An Open Letter to John Calipari

Dear Coach Cal,

Welcome to Big Blue Nation! We're all very excited to have you aboard. I can't tell you how long it's been since we've won a national championship. Oh, who am I kidding...of course I can. 1998. Looks like you've got some work to do!

But first things first, pull up a chair. Whoa, not that one! That was Bill Keightley's chair. Pick another one, please. You probably know about Mr. Wildcat already, but if not... well, let's just say there's going to be a bit of a learning curve here, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle.

Listen, Coach. One thing we want to get out of the way right up front: we have high expectations. Very high. Astronomically high. Kind of like what Oscar Wilde once said about his preference for finer things, "I have the simplest taste. I'm always satisfied with the best."

Yeah, we want banners hanging in Rupp. And we don't hang banners for just making the NCAA tournament, or even making the Sweet 16 like your most recent Memphis team. That's not a slam on the job you did; there's no shame in losing to that tough Mizzou squad this season, but I'm just sayin'. High expectations. Banners.

Also: don't be a jerk. You might have heard a little bit about the guy who you're replacing. Pretty good coach himself. Lots of potential. But you probably got the highlights from your new boss, Mitch Barnhart. The previous coach... well, let's just say he wasn't exactly a people person. In fact, you might even say he was the polar opposite of a people person. (Maybe he was a dog person?) But I hear you're great on the lecture circuit and love selling your program, so we'll just leave it at that. Play nice with others and things will be fine, really. No sense beating a dead horse.

And speaking of horses...man, can you recruit 'em or what?! Wow, Coach...two of the top four according to Rivals.com and the inside track on John Wall. Impressive. Just keep in mind, any student-athlete you want to bring to Kentucky will have to meet some standards. No, this isn't Princeton or anything, but we do have our minimums and we do expect our guys to be good citizens. Above all, we expect you to recruit hard but according to the rules (more on that later.)

And if I may offer just one piece of advice on the recruiting, it would really be nice if you could keep some productive Kentucky kids on the roster. They don't all have to be super-duperstars, but surely you can find a few contributors. See, the trick is in determining which 17 year old is going to turn into the next Scott Padgett and which is going to turn into the next Todd Tackett. (Sorry Todd, it was either going to be you or Brandon Stockton. I just needed an example here. No offense.)

In the meantime, you do have a nice young man by the name of Darius Miller on the roster. Kid's a player. Really grew a lot as a freshman. And Big Blue Nation adores him. A big reason why is because he is in fact a Kentuckian. Excuse me, a former Mr. Basketball in the Commonwealth. So yeah, we dig Darius, and other players like him. That's just the way we are. So please, we're begging you, don't let the Darius Millers or the Chris Loftons of the world slip away. Especially to Tennessee. Jeez!

By the way, great move in calling up Joe B. Hall, et al on Tuesday. That's some real thoughtfulness on your part. Honors the tradition, pays some respect to those who have gone before you, and demonstrates a willingness to listen and interact that will surely serve you well in Lexington. Loved it! We're all about the tradition, Coach. We jammed a 60 year old gym for an NIT game.

We also halfway filled our next opponent's gym, on one day's notice, for a game 400 miles away. But I digress....

If you'll allow me just one quick comment on strategy: push the ball, Coach. Run when you can. Not mindlessly, of course. Not just for running's sake. But take advantage when it's there. You'll have superior athletes (right? you will have superior athletes)-- so don't keep them on a chain. Let 'em go. I like what I've heard about your offensive philosophy, so again, I don't expect any problems here. Just be advised: we much prefer it when our teams are allowed to run.

Finally, and this is really simple... PLEASE, I'm begging you...keep it clean. I would imagine UK's compliance people have been going through your laundry like nobody's business over the last 72 hours. We know about the Camby thing. And we know you can't be with your players all the time and force them to make good decisions. But seriously, do your best to win honorably. You must. No man ever cheats that first doesn't cheat himself. Frame a copy of that horrible SI cover (you know the one) and keep it in your office as a reminder if you have to. Never again.

So again, welcome. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Can't wait to hear about how the roster situation will settle out. Do yourself a favor and check out the spring meet at Keeneland. I was always more of a fall man myself, but it's still very nice if you catch a good sunny day. Talk to you later!

Sincerely,
Wildcat Whisperer

P.S. Banners.

Gillispie Broke A Rule

I'm one of those guys that thought it would be smart to give Coach G another year. I figured he might be able to adapt a little bit, and grow into the responsibilities that the UK coach must assume outside the lines. I saw the incoming class he had put together, along with the possibility of Meeks and Patterson returning, and figured Billy Clyde would really be able to turn the corner next season. Most reasonable people agree that under normal circumstances, two years is just not long enough to make a solid evaluation. Even Mitch Barnhart stated as much-- and he's the guy that sent Gillispie packing.

Yes, I was disappointed with Coach G's media interactions, and posted here about the initial Jeanine Edwards sideline fiasco. Speaking of the four-letter-network, I was also disappointed with the so-called "all-access" segment that promised some real insight into the program. Apparently, Coach had quite a different idea than me about what "all-access" was supposed to mean.

Some of the really preposterous losses stuck in my craw, too. Your VMI, your Gardner-Webb, your Georgia on Senior Night. Egregious, one and all. Certainly the NIT is nobody's idea of what Kentucky postseason basketball should be (much as I managed to enjoy it), and let's just go ahead and hit on the stupid game-day practices, puzzling substitution patterns, and apparent mishandling of the DeAndre Liggins and AJ Stewart "incidents" while we're at it.

As far as any other flagrant rumors or innuendos regarding Coach G's personal life, I simply refuse to go there.

Now... all that being said... again-- I would have supported a decision to bring him back for another year. Personally, I just thought it prudent, considering he's been a conference Coach of the Year multiple times, he's by all accounts a very hard worker, and and he seemed to have a boatload of help on the way in the form of recruits like Orton, Hood, et al.

However, as we all know, UK President Lee Todd and AD Mitch Barnhart decided to fire Coach Gillispie. They cited the fact that they considered him to be a "bad fit", and noted that "We obviously did not achieve the results we all desired on the floor this season".

But I believe the main reason Gillispie won't be returning to the Rupp Arena sidelines is the fact that he broke a very important rule-- and obviously we're not talking about any NCAA misdeeds. It's much more basic, and some might say, much more important than any recruiting infraction, for instance. What I'm referring to is something that mothers usually teach their children, a staple of Sunday Schools across the Commonwealth. That's right: The Golden Rule.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Eleven little words that carry so much weight, and so much wisdom. It's about basic decency. Respect for other people. Simply treating your fellow man as you would wish to be treated.

Had Gillispie followed this maxim, I believe he might still be in his office today. Instead, he reamined a stubborn, intractable individual who talked down to the media, never developed a good working relationship with his superiors, alienated alumni and boosters, and by many accounts simply ran his team into the ground. The comments from the Meeks family after Coach G's dismissal seem particularly relevant here.

I truly have no interest in "piling on" with this observation. Numerous writers and commentators have weighed in regarding this particular personality deficiency in Coach G, and it can be argued that his reclacitrance is just part of the package-- and even a strength in many ways. Certainly it's true that if he had been able to channel that stubbornness properly, things could have been quite different for him in Lexington.

But if coaching the Big Blue can be compared to Greek mythology, then Gillispie's poor treatment of others must be considered just as fatal a flaw as losing 27 games in two years.

Photo credit: collegehoops.net

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.

Kelly Tripucka's Mustache Announces Comeback

Dateline: South Bend, IN

In a press conference earlier this afternoon, Kelly Tripucka's mustache proclaimed that it was about to re-enter the area just below Tripucka's nose. "It's been awhile", announced the whiskers, "and I'm sure it will be tough at first, but the time has definitely come for my revival."

Observers could not quite pin down the last time Mr. Tripucka had sported facial hair, but most agreed that it had reached its peak sometime during his early 1980s stint with the Detroit Pistons.

When asked what precipitated the comeback, the 'stache cited several factors. "First and foremost, I love March. There's something about spring, the time change, that just really gets me itching to go. Oops, probably shouldn't use the word itching." The whiskers continued, "Anyway, Brad Pitt had a little cookie duster going for a while there that almost made it cool-- but really, I gotta be honest here-- I'm pretty jacked about the Notre Dame basketball team reaching the NIT quarterfinals against Kentucky. I dunno, it was just like some kind of sign or something. It's all about the Irish, baby!"

When asked what it had been doing for all these years, the mustache seemed non-plussed: "Doing!? What do you think I've been doing? Kelly's been dragging that Mach 3 over my (expletive deleted) every morning and rinsing me down the drain! That's what!"

The mustache's agent, Scott Boras, was also present at the news conference. He presented a list of demands, including daily hair conditioner treatments, weekly trims, and said that Tripucka's mustache "Absolutely reserves the right to use Just For Men, if it is felt to be necessary to demonstrate the proper ruggedness at any time." Boras then refused to answer further questions and left in a gold-plated Rolls Royce that was being physically carried by AIG executives.

The 'stache reflected further when asked for additional remarks about its Notre Dame affiliation. "Oh, that was when it all started all right. Back there with Digger. Jeez, what a blowhard that guy's become, huh? But still...good times for me and for Kelly, no question." However, the mustache went on to say, "If you're looking for a highlight, it has to be the 56 we dropped on the Bulls back in '83. People forget that one. We were on fire."

The 'stache seemed fairly confident that Tripucka was bringing it back for a substantial run. "Listen, Kelly's got nothing but love for me. He's heard it all, the Freddie Mercury jokes, everything. So I'm just going to keep doing my job and hope for the best."

Attempts to reach Tripucka's mullet-perm were unsuccessful.

Photo credit: Jim Cummins/NBAE/Getty Images

Cats Leave Blue Jays Feeling.....Blue

Advancing to the NIT quarterfinals with a 65-63 win over Creighton, UK managed to overcome a rowdy Qwest Center crowd in Omaha, Nebraska, and an all-too-brief first half performance from Patrick Patterson. Aided by some missed Blue Jays' free throws down the stretch, Jodie Meeks got 3 the old-fashioned way for the final margin, and UK survived a potential game-winning trey from Booker Woodfox (you just can't make these names up, people) as the clock expired.

Patterson figured to put up some monster (Warren Buffett?) numbers in the contest, with Creighton lacking comparable inside muscle-- but Big Pat picked up two early fouls that sent him to the bench with under 5 minutes gone in the first half. UK managed to keep the game well within reach for the opening frame, trailing by 2 at the break, and Pat did finish with 12 points. This one was practically a barn-burner from the tip, with multiple lead changes and neither team able to put together a big run to serve as a knockout punch.

Ramon Harris played a terrific defensive game in hounding Creighton's outside shooters. Also lost in the box score, Harris made an absolutely outstanding hustle play in diving for a ball near the endline, thereby securing possession for the Cats. Say what you want about Ramon's offensive skills, but the guy will give you that kind of effort almost every night, and Coach Gillispie has made no secret of his admiration for the dirty work that Ramon is willing to do.

The game winner was no work of art, either. Meeks effectively improvised off of a soft pick-and-roll with Patterson that didn't result in a clear scoring option. Basically, Creighton played it pretty well, and Jodie was fortunate to be able to slide past a defender and get "the hoop and the harm". Of course, that's what you expect of Jodie when the game is on the line... you tell him to put on his cape and go win it.

Creighton's crowd was fairly frothing at the mouth the entire game, and could easily have left happy had a few more breaks gone their way. The Jays carried the "mid-major" banner very well and were obviously a talented and well-coached team. I must admit to loving all the blue atmosphere everywhere-- the uniforms, cheerleaders, signs, fans with painted faces-- I would even go so far as to say that the feeling was....mutual in Omaha. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.) But honestly, Kentucky was just able to make a bucket and then get a stop at the end to survive tonight.

This game didn't have the sex appeal of Memorial Coliseum going for it, but from a UK fan's perspective it was still March basketball at its nail-biting best. Again: nobody wants to get too excited about NIT wins, yet it is admittedly nice to see this group of players get rewarded with some post-season success.

Coach G has made it a point to let the media know that the team has shown a lot of maturity since missing out on a bid to the Big Dance. He has cited inexperience as being a huge contributing factor to some of the losses UK suffered in conference play. Therefore, in the bigger picture, this would suggest some good foundation work is being laid for the '09-10 season, questions regarding Gillispie's return aside.

Kentucky continues its NIT run on Wednesday night vs. Notre Dame, with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line. I understand that the team will not be returning to Lexington but rather will travel directly from Omaha to South Bend, IN. It should be interesting to see how the Cats will respond given the circumstances. Color me eager (like everyone else) to see the Patterson-Harangody showdown. First to eat 3 Big Macs wins!

Memorial Rocks Again

So it's unanimous.

The old girl still has it.

In a place that Kentucky basketball fans consider to be absolutely hallowed ground, the Wildcats opened the NIT with a 70-60 win over UNLV on Tuesday night.

But the biggest buzz of the night was not generated by Patrick Patterson's double-double, or Perry Stevenson's absolutely SICK dunk over (insert UNLV poster victim here), but rather the venue itself.

The Coliseum.

I almost want to spell it like the Romans-- exchange the "i" for an "o" and add another "s".

Big Blue Nation showed up for her. They wore their blue. They painted their faces and they cheered and they supported the Cats like it really was the Big Dance, and not a consolation event. The fans definitely wanted to see some more Wildcat basketball this season.

But I think most agreed that the night was really all about that old gymnasium where Rupp used to prowl the sidelines. Where Kentucky had accumulated a record of 306-38. (Make it 307).

In a building opened in 1950 to honor the true heroes of the Commonwealth-- those who had fallen in battle during both World Wars and the Korean War-- the Kentucky fan base seemed to truly sense what a rare opportunity it was to be able to pay that most special place another visit.

Memorial can still rock in '09.

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.
  

UK Blacks Out Vs. Tigers; NIT Awaits

Kentucky bowed out of the SEC Tournament with its 67-58 loss to LSU today. Jodie Meeks was held to 8 points on 3-for-9 shooting in a game in which the black-clad Wildcats trailed almost throughout.

LSU proved to be the better team, as expected of the SEC regular season champs, and asserted itself with tight defense not only on Meeks, but also in limiting Patrick Patterson to a laborious 15 points. Ramon Harris was the only other Wildcat in double figures, tallying 11. The Tigers were lead by Marcus Thornton with 21.

The loss, Kentucky's 13th on the season, almost assuredly sends Coach Billy Gillispie's team to the NIT, which would be the the first time for the Big Blue since 1979.

And with that, it seems strangely appropriate to offer up a video today-- a Smashing Pumpkins tune named for that same year, now a full three decades ago. This is from the Punkins' 3rd studio album, (appropriately?) entitled Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I hope it somehow helps to ease the pain of realization that UK will not be playing in Tampa this weekend. We will have plenty to discuss later....thanks as always for reading.

Good News in Twos: Cats Win, Patrick to Return

Patrick Patterson says he will be back in blue for the '09-10 Kentucky basketball season. His announcement was greeted by singing choirs of angels, confetti showers, and blaring trumpets. Shots were poured. Conga lines were formed. At least at my house they were. Probably yours too, since you're reading this blog. The idea having Big Pat on the roster for another year was enough to make my day just like Dirty Harry said.

Can you imagine Patrick after another off-season of conditioning and gym time? Starting his junior year without an injured ankle and finger? (and I don't care what anybody says, that d*mn finger is still bothering him). With a front line that would include incoming (stud) freshman Daniel Orton? Can you imagine? Patrick, bigger and stronger? Can you say giddy? Can I stop typing questions?

Yes, I know. Back to reality with LSU tomorrow. But let's celebrate this one for 30 seconds or so.

Again, normally Kentucky should not even have to play on Thursday of the conference tournament. But under the circumstances, and with Ole Miss putting together a pretty decent half, I was impressed with how the Cats were able to take care of first-round business. (True confession: I had to depart my regular game-watching venue with about 10 minutes left, so as to remain among the ranks of the employed. I make no apologies. I did listen on XM Radio on the way back to the office.)

I will say that it was very encouraging to see Kentucky attack a zone like it was something other than impregnable. Darius Miller was particularly effective in finding the soft spot around the free-throw line and then making pretty good decisions with the ball, taking shots as available and dropping a couple of dimes.

We also had a Perry Stevenson sighting in this game. He absolutely stuffed the stat line in 36 minutes, going 4 out of 6 from the floor, 5 of 6 from the line, 8 boards, 2 steals and an assist. (Also 2 shmurnovers with those 13 points.) I even enjoyed how Larry Conley and Tom Hammond were chiding him on one of those misses-- where Perry tried some kind of funky turnaround under the hoop, and the crew commented that most shots are easier to make when you're facing the basket. I will miss Conley and Hammond a little bit next year when the four-letter network takes over.

Of course Jodie got his 25, as Jodie tends to do. He also got UK's only 3-pointer of the game (in 10 attempts), a development that did not go unnoticed within our fan group. People get nervous about "the streak" being snapped when the second half is underway and the Cats haven't dialed in from long distance yet. Currently at 707 games and counting, the streak remains alive after Meeks was able to connect with 12:30 remaining.

The defense was excellent, particularly the second half, where Kentucky allowed only 20 points to a desperate Ole Miss team. The Wildcats only gave up 9 second chance points on the afternoon and only 2 fast break points. They outrebounded the Rebs 35-28, and let's pause here and give them some kudos for just basically bringing their lunch pails and doing some dirty work to get this win.

Friday will bring conference champ LSU though, and Tasmin Mitchell, Marcus Thornton et al should provide a much more difficult challenge. The good news is that the Tigers lost a couple of games themselves at the end of the regular season; so despite getting to rest today, perhaps Trent Johnson's group will have a bit of doubt creeping into their collective brains. On paper, they are better than Kentucky. Hopefully, Big Blue Nation can make it a de facto home game and turn the arena in Tampa into "Rupp South". I know I have a few friends over there that will be doing their part.

In closing, we give the Blue Grass Chemical Player of the Game Award to Perry Stevenson today. Perry gets a pair of steel-toed rubber work boots and some copper scrap that fell off of a pallet.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons by Fairocker

Can We Just Worry About Ole Miss For A Second?

Nearly lost amidst all the chatter this week about Coach Gillispie, UK's decline over the second half of the season, and the general sky-is-falling atmosphere surrounding the Kentucky program, is the fact that the Cats have a little game to play tomorrow. Or should I say a big game?

It may not exactly be a grand stage on Thursday as UK kicks off the SEC Tournament with an early matchup vs. Mississippi, but I do see some real significance in how well (or how poorly) the team performs in this opener. For starters, it will be a character test in its purest form: how does this unit respond to (ever-increasing) adversity? Will this Kentucky squad roll over as it has in several late season contests, or will it come to play like the team that showed such promise when sitting at 16-4?

Because people, Ole Miss is...well....how do I put this?....beatable. They are not a conference juggernaut a la LSU. There's a very good reason that they "earned" the 5 seed in the West. Not to take anything away from Andy Kennedy, but the talent level in Oxford is not exactly frightening. I mean this respectfully-- and in humble recognition that the Rebels did hand UK a 5-point loss in January-- but on a neutral court, Kentucky should absolutely take care of business and advance to play again on Friday.

Really, that is all I am looking for at this point. A win. Of any sort. Just a plain old, vanilla win. Survive and advance, as they say in March. With all the aforementioned hoopla, and the uptick in criticism that Kentucky's players and coaches have been taking lately (present company guilty), a victory would demonstrate that yes, there is still some Big Blue pride amongst these competitors.

Heck, I'll even admit that I'd like to see a Kentucky win at this point so that they can at least finish with 20. Seriously. Some of those 20 wins might be cheap, sure (I'm looking at you again, Delaware State) but there's always something nice about being able to meet that nice "round number" threshold of 20 wins. So just worry about Ole Miss, play a decent game, and UK can get there.

It will also be quite revealing to see whether the Cats can come up with a spirited assault tomorrow considering that there is some question as to whether Coach G has truly "lost" this particular team. Are instructions being tuned out? Are players following the scouting report and executing what is being asked of them? Personally, I'll be looking for effort stats, particularly defensive rebounding, as well as that word that rhymes with shmurnovers (I hate to even type it at this point).

Again, I don't mean it as a slam against opposing players like Malcom or Terrico White at all; but if anything, UK should have a bit of a "revenge" kind of edge in this one, simply to prove to those guys that what happened earlier this year was a fluke. You can't tell me that warriors wearing Blue like Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson don't have what it takes to claim a first-round victory in Tampa.

So for now, let's hope Kentucky can just focus on beating Ole Miss. Worry about everything else later.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons by Neville_S

Gillispie Speculation Rampant

In the Blue Grass State, second-guessing the UK head basketball coach and ruminating over the possibilities of his departure are fully understandable.

But when I grabbed a cup of java and checked my own local sports rag here "deep in the heart of Texas", it was quite surprising to see Billy Gillispie's name mentioned by a local columnist and blogger, in connection with the University of Houston. Link below:

http://blogs.chron.com/jeromesolomon/2009/03/post_90.html

I can only imagine how Tom Penders might feel about this, but let me go on record as saying that I personally think Gillispie will be back coaching Kentucky during the '09-10 season, at least as things stand this morning.

I will reserve full judgment on the job he has done with this team until a later date, but regular readers will be able to surmise that, much like many other Big Blue fanatics, I am less than pleased with the team's regular season record and its precipitous decline over the last dozen or so games.

I expect to hear much more name-dropping, speculation, and rumors of this kind over the next few weeks as the coaching carousel starts firing up, along with the information overload that accompanies the buildup to the Final Four.

Thanks for reading.

Senior Night-mare

With its season seemingly on the line, Kentucky decided to mail it in vs. Georgia on Senior Night in Rupp Arena. I ask again: where is the pride? Where is the fight? Against a team that had absolutely nothing to play for in terms of NCAA tournament aspirations, a team that UK had soundly beaten in their house back in January -- giving up only 45 points total, mind you -- the Cats managed to bungle their way to a 90-85 defeat.

Once again, the Cats demonstrated a lack of basketball IQ and defensive intensity, which point to a team without chemistry and heart. After this loss, much as I hate to admit, there's a very good chance Kentucky might not win another game in 2009. It was just that demoralizing, especially given UK's gaudy all-time Senior Night record (83-5?) and the fact that the Bulldogs came into the game winless in road conference games and averaging only 60 points.

Goodness gracious, if you had told me Michael Porter would hit 5 treys on the evening and only turn it over twice, I would have bet the farm on a UK win. I suppose you have to credit Georgia for hitting 11 out of 16 of their own threes, but once again, far too many of those were absolutely wide-open looks. Kentucky was outrebounded 38-27 and missed a couple of clutch free throws down the stretch that really could have changed the game. Probably the most disheartening thing about those two developments is the fact that rebounding and the charity stripe were actually strengths of this squad earlier in the season.

Which leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Wildcats have honestly and truly gotten worse throughout the year. A fact.

Coach G's seat must be feeling awfully hot this morning, and rightfully so. At this time, I do not care to speculate on AD Mitch Barnhart making any change in the near future, the merits of which are up for debate. (And you can bet those merits are being debated hotly throughout Big Blue Nation as you read this.) His benching of 4 starters early in the second half backfired utterly and completely, and since it's easy to Monday-morning quarterback such things-- it was a seemingly desperate and ill-advised ploy by the Coach. Remember, UK had closed a pretty big gap to end the first half and had the locker-room momentum.

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but I've always said if you have a 10- or 12- player rotation (especially in March), that means you really have NO rotation. It is just impossible to spread that many minutes around and believe that you can get a coherent and cohesive effort from your team.

Therefore, UK currently looks both incoherent and incohesive.

Another real shame of this loss is that it spoiled what is normally a revered Wildcat tradition of sending out its seniors with a victory, while serving as a nice tune-up and confidence builder for the looming SEC tournament. Poor, oft-injured Jared Carter actually did his part, scoring a bucket and pulling down a board in 4 minutes of play after being honored pre-game and getting a spot in the starting five.

I'm no math or statistics whiz, but I figure this loss will absolutely crush UK's RPI rating, further denting whatever Big Dance hopes that had remained for the team, in terms of obtaining an at-large bid. A strong SEC tourney showing seems unlikely as well, after such a poor performance against a Georgia team which now sits 3-12 in conference.

Anybody got any quick-fix ideas? At this rate, I won't even need the Selection Sunday Maalox because UK's fate will already be decided.

photo credit: Courier-Journal/Jonathan Palmer

March Is Here; Where Are The Wildcats?

Usually by the time February turns into March, Kentucky basketball fans are amped up and ready for the impending post-season action. However, March 2009 looks a little bit cloudy at the outset.

UK dropped a heartbreaker to LSU over the weekend, and despite some help from other conference teams (Vandy over SC?) it's hard to pin down whether or not Kentucky will make the big dance. The good news is they have a Senior Night game on Wednesday vs. Georgia that most would consider winnable. Wisdom says to take nothing for granted, but that would leave the Florida game on March 7th as a possible play-in.

Personally, I would feel much more comfortable as a UK alum/fan with those two wins PLUS a couple of conference tourney games. (Don't ask for much, do I?) Put it this way: I just don't need another Selection Sunday that turns into a Maalox moment. Heck, I could do without a couple of these GAMES turning into Maalox moments....although I normally enjoy a tight, competitive contest.

Problem is, it's awfully difficult to determine this team's attitude and mindset. They played absolutely terrific basketball for a good stretch of the second half against the Bayou Bengals. The fivesome that Coach G started that frame with is receiving raves from Big Blue Nation (no Porter being the main reason, IMO.) You could argue that if Jodie plays his normal game-- or basically just shoots a little better-- then UK takes it handily.

The defensive switch/non-switch that resulted in LSU's game-winning trey is a collective mistake, despite what Coach G or anyone else says....the players also have to recognize and communicate which picks require a "switch" in that situation. Just because a guy wanders out to the top of the key doesn't necessarily mean that you have to switch off of your man. (The way the blame game was played through the media in that situation was disappointing to say the least.)

It truly does take some better basketball judgment than what the Wildcats have displayed this season to win a nail-biter against a quality opponent. I believe this is the most significant reason why the collective UK fandom's exasperation level is so high right now, not the squad's overall talent level. Same old stuff: players confused about their roles, lacking confidence, not making the easy/smart play at times.

But you know what? Kentucky judges its teams by how they perform in March. If I'm Billy Gillispie, I tell this team, "Look, it's a new month and a whole new season. We've got two games that we know we can win this week, and then...it really gets fun." Get these young men to loosen up a little bit, if possible.

It's overstated in sports, but the Cats need to focus on controlling what they can-- forget about the RPI's and strength of schedules and all the rest of it, and truly forge their destiny. March is finally here. Pass the Maalox.