Fifty years.... seen a lot since the 75 season here ..... It's great to witness another season !
This year, this game, it feels totally different. I've seen all the coaching changes since Rupp left. I never understood why Kentucky fans were so hard on coach Hall, but I do understand he had the biggest shoes to fill in history for any basketball coach anywhere, ever. Through all these years, it makes me feel really grateful we got Pope as our coach now.
He brings with him a modern, fun philosophy, based on hard work, and every aspect of the program and university working to get better, incrementally, day by day. That's how you do it.
Not by ending generational poverty.
I look at the leadership and where he has been. Coach Pope was cheered on by many of us all his time as a player, we loved him then, as we do wholeheartedly now. we're in great hands. He has united the fanbase where there was divisiveness before.
I give a tip of the hat and thanks for the Coach Cal era at Kentucky. They were fun times, but it got frustrating, and the game changed in his long tenure here. But I'll not nitpick on the past. He delivered a title and final fours. We wished more, but it's so difficult to do, for many reasons.
In the end, we do well by moving on, parting ways, and breathing new life back into our program!
We are Kentucky Basketball.
Forget being the "gold" standard.... Kentucky is pure platinum, make no mistake about it !
Go Big Blue!
