Loss Ends Kentucky's Season, Perhaps Gillispie's Tenure

Notre Dame defeated UK 77-67 in the NIT quarterfinals Wednesday night amidst continuing speculation that Kentucky will part ways with its head coach sooner rather than later.

The game came down to the Irish raining in three-pointers seemingly at will throughout the evening, combined with Luke Harangody doing his best wide-body shuffle over the Kentucky frontcourt. Mike Brey's team finished with 12 treys and Harangody tallied 30 points, while UK's offense-- and Jodie Meeks in particular-- sputtered for most of the night.

The Cats did make a run to cut the deficit to 5 late in the second half, in a classic case of too little, too late. Meeks contributed the bulk of his 21 points in the last 8 minutes. UK finished with 10 turnovers on the game, with Kevin Galloway responsible for half of that total.

Patrick Patterson managed 18 points and 7 rebounds, but once again there were no other Kentucky players that reached double figures in scoring. UK fans can only hope it was not Patterson's last game wearing the blue and white, and that he will stick to his original plan of returning for next season.

Obviously, what transpires over the next few days will have long-lasting repercussions for the Kentucky program. Reports are that AD Mitch Barnhart will be sitting down with Coach Gillispie for an end-of-season meeting and evalution that will go a long way towards determining whether UK will retain Coach G, or go in another direction. University President Lee Todd was reportedly at the game in South Bend and indicated that no announcements would be made before Friday.

For now, it only seems appopriate for me to comment on the effort that this team gave under some very difficult circumstances as this season concluded. These young men are certainly not immune to all of the criticism and negativity circulating around their coach and the program's direction, and I just appreciate the fact that they did not completely "mail it in" for the NIT. Yes, that sounds like a very low bar being set, but I believe there are plenty of other college athletes out there that might lack the character that it took for these guys to beat a decent UNLV team, and to beat Creighton at their house, in the midst of such adversity.

The "Memorial Coliseum Game" was certainly a sweet note within the overall sour ending to the '08-09 campaign. I can't see myself ever forgetting the night Jodie dropped 54 on Tennessee, either. So the season was not without its highlights.

But at this point, the focus will surely be on the impending news from Lexington regarding one Billy Clyde Gillispie. I'm truly fatigued with all the rumors and speculation, but each day that passes gets me, and all of Big Blue Nation, one day closer to a resolution.

On, on U of K.