Season Never Ends Wednesday News and Views

The Kentucky Basketball 2011 Calendar is here, brought to you by Season Never Ends. Our all-new third edition Is filled with your favorite UK basketball memories on the days they actually happened — old memories and brand new ones, like over 35 from the 2009-2010 season. Legendary players, games and moments drawn from over 100 years of the nation's #1 basketball program. Available online from seasonneverends.com for just $14.99. Use the coupon code KSR and take $3 off shipping. You can also find it at the following stores: Allsports (Fayette Mall), Alumni Hall (Fayette Mall, St. Matthews Mall, Greenwood Mall), Kennedy's Book Store, Kentucky Korner (Fayette Mall, Shops at Lexington Center, Jefferson Mall & others), Joseph-Beth (Lexington Green), Beckers (2 Louisville locations), Fan Outfitters (Lexington & Louisville), Transfer Station Sportswear in Newport and that's not all — there are nearly 25 locations around the state, visit our site to find a store convenient to you. Now, onto some quick, flu-ridden UK notes...  - In a few years, there's a chance that we'll all look back on today as the start of something very special.  The future of Kentucky basketball will again shine bright Wednesday as four players in four states will sign with the Cats, forming the nation's top 2011 class.  Marquis Teague, Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis and Kyle Wiltjer will all go through the formalities of taking the next step in their life, giving little thought to the reality that there are about 30,000 kids in Lexington celebrating this as the first step in doing something stupid on the corner of Euclid in the spring of 2012.  - If that's not exciting enough, then take a trip over to FoxSports for Coach Cal's video mailbag.  In the second installment, Cal awkwardly does the John Wall dance at the beginning and then takes questions from the fans which, sadly, do not include "why didn't Richie play?".  He does, however, talk about the similarties between Brandon Knight and John Wall and the recruit that got away.  That guy was Xavier Henry.  Control your excitement.  He also mentions Amar'e Stoudemire and Kendrick Perkins as guys that picked the NBA and Rasheed Wallace as a guy who didn't want to come to UMass.  - As the Cats get ready for a game that could earn them the coveted "bowl eligible" status, it looks as if they'll finally get one of their stars back on the field.  Joker Phillips said Tuesday that he was "optimistic" that Derrick Locke would be available to play in his final game at Commonwealth Stadium.  This, of course, is good news for a rushing attack that averaged 70 yards per game in the three SEC games he missed.  Locke averaged 85 himself in the two complete SEC games he played in.  Of course, if Steve Brown has anything to say about it, Mike Hartline will be heaving the ball all over the field in another comeback effort.  - The biggest news circulating the football facility, however, had nothing to do with this weekend's game as Randall Cobb said he would put his name in the NFL Draft in December.  The UK quarterback kick returner wide receiver football player said that he's not certain that he'll enter, but does want to find out where he's projected and what the NFL scouts think about his skill set.  The only draft projection I could find online (here) has Cobb listed as the 6th-best wide receiver prospect in the 2012 class, with his stock rising.  I'm not sure where that puts him exactly, but I think it would mean it would only take a year or two for him to make up what he's missed out on by not playing for Auburn.  That's according to my Mississippi State source.  - The sun is coming up and you know what that means.  More Cam Newton news!  According to ESPN, two people who "recruit for Mississippi State" (coaches?) say that Newton and his father both admitted in separate phone calls that it would take "more than a scholarship" to earn his commitment and that Newton later called the State staff in tears to apologize that his father made him choose Auburn because "the money was too much".  But, this doesn't change the fact that Thayer Evans' piece on Newton's academic issues at Florida was nothing more than an unneccessary low blow against a student athlete very similar to the Eric Bledsoe piece he co-authored with Pete Thamel.  But, on the bright side, he's Auburn's hack to deal with and not UK's.  So at least we have that going for us.  - Just months after they got rid of former Cat Rex Chapman, who served as the team's vice president of player personnel, Yahoo reported Tuesday that former Cat Bret Bearup will no longer serve as a consultant for the Nuggets' basketball operations.  But, Bearup will remain as an advisor to owner Stan Kroenke and, according to Yahoo, will work more with English soccer club Arsenal.  And, according to Fanhouse, he also received a raise.  So, basically, this is the employment equivalent of dating Marissa Miller and Brooklyn Decker and then being told that you're going to be allowed to date Decker and sleep with Miller from time to time.  And you can have some extra cash for your trouble.  Not a bad deal at all.  - In other NBA news, Patrick Patterson was sent to the D-League by the Rockets.  Patterson had not been active yet this season and was faced with a roster full of veterans in front of him.  The move is more out of development in the eyes of the Rockets and not an indication that he is not a part of their plans.  In fact, it's far from it.  If there's anyone that you should expect to make it back to The League, it's Patterson.  He doesn't give up very easily.  - Speaking of the D-League, Patterson could have a familiar face in the Rio Grande locker room if Ramon Harris can make the team.  Tuesday, Harris got off to a decent start as the man Matt used to affectionately call Razor went for 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 18 minutes of work against Mexican team Los Halcones.  And I'm sure his defense was underrated.  - But, it wasn't all free biscuits and loaded potato soup in the D-League for former Cats as Jared Carter was cut by the Erie Bayhawks.  Good news for North Carolina, though, as it was believed Roy Williams was about to resign to take the Erie job and coach the one that got away.   - More good news for former Cats as Wesley Woodyard was named as the Broncos' Man of The Year.  The Broncos captain will be honored prior to the start of Sunday's game and will receive a $5,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club in his name.  And, I think that means he gets Tim Tebow's endorsement money too.  That's it.  Stick around for some stuff.  Some of it might be good and some of it might be written by BTI.  In the meantime, try to figure out why you got blackballed from this fraternity: