The Moment You Realized UK Was Significant Again?

[W2R]

Well, if that was "a few months before" he committed, then I'd say Maggard gets a pass for that one, because that IS how it looked then. As I recall, guys like Wall and Cousins were not even considering UK until Cal got hired.

That's what made that whole thing so crazy, Cal didn't just sweep in and steal the nation's best recruits at the last moment, but he did it with recruits that had no interest in us at all before that moment. Up until his hire, we were looking at recruiting class of Dakotah Euton, Vinny Zollo, GJ Vilarino, Dom Ferguson, Konner Tucker and Jon Hood, and the idea of us getting someone like Wall seemed ridiculous.

This! That's what blows my mind about some posters on here. I get it, we are UK. We were UK before Cal and we will be after Cal. But this era is special. CBB has not witnessed a coach recruit like this year in and year out. Not only that. Calipari is responsible for almost a 1/4 of our final fours in our 100+ year history. In 6 years! He put us back on the map overnight. Go back and watch the video of all the media when he was hired. Not one said he would have immediate success.

 

[jrpross]

For me it was the Wall announcement. When he got hired my ears were perked for sure. When Cousins followed him and Bledsoe committed I was excited but I still had some reservations because of how crappy the last few years he been. When Wall committed though, I realized, "my god. These kids are going to be frickin begging him to play here."

 

[kybassfan]

This is something I try and preach on here a good bit of the time. We have always been relevant. It seems as if 70% (of this board especially) of fans seem to judge Calipari and UK from our results spanning from 2005 - 2009. We were in constant contention and one of the better programs from 99-04. It gets irritating seeing it too. I've seen no other blue bloods do this.

Kasnas doesnt do it (they have bigger droughts than anyone)
UNC* doesnt do it (hitting 7 year final four drought)
Duke doesn't do it (has had long ranges of mediocracy.)

Hell, even non blue bloods like Louisville don't do it.

It seems like UK and UCLA fans are the only ones I find on other boards that constantly rag on about how significant or insignificant we "used" to be. It's incredible.

Just wait, there will be a thread dedicated to who we were were for a 4 year period before Cal in a few seconds. It's always a "return to greatness" story with the media and our fans. Then you stop for a second and think about it, and you wonder what the hell everyone talking about? We've never left relevancy. And we usually sustain greatness for longer periods than anyone. It's overplayed badly.

That's a really good summary. Another facet of Kentucky basketball that many of the kids and younger adults overlook is that we've been involved in every aspect of basketball, good and bad. For example, great games, most recently like those in the 2014 tournament and the ND game in 2015, regarded by some as the best basketball game of 2015. Then we've had some historically bitter losses such as the Georgetown game with Bowie and most recently this year with Wisconsin. Without those, the legend that is Kentucky would be diminished. Kentucky has influenced NCAA basketball on many levels from Rupp, to CM Newton (yes, he was an NCAA big dog at one time) to most recently with the fabled "one and done" debate. We've put iconic players in the NBA from Issel to Davis. Even during some actual tough times (1958 - 1978 and 1978 -1996) we've still made a substantial mark on both the SEC and NCAA stages. The 4 year period was just a minor "dip" in the big picture. Certainly not anything to get excited about in terms of "return to greatness".

Again, very good summary and perspective. As I mention, I think the kids and younger adults just don't have a good handle on the depth and breath of the Kentucky basketball legacy. I frankly think most in the media lack this perspective. (A topic for another time, but some of the gray haired media that are so vilified are actually the ones that truly "get it" with regard to KY basketball). It is something to be measures in decades and not years.

 

[Mossip]

Exactly this.

Can someone make me a sig gif of the "I'm a bad MFer" on a loop?

Anybody able to do it in hi-def?

Permanent URL: http://i.imgur.com/iZGImHr.jpg

 

[Xception]

When Cal agreed to coach here I knew we were going to be UK again , his level of recruiting was a little surprising .

 

[irishcat1965]

As I have said in other threads, I never got over that loss to WVU that year.

 

[Ripcord65]

John Wall's announcement of his commitment to U.K.

No doubt about it.