For Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide, Is Winning All that Matters?

The Kentucky Wildcats are on top of the SEC basketball world yet again.

What a banner day for Big Blue faithful everywhere.

It's taken a while to get there, but now you taste the sweetness of victory once again. And it's not over yet. There could be an even greater crown awaiting you in three weeks.

After all, winning is all that matters when it comes to Bluegrass basketball.

Most of us saw this coming as soon as John Calipari was hired on to coach the Wildcats. If there's one thing that Coach Cal does it's win—unless it's a national title at stake that is.

Despite amassing numerous Atlantic 10, Conference USA and now an SEC title, Calipari is the king of the NCAA Tournament defeat in college basketball.

Despite having some of the nations best talent over his 17—year career, Coach Cal has been to the NCAA Championship game once. And that ridiculously talented, but extremely young Memphis team had the game in their clutches, only to lose it on missed free throws.

Calipari has been to the Elite Eight three times and the Final Four twice, yet his only semblance of a "national title" is his NIT Championship with Memphis in the 2001-2002 season.

But like I said, winning is all that matters.

And win is all he has done at Kentucky so far.

Contrast another program with this Kentucky group.

Alabama football is the very definition of winning in the SEC.

When 'Bama got tired of probation and unsuccessful head coaches, it went out and got the pick of the litter. A coach who has been to the top of the mountain—a champion.

That champion rebuilt the program and won a national title in his third season on the job.

While building that championship program back to that level, Nick Saban cleaned the crap up. He let everyone know who was boss and everyone fell in line with his vision.

While amassing 475 wins in his career to date, John Calipari has the opposite distinction.

Everywhere Coach Cal has been there has been a trail of NCAA sanctions and punishment in his wake. Whether all of it was his fault or not, it has happened at both of his college destinations. And usually where there's smoke, there's fire.

But winning is all that matters, right?

Could Cal's past indiscretions be the reason he cannot seem to win the big one? Success is one thing, but in college athletics, championships are what ultimately matters.

It's great to have Kentucky back in their rightful place atop the SEC, but at what cost?

Two of the most respected head coaches in college basketball today, Duke's Coach K and UNC's Roy Williams decided to take a pass on the highly touted John Wall.

Wall, a Raleigh, NC native was passed on by two North Carolina coaching legends.

Wonder why that is?

More importantly, one has to wonder how Calipari swept in and became Wall's immediate choice?

Calipari quickly gained the nation's top class as a result of landing the star guard who considered playing overseas to get around the NBA's rule of having to wait at least a year out of high school to enter the draft.

Nick Saban has routinely gathered No. 1 classes at Alabama, all while staying away from the questionable characters.

Who knows. Maybe Coach Cal will relinquish his championship demons this time around.

The field is certainly in his favor.

One has to wonder, however, in three or four years time will all of Calipari's demons be relinquished?

Maybe winning really is everything.