Column: Deep March run by Cats could send two players to the NBA

Fresh off a thrashing of border-rival Tennessee on Saturday, the Cats are faced with a developing scenario concerning their two best players.

Think ahead for a minute.

Imagine if UK built on the blowout victory over Tennessee, established some positive momentum and headed into postseason play clicking on all cylinders. Now imagine if junior guard Jodie Meeks were to continue his season-long scoring outburst to lead the Cats to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The added attention Meeks would garner along the way in leading the NCAA all-time wins leader to a second or third weekend appearance in the tournament would only enhance his player of the year candidacy.

UK has never had a Wooden Award winner. If Meeks were to become the first, his place in UK history would be cemented next to the names of Issel, Givens, Macy and Mashburn.

But before you get too giddy at the prospects of the player of the year wearing UK blue think about the other consequences of such an honor.

The added attention from a postseason run and a Wooden Award might be just enough to rocket Meeks up the NBA draft board and out of Lexington a year early.

Now imagine if sophomore forward Patrick Patterson carried UK to a couple of tournament victories. After facing the brunt of opponent’s defenses for the entire season, suffering through a second injury absence in as many years and taking a back seat to the Meeks highlight show, Patterson says ‘thanks for all your help, but I think I’ve learned all I can in college’ and accompanies Meeks to the NBA.

Suddenly the Big Blue horizon isn’t as bright.

Both players have reaffirmed their promise to be four-year players during their time here. But in these difficult economic times, anyone who says the money an NBA contract would provide either player isn’t a strong temptation isn’t being honest.

In www.NBADraft.net’s (a Web site that compiles reports from NBA scouts to constantly update a draft projection) latest mock draft, Patterson went 19th and Meeks 33rd. If those are the projections for the dynamic duo following the season, Big Blue Nation can probably breathe a little easier as it worries about a possible double-defection.

The smart money here is that Patterson doesn’t leave if he’s not assured of being a lottery pick, and Meeks doesn’t leave if he’s still projected in the second round.

The fate of the 2008-2009 Cats will be decided in the final two weeks of the season, but the final four games and any post-season play could have much further reaching effects on the UK program.

Sure 2009-2010 freshmen standouts Daniel Orton and Jon Hood might be the Patterson/Meeks combo of the future, but a team that counts as heavily on freshmen contributions as UK would without Meeks and Patterson would be asking for trouble.

Just ask DeAndre Liggins how much the publicity a highly touted freshman gathers before he arrives on campus matters after he actually laces his shoes up for the first time.

The dynamic duo isn’t without reasons to return to UK for another season. A UK team with Meeks and Patterson to go with Orton, Hood and the UK role players who have shown their capability in stepping up recently would be hard to stop next season.

Meeks could finish in the top five in UK’s all-time scoring list and Patterson could go down as UK’s best post-player since Jamal Mashburn.

The final weeks of the season won’t be the only factor in the duo’s decisions, but you would have to imagine a boost to their NBA-draft stocks might make the decisions a little easier.

As former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards famously proclaimed, “You play to win the game.” The Cats will undoubtedly being doing just that as this season comes to a close.

If the UK team from Saturday’s game against Tennessee shows up for the rest of the season, a deep run into the NCAA tournament isn’t that crazy of an idea. But just remember to ask yourself an important question.

How long of a run is long enough to justify losing the Cats’ two biggest stars?