Greetings and salutations, Wildcats fans. For those who don't know me, I go by jc25 on SB Nation, and this is my introductory post on A Sea of Blue. I've most recently been writing at March to March, a Fantake blog that covers all things college basketball. I'm also on Twitter at @JC_at_M2M. I am a fan of college sports in general, in addition to being an ardent Kentucky basketball fan. Regarding the latter, I have been an ASoB visitor for so long, I can claim one of those unique ID's that existed pre-conglomeration. My permanent tattoo number for those interested: 289.
As you may know, this is the best stop on the Internet for fans of Big Blue Nation, and I'm honored that Glenn has invited me to be a regular contributor to his site. As I look forward to taking a more active role in the ASoB community, I will focus primarily on expanding Kentucky basketball recruiting coverage. After the jump, you'll read a little more about my background and what you can expect over the next few posts.
My earliest memory of college basketball is the famed '92 Kentucky-Duke game. I'll be honest up front: at the time I was rooting for the Blue Devils. To be fair, I had yet to finish elementary school. Also admittedly, I am not a Kentucky grad. Rather, I was born and raised in the Lone Star State and am a proud University of Texas alum. So now that I've completely discredited myself...
The most obvious question, and one that many people often ask: why Kentucky? Truthfully, it's a love that's grown over time. My close friend growing up was a huge Arizona fan. In an effort to be contrarian, I often rooted for the "other" Wildcats. But I've been on the bandwagon since grade school, and never saw any reason to jump off. I love the passionate, zealous, "live or die" nature of our fans. I love the way our current stars strive to live up to the legends of Wildcats past. I love the pressure-cooker environment in which our legendary Kentucky coaches operate. And I love Ashley Judd decked out in blue and white. It's a program steeped in timeless tradition and expectations of national championships. Simply, it's a program worth rooting for.
My favorite Kentucky players, in no particular order, are Chuck Hayes, Tayshaun Prince, and Scott Padgett. Yes, I find it awesome that both Hayes and Patrick Patterson are on my hometown Houston Rockets. And yes, I was in Reliant Stadium when DeAndre Liggins' 3 fell just short.
It's a great time to be a Kentucky basketball fan. Much of that is due to not only the recent success of the past two years, but also the expectation that our upcoming recruiting classes will exceed this high standard. With that in mind, I'll be tackling the future of Kentucky basketball. We'll start with looking at the Recruiting Big Board for next year (2011), as well as 2012 and beyond. These Big Boards contain the recruiting "narrative" and all the potential targets that could one day don Wildcat Blue. We'll then delve into some Recruiting Spotlights to check out what the class of 2011 holds for us. Along the way, I'll keep you informed of the latest happenings in recruiting and whatever else comes up along the way.
So hop on board, and get excited for the future! I look forward to taking the journey with you.