take for granted what we hold so near & dear to our hearts.  RUPP IS ALIVE AND COME JANUARY TEAMS WILL COME IN FILLED W/LOATHING, DESPERATION & FEAR—-  Have ya’ll forgotten what the sweet stench of fear smells like??? GET READY we’re gonna get plenty of big whiffs! YAY!

Which brings me to #1—-

HOW FITTING IS IT THAT ON JANUARY 2ND— A GRAND CORONATION WILL BE HELD IN OUR BELOVED RUPP & AS THE BAND PLAYS ON ON UOFK  THE TRAITOROUS KING OF OLD WILL HUMBLY BE FORCED TO WALK IN THE SHADOWS OF THE BIG BLUE NATION & THEIR NEW KING!

NOW THAT’S KENTUCKY JUSTICE MY FELINE FAMILY & MAKES FOR ONE DAMN FINE MEAL!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you w/much love & affection.  You Cats rock 1 & all.

CHEERS TO US & THE LONG JOURNEY WE’VE TAKEN TOGETHER.  MAY OUR NEW ADVENTURES BE PROSPEROUS & MAY 8 BE JUST AROUND THE BEND.

LUVTHOSECATS & LUVUGUYS!

Ms.Cats~

Jodie Meeks Congratulations

I would like to congratulate Jodie Meeks on being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Jodie now has a chance to live out his NBA dream, by being chosen with the 41^st pick in the second round of the NBA draft. We UK fans want to thank Jodie for being one of the bright spots on an NIT team that struggled mightily late in the season.

One thing that may help Jodie in making the team is the fact that the Bucks were very high on him from the get go, something that they had been keeping somewhat “close to the vest”, as most teams do. Consider this statement out of the Milwaukee camp after Jodie was chosen:

“He was a guy we had on our board for the last few days, and up until even last night, and we said, ‘No way this kid makes it to the second round,’” Bucks general manager John Hammond told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m sure a lot of people are saying that about their second-round picks.”

“We just felt he’s one of the top-notch shooters in this draft. Our guys who were out scouting all year said he may be one of the better defenders, too. He has great strength and is a great athlete, but one thing he can do is shoot the ball the way he can.”

Meeks led the Southeastern Conference and ranked eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game. Jodie set the school record for points in a game (54 at Tennessee) and three-pointers in a season (117) and shot an SEC-best 90.2 percent from the free throw line. He also had the highest 3 game point total of any player in collegiate basketball with 3 games of 54, 46, and 45 points.

“He arguably was the best shooter in college basketball last year,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles told the Milwaukee newspaper. “He’s a guy who has some toughness, a nice strong body and a really good defender.”

“I don’t think I get enough credit for my athletic ability”, Jodie said.

I believe that with his skill set, Jodie will make the Bucks roster and have a long NBA career. I also believe that he would have benefited by coming back and playing one more year under Cal, and changing his NBA perception from a “catch and shoot guy” to one who can also get to the rim.

Let’s face it, if Terrance Williams can go with the 11^th pick while averaging 12ppg, then anything in that range would have been possible for Jodie next year, if UK had made the deep run in the tournament that most everyone was predicting with Jodie on the squad.

I also must respect the fact that Jodie had been injured, and perhaps had that in the back of his mind, when he decided to stay in the draft. One more injury next year could have ruined his chances for an NBA career, so he choose to strike while the “iron was hot”.

Again, I wish Jodie nothing but the best for his future NBA career.

HARANGODY=HARD TO GUARD

UK VS NOTRE DAME –

Before his freshman season, even Luke Harangody’s parents were sceptical when Irish coach Mike Brey suggested he would make “an immediate impact. Brey continued, “He’s as good a story as they come. When his parents heard me say how important he’d be as a freshman, they looked at each other like, ‘You’re sure we’re talking about Luke?’ He’s turned into a player capable of dominating in the best league in the country.

Luke Harangody has proved to be very hard to guard in his last couple of seasons at Notre Dame…The 6’8” 255lb PF has lead the Big East in scoring the last two seasons, and this year averages 23.3ppg in leading the Irish. The Big East is considered the toughest conference this year, and Luke represents the toughest player in the toughest conference…Many think that Luke will be a better NBA player than that other BIG kid, whose name also starts with an “H”.

What Harangody might lack in athleticism, he makes up for in brute strength inside and a deft touch from the outside. Patrick Patterson, UK’s big man, obviously respects his game and details the challenges he will face in guarding the Big Man, “With his size, strength and height you can tell that he’s obviously a post player,” Patterson said. “But when he gets the basketball, he’s able to shoot turnaround fadeaways, step back dribble fadeaways. He’s shooting threes.” AND “”It means I have to play it all over the place,” the Kentucky sophomore predicted. “I know he can post up but I’ll have to play with him out on the perimeter where normally I can back up with big men. Inside the post, he’s a lot stronger and wider than me so I know he’s going to try to back me down and overpower me.”

UK is playing after surviving a second round game with Creighton 65-63 before a roaring crowd in Omaha, Neb., on Monday night. Jodie Meeks scored the last 5 points of the game to put it in the win column for the Wildcats.

The Irish suffered 10 of their 14 losses in the rugged Big East conference, which still has 5 teams in the sweet sixteen, a first….The winner of this game moves one step close to the NIT Championship AND goes on to New York City’s HaLLowed Madison Square Garden for the semi-finals of the NIT. Tipoff is 7p.m. tonight at the Joyce Center on the campus of Notre Dame.

UK ESCAPES CREIGHTON 65-63!

Amid swirling rumours as to his future as UK’s basketball coach, Billy Clyde Gillispie took his basketball team to Omaha Nebraska to take on a Creighton Blue Jays squad that has been on a roll of sorts winning 12 of their last 13 games. They certainly represented an almost impossible task and a tough out for a team like UK that went in the other direction over their last 13 games, dropping 9 of those…

UK rode the backs of its two leading scores, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, who sit out most of the first half with foul trouble. Patrick was a warrior inside the entire second half and Jodie won the game, scoring the last 5 points, after being held in check most of the night…

BCG is right, this team has matured over the past couple of weeks, because this is one of those games that they lost all season, but this one, well.., they found a way to win, using their “bunker mentality” says Glenn Cyprien, assistant coach. Example: UK was down by 3 points with 1:25 seconds to play…Jodie Meeks scored a layup, and was fouled on a driving shot in the lane, for the old fashion 3 point play…The final margin of 2, with 7.5 seconds, left was the largest lead for a UK team that fought to stay even all night…

One indicator of team maturity is the fact that UK executed all five of it’s time out plays, including the all important one to Meeks that won the game. “I just think we’re executing a lot better overall, but coming out of timeouts people realize their assignments and are carrying them out the right way,” sophomore Patrick Patterson said. “Coach always has an arsenal of plays and tonight we executed them a bunch of times,” said Patterson, who was on the giving and receiving end of the set plays. “Down the stretch, it enabled us to score when it mattered the most.”

But, again, the biggest story was the way they played in winning their second straight NIT matchup. Defeating what was considered the strongest team in the field, will go a long way for the team’s confidence come Wednesday Night against Notre Dame.

Indeed, UK was the underdog here, and seemed to relish the role, playing in front of a sold-out Qwest Arena…There’s nothing that can quell the rumours like a team that comes out, and plays as if there is none…BCG intimated that he and the players were having fun, “…Shoot, our guys are having fun, I’m having fun and we’re going to go after it.”

BCG seems to be an “old school”, throw- back, type coach, who is not concerned with social graces, hence his problems at UK. There’s is no doubt he could have chosen his words much better in many encounters with the press this year, and with his own in-house media people. Hopefully, the gist of Friday’s meeting will alleviate that situation…

He is a single man who lives and breathes basketball, and two years ago we were told by this very administration that HE would be THE FIT for UK basketball. If he goes, he has not had sufficient chance, by any means, to build a team and the error is UK.

To say that a man cannot change, as some in the media have suggested, is an awful stigma on one’s persona. Patrick Patterson intimates that Billy Gillespie has ALREADY changed, “”Coach will ask our opinions. He’ll ask if we see anything out there and he’ll take it to heart,” Patterson added. “I think he’s come a long way from last year because he didn’t do that too much. But we’re all a lot more comfortable with each other.” THEY better have a top notch coach waiting in the wings, or it might be a difficult search for a new ONE….

30 YEARS FOR THE WIN! UK 70 UNLV 60

UK stumbled out of the gate last night, but rallied to take a 20 point lead before holding off a furious comeback by UNLV. Indeed, the friendly confines of Memorial Coliseum seemed to energize our lads as the crowd screamed wildly on every play…Win or lose, this is the way the game supposes to be played, in front of a bunch of screaming fans….

UK made 5 turnovers in their first 9 possessions last night, but righted the ship and blowed out to a 20 point lead on UNLV, who made that furious comeback in the second half using the same formula that has killed UK all season. Namely, they “spread ‘em out” and shoot the 3 ball AND, theirs starting falling to make the game even more interesting, as if it weren’t fun enough, what with the crowd that was in Memorial Gym last night…

Fans got a chance to see the Cats that would not normally get in, and they responded commensurate to the occasion. Wildly cheering every play, the Cats were spurred on to play the best basketball they had played this year.

The cats were lead by committee, as everyone got in on the fun. Jodie Meeks had 19 points, and Patrick Patterson added 16. At one point in the first half of the game, all 9 players who played for UK had scored. UK, perhaps spurred on by this raucous crowd, hit 15 of 19 shots during one stretch, and ran out to a 20 point lead.

Memorial Coliseum was rocking last night, as predicted… Nicknamed, “The White Elephant”, back in the day, because people said they would never fill it, It was as if the Old Building held all the crowds that, “would have been there”, over the last 30 years, as the gym absolutely exploded with the sounds of squeaky gym shoes, players, coaches, cheerleaders, but most of all the FANS..YES, these same fans that have supported this program for the last 5 scores and some years showed up ONE MORE TIME in the Old Lady, the Queen of College Basketball, if you will, stand up and take your bow!

Memorial Coliseum, where the legends were made right there next to the road you know –SITS THERE ALL ALONE, BUT LAST NIGHT SOMETHING MAGICAL HAPPENED – A puzzled coach brought in a bunch of kids who had played “baby” ball all year, and they grew up right before our eyes; with the accompanist named Memorial Coliseum – FANS INCLUDED.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

…nothing remains quite the same”…so sang Buffet, and it’s true in basketball, just as in life. Patrick Patterson, like many of us UK fans, disdained playing in the NIT should UK not make the NCAA tournament. Now Patrick, like many of us, welcomes the chance to play more basketball. Consider his latest statements,““If we could win the NIT that could carry over to next year,” Patterson said. .”That would be a huge confidence boost and a weight lifted off our shoulders. We’ve had a not-so-good season and everyone is frustrated. But making a run in the NIT would help.”

This has been one of those zany basketball years in the history of UK basketball where accurate predictions regarding UK’s future success have been in short supply…Indeed, for one who loves to speculate about how good their beloved CATS will be; it’s been as difficult as herding cats. I am one who believes that it takes both the players and a good coach to win it all.

There is no more humbling game than basketball when things don’t work out. Consider that Billy Donovan may be making his second straight trip to the NIT, after winning back to back NCAA Championships! HE is a great coach and HE had great players to win it, but if you remove that team from his resume, he might be job searching right now! Since I like to give credit to the aforementioned players and coach when things go well, then I must assign the blame to BOTH the coach and players for a poor season. It’s only logical. You could have done better.

Given the players have backed their coach , especially Patterson, one must think that Mr. Gillispie Will return next year along with Patrick and Jodie Meeks.

BCG will bring the 14^th rated class to the table next year and I feel we will get some immediate help from the group in the form of Matt Pilgrim and Orton. I can see Patrick Patterson moving to the Power Forward with Orton managing the middle. Pilgrim brings a nice face up game that we don’t have on this current team. Jon Hood, state high jump champ, will provide another outside scoring threat, as well a his 6’6” length on the defense. G.J. will be the prototypical point with some things to learn about the college game.

The NIT offers the fans a chance to see the UK Wildcats play, and play right here at home. I dare say some fans may get a chance to see them that would not normally be able to…This alone makes a strong case for our backing the NIT, especially here in Lexington. From the players perspective it looks like 2Pat is the elder spokesman of the group when he says “LETS PLAY”!

GO WILDCATS!

UK vs LSU PEP TALK

Malcom White didn’t think that UK was very physical when Ole Miss beat Kentucky in the last meeting… “Basically Kentucky’s offense only involves Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson”, said White. “If you can contain those two then you have a great chance to stopping their offense…”

Well, as we all know Mr. White saw a different team on Thursday, a more balanced, tougher defensive team, than he saw in January. And, I think LSU will see a tougher team than the one that played them close in Lexington…

Now that we have a 1 game winning streak, it’s time to move on…As they say, “You can’t win them all until you have won the first one”, and we have that out of the way. LSU is next and we have lots of positives going into that game on Friday…First, we just played the best second half of basketball we have played all year and put 4 players in double figures in our victory over Ole Miss…

Beating LSU will require that self same defensive effort and balanced scoring that was displayed against Ole Miss and I believe that we are going to get it…

Perry is starting to play well again and I thought Darius Miller had a “breakout” type game against Ole Miss; one where the confidence goes sky high and he contributes in a positive way the rest of the tournament. Patrick is being Patrick again as well, while Jodie had a great all round game and didn’t force anything against Ole Miss.

I think that LSU is in T-R-O-U-B-L-E…Uk in Overtime!

UK Beats Ole Miss with Balance and Defense 71-58

“Coach is the one designing plays, but it’s our intensity, it’s our toughness, it’s the way that we battle out there that (determines) down the stretch whether we win or lose” ..so says Patrick Patterson who has spent much of his time defending his coach, Billy Gillispie, during his time in Tampa, and today went out on the court and proved it, along with his teammates.

Billy Gillispie’s young charges showed that there is still basketball being played in the state of Kentucky. Sure it was an also ran, NIT bound, Ole Miss Team we beat, but that was the goal and we did it well, well in the second half.

Kentucky advanced to the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Tampa on Thursday with balanced scoring and some tough second half defense.

Post game had BCG saying “that’s the way we should be playing”, referring to the stingy defense that allowed Ole Miss only 18 points in the second frame.

Indeed, it was the D, and the B, as in Balanced Scoring, as Meeks led the way with 25, while Patrick had 15 points and 14 big rebounds. Perry Stevenson had a great game, matched by one Darius Miller, who came in and added 12 points to go with Perry’s 13. Perry cracked the double-digit point barrier for the first time in eight games. Darius Miller, only an 18 year old freshman, equalled his second-highest point total against a Southeastern Conference opponent

“I don’t really care how many points I score so long as we win. When something like that happens I’m glad we have help on the team. People off the bench gave us great energy and help.” said Jodie Meeks. Indeed, BCG that is the way we should be playing, and a lot sooner than now.

Uk’s 13 point victory was a second half clinic on how to play defense and UK must put together two of these halves to have a shot at their next opponent, LSU. “Today we did what the coaches asked, and that included playing hard and tough. We controlled the tempo with our defense and rebounding, things we had not been doing.” UK junior Ramon Harris. Indeed, Ole Miss was only 2 for their last 9 in the last eight minutes enabling UK to post the victory…

LSU is in the headlights…We’ve played ‘em close once. We will do it again. “We’re definitely a better team like this,” Meeks said. “The more scorers you have, the better.” Let the game begin, keep the bubble alive. GO CATS !..!..!

SEC Coaches Awards

From SECsports.com The SEC Coaches awards were announced today. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks both were named to the all SEC first team.

Birmingham, Ala. — The Southeastern Conference unveiled its men’s basketball coaches postseason awards Tuesday to cap off another exciting season of SEC basketball.

LSU’s Trent Johnson earned SEC Coach of the Year honors and LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton was selected SEC Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. Ole Miss’ Terrico White took the SEC Freshman of the Year award and Alabama’s Justin Knox earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State was picked as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. South Carolina’s Brandis Raley-Ross earned SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year honors.

In his first season at LSU, Johnson led the Tigers to their first SEC championship since 2006 with a 13-3 mark in league play.

Thornton garnered SEC Player of the Year honors in leading LSU to a 25-win season and the SEC championship. One of five unanimous All-SEC First Team selections, Thornton ranked second the league in scoring with 20.9 ppg.

White led all SEC freshmen with 18.4 ppg in league play. White was among three unanimous All-Freshman team members.

Knox earned the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, sporting a 3.219 grade-point average in Pre-Business.

Varnado leads the nation in blocked shots (4.6) and is 15 blocks shy of the breaking the single-season SEC record of 157. Last year he tied the record Shaquille O’Neal set in 1992.

Raley-Ross won the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award. A key part of South Carolina winning a share of the SEC East Division title, he is averaging 7.2 points per game.

Coaches voted on eight member teams for First Team All-SEC, Second Team All-SEC and for the SEC All-Freshman Team. They voted on a five-player squad for the SEC All-Defensive Team. They were not permitted to vote for their own players and ties were not broken.

A complete list of the 2009 SEC Men’s Basketball postseason awards follows.

First Team All-SEC
*Nick Calathes, Florida – G, 6-6, 194, So., Casselberry, Fla.
*Jodie Meeks, Kentucky – 6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross, Ga.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky – 6-9, 235, So., Huntington, W.Va.
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU – F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Denham Springs, La.
*Marcus Thornton, LSU – G, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.
*Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.
*Tyler Smith, Tennessee – F, 6-7, 215, Jr., Pulaski, Tenn.

Second Team All-SEC
Alonzo Gee, Alabama – G, 6-6, 219, Sr., Riviera Beach, Fla.
Michael Washington, Arkansas – F, 6-9, 239, Jr., McGehee, Ark.
Korvotney Barber, Auburn – F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Manchester, Ga.
^Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
David Huertas, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 200, Jr., Humacao, Puerto Rico
Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis, Tenn.
^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.
^Zam Fredrick, South Carolina – G, 6-0, 203, Sr., St. Matthews, S.C.
Wayne Chism, Tennessee – F, 609, 242, Jr., Jackson, Tenn.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt – C, 6-11, 250, So., Sydney, Australia

SEC All-Freshman Team
*JaMychal Green, Alabama – F, 6-9, 220, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.
Courtney Fortson, Arkansas – G, 5-11, 180, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.
Erving Walker, Florida – 5-8, 161, Fr., New York, N.Y.
Trey Thompkins, Georgia – F, 6-8, 245, Fr., Lithonia, Ga.
*Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis, Tenn.
*Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 170, Fr., Concord, N.C.
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee – G, 6-7, 185, Fr., Hopkinsville, Ky.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – G/F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Norrkoping, Sweden

SEC All-Defensive Team
^Quantez Robertson, Auburn – G, 6-3, 200, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
Chris Johnson, LSU – C, 6-11, 210, Sr., Montross, Va.
*Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.
^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.
Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.

SEC Coach of the Year: Trent Johnson, LSU
SEC Player of the Year: Marcus Thornton, LSU
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Justin Knox, Alabama
SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrico White, Ole Miss
SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brandis Raley-Ross, South Carolina
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

*-Unanimous selection
^-Ties are not broken

FOR THE ETERNAL OPTIMIST…

For the eternal optimist, hope does spring eternal, and we now may have to cushion ourselves to earning our UK FAN PLEASURE from our Baseball Team and then our Football Team before we again can H-O-P-E to enjoy our basketball team – ….that is considering one is a three sport watcher and not Barnhart.

But, let us consider that the date is October 15, 2009. Who will be on the court and starting for the CATS come opening day? Now this is way too much speculation coming from one who said that the Wildcats would be a “tough out” this year. They were just that for 5 games in the SEC, and then the wheels ran off, and all the coaches’ horses and all of his men could not put them back together again…At least, up until the last minute, and last second, the NCAA bubble floats perilously over a sea of pinpoints….

Again it is October 15, and the first day of practice; who shows up but Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks -…but there is another dynamic here to go with that reality. They have help…BIG HELP….Their names are Pilgrim and Orton, and they are contributors to a team that is a year older and a year wiser…Point guard spot gets nailed down by a guy not named Porter…

In the pre-season, blue-white scrimmage, Orton scores 20 and gets 20 boards, while Pilgrim and 2Pat face off for 15 and 10 apiece, and when ask what he likes about Orton, a cautious BCG replies, ……”HE’s TALL”!

UK beats UofL easily before conference time, after polishing off NC. They run through the SEC like butter, and have 3 on the All-SEC Team…., while taking a solid lead in the all-time wins category, and much like the NIT team of yesteryear did, went on and won the NCAA Title the year after that!

“To sleep, perchance to dream-
ay, there’s the rub.”

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