Forget what’s being said by the ‘boo-birds’ and ‘experts’ out there and listen to your inner-self.
If someone on the street asked you how you felt about the 2009-2010 Kentucky Wildcats seasons, what would you say? Bummed? Disappointed? Happy and elated? Or just plain, downright disgusted?
Hopefully, you’re sitting back watching the Baylor-Duke game realizing that your Kentucky Wildcats just went from NIT mediocrity to Elite 8 supremacy and a chance to make their first Final Four in over five years.
I’m sitting here happy, not because we lost, God no, but because my favorite team in all the land and the school that gave me my college degree is finally back on the college basketball map.
Where was Kentucky at this time last year? Oh yea, the NIT!
The Wildcats weren’t even ranked as the top team in the nation to start the season and before an early season winning streak, that included drubbings of regulars like UNC and UConn, did the ‘talking-heads’ feel that the ‘Cats could be a legit contender come March?
You get a sense of how important these players are to each other, far from just a collection of young, inexperienced individuals.
“We’re a family, they’re like my brothers.”
“We wanted to get it done for guys like Perry, Mark, Ramon and Patrick, who have been through hell the last two years.”
If that doesn’t display a sense of experience or team chemistry then you’re only kidding yourself.
Then there are those, like CBSSportsline’s Mike Freeman, who tried to sink an already sunken ship today with his biased retort at UK’s attempt to get back to the Final Four, poignantly directed towards the man who coaches the Wildcats day-in and day-out.
What does this guy know about taking a last second shot or playing in the biggest game of your life? Or being down 10 with five minutes to go and having nothing left in the tank to get you to the end of the game? How about coaching in one of the biggest games of your life, potentially send you to the Final Four or perhaps a National Championship.
Nothing, plain and simple.
As a true, blue-blood Kentucky fan, I sit here today realizing that things could be a lot worse.
Like not making the NCAA Tournament, or quite possibly battling it out for a 1-seed, in the NIT. Sure they didn’t win a National Championship, but a lot of other teams are in the same boat. Kansas anyone? Syracuse? Kansas State? Ohio State?
That’s why they play the game!
Not only has the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program gotten their money’s worth, but they got it and then some the second John Calipari announced he was leaving Memphis to come to the Bluegrass State. We got our money’s worth when Calipari made the biggest recruiting splash by signing John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe—all Top-15 players in the 2009 recruiting class—to bring the ‘Cats back to the top. We got our money’s worth when the Wildcats went on an early 19-game winning streak before losing their first game of the season against South Carolina. We got our money’s worth when we heard star-player John Wall had the highest grade point average on the team and actually enjoyed attending class. We got our money’s worth when Kentucky won the regular season championship, the program’s 44th all-time, along with the SEC Tournament championship, the program’s 26th all-time. We got our money’s worth when Kentucky finished the season with 35 wins and three losses.
We’ll continue to get our money’s worth until the day Calipari decides his time in Lexington has fulfilled his ‘dreams,’ a National Championship included.
No matter how you look at it, Freeman’s assertions that the money spent to bring in Calipari has suddenly gone to waste is ignorant and egotistical. One game and the fans and University are suddenly supposed to turn on the guy who completed the biggest turnaround for the Wildcats program sans a National Championship?
I’ll take the head coach in this instance over some over-paid columnist. Yes, there were mistakes made and things that could have been done differently, congratulations Mike I could’ve told everyone that. To say it wasn’t money well spent however is just ridiculous.
Calipari deserves every cent he’s getting and will continue to give the fans of Kentucky their money’s worth, not only this season, but for many more to come down the road.
Toast to you Mike Freeman, you just made yourself look like an ass.
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans