Congratulations Kentucky Fans, You're Now Just an NBA Stepping Stone

Back in March of 2009, John Calipari signed on to become the 22nd coach of the Kentucky basketball program, promising to restore the team to a level that matched its legacy as college basketball’s top team.

When asked why he would leave his head post at Memphis in order to become a Wildcat, Calipari stated so eloquently, “It’s Kentucky.”

Yes, John, you were right, it’s Kentucky, the winningest team in the history of the sport, with a past that’s lucrative and a fan base that’s unmatched in their passion. It’s a team that has over 2,000 wins and seven National Championships, and one that accepts nothing less than excellence on a yearly basis.

So as we look at what you’re transforming the program into, one has to wonder how long your charade will last. We have to ponder if Kentucky fans can wrap their minds around the fact that they will now be trading in their success in March for the ability to watch young men step foot on their campus for a year before heading off for the richer waters of the pro game.

This is what it has come to.

With the new rules instituted by David Stern and the NBA a few years ago, the college basketball game has now become a one-and-done farce and it has its greatest example in the form of Calipari’s 'Cats.

As the coach grinned with excitement while sitting in New York watching his boys— John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton—all fulfill their dreams of becoming NBA first rounders, he exclaimed so earnestly, “this is the greatest night in the history of Kentucky basketball.”

Uh oh.

No, it wasn’t any of Adolph Rupp’s four National Championships or the team’s dominating run in the 1996 tournament. It was this, five kids who never even made it to a Final Four, four of whom who had barely even dipped their feet in the waters of Lexington, now becoming millionaires while leaving the Big Blue fans heartbroken because of their failure to get it done in March.

The ESPN cameras caught Calipari Tweeting away after every pick and boasting about how he had just put five kids in the NBA—a message to every big-time recruit out there that he can get you to the NBA if you come to Kentucky for a year.

With that, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Calipari has transformed Kentucky from a championship contender into simply a one-year stepping stone to the professional ranks.

Exactly where were Calipari’s Tweets of praise after his boys crapped the bed against West Virginia in this year’s NCAA tournament?

Kentucky fans, you can officially wave bye-bye to the glory days. This is your new reality.

You’ll inevitably watch as your team fails in March once again next year due to inexperience and cohesiveness issues—but, hey, at least you’ll get to see Brandon Knight and Enes Kanter sign fat NBA contracts at the end of June.

Doesn’t that make it all worth it?

John Calipari has transformed the Wildcats exactly as he promised. Only, I don’t think Wildcat fans will be too happy with the results they see on the court.

One-and-done, it’s gonna be fun.