Just when Kentucky moved up to #54 in RPI, sitting at 11-3 in the SEC (side note: no BCS conference school with a conference record that good has EVER been left out of the tournament), and is making the most improbable move into an At-Large Tourney bid, I see this headline staring me in the face on ESPN.com (not to mention an exasperated e-mail waiting from my dad):

"Kentucky phenom Patterson out rest of season"

Talk about life not being fair: this kid came to help resurrect the program, worked his ass off, plays harder than just about anyone in the country, never ever bitches about anything (which he easily could have during the disastrous beginning of the season), says over and over that he is going to stay in college until he graduates (despite already being projected as a Top 20 pick THIS year), finally sees this team get over the hump and is among the leaders responsible for making them one of the best teams in the SEC...then gets a stress fracture two days before the biggest game of the year at Knoxville.

Unbelievable.

Here's to wishing a speedy recovery for "P-Patt," and a sincere thanks for being the only thing that consistently made me (and all Kentucky fans) believe that this season could be turned around, even in the bleakest of times. What a bummer.

And with that, for the first time since I can remember, I suddenly don't care about March Madness anymore. Could Kentucky still get there? Yes, finishing out the season 2-1 (the loss being Sunday at Tennessee) and probably winning their opening-round SEC tourney game. But without Patterson, that looks pretty bleak, even with a favorable schedule.

This is an absolute Level 5 Stomach Punch. That's it, Sports Gods. You got me. I give up.

Labels: College Basketball, Cruel Fate, Patrick Patterson, Shit., University of Kentucky