WINDSOR, ONTARIO – With two months to go before the official start of the 2010-11 college basketball season, John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats got a head start on the competition with a trip to Canada for three games at the St. Denis Centre. After two weeks of preparation and three contests in the past 42 hours, here is some of what we learned:

• The returnees and the newcomers have meshed well in short time. Veteran leadership will come from a bulked-up Darius Miller and the ever-tenacious DeAndre Liggins. Frehsman point guard Brandon Knight appears ready to continue the incredible run of Coach Calipari’s vaunted point guards. His 31-point debut on Sunday night against Windsor gave the Big Blue Nation a satisfying taste of the speedy youngster’s abilities.

• Coach Calipari is a Tim Hortons convert. Forever a Dunkin’ Donuts loyalist, Coach Cal made several visits to the Tim Hortons located a few steps from the team hotel and he seems hooked. The bad news is there are currently only three of the shops in Kentucky. The good news is that two are in Ashland, where Coach Cal will take his “Bounce Back” paperback tour on September 6.

• Both Jon Hood and Josh Harrelson have benefited from their summer sojourn to China. Hood is more confident and game-ready and said as much during Sunday’s post-game: “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he said. Harrelson displayed improved interior play and a tenacity that Coach Calipari will look for in every practice and game.

• There is no doubt the trip will be provide dividends in-season and beyond. Short-handed and lacking true big men beyond Harrelson, the Cats gave Calipari evidence that his discussion of a four-guard line-up isn’t all that far-fetched. “You have to understand that we were able to do what we did in three games, over 42 hours with basically eight players,” Coach Calipari said. “Terrence Jones was out for most of the first game and I thought everyone stepped up. That’s a good sign.”

• Doron Lamb is going to live up to Coach’s nickname of “Buckets.” He can fill it up and he also showed some promising slashing ability, especially on Tuesday. Likewise, Stacey Poole displayed the athleticism that had Coach Calipari raving during the early practices. Walk-on Jarrod Polson offered valuable bench minutes for the 8-man Cats and it’s easy to see why Coach Cal thinks he may be the best walk-on he’s had.

• Coach Calipari told everyone he expected the team to be wrong about 70 percent of the time as they get a feel for the Dribble Drive and what Coach Cal is trying to accomplish with it. That may be true, but the encouraging thing in Windsor was that turnovers were consistently low as the Cats took care of the ball and also showed a propensity for taking it away from the opposition.

• It’s AUGUST people! “I can’t believe I’m coaching in August,” Coach Cal said. “It’s too early for me to be going nuts on the sideline!” Translation: The Canada trip will undoubtedly prove to be an important building block for the 2010-11 Wildcats. But the team is FAR from a finished product and there will be bumps in the road. “I have to again remind everyone,” Coach Cal said. “Enjoy the path.”

So far, the Big Blue Nation, is skipping down the yellow Brick Road toward Houston!

Bests and Worsts:

Best Dunk – Brandon Knight’s breakaway dunk over the Windsor big man on Tuesday morning. The bucket and the free throw gave UK a 37-27 lead and the goal didn’t stop shaking for three full possessions.

Worst Explanation to a Border Guard – On the return from the Samaritan’s Feet event in Detroit, assistant Coach John Robic replied to a guard’s question of what the team was doing in the Motor City with this: “We were washing feet.” Oddly, the border guard seemed to understand and the bus proceeded back into Canada.

Best National Anthems Rendition: The young lady who sang both the American and Canadian anthems on Monday and Tuesday. Aside from a minor slip where she had “stars bursting in air” the girl offered both anthems in fine form and threw in the French version of ‘Oh Canada’ for good measure. Impressive.

Young Haley was the cutest little girl in all of Canada over the weekend

Best Little Cheerleader: With the Wildcat cheer squad home for the summer, young Haley (along with Windsor Lancer lil ‘un Sierra) picked up the slack during Tuesday’s halftime and showed the championship form we expect from our cheerleaders.

Worst Time to Play a Game: 11 a.m. after a 9:30 finish the prior night, as the Cats had on Tuesday. In the NBA, they call it getaway day and 9 times out of 10, the road team is too tired to compete and too anxious to get home. It didn’t have a huge effect on UK, but let’s just say that the entire traveling party will sleep well on Tuesday night.

Best Hotel Staff: Holiday Inn Select workers – especially on the catering side – were unbelievable throughout the Cats’ stay. Thanks, folks – you put the “Win” in Windsor.

Best Name: Monty Hardware, Windsor guard. The well-spoken guard was an all-purpose sparkplug for the Lancers. But it was the chance he gave us to make all sorts of bad Home Depot and nail jokes that we liked the most.

Best Discovery, non-Tim Horton’s Division: Coffee Crisp by Nestle Canada. One of the staples in the snack-filled St. Denis Centre media room, this mostly-Canadian candy bar is a thicker version of our own Kit Kat (also a Nestle product). Your humble correspondent not only had two per half during Sunday and Monday games, we also managed to sneak a couple of samples past the kind border guard. (Not the one named Weems, who found his long lost brother Brandon; and not the guard who apparently had some issues with Cats media horde member, Matt Jones).

Worst Discovery: While the Canada dollar to US dollar was straight up 1-for-1 when we exchanged $100 American for $100 Canadian in downtown Windsor, the Currency Exchange window at the Detroit airport offered less than $.90 American for each Canadian Dollar (plus the transaction fee). Total loss on currency conversion to CC.com’s cofers: $7.20. Or, approximately seven cups of Tim Hortons coffee or a whole bunch of Timbits (their equivalent of Munchkins). Or a few BLTs on Timbread (that’s not what they call it, but they should).

Best Bench Debut: Assistant coach Kenny Payne. KP has adjusted quickly to the frenetic pace of Coach Calipari – and thus of his staff – and the players have taken to the big fella instantly. With John Robic, Orlando Antigua and NBA vets Rod Strickland and Tony Delk on the bench in Windsor, Coach Cal’s collective lieutenants are, without question, one of the most deep and experienced group in all of college basketball. “They were all great all summer and especially these past two weeks,” Coach Cal said. “We asked a lot out of entire staff – coaches, managers, everyone – during the entire summer and they all were terrific in making our Canada trip the success it was.”

Combined Stats for Canada Trip

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