A Sea Of Blue, a Kentucky Wildcats community

I know what the problem is, but I'd rather keep it to myself.

Think Rupp didn't ruffle the media. One of my favorite stories Billy Reed tells about him is coming up to ask for an interview outside his office, and hearing the secretary go in and tell Rupp that Billy Reed wanted to talk to him, and Rupp saying: "What does that little turd want now?"

"I think it's all about mind-set -- I think you're still in Christmas mode sometimes," Gillispie said at a news conference yesterday. "I haven't seen a team come back as focused and as intense and seem very determined and hungry like they did yesterday."

"When he does the little things right, like going to class and showing up to practice on time, then Coach Gillispie will have him out there,"

There's a certain shock value in the University of Kentucky men's basketball team starting a season 0-2.

It brings out a nation of roundball rubberneckers. It's a one-car accident with a telephone pole -- but the car is a Bentley. Everybody's going to slow down and look.

The comment I’ve been hearing since Friday is that Tubby Smith would not have lost that game. To me, the feeling is that while Gillispie is a better recruiter, hungrier, more aggressive, Smith is the better bench coach. That could change down the line. But I can’t argue with that one, either.

3. Kentucky

The Cats won't lose to Gardner-Webb again this year, but they're likely still a year or two away from being able to challenge the Gators and Vols. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley are gone, so Kentucky will have to rely on Patrick Patterson quite a bit. That's not a bad situation to be in, because Patterson will likely be the best big fella in the conference. However, he won't be enough to get the Cats past the first or second round of the NCAA tourney.

I will say this after watching both teams practice: UK at a one-hour glance appeared physically tougher and more aggressive, and every bit as athletic as U of L. If the Cats were playing North Carolina at home, I'd smell an upset.

"Defense and rebounding are going to be really, really outstanding," Gillispie said. "Our depth is going to be outstanding. I'm really pleased with where we are."

"But he brought it every single day. I'm talking about practices, games, whatever. His effort was the most consistent I've ever seen for a freshman. He had a workhorse attitude and was a team guy. I've never seen anybody, ever, not have a bad day. But he never had one of those days. That's why he keeps getting better and better." -- Coach Billy Gillispie on Patrick Patterson.