Post #200 - and I'm ranting and raving about ... Kentucky basketball

After yet another heart-wrenching road loss this week, I have got to say something about my beloved Cats… so any of you who are anti-Kentucky or anti-basketball, feel free to sit this one out.

I love John Calipari – I think he’s an amazing coach and an amazing recruiter. I mean, look, next year will be the third year in a row he’s managed to score the #1 recruiting class. That’s a pretty amazing feat. Of course, after the team we had last year, who wouldn’t want to play for Calipari?

There’s just one slight problem. This year’s team is not living up to the hype. Not a single one of them.

I’m sorry, but Brandon Knight was heralded as John Wall on steroids, but, well, he hasn’t impressed me yet. Not to say he’s not talented, but he’s not star material. He’s not the stand-out everyone claimed he was going to be.

Doron Lamb and Terrance Jones, they’re okay. But they are very obviously freshmen and they make freshman mistakes. The two of them would benefit immensely from another year or two here before they attempt to try the big time. We all said that about Patrick Patterson, and looked what happened – he came back and was so much better when he finally left.

Then there’s Enes Kanter, who Calipari was banking on but the NCAA decided they wanted to test Calipari by denying Kanter’s right to play. He’s now a student assistant coach. Whatever. Would this team be significantly different if Kanter could have played? Well, duh. You can’t blame the whole crappy season on the absence of Kanter.

While we’re talking about “imports,” I’m just going to keep my mouth shut about Vargas. He’s not impressing me. I seriously doubt he ever will. I’ve been wrong before, but, I find it hard to believe I’ll have to eat crow on this one.

Harrelson … oh Harrelson. I love you, but I can’t stand you. You are just like Patrick Sparks – when you’re hot, you’re hot and when you’re not, oh dear God, just give it to the cheerleaders because they’ll do a better job. Besides, am I the only one who associates the name “Harrelson” with White Men Can’t Jump?

Darius Miller, the player my mom loves to hate. Unless he’s hitting threes, Mom’s cursing him (and probably his first-born) to the depths of the ocean. He’s got skills, but he hasn’t mastered reliability yet. Get with it, man.

That brings us to DeAndre Liggins. I love DeAndre. Maybe because he’s a Billy Gillispie holdover and I just have high hopes for him. This team desperately needs some leadership, and I know he’s got the experience under his belt to rise to the occasion, I just wish he actually would. More often than not, he acts just like the freshmen. Come on Liggins, step it up. You’re above this, you can be the star of this team, but you have to work for it. You shouldn’t be content to let the newbies show you up.

Polson, Poole … yeah, I’m not going to say a word. The two of them shouldn’t be allowed to touch the ball – but hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile, so we’ll be grateful for the shots we get out of them, albeit rare ones.

Which brings me to the team as a whole. They do not have the heart, the soul, charisma or the team spirit (who’s got spirit, we do, we do) last year’s team had. I was a huge naysayer on last year’s team too – especially DeMarcus Cousins who proved me (and just about everyone else) wrong because he turned out to be amazing, and I truly miss him this year. None of the guys this year have learned how to be a cohesive unit – when Calipari was yelling at Jones for being selfish, he hit the nail on the head. That’s everyone’s problem. Everyone wants to be the star. You can’t have it both ways. (Even John Wall took a backseat from time to time.)

So, what else are we lacking this year? Besides the intangible qualities I’ve addressed, we’re also missing an inside presence. Perhaps I’ve grown too spoiled because one thing we’ve always had is an inside presence. But that’s where we’re getting beat at our own game.

Yeah, Cal, that's how I feel about this season
too. (Yes, I know, it's a pic from Memphis.)

This brings us to Calipari himself, who still believes in this team, blah blah blah. Come on, Calipari, just man up and admit the team’s not playing the way they should – and rewrite your strategy to stop relying on something we just don’t have (i.e. Kanter). Stop saying you don’t care about anything but where we end up in the tournament because if you can’t get these guys to shape up, you’re not going to the tournament and you can kiss that bonus check good-bye. Fact is, last year your boys were crap in November/December, but come January and SEC play, they were a completely different team. We’ve yet to see the 180 from this team, and if we don’t get it, like now, this immature BS play is not going to carry the team far in either tournament – SEC or NCAA. (Bad as they’ve been playing, I’d still like to think they are good enough to make it to the NCAA, so please don’t mention that “other” tournament! I might go into fits.)

The Unforgettables

 Does everyone remember the good ol’ days when we had a bench that was 10 players deep, unlike any other team? Does everyone remember the good ol’ days when we actually won road games? Does everyone remember the good ol’ days when Kentucky was actually a team to be scared of when they met up in the brackets?

Yeah, I’m having trouble remembering them too.

Come on boys, let’s man up and have some Gator soup for dinner tomorrow night. Go Cats!