Leon Buchanan News

John Calipari has proven he can coach winners. Coming off two disappointing seasons, Kentucky has put a lot of money in his hands to bring his talent to Lexington and restore its program to its glory days.

In expressing his wariness going into the opening game, Kentucky Coach John Calipari noted that Morehead State is an NCAA Tournament team.

North Carolina's Marcus Ginyard, who missed last season as a medical redshirt, returns for his senior year to help lead the Tar Heels' defense of their 2009 national championship.

Kenneth Faried is a low-key big man on Morehead State's campus. He thinks of himself as a regular student, but the 6-foot-8 junior forward is far from that.

MOREHEAD, Ky.a 'Morehead State men's basketball has been chosen as Ohio Valley Conference preseason co-champions and Eagle junior Kenneth Faried has been selected as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year.

When Kentucky officially unveils its 2009-10 basketball schedule Thursday night it will contain few surprises except, perhaps, for one slight eyebrow raiser.

Editor's note: This is the second in an occasional series this summer looking at college sports in the commonwealth at schools other than Kentucky and Louisville.

The game is on Friday 13th. It will be the first game of the John Calipari era. Yes, you could say Morehead State Coach Donnie Tyndall wanted to play Kentucky in the worst way.