Samplings from Saskatoon

I need not tell you of course that the skyline you see above is that of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where we of Kentucky Sports Radio find ourselves on this beautiful Tuesday morning. It has been a great trip so far, and we have realized that Canada is just as absurd as you thought it was from the television shows and movies. Nevertheless, there is a lot to get to and we must. (1) Josh Southern surprised no one this morning by picking Boston College as his destination next fall. The Southern commitment comes on the heels of the news that they hired a relative of his showcasing (as Chris Tomlin said on KSR Radio Episode 1) that Kentucky is always at a disadvantage when egregious nepotism comes into play. The Southern commitment makes the next few months a bit shaky for Kentucky and Tubby as the Patterson recruitment becomes more and more important. Some of the sting of the loss of Southern will be mitigated if AJ Stewart commits.....which of course first requires an offer, which of course.....oh well nevermind. (2) JJ Hickson, long thought to be the 1A to Patrick Patterson's 1 in the power forward recruiting battles, announced that he would make four official visits.....and none of them were Kentucky. Hickson announced that he would visit NC State, Tennessee, Florida and Georgetown (at Midnight Madness no less), leaving KEntucky out of that group so far. Part of his explanation for this list is that these were the schools "recruiting him the hardest." When I read things like this, I honestly go into a headspin. I hope this staff has a plan.....and more importantly, I hope they have a backup plan if Patterson goes to Duke. Because if they dont.....then I dont know what to tell you. (3) In news that doesnt surprise me in the least, Billy Donovan declined the opportunity to re-up his deal with Florida this week. As a rationale, he said something to the effect that he didnt want to set a bad example for his players, all of whom turned down NBA dollars to come back to school. I have NO IDEA what that means, as it would seem to me showing commitment to a school would be a more obvious example, but that was not the decision. As Gregg Doyel said on this radio show, and I have hinted before, there are reasons to believe that IF Tubby SMith left (which very well may never happen until he retires), Billy D would be the next coach here. But we will save that for later on.... We are off today to Calgary and the Canadian Rockies. Please listen to KSR Radio Episode 2 if you havent, and have a great day wherever you are. When I get more time, I will have some good stories, but for now I bid you adeiu.