UK Fans, Take It Easy

First off let me say I am a UK senior and I love our basketball team. Know this before all of you rip me for what I am about to say. Listen up UK fans…..take it easy.

 So the team has lost three games in a row. I have read some message boards where people think Gillispie should be fired and UK needs a new coach. Are you serious? Does everyone forget he was co- SEC coach of the year last year? This is only his SECOND year.  He coached the team into the NCAA tournament last year when, really, they had no business being in the tourney. Anyone who wants him fired is…an idiot.

 Look at the starting five. Meeks, Patterson, Harris, Porter and Stevenson. Only two could start at other elite programs. Patterson was originally recruited by Tubby and then BCG finished the job and brought him here. The other four were all recruited by Tubby. Am I blaming Tubby for all of this, of course not. I liked Tubby; his recruiting might have been suspect in his last few years at UK, but look at what he has done at Minnesota. I am getting off topic.

 Point is this: UK was 5-0 in the SEC and I bet all the BCG haters at the current moment thought he was a great coach at that point. Now that UK has lost three in a row and fans want him out of here. Look die hards, UK isn’t going to win it all every year, or even win the SEC every year. With all of the parity in college basketball now a days’ it’s impossible to expect that.

 UK will be fine. The incoming recruiting class is again solid with John Hood and Daniel Orton. If big blue nation can take it easy this year and relax, they will see. Think how good this team will be if Patterson and Meeks stay aboard for next year. Who knows if that will happen but just imagine.

 As I said, this is only Gillispie’s second year. Any fan who thought he was going to come in and win a championship in two years or less was fooling themselves. Do I think Billy G has made some questionable moves? Sure. I don’t agree with the ‘whoever earns it in practice will play’ theory. Just because Landon Slone practices hard doesn’t mean he should get minutes when the team is losing. Do I think he is the right man for the job? Yea I do. His recruiting can’t be questioned. When he finally has all the players he has recruited, The University of Kentucky Wildcats will once again be atop of college basketball, believe it.