REMEMBER, I AM AN EXPERT ON UK BASKETBALL

Now that the regular season has reached its inglorious end, I will venture some opinions I have kept to myself all season long.

1. Cat fans (and their sports reporters)  need to take memory courses. How many remember early season stories of a “40-0” season?

2. If the choice is Cal’s “one and done” or Dick Vitale’s “senior leadership” I vote for Florida which just set an SEC record of an 18-0 conference season with a starting line-up of 4 seniors. Nuff said!

3.While, with all good Cats’ fans, I hope the tourneys upcoming will be better  (let’s have no  repeat  of Robert Morris---remember?) take a good look at the SEC brackets. The tourney is played over five nights and FOUR different broadcast entities take turns airing the games. Ridiculous!  But that’s the way the popular UK has been carved up by people where money doesn’t talk, it screams…and who have no regard for the fans.

4. That includes the SEC, on the verge of its own network. If you think our conference has any real interest in UK fans, just wait til you see what prices are put on getting this network on cable. I have already written my Lexington councilman, involved in the renewal of the Time Warner cable franchise, to make sure the SEC network is NOT carried on the premium tier.  Before it’s too late, the UK student government needs to get involved here. And don’t expect any help from the UK Athletics Department.

5. Some of our traditions need changing. I have never liked the idea of the eRUPPtion zone going wild trying to rattle the opposing player at the foul line. That is bad sportsmanship in the extreme.  (It doesn’t have to be this way. Saturday night, those equally supportive Cameron Crazies were silent—yes silent—when archrival  NC was shooting fouls, and the Tar Heel fans the same when Duke was shooting. We should emulate this, too.)

That’s my blueprint for a much better UK team in the future.

Remember, I am a UK  basketball expert.

But, aren’t we all???

I'm just sayin'...