UK starts season 0-2.... sad we are living in these times

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=881055

Lexington, Ky. - Patrick Patterson simply decided it was time that "hassle" described defensive pressure, that "pick" was something done to help free a teammate for an open shot and that "blowing out" was the sweet sensation of Kentucky routing the enemy.

Sounds simple, but that wasn't always the case thanks to the sophomore's impossible-to-ignore Afro hairstyle, which generated a buzz when he had it lopped off last week.

"It was just too much of a hassle, just too much work," Patterson said. "Always having to pick it out and keep it neat. Instead of using a towel, you have to use a blow dryer to blow it out. I just thought it was time for me to go back to the regular look."

The reason is a mild bout with superstition. Patterson began the season with the new hairdo and Kentucky promptly lost both its games, a home-court shocker to VMI and a national television blitzing at North Carolina.



Sophomore Patrick Patterson cut off his Afro after Kentucky began this season 0-2.
"We started off slow this year and I figured it was because of the Afro," Patterson said. "It was a huge distraction so I just decided to get rid of it."

That was Wednesday. Three days later, Kentucky routed Delaware State 71-42, showing glimpses of a suffocating defense and a versatile offense heretofore hidden, perhaps in the shadow of the 'fro. … Seriously.

"It was probably somewhat of a distraction for me," Patterson admitted. "I may have been concentrating more on my hair."

Though not criminal, it's certainly believable. We tend to forget that under the armor that is Patterson's phenomenal basketball talent beats the heart of a 19-year-old. His Afro was unique and a popular novelty that drew even more attention to the Kentucky standout. Compound that with Patterson being plastered on every preseason magazine to stream off a printing press, persistent chatter about whether he might jump to the NBA after one more winter and the stage was set to lose focus on the target, if only ever so slightly.

Coach Billy Gillispie had cautioned Patterson – "All I've ever said about that is to make sure your focus is on your play and not elsewhere – but denied there was ever a problem.

"If he had left his hair," the coach said, "I'm sure Patrick would have played the same way because he approaches it the right way."

Still, Gillispie was happy with the change.

"I went straight to Coach G's office," Patterson said, "and he was like,'Is the reason you cut it because of me?' I said no and he started laughing and said, 'I like it. You look better.'

"The coaches love it. Teammates love it. Mom and dad love it, especially mom. She's wanted it cut for a while. My dad was fine, he didn't care."

The only person distraught was the barber.

"He was real disappointed," Patterson said. "He said, 'You just want me to line it up?' And I said, 'No, cut it off.' He was like, 'What?'" Then he said, 'You want me to keep the clippings?' I said, 'No, just throw them away. They're probably on eBay somewhere."

Another segment sure to be troubled is the UK fan base, particularly those behind a grassroots campaign to have T-shirts made in honor of Patterson.

"Yeah, I guess I killed the 'Fear the 'Fro,'" he said with a smile. "I was on the message boards and it was crazy. And people were all over my Facebook page asking if it was true?"

The idea originated last summer, a bet between Patterson and A.J. Stewart over who could grow their hair the longest.

"We kept it going over the summer, but then A.J. wanted to get his cut," Patterson said. "I wanted to keep going."

And he did, despite the nicknames that evolved in the locker room like "Shaft" and "Q-Tip."

"Finally, I decided to get rid of it. I told my teammates that I was going to get it cut and they were like, 'No you're not, you're going to keep it.' But we had a day off and after classes I just did it."

The only tangible drawback to Patterson's decision is that there may come a day when choosing his hairstyle may not be an option.

"My dad is bald. My grandfather is bald. My uncle is bald," Patterson said with a twinge of melancholy. "I've got a lot of bald people in my family, and one day it's probably going to come get me."