John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins rarely sit and watch from the sidelines, but if there’s a team that can make them do it, it’s the women’s basketball team – not the men.It never seems to fail: Every game, whether it’s a Thursday night tilt or a Sunday afternoon affair, there is Wall and Cousins sitting front row and center on the upper concourse watching the women play.This isn’t a publicity stunt or cameo appearances either. Every game, Wall and Cousins pull up a chair, kick back and take in a full 40-minute game of the 20-3 UK Hoops team. The loyalty goes much further than just casual fan.  “I’m a big fan of the girl’s team,” Cousins said. “I try to get to all of their games because I just like the way they play defense. They are just all over their opponent every play of the game. It’s crazy. I think they probably have the best chance against (No. 1 and undefeated) UConn of any team to be honest. “Our girls are very good and deserve a lot more attention than they’re getting. They’re really good.” On Thursday, Mitchell echoed the solidarity, even joking that Wall and Cousins could pick up a thing or two to help with their season.”DeMarcus and John have been very faithful fans,” Mitchell said. “They come to our games and are always very encouraging to us. That’s a compliment coming from those guys. I guess they just need to continue to watch so they can learn something and we’ll see if they’re gaining anything from the experience.”They’re great kids. They have a lot of positive energy. I always enjoy seeing them. Eric Bledsoe is the same way. They’re kids I enjoy being around.”Mitchell said there’s a noticeable change of air around the Joe Craft Center these days. With the programs riding a combined mark of 43-4, 16-3 in Southeastern Conference play, the best shared record among men’s and women’s basketball teams in Division I-A basketball, Mitchell can sense that something special is going on between the programs.”I think it would be hard to miss,” Mitchell said. “I think there’s a real positive energy surrounding both programs. I saw John Calipari this morning and he and I talked. He always pops in and we talk about what’s going on. He’s a very upbeat and positive guy. I love being around people like that. I’m a big believer that you feed off the energy that surrounds you. “(Assistant coach) Jon Robic has become a good friend of mine. I just enjoy watching their team play and compete. They’re an outstanding basketball team. It’s a fun time right now. Both Jon Robic and Calipari tell me to smile more and that I need to enjoy it more. We’re still several spots behind them. Maybe if we get to three or wherever they are I’ll start smiling.”One of only seven programs in the nation to have both men’s and women’s basketball teams ranked in the top 20 in both major polls, what’s not to smile about?

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