As the Kings prepare to take on the Rockets for the first time since the two teams completed a six-player trade on Feb. 20, Head Coach Keith Smart knows Patrick Patterson, Toney Douglas and Cole Aldrich will be eager to shine against their former squad.
“No matter how you try to say, ‘It's just another basketball game,' especially when you just left a team … (you've) circled the game on (your) mental calendar because it's just the nature (of players and coaches),” said Smart.
Leading up to the contest, Patterson – who's stayed in touch with many of his ex-teammates – is focused on not allowing his emotions cloud his performance.
“If you make a mistake of longing for it, wanting it more than other games, you tend to do things you normally don't do throughout the game,” explained No. 9.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.