I am sure Coach Cal will not be taking South Carolina lightly after the shocking loss to the Gamecocks two years ago.  I still blame the distraction of Obama (just kidding).  Even with the loss two years ago when UK went in to South Carolina ranked #1 and having a very young team, things are very different this year.  Sure things may look them same on the surface as the Cats are #1 and they do have a very young team, BUT this team is different.  You also notice that South Carolina has a different team….no Devan Downey.  Downey put up 30 points against the Cats….I vaguely remember him shooting 5o shots (9-29 FG’s, 10-11 FT’s) to get his 30 and the national media talking like he was the greatest player ever.

I was at the game sitting in a similar spot as I was at the Indiana game, right in front of the student section.  I can still hear that ridiculously annoying song “Sandstorm” playing over and over and over and over.  The crowd was good and when they won the game I can still see the stupid fan who thought it was a good idea to run up to DeMarcus Cousins and have some words with him.  I will say it was very similar to the situation that I saw when UK beat South Carolina in football and a UK fan ran out and starting yelling at Garcia (the South Carolina QB).  The only difference was the UK actually slapped Garcia on the helmet and Garcia pushed him back.  Why do fans feel the need to get in an athletes face?  Fans…..YOU ARE FANS!!!! You have no business on the field or court and if you decide to get brave and mouth off to a huge athlete then you are playing at your own risk.  I don’t condone athletes reacting to fans but that all changes when you get in a players face or go where you are not supposed to go.

Could we see a repeat of two years ago tomorrow?  Anything is possible, it certainly does not look like South Carolina has much of a chance if any at all, but who would have picked Oklahoma State to beat Missouri?  I’m still not sold on Missouri but I definitely don’t think they should have lost to a pretty pathetic Oklahoma State team.  Anyone in the country could lose to any conference team on the road.  Tomorrow’s game does have a different feel to it than road games in the past as the Cats played their first two games being ranked #1 this second time on the road.  They played well and were able to return to Rupp as the #1 team.  After dominating Tennessee and listening to the Vols complain about fouls, I believe this team is ready to hit the road again.

Marquis Teague is playing really good basketball right now and I believe that is the key.  Davis will be there every game even if he isn’t scoring the ball well.  You know you are always going to have altered shots, rebounds and effort from Davis every single game.  Gilchrist is the same way as Davis in that it doesn’t really matter how he contributes because you know he is going to give you 100% effort every single time he plays.  Darius Miller had two really good road games last week but did not shoot the ball as well against Tennessee but he looks like the Darius that we have all been waiting to see this season.  I think Darius will have a big game tomorrow.  Doron Lamb is just always there but I still want to see more out him.  I think Lamb needs to find that groove that he had earlier this season.  Jones seems to finding his way out the funk that he was in for so long and I think all of Big Blue Nation is excited to see that.  Wiltjer has helped out a lot lately and surprisingly with his defense.  He is learning that being in the right spot has a lot to do with defending.  Kyle is not fast by any means but he has worked to be in good defensive position which can make up for his lack of speed and quickness.  The one thing I love about Wiltjer’s game is that he can shoot the ball anytime he gets it.  I can’t wait to see him the next couple of years as his playing time increases.

All in all I am not worried about South Carolina, but the Cats will have to play.  Just because you are playing a mediocre team at best doesn’t mean you don’t play with same intensity as you did against a rival like Tennessee.  I feel the keys to the game are Davis doing what he does best and Darius continuing to play at a high level.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior captain Rachel Riley was selected as one of the 50 players for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year “Watch List” it was announced Wednesday. This marks the first such honor of the Bowling Green, Ky., native’s career, and a first for the UK program since Molly Johnson was a member of the prestigious list in 2010.

“It’s really cool to see individuals outside the program start to notice what a major contributor Riley has been to softball over the past three seasons,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said. “And, I consider it quite an honor for her and the program that she is being mentioned among such an outstanding list of athletes.”

Now in its 11th year, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, given by the National Governing Body for softball in the United States, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.

The pre-season “Watch List” includes 23 seniors, 20 juniors and seven sophomores, with freshman ineligible for consideration. (Freshman can be considered for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level.) Athletes named to the “Watch List” represent 31 NCAA Division I universities and 13 athletic conferences.

Riley is a top-flight pitcher and one of the most threatening returning offensive weapons to the 2012 Wildcat squad. The senior owns more than 30 pitching victories in three seasons and as a junior batted .354 with 13 extra base hits and 28 RBI.

The Top 25 Finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 11. While an athlete does not have to be on the “Watch List” to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced May 9 and the Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 23. On May 29 prior to the start of the 2012 NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.

Earlier this week Riley was named to the preseason All-Southeastern Conference squad as selected by the league’s coaches. She was a 2011 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Southeast Region first team selection as a utility player after engineering her most explosive season in the Blue and White in helping lead UK to a school-best 40 victories and a Super Regional appearance.

MCCARTHY TABBED PRESEASON FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC
UK Senior Third Baseman Hit .411 in SEC Play as a Junior

Kentucky opens its 2012 season on Feb. 17 at Spartanburg, S.C., facing Wofford at 4 p.m. ET in the season lidlifter.