Here we are, yet again. Another 1st round exit to a team we've never heard of. Another player, who we also have never heard of, lighting the nets on fire, and sending us home. As a fan, I wake up today, feeling frustrated, annoyed, disappointed, but more than anything just sad. For nearly all of my life, March has been a time of excitement, hope, joy, and expectation. And now it seems, that time has passed. Now, when tournament time arrives, it's about stress, anxiety, and the overwhelming dread of what happens if Kentucky loses YET AGAIN to a group of inferior talent. I just can't do it anymore.
I have stood behind Cal for most of his time at UK, letting myself believe that extraordinary circumstances were mostly to blame for the lack of post season success in the last several years. But now, having witnessed the same thing, yet again, I just can't do it anymore. At some point, there is a common denominator, and in this case it only comes back to Cal. I don't know what exactly it is. I'm not an expert, but Cal is responsible for how his team's are prepared and perform. I don't know if he is tired, or maybe lacks the same motivation from his early-years, but there is an overwhelming, and obviously noticeable difference, in the level of preparation UK teams have had, compared to their opponents when it comes to crunch-time. With a few exceptions, the guys last night were in complete shell-shock in the moment. Scared, timid, unsure of what to do. Easy plays made hard, lack of focus during critical moments, and a true misunderstanding of what it takes to survive and advance in a real tournament. Everyone is desperate in March, except us. We're just...scared.
I can't stomach another Cal press conference explaining away our downfall to the very same strategy used to assimilate the roster. If youth is your go-to recruiting strategy, and you believe in it full-heartedly, then you better be able to back it up. But at the end of the day, when the freshman don't show up when the lights are brightest, it's on you. It's on the coach to motivate and have the players ready to go, no matter their age. It's on the coach to play the best lineups, to make in-game adjustments, and execute the gameplan when it's time to play. It's on the coach to take accountability for failures and lack of results when we've been told over and over again "just wait until March." I've waited patiently until March for many years now, and my patience has now run out. It's time for change.
It is my sincere hope and desire that UK can be great again. I don't want to lose interest AT ALL. But it's getting harder and harder. My emotional investment with Kentucky basketball might be unhealthy, but like many of you, it is what I love. Other schools demand excellence from their head coaches, and UK should be no different. UK is supposed to be the "gold standard"...well that hasn't been the case for a long time now. It's time to figure it out, and get someone with a burning desire to win college basketball games. UK should be about winning first. The rest will take care of itself.
I have stood behind Cal for most of his time at UK, letting myself believe that extraordinary circumstances were mostly to blame for the lack of post season success in the last several years. But now, having witnessed the same thing, yet again, I just can't do it anymore. At some point, there is a common denominator, and in this case it only comes back to Cal. I don't know what exactly it is. I'm not an expert, but Cal is responsible for how his team's are prepared and perform. I don't know if he is tired, or maybe lacks the same motivation from his early-years, but there is an overwhelming, and obviously noticeable difference, in the level of preparation UK teams have had, compared to their opponents when it comes to crunch-time. With a few exceptions, the guys last night were in complete shell-shock in the moment. Scared, timid, unsure of what to do. Easy plays made hard, lack of focus during critical moments, and a true misunderstanding of what it takes to survive and advance in a real tournament. Everyone is desperate in March, except us. We're just...scared.
I can't stomach another Cal press conference explaining away our downfall to the very same strategy used to assimilate the roster. If youth is your go-to recruiting strategy, and you believe in it full-heartedly, then you better be able to back it up. But at the end of the day, when the freshman don't show up when the lights are brightest, it's on you. It's on the coach to motivate and have the players ready to go, no matter their age. It's on the coach to play the best lineups, to make in-game adjustments, and execute the gameplan when it's time to play. It's on the coach to take accountability for failures and lack of results when we've been told over and over again "just wait until March." I've waited patiently until March for many years now, and my patience has now run out. It's time for change.
It is my sincere hope and desire that UK can be great again. I don't want to lose interest AT ALL. But it's getting harder and harder. My emotional investment with Kentucky basketball might be unhealthy, but like many of you, it is what I love. Other schools demand excellence from their head coaches, and UK should be no different. UK is supposed to be the "gold standard"...well that hasn't been the case for a long time now. It's time to figure it out, and get someone with a burning desire to win college basketball games. UK should be about winning first. The rest will take care of itself.
