Thoughts On A Sad Selection Sunday

• Let's start by congratulating the teams from the Commonwealth that did make the field of 65. So we raise a glass to the WKU Hilltoppers, the Morehead State Eagles, and *ugh* my wife's alma mater...the overall top seed in the tournament. Congratulations. If I were to throw my entire support behind one of these teams, well, it's no contest. My rooting interest would lie solely with Ken McDonald's "Big Red" Machine. The boys from Bowling Green surely won't sneak up on anyone this year, (after crashing the Sweet 16 in 2008) but Brother JC swears that the #12 seed suits them quite well in a matchup with #5 Illinois. Again, congrats and best of luck.
• Anyone wondering how I spent those precious few hours on Sunday evening as the NCAA brackets were revealed (and fully dissected) will surely sympathize that I just had to get out of the house for a while. I really couldn't bring myself to watch (even knowing that Billy Packer would not be involved). Naturally, I have gotten caught up for the most part, and certainly I will participate in an office pool or two-- but the "bracket reveal" itself....I just couldn't bear it. The thought was too much like Santa Claus skipping my house this year.
• Of course there's no time for continuing self-pity when UK will face off against UNLV on Tuesday night in the National Invitational Tournament. The Cats could only manage a 4 seed, which tells you just how far the team had fallen off the NCAA bubble. I can't help but wonder how many more wins it would have taken for Kentucky to get serious consideration(?) My guess is somewhere between 2 - 4, depending upon which victories might have materialized. Convert a couple of those close calls against quality teams (U of L / LSU) along with a couple of the "bad RPI losses" (best example: Georgia) and UK is singing a much different tune this morning. Okay, okay....water under the bridge.
• It will be rather odd to see Lon Kruger again on the opposing sideline. Of course, no more odd than seeing UK play a men's game at Memorial Coliseum. I can appreciate the novelty of such things, but would happily trade it all for a spot in the NCAAs in a heartbeat. My current thinking on the situation is that basically this season handed Kentucky and its fans a bunch of lemons, and you know what you're supposed to do with them. That's right... slice them up, squeeze them in your eyes and complain about the coach. Just kidding.
• I honestly have no idea how the Cats will respond tomorrow night. I really don't. My HOPE is that they realize that even though they are playing in the Little Dance, it is still an opportunity to finish out the season with some more wins and help to remove some of that horrible bitter taste from their own mouths, along with those of Big Blue Nation. While this is still no true referendum on Coach G, I for one will be watching closely (yet again) to see if the team is playing hard and "allowing itself to be coached." I am sure Mitch Barnhart will be doing the same.