Just when we all fall in love with John Calipari and all the wonderful riches he is bringing to the bluegrass state, that sneaky Patrick Patterson comes back with a press conference and leaves us all grinning and amused with his flattering words and his undying love for Kentucky Basketball and its fans.

Wow coach it looks like you have some competition for being the most loved guy on campus! Patterson coming back to Kentucky or staying (however you look at it), is exactly the kind of thing that wins over a fan base.

Patterson could have leaped out into the world of easy money and fast cars, but chose to stay in school where he will earn his degree in only his third year and instantly become a fan favorite on one of the most talked about teams in a long, long time.

Patterson has already proved his ability to play the game of basketball and was being projected in the first round of the NBA Draft! That’s guaranteed money! Instead he followed his heart back to The University of Kentucky and for that he will be loved forever.

Although Kentucky has several top ranked players coming in next season with three five stars and two four star players and they do not have to have the powerfull inside presence of Patterson to be a good team, he brings so much more to the table than athletic ability.

Patterson is a mature young man with all kinds of leadership ability and has something no coach in america (not even the great Calipari) can teach and that’s heart.

I along with thousands of Kentucky fans hope Jodie Meeks follows suit and comes back for his senior season. Those two young men deserve better than what the program has given them in the past and it’s time they made it right. Watching Patterson and Meeks smiling and laughing all the way to the final four next season would erase the last two years of pain and embarrassment they had to go through.

If nothing else Meeks should come back just to make the trip to Knoxville one more time with his Kentucky jersey on so all the fans can stare at him and remember the night that ESPN will not let them forget anytime soon. Besides I’m sure Bruce Pearl would like to have an autograph from the guy that holds the scoring record in Thompson-Boling Arena.

If Meeks decides to come back the Cats should be a pre-season top 10 ranked team. If they manage to land the top point guard in the nation, they should make the top 5. Either way the Cats are shaping up to be a very exciting team to watch next season.

History? Check. Fans? Check. Coach? Check. Recruits? Check. Patterson (heart)? Check. Meeks?