On Friday night, the name of the Palace in Detroit may as well have been changed to Rupp Arena North.At various points during a game between the Pistons and Sacramento Kings, four former Wildcats were on the floor together. Former Kentucky players DeMarcus Cousins and Chuck Hayes of the Kings and Tayshaun Prince and Brandon Knight of the Pistons all played at least 20 minutes in Detroit’s 114-108 victory.Even more impressively, Cousins, Hayes and Knight each registered double-doubles. Cousins continued his recent stretch of strong play with 26 points on 15 rebounds as the Kings led by two entering the fourth quarter. Knight and Prince weren’t going to be denied the win though. Prince had 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but it was Knight who came up with the big plays down the stretch to grab a late lead and hold onto it. Knight had 23 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, zero turnovers, and a 3-pointer with 2:20 left that put the Pistons ahead to stay.Cousins’ team may have fallen short, but it happened in spite of his performance. In fact, he wasn’t even supposed to play on Friday due to back spasms, but Cousins played anyway. Also, if you missed it earlier, you need to check out this profile of the player UK fans came to know as “Boogie.” Here’s an excerpt:
Because here in Alabama, walking into the sanctuary of the gym for an evening workout with his equally massive 18 year-old brother Jaleel, along with his personal trainer and mentor Keith Williams, DeMarcus is the anti-Cousins, the person that never seems to be mentioned in news headlines: laid back, serene, playful, thoughtful, lovable, silly and hilarious.You see, to comprehend who DeMarcus Cousins is, you have to go to the source and see him in his true element, amongst the people he trusts. You have to peel back the layers of everything you think you know about the young man and take a trip, not only to his Alabama home, but also back in time.As a member of a large extended family, DeMarcus was a playfully mischievous bundle of energy as a child. Reared in a humble home in a blue collar pocket in the city of Mobile that may have been small in physical dimension, the love and support inside was immeasurable.
LINK: Peeling back the layers, Kings big man is laid back and loveable
