Brandon Knight

Kentucky does have a lot of talent despite losing Brandon Knight, Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins to the NBA off last year's Final Four team. So how do media members who cover the Wildcats regularly feel about the season? I asked WLEX-TV sports director Alan Cutler (twitter.com/cutler18), Kentucky radio play-by-play voice Tom Leach (tomleachky.com and twitter @tomleachUK), Kentucky Sports Radio founder and talk show host Matt Jones, WLEX-TV sports anchor Mary Jo Perino, former UK basketball All-American and college basketball analyst Kyle Macy and WLAP-AM sports talk host Dick Gabriel for their thoughts: Question: Do you consider Kentucky a national title contender this year.

LEXINGTON – Kentucky handed East Tennessee State its final loss of the season in the NCAA Tournament last year and gave the Buccaneers their first setback in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at Rupp Arena. East Tennessee returned the core of its lineup from last season, including forward Isiah Brown who had a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds in an 88-65 loss to the Wildcats. Brown scored 11 points against DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson a year ago, but maneuvered better inside the post against Terrence Jones, Josh Harrellson and Elroy Vargas.

Doron Lamb didn’t start in his official college debut, but made a big impact in Kentucky’s season opener Friday night at Rupp Arena. Lamb was one of four players who scored in double figures in the Wildcats’ 88-65 win over East Tennessee State. Lamb started the team’s two exhibition games, but came off the bench and finished with 20 points. Lamb did most of his damage in the opening half and tallied 12 points in 14 minutes, including a pair of 3-pointers and another bucket during a three-minute stretch in the opening half.

John Calipari didn’t know what to expect from his first team at Kentucky. He sure doesn’t know what awaits him this season. “We’re going to start slow,” he said during the team’s annual Media Day festivities Thursday at Memorial Coliseum. “We're going to lose some games early. There are things you’re going to look at, turnovers. We’re not going to be what you think, no high expectations. This year I really mean it.” A year ago, the experience was all new to Calipari, the players and the coaching staff, but the Wildcats lost just three games in 38 tries and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Seven games into the season, North Carolina is struggling to find its niche. The Tar Heels are off to a rare 4-3 start, including a 79-67 setback to Illinois Tuesday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Also included in North Carolina’s stack of setbacks is a loss to Minnesota, led by former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith and Southeastern Conference member Vanderbilt in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Despite North Carolina’s struggles, Kentucky guard Brandon Knight expects a tough encounter when the two teams meet at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Chapel Hill in a game televised nationally on CBS. “It should be a battle, but if we come together we’ll be alright,” said Knight, who is celebrating his 19th birthday today.

LEXINGTON - Brandon Knight has always garnered respect from his teammates. Since returning from Maui, Knight has elevated his status as the team’s floor general, earning the freshman even more praise from the Wildcats. “My teammates have always respected me, even more so, now,” Knight said after he scored 22 points, dished out four assists, collected a steal and didn’t have a turnover in the Wildcats’ 86-62 rout over Pennsylvania on Monday night at Rupp Arena.

LEXINGTON — Kentucky coach John Calipari envisions Darius Miller as an all-conference performer. “There are times he is,” Calipari said. Miller showed why his coach holds him in such high regard during Kentucky’s 78-54 win over Auburn Tuesday night at Rupp Arena. At one time during a timeout, Calipari told his players in the huddle that Miller “won’t do this, this and this when I put him back (in the game).” Miller proved Calipari wrong and was instrumental at various times in the contest, especially in the first half against the Tigers.

Brandon Knight will be making a trip to his home state when Kentucky visits Florida Saturday in Gainesville. Knight, a former standout at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is “happy to be returning close to home,” but is more focused on the task at hand rather than trying to impress family and friends. “My main thing is just trying to win,” he said. “My position right now is to run the team and make sure we’re in position to win games.

NEWARK, N.J. – Terrence Jones is concerned with numbers right now. He’s just worried about winning. “I didn’t have that well of an offensive game that everybody wanted and coach (John Calipari) wanted, but I still had fun, playing with everybody. It was just real fun just playing out there as a team and everybody getting after it together. It was just fun.” Although Jones didn’t have his best offensive showing Friday night, it was enough to keep Kentucky alive in the NCAA Tournament.