As I’m sure most of you have heard by now (if only because I won’t shut up about it), I spent last weekend traveling to Kentucky, to cover a UK basketball game for the esteemed website, KentuckySportsRadio.com.

My job was to capture the essence of Rupp Arena from an outsider, non-UK, first-time visitor perspective, and hopefully I fulfilled that goal. I ended up writing two columns, one on my experience at Rupp, the second on all the peripheral things that happened while I was in Kentucky (and believe me, there were a lot of them).

Anyway, while it’s one thing to put these experiences into words, it’s quite another to actually see them with your own eyes. Which is why in addition to the writing I did, I also decided it might be a good idea to add a picture show to along with the words I’ve already written.

Just one quick note before we get started: I’ve got a smartphone, and for those of you who’ve got them yourselves, well, you know that the batteries on those things suck. A lot. So with that said, there are some big gaps in the picture-taking process. I jump from one subject to another, pretty quickly, although for the most part, I got the pictures that I wanted.

Otherwise, sit back, relax and enjoy my Kentucky picture show:

 

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Well hello everyone! Hope everybody is doing well, and getting through these cold winter months. Luckily, Charlie Weis just saw his shadow yesterday, which means it’s only six more weeks of winter!

(Kidding of course)

Anyway, I wanted to pop in with some quick news: Aaron Torres Sports is hitting the road! I am happy to announce that next weekend I will be leaving the cold Connecticut winter for the equal cold of the Southern Midwest, when I travel to…Lexington, KY!

That’s right, I will be going down to the Bluegrass State, and crossing a big thing off my Sports Bucket List, when I make it to my first game at Rupp Arena to watch Kentucky take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in hoops. And personally, I couldn’t be more excited.

Now to give you a little background on everything, the whole idea got hatched a short time before Thanksgiving. As you may remember, Kentucky was playing in a preseason tournament in Connecticut, and at the time, I had a chance to chat with Matt Jones, the head man over at Kentucky Sports Radio, who was in town for the event. Apparently he liked me (why, I have no idea), and pitched me an idea: If I wanted, I could come down to Kentucky at some point and cover a game for his website KSR, with the goal of giving an “outsiders view,” of the whole “Kentucky experience.” And when the opportunity was offered, well, I jumped on it faster than John Calipari does when a seven-footer says “I think I want to take an unofficial visit to Lexington.” From there, it was just about dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s with Matt, and here I am, one week away from fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Of course it’s important to note that basketball is only a part of the Kentucky Experience (a big part yes, but just a part), which is why I am writing this post. Because even though my first priority is covering this game (and doing it to the 100 percent best of my abilities), I still want the chance to meet as many of you as I can. As I’ve learned through the years, if Kentucky does one thing better than basketball it’s actually hospitality, which is why I invite you all to come hang out. The KSR crew has a lot of actual job responsibilities, and the last thing I’d ever do is keep them from those. Therefore, I’m counting on all of you to come, hang and show me around town.

While there is no set itinerary, here is loosely how my plans are laid out:

I fly into Louisville about mid-day Thursday, and plan on hanging there for the rest of the afternoon and into Friday morning. It is my hope to check out the KSR radio show, as well as the TV side of things, and since both are based in Louisville, that seems like a good jumping off point.

However, I won’t be in Louisville for long, and plan on hopefully heading to Lexington mid-day Friday. While I have no plans for the early afternoon (other than to check into my hotel), the owner of Rafftery’s Restaurant and Bar (on Alysheba Way) has already invited me out to dinner on Friday, and I plan on taking full advantage.

That is of course where you all come in.

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As things stand, the 2011-2012 UConn Huskies stand to shatter the unofficial record for “most schizophrenic team” in modern program history (not to mention, team that causes the most casual fans to develop a drinking problem, too).

There really is no easy to describe them. They’re neither good nor bad, disappointing nor overachieving. They are nowhere close to reaching their potential, with a real possibility looming that they never will. And unlike past teams, there is no easily explainable way to figure out why that is. The 2012 Huskies seem to have good chemistry, seem to get along and seem to all be good kids. Yet at the same time something definitely seems to be off.

What that something is, is of course anyone’s guess. What I can tell you is that we’re one game away from the half-way point of the regular season, and I’ve got more questions on this team than I did in September. In no particular order, I want to know who’s this team’s leader; how will they handle a hostile road environment or elite team; and really, what’s their best lineup?

Above all, that last one is my biggest fear. We’re now 14 games in, and I get the sense that no one on the team has any idea what the rotations are, or how they fit in to what the team is doing. Because of it, it’s led to some confusing efforts, and even more confusing losses. Yes, I’m talking about Tuesday night at Seton Hall.

Regardless, what I can say is that after half the season, I have no handle on this team whatsoever. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing on January 6, it could be if it's still an issue on February 6.

In an attempt to make some sense of it all, I’ve decided to hand out some midseason report cards. Below I’ve given a grade to pretty much each player on the team. While I can’t say it gave me any more clarity on what’s gone on this season, it has at least cleared some of the cobwebs out of my head.

Let’s take a look:

 

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One of the best parts of the holiday season is without a doubt the laziness it encourages. These last few days really have been the first time in all of 2011 I’ve had the chance to sit back, relax and not stress about all the little things. Yesterday in specific was an impressive first for me; I slept in late, and still had time for an afternoon nap. In between, I spent the rest of the day catching on every Kardashian-themed show I could find on TV, and generally, just lying around in my own squalor. To which I must say: If that isn’t heaven, I’m not quite sure what might be.

But beyond keeping up with the Kardashians and taking on the sleep patterns of a male lion, I did something else that was at least semi-interesting. I watched a college basketball practice.

Please understand that this wasn’t a particularly special practice. It didn’t have lights and pyrotechnics like Midnight Madness, and wasn’t one of those free-flowing open practices you get at the Final Four. Nope, instead, it was a regular practice, on a regular day, in a seemingly regular season for the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program. The practice had real drills, in real preparation for a real game.

Of course there was one difference from that practice and all others before or since it. That difference was that this practice streamed live online, allowing thousands of other couch-dwelling, college hoops fans to check in, and check out what the Wildcats were doing. As best I can tell, it’s the first time a college basketball program has ever done such a thing, and once again proved something I’ve been saying for years: When it comes to the promotion and marketing of his program, John Calipari really is miles ahead of the pack.

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One of the biggest complaints about my college basketball coverage here at Aaron Torres Sports goes a little something like this: Geez Aaron, all you ever do is talk about Kentucky!! You love them. You’re a closet fan. Why don’t you and John Calipari just go get married or something!

Ok, so maybe no one has actually called me out on that last one. But the first three are definitely in play.

But with that, let’s get one thing straight: I’m not a Kentucky fan, I’m a UConn fan. A big one actually. As a matter of fact, when UConn and Kentucky get on the court together (which has happened a lot recently), I root for UConn. Every…single…time. Promise.

Of course with that said, it doesn’t mean that I can’t have respect for Kentucky, because frankly, I do. The truth is, I find the program and the fans fascinating, and most importantly, I actually like John Calipari a lot. I know that sounds blasphemous, but to quote every 16-year-old girl in America, "Whatever, I don't care what you think!" I like Cal a lot, and give him credit for doing things his way, and not listening to the outsiders. I give him credit for taking already skilled players, and milking every last ounce of talent out of them (who saw Eric Bledsoe as a Top 20 pick after one year?). And really, doesn’t that NCAA Tournament resume speak for itself at this point? Those six straight Sweet 16’s don’t lie. Neither do five Elite Eight’s in six years. Basically, I have respect for Calipari in the same way I’ve got respect for Nick Saban or Les Miles. Just because they’re not my coach (like Jim Calhoun is), doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate them. Ya know?

Ok, so now that I’ve gotten my little John Calipari soliloquy out of the way, let’s talk some hoops. As you may have heard, there was a pretty game this weekend, and to anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve got plenty of thoughts on it.

Here are a six-pack of takeaways on one of the most impressive early season college hoops games I’ve seen in years, Carolina and Kentucky.

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In the interest of full-disclosure, I’m just going to throw this out there: Up until about 10 days ago, I had absolutely no idea that the Kentucky Wildcats, the No. 2 ranked team in all of college basketball, were playing a weekend tournament at the Mohegan Sun Casino, which is about an hour from my house. Actually, in the interest of full-disclosure, I didn’t even know that there was a college basketball tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena at all, and even after I saw “Kentucky” as the headliner, had to verify that it wasn’t indeed a women’s tournament. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Still, it’s not often that the No. 2 team in the country shows up in your neck of the woods, and since it might turn out to be the only chance I get to see Kentucky in person all season, I decided to make the drive down.

Here are Ten Takeaways I had after watching their 62-52 win over Old Dominion Sunday.

1. Kentucky’s Upside Is Terrifying: Alright, so let’s start with the obvious and say that Sunday’s game against Old Dominion wasn’t pretty. You know that. I know that. My three-year-old niece who thinks “Kentucky” is a character on Sesame Street knows that. At times it was ugly, at times it was sloppy, and at times it was more WWE than CBB. Oh, the beauty of November college basketball, huh?

Except there are some other truths too.

The first is that after seeing them in person, I absolutely believe Old Dominion is one of the 25 best teams in college basketball right now. Will they be ranked there anytime soon? Of course not. They play in a small conference, aren’t a recognizable brand name (like Butler or Gonzaga), and have already lost two games, to two really good teams. So instead of ranking them, we’ll do what we always do instead, which is most likely plop some slow-footed Big Ten team into Old Dominion's place, then act surprised when the Monarchs beat them by 15 points in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Again, that's just how the system works.

And you know what? I don’t care. I’ve been watching hoops my whole life, and I know a Top 25 team when I see one. Old Dominion is one. They’re long, they’re athletic, they have playmakers, and most of all, had the swagger of a Top 25 team yesterday afternoon. Yes they were overwhelming underdogs, yes they were playing the No. 2 team in the country, and it didn’t faze them in the least. From warm-ups, through the opening tip all the way until the end, Old Dominion carried themselves like they thought they belonged on the court with Kentucky, which in it's own way is half the battle. As a matter fact, from what I’ve seen early, I’m comfortable saying that of everyone in the SEC besides Kentucky, only Florida, Vanderbilt and Alabama are as good as Old Dominion. That’s it. And, had the Wildcats beaten any of those teams by 10 points on a neutral court yesterday, nobody would’ve said a peep. But because it was Old Dominion, because they’re from the CAA, everyone is trying to look too much into it. Which they shouldn’t.

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Of all my columns, the one which I enjoy writing the most is usually my Sunday morning college football recap. Sure I spend way too much time overthinking everything. Sure barely anyone reads it. And yes, it usually leads to a fight with my girlfriend, since I’m always pushing off seeing her on Sunday afternoons. Whatever, I enjoy writing it. It’s just a nice way to get a lot of my thoughts out of my head, and onto paper, after spending entirely too much time on the couch the previous day.

And today, I’ve decided to write a similar column after Tuesday’s 24-hour college hoops tip-off marathon. I’d be lying if I said I watched all 24 hours (I value my sleep way too much) or even most of them (a guy’s gotta pay the bills after all), but I did watch enough to get a good feel for some of the teams that we replaying, and where  I think they stand in the college basketball hierarchy.

Here are some of my takeaways I have from Tuesday.

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I already know what you’re thinking. “Another 68 Reasons article, Torres? Really bro? Every website in the country has already done one of these lists. You’re two days late and a dollar short. Get some creativity. Jerk.”

To which I’d respond, whoa, what’s with the name calling?

In all seriousness though, I know I’m a bit late to the fold, as the folks at major media outlets and independent blogs have run similar lists all week long in the lead-up to the season. I get that. But this column has also been a staple of Aaron Torres Sports dating back the days before this was even a real site (the original list premiered when I was a contributor at a place called HoopsAddict.com in 2008), and as I’ve explained in previous years, the fun in doing this ever year is to use it as a barometer, and see how far I’ve come over the previous 365 days. Not just in who I’ve met, and how my writing has improved, but also with where I’m at in my career.

So yes, I am a day late, and a dollar short (what can I say, blogging doesn’t pay much), but I’m going to give this list to you anyway. Besides the fact that we are in for an extra special year, college hoops is the sport I grew up with, the sport I defend, and one of the two sports (along with college football) that I truly do love more than life itself. I can imagine my life without a lot of things. College basketball isn’t one of them.

So go ahead and buckle in, and enjoy the ride. Whether you wanted 68 more reasons to be excited for college basketball season is kind of irrelevant, since I’m going to give them to you anyway.

Enjoy.

 

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Of all my early memories as a sports fan, none is more vivid than the 1996 college basketball season. Sure, I liked sports before then, but I can’t say I remember anything quite as clearly as I do that particular sport, in that particular year. To say I enjoyed college basketball that winter would be an understatement; I consumed it, like Rex Ryan gobbling up tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. The names and faces and teams are still so clear, in a weird way it’s kind of scary.

Reflecting back, it’s not hard to see why I enjoyed that particular college basketball season so much; the sport was stocked with more talent than a party at the Playboy Mansion. In no particular order, here were a few of the guys who were some of college basketball’s best players that season: Marcus Camby at UMass; Allen Iverson at Georgetown; UConn’s Ray Allen; Tim Duncan at Wake Forest; Keith Van Horn at Utah; Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce at Kansas; Steve Nash at Santa Clara. On and on it went, with the 1996 college basketball season stockpiling maybe the best draft in NBA history the following spring, and filling up All-Star rosters for the next decade.

Above all though, that entire 1996 season was about the Kentucky Wildcats, a team that only continues to take on more mythical proportions as the years pass. They were the single greatest college basketball team of my lifetime, a rare confluence of talent (eight players were drafted off that team) and coaching (Rick Pitino in his absolute peak of his powers), at the most prestigious program in the sport. There has never been- nor I doubt ever will be- anything quite like that team again, as Kentucky not only went on to win the 1996 National Championship, but also play in the next two National Championship games, taking home the 1998 title (That's right, the Wildcats were one win away from taking home three straight titles). But still, 1996 was the apex of that run. When I asked my buddy Chris from Louisville about it, he said it was “The most anticipated Kentucky season I ever remember. It was championship or bust.”

And with all that as a background, I’m guessing by now you’re probably only thinking one thing: “Aaron, why are you bringing up a random team, from a random college basketball season that was almost 20 years ago, and meant little to anyone besides you and Kentucky fans?”

Well, good question, and the answer is simple. It’s that as college basketball teams get set to tip off their first practices Friday night, I firmly believe that we are entering the most talent-rich season since that 1996 campaign.

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Late August and early September are supposed to be college football’s time. Nobody’s arguing that. With games now just days away, fans everywhere are spending this weekend doing all the little things needed to be get ready for next weekend. Stuff like cleaning off the grill, seasoning their burgers, and actually spending time with their significant others. If only so their wives won’t bother them about it next weekend.

But college hoops? Forget college hoops. At this point in the year, most college hoops fans are in a late-summer hibernation, just mentally counting down the days until mid-October. Right now, there is barely anything newsworthy happening in college basketball at all. Let alone anything capable of stealing front page headlines.

Only that’s exactly what happened late Friday night, when college basketball was shaken to the core. That’s when Andre Drummond, regarded by nearly everyone as the top high school player in the country heading into the fall, committed to play at UConn…effective immediately. Like this season. Like, he’s probably moving into Storrs as we speak. Understand, this isn’t only news, or even headline news. It’s earth-shattering, National-Championship-altering kinda stuff.

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