It's That Time Again

Believe it or not, tomorrow is the first game of the season for the University of Kentucky basketball team.  And once it starts, it will go fast -- UK is going to play seven games in November, which must be a record.  The Wildcats feature Tyler Ulis, Alex Poythress, Marcus Lee, and a bunch of young people who are facing an enormous amount of pressure -- as well as one of the hardest schedules I've ever seen: (home games in ALL CAPS):

11/13/2015:  ALBANY
11/14/2015:  NEW JERSEY INST. OF TECH.
11/17/2015:  Duke (Chicago)
11/20/2015:  WRIGHT ST.
11/24/2015:  BOSTON U.
11/27/2015:  S. Florida (Miami)
11/30/2015:  ILLINOIS ST.
12/03/2015: Ucla
12/09/2015:  E. KENTUCKY
12/12/2015:  ARIZONA ST.
12/19/2015:  Ohio St. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
12/26/2015:  LOUISVILLE
01/02/2016:  MISSISSIPPI (conf.)
01/05/2016:  Louisiana St. (conf.)
01/09/2016:  Alabama (conf.)
01/12/2016:  MISSISSIPPI ST. (conf.)
01/16/2016:  Auburn (conf.)
01/21/2016:  Arkansas (conf.)
01/23/2016:  VANDERBILT (conf.)
01/27/2016:  MISSOURI (conf.)
01/30/2016:  Kansas
02/02/2016:  Tennessee (conf.)
02/06/2016:  FLORIDA (conf.)
02/09/2016:  GEORGIA (conf.)
02/13/2016:  S. Carolina (conf.)
02/18/2016:  TENNESSEE (conf.)
02/20/2016:  Texas A & M (conf.)
02/23/2016:  ALABAMA (conf.)
02/27/2016:  Vanderbilt (conf.)
03/01/2016:  Florida (conf.)
03/05/2016:  LOUISIANA ST. (conf.)

This year's conference schedule will not be popular with me, but will be popular with folks who love old-school UK rivalries.  The Cats will play two games each against five of their ancient rivals:  Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Louisiana State, and Alabama.  Not a Texas A & M or Missouri in the bunch.  The Cats will also play at Pauley Pavilion and Phog Allen Field House -- and I'm not sure any school has attempted that double.  Oh, and UK plays Duke in Chicago and Ohio State in Brooklyn.

I'm afraid it may all be too much for me.  But let's hope it's not too much for the Cats.