Fortunately, college basketball has a playoff. Kentucky, you can breathe a sigh of relief, or can you? While parity is certainly not a novelty in college basketball, I doubt it has reached the level where Gardner-Webb should be stunning the 20th ranked team in the nation. The loss certainly stunned me, a fan who has waited with baited, yet eager breath to see just what the Cats new head coach is capable of. It didn't look like much last night.
A game that normally would be overlooked because we're still in the thick of football season is grabbing the media spotlight, mainly because of a new unknown factor in Rupp, head coach, Billy Gillispie. When Tubby Smith won a national championship after taking the reigns from Rick Pitino, I had high hopes for the future of Kentucky basketball. This from a girl who cried, boo-hooed, actually, when Christian Laetner stripped the game winning shot to take away the title from the Cats during the Duke dynasty. "We've got our man," I thought. That man would coach well but not good enough for Wildcat fans who wanted a return to the Rupp era. He just didn't recruit the type of talent needed to produce Final Four teams, year in and year out. (Yet, in the era of play one year, go pro, who can blame him?)
Bring in Gillispie. A new coach, a new era. I still have high hopes for Kentucky and Gillispie. I am sure last night was just a fluke. Even Izzo lost to a Division II team this week. Ohio State, too, fell to a team that most of us won't remember unless they show up in our brackets. This could say several things. The players didn't show up mentally, or they just weren't ready to play, or because it was exhibition against cupcakes maybe they just didn't care. Whatever it says, I think my husband said it best when he quipped, "It doesn't count anyway does it?" Ahh, the beauty of college basketball, finish the season strong and who knows where you'll go!
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