Kentucky Basketball: Will The NCAA Get Into The Holiday Spirit?

Editors note: I know that all of you were anxious awaiting another edition of the “Kentucky Wildcat’s 5 for Thursday” but instead Greg is weighing in wih some thoughts on the NCAA and the Kanter situation

This man only wants one thing for Christmas. He wants Enes Kanter on the court for the Kentucky Wildcats. Oh, I guarantee you he prays for peace on earth and goodwill toward man, and as he should, wants everyone to enjoy their holiday season and family and friends, but if John Calipari reaches into his stocking in a couple of days, and pulls out a letter from the NCAA declaring Enes Kanter eligible for this season, he will have his Christmas Wish fulfilled.

The same holds true for Kanter of course, because all he ever wanted to do was play college basketball, regardless of the ineptitude of the NCAA to this point in recognizing that fact. And what would that Christmas present mean to the Big Blue Nation? Whoa, Nellie! We would be climbing walls, hanging NCAA placards on our doors this year instead of wreaths and sending commemorative bottles of Maker’s Mark to the appeals committee’s office in celebration of a job well done.

Our opponents would likely not be so excited though. With the hiccup to UCONN being the only hitch in our giddyup this season so far, we would have a proven and credible solution to the only serious deficiency this team has shown so far. And to be honest, even that is improving. I have to admit it here and now, Josh Harrellson is possibly the most improved player on the team this season. I know you are saying that is not much of a feat considering that practically the whole team is new, but it is a major step up for Josh. Playing against Enes in practice has done wonders for Josh’s game, and it is showing every time he steps on the court. He is not as fast as some, and not as big and mean as others, but he just keeps getting better, and that is a welcome sight from any collegiate athlete.

If you were to ask Cal about it, and he was perfectly honest, he would have to say he has already been blessed with this team so far. They are everything they were advertised to be. They are better shooters than last year’s group, and probably smarter, they have to be. They cannot pound anyone into submission at this point, so they pick and choose their spots. If they can clean up the “selfish play” as Cal calls it, much like the second half effort against Boston University on Tuesday night, they are going to make some waves no matter what, that is assured. But his team with a true post player in the middle is something really special. Imagine the new and improved Josh Harrellson as the relief for Enes Kanter, with Eloy Vargas to help out as well. Combine their skills with Kanter, and throw Freshman of the Year Terrence Jones into the mix and we would have one of the most potent front lines in the country, if not the most potent.

More and more I understand Coach John Calipari now. He has that amazing drive to win that we have sorely needed here for the past few years, but he has so much more than that. His even bigger drive is to succeed. And he measures his success by the success of the people around him. His pride in seeing his former players in the NBA is incredibly unselfish on his part. He wants that NCAA Championship ring on his finger, of that there is no doubt, but he wants overall success even more. He loves taking “project” kids and turning them into front page success stories. And don’t tell him he cannot do something that he sees as an absolute must, because you are wasting your breath. Had Rick Pitino taken this approach when he was at Kentucky, he would still be here and we would probably have surpassed UCLA in that number of NCAA Championships by now. In his prime, Pitino was amazing in his assessment of talent, and had he looked more toward his players and their long term success, he would have a legacy that assured him of the Basketball Hall of Fame Induction that he is in the running for.

So, NCAA, I implore you, look deep into your hearts, find that Christmas Spirit that we a

ll need to locate this time of year. Ask yourself, “What can we do that would make for a wonderful Christmas present, and still be the right thing to do in the eyes of the world of college basketball, and even the world at large?” The answer is simple, put Enes Kanter on the court for the rest of the season. Let the young man live out his dream of becoming a college basketball player. Show the people out there who would seek to do these young men harm to their reputations, their chances and their futures that the NCAA is not fooled by propaganda, and innuendo wrapped in a false statement of self-importance. Show the member schools and their fans that keep your organization going that you are not without heart and compassion for a young man that so desperately wants to play college ball so badly that he turned down over a million dollars of guaranteed money to do it.

If you want restitution, fine, so be it. You want him to sit a while longer and ponder what he should have been more careful about, understood. Park him on the bench until the new year. But don’t deprive this kid a chance to be a part of something that is bigger than himself. Make him a part of the legacy of the NCAA, and not some asterisk in the UK archives 20 years from now. John Calipari believes in this kid, the entire Big Blue Nation believes in this kid. The entire nation of Turkey believes in this kid. We all already know that he is a fine, upstanding young man with good and caring parents. We know that he has worked hard to get to where he is, and we all know that the NCAA will be better for his having played, and that he will be better for having had the experience. This is a win for everyone involved. So send that letter to Cal’s stocking. We will guarantee you that the kid will do the right thing, he will go to class, and he will play by the rules. He is not a criminal, and we don’t need to treat him like an outcast. C’mon NCAA, jingle a few bells, roast a couple of chestnuts, hang some mistletoe and get in the spirit of the season. You will feel better, we will feel better, and I guarantee you that young man will feel better.

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