Okay, 'Cat fans, here we go.  The Blue/White game is tonight, and we will learn a lot more about this team than we learned at Big Blue Madness, which essentially amounted to, "Josh Harrellson can shoot the ball and nobody else can do anything but dunk."  Hopefully, we will see something more meaningful tonight.

I am really anxious to see this team in a more formal game setting where there is something at stake.  As good talented as these guys are supposed to be, I want to see some of that talent express itself tonight.  I want some reason to believe that this team can be molded into a national contender.  I want to see what all the fuss is about.

It should be exciting, and of course, A Sea of Blue will have an open game thread for this game just like every other, so come one, come all, and join us tonight as we begin to experience the 2009-2010 season in earnest.

Now, for the news:

Top Stories

• A Letter From Mitch Barnhart - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
  Well, I'm glad we got that straight.

• Bluegrass State Basketball: Contract Signed: Wildcats to Practice at Freedom Hall

• Revealing eligibility problems hits a wall | KentuckySports.com
  When asked whether Wall faced a serious threat to his eligibility, Todd said, "No comment. If we chose to talk about it, we would have talked about it a long time ago. You'll know about (the decision) when we know about it."
  
  I'm not worried, but I am anxious to get this episode into the history books. Faster, please.

• Kentucky Sports Radio " The Blue-White game’s Wednesday News and Views

• It's about color of money, not power of coal | KentuckySports.com
  Wow. John Clay is on a roll, and knocks every bullet point out of the park. Way to go, John! My man!

• Nothing wrong with UK protecting Wall | Vaught's Views
  I totally agree.

UK Basketball News

• Crop of recruits help Patterson, boost UK's shot at national title - USATODAY.com
  One of those things is to unchain himself from the post. He does not want to have to feel for the rim as a back-to-the basket scorer but actually see the rim facing the basket. NBA scouts, who stand under the basket to get a more accurate measure of a player, consider Patterson closer to 6-8 than 6-9, and they want to see him face up with what they consider small forward length.
  
  It will be interesting to see if Patterson can bring this kind of game to the team. He hasn't shown much of it so far. Hat tip: Bluegrass State Basketball

• Basketball Preview: Degree, NCAA tournament keep Patterson from NBA | The Kentucky Kernel
  This season's subtext is all about Patrick Patterson.

• Cats' Big Cuz has big potential to be force in post | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  DeMarcus is the fun one.
  
  Big Cuz? He is, in Cousins' own words, "pretty mean."
  
  He elaborated, but it's unfit for print.
  
  Okay, but just keep it clean on the court.

• Basketball Preview: New coach gives sophomore a second chance at UK | The Kentucky Kernel
  Faced with a decision of whether or not to come back, Liggins sought his family’s advice.
  
  Go back, they told him. Do everything right this time.
  
  Good call.

• Dodson likes team’s chemistry, talent | Vaught's Views
  I like the chemistry, to. So far, that is. The Blue/White game will tell us much more.

UK Football News

• UK Football: SEC honors Gonzalez: AMNews.com
  We can't honor members of the o-line enough this year.

• State-Journal.com - Don't expect runaway win when Kentucky, Mississippi State meet
  This will be a close game between two very well-matched teams. Don't believe me? Just look at the stats.

• Cats gear up for Miss. State ground game | KentuckySports.com
  Sure, UK is giving up 174.1 yards a game on the ground. But that number is somewhat deceiving. Take away Florida's 362-yard rushing performance in a 41-7 loss on Sept. 26, and the Cats' average is a more respectable 142.8.
  
  I think opponents fail to account for cases like Florida, where a team throws in a clunker. You have to watch those, it can give you a deceiving sense of security.

• No blackout on field for Cats | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  Rich Brooks made one thing clear on Tuesday: Saturday's University of Kentucky "blackout" game against Mississippi State is strictly for the fans. Before he fielded a question or updated injuries, the UK coach told the media after practice that the Wildcats will be wearing their traditional look for Saturday's game.
  
  Good for you, Coach. Good for us, too. We don't need distractions, we need a victory.

• Seasons hinge on UK-MSU rivalry | KentuckySports.com
  "I think, when you're in the lower half of the league historically, to get to the upper half, you not only have to knock off some of those big boys up there, you have to knock off the guys that are like you," Brooks said. "And Mississippi State and Kentucky have been like each other for quite a while, and the team that has won has had the edge up on being able to climb that ladder a little bit."
  
  It's hard to really overstate how big this game is. UK wins this one, and it looks like the fourth straight bowl is a done deal. Lose, and UK has serious work to do.

• Anything but Gatorade: BLACKOUTS ARE FOR FUN, NOT FOOTBALL
  What he says.

Other UK Sports News

• None today
  

NCAA Sports News

• Rush The Court " Adam Zagoria on Kyrie Irving, Recruiting, and Social Networking
  Interesting interview. Lots of hot-button issues hit with respect to recruiting and reporting of commitments.

• Pat Forde: Chance to bash the SEC has likely passed - ESPN
  "This is a tough league for freshmen, I can tell [Calipari] that from experience," Stallings said. "Not that he needs me to tell him anything.
  
  "We started three freshmen a year ago. If he can win the league starting three freshmen, then he's as good a coach as I think he is and those freshmen are as good as advertised."
  
  Fair enough.

Other News of Interest

• Prince's role with Pistons might change | KentuckySports.com

The Daily Schadenfreude

• Duke basketball's Goodfellas poster - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
  1. Both Duke basketball players and the guys from Goodfellas get special treatment from authority figures, whether they wear badges or stripes.
  
  2. Fortunes of the movie's characters and basketball team peak in the middle and then collapse down the stretch.
  
  3. Main characters will be anonymous in a few years (Henry Hill went into witness protection, Jon Scheyer will go into NBDL).
  
  Heh.  Hat tip:  Truth About Duke

• Pitino not just blowing smoke; Cards playing with fire against Tigers | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  "We know it's going to be a very close game; we'll probably be trailing most of the game," Pitino said. "The fans are going to say, ‘Oh, here he goes again,' but … Georgetown has given us fits every time we played them."
  
  Is it even possible for Pitino to get any weirder?

• Memo to Duke: Salvage Your Dignity - Casual Hoya
  Duke Blue Devils debut the worst promo ever.
  
  Heh.