After its first 0-2 start since Tubby Smith was coach in 2000, Kentucky is looking old.  Not "Ashley Judd old," but the program is getting there.

The culture, dedication, and devotion to the game are gone, now replaced with a seemingly new stereotype of deceit—most of it stemming from coach Billy Gillispie.

Gillispie's recruiting methods and game-day practices have doubtful heads turning in the direction of Kentucky's storied program, wondering what's true blue Wildcat basketball and what's plain unethical. More than ever, the two might be the same.

Since taking over at Kentucky following a deep tournament run at Texas A&M, Gillispie has gone to great lengths to return basketball in the Bluegrass State to the greatness it experienced in the '90s.

Gillispie did so much, in fact, that he caused the National Association of Basketball Coaches to turn towards the situation. It's funny too that Smith, former coach of the Wildcats, happens to be the current president of the NABC. That's karma for a Cats fan.

After a disappointing first-round loss in the NCAA tournament last March, Gillispie hit the recruiting trail hard in the offseason. He recruited an eighth grader, beat the odds to get freshman DeAndre Liggins eligible, and put Larry Orton, father of Kentucky recruit Daniel Orton, on the Wildcat payroll.

Gillispie did nothing illegal, but he pushed the envelope enough to evoke changes. The NABC now asks coaches to wait until recruits reach their sophomore year of high school for coaches to start conversation.

Nothing has come of the Orton family situation, except for a letter of intent from Daniel to play at Kentucky. It would be appropriate to slip a "cheaters never win" in here, but Gillispie isn't cheating. The Kentucky coach is a man who simply loves to take full advantage of the system.

The downside is that Kentucky isn't finding success this way. Smith never broke the rules, pushed the envelope, or messed with the man. He was eventually hated by Wildcat fans, accused of bringing the program to its lowest point since Rick Pitino inherited a dwindling team in 1989 following Eddie Sutton's near death penalty push of the program.

Pitino led Kentucky to a renaissance, and that's what fans want to see again. But the New York native didn't leave the Knicks to stir up more scandal within Kentucky. He did it right, earning a reputation for winning by having more team speed and endurance than the opposition—the full-court Pitino pressing attack was born.

This is where Gillispie has a shot to do great things at Kentucky. He pushes his players, holding multiple practices each day, and instilling a game-day practice to get the heart pumping and his guys in shape.

With Patrick Patterson sidelined with a broken foot, the Wildcats didn't have the talent last March to flaunt their endurance. This year might follow a similar story. The Wildcats are young, inexperienced, and under a lot of pressure to perform.

Fans need to give it time. With Patterson, Liggins, and Jodie Meeks, Kentucky has a solid base to build upon. Gillispie will build, so long as he doesn't find himself on probation.

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