This years team is definitely something special and they’re extremely exciting to watch. Calipari has said it on more than one occasion that this is the Commonwealth’s team, but do you feel like they’re your team?
Do you know who they’re playing for? Do they have the same conviction about Kentucky Basketball that Ramel Bradley had? Who are they playing for, Kentucky or Coach Cal?
When deciding where to go to school I completely understand that the head coach is going to be a major part of that decision. The school also plays a factor. That’s why coaches like Pitino and Calipari have had great success at UK. It’s the synergy of the two that makes something special. Something that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Because of this, I’m sure Coach Calipari has an understanding of how much the program plays in his success as a coach. The players on the other hand, I’m not so sure of..
This year we were blessed to have the best recruiting class in the nation and Coach Cal is responsible. It was evident from the countless number of interviews where Wall, Cousins and others repeatedly said “I’m happy about my decision to come play for Coach Cal”. I completely understand that response, but do you think they’ll ever have an understanding of what Kentucky Basketball really represents?
Even in the dismal Billy Clyde years, it was always obvious that the players playing here wanted to be here. They were here for the school and they understood what putting on that uniform represented. This year’s team has only two players from Kentucky and they are losing playing time faster Demarcus Cousins can rack up Double-Doubles. Everyone enjoys winning, but does it lose something if it feels like your just “renting” players? If we win the Championship, will it mean less than it did in previous years?
I truly believe we have a great group of young men and I’m thrilled with the way they’ve handled themselves on and off the court. If you’re not sure about that, just look at the trouble Tennessee is going through. I just wish I would hear them talk more about the program versus their decision to play with Coach Cal. I understand that’s what brought them here, but to win the hearts of all the fans, we need to see someone be humble enough to say that they need UK as much or more than UK needs them.
If you’re born and raised a UK fan, this song sums it up….
