(Vicky Graff Photo)
Before you begin to read this please note the following: There will be no stats posted, there will be no player bashing. It is just a post from a fan who has the opportunity to be a (small) member of the media.
I pulled into Rupp Arena early on Saturday (the earlier the better parking spot). I can always gauge the crowd as the number of pedestrians the traffic has to dodge going down the streets leading to Rupp at two hours before tip-off. Lex-Live was full and when I turned the corner the line of students wrapped around Rupp.
This was the first time in years I can remember having to walk through students to get to the media entrance. Chants of “Go Cats” could be heard throughout the mass line of students. Fans lined the crosswalks wearing their blue and white, many having traveled hours just to be a part of the experience.
There was a buzz among the crowd even though the tipoff was 1 1/2 hours away. A gentleman in line for the elevator said, “The spirit is back.” That small statement told the story of the crowd Saturday.
I think over the past few years we have all lost our spirit. This is not only for Kentucky Basketball but in many elements of our lives. There are things I used to enjoy that I just don’t anymore. Fayette Mall used to be my Saturday activity. I could not tell you what stores still exist there today. Online shopping is so much easier. We have all changed.
Rupp Arena was electric Saturday. There is just no other word to explain it. My Apple watch notified me that due to a high noise level my hearing could be impaired if exposed for a long period of time. This has never happened to me before. Students filled the upper arena, a section that has been empty for as long as I can remember.
Then the game happened. The crowd never gave up on the team. In the final minutes the spirit of the crowd tried to will the team to a win. It just wasn’t to be. The 3-point daggers Kansas hit shattered any hopes of a win.
So, here we are, questioning the coaches, the players, the same place we were a few weeks ago. The “spirit” can leave quickly.
Am I aggravated? Sure I am. I just don’t feel the need to bash on social media or radio shows. I don’t know what is going on inside the program nor will I make guesses. I don’t know why John Calipari makes the decisions he makes. I just know I will ride this season out even if it means making the road trip to Des Moines or wherever to lose in the first round.
Here’s hoping that “spirit” returns to Rupp. I’ll be there with my Apple watch measuring the decibels.
2 Responses
The students lining up waiting for doors to open used to be the norm, at least when I was attending games in the student section.
How many years has it been since anything close to that occurred prior to this Saturday night?
Here is an except from a John Clay article this morning about Kentucky being a bubble team without much hope of making the Big Dance:
That same week, UK assistant coach Bruiser Flint told the media that most every team, dating back to last season, has used the same strategy of attempting to place Tshiebwe in the precarious situation of having to guard his man out on the floor.
“I’m just telling you, every team wants to put Oscar in a ball screen,” Flint said. “Every team.”
So why can’t Kentucky get it fixed? Saturday night, Calipari blamed (1) a lack of communication among UK’s defenders and (2) a lack of physicality. “They were knocking us off point,” the coach said.
It’s obvious that Calipari either doesn’t have a clue or deliberately tries to shift the blame, in this case, on Oscar.
What nobody is saying is this…almost all of the ball screens that have "exposed" Oscar also involved Sahvir. Sahvir can’t guard Oscar’s man on the switch and often times doesn’t even try to. This leaves Oscar trying to guard both his man and Sahvir’s. It’s impossible to do as you have a big rolling to the basket unguarded for a sure 2 points or a guard open for a 3 or a blow by layup. There are a couple of easy fixes for this. 1. Take Wheeler out of the game and play a bigger guard or 2. Play a zone. It looks like Calipari is going to play his pet no matter what and it is also equally obvious that Calipari is not going to play a zone. With 10 games left, this team is on its way to at least 10 losses and most likely 12 or 13 counting the "L" in the SEC tourney.
Clay’s article also talked about how this was a preseason No. 1 ranked team and a No. 4 ranked team opening the season. This isn’t the first time that Calipari has wrecked a Kentucky team because of his dedication to playing a pet. Wheeler will be gone after this season, but so will much of our proud heritage…i.e. no longer being the winningest program in men’s college basketball, being irrelevant in the SEC, being NIT bound AGAIN, and possibly suffering another embarrassing loss in that consolation tourney for losers.
Dr. Calipouto, when is enough going to be enough?