Bogans' Heroes

We're moving on up ...

2006-03-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

Loyal readers of the Bogans' Heroes universe ... thanks to you all for your continued readership, and we hope that you will join us at our new home: A Sea of Blue.

While the look has changed, and the focus will be more on UK sports and not solely basketball, you'll still get the same insights from the same writers, plus some new twists we could not offer here.

So update those bookmarks and stop by to see what we're up to ...

Only the Wildcats fans can make ... A Sea of Blue.

Cats find spine at Win-nessee

2006-03-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Must-win. It's one of the most overused phrases in sports, especially given the number of times that "must-win" situations are followed by not-win outcomes. Kentucky's on-again, off-again hoopsters have uttered this phrase several times in recent
months, only to falter in the clutch, rendering must-win games didn't-win losses.

But not Wednesday.

Feeding off their embattled coach, the Wildcats seemed enlivened in the second half -- and what most Big Blue faithful wouldn't give to have heard that halftime speech -- scoring 7 straight after the break to turn a tenuous deficit into a possession by possession game.

Much of the credit for this goes to senior guard Brandon Stockton, the mighty mite whose injection into the starting lineup steadied the Cats, and whose dive-on-the-floor guts propelled his more talented teammates back into the NCAA at-large universe.

All year most UK fans have pointed to the gifted but enigmatic sophomore class as proof either that Tubby Smith can recruit, or as evidence that he cannot coach. Point guard Rajon Rondo, he of the lofty potential and NBA dreams, was unstoppable in the second half ... literally. Rondo hit all of his second-frame shots, a series of dribble drives and acrobatic layups that kept UK in or close to the lead. The Louisville native tacked on 8 assists in the game for good measure, all in 22 minutes of action.

"We didn't argue with each other and we didn't try to take it one-on-one," Rondo said. "That's a big key. When we got down 14, we started to play more as a team. ... It was a key win, we came off a tough loss and everyone was counting us out. So we stuck together and we were probably the only ones who believed that we could win."

I'll admit, like a lot of fans who have suffered through this most un-Kentucky of hoops seasons, I began to doubt seriously at 21-7 Vols in the first half. But unlike many, I also remembered what a surge of emotion Senior Day can bring to a home team. And I've seen enough teams weather that emotion against the Cats that I wasn't completely down. As it turns out, thankfully, neither were the Cats.

This was vintage Tubby Smith coaching, making the necessary adjustments at seemingly every juncture. Smith entrusted handling the Cat-killer Chris Lofton to none other than Patrick Sparks, whose crab-walk "quickness" hardly instills fans with the image of a defensive stopper. And yet, on Wednesday, Sparks answered the call, holding Lofton 3 points below his average, and 16 below his total in UT's crushing win at Rupp in early February.

Smith continued to pull the right strings all night, inserting a more confident Rondo and Randolph Morris into the second half starting lineup, as if rewarding them for their strong first-half performances. Such faith in his stars usually pays big dividends down the road, and most UK fans believe -- and Tubby more or less acknowledged -- that we are finally seeing the team that was selected preseason top 15 by most pundits. After surrendering 53% shooting in the first half, the Cats buckled down enough in this see-saw affair to bring the Vols back to earth in the second (44%). That defense proved key on a night when big game Ravi Moss didn't have it, and turnovers threatened to spoil the Cats' revival hopes.

I echo the sentiments of several fans, who lauded Smith's calling Joe Crawford's number in a spread set late in the game. Tubby took appropriate heat for handing his season to Sheray Thomas against LSU last time out, and while Joe C's three-point attempt with 10 seconds left missed, and could still be called ill-advised given there was time left on the clock, Tubby' recruited stars to be stars, not decoys. At least one of the super sophs agreed.

"Coach showed he believed in me," said Rondo. "So I had to believe in myself."

Such sentiments can mean all the difference when the game is on the line in a tournament setting. And Smith has capably broken his squad down and built them back up in his image, something that could have happened much sooner had Morris been a part of the team on the floor from Day 1. Inserted into the rotation at SEC season, there was really no time for development or growth, only winning and -- more often then we thought -- losing.

Morris has grown tremendously in stature and confidence over the past few weeks. Against the height-challenged Vols, the Wildcat big man looked like an All-American, scoring on a variety of post moves, and drawing shooting fouls at will. Foul trouble kept Morris on the pine for much of the first half, but he had more than produced in his 9 early minutes, scoring 14 points and grabbing a slew of big rebounds to help keep the Cats in it.

Tubby has adapted well after rather stubbornly sticking to his script for much of the SEC's first half. Fact is, he didn't have muhc of a choice. After losing the Vandy game at Vandy for a three-game losing streak, the Cats had to make a change. I woudn't have expected Brandon Stockton, Woo and Moss starting, but that's why I'm on this end of the tube, not on Tubby's end.

All in all, an immensely satisfying 80-78 win in a hostile arena with everything on the line. So who's ready to do it all again Sunday?

Shaping up

The victory puts the Cats in much better shape from a resume standpoint. The win at UT jumps UK to #33 in KenPom/ESPN.com mock RPI indeces.

With a strength of schedule of 21, the Cats could use a win over the Gators on Sunday to solidify the at-large beyond doubt, and to improve any potential seeding. It's starting to feel like UK basketball again!

The Prediction Biz

CBSSportsline.com scribe Greg Doyel has made his living -- and seems to be enjoying it, understandably -- the past few years by being a "stir the pot" guy. His bosses clearly enjoy the hits they receive whenever his latest hatchet job posts. I can fault him for that, so long as his facts are in order.

But he certainly borders on the excessive with random "predictions" about a team like Kentucky "avoiding a four-game losing streak."

I can understand looking at the situation and pondering four losses, but the guy doesn't have to revel in himself quite so much.

Wildcats on edge: 'The case against ...'

2006-03-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

With every passing day and every approaching game, the Big Blue Nation's collective blood pressure goes through the roof. Every night, one of ESPN's 417 college basketball "analysts" has his (Digger) or her (Gottleib) say about the Cats' fate. So I have mine as well. Free country, and all that rot.

Yesterday, we took a positive spin on things (as we are wont to do here at Bogans' Heroes). Today, we get down to realism and look at the reasons we Cats fans may be staring into our beers come Selection Sunday. As noted before, the Cats "lucked" out in that they have two huge SEC games with which to prove themselves. A win in either helps tremendously, and a pair of wins probably makes all this machination and number crunching moot.

However, with two to play, and living in a vaccuum, here is why the Cats stay home:

The Tangibles

Kentucky has 10 losses on the season, 4 in 2005 and 6 in 2006.

The Cats have suffered a 26-point loss (neutral to Indiana) and a 27-point loss (at Kansas) this season, both on national television. Each was the biggest loss for a Tubby Smith-coached Kentucky team.

Kentucky has suffered through a pair of three-game losing streaks.

UK stands in third place in the SEC East (8-6), and Florida has tie-breaker for SEC tourney first-round bye if the two teams are tied at season's end.

Kentucky's simulated RPI stands at 41 -- with quality wins over a bottomed-out Louisville and a fading West Virginia losing some of their luster.

The Wildcats have lost 4 of their last 7 games.

Kentucky has yet to beat any of the teams currently 1 or 2 in the SEC (LSU, Bama, Tenn., Florida). A last second win over Arkansas is the only thing keeping them from 0-5 against the SEC's best.

Tubby Smith's bunch is a lowly 2-8 versus the RPI top 50, and 1-5 against the top 25 (WVU).

The SEC currently has 4 solid picks in Alabama (quality wins), LSU, Florida and Tennessee. Arkansas is on a roll, and has upended the Gators, Kansas, UT and Bama. That leaves the Cats as the probable 6th team seeking a bid, a tenuous position given the SEC is the 4th rated conference and the Cats' lack of marquee wins.

The Intangibles

Tubby Smith has struggled all year to find consistency, a benchmark the committee looks for when selecting at-large teams. As recently as four games ago, the Cats shuffled their lineup, and they have no streak of more than 5 wins this season to lean on.

Kentucky is a big name, and a big target. Should the committee come down to UK and a mid-major with 20+ wins, the Cats may actually suffer from being made an example of the way Indiana and Notre Dame have been in recent years.

The lack of quality wins UK has is a big factor. Losses happen -- Michigan State has 9 itself -- but UK has only beaten the teams it was supposed to beat, and has struggled with even some of those.

The Wildcats' big home win over then-No. 4 Louisville is useless now, as the Cardinals have flopped their way to a sub-50 RPI and a losing conference record. Huge losses to Kansas and IU only further cement the Cats' big-game woes.

The committee claims it doesn't examine past success, and if that is true, the Cats' merits this year may not be enough to squeak them in.

As noted yesterday, the bottom line is clear: the Cats must win out. A split with Florida and Tennessee is doable, but doesn't absolve any SEC tourney troubles. Leave it up to the committee and a few upstart mid-majors who lose in conference tournaments and the Cats will have a potentially disastrous situation.

Tubby doesn't need to be told how important this is ... and here's hoping neither do his "Unpredictables."

Wildcats on edge: 'The case for ...'

2006-02-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

By now, only the most diehard optimist or ambivalent loner feels truly confident in Kentucky's receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. With two huge regular season games remaining, there is much to play for. And the SEC tournament -- a Tubby strength in past years -- also looms large as a way for the Cats to merit a backdoor in with a run. The Wildcats are in perhaps a favorable position, as opposed to, say, the Louisville Cardinals. However, there are many mid-major and similarly mediocre high major programs competing for the final few at-large spots.

Before the Cats take the floor in Knoxville on Wednesday, Bogans' Heroes takes a two-part look at the NCAA tournament resume of the "Unpredictables":

The Tangibles

Kentucky stands at 18 wins (against 10 losses) -- 9 in 2005, 9 in 2006.

Kentucky sits at #41 in the collegerpi.com simulated rankings.

Of its 18 wins, 2 came over teams ranked in the top 15 at the time (West Virginia #7, Louisville #4).

The Wildcats are 8-6 in the SEC, assured of no worse than a .500 conference record. The SEC is the RPI #4 best, according to KenPom's RPI rankings.

Kentucky has won 3 of its last 4, and 8 of 12.

The Cats have 2 wins over top-50 RPI teams, and 8 over top-100 RPI foes.

Kentucky's strength of schedule is a strong #24.

Kentucky's strength of schedule and RPI will most likely rise after games against Florida and Tennessee.

The Intangibles

Kentucky's "bad" losses were mostly to out of conference teams on the road, and minus their (theoretically) starting center, Randolph Morris. Despite going just 8-6 with Morris, Kentucky has played better, and those 6 losses come in a total of 39 points, or roughly 6.5 points per loss. Losses, still, but not the blowouts from December and January.

The Wildcats started 0-2 in the conference as they struggled with the reinsertion of Morris into lineup. Since that start, they are 8-4.

The Wildcats bring with them a huge travelling show, capable of selling out first-round venues, no matter how much they have struggled. This fan loyalty cuts to the heart of the NCAA's mirage campaign which is predicated on (a) competitive games, (b) fair assessment of ability and (c) ticket sales, probably in reverse order. Ergo, the pull of a bubble Kentucky team could come down to money. Who would be more likely to generate revenue, Wichita State or Kentucky?

Tubby Smith's track record in the NCAA tournament, while not to many UK fans' high standards perhaps, is excellent. In eight prior NCAAs as UK coach, he has failed to reach the second weekend only twice, and has never lost a first-round game. If the committee decides to take a look at potential success in assessing two or three worthy teams, such history could help the Cats.

Kentucky has star power in Rajon Rondo and Morris, not to mention Patrick Sparks, whose memorable three in the Elite Eight last year made him a highlight reel regular.

The bottom line is that, even in a rosy scenario, Kentucky is in must-win mode. Were the Cats 23-5, Saturday's loss at LSU would have seemed a missed opportunity, but a valiant effort against the probable SEC champs. But facing a sweaty Selection Sunday, such losses tear holes in the "good" resume. The Cats' failures against teams like Vanderbilt and Alabama hurt, and were it not for some Rondo heroics (Central Florida, Arkansas), this conversation would most likely not be happening at all.

A win over Tennessee, currently an amazing fourth in the collegeRPI index, would probably cement a bid, though wins over both UT and Florida would allow for an SEC tourney flop, while a single win in these last three might not cover their ass.

Would Kentucky be in if the NCAA selection was today? I would lean towards no.

Hardly a pessimist, it seems to this writer that one only has to look at how the Cats fared against quality opponents most of the year to see that marquee wins are lacking. These next two games could determine whether Tubby Smith ekes into next season with a whimper or flames out this year with a roar, leaving a long offseason of gripes, concerns and calls for his head.

Big dog or little cat?

2006-02-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

Let's get one thing straight: I believe in Tubby and don't kneejerk in my opinions based on wins and losses.

That the Cats had the ball with a chance to win over the probable SEC regular season outright champs in the closing seconds means these guys are at worst in the conversation for an NCAA bid. Road losses in the SEC happen, especially in this, the downest of down years in a decade. Most of my game keys from yesterday were part of the equation, and the Achilles' heels ended up being a no-show from Joe Crawford and the defense in the second half.

But like a lot of fans, I am steamed about that final play.

Don't get me wrong, it could have gone in, and Sheray Thomas played a great game and certainly bears little ill will for a tough shot in a pressure situation. He should have used the backboard or gone left, but that is hindisight, and had the shot gone in we'd be talking about how clutch he was and what a great call Tubby made in going to the unexpected choice. This game wasn't lost on Thomas' shoulders. It was, however, another one given away when the team executed poorly down the stretch. And the final call reflects much of the fans' frustration with Coach Smith this season.

There has been an undue amount of grumbling this year about recruiting failures and a lack of "UK-caliber" talent. Some of it is warranted -- the junior class is effectively three role players and a team manager (Shagari) -- and the bulk is overblown. But the reason I'm steamed isn't so much that Tubby went to Sheray. From a strategic standpoint, it's a brave and potentially lucrative decision. If the shot falls, Thomas becomes a player other teams have to scout in certain situation, and with Glen "Big baby" Davis clogging up the lane, a shot from Morris is more likely a fadeaway jumper.

The reason I'm steamed has to do with recruiting, but not in the way you probably think.

When you have game-changing talent, and the Cats have it in Morris, Rajon Rondo and Joe Crawford, with Patrick Sparks' main talent being ridiculous cojones, you have to live and die by it. If you're going to recruit gamers, and if you're going to tell a future Morris or Crawford (or Brandan Wright or Tyler Hansbrough) that you want him to be "the man," then it seems logical to me that you'd want to give him the chance to perform in the clutch.

Morris, by Tubby's admission, was the decoy. Fine. Rondo is the ballhandler. Fine. But Crawford can drive, shoot and hits his free throws at a 70% clip this season. Is there any time at which Tubby Smith told Sheray Thomas, "Come to Kentucky and you'll be 'The Man'"? I cannot believe that is true.

So Tubby again confounds his critics and supporters alike by going away from (a) the proven players, (b) the players you recruited for this very moment and (c) the future of the program.

No one can ever say Tubby Smith isn't his own man, even with the wolves nipping at his heels.

Big Game in the Bayou

2006-02-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

The stakes go up tremendously for the Wildcats today with an SEC road game at Lousiana State. A win would put the Cats in the driver's seat for an at-large bid (something I feel they would get with two wins in the next four anyway), and keep pace with the Gators in the East Division. Even moreso, a win would give Kentucky a so-called quality win over a ranked team, something their tournament resume is direly lacking at this juncture.

A few keys to look for:

Continued strong defensive pressure -- In the three recent wins, all with Tubby Smith's new lineup rotation, the starters -- while offensively challenged -- have set the tone with excellent defense and solid ballhandling. In all three games, the Cats held the opponent in check until the first substitutions. Kentucky then brings in its "B" team of three McDonald's All-Americans, something even a talented Tigers squad can't come close to matching. If LSU breaks the starters down quickly and forces Tubby to go to Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris early, the pattern shifts dramatically.

Which Rondo shows up? -- The birthday boy on Wednesday, Rondo looked like the 20+ assists in a game man he was at Oak Hill rather than the confused and sulking benched star he was against South Carolina. It was a welcome change, and would be a harbringer for the remainder of the season. While 12 assists would be unexpected, a 6-assist, low turnover game while pestering Tack Minor and the other Tigers guards would be much needed. Making his free throws and avoiding bad shots would be icing on the cake for the Cats.

Karate Morris? -- If Morris must play early and often, foul trouble will be key to the game. Unlike against Ole Miss or even USC, Kentucky's big man will be most likely matched up against Glen "Big Baby" Davis, as skilled a post player as there is in the conference. Morris' main concern should be rebounding and smart defensive play (go straight up with those arms, Gimel!) rather than trying to force the offense. Rondo penetrating and dishing could be huge for Morris getting on track early. Negating LSU's interior offense would be tatamount to victory for the Cats.

Who steps up? -- The Cats have gotten outstanding individual performances -- sometimes from unlikely sources -- in most of their big wins this season. Despite the hopes of Kentucky fans, I don't expect to see similar results from walk-on Preston LeMaster against the more athletic and talented Tigers today, however stranger things have happened. More likely would be a standout offensive performance from Crawford or one of the two junior utilitymen Bobby Perry or Sheray Thomas. A double-digit -- and, more importantly, solid shooting -- game from either could be the difference.

Trust in Tubby -- The single biggest factor down ther stretch for the Wildcats is their newfound trust in the head man. Once Smith exerted his might and reshuffled the lineup two things have happened: (1) renewed focus on defense, Tubby's signature at UK, and (2) better play from the star sophomores as they accepted their coaches' doctrine. If these Cats are to walk away victorious in this one, and in upcoming grudge matches with Tennessee and Florida, they will do so with defensive pressure and continued unselfish offensive play, not with individual skill. This is not because they are lacking that skill, but because that's the formula that works for Tubby.

I think the Cats can win, but wouldn't be disheartened beyond hope if they do not. The worst case scenario is Morris foul trouble, Rondo reverting to the one-on-one offense and three-point shots and an off night for Patrick Sparks and Crawford shooting the ball. That would most likely mean a double-digit loss, something the bubble-riffic Cats cannot afford at this stage.

But I suspect there is a surprise in store for Cats fans, either from deep on the bench or from one of the stars, that could make this another step on the road to recovery for the Cats.

LeMasters of their domain

2006-02-23T13:05:00.000-05:00

Throwback week is sitting well with the Kentucky Wildcats, who looked like the Cats of old in demolishing a gimpy Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. I like the old school uniforms a lot. I like the 40-point feel-good (for UK fans) 80-40 drubbing of an SEC opponent even more.

Nevermind that Ole Miss was playing with a heavy heart, missing its leading scorer and rebounder from a 4-9 conference team. Nevermind that the Cats had everything to play for (NCAA hopes) while its opponent had next to nothing (pride, or coaches' jobs). Focus only on the issues at hand: bench performance, defense, scoring prowess, chemistry, Preston LeMaster's shooting form.

Excuse me?

As my partner, Rance, noted, LeMaster's breakout four three-pointer game was the sort of Kentucky moment this team has lacked pretty much all year. A home win over Louisville was probably the closest thing, but that was another "must win" game against a big time opponent. The senior walk-on's spotlight moment was far more organic, and it was the kind of team-oriented occasion that helps bring a group of players closer together.

Several more of those questions were also addressed, most notably how the "disgruntled" Rajon Rondo would play after his career-low 2-point outing in Columbia on Saturday and whether the practice-graded starting five situation would continue to pay dividends. Against the hapless Rebels, the answers to both were dramatic and emphatic.

Rondo -- on his 20th birthday, no less -- entered the game and immediately ran the floor like a champ, dishing out 5 first-half assists and playing his trademark pesky defense. His backcourt mate, Patrick Sparks, even lobbed up a softball for Rondo to flush down. For the game, the supposedly cancerous teammate Rondo doled out a career-best 12 assists to no turnovers and even sank his only two free throws for good measure. Maybe even more importantly, the sophomore reveled in his passing, turning down a couple of fairly open looks to dish the ball off, and assisting on all of the walk-on LeMaster's four treys.

"And the one he missed was from me, too," Rondo said after the game, grinning.

Wins like this one are infectious, and while it's great to see LeMaster shine, and to witness fellow senior Brandon Stockton tally a career-high 9 points as well, this team will still only go as far as Sparks and the trio of talented sophomores takes it. While the contributions of role players such as Bobby Perry (team-high 7 boards) and Lukasz Obrzut (2 of team's 10 blocks) are critical, the continued development of center Randolph Morris (10 points, 5 boards in limited time) and Joe Crawford (team-leading 17 points on 7-11 shooting) is fun to watch, and a great omen for the rest of the year.

Crawford, in particular, has impressed with his willingness to be a team scoring leader. The role is there for the taking, and it benefits both UK and Crawford for him to continue to push the envelope. Crawford is a gifted scorer and should not shy from taking shots. Obviously, if they aren't falling, the situation changes, but this team needs him to approach 15 points a game, and his outside shooting is a great compliment to Sparks outside and Morris inside.

Morris looked great again, scoring on a creative variety of moves and rebounding in similar fashion to Saturday's double-double game. The Cats really area on the verge of having perhaps their best pivot since Nazr and Magloire roamed the paint, and Morris may actually be more talented than any single UK center since the 80s. As the Georgia native progresses and soaks up the messages from his coach and others, he'll only get better. Let's hope he sticks around to show UK fans their faith in him and their second chance was worth it.

But despite all the personal accomplishments on Wednesday, the real winner was the defense. No, Ole Miss does not resemble an NCAA team in scoring ability by any wide stretch. But echoing Coach Smith, any time you hold a team to 22% shooting, especially an SEC team, you're doing your job very well.

Though the Cats' offensive woes this year were glaring, Tubby instituted the new grading system not to get better offense, but to get better defensive pressure. Thus far, the difference from the Florida and Tennessee losses has been dramatic. Better perimeter pressure, better help defense and much improved interior defense from Morris and Co.

If this team is, in fact, righting its ship at the right time, only a return to Tubby-style defense will carry the day. That, and maybe a few more 12-point outings from Preston LeMaster.

Excuse me?

Well done, sir.

2006-02-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

What a treat to find in a season such as this a performance so moving as LeMaster's. Reduces you to the little kid who dreams of playing in Rupp. For the Cats. And to score?

Rule #1: Kentucky fans LOVE the three-point shot. Like the pope loves praying, Kentucky fans love the three.

So it only reckons to figure their version of "Rudy" involves a native Kentuckian riding pine for four years until emerging in a time of need...only to drain a three from the wing. That Preston got the ovation with his two in the second half, wow.

In other news: Billy D coaching another team right into mediocrity. Sorry, but it's true.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow ... "

2006-02-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Cats return to action tonight looking to continue the positive vibes from the last two games -- the first two of the "graded practice" era. I'm curious to know whether Tubby Smith is actually still grading practice and whether he'll shuffle the lineup accordingly, or whether, his point now made, he'll run with some consistency. Truthfully, the pattern of shuffling Rajon Rondo, Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford in at the first sign of fumbling from the Woo-Stockton-Moss triumverate seems to be effective.

The loss to injury of sophomore guard Ramel Bradley is troubling in that it decreases depth. If there is a silver lining to it, though, it's that Bradley played a total of 12 minutes in the two recent wins, and losing a guard for the Cats -- a position of strength -- is much less costly than losing a "big" man. Bradley's freewheeling ways have put him solidly in the doghouse, which is a shame. I haven't really talked much about Smoov this season, and that's partly his own fault. For every 12-point first half outing, there are countless rushed shots clanging off the rim early in the shot clock. In true Brooklyn style -- and you'll have to trust me on this one since I spent 8 years living and playing pickup ball there -- he seems unabashed about being a creative and gifted scorer who regards defense as rest time until it's time for offense again. And it doesn't have to be this way. I just hope he'll stick around and see what being a beloved Wildcat can do for an already healthy ego -- just ask Cameron Mills.

There have been a slew of rumors and a healthy dose of innuendo that as many as 7 players are out the door after this year (not including the Tubster himself). For the sake of nothing, here's a quick look at some potential "departures" and how they might grade out. [Ed. note - this is satirical and, like Jared Prickett's college haze, has no basis in reality. ... All photos courtesy of UK Athletics.]

(1.) Shagari Alleyne, C, Jr. -- The former Rice high school standout has solidified his stranglehold on the end of the pine, playing only when fellow Junior Lukasz Obrzut runs out of two-handed layups or trips over the end line. Tubby's accolades of invisible freshman Jared Carter's progress bode ill for the onetime Gregg Doyel pet project Alleyne, and his brief stint on the NBADraft.net mock draft board have to seem to the big guy like the internet boom to a broken DotCommer working night shift at Arby's at this point. I never really want a kid to leave, feeling that (a) the UK experience is worth it and (b) not every kid becomes a star. That said, Alleyne once showed promise, and I have written here before that his career is wasting into nothingness before our eyes. At 7'3", the dude could help someone at a smaller school, and might even get a chance to hit a draft camp if he could manage to see more than 2 mopup minutes on the floor. But that's his doing, not Tubby's. If anything, UK fans cannot argue that Smith doesn't give guys many chances to prove themselves. Shagari has clearly proven something, all right. Just not in a good way.

Transfer likelihood: Aminu Timberlake's size 18s
Possible destination: Fordham

(2.) Adam Williams, G/F, Fr. -- A much-debated recruit to begin with, the high-hopping, rim-breakin' Williams hasn't really shown anything to the Big Blue Faithful as of yet. Kind of hard to do in 2 minutes against Iona, etc. A-Will, who committed to the Cats in 1987, was one of those kids who choked up at the chance to put on the uniform, something that melts most fans' hearts. Lacking a perimeter game and a Fast Food prospect pedigree, the coach's son is firmly 8th on the guard depth chart if you count incoming freshmen and likely early contributors Jodie Meeks and Derrick Jasper. Adam's father, West Virginia coaching legend Tex, seems miffed about his son's role and PT -- of which there isn't much -- and has hinted at various times a possible return to WVU and theoretical floor time. No one wants to see a kid who bleeds blue take off, but it's hard to imagine that Williams, who faced marginal competition in his prep days, is going to get another chance at a second chance, if that's his desire. For what it's worth, I think that he could be a contributor. Heck, none of us have seen him play enough to know for sure. But at Kentucky, you get recruited over sometimes within your own class (Bradley, ahem), much less year-to-year. Williams is already a prep year behind, and a transfer year adds another year to his age. Still, Tubby has been Marlee Matlin silent about Adam to the press. A change of scenery could be win-win or lose-win, depending.

Transfer likelihood: Oliver Simmons' surprisingly hot girlfriend
Possible destination: West Virginia

(3.) Ramel Bradley, G, So. -- Having already talked about Bradley's shortcomings, it should be noted that the kid is dynamite at times, and has a performer's mentality that UK fans love. There's such a fine line between a Fitch and a Carruth in terms of attitude, however, that it's hard to know which Smoov will become. That he possesses pro-caliber offense is undeniable. He's possibly ther best and clutchest long range bomber the Cats have. But in addition to lacking a conscience, Bradley hasn't grasped the defense yet, and his penchant for emotional outbursts clearly cost him (broken hand) as much as they help (Bogut confrontation, '05). Count me as among those who think an upperclass Bradley is an All-SEC lock, provided he lets Tubby do the jabbering and harnesses his talent on both ends. Some have said that the rumor mill posits a Rondo return could mean a Bradley departure, especially with three more guards entering the fold in the fall. I can't speak to that, but much like a major college football QB situation, if you wait your chance and study hard, sometimes that one year can make your career. Whether Smoov realizes this before his heart gets in the way, we may not know.

Transfer likelihood: Tony Delk's jumper
Possible destination: Cincinnati, St. Johns

(4.) Scott Rigot, Asst. coach -- Not unlike Keyser Soze, Rigot's reputation as a cancer and useless assistant are more prominent than any public displays of such things (or of actual life from the guy). Despite a host of message board "insiders" posting how Rigot bungled a recruiting trip here or there, there is no actual proof other than the fact that UK whiffed on a names last fall. That said, Rigot was supposedly brought on board for his skills with getting Juco and Euro players. Apparently, those skills were either oversold or underdeveloped. What Rigot does bring to the table, the average fan cannot truly know, despite the volume of Cats Pause readers who claim to. At some schools, this season's struggles would be cause for a staff shakeup, and of the prominent assistants, Rigot is the easiest target and the least known. His sunshine demeanor doesn't help much.

Leaving likelihood: Nate Knight's playing time
Possible destination: Indian Hills CC

(5.) Rajon Rondo, PG, So. -- All jokes aside, the possibility of Rondo heading to the next level is legit. Despite a clear lack of shooting prowess, Rondo's all-around game and ridiculous athleticism show the sort of potential that the NBA covets, figuring that shooting will come with dedicated instruction and a lack of Com 101 final exams to worry about. Rondo has been tight-lipped about his future thus far (as has his high school coach), and a recent slump may have his stock dropping a little. But scouts have seen him in action enough to have a pretty good idea what it is he excels at. A few nutjobs still think he could transfer to Louisville, and maybe he will for all I know. It seems an unlikely sccenario, given that he'd have to postpone the NBA for another two years (transfer + jr.). I happen to be one of those blind optimists who see a kid who understands he has limitations and wants to correct them, not a stuck up jerk who won't pass the ball. My best guess? Rondo returns for another year, and spends the summer shooting more jumpers and free throws in preparation for his final college season. A flirt with the draft process wouldn't be a surprise either.

Leaving likelihood: Keith Bogans' jump-stop
Possible destination: Boston Celtics

(6.) Joe Crawford, G, So. -- Given the prior dalliances with leaving that Joe C had, an exit isn't beyond conception. Having lost his starting job doesn't help, and Crawford's driving, penetrating game seems handicapped sometimes in the stand-around UK offense. But the Detroit native also has played 24 minutes a game and is averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds on the year. In other words, he's getting his shots. Another McDonald's All-American, Crawford would also have to put any pro ambitions on hold for at least two years with a transfer, and having worked his way back into Tubby's good graces, would seem hard pressed to see a move as anything but bad press. Crawdaddy's defense has also improved immensely, and a healthy season could mean major accolades at a high profile school like UK. A few rumors floated around that he might be on the way out, but I don't put much stock in that, especially as he is the clear starter when he returns, with Patrick Sparks and Ravi Moss graduating.

Transfer likelihood: Gerald Fitch's fake ID
Possible destination: Nike summer camp (counselor)

(7.) Tubby Smith, head coach -- On his weekly radio show, Smith put to rest rumors of his leaving. However, saying and doing are different animals, of course. Smith can say he has no intention of leaving, and a Bobcats or Mizzou could give him $4 million reasons to change his mind, who knows. This has been Tubby's most trying season. Even during his Team Turmoil year there was never the possibility of missing the tournament. In fact, that team was ranked the whole year. This year's team hasn't been ranked since January, and would have to sweep Florida, LSU and Tennessee as well as Ole Miss to have any realistic shot of grabbing a top 5 seed. His troops have struggled under his normally strong hand, and a few high profile recruiting misses (Brandan Wright, Thad Young) have Tubby still searching under rocks for a standout power forward. If nothing else, the pressure of the UK job has never been more evident, as talk shows, the internet and real life have coalesced into a mess of bad vibes. Tubby has won back a few fans with his new "my way" attitude, eschewing the talent for the passion among the starting five, and a late season run would quiet the storm somewhat, though not completely. A big recruiting haul comes in next year, but the senior class is still marginal, not to mention the possibility of a few departures forcing Smith to rely on freshmen again. Some believe a Tubby exit on his own terms would be win-win. I do not. As I've noted before, given the media climate (Glory Road) and the subpar season his team is having, Tubby would do better to leave on a high note. But money talks, as they say, and were a more comfortable situation to emerge, and the payday/opportunity intrigue him, he'd be silly not to listen. Besides, how many questions about Richie Farmer can you truthfully answer from "Earl in Lancaster" before your head explodes?

Leaving likelihood: Tom Izzo's 10-loss seasons
Possible destination: Atlanta Hawks ... or the Hall of Fame?

About face? Rondo would help

2006-02-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

The Big Blue Nation is widely respected for its basketball acumen. Blessed with a consistent winner, beginning early in Adolph Rupp's tenure fans turned to grading style as well as substance, becoming self-proclaimed experts on everything from offensive execution to uniforms to a player's body language. Given the Cats fans' hoops smarts, little frustrates me more about them than their penchant for kneejerk reactions, with struggling Rajon Rondo (and his perceived poor attitude) being the most recent example.

Let's be clear about one thing: a player of Rondo's caliber hates losing, and he hates sitting on the bench, as any talented player would. His coach's new emphasis on basics and grading each practice has left not only Rondo -- the team's leading scorer, rebounder, assist man and one-on-one defender -- but fellow hot shot sophomores Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris watching the tip-off from the bench as well. Smith's premise is that the defensive intensity that is created by the new starters sets a better tone for the game and lessens the pressure on the talented second-year players as well. Judging from the experiment's first two games, he may well be right.

On Wednesday, the Cats played inspired defense and hung on for a win over a then-surging Georgia team. As Victoria Sun's recap of the Georgia game tells it, the outsider's view of the program is that the suddenly sitting sophs took not starting about as well as you could expect them to, given that for some of them it was the first time in their entire basketball careers that they had come off of the bench.

Senior Patrick Sparks, who has started every game of his collegiate career dating back to his Western Kentucky days, noted Wednesday after the game that his teammates didn't throw any hissy fits, and that the team was sharper for the changes.

"I thought we responded well to it, the veteran guys stepped up, started the first half, started the second half, played well," Sparks said. "People got some opportunities tonight and I think they took advantage of it."

Rondo's replacement, senior Brandon Stockton (pictured at right, below), said of his mate, "I never thought he was down. It didn't show when he was on the bench cheering or when he was on the court because he was always talking and communicating. He was involved in the game. I thought he handled it very well."

Despite not starting, Rondo was still second to Sparks in minutes against Georgia, and claimed that he didn't mind the change either.

"It was different, but I don't think it was a big deal to me," Rondo said. "I just tried to still come out and play as hard as I could to support my teammates."

In addition, despite not starting against the Bulldogs, Crawford and Morris tied for the team lead in rebounds with 6 each, and both logged nearly as many minutes as "graded" starters Bobby Perry and Ravi Moss. My point being that they all three benched starters played plenty. Only fourth sophomore Ramel Bradley has struggled to find PT since the change. And maybe there are reasons for that, eh?

But despite Rondo's and his teammates' protestations to the contrary, many fans harped after Wednesday's game -- and even moreso after Saturday's satisfying pounding of a previously hot South Carolina team -- that Rondo looked sluggish and disinterested, and focused heavily on the guard's body language and demeanor as proof that he was either (a) miserable, (b) a team cancer or (c) both.

In fact, the criticism of the season's first-half savior has reached ridiculous proportions, even by Kentucky standards. There is no denying that Rondo has struggled mightily lately, especially in the last three games (9, then a season-low 4, then a new season-low 2 points). Maybe it's the emergence of Morris in the paint as option No. 1 or the pressures of trying to keep the team afloat or nothing at all, but no one can -- or would -- deny that the Cats' most athletically gifted player is badly out of sync. And that's not a good thing.

On Saturday, Rondo looked tough on defense, but lost on the other end, and the team seemed to run markedly smoother when Stockton or Sparks was running the offense. Whether this is because Rondo is frustrated or because of other reasons, none of us can know. But that hasn't stopped the cascade of criticism of Rondo -- without whom, this team might be facing a .500 season at this stage, by the way.

Fans on the message boards have been merciless, and the calls for Rondo to go pro have reached a depressing level. Beyond the classlessness of calling out a 20-year-old who is struggling to regain his once-golden game, the notion that he (or the Cats) would somehow be better off with him gone is absurd. I thought being a Wildcat was supposed to be a cherished memory, not an invitation to a mudslinging contest.

Yes, Rondo's play of late has been less than stellar, and on a few occasions his decision-making may have cost the Cats the game, but that's no reason to act like a child whose favorite toy's batteries are failing, thereby rendering it useless. Are we really, as a fan base, so spoiled as to wish our players ill? That sort of shadenfreude is why UK fans often get pilloried in the press.

Rondo's talents are not in shooting the ball, that much is clear. His free throw shooting is a liability late in games, even as his drives to the basket can (and were for most of the year) a critical success. But the implication that sending him packing would somehow help the program is dangerously short-sighted. Rondo is Kentucky's highest profile player, its only Wooden finalist and a recruiting magnet. I've seen no less than three recruits note Rondo as a reason they like the Cats, and ridiculing him is certainly not the way to get him to play better.

I'm not saying that coddling him or excusing poor play is the same as supporting him. That said, the offending would-be fans would be wise to keep their pop psychological profiles based on a one-minute Alan Cutler interview and a few camera shots of a frustrated kid to a minimum. Everyone reacts differently to struggles, and nearly everyone has tough-to-read demeanors at times.

How many times did we hear how lazy or lackadaisackal Tayshaun Prince was because he was quiet and intense? Not everyone has to be slapping the floor and screaming after dunks to be into the game, and from all evidence, Rondo is a quiet, shy kid whose response to failure is to turn against himself.

Despite a stellar 54-point second half against the Gamecocks, this Kentucky team will not reach its zenith without a contributing and consistent Rondo playing a major role. Every team being the sum of its best parts, this year's Cats are just starting to understand what is expected of them. Rondo's brilliance in games against Louisville, Iowa, Central Florida and Mississippi State, to name just a few, helped the Cats to even get to this point. Without him, they would be doomed.

Fans should set aside their petty angers over a botched play, swallow their prideful ways, forget the name-calling and root for Rondo's return. Marquee Wildcats have struggled before, and more will in the future. Rooting for them to do so as if that's appropriate or a sign of knowing the game is just plain sad. The worse case scenario is that those calling for the enigmatic McDonald's All-American's ouster may get their wish -- and God help next year's Cats if they do.

High times

2006-02-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

Love the pulled-up socks. Not quite the shaved-head sign of team unity we've seen in years past, but any little bit will help with this squad.

-- edit: sorry. The socks are up because of the throwback unis. Oh well.

Eddie Sutton...king among men?

2006-02-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

Or rather a man among kings?

I ask this not in any attempt to contribute to any piling on...Coach Sutton deserves the respect of any human being faced with a medical problem, despite the questionable behavior that led up to his car accident and subsequent DUI charge (he was on his way to board the team's flight to Stillwater for the Cowboys' Saturday game against Texas A&M).

However, the media rush to beatify Sutton after the announcement of his leave of absence is amazing, if not irresponsible. There is little doubt that Sutton is a good college basketball coach. For Dick Vitale and others to say he is anything more is a gross overstatement. Let's recap: He should be commended for advancing Arkansas to the '78 Final Four (where they were defeated by Joe B. Hall's eventual-champion Wildcats in the semifinal game) before leading the Oklahoma St. Cowboys to a pair of Final Four appearances ('95 and '04).

But what is getting lost in the lauding is Sutton's troubled past. His departure from Kentucky in '89 is well-documented, which makes the recent celebration of his career all the more startling. This man destroyed lives (Manual, Eric) and careers (Casey, Dwayne) in the process of saddling UK with probation and enough ill-will to choke even the most ardent of supporters. In fact, during the '88-89 season, it got so bad even Dick Vitale called for his resignation on ESPN.

To be sure, his career featured several high-points. However, the glossing over of the low-low points is an injustice to those injured along the way. And I most certainly include the UK program in there.

A win is a win is a win is a....

2006-02-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

OK, first things first: UK didn't shoot itself (or it's hunting partner, snap!) in last night's win over Georgia. That's not to be overlooked as tempting as it might be (hello, Gregg Doyel...didn't see your NASCAR-fan-wannabe goatee hanging out over there). It was a much-needed win in the pressure-cooker that is (has become?) Rupp Arena with a new starting lineup and an opposing coach that seems to have a knack for downing the Cats. We won. Finally. Now it's on to South Carolina and a must-have win over the Gamecocks. Lose and UK's bubble gets thinner. Win and you can add a layer of shellac to that baby as these Cats prepare for contests against LSU, Tennessee and Florida. (For the record, I'll start mentioning Ole Miss when they start pretending to be an SEC squad.)

Speaking of bubbles: I watch a lot of college hoops. Often up to three games a night and I'm often struck by the fans of the Southern Illinois Salukis and other such teams who turn their focus this time of year to the Big Dance and the possibility of inclusion. UK fans are spoiled. For the first time since -- OK, I honestly can't remember -- we're on the bubble. In the 16 years since the dark days of probation, we've worried less about bubbles and more about seeding. But here we are, 25 games into the slate and contemplating whether or not we should be making alternate plans for the third and fourth weekends in March.

I'll admit, I'm not used to this. But, to truly appreciate the Madness that is March, one must understand the uncertainty of it all. And since this UK-on-the-bubble thing is but a one-time thing (better be!), I can dig it. Or I can at least try to learn to dig it. I mean, the Saluki fans seem to revel in the last three weeks leading up to Championship Week (for my money, the most entertaining week in sports when the conference tourneys are settled). Perhaps we can, too.

Granted, I don't want to go making a habit of this -- and perhaps I'm a bit more accomodating given the euphoria of breaking up the three-game skid -- but UK fans should "cowboy up" and deal with the situation. Tubby isn't going to go all Quinn Snyder on this program and up and quit. He's not going to pull a Mike Davis of Eddie Sutton* and that's a good thing. What he is going to do is pull out every stop, including starting Brandon "The Boss" Stockton over such McD AA's as Rajon Rondo and Joe Crawford. Will it be pretty? Heck no! Might it work? Who knows? But I figure nitpicking these desparate wins are akin to complaining about a firefighter's technique in saving the kitty from the burning house. Who cares how you do, just get it done, man!

*OK, a little fact about myself: I work in sports media. I only mention this because it gives me a brief glimpse into the world of fact-checkers and the results of said fact-checkers not meeting standards such as (gasp!) facts. Anyway, I'm sitting here, staring at ESPNews on it's third, oops, fourth cycle through, and apparently Eddie Sutton coached UK to a final four. Huh. I didn't know that and I bet you didn't either, but there it is, right there on the big ole graphic accompanying the Sutton leave-of-absence story. I can't believe nobody has corrected the goof. I've emailed them, but I'm certain my email is more likely to end up in some dude's email box who wears the Berenstein Bears outfit than anyone who actually works at ESPN. Curious why they'd make stuff up to further stilt a fellow who CHEATED his way out of UK. More on this later.

Assume the position, and other notes ...

2006-02-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

Defensive posturing

Much has been written here and elsewhere about the 2006 Wildcats' offensive woes. A near equal number of words have been spent trying to legitimize a failed chemistry. But the reason for the most recent slide into obscurity is quite clear: crappy defense.

In last 6 halves of play (three crucial losses), five have featured something that was once a Tubby Smith anomaly, the 50% opponent field goal percentage. If memory serves me, Tubby UK teams had allowed roughly 3 teams to shoot over 50% against them in eight years. This year, in so many ways, has been a different story. Two of those 6 halves have seen the other team (the winning team, mind you) collect over 60% shooting.

You simply cannot win allowing the other team to run roughshod over your defense, no matter how well you score ... and this team does not score well, as we have seen.

Starting Over

Since we last wrote, Tubby has adopted yet another measure in the hopes of righting the ship with what remains of the season, this one more drastic if as yet unknown how much more effective.

"Sometimes desperate times call for desperate means," Smith said. "We need to re-emphasize playing sounder, better defense. ... Be a little more (defensive) position conscious."

Thus, Tubby and his staff shot extensive video of all the practices and attached grades for things such as boxing out (+1), allowing someone inside position (-1), etc. We'll see tonight who graded the highest (starters) and who apparently did not take the opportunity for a fresh start (the pine-riders). Some fans may face a rude awakening, especially if the starters are of the Woo, Sheray Thomas and Brandon Stockton variety.

But no one can say Tubby isn't working hard to fix things, if nothing else. And the lineups and rotations he was using clearly weren't working, no matter how much McDonald's All-American resume it had. My prediction?

C - Randolph Morris
PF - Sheray Thomas
SF - Bobby Perry
SG - Joe Crawford
PG - Ramel Bradley

I have ZERO reason to believe any of this, just nonsensical speculation. But for all of Rajon Rondo's talent -- and there is plenty of it, despite the whining of a few ridiculous fans -- he has not executed to Tubby's liking of late. And Patrick Sparks? I'm afraid that his lax defensive play will hurt him.

Hopefully, I'm wrong and the regular starters just get a little more focused. Who knows. All I can say is that what was going on wasn't working, so kudos to Tubby for not giving up and riding out the season.

Piling On, and Rumors Upon Rumors

Leave it to CBS Sportsline troublemaker Gregg Doyel to take the rumor mill big time with his latest hack job.

I don't fault Doyel for writing about the troubles at Kentucky, or for calling out what he sees as poor recruiting and shoddy player development. We and others have said as much. But with his platform comes some journalistic responsiblity to avoid referring to things such as "word on the street" or "everyone knows." With blind quotes and unsubstantiated comments, he's basically writing an Op-Ed under the guise of "news."

Nothing we're not used to from Doyel, whose job as advertised on CBS telecasts is "outspoken columnist." That's a little like advertising "massage therapy" ... everyone knows what you're really getting, even if it's under the facade of legitimacy.

Doyel's piece, which you should read, is basically a crib's notes of message board posts and on-air radio call-in shows. Hardly a definitive cross-section of the UK fan base (which he's none too kind on, by the by).

That said, he's not so much wrong as he is typically one-sided. Here's to hoping that Tubby's changes, and maybe some strong defensive upgrades, can have him writing a much different story in three weeks, one about the Cats' revival.

Validation in the horror show?

2006-02-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome guest blogger Rance Piatt, who will contribute his own thoughts and words on Wildcats hoops ...

Rick Pitino's stint in Lexington was highlighted by a dominant four-year run that was punctuated by a national championship in 1996 and was a Nazr Mohammed free throw away from a repeat the following season. But that success did little more than feed the national reputation of Pitino as "the next Larry Brown" with the annual spring NBA offers. As such, Kentucky fans found themselves in the awkward predicament of alternating delight and consternation that their head coach would win his way right out of town en route to a bigger and better place.

Maybe it's the low self esteem of a state often the butt of negative stereotypes, but in the summer of 1997 the Kentucky fanbase realized their worst fears when Pitino took the head job in Boston.

We fans cussed and kicked the trash cans. We were equally angry (for having been discarded) and confused (there's a bigger, better job?). Regardless, we trudged on ... some more willing than others to accept our new head coach, Tubby Smith.

There were all kinds of reasons to like the hire. In one gesture, AD C.M. Newton had (one would hope) wiped clean the slate of debate regarding race within the UK program and install at its head a man respected for his coaching and loved for his character.

But deep down, the fanbase harbored some fear. It was painted by the media -- and in some cases rightfully so -- as a deep resentment borne of an unwillingness to buy into the "black man's" system. But that is a small segment of the fanbase. Really, it is.

As distance grew from Smith's inaugural season and the school's 7th national title, the majority feared a backslide. They saw 10-loss seasons eating into the progress Pitino had made since the program emerged from the dark days of NCAA probation in the late 80s.

For the national media, it was fuel for the fire. Kentucky fans are relentless and irrational. There is no "good enough" for the hillbillies of Kentuck'. There is nothing that will quiet these people unless you win it all. EVERY YEAR! Especially for the racists of Kentucky.

To be fair, that just wan't the case. Consider it another example of the media oversimplifying something they neither cared enough to look into or saw as genuine enough to take note. And it wasn't just the media. A healthy portion of the fans fought against this.

I was one.

We saw brighter days ahead and were duped into accepting lesser-talent recruits because of Smith's success with less-heralded recruits Erik Daniels, Gerald Fitch and Cliff Hawkins. What we discounted was the presence of experienced talent (Bogans, Keith) and a tough-minded physical leader (Hayes, Chuck).

As Kentucky slip-slides its way off the bubble, most unfamiliar territory indeed, are Kentucky fans to find any validation in their concerns of the stewardship of their program now that we have neither the experienced talent nor the tough-minded leadership (let alone anything resembling physical play) on the court? Or are they to be further ridiculed for questioning a respected man?

I'm betting the latter, unfortunately. Even good guys can screw up.

A schism, and its unknown fate

2006-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

There is a civil war afoot in the bluegrass. It's pitting brother against brother, mother against son and well-mannered fan against well-intentioned fan. It's often described as a battle over "truth" or devotion. And it has no discernable end in sight.

With every struggle, and especially every loss this troubled season, the din of discontent grows louder among the Big Blue faithful. It would be easy to say that it is simply a vocal minority -- and there is an extremely vocal minority -- but there is more to it than that. That all is not well in the House of Tubby is painfully clear, and it's only a matter of time before the media latches onto what is sure to be a juicy story.

Coach Tubby Smith is in his ninth year at the University of Kentucky, and in that time has amassed a record that speaks for itself: 234 wins, only 66 losses (.780 win %), 1 NCAA title, 4 Elite Eights, 6 Sweet 16s, a share or win of the SEC East 8 years running and the most oft-mentioned stat, 1 Final Four. His numbers as head man are among the best in the nation, surpassed only by a who's who of coaching elite. Additionally, the University has reportedly raised more money for its athletic department during Tubby's tenure than at any time in school history, enabling tangible results in women's basketball, golf and soccer, among other non-hoops ventures. He is uniformly respected by peer and foe alike, and is still mentioned as a potential NBA hire for his basketball acumen and status.

But for plenty of fans that doesn't tell the whole story.

During Tubby's tenure, 12 players have transferred or departed, many of them for disciplinary reasons. Most were ancillary to the team's plans -- the Bernard Cotes, Nate Knights and Corey Searses of the world -- but a few were genuinely talented, if difficult, players. Rashaad Carruth, Jason Parker, Desmond Allison and Marvin Stone were all highly recruited and contributing performers, and all greased their way out of Lexington with questionable decision-making and/or outright insubordination. However, the turnover has left Kentucky with holes to fill nearly every season of Tubby's tenure, and with a reputation among fans and a few pundits of a program consistent only in its inconsistency.

Three ten-loss seasons (with a fourth potentially looming) have offset the more recent successes (a nation's best 87 wins the past three seasons), and Smith's troubles with recruiting some of the more high-profile and highly regarded players the past two seasons have only added kindling to the fire of those who would depose Kentucky's hoops king.

Neither Smith's vast sucesses nor his visible failures are reason alone to merit the pressures on him. Both combined, however, probably are. Breeding a reputation as a winner has its legacies, namely keeping up with yourself. And a taste of the sweet nectar of ultimate victory is enough to keep fans eternally thirsty, and impatient for another swig. Thus, Smith has found himself in an impossible situation: you create expectations that you cannot possibly live up to.

It is often said -- including by me -- that at Kentucky the expectations are part of the job. Just as a huge salary, perks, respect, recruiting advantages (See also Meeks, Jodie), television exposure and many other things are. Kentucky fans demand excellence, and for eight years Tubby has mostly delivered; if not to the level of some, then to the general delight of most.

Now, with what may be his most disapointing season at UK, Smith finds himself at a crossroads. The once vocal minority has grown, and while the Cats miss Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike's leadership, they have a team they could have more or less expected back, replete with three McDonald's All-American starters, including two with professional scout attention (Rajon Rondo, Randolph Morris ... Joe Crawford may be likewise soon enough). And yet, the struggles have been many this year.

Now come rumors and rumblings -- and at this point, that is all that they are -- of dissention, infighting, frustration and more potential player turnover. Yoked together, Tubby's recruiting misses and his on-court struggles this year have become a weight to bear, and one wonders what the man Tubby Smith is thinking about the coach Tubby Smith. Are the pressures of the job, and they are as widely acknowledged as they are weighty, worth the perks for a man whose credentials and pedigree would land him 98% of the NCAA jobs and some potential NBA jobs available? And what does it mean exactly to win?

Were this April 5 and there was no more basketball to play, we might see quickly what it meant. But it's February 10, and there is a season to salvage. A 15-8 season, to be precise, one with remaining potential and untapped glories to boot. There was no Villanova 1985 until there was one ... likewise for Wisconsin and North Carolina 2000 or Kansas 1988. This isn't to imply that any of these miracle runs are forthcoming. This team has struggled with consistency and focus mightily of late. However, there is also no way of knowing what awaits this team, and, by proxy, its embattled coach.

I'll leave it to the rumor mongers to posit what will happen, and will suffice to leave it at what might happen. Tubby Smith has earned the right to clear his name and his legacy at Kentucky. In many ways, without burnishing Rick Pitino's ego any more than it already has been, he had a tough job in following one of the more successful collegiate coaching tenures of recent times. And Tubby has performed ably in doing that, coming up just short on three occasions in which a bounce, some health or a little luck might have altered the course of Kentucky hoops history. That being said, I and many others believe in the oft-repeated adage that "winning begets luck."

I would be very surprised, and frankly just fine with it, if Tubby was the Kentucky coach for ten more years. But that doesn't mean I want to see what has transpired this season for ten more years. Not by a long shot. However, Final Four appearances aside, this is clearly the anomaly. Tubby's "down" years were the 2000 team that lost two potential starters to transfer (M. Bradley, R. Hogan), a Sweet 16 Team Turmoil season (2002) and this one, which remains unfinished. He has yet to win fewer than 20 games in a season at UK, and has a strong recruiting class -- potentially even stronger with a few unsigned players still considering the Cats -- coming in this fall. To declare in the middle of a tough trip that the whole adventure had not been worth it is the sort of negativity and short-sightedness that warrants all the jokes and bad coverage that it understandably gets. In other words, Tubby Smith is not going to be fired one year removed from a 29-win, Elite Eight season, three years removed from a National Coach of the Year award and with a team still within reach of 20 wins.

However, whether Smith feels the end game is worth the weight it carries with it, and whether an option that previously seemed less desirable presents itself this time around and strikes him differently, one cannot say with much certainty. Our coach is a commodity, and it would take his leaving for many fans to realize what it is they had in Orlando Smith.

Smith is not perfect, and I'll go on record as saying his and his staff's performance this year has been miserable. It would be a shame if this year's struggles were the legacy by which a national title-winning coach ultimately became judged. And that possibility, more than any, is what leads me to believe that Tubby would rather go out on top than suffer the ignominity of leaving when things got tough. That doesn't strike me as the sort of thing an uber-successful African-American coach, one of 15 children, a man of grace and loyalty would accept.

Much like an empassioned and basketball-savvy Big Blue Nation would be unlikely to accept continued mediocrity.

That there is trouble in the House of Tubby is undeniable. That is is solved by the ousting of Smith is equally unrealistic. The schism between the good and the bad, between the desire for fulfilled expectations -- however lofty -- and the unreasonable beliefs of the few, between the pressures of winning big at the NCAA's all-time winningest program and the Hall of Fame legacy that such winning would bring is not so vast, but growing.

Tubby has shown himself capable of fantastic turnarounds and colossal overhauls before. Only time will tell which it takes this time around.

Executioner's song? Long way home.

2006-02-08T01:11:00.000-05:00

Which of the following would you expect to happen in a close game under three minutes against an SEC leader?

(a) A Brandon Stockton dribble drive against two players
(b) A Bobby Perry off-balance three-pointer
(c) A Rajon Rondo three-pointer
(d) All of the above

The answer, of course, in Tuesday's 75-67 dagger of a loss at home to Tennessee, was (d) all of the above. No wonder, then, that when the game came down to a few possessions, it was the Volunteers that executed and won the game, sending them three games up on the Cats in the SEC, and effectively ending any flickering UK hopes of challenging for the title. At this point, the focus is on not missing the NCAA tournament which, if the Cats don't beat Florida, Tennessee or LSU (much less Vandy at Vandy or even Georgia for Godssake), is a real possibility.

I mean, look back at my posts and you'll see I understood that optimism wasn't going to get the job done. And now, with the Cats at 15-8 (5-4) and unable to put together a quality half, things look about as bleak as they have in Tubby Smith's nine years. And that includes the Saul Smith era and the early Team Turmoil era. The reason being that it's so late in the year, and there is a sincere lack of quality wins to point to, especially if the Cats finish 8-8 with no wins over the SEC's top four teams (Alabama).

In other words: Yes, it's time to panic.

Some more nuggets from the game:

UK's heralded sophomore class (4 players) = 45 points (of 67), 16 rebounds (of 36), 5 turnovers and 4-of-12 from the line, 1 DNP.

UK's oft-maligned junior class (5 players) = 5 points, 11 rebounds, 0-for-0 from the line, 6 turnovers and 2 DNPs.

Patrick Sparks = 15 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist

Stockton = 13 minutes, 3 points, 0 assists

The list goes on. I won't continue.

Tubby and his crew of coaches have simply not performed well this entire season, with the exceptions of the Louisville game, the West Virginia game and the Arkansas second half. Pretty much every other game has been a slog or at least has featured a series of questionable moves. I don't blame all this on Tubby entirely, but the former National Coach of the Year -- and deservedly so -- has had what may be his worst season on the bench, taking a team with, by his own admission, enough talent to win the SEC and coached it (with the help of his staff) into bubble territory.

There have been many mitigating factors, but the bottom line is that Kentucky hasn't beaten a definite NCAA team in the calender year. Arkansas is borderline, at best. That is not going to get it done. And the vanishing junior class is due back for an encore. Whomever is in charge of this team -- whether it's the coach, the seniors or Bill Keightley -- has his work cut out for him, because they are a mess.

The one that got away

Much will be written (already has) about the Chris Lofton situation, so I won't rehash it. But I will say that Lofton is an outstanding shooter and a real Kentucky killer. Some sort of off-the-court issues keeping Ramel Bradley on the pine magnify the dramatics of Lofton not being a Cat, but you'd have been hard pressed to justify not taking Joe Crawford, Rondo, Morris or Bradley over Lofton in the spring of 2004. Retroactively, yeah, it was a mistake not to even look. But how about we focus on getting someone to guard him instead of worrying about the one that got away.

Goals, reassessment and what is good ...

2006-02-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

For a half, it looked as if yet another Florida team would succomb to Tubby Smith's invading Wildcats. With so much at stake -- a record-setting home win streak, a top 10 ranking, keeping pace in the SEC race -- it looked to be inevitable that Kentucky would scrape out a hard-fought win. Ignoring the hype of Florida's elevated ranking and the media adulation afforded to sophomores Taurean Green and Joakim Noah, Kentucky has just owned the Gators in similar situations before (Feb 2003 - #1 Florida embarrassed, multiple SEC title clinchers, etc.), making it a shoo-in that the Cats would emerge victorious.

But if there is one motto that UK fans (and players, and coaches and...) have had to adopt this season, it's this: things just didn't go as planned.

Well, at least not in the second half. With a slim 6-point lead (45-39), no foul trouble on Randolph Morris and solid contributions from the necessary parts -- Joe Crawford, Patrick Sparks, Bobby Perry -- the Cats were in good shape. Then, at the 19:32 mark, everything fell apart.

The 50% shooting that propelled UK to the lead disappeared, replaced by a 32.4% second half of shooting that resembled the Kansas, Indiana and Vandy debacles. Normally sure-handed Rajon Rondo turned the ball over repeatedly and the one Tubby Smith constant -- staunch defense -- vanished, replaced by a PAC-10-caliber Florida layup drill for the rest of the half. By the time it was clear it was all over, the Cats faced a 24-point deficit and the roar of a crowd pumped up by years of merciless UK beatdowns and an incessantly chest-thumping Noah (more on that later). That the final score was a more reasonable 95-80 was hardly more palatable ... this was a 19 1/2-minute whippin', plain and simple.

The game dredged up all too familiar calls for Tubby's head, complaints from every nook and cranny that recruiting has been awful since Tubby arrived (revisionist) and that UK has been suffering "down years" every year since Pitino left (laughable) that had been mercifully muted during a five-game winning streak. Some days it gets so bad that one wonders if those harping fans -- and here I draw a strong demarcation between that concerned citizenry and those outright whiners -- would trade in Tubby's 1998 title, simply out of spite or some sense of martyrdom, but I digress.

The bottom line is that, as noted here and many other places, there are problems with this team that can be masked by stellar individual performances and subpar competition. Against good teams, you just can't hide the underbelly.

I, like many dead sober UK fans, am finally facing the hard truth that this season -- the one we've so valiantly tried not to give up on -- is our rebuilding year. No one saw it coming, but in retrospect, all the intangibles that veteran leadership provided last year are missing, and these young Cats relied so heavily on Kelenna, Chuck and the ghost of seniors past that we as fans didn't think -- hell, couldn't imagine -- that the transition wouldn't be as seamless for these guys as it was for all the other teams of the past decade. Had we thought more unbaisedly about what the team faced this year, expectations might have been different. But this being Kentucky, expectations are never different.

A team that effectively features four sophomores among its primary eight players (Perry, Sheray Thomas, Ravi Moss and Sparks being the others), lost its leading rebounder and scorer, lost 3/5 of its starting lineup for the first half of the season and has effectively five sub-10 minute per game scholarship players might be expected to struggle to find itself. And at any school not named Kentucky, there's a good chance that patience or hope might have been a bigger part of the equation. But for better or for worse (depending on the person you ask), those weighty expectations are one of the things that makes Kentucky Kentucky. Screaming at the fan who disagrees with you in that debate only further cements its truthfulness.

All that being said, and in light of what remains of the season, it's clearly time for even the most blue-tinted of us to gather our thoughts and hopes and reassess what can be gained from this rebuilding year. [ED. NOTE: I can only imagine what 85% of the country's other schools' fans would think about deeming a probable 18-20 win season a rebuilding year.] Here are my suggestions, beginning with the most obvious and then heading towards the purely personal.

(1) Reach the NCAA tourney and give it a run

First of all, Kentucky is going to make the NCAA tournament. If they do not, it would take a collapse of utterly dismal proportions. A win over West Virginia, currently undefeated in the best conference in America, will go a long way. And wins over solid Iona and Ohio, seemingly meaningless at the time, actually help keep a 19-11 or 20-10 UK off the bubble. But SEC wins are going to be the key. If UK loses all their games to LSU, Tennessee and Florida, then I'll eat my words. But I don't think that happens.

Any Kentucky season has to end in an NCAA tournament run, be it to the Sweet 16 or beyond. Few can imagine this team getting very far, seeing as they can't seem to muster a consistent effort for 40 minutes. However, a miserable North Carolina team made a strange Final Four in 2000, getting to face Tulsa in the Elite Eight. The point? You never know in the NCAAs.

First goal = stay focused on the end game.

(2) Get the sophomores prepped for next year

This is slightly less dramatic than "playing for next year." There is too much still to play for this year. However, while most UK fans wouldn't be all that surprised to see Rondo try to go pro, or at least test the waters, he seems astute enough to see his shooting and overall game need at least another year of polish. Same for Morris, who has looked much better this season, but still doesn't rebound well for a big, agile player.

Broadly assuming that everyone returns, next year's Cats would feature a starting five of Rondo, Morris, Crawford, probably Sheray Thomas and either Ramel Bradley (SG) or Bobby Perry (SF). it would be a small team, but a quick, good shooting team. But it won't be a better team unless those young men grow up, learn how to play some 'D' and show some spine. I happen to believe they can do all of these things. But they need to start right now.

(3) Play some freaking defense

After all the talk about offensive execution, scoring droughts and poor shooting, what was embarassing about Saturday's loss wasn't the offense. The Cats scored 80 points, well over their average. And the supposedly new rough and tumble Gators didn't seem to bite all that much on defense.

What was sad was allowing the Gators a parade of easy shots. What was depressing was repeatedly uncontested Florida buckets on the way to a 56-point second frame. Maybe it's the lack of extra practice time, maybe it's the constant focus on basics, maybe it's the late start Morris got. Whatever it is, there is no way this team can win allowing 56-point halves; to anyone, much less a team with as much talent as Florida possesses.

It's time to put recent stronger offensive outings together with at least passable defensive pressure. Having a backup center who drew more than odd glances from the opposing defense would help.

(4) Recognize what (or who) is working

Tubby has always been strong at geting the most out of his teams, be they massively talented, quietly effective or simply overachieving. That's why this year's team has been such a disappointment. I think even the harshest of fans can give a pass on the occasional loss. It's the lack of effort even in the face of certain defeat that has fans flummoxed. The Kansas game was possibly the worst I can recall in nearly 20 years of following the game.

However, unlike some of my fellow zealots, I won't deny myself the chance to be proven wrong. Learning is a process. It's a process of failure and spirit and effort. And any player that suits up for Tubby Smith -- and not even the most anti-Smith folks out there will deny this -- will learn. That's why I think that greater things lie on the other side of adversity.

To wit, some of the developments in Florida's massacre still have a silver lining. Mr. Crawford, who nearly left the program for good a year ago this time, had a double double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His rebounding numbers have surprised and impressed me, and his shooting from deep, generally, has been much better. Rondo, excepting his troubles with the ball, put together a string of good plays, albeit once the game was out of reach. Still, the skill is there, and he continues to show flashes of all-around brilliance. Morris stayed out of foul trouble and was a constant pressure on offense, opening up the game with 5 assists in the first half. These are promising signs to build on.

(5) Play the game with pride, if nothing else

The first time Florida's Noah goes up for a layup in the rematch in March, someone needs to knock his block off. I'm not talking about dirty plays or hurting him, just some good ole fashioned Bill Russell/Wes Unseld power "defense." No one should be allowed to chest thump and gesticulate to the crowd the whole game at your expense, and it was disheartening to see the Cats play the nice guy in that situation. I nominate Woo, who has shown the willingness to thug out in the past, and who can always preach a lack of understanding of the rules of the American game, even if it's hogwash.

For a plurality of Kentucky basketball faithful, fanship is ultimately about pride. It's about something undeniably good. I love my home state. I love the trees and the spirit and the history. But few would deny it is a poor state whose image is often a distorted version of the truth. But Kentucky basketball is something that cannot -- and will not -- be taken away. It is, for lack of a more original term, a birthright.

Where I, and many other fans, differ is that I don't kneejerk to say that Tubby Smith has somehow damaged that birthright. One season does not a change make, and find me a Tubby detractor who was not cheering wildly as Sparks' three-pointer bounced around the rim last March and I'll call you a liar. People take this stuff seriously because their pride -- state pride, personal pride -- is at stake. Perhaps a team viewing of the 1990 win over LSU at home would help. Or a talk from Deron Feldhaus or Cedric Jenkins. Whatever it is that helps, Kentucky hoops pride needs to be on display, even in defeat. It's the difference between stunted hopes and hell bent fury at the boys in blue.

(6) Let it all hang out

Finally, at some point Tubby Smith will have to judge when to let it all go. During the Team Turmoil season of 2001-2002, after an ugly SEC tournament loss to South Carolina, Tubby just started clapping and supporting his fragile ego'd team. Not sure that's the approach this year, but the instinct was to just let what happens happen. And that team actually put a scare into the eventual champs, Maryland, in the Sweet 16. A bounce here or there, a caught pass, a made three, and UK is an Elite Eight win away from redemption.

Some will tell you that this year's Cats lack everything: talent, skill, heart, brains, pride. I beg to differ. They have shown enough glimpses to warrant a belief that they possess these things, just not that they display them or have discovered them. And they're not alone. It took many of the best players time to find themselves. Tayshaun Prince was an underdeveloped "nice guy" before he became SEC MVP. Keith Bogans was little more than a talented piece until he learned to trust his gut and became the 4th all-time scorer in UK history. Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels, Marquis Estill, Jamaal Magloire ... the list goes on and on. All took time to find their niche, or to realize that subjegation to the team would ultimately bring them more satisfaction.

It may take more than this season for the core of this group to find itself. But it will. And I've got a lifetime's worth of karma that says believing that it will, and trusting that Tubby will dig it out of them, will be far more interesting and worthwhile than deciding in the bad times that they cannot and will not.

Yes, this is our rebuilding year. But it doesn't have to be over, and it doesn't need to be forgotten. If grander schemes fail, then focus on the things that breed immediate results. Above are a few that struck me, and there are scores more. Perhaps we will yet be surprised by this team, perhaps not.

There is good to be had in every season. I firmly believe it. After all, who would deign to besmirch a Kentucky fan's birthright?

Patty O'Shoot: Sparks' showtime

2006-02-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

[Ed. Note: I apologize that due to other events, my post today will be a short one.]

Watching Patrick Sparks play, for most of us 5'10"ish white Kentucky fans, hits awfully close to home. He doesn't jump very high, he uses a scoop shot and his hair is, well, disappearing. But it's also akin to a basketball fantasy, because when he's on -- and in last night's 81-66 solid win over Mississippi State, he was most definitely on -- any gym is like a rec gym.

Sparks led Kentucky with a season-high tying 25 points on an array of spin moves, deep jumpers and even an unathletic tip-in for good measure. He also tallied 4 assists and 4 rebounds, all while manning the point for much of the game. His unconscious trigger helped guide UK to a season-high 13 three-pointers as a team.

Credit both the players for approaching their coach about Sparks running the point and Rajon Rondo playing off the ball and Tubby Smith for being man enough to listen. The difference in this team with a more engaged and functional Sparks is palpable. Put bluntly, it has saved this season.

The shift opens up Rondo to use his athleticism all over the court, something that was on display last night when the sophomore from Louisville put up the kind of line that makes pro scouts drool -- 7 rebounds, 9 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Two blocks, including a blocked dunk, kept Rondo from another 4 points and a certain Sportscenter highlight reel. But the aggressiveness is what impressed me most, and the same could be said for the whole team.

Joe Crawford returned to form, dropping 4 of 6 threes on his way to 14 points. Randolph Morris, while battling fouls (again) and a good shot blocker, had a quiet scoring night but grabbed 7 rebounds, 5 of them early in the game. All in all, the team showed up to win, and they did just that.

This was exactly the kind of follow up that the Cats needed after the great second half Sunday against the Gamecocks, and in advance of Saturday's grudge match in Gainesville. The surprising number of three-point attempts (25) scares me a bit. This team cannot afford to become beholden to the trey. But as in their win over West Virginia in November, the Cats show they have versatility, and that they can handle a zone defense begging them to shoot.

All in all, a satisfying win, especially if you like your players short, white, unathletic and victorious.

The Road Ahead ... and other notes

2006-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

With a few spare moments, let's look at a few things that have fallen through the cracks.

A Look at the Road Ahead

Kentucky enters the week 14-6 (4-2 SEC), riding a tenuous 4-game win streak. Victories at home over Arkansas (#59 KP RPI) and South Carolina (#74) were hard fought, but crucial. Road wins over bottom-feeders Georgia -- who is surprisingly bad -- and Auburn -- who is just plain bad -- don't count for much, but wins are wins.

UK's struggles at home continue to create the perception that maybe RUPP isn't the best home court advantage. Tubby Smith has not had one season in his nine thus far in which he went undefeated at home. This isn't to say he's been bad at home, just beatable. This year takes the cake, however, as last-second wins over South Carolina and Central Florida keep Kentucky from being a remarkable 5-5 at home (they are, instead, 7-3, thanks to Rajon Rondo). Is it that the Cats do not practice there? Is it the arena feel versus the cozy gym? Is it pressure from the home crowd? Bad sushi in the Wildcat Lodge?

Whatever it is, it's irritating as hell.

The Cats have some tough games ahead, but winning them would create not only some much needed national buzz, but some confidence in the sophomore-dominated squad. Here's what's on tap, and some possible outcomes:

Wed., Feb. 2 -- at Mississippi State (11-9, 1-6 SEC): Rick Stansbury's crew has been decimated by NBA defections and youth this year, and is currently riding a 6-game losing streak. The Cats can ill afford to be caught napping or looking ahead to Florida this weekend. That said, a solid game from Randolph Morris in the middle and Patrick Sparks and Joe Crawford shooting the ball should be enough to carry UK to 3-0 in road conference games. Pick: Kentucky

Sat., Feb. 4 -- at #7 Florida (18-2, 4-2): The Gators are flying high from their weak non-conference slate, and a schedule that has seen them play (and win) 13 of their 20 games at home. This year's edition of the Gators is dominated by young, athletic players, but marked by a newfound toughness. Al Horford could be a problem for the Cats, especially if he creates foul trouble for Morris. Sharp-shooter Lee Humphrey was recently injured in a bike accident and will not play, a rare sort of lucky break for Kentucky, who are prone to reverse-the-ball three-point shots. Taurean Green has played well this year, and is second in the SEC in league scoring (18 ppg). Joakim Noah looks like the kind of Florida player that has crumbled under Tubby Smith defense in the past (e.g. Matt Walsh/Brett Nelson), as he's too emotional and has a precious quality. Corey Brewer scares me to death, so I hope he's not hitting from deep. I think Kentucky can win this game, but it cannot afford to get into a 12-point hole like in recent contests. The home crowd will help Florida tremendously, so it will be key for Rondo and Ramel Bradley to control the Cats' psyches. I smell an overconfident Gators team and one that has had few tests in the last two months. The new Cats have shown up when needed, so at the risk of being overly optimistic ... Pick: Kentucky

Tue., Feb. 7 -- home vs. #13 Tennessee (14-3, 5-1): The current SEC East leaders, Bruce Pearl's Vols have become something of a media darling, as much for the coach's suspenders and personality as for their play on the court. But the play has been good, with big wins over Texas (at UT) and Florida (home). Losses to Memphis and LSU won't hurt them, but I'm not sure how much I believe the long-term success of this year's Vols. Chris Lofton, the much discussed former Mr. Basketball in Kentucky who was not recruited by UK, is a great shooter with some limitations as a defender and all-around player. No one on the Vols is a superstar, but the system works because many of them are effective at their jobs. This game isn't in Knoxville, so there's a temptation to go with the Cats. But RUPP being not as hospitable as it could be (see above), I don't like the matchup much. Pick: Tennessee

Sat., Feb. 11 -- at Vanderbilt (12-5, 3-3): Rematch with Vandy at Memorial isn't a shoo-in, but isn't impossible either. Revenge factor could be high and, depending on the outcome of the above two games, Kentucky could be rolling or stalling. Pick: Kentucky

Were things to play out thus, that would bring UK to 7-3 in the SEC with winnable games vs. UGA, at USC and vs. Ole Miss. Potential losses at LSU and at UT could have the Cats at 10-5 heading into Senior Night vs. Florida on March 5. An 11-5 mark would probably get UK a bye in the SEC tourney. Anything less may not. Worst case scenarios (5 losses to UT, UF, LSU) have the Cats in bubble trouble at 19-11 (9-7), with a marquee win over West Virginia and a fading quality win over a freefalling Louisville.

Let's hope Tubby and Co. take care of business instead and pick up wins over UT, UF and even LSU and make Selection Sunday a matter of seeding, not seething.

The Fallout from Rondo's Ride

The Kentucky Kernel had this interesting nugget today about the aftermath of the Lexington Herald-Leader's extremely questionable decision to run a non-story about the point guard's apparently totally legal choice of automobile:

UK's sophomore point guard, apparently upset over a Lexington Herald-Leader story and paparazzi-style photo that examined the circumstances surrounding his use of a vehicle registered to friend and former UK star Derek Anderson, was intentionally aloof during interviews after Sunday's 78-76 win over Arkansas. ... His answers to long-winded questions from the press mostly consisted of one-word responses and head gestures, prompting a frustrated staff member of UK Media Relations to abruptly end his interview session."

All this begs the question: What exactly is the Lexington paper of record hoping to accomplish by pissing off (a) its readers, many of whom get the LHL solely for hoops coverage, and (b) the only thing it has to cover for four months of the year? Folks at the paper surely would talk about journalistic independence and the quality of their reporting, but I've never once heard or read someone praise the local Knight-Ridder branch as scoop central.

Furthermore, dragging a high profile 20-year-old's name through the mud by insinuating some sort of wrongful behaviour is ludicrously unprofessional. Leave the rumor-mongering and speculation to blogs and message boards, the sort of admittedly ephemeral vehicles that they are. In a just world, Tubby would revoke the LHL's credentials and leave them sulking in the corner for the rest of the year. He's probably too nice to do that, but it would definitely elicit some fan sympathy.

With friends like the Herald-Leader, the Cats hoopsters hardly need enemies.

What would you suffer through?

2006-01-30T13:39:00.000-05:00

At roughly the 19:00 mark of the second half on Sunday, around the time that UK gave up an easy breakaway bucket on a turnover to Arkansas to go down by 16 -- 39-23, Hogs -- I had pretty much settled on what I was going to write about. It's a subject I've been stewing over for some time in this, the most unpredictable and frustrating season in half a decade. The subject is one I think resonates with fans of any struggling powerhouse teams, particularly this season at such hallowed programs as Kansas, Arizona and our very own Kentucky.

And then a funny thing happened ... the Wildcats clamped down on 'D' and revved up the offense to score 55 second-half points on the way to a very improbable 78-76 comeback win.

That it took the highest scoring half of the season to beat a game Arkansas team at home cannot be overlooked. And while I'm joyous at the victory, particularly as it keeps the Cats on pace to contend with Tennessee and Florida on the Eastern side of the conference standings, I can't shake the idea that this is all some big test.

Chalk it up to a combination of good fortune (Georgia & Auburn games to revive season), clutch plays (Sparks, Rondo (twice)) and timely coaching moves (Tubby going small vs. South Carolina, Arkansas) that Kentucky is 14-6 (4-2 SEC) heading to struggling Mississippi State. Kentucky could easily be 11-9, with losses at home to South Carolina, Arkansas and Central Florida (!). And yet, they are not.

But all this back and forth, this confounding inability of the Wildcats to move forward without taking steps backward, got me thinking. What would I be willing to suffer through if there were a return to the championship podium awaiting my favorite team on the other side?

It's a purely hypothetical question, of course, but one that has a glaring recent example. In 2001-2002, a year after losing to Penn State in the second round, and fielding a young team minus their NBA departed star Joe Forte, North Carolina went 8-20. A year later, bolstered by the recruiting of future lottery picks McCants, May and Felton, the Tarheels went 19-16 and advanced to the 3rd round ... of the NIT.

Far from even imagining the response of Kentucky fans to an 8-20 non-probation season, it made me wonder what winning is worth. Had you found a die-hard Tarheel fan in April of 2001, asked if he or she was willing to go 27-36, miss the tourney for two years and lose their coach, if the end result was evenutally the school's 4th national title, what would be the response? In retrospect, it's likely the answer would be, "Of course."

But as Big Blue fans lament their fate with a team sporting three McDonald's All-Americans, a coach with a national title under his belt, "struggling" to a 70% winning percentage, I would pose the question thus: What would you, Big Blue Nation, be willing to sacrifice?

• If I told you that Kentucky would crumble this season, miss the tournament and return all of their top scorers for a title run next season, would you accept that?

• If I said that Kentucky would not make a Final Four until 2009, but would win the title that year, would that be OK?

• If I could forsee that Kentucky would chase off Tubby Smith, suffer a losing season, player transfers and bad press, but emerge with two Final Fours in three years (2007-2010) under a new coach, would you allow that to happen?

Yes, these are useless hypotheticals. No, I don't honestly believe that any of these are possible. And, no, there is no reason that one must always suffer through pain to find pleasure. But it does raise the question of the balance between our admittedly high expectations and a borderline unhealthy win-at-all-costs mentality.

I should add that I don't write these things to call out any specific fan element. In fact, I am extremely sick of the negative back-and-forth between overzealous fans on both sides. Tubby Smith is neither destroying the Kentucky legacy nor acing the exam. The players he has recruited are neither collectively NBA caliber nor "midmajor" recruits, as some would mention. As with most of life, there is a middle ground.

But as we scrape and claw as fans through a season we are grossly unaccustomed to -- and it should be added that Tubby's recent success are precisely why we are feeling so out of sorts -- we should ask ourselves a reflective question ...

At what price victory?

Eye, if not bite, of the Tiger

2006-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

There were times in last night's 71-62 bludgeoning of the Auburn Tigers that Kentucky looked quite possibly the best it has looked offensively all season. It was not, however, in the final 12:00 of the game, when Tubby Smith and his boys seemed to take their foot off the pedal and wait for Jeff Lebo's hack-a-whomever strategy to end the game. Was the game encouraging given the offensive struggles of recent weeks? Yes, it was. Was it a perfect win? Not by a long stretch.

I don't often find myself pining for the Days of Rick, and the reasons have been spelled out here in much more detail previously. To sum it up, while Rick Pitino was a fantastic coach, and was the perfect mix of bravado and coaching skill that a bankrupt Kentucky program and fanbase needed at the time, he made his choices, ran things his way and left town on his terms. Thus, I'm over him.

Additionally, the personality differences between Pitino and Smith being vast, the stamp Tubby has put on the program -- specifically exuding class, teamwork and good sportsmanship -- are much preferred to me over the used car smell of Pitino.

But there is one thing in particular that has always been maddening about the Tubby Smith era at Kentucky that did not exist in Pitino's Big Blue world, and though it ties in directly with those things that I like and respect about the man, it hampers the program at times: He simply refuses to blow people out.

As a general rule, this is, of course, a good thing. Running up the score for show is a useless and demeaning enterprise, something I would equate with a Billy Tubbs or Tom Penders. This is not the BCS we're talking about here, and 7 times out of 10, a comfortable 7-point win is no different than a 21-point win except to fans who like to puff their chests out on opposing teams' message boards or some such uselessness. However ...

One thing that a big win does give a team is confidence and swagger and a little intimidation factor, things that even Smith himself has to admit this year's edition of the Cats could use in droves.

Granted, Lebo's young, awful Tigers took any of the edge out of the game by fouling so often and with so little realistic chance of winning that Mr. Wildcat Bill Keightley probably caught a few ZZZs on the end of the bench in a second half that was eerily reminiscent of a Big Ten 7 PM matchup (SIDENOTE: It was nice to return the favor after years of missing the first 5 minutes of SEC contests while Purdue karate chopped its way to a 9-point loss to some "rival" ... ). But it was abundantly clear that Tubby and his team pulled back and went into dribbling mode to shorten the game.

Now, Smith knows more about coaching basketball than I -- or anyone who reads this -- will ever know. I'll accept that he's neither reading nor caring. But even a fan knows there is something to be said for (a) instilling your future opponents with some sense of fear or hesitancy after a wimpy SEC start and (b) providing the media with something to chew on when your team is unranked and is barely being covered.

This isn't to say that I favor running up the score. Far from it. Were Auburn to have gone into a spread zone last night, then by all means wait for the fouls. But they weren't. They were trapping and playing defense without fouling for a good three minutes late, and Tubby still sort of avoided the goal. Some of this points to a Tubby trait that I guess we just will have to grudgingly accept is not part of his makeup. The man is media unsavvy.

He (most likely) does not care what anyone thinks of his team except himself. And while that may be admirable in a personal sense, it's aggravating from a fan's perspective. Even at a name school like Kentucky there is such a thing as "selling the program," and where Pitino probably goes overboard in this regard, Tubby stubbornly refuses to even come above deck. So long as the wins pile up, it remains a semantic argument, I suppose. But I don't think I'm alone is believing that winning is very much a state of mind, and that uber-confidence of the sort that puts the Wildcats back in the tournament picture may require more than competent victory. It may require a little edginess on the part of Smith and his Cats. Something tells me that his team would love to bury a few people after suffering embarassing losses to Kansas and Indiana.

But after watching his teams generally coast with big leads now for going on nine years, I'm sorry to report that it appears that edginess simply is not part of Tubby Smith's universe. Oh, well.

None of this should detract from what, ultimately, was a satisfying win. Continuing with a theme I began a few games ago, this team keeps showing its potential in fits and starts. Despite allowing 50% shooting in the first half, the Wildcats played good all-around defense in forcing already error-prone Auburn into 11 first-half turnovers and holding them to just 28 points. Kentucky shot 71% (17-24) on free-throws in the second half when Auburn tried to (and did) get back into the game by fouling incessantly. The Cats also held Auburn to 36% shooting in the second frame. Getting outrebounded 35-34 for the game, however, is unnacceptable. Morris' illness probably contributed to his 0-rebound performance, though it probably didn't contribute to Sheray Thomas or Patrick Sparks' nils.

Joe Crawford had perhaps his best game as a Cat, tallying 23 points on 4-6 three-pointers and a whopping 9-of-11 at the charity stripe. Such is the sort of potent scoring that Crawford is both capable of and expected to provide. It marks the second consecutive game (and win) in which Joe C. led the team in scoring. For Kentucky to have any sort of SEC and/or NCAA tournament future, it will be imperative that Crawford continue to develop into a reliable 15 points a game man. With Sparks running the point (5 assists), Rajon Rondo providing the glue (12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists), Randolph Morris giving the Cats something in the paint (8 points in a foul-plagued, playing through sickness performance) and Ramel Bradley and a suddenly effective Bobby Perry (7 points, 4 rebounds), a dangerous and hot shooting Crawford could elevate UK's overall strength tremendously and, as my optimistic side has stated on these pages before, have the Cats as a potentially nightmarish mid-seed opponent in the tournament. I, for one, thought that Perry infused last night's start with some much needed energy, and believe that Tubby should consider that starting five again, as it was the best start energy-wise since Louisville.

Nearly everyone -- many Cats fans included -- is writing off the Cats' chances after the 0-2 league start. While a run of the table the rest of the way seems impossible, there is no such thing as a loss until a loss happens. As it stands right now, Kentucky is exactly one-half game behind the SEC East leaders, and with 11 more league games remaining (12 for West-leading LSU), the title is still there for the taking. I, for one, don't have any belief that John Brady can go undefeated in the SEC. And Billy Donovan's Gators still have to beat UK twice to win the East. It says here that Kentucky is in the hunt and, after the league start it had, that in itself is something to build on.

It's good to see Kentucky growing some fangs. The 18-point bulge at the beginning of the second half was the sort of thing everyone expected in annointing the Cats a top-10 team to start the year. That it has taken such a circuitous route to get there is immaterial in the long run. But winning effectively is just one part of the equation -- just as Crawford's scoring and hopefully some improved UK defense are -- and no UK fan will truly feel relaxed and confident in this team until, for one full game, the Cats can put all these pieces into a whole.

I, for one, am encouraged by the signs. I'm just itching to see when, not if, things come together.

Rajon inferno! (Breathe, breathe ... )

2006-01-21T20:18:00.000-05:00

"Don't take that shot ... Oh, God, No! YYYEEEESSSSSS!"
-- Me, five times on Saturday

Leave it to the Cardiac Cats to give fans one of the more memorable and electrifying wins in recent memory. Heart doctors all over the Bluegrass are going to be doing a brisk business if this keeps up. The 80-78 win at Rupp evened UK's SEC record at 2-2, and may have done serious work towards putting this team on the path it should have been on all along.

Rajon Rondo one-upped his teammate, Patrick Sparks, by draining a falling down three-pointer with barely a second left. Ignoring for a moment all the ways in which the Cats came to be in this predicament, what a gutsy and confident moment for this embattled team.

It took a complete team effort to overcome a South Carolina squad that was unconscious shooting for nearly the entire game. Bobby Perry, whose struggles even got this optimist calling him out on a few occasions, was clutch Saturday, tossing in three treys in six tries and 13 points total, many of them down the stretch as Kentucky roared back in it. Joe Crawford effectively was the offense for a good two minutes, and his 15 points and 6 rebounds led the team. Ravi Moss continued to prove himself invaluable, hitting more clutch shots, including an absolutely crucial traditional three-point play that kept the Cats in it late. Even Lukasz Obrzut chipped in a team-high-tying 6 boards, 3 on the offensive glass. As I've noted before, when (if) it's firing on all cylinders, this group has that elusive quality depth that marks the most successful Tubby Smith teams, including the '98 champs.

And none of this even speaks to the value Sparks showed in this game. The senior continued where he left off (thank Jehovah!) against Georgia, going 4-of-6 from deep and dishing out 5 assists while running the point to perfection. His 29-footer with things looking bleak in the final minute was legendary good, and -- actually finding myself in rare agreement with John Clay -- if this season does in fact go further on the up and up, Sparks'/Rondo's heroics could take on the mythical status of the 2003 Vandy second half and the famed comeback at LSU.

But this win wasn't all perfect, and with some time to stew, it's important that every Big Blue fan pay close attention to how miffed Tubby was postgame.

"We dug ourselves a hole," the head man said. And he was none too pleased at the lack of blocking out and being outrebounded by a smaller team ... again. And though the Gamecocks were on fire in that way that only teams that smell any Kentucky weakness seem to be able to be, some of that has to be attributed to spotty perimeter defense.

However, this team is clearly a work in progress. And I mean that in the most literal sense. The team is finally working hard, running plays and fighting through tough times, exactly like the 12-point second half deficit on Saturday. Furthermore, the team is clearly progressing, though one struggles to imagine where there was to go but up after losing by 27 to a decidedly mediocre Kansas team. No matter, winning sure beats losing, and I'll take a positive learning process over getting throttled on national television any day.

Each of the last four games -- the games with Randolph Morris back -- has shown a new wrinkle, another piece of what I still insist can be a dangerous tournament puzzle.

Despite losing to Vanderbilt two weeks ago, the Cats showed some grit and held the Commodores to sub- 40% shooting. A lack of offense did them in, but Morris proved that he was not going to be the same lackadaisacal center fans got used to last year, and the Cats were active. The loss to Alabama showed some fight and rebounding prowess, if no closing ability. The Georgia victory brought back Sparks' swagger and that most critical of traits, team chemistry. Finally, against USC, the Wildcats finally brought the offense around, and at Rupp no less. The maddening thing is that they have yet this year -- even against Louisville and West Virginia, the season's two marquee wins -- to truly put the disparate pieces of success together at once. Showing the ability to do each of them, however, is encouraging. And proving that they can win with only some of those above factors working is even better.

One can only imagine what this team, were it to play typical Tubby Smith defense, rebound and play big, shoot effectively from three-point range and get contributions from Perry, Sheray Thomas, Woo, Ramel Bradley et al., might be capable of. I do not subscribe to the theory that there is a distinct talent gap between this team and the rest of the country's best. This year's Cats are very top-heavy talentwise, more talented in my mind in Rondo, Morris and Crawford specifically, than in years past. But Moss, Bradley and Sparks are all-SEC caliber, and even Thomas, Perry and Woo are serviceable when they contribute and stick to their roles.

It is imperative that the Cats not rest or try and bide their time until a huge test at Florida in a few weeks. Winnable (and loseable) games at Auburn, at home against Arkansas and on the road in Starkville (Miss. St.) loom large, and a sweep of the three could have the Cats fighting once again for some national recognition, and the SEC lead.

So no time for pats on the back. It's time to see if Tubby's charges are learning from their bumps and scrapes, whether they can take tires, an engine, a steering system and fuel and build a race car ... or whether fans are to be resigned to watching a Pinto with a Jaguar's interior putter into obscurity.

Pieces & parts after many false starts

2006-01-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

It needn't be overstated that (a) one win does not a season make but (b) one win can right a season.

It remains to be seen whether Tuesday's feel-good 69-54 drubbing of the Georgia Bulldogs fits either category, though it's hard to imagine how the outcome could have been better for a team struggling though poor shooting, a slumping senior starter and needing a win. On national television, Kentucky managed to affix big, fat band-aids on all three of those trouble spots.

Coach Tubby Smith -- he of the former Georgia head coaching job -- probably slept better last night than he has in weeks, particularly after shedding roughly 15 pounds in water weight sweating through a tense first half and a powerful, rehabilitating second. Though it's impossible to know yet whether his boys finally found their groove or located any true grit, a few potential calling cards stood out, especially in the second half.

Excepting the atrocious games against Indiana and Kansas in which the tide of defeat seemingly swept over the Cats early and often, this team has shown -- especially since the return of Randolph Morris -- a strong defensive presence. That they had a chance to win both the loss to Vandy and the loss to Alabama despite playing offense like a one-armed man plays Mozart is testament to the fact that the defense has been sound, if by no means spectacular.

After surrendering just 36% field goal shooting to the Bulldogs (29% on threes), Kentucky is only allowing 40.5 % on the season, including those blowout losses and the 70% second half Bama got. While that's hardly earth-shattering, it does point to a possible team strength, something that at this point is worth taking stock in.

Tubby Smith's boys are allowing a paltry 61.8 points a game, good for third best in the SEC at this early stage. Again, this isn't to say they are quite the shut down team that the 2003 Wildcats became, but there is a lot to work with there, and with a proven defensive stopper in Rajon Rondo and an emerging force in the middle in Morris (2 blocks per game thus far), perhaps defensive pressure could catapult this team into a winning streak.

Kentucky's season-high 56% shooting was a blessing after a slew of clunker offensive games. Patrick Sparks' return to normalcy probably bodes as well as anything has for several weeks, since it's abundantly clear that as the streaky kid from Central City goes, so go the Cats. Sparks got going in the second half, canning a pair of catch-and-shoot three balls and flashing a grin unseen since the long forgotten days of 2005. A flashy (however unnecessary) between-the-legs pass and subsequent short jumper only further illustrated the senior's mood. Pundits, fans and coaches alike pointed to Morris' return as a salve for struggling UK shooters, and perhaps that is finally taking hold, as teams will have to key down low on Morris defensively, opening up deep shots for Ravi Moss (2 threes, 1 spindly moustache) and Sparks. The return to form of a healthy Joe Crawford would further deepen the Wildcats' arsenal. No one said the Cats would be a three-point laden club, but there's no way they should be shooting so poorly from deep with the streaky, but talented, gunners on the roster.

To me the best sign on the evening wasn't Sparks' reemergence, though that was extremely welcome. It was the display of all-around guard strength that will, I believe, be the propellant for this team to make any run they are capable of. Morris, with Woo spelling him at times, looks to be on his way to a consistent 14 points and 6 rebounds a game, which is exhilarating after watching the other three centers flail their way to 3 points and 3 boards maybe.

On Tuesday, Rondo -- who has been unfairly beseiged by a segment of fans desperate to find an explanation for recent poor play -- quietly played one of his best games of the year, scoring 12 points on a variety of strong drives, dishing out 7 assists while turning it over only twice and consistently disrupting the Georgia offense either with steals or deflections. In short, Rondo looked like the Rondo UK fans expect to see game in, game out. Tubby's insistence on making Sparks the ballhandler clearly freed up Rondo to exploit his strengths and to gamble more on both ends. Credit the Tubster for sticking with his initial game plan, talk shows be damned.

Sparks chipped in 6 assists, part of a stellar 17 assist effort (on 28 made baskets) on the part of Kentucky. That, as much as anything, should be the focus of the Wildcats offense. Lacking a dead-eye shooter, but owning a cadre of talented combo guards, passing and getting good shots in the paint can turn this team into a winner.

Another good sign was a continuation of Saturday's surprising rebounding prowess. Sheray Thomas grabbed 7 boards and, despite not scoring much, made his presence felt throughout. In all, the Cats pounded the glass to the tune of a 35-18 (+17) advantage, an eye-opening number given Georgia coach Dennis Felton's reputation for brutish play. That puts the Wildcats +30 in the last two games, over two teams that pride themselves on tough inside play.

Finally, a huge debt of gratitude to guard Ramel Bradley, whose combination of 11 first-half points off the bench and Brooklyn-style passion clearly sparked his teammates. Bradley could be seen clapping, cajoling and slapping his teammates throughout the game, particularly his main competition for starting minutes, Sparks. That Bradley's focus was so clearly on the team and on winning the game was as welcome as it was impressive. Bradley even stepped into the fray physically in the second half when, after witnessing Bulldog center Younes Idrissi bumping Moss after a foul call, Bradley stepped in and gave a shove, drawing a technical foul. Tubby Smith, irate at the call in the first palce, seemed hardly to mind. And the combination of a fired up Tubby and a team-focused Bradley sure melted the frozen hearts of the Big Blue Nation. Said Bradley afterwards, "I felt like the guy threw an elbow in Ravi's face. I wanted to show my teammate that I had his back."

Just the sort of togetherness this team has been needing in the worst way. If the Cats can build off this win and continue to show just the sort of all-around depth and sound decision-making they did on Tuesday, a few weeks from now UK fans may be seeing a return to the rankings for the Cats. As I said, one win does not a season make ... but now let's see if this win can be the turning point that alters the Cats' future.

No Sunday Silence: Myths & Truths

2006-01-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's become next to impossible, even for a blue-tinted optimist like myself, to remain positive about the state of the Kentucky hoops program in recent weeks. After a third straight loss -- the first time in five years that has happened -- on Saturday, 68-64 to a depleted Alabama, things in the Wildcats' den went from bad to worse. And then from worse, they went to downright depressing.

But once again, instead of seeing a fanbase concerned with how this year will shake out, I have witnessed a piling on of titanic proportions. There is little doubt that Tubby Smith's job has gotten beyond difficult for, were it not bad enough to have a team lacking confidence and focus and desperately in need of some direction, now he has a daily call for his job, something that were it even feasible would not happen for months.

For a group of die-hards as generally knowledgeable and involved as those of UK, this myopic focus on what isn't going to happen is kind of sad. Tubby will not be fired during the season, thus making the incessant crowing about his being fired something just beyond useless. This isn't to say folks aren't well within their rights to call for it ... it's just not going to change anything right now.

But this post isn't another attempt to equate message board fans' behaviour with any real and tangible results. Among the greatest myths surrounding the UK program is that fans complaining to 500 other fans, many of whom don't agree with them, are changing much of anything except perceptions about their mental abilities. Fan forums are just that, forums for fans. While the occasional player's mother or lazy sportswriter may stop by, it's 99% other folks with a need for an outlet. And count me among them.

All that said, the clamoring for a coaching change is not going away, so maybe better to focus on some reality, rather than the dream state that pervades so much of the projection. A few ground rules: (1) the grass is always greener not necessarily bluer, (2) the truth of unreal expectations cannot be ignored and (3) the myth that one man makes the program has to die. With that, here's my take on the irritatingly ubiquitous debate before Big Blue Nation. ...

(1) Rick Pitino will return to coach Kentucky: MYTH

Ever have a friend get left by a girlfriend for his best friend and he can't shake the feeling that any of his new girlfriends aren't as good as the old one so he starts to fantasize about her friends, and about girls who look and dress sort of like his ex-, but ignores the girlfriend he's got until she starts to feel neglected and leaves? And the more he pines for the one that got away, the sadder it gets because everyone else can see that he's not getting over it and she's moved on and is married with a kid with some other dude but still your friend leaves her messages and eventually she agrees to have coffee with him but it's really awkward and she has to tell him, "Look, those times were great ... and I had a lot of fun, but I've moved on now and you need to as well."

That's what happens when folks tote "Bring Back Pitino" signs to games on national television. You make us all look like that depressing guy. Time to move on. We may get a new coach, we may not ... but we won't get our old coach back, no matter how much you wish it will happen. And the sooner this idea dies, the sooner the non-Kentucky universe will be able to stop laughing at the depressing guy.

(2) Mark Few will bring his recruiting and coaching prowess to UK: MYTH

The Gonzaga phenomenon has become rather baffling. Would that any program could grab a preseason top 5 ranking, an annual darling status and the devotion of the basketball punditry all for the following: 2 Sweet Sixteens since 1997 (1 since 2000), 1 Elite Eight since 1997.

First of all, Few is not a recruiting genius. He has done well to maintain and build on the small school success started by Dan Monson. But his best players have been great diamonds in the rough, not stellar names. Much akin to Tubby, Few does great things with good players, rather than the other way around.

There is no denying that Few's club is fun to watch. They run, they rebound, they shoot a lot. Defense is not paramount to them, but with offensive talents like Adam Morrison and Ronny Turiaf they can hope to simply outscore the opponent.

But where's the beef? Is Tubby Smith's style so bad that Kentucky fans are willing to toss him out for a guy whose biggest wins come in December and whose postseason resume reads worse than that of some MAC teams? If so, those fans to whom style circumvents substance need to seriously examine what they need from their basketball team.

(3) The program is suffering in national prestige: TRUTH

Most who have been around me for a few years know I'm a fervent Tubby apologist. But one thing is hard to ignore -- Kentucky is not feared in the same way it was in 1998. The reasons for this are many and varied, though -- despite the hand-wringing and screams of a few -- much of it is not Tubby Smith's fault.

From 1993-1997, Pitino worked his media magic as much as he did his Xs & Os. One thing that made Kentucky a haven for recruits and pundits was The Don's ability to convince everyone he had his own camelot. That included his teams. The 1996 team was loaded with good pro players, and yet there remains exactly one NBA All-Star on that squad (Antoine Walker). The rest of the draftees (Delk, McCarty, Mercer, Pope, Anderson, Mohammed*, Padgett*) are NBA vagabonds and serviceable players at best. Is this because they weren't talented? No. But it probably says something about Pitino's motivational techniques. When Pitino left, A.D. C.M. Newton made a bold and strong choice in tabbing Smith as the new head man.

Tubby is a totally different kind of person from Pitino. He's humble where Rick is brash, who's savvy where Smith is quiet. Rick is gaudy where Smith is understated. In short, he's style over substance. This difference is much preferred to many UK fans, and much perturbing to others. But it's reality.

However, Tubby's weaknesses in media and salesmanship do hurt in recruiting and coverage. In an ideal world, perhaps steady stewardship and humility would be the hallmark of great coaches and great programs. In this world, they too often seem to leave UK in the lurch with 18-year-old recruits enamored of ESPN highlights and flashy media coverage and wanting when it comes to free exposure via that same cable sports cabal. Again, this isn't right or wrong so much as it is reality.

From a performance perspective, it's hard to justify that Tubby Smith's UK tenure has been a failure by any stretch. That he hasn't lived up to a legacy immediately preceding him is hardly surprising. Few could.

That he hasn't lived up to his own first season is tougher to swallow. That he hasn't lived up to the expecations befitting a program coming off two NCAA titles in three years is unfortunate, if not damning. Much has been made of a Bogans twisted ankle and a series of Spartan offensive rebounds being the difference between two potential titles and two Elite Eight finishes, however that's part of the deal. You earn breaks and you take advantage of good luck.

But the bottom line in all this is that for all Tubby Smith's strengths, it's his weaknesses in the job that provide his critics with a bullseye target to shoot at. And in many real ways, those weaknesses are starting to become a bigger problem, as recruiting misses become suspect upperclasses and a lack of media savvy equal a lack of requisite free advertising courtesy of the national press.

(4) Tubby Smith is the one and only coach to lead UK: MYTH

One myth that is equally perpetuated by the pro-Pitino crowd and the pro-Tubby crowd is that either is the difference between success and failure at UK long-term. Both have had their glittering moments -- Rick the Unforgettables and '96 title, Tubby the '98 title and 26-game streak in '03 -- but both have also benefitted heavily in stature from the UK program. Pitino was a good pro coach with a reputation with small schools. Tubby a midmajor star with a bright future. Now both are potential Hall of Famers.

By the same token, while I naysay the idea that Mark Few is an upgrade over Smith, it's highly likely that the combination of Kentucky's prestige and Few's offensive focus could have unforseen successes. In other words, the program makes the man as much as the converse is true.

To that end, I hope that Kentucky fans will soon realize that the best way to react to this year's struggles is through examination of the things that can be fixed to salvage 2005-2006, not to obsess about what could happen in 2007 and beyond. Otherwise, fans stand to make a long year even longer, and to be bitterly disappointed if they end up with a joke like Bob Huggins, P.J. Carlissimo or John Calipari as the new coach. At what price style and change for change's sake over status quo?

Here's to hoping Tubby Smith can make all of this talk go away.