Editor's note:  This belongs on the front page for a while.  I know it's football season, but we are getting close to midnight madness.  Thanks to the author.

Ramon Harris- didn’t display the slashing drive to the rim that has been reported this summer

                but did hit a couple of deep threes. If he can do this consistently it would greatly benefit the

                cats.

Pat-was classic Pat-got elbowed in the nose in the first game and continued to bleed all over his shirt the rest of the afternoon

Pilgrim- if he could play this season we would dominate anyone in the country in the front court. Pilgrim

                 is a beast. He displayed some low post moves and a couple nice jump shots and has a mean

                streak every team can use. Too bad he isn’t playing this season.

Harrelson-  displayed a nice jump shot and had several rebounds (although none of them were in traffic)

                He is a tad slow but I do think his shot will really help open the floor for Pat.

Meeks- was Jodie. His three ball wasn’t quite hitting when I saw him but he looks to be back in very

                good health.

Stevenson- didn’t see too much from him

Stewart-hardly noticed he was playing

Porter- Solid but unspectacular play. Took care of the ball and hit some jumpers. Exactly what we need

                from him. I really see Porter opening the season at point guard if he isn’t a defensive liability.

Miller/Liggins/Galloway- all three didn’t show too much. Liggins likes to pass and forced a couple that

                weren’t there. Galloway doesn’t strike me as a point guard and unless Miller really steps it up

                once organized play begins I don’t see him in the rotation much once conference play begins.

Donald Williams- was very active. Had a couple nice drives and really likes the fadeaway jumper.

Jon hood- seems to already be a member of the team. Played quite well and has a very sweet jump shot.

                He could contribute to the team this season and I think he is going be one of G’s best recruits

                over the next several years.  I am very excited to see him in blue and white. He lit AJ Stewart  up

in a pregame game of horse (not hard to do). While all them members of the team were in the locker room hood was out on the court by himself getting shots in and really seems to be a good kid who doesn’t let the attention he receives go to his head. I cant say enough how impressed I am with him.

Vee Samford?- is a guard at Lexcath. He’s really tiny but very active, got into the lane several times and

                played quite well. He would get abused in the SEC and according to a friend of mine who has    

                played against him is incredibly streaky. He can go for 40 one game and disappear for the next

                three.  I don’t think UK is recruiting him. I think he was just there playing. \

This is a list of all the players I recognized. There were quite a few that I didn’t. The 2010 guard that looks like Jai Lucas was there but I don’t know his name and didn’t see him play. These games truly were pickup and I don’t think any conclusions about the season can really be drawn from them.  It was really fun getting to see everyone play though. I tried to highlight parts of their games that came through that I think we will see this season on the court. I am pumped up and excited about the Blue/White game. It’s a much better event than midnight madness and I will be there.

This says something to me about how great a player Tayshaun is becoming in the NBA when Joe Dumars says this about you.

Langlois: He’s played almost a season and a half’s worth of games just in the postseason these last six years. To get the chance to play that many postseason games over a six-year span is another benchmark of what you’ve accomplished, isn’t it?

Dumars: This group here, man. … I think also with that, maybe I’m wrong, but hasn’t Tayshaun played in the conference finals every year of his career?

Langlois: Yeah, six for six.

Dumars: This guy has never played in anything less than the final four of the NBA. That’s a pretty good one, too. There are some things going on with this group that are pretty special and I just hope … I hope … I hope people understand that what’s going on with this group is pretty special. Sometimes it gets taken for granted and you just shake your head when it is. This doesn’t happen all the time.

Langlois: Prince’s block on Turkoglu last night – and I just wrote something about this earlier this morning – I think the block on Reggie Miller is going to live longer on the highlight reels because it came out of nowhere and was so unexpected, but for my money this was more impressive. You see dunks blocked by big men sometimes who step away from their man to meet the driver at the rim, but to be on the hip of the guy you’re guarding and take him on at the rim without fouling, to me that topped the Reggie block.

Dumars: This was impressive. Miller never saw it coming. This was a mano-a-mano play. Hedo turned the corner and decided “I’m throwing it down. I’m not going to try to lay it up. I’m not going to try to float it.” And that’s a mano-a-mano thing you say to yourself on the court. And Tayshaun said, “I’ll meet you at the rim.” You have plays like that where both guys make up their mind that “I’m going to impose my will on you.” Hedo made up his mind and Tayshaun made up his mind. Those are the most impressive plays. Because there is no surprise element here. It’s one guy saying, “I’m coming.” And the other guy saying, “OK, I’ll be there.” And that’s impressive.

Langlois: I don’t know if you saw the replays or the great shot in the Free Press this morning – he didn’t come close to fouling him. It was hand on ball, no body, perfectly clean block.

Dumars: To be honest with you, I did not, when it happened live, I did not see what happened. I thought it slipped off his hand or he just missed it off the rim. But when the replay went up, I said, “Oh, my God – he got that.” It was impressive. Very impressive.

Langlois: At this point in last year’s playoffs, after playing very well through the first two rounds, he pretty clearly wore down in the conference finals against Cleveland. He’s going to have some time off now, and that will help, but do you believe there will still be residual benefits for not having played 38, 39, 40 tough minutes virtually every night of the regular season for him?

Dumars: I think there are several factors that are weighing in Tayshaun’s and the team’s favor. One is, no one got worn down during the regular season. Two is, for the first time I can remember in a long time, we’ve taken care of business. We have the benefit of rest heading into the next round. And three is, guys know how this thing unfolded last year. There is a strong reminder there. We took care of business in the first round last year, we went six in the second round, we were sitting as favorites in the conference finals and we didn’t get it done. I think the fact they’ve been rested all season and took care of business here with Orlando and they know what’s at stake here, I think all of that bodes well for Tayshaun and the rest of the guys.