ASHLAND — Kentucky will beat Louisville tonight because the Wildcats are as unselfish as a pair of shoes sitting in your closet.

You may choose not to wear them today, but that’s OK. They don’t get mad at you. They don’t hold a grudge against the pair you pick. They’ll be right there for you when you want them, fitting just the same.

Kentucky is the flashiest brand of shoe on the market right now. All the cool kids (and the ones really good at basketball) want them.

The Wildcats weren’t so hot when Darius Miller, the state’s Mr. Basketball, chose to play for Kentucky. Of course, it was still Kentucky, but it was a Kentucky program coming off three straight NCAA Tournaments of receiving seeds of No. 8 (with Tubby Smith), No. 8 again (Smith) and No. 11 (with Billy Gillispie).

And then, it was an unenviable berth in the NIT in Miller’s freshman season. It doesn’t get much lower for Kentucky, and much to the pleasure of Cats fans, it didn’t get any lower. In fact, it took a high striker game-like jump and John Calipari was swinging the mallet.

Who stuck through the ride? Miller.

Whose name isn’t announced in the starting lineup despite being Big Blue through and through? Miller.

But the senior, and 2008 graduate of Mason County and a senior member of the Royals’ state championship team that year, couldn’t care less than a pair of shoes in your closet.

These Wildcats, as electrifying and super talented as they may be, are here at least partly because of Miller’s intangible leadership qualities. Yeah, he provides some tangibles too, and he could even be an NBA Draft selection in June, but he’s as unselfish as they come. Therefore, the rest of the team is unselfish. There is a distinct and direct link.

“It’s a tremendous honor having coached Darius Miller,” said Mason County coach Chris O’Hearn. “I was just very fortunate to have not only a great player but a great human being. He’s such an unselfish guy on the floor, and that certainly carries over to his personal life.”

O’Hearn frequently talks to Miller, mostly through congratulatory text messages after each win, and he watched a few of Miller’s games in person this season. O’Hearn was in New Orleans to witness Miller and the Wildcats in the SEC Tournament three weeks ago, but he’ll be tuning into CBS from home tonight at 6.

“(Miller) is a true Kentuckian. He’s done everything the right way since he’s been at UK,” O’Hearn said. “He’s a four-year guy that’s going to graduate on time, and he’s gotten better as a basketball player every year.”

Miller is averaging 10 points per game and shoots 37.8 percent from three-point range. He averages five fewer minutes than he did as a junior (from 31 to 26 per game).

In four NCAA Tournament games, Miller is 17-of-29 shooting.

“His jump shot is so much better and much more consistent,” said O’Hearn, who added that he has been inquired by NBA teams about the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder.

Miller might be the one player who truly understands and appreciates what is about to take place in tonight’s Final Four matchup.

“I think this is the biggest game in the history of our state,” O’Hearn said. “That’s saying a whole lot.”

O’Hearn’s prediction: “Kentucky. I’ll be surprised if it’s under 10.”



Counting Cards

Can you name the six 16th Region high school basketball players (male or female) who went on to play in a Final Four?

Hint: Two of them were Cardinals, two were Wildcats, one was a Hilltopper and finally a Bearcat.

Don’t read on yet ... OK, got them?

They are (high school, college - Final Four year): Earl Adkins (Ashland, Kentucky - 1958); Ralph Davis (Vanceburg, Cincinnati - 1960); Larry Conley (Ashland, Kentucky - 1966); Ray Kleykamp (Ashland, Western Kentucky - 1971); Jeff Hall (Fairview, Louisville - 1986); and Laura Terry (Rose Hill, Louisville - 2009).

Adkins and Hall were the only two to win national titles.

Terry’s younger brother, Mike, was a senior star for Fairview this past season. Mike and Laura are Louisville fans, while their father, also Mike, was a UK fan long before Laura attended Louisville.

While Mike Terry Sr. cheers on both teams, since Laura was and is still a Cardinal (as a graduate assistant coach to the women’s team), there is no question where his allegiance lies tonight.

Mike Jr. likes to egg him on when father and son watch together.

“We’ll probably get into an argument,” said the younger Mike, who capped off a 2,000-point career at Fairview last month. “He’s even left the room a couple times before.”

As for this past week in the Fairview hallways, Mike has received “a lot of crap from a lot of people. But I enjoy it.”

Terry’s prediction: “Louisville by three.”



Sharing love with glove

University of Kentucky’s campus is the epicenter of excitement in the college sports world right now.

The Kentucky women went to the Elite Eight, the men are in the Final Four and the baseball team reeled off 22 consecutive wins to start the season before losing to Tennessee last Friday.

Chandler Shepherd, a Lawrence County product, has excelled as a starting pitcher for UK in his freshman season — the right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.33 ERA in six appearances, including five starts.

After UK swept defending NCAA champion South Carolina, Cliff Hagan Stadium crowds expanded in response.

“It was unbelievable after that series,” Shepherd said.

Commotion has been even more uncontainable this past week, with Kentucky-Louisville captivating an uproarious town and campus.

“It’s been pretty wild,” Shepherd said. “Of course that’s been the talk. Everybody is pretty pumped up.”

Shepherd has a class with a few of the basketball players, adding that “They’re really good players but nice guys too. They support our baseball team.”

Shepherd and the baseball Cats are in Athens, Ga., for the second game of a three-game set against Georgia. Their game starts at 4, and will inevitably run into the basketball game.

Still, Shepherd said, “We will definitely be exposed to the game in some way.”

Shepherd’s prediction: “Kentucky by 10 or 15 points at least.”

As for my prediction, didn’t you catch the first few words of this column? My score: Kentucky 71, Louisville 59.

AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.