I know Bobby Knight is one of my go to whipping boys. And that you know that.

He’s such an easy target, given his propensity for bombast and ingrown duplicity. I’ve dissed him when he’s bellowing along the sideline, dissed him when he took down students at IU, and dissed him when he’s been fumbling for something salient to say in front of the microphone.

His performance last night during Stanford’s upset at UConn was, well, dumbfounding.

I just saw the last few minutes of the game, but, honest to heavens, it was like Knight was tranqued out. Or suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Really. At first it was absurd, somewhat comical. Then, it was no, I wonder what’s really wrong with him?

Stanford had the ball up one with about a minute and a half to play. Knight said something like, “If Stanford scores a three, they will be up by four and the ball game will be over.” Or something to that effect. With over 90 seconds on the clock.

At another juncture, he kept blathering on about what UConn needed to do to run out the clock and win the game. When Stanford was ahead, and Stanford had the ball. He kept on, even after being reminded The Cardinal didn’t have the lead or the ball.

His gaffes were elementary, beyond awful announcing. They were, well, weird.

As if dementia has truly set in. When he was on camera, he looked like Bruce Dern in “Nebraska,” where the actor plays an old, addled alcoholic. Behind the mic, he was incomprehensible.

* * * * *

The talk talk about the UK/ Louisville game is starting to heat up.

Given that neither school has a signature W yet this season — increasingly dumbfounding since Carolina lost again last night, at home to Texas — the game means more nationally than normal.

But, at least they’re playing. Though, I’m positive that many die hards on both sides would rather they didn’t anymore, so nerve racking is the run up to tip off, the game itself and the aftermath.

There’s a situation coagulating in Kansas that sounds mighty similar.

On the rise Wichita State, with a coach, Greg McDermott, who can nettle with the best of his profession, wants to play Rock Chalk Jayhawk. But doesn’t want a one and done in Lawrence.

Bill Self is all 70s Era Joe Beasmon Hall in his adamance that his team will not be taking the hardwood against the Shockers any time soon.

You can read more about it here.

* * * * *

Speaking of U of L vs. UK — and I’m loathe to, since the Cards have a game with another school between now and the trek to Rupp — I got some interesting perspective the other evening from scribes with a different viewpoint than my own.

I was chatting up John Clay of the Herald Leader and Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports before U of L dismantled Mizzou State. I asked their opinions of UK’s travails, under performance and ability to become a power this year.

Neither is convinced that Calipari can mold a team out of the current bunch. Both indicated they didn’t feel UK’s freshmen are quite as talented as advertised.

I, of course, always deferring to my inner negativitude, think UK’s going to get it together, pull away from the pack, and it’s going to start on the 28th.

Meanwhile, more dumbfounding than the reality that Bobby Knight is still announcing games on ESPN is that Louisville remains #1 in Ken Pomeroy’s respected standings. The Cats sit ninth.

That’s all I’m going to say about any of that now. I’m sure we’ll chat more on the subject as game day approaches.

* * * * *

Louisville’s vanity hour on ESPNU is tonight.

The school has spent well into six figures to herald “The Year Of The Cardinal.”

I’m assuming the moolah is coming out of the recruiting budgets of the various sports. Unless, Cardinal muckety mucks were able to hit up those Suntan Boys for a few more bucks.

* * * * *

I’m interested in seeing how UCLA looks tonight, when the Bruins take on the Blue Devils in the Gahhhhhden.

* * * * *

The calls have stopped coming from the U of L Athletic Department, shilling for me to buy bowl tickets. Wonder if the Cards have sold out their allotment of 12,500?

Speaking of tickets, someone close to the program advised that UK is only giving U of L 12 tickets in Rupp for the tilt on the 28th. He advises the contract between the schools calls for an allotment of 35, but that UK just said, this is it, all you’re going to get.

And, so it goes . . .

— Seedy K