This is not going to set well with a lot of folks out there, so feel free to blast away. But we need to address something that is not being discussed in this whole GPA nonsense. I say nonsense not because I think that the GPA is insignificant. In fact, it is quite the opposite. We are the University of Kentucky. With that title comes certain obligations for not only the university but the players who play there. And blowing off your last semester is not one of those obligations.

First, let me say this. Daniel Orton, great kid as he may be, needs to have his backside removed from between his shoulders. I don't care what your reason is for coming to UK, I really don't. I don't care if you start, sit the bench, or fold towels in the locker room during practice, you had better take your ego, your brain, and your size 17 shoes and get yourself to class, period. There is no excuse for not going to class. Not getting the best grades can happen, but not going to class is making a joke of the whole system. And no, I don't care that he was brought here to play basketball, and I don't care what the NCAA requirements are, and I don't care what Mitch Barnhart's goals for the school are. Take yourself to class, do the work, and let the chips fall where they may.

This is not a "one-and-done" issue. This is not a "freshman" issue. This is not a cultural issue, and this is not a societal issue. This is an individual integrity issue. And no, I don't care if Daniel reads this and gets all bent out of shape about it, or any other player for that matter. We gave the kid a scholarship to play basketball. He only has 2 responsibilities. Play ball and go to class. If he puts in even the slightest effort, he makes a passing grade. If a kid wants to leave after one year, then fine, leave. But leave in good standing and not hanging the rest of the team, your coach, and your school out to dry. I applaud the effort of any kid who tries. Even if they are not a great student, yet they put forth the effort, they are a winner in my book. With all of the help available to these kids in the UK system for their classwork, there is no reason a kid cannot pass. But if you do not show up, you get to draw the ire of the fans, and probably your teammates and the coaching staff, and rightfully so. Sorry Daniel, loved your intensity on the court, just wish you had used some of it on campus.