UK Basketball-Inside The Mind Of P.T. Barnum

Any of you wonder what things go through the mind of John Calipari? As I was savoring the Cats victory over South Carolina last night, and trying to think of every nasty, villainous thing that I have ever contemplated concerning The Ol’ Ball Coach, I got this LEXY message from Cal congratulating Coach Joker Phillips and the Cats for their win. Nothing major I thought, but a really nice thing to do nonetheless. Especially considering that he just started his first day of real practices for the season. You know the man has to have a lot on his mind. With so many things still up in the air concerning the Cats this season, Cal has to have a lot to keep him busy, but he still takes the time to send out that message. Which got me to thinking, what is going through Cal’s mind right now?

You know the Enes Kanter situation has to be at the forefront of his thinking. The Cats right now are a dual personality team. There is the speedy, run you till your socks need to be wrung out team, without Enes, and then there is the massively talented inside game Cats who will be able to pack it down inside and let Kanter, Jones, and Co. pound you into submission. So which team is Calipari planning his season around?

Well, logic says that he plans to be without Kanter because even if Enes does play, the Cats will probably be without his services for a period of time which could extend all the way into January. Although that Undertaker hat was a very nice touch for Big Blue Madness. So, does that mean we are going to be hurting without Enes? The answer to that is both yes and no. This is a very, VERY talented team. This team is probably more execution savvy than last year’s team. They are a little faster (save John Wall), even if they are not as big. They are definitely more versatile. Jones, Lamb, and Miller all show you an inside out game that no one had last year for the Cats. Last year’s team would take you inside, and simply keep taking you inside until you were exhausted. When Cousins got hot, and thought he had a point to make, there was no one who was going to stop him, which allowed Patrick Patterson to patrol the perimeter, and learn how to make 3 pointers. This year, without Kanter, that wont happen. Jones and Miller will take you inside, give you a move and bring it back out if they want, or take a mid-range floater without hesitating. This team will be a shining example of Coach Cal’s DDMO. They understand and fit that type of offensive scheme. This squad has all of the tools that last year’s team lacked. But without Kanter they also lack the skills that last year’s squad rode into the Elite Eight. Harrellson and Vargas are very serviceable big men inside, but neither has the skill set of Kanter. Vargas is faster and more versatile than Harrellson, but lacks Harrellson’s SEC and big game experience. But have no fear, they will still be a formidable team, if for no other reason, the talent from top to bottom. We are as talented, if not more talented than any other SEC team from top to bottom. Florida does get a slight edge in experience, but their talent is not on the same level as Kentucky’s. So assuming this team can mesh and gel like last year’s team, they will be very hard to deal with. Of course, that may not be as easy to do as it seems. Last year, every player was looking to make the others better. They played with a chip on their shoulders all year long. This team will need to do the same.

So what if Enes does play?? Take all of that you see above, and add the most dominant big man in this class to it. Take excellent outside shooting and add control of the paint. Take a first round draft pick Point Guard, and add a first round draft pick Center. Take the DDMO, and add a fast, agile, and intelligent big man who knows how to pass and when not to. The whole world of college basketball probably will be delighted if we do not get Enes Kanter eligible right away. Because if he is, they will probably be playing for second place. Coach Calipari is going to do his usual routine and tell the world we are not that good, we need time and experience, and that we are a long way from being anywhere near the top of the SEC, much less all of college basketball. I laughed when on a live blog during Big Blue Madness, someone noted that Cal had us already 0-3 and the season had not even started. That’s Cal. He needs that edge for these young kids to stay focused. Good for him. Circle the wagons, put up walls and do whatever else is necessary to get this team ready. And they will be ready. Enes or no, the Cats are going to be very tough to tame this year. Are they ready to return to the Elite Eight or better? That remains to be seen. But they are going to be playing UK Basketball at it’s highest level. Oh yeah, and the thoughts of Coach Cal? I guarantee you they are focused on that 8th Championship. He wants it just as badly as we do. And it’s not about his legacy, it is about his destiny. And he will as always, make it very entertaining along the way. P.T. Barnum would be proud.

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