That time of year has come again. College football Week One marches back to center stage of our consciousness. Seems it was just here.

Or, maybe this is Week One of six week countdown to Midnight Madness and basketball’s early signing period buzz.

Or, both.

Kentucky-Western Kentucky.

A few things to watch for Thursday.

• How effective Hilltopper running back Bobby Rainey operates against a Southeastern Conference defense.

• How Kentucky’s defense performs against the run. The SEC is peopled by an unusually long list of highly rated running backs this season.

• Line play and quarterback Morgan Newton efficiency running Joker Phillips’ offense.

• How UK’s all-new-people running game performs against the Hilltoppers.

• Kicking game, field position situations. Crucial for Saturdays to come.

Wildcats favored by 19. Guess here is, Kentucky wins 35-14.

Murray State at Louisville.

A few things to watch for Thursday.

• Cardinals running game. Is Victor Anderson really ready?

• UofL defending the run. Specifically, linebacker play.

• How soon we see rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

• And, kicking game, field position situations.

Score: Louisville 35, Murray State 10.

BEST JUMP SHOOTERS?

Jerry West. Kentucky native living in California says the best jump shooter he ever saw was West Virginia’s Zeke from Cabin Creek.

Silky and accurate jump shooters abound, but who can argue against West as best?

Putting legends and celebrity aside, a heart-warming nomination arrived the other day from a fellow with good memory and good memories too.

Best jump shooter, he wrote, “… in high school, I would have to say Robbie Masden. A 5-10 guard who played for the Lebanon Junction Bulldogs in the 1961-65 era. He was rather unsung because he came from a small town.

“Robbie had a soft jumper that seldom touched the rim, floated through the net. I’m pretty sure there was a time Robbie averaged 30 points a game. Most important was his ability to use his pivot foot. He did it so masterfully to get an open shot. Smothered by three defenders you thought he would be tied up or have the ball stolen, (but) he would use that pivot foot and next thing you knew he had sliced through, left them behind and put up a nice clean jumper. Guess you’ve never heard of Robbie Masden.”

Comment: No, but, as it should be, Masden’s feathery floater jump shot brings to mind General Robbins, Billy Ramsey and Larry Britton.

Anyone else?

AMERICAN HERO

Fresno County School Superintendent Larry Powell will decline $800,000 due him the next three years, the Associated Press reported from California last week.

Powell will run 325 schools and 35 school districts with 195,000 students through 2015 at a salary less than a starting California teacher earns.

“How much do we need to keep accumulating?” he asked. “There’s no reason for me to keep stockpiling money.”

Powell, 63, technically retired, then agreed to be hired back for $31,000 a year — $10,000 less than a first-year teacher with no benefits.

He wants to ensure that his pet projects survive California budget cuts. He started his career as a high school civics teacher, made anti-bullying his mission, and hopes his sacrifice will help restore faith in the government he once taught students to respect.

At any level, Powell is a hero.

Closer to home, Rick Pitino’s Foundation in Owensboro; John Calipari’s investment in middle school education in Kentucky, along with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett philanthropy, we can be inspired anew can’t we, to believe again in fulfillment of the old axiom, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”?

America, I love this place.

ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS

Arizona Diamondback outfielder Collin Cowgill had one of those nights last Sunday. Former UK star and Kentucky Mr. Baseball 2004, rang up a four-for-four night with a home run, double and two singles for the National League West leading D-Backs.

Lexington native Cowgill is a midseason call-up from Triple A and could be onboard for a Diamondback run to the playoffs, even the World Series.

SPORTS IN KY. SITE

I invite you to recently launched Sports In Kentucky web site.

You can find a column, blog and sidebars along with photos and history.

Come visit

http://web.me.com/sportsinkentucky/www.column24.com

PAT SUMMITT

Best of the best. We all admire and hope Tennessee’s Pat Summitt fares well as she determines to coach another three years despite her illness.

Her legacy is already firmly established. Far beyond career numbers and titles, she is America’s ball coach – No lying, no cheating, no shading truth, no spin, no nonsense, no pretense, no enlarged ego, no compromise and certainly no damned retreat, ever!

In a man’s world, Pat Summitt is armed with Georgie Patton (drive), Abe Lincoln (honesty), Andy Rooney (straight talk), Bobby Lee (dignity), and Mother Hen (loyal).

Eureka! Blue print for the consummate ball coach.

On a list of coaches who ought take notice since they work at the margins of rules: Jim Calhoun at UConn, Lane Kiffin at Southern Cal and Bob Petrino at Arkansas.

Postscript. Refreshing, seldom is heard cynical media yammer about how much money Summitt makes.

And so it goes.

Sports In Kentucky appears in community newspapers across Kentucky. You can reach bob Watkins at Sprtsinky@aol.com