Cures for basketball withdrawal

basketball withdrawal: noun
The syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows large lapses between basketball games. Common in sports fanatics, particularly those living in the Bluegrass area. Occurs most often during the offseason and holiday break periods.

Anyone going through this, too? It’s only been five days since the last game, but I’m already aching for a Kentucky basketball fix. And after Saturday’s game, it’s only going to get worse. The Cats play Marshall on Saturday the 22nd and Louisville on Saturday the 29th. Next week and the week after will essentially be dead periods for Kentucky basketball, highlighted by the occasional Coach Cal tweet or underground practice report (the Craft Center has essentially been on lockdown). I can already feel the comments sections churning.

Sure, the downtime between games is great for the team, who needs practice time more than ever. But for fans? It’s painful. How do you treat basketball withdrawal? I’ve got a couple of suggestions:

— Focus on the future
Tonight, two of Kentucky’s 2013 stars will be playing a potential 2013 Kentucky star on ESPN at 8 p.m. Get your fix by watching the Harrison Twins take on Aaron Gordon, and be sure to bring a full scouting report back to us at KSR ASAP.

— Relive old memories
I know you’ve still got the Final Four games on your DVR. Relive the Cats’ blissful wins over Louisville and Kansas, complete with streamer and confetti drop at the final buzzer. If that’s not enough, watch the All-Access specials from earlier this season. When Cal said this team wasn’t the same as last year’s, he wasn’t exaggerating, was he Johnny Gold Chains?

— Reconnect with loved ones
Did watching the National Championship game make you nostalgic for old times? Check in our old friends in the NBA. There’s a former Cat playing pretty much every single night these days.

— Pursue other interests
In only a few weeks, Mark Stoops has changed the attitude surrounding UK football. Have you found yourself caring more and more about football recruiting? You’re not alone. Brush up on the Cats’ main 2013 targets, starting with Ryan Timmons, who may visit campus on Saturday. If you’re really bored, spent some time coming up with new Stoops puns. Surely we haven’t thought of all of them yet.

What are your cures for basketball withdrawal?