In the Bluegrass, the line between myth and memory often blurs—and few “what ifs” sting quite like this one: What if Jodie Meeks had stayed for his senior year?
The 2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats were loaded with NBA talent, energized by a new era under John Calipari, and on the verge of something special. They had the No. 1 recruiting class, a head coach with swagger, and an arena filled with belief. What they didn’t have? A knockdown shooter.
That’s where Jodie Meeks could’ve changed everything.
The sharpshooter Kentucky never replaced
Jodie Meeks was a flamethrower in blue and white. During the 2008–09 season—his junior year—he averaged 23.7 points per game, the third-highest scoring average in school history. He broke Dan Issel’s single-game scoring record with 54 points at Tennessee, including 10 three-pointers, and hit 117 threes that year at a 40.6% clip. He was the definition of a floor-stretcher.
When he declared for the NBA Draft, Meeks left behind a Kentucky team in flux. Billy Gillispie had just been fired. Calipari was hired to reset the culture. Meeks, wary of entering his third coaching regime in four years, made a decision that was as practical as it was personal.
He didn't know the role he would have under his third coach in four years. He wanted to maximize his ability to go pro, and it worked. He had a good career in the NBA after leaving.
John Calipari’s house cleaning and the new era
When John Calipari arrived in Lexington, he flipped the roster like a real estate mogul. Patrick Patterson was the only major holdover from the previous year. Meeks had declared early for the draft but left the door open to return—until Calipari made it clear the program was moving fast, and the future was spelled in five-star recruits.
Kentucky’s new core—John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, and Darius Miller—was electric. They steamrolled to a 35–3 record, won the SEC, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Wall was dazzling, Cousins was dominant, and the Cats looked like a title team… until they didn’t.
The West Virginia collapse: A missing piece
On March 27, 2010, Kentucky met West Virginia in the Elite Eight. It was a game that screamed for Jodie Meeks. The Mountaineers packed the paint, dared Kentucky to shoot, and Cal’s young team blinked. The Wildcats went 4-of-32 from three-point range and 23-of-67 overall from the field. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe combined to go 7-for-27. They lost 73–66.
You don’t have to stretch the imagination far to see how Meeks could’ve swung that game. If he hits even three or four threes—well below his average—Kentucky likely wins. Meeks had 18 games with 4+ three-pointers in 2008–09 and eight games with six or more. His mere presence on the court would have unclogged the lane, given Wall more room to drive, and forced West Virginia to adjust.
A title that slipped away?
Kentucky was the most talented team in the country that season. Five players from that roster were first-round picks. They had NBA size, speed, and star power—but not that one guy who could consistently space the floor. Meeks could’ve been their Lee Humphrey, their Kyle Guy, their Doron Lamb before Doron Lamb.
In hindsight, it feels like a title slipped away—not because of what Kentucky lacked, but because of who wasn’t there. Meeks had the poise, the experience, and the heat-check ability to change a Final Four game. And while Calipari would get his championship two years later with Anthony Davis, the 2010 team was built to win then.
The legacy of the decision
Meeks carved out a solid NBA career. His choice to leave early wasn’t a betrayal—it was a player making the right call in uncertain times. But it also left Kentucky fans with one of the most tantalizing hypotheticals in program history.
Could a senior Jodie Meeks have given Calipari his first national title two years earlier? It’s not just possible—it’s plausible. The numbers, the timing, the need—they all align.
Final thought
Basketball history is filled with championship teams that needed just one more piece. In 2010, Kentucky had everything… except a shooter.
And Jodie Meeks was the shooter.