Tough start. It’s been a tough start for Billy Gillespie in the Bluegrass State. The Kentucky men’s basketball team lost its fourth game in a row yesterday, falling to Houston, 83-69. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Wildcats – the first time that has happened since 1989-90.

Pitino wins 500th. Actually, that last Kentucky team to drop four in a row was coached by Rick Pitino, who, a few stops later, now leads cross-state rival Louisville. On the same night his former team hit bottom, Pitino and the Cardinals were flying high, as the veteran coach picked up his 500th career win in an 85-75 victory over Marshall. Of course, Pitino also won 192 games (plus six playoff wins) as head coach of the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

Quiet winter. For college basketball fans, this winter will unfortunately be a bit quieter than most. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale underwent surgery yesterday to treat ulcers on his left vocal cord and will be off the air until February.

Yankees to play Hokies. The New York Yankees will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia on March 18 to play an exhibition game against Virginia Tech. The organization donated $1 million to the Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund in May.

Lots of cans. Eastern Michigan’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee collected 1,139 cans during a three-week food drive in October. The softball team won the first-place prize of an ice cream social by collecting 398 cans. The women’s gymnastics team was second with 323 cans.

Go Tigers! Memphis student-athletes raised more than $400 during a “two cans and a dollar” promotion last month and purchased toys for patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center and food for the Memphis Food Bank with the donations.