UK Player on the Summer Pickup Games

This has been a crazy, crazy weekend here at the KSR Radio blog. As an initial, matter the total hits for this blog have been steadily rising and we hit a crescendo this week, breaking all of our previous records. As we approach the one year anniversary of this site, the amount of people visiting has FAR exceeded my wildest expectations and it truly has surprised all of us. I appreciate it and hope you folks are liking it. Then we had the craziness of the whole bizarre Oh Napier song which got some national attention via Deadspin and has been a conversation starter on message boards all over. Add to that, Jack Wagner's win in the Celebrity Golf Tournament....and well its just been crazy. But on to bigger and better things. This weekend I ran into my favorite non-Woo (I am sure Woo was out with the ladies) UK basketball player (long time readers of this blog know who this is) and we had a conversation about the team coming up and the summer workouts and pickup games. He gave me a lot of things to report and I will quickly summarize: 1. Said the morale on the team is "the best since I have been here." All the guys are one unit and the problems of last year have "gone away." Said the team works out and plays together every day and that they are all on the same page. A "refreshing change" according to the player. 2. The new strength coach is "for real." "He works us harder than we have been worked in a long time and it is already starting to show on some guys." He was quick to mention that it can be frustrating having to spend so much time in the weight room, but now some of the guys "can run all day." 3. The freshman got this player's seal of approval. Said Meeks and Jasper are ready to play right away and that Meeks "when he gets going, can score at will." Says Stevenson is holding his own and that the weight room is his best friend. And the guys have been very happy with Porter who this player thinks "will surprise some people." 4. Said the players really believe that they will be running more this season. "Coach told us at the end of last year that we better be in shape. Said there would be no more 'standing around' and it was time to get in gear and get up and down the court. We were all really hyped and cause when we run, not too many teams can keep up." 5. The story of the summer according to this player is Jared Carter. "Jared is about to make believers out of people. We have always known that Jared could do it in little bites, but now just watch out. Jared is about to open a lot of people's eyes. He is for real." 5. I also asked about recruiting and the player said "Coach doesnt really keep us up to much on that. I know a couple of the guys we are looking at and I think we have a good shot. Not sure about the kid that was here a couple of weeks ago (I assume he means Nash), as he is young, but the guys next year will be solid." Overall a good conversation with my favorite non-Woo player and a guy that I think is ready to turn some heads next year. The words about Carter echo a lot of what I have been hearing from a number of people. Great to hear a player say it, as they dont usually mince words around me. This guy has been brutally honest with me in the past and hearing that Jared is on the right track makes me happy. Maybe I will be a believer yet.....