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24 January 2010
Three hundred and six days. It has been three hundred and six days since Kentucky basketball fans watched their beloved program lose 77 - 67 to Notre Dame in the NIT on March 25, 2009. Then, there was shock at having been in the NIT, and shock at having lost in that tournament. There were also rumors.
Would Billy Gillispie lose his job? Should he lose it after only two years? Would Jodie Meeks and/or Patrick Patterson leave for the NBA? If so, who could fill their places?
It's a familiar story now for Cats fans. Gillispie was fired and John Calipari was hired. Patterson decided to return for another season to play for Cal while Meeks went in the first round of the NBA draft. There was something on the order of 20 players wondering who would stay and who would go under this new coach. Everyone was wondering how soon (or if?) Kentucky could get going in the right direction again.
Fast forward a few months into the fall semester. John Calipari has four young freshman that could potentially start for any team in the nation. Coach Cal has the best recruit (and possibly the best player) in college basketball joining him in Lexington. He has a junior college transfer that isn't afraid to shoot the ball, and he's got Patrick Patterson ready to do anything needed to get this program back to national prominence. The question still remained, would they be any good?
A heart stopper against Miami (OH) left Wildcat fans on the edge of their seats and wondering if they had misjudge their talent. Sam Houston State comes into town and confirms what everyone has heard from their coach for two months, "we've got a long way to go." Over the next five games John Wall saves the day again while playing Stanford, UK blitzes to a huge lead and holds off North Carolina down the stretch, and they go into Madison Square Garden to come out ahead of UCONN in a tough environment. Still, Calipari thinks that his team still needs to grow.
Kentucky went on to blow out their next five opponents before the big game. Louisville came into Rupp Arena, and a bar fight nearly broke out. Calipari kept the team on the right track, and the Cats came through with another big win heading into conference play at 15-0.
Georgia plays Kentucky close at home. Cats fans still wonder how good this team can be. UK goes into Florida and comes away with a double digit win. Fans feel a bit better. On the road at Auburn, Jeff Lebo's squad gives Kentucky a game, but fans feel like their team is on a roll. Experts predict an upset, but Kentucky demolishes Arkansas in a game that has "playing for the #1 ranking" written all over it. And now the blue Kool-Aid flows like wine.
If you're a Kentucky basketball fan you have to smile to yourself today. Three hundred and six days ago your team lost in the NIT, and today...well today you're the #1 team in the country again. Enjoy it, because most of you deserve it.
