Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Keep Calm and Trust Cal?

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

“Keep Calm and Trust Cal”

“In Cal We Trust”

“Cal Knows Best”

Kentucky fans, at times, are not known for being the most rational or calm fans in college basketball. But, since the arrival of John Calipari in April 2009, the one area most Kentucky fans seem the most calm, year after year, is with recruiting. And it’s not hard to understand why. After all, Calipari has recruited a Top 3 class every year since he’s been in Lexington. That level of calm has, for the most part, extended to fans’ outlook on the season, trusting that no matter how many underclassmen the Wildcats were losing to the NBA, Calipari would replace them on the roster and have just as much success, if not more, than the previous year’s team.

Five Elite Eights

Four Final Fours

Two National Runners-Up

One National Championship

It is admittedly hard to argue with Calipari’s success at Kentucky or fans trusting that, no matter what, everything will be okay.

And yet, the 2012-2013 season is the 800 lb gorilla hanging out in the corner that few seem to want to acknowledge. Or, if they do, to quickly find a reason why next year will be different than the last time the Wildcats lost so many to the NBA Draft.

These fans point out that Calipari, by his own admission, was humbled by that season and won’t make the same mistakes again—never again will he field such a short-handed roster that leaves him unable to use the bench as a motivator. These fans point out that if anything, next season is likely to be more like 2010-2011, and that season ended up okay. It is possible these fans are right. In fact, I mostly agree with them. While I’d certainly feel much better had Trey Lyles or Devin Booker opted to return to school for another year, there is a lot of returning talent on next year’s team. And a recruiting class of Isaiah Briscoe, Charles Matthews, and Skal Labissiere is solid and gives Calipari a couple of different options when it comes to decided which “5” to put on the court. Obviously not as many options as this past season’s team but Calipari will have options, nonetheless. Do you go small and run a 4-guard set with Labissiere? Or perhaps a little bigger with Poythress, Marcus Lee, and Skal inside?

But, I also think that fans have the right to be more than a little anxious right now, especially because it seems as though the “worst-case” scenario—Kentucky strikes out will all the remaining uncommitted elite recruits—seems more and more likely. Already, it appears Calipari is working on backup options; why else would he be recruiting a JUCO shooting guard and a graduate transfer from Charlotte? This isn’t to say that neither one of them are capable of making an impact at Kentucky. But, it is saying that neither one of them were, obviously, Calipari’s first choice. Further, until next season tips off, there are questions about this team, no matter who else Calipari signs. Will Poythress’ be 100 percent? Will he have the same explosiveness and ferocity? Can Marcus Lee be a consistent inside threat, offensively and defensively? Are Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins ready for an increased role? Can they contribute off the bench?

Last week I BOLDLY predicted that not only would Kentucky advance to next year’s Final Four but that they would win their ninth national championship. I stand by that prediction and will until I have reason to believe otherwise. But, if a segment of the fanbase is nervous and anxious and worried right now about next season, that’s understandable. And it’s okay. It doesn’t deserve to be mocked or made fun of, which is what I see too many in #BBN doing right now. Keep Calm and Trust Cal? Okay, fine, but at least for a little while I’ll be a skeptical optimist.