John Clay’s Sidelines

Here at Memorial Coliseum for the Patrick Patterson and John Calipari press conference to discuss Patterson’s decision to stay at UK:

• That’s the end of the press conference.

• Asked about injuries. Said he thinks about it. “These past three years, I’ve had just an ankle injury, but it has played a thought in my mind. . . . I try not to think about it,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I can to keep my body 100 percent.”

• Said that Calipari told him that he was behind his decision, either way. Said Calipari told him what to expect if he did go on the workouts.

• “I can still come back and be me around campus, get all the love and attention from the fans like I always do,” he said. “That played another role in coming back.”

• Said being able to come back and still be a young adult was important to him, too. “Not being out there by myself,” he said.

• Asked if he would be coming back if there wasn’t a coaching change. “I don’t know,” he said. “But there was a coaching change and I am coming back.”

• “I know that the NBA is always going to be there. Hopefully, it will always be there for me,” said Patterson.

• Said he did talk to Eric Bledsoe a lot about staying when Bledsoe was on campus for his visit.

• Said he told Jodie Meeks in a text message. “I didn’t want my decision to weigh on his,” he said.

• Says at first, he did want to go. Says he was concentrating on wanting to try the NBA. He saw that going out there he had the opportunity. “Part of me wanted to get out there and be done with college and go on to NBA,” he said, but as things progressed with Coach Calipari and the team being assembled changed his mind.

• Mentions that he knows he has to work on his left hand.

• Says the “dribble-drive” is a big thing. He mentions Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, guys who play with their face to the basket.

• Now talking about the input he received from his parents. Said they were 100 percent behind him whatever his decision was going to be. Said they were behind him testing the waters. And they were behind him when he decided to come back.

• Says he doesn’t look next year as his last year in college. “I look at it as coming back for my junior year and anything is possible,” he said.

• Said his summer school work has been able to put him on track where he can graduate in three years. “The sooner the better,” he said.

• Said he thinks he has already improved his ball-handling.

• Said he wants to work on his ballhandling, his body strength and his jump shot.

• Says the fact that he has not played in an NCAA Tournament game did not really figure into his decision.

• Mentons a couple of time of hopefully competing for a national title.

• Says that looking at the team possibly have next year, “with all the weapons that we have coming in,” effected his decision.

• Said he was pretty much guaranteed being a first-round pick, anywhere from 14-15 to 20.

• Said he knew he wanted to come back, so he’d be wasting everybody’s time.

• Said he did not have any workouts. Zero, he said. Said that he knew in his heart that he wanted to come back.

• Patrick says he came to his decision a couple of days ago. Said he talked to his mom and dad, and his teammates, and coaches. Said coaches told him they wanted him to stay, but they were behind him if he left for the league. He said John Robic helped him get his workouts set up.

• Now, finally, we’re ready to start.

• Patterson and his family just entered the media room.

• Not saying that most we’re here for Calipari, but there was an audible groan when it was announced that the coach would not be here. We were told that this is Patrick’s day. Jerry Tipton asked, “Can Coach Calipari talk about Patrick on Patrick’s day?”

• We’ve just been told that there will be no Coach Calipari today. He will be available on Wednesday.

• It’s pretty much of a packed house here in the media room at Memorial Coliseum. And this is May 11, for a press conference in which we already know the news.

• We’re scheduled to start at 1 p.m.