Much of the Big Blue Nation felt that John Calipari’s first year at the helm as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats was a failure.
An Elite 8 appearance and a (35-3) record later, there are still plenty who savor for more during the 2010-2011 seasons as a new cast of characters emerges—Enes Kanter, Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones—to make the ‘Cats one of the nation’s premier teams for next season.
With such a drastic shift in the level of talent, headlined by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, many pundits felt the 2009-2010 campaign was primed to become Kentucky’s 8th National Championship season. The expectations were sky-high and despite not winning a national title, Kentucky raised the bar for what has yet to come.
As the summer winds down, basketball is starting to move from the back to forefront of everyone’s minds and the 2010-11 Wildcats have the chance to make another splash in year two of ‘King Calipari.’
The aforementioned cast of characters includes some of the nation’s elite prospects, which catapulted the ‘Cats to No. 1 in the 2010 recruiting rankings. Led by Enes Kanter, a low-post bully from Turkey and Brandon Knight, an ultra-quick point guard from Florida, Kentucky is prepared to deliver in the SEC and beyond.
While the freshmen class is extremely important to Kentucky’s success, it may be the presence of veterans Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins that pushes the Wildcats over the top. The duo has already won the praise of Calipari for doing things ‘the right way,’ creating a positive environment for those around them.
Miller’s talents will shine through primarily because of a renewed intensity and aggressiveness towards being one of the nation’s top players. Unlike last year, Miller is free from having to worry about the star-studded lineup around him that consisted of three other Top-15 NBA Draft picks. Liggins’ career has been marred by inconsistencies and has yet to show why he was a Top-50 recruit just two years ago. With Calipari’s encouragement, Liggins now has the chance to become one of the ‘Cats elder statesmen and bona fide leaders.
With that said, Kentucky’s success largely hinges on the freshmen’s ability to figure out the college game on the fly. Last year’s group—Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, and Orton—was able to pick things up rather quickly, running out to a (19-0) record before losing at South Carolina in late January. Don’t expect that kind of success right off the bat for the 2010-11 versions of the ‘Cats. With a tough slate of games early on, Kentucky could very well lose a couple of games before the New Year.
The Maui Invitational will provide Kentucky with an opportunity to make a statement early in the season. The ‘Cats first round game is against a rebuilding Oklahoma team, but should provide a nice challenge in November. From there, the Wildcats can expect to square off against new arch-nemesis Washington and quite possibly face UConn or Michigan State in the finals. The road doesn’t get much easier with games against North Carolina, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Louisville before conference play even begins.
If you’re looking for a miracle 8th National Championship season, don’t look for it to come this season. The 2010-11 Kentucky Wildcats are a very talented team and that alone will keep the ‘Cats in the running for much of the year. The Big Blue Nation will want a Final Four this season, but I don’t expect Kentucky to get that far with more experienced teams in the nation around them, led by Duke, Michigan State, Purdue, Pitt, and Kansas State to name a few. If Kentucky doesn’t make it to the Final Four there will be plenty out there that call for Calipari’s head. Slow down.
Kentucky is on the cusp of being one of those elite teams, but once again experience will be the hot topic as the season moves forward. With an a combination of elite freshmen and talented veterans, Kentucky can compete for an Elite 8 or Final Four appearance, just don’t be surprised if they don’t make it that far. The ‘Cats can expect to float around the 25-30 wins, and SEC regular season and tournament championships, as well as success during the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
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