Season Never Ends Friday News and Views

Our friends at “Season Never Ends” calendar have a special offer… Christmas: less than a week away! There's still time to order the Kentucky basketball calendar. Order by midnight Sunday, and your calendars should get to you in time for Christmas. Orders today and Saturday (before end of day) have an excellent chance of reaching you in time. Remember to type “KSR” into the coupon box (after you’ve selected your shipping option) and save 10% off the total. Buy three, and the shipping is on us. Created by two UK graduates, “Kentucky Basketball: The Season Never Ends 2009 Calendar” is a 365-day box calendar featuring the greatest moments in UK basketball history on the days they happened. Here’s where you can find the calendar in stores. Please call ahead. We’re restocking as fast as we can, in fact, Alumni Hall in Lexington at Fayette Mall just ordered more. Also available in Lexington at Fayette Mall (Allsports), Kentucky Korner, Kennedy’s, Joseph-Beth, , The Kentucky Store, Keeneland Gift Shop and Cat Fan Attic. Available in Louisville at JD Becker, Kentucky Korner and Cardboard Heroes. Available at Kentucky’s Best (Owensboro), The Paper Tiger (Newport), Kentucky Haus (Newport) and Mom’s Diner (Red Lion, OH) If you can’t find it there, you may buy it online at ukcal.com or www.seasonneverends.com. Suggested retail price is $19.99 per calendar. Buy today, we’ll ship tomorrow. Our site says two weeks but we are shipping the very next day. Order by this Sunday (Dec. 21) and the calendar should get there before Christmas. Beunos dias my Kentucky sports amigos!  Matt Jones is not going to be able to join you for this nightly post so I'll be doing my best to fill in and get you psyched on this beautiful Appalachian State game eve.  It was a big Thursday here on Kentucky Sports Radio that saw somewhere between 5 and 94 posts throughout the day and, as we near what has become our weekly basketball game, I'd expect things to only heat up some more today.  Before things get too crazy around here, let's get you caught up on a few notes on what was a pretty news-heavy day in the college basketball world:  - First of all, let's start here at home by showing some love to the man who stole our hearts at Huntington High School about a year and a half ago.  Everyone's favorite big man, Patrick Patterson, was named to the watch list for the Naismith Trophy on Thursday.  The list for the award given to the nation's top player currently names 51 players, six of them from the SEC, and will be trimmed to 30 in February.  Patterson, despite having what many are saying is a bit of a subpar season, is averaging 17.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 71.4% from the field (3rd in the nation) and might just be starting to round into form.  As Patterson continues to shake off the ankle injury rust and his guards get more assertive with the ball and more comfortable getting it into the post, it's safe to say that his scoring should increase a bit as the season progress.  I'd say he easily makes the next 30, but it might be a tough charge to make the final ballot in March.  Jodie Meeks and his 21.9 ppg average (14th in the nation) was not a part of the list.  Senior center Jared Carter was also left off of the ballot.  - I guess it might be time for me to retract a statement that I made a few days ago regarding the Big East-SEC Challenge.  It might be a fluke, but the outstanding game tonight between Ole Miss and the Filthy Cards was a good one and rounds out what was a pretty solid quartet of games this year.  Sadly, that one team down I-64 came out on top in a hard fought game against the Rebels and, even more disappointing to me, I have to finally admit something I've been trying to deny for awhile now.  Earl Clark is a big-time player.  Clark has always been a tantalizing talent as a guy with a power forward's body possessing the skill set of a guard, but it looks like he is picking up right where he left off in last year's tournament by putting it all together.  Tonight, he put up 25 points, 16 boards and 6 blocks to lead the Cards and (as we often say with the Cards) his potential for the rest of the year is sky-high.  The one thing that absolutely terrifies me about the Cats January 4th showdown with Louisville is the colossal matchup problem that Clark provides for UK, but I still remain hopelessly optimistic that Pitino isn't a good enough coach to devise a gameplan to utilize him properly.  But, regardless, U of L has one heck of a player in Earl Clark.  Excuse me, I'm going to go puke now.  - Despite what a great game it was between Ole Miss and Louisville, the main news story, of course, was the actions of Rebels' coach Andy Kennedy the night before.  Back in the town of his previous coaching stop, Kennedy was apparently ready to cut loose and show that city that when Andy Kennedy is not brought back, he doesn't forgive or forget - he just punches cab drivers and calls them "Bin Laden".  The question now is:  What punishment should Andy Kennedy receive for his frat boy antics?  Being the old school, hardcore disciplinarian that I am, I think he has to face something pretty fierce.  If a player did something like this, you'd have to assume a suspension would definitely be in order.  Given that this is a man paid handsomely to not only win games, but to help young men mature and prepare themselves for the rest of their lives, you would think that it would have to be a little more strict.  But, does that unfairly punish the kids?  It's a very tough situation for the decision-makers in Oxford.  - One quick football note:  St. X defensive back D.J. Hall has committed to UK as a preferred walk-on, according to Jody Demling.  He reports that Hall had been in talks with Eastern and Richmond, but the 5-11, 195 pound All-State first teamer decided he wanted to be a Cat.  Let's hope he's the Arthur Barclay to Deuce Finch's DaJuan Wagner.  - Also, according to Demling's blog, the rivalry between UK commit and KSR favorite Jon Hood and U of L commit Peyton Siva is heating up.  Apparently, Hood caught word of Siva's comments his team would "crush" Hood's squad if they end up playing Saturday night and Hood replied with a text saying:

"What are you talking about, you are 5-foot-10 and I'll meet you at the rim"

Hood went on to add, "We are big buddies. It's just too bad we are going to have to be beating him once he gets to Louisville." Man, that Hood kid is awesome.  - Also, Dakota Euton got the best of Vinny Zolloin the matchup of UK commits as Scott County put a whoopin' on Clark County, 79-59.  Euton, Scott County's much-maligned (on the internet) big man, went for 18 points and Zollo had 12 and 11 for Clark County. Well, this old man needs to get to bed, so we'll wrap it up there.  Get ready for a big day around here as Mosley hits you with a "Know Your Enemy", Evan takes a break from his vacation to hit you with the Cinco de Starters-O, Rob Radio gets you his Roundball Report and....dare I say it....Rob Gidel comes at you with another outstanding writeup on the key to next year's QB situation.  We hope you'll stick around.  See you in a few... ***And don't forget about the open practice at Freedom Hall tonight at 5:30.  I expect all of you Louisvillians and all of you "we call ourselves Louisvillians but live in neighboring counties" to be there!