 This performance notwithstanding, complaints from the fan base about Farmer's lack of playing time – he averaged 17.7 minutes per game through early February – grew louder and eventually became the subject of media interest.In January, two of Kentucky's smaller newspapers printed articles on the subject – one speculating that Pitino was intentionally holding Farmer back so Farmer's popularity wouldn't eclipse his own.Kentucky beat writer Jerry Tipton addressed the topic at length in a "Lexington Herald-Leader" column on February 8, drawing a rebuke from Pitino, who called the issue a "non-story".