Loge Level

So much has happened since I last blogged about the Wildcats’ rise to legitimacy. I’ve been a little busy the last couple weeks, but it’s also been a very full news cycle in Cat Nation.

They finally lost — in grand fashion — to Vanderbilt. I refused to turn off the TV despite the embarrassment. I firmly believe it’s a character-building moment that will vault the Cats to loftier heights.

The legendary Dick “Hoops” Weiss first compared Cats coach Billy Gillispie to Norman Dale of Hoosiers fame while questioning if Billy G is the right fit or if he’ll even stay. To think Gillispie didn’t know what he was getting into is short-sighted. And to claim UK fans are too demanding is once again an easy call from hundreds of miles away in New York.

Then, “Hoops” allowed his long-time friend Rick Pitino, the former UK coach and now coach of the loathed Louisville Cardinals to blast on UK fans:

“When I go back to Kentucky, they have the banners from the three Final Fours we went to, but they never show me on the scoreboard,” Pitino said. “You’re the enemy. (At Providence), I was only here two years, but they keep you as part of the family.”

Well, no shit, Rick. Ask the Friar fans how they’d feel if you bailed on them for millions to go to the NBA, then after admitting it was the biggest mistake you ever made decided to twist the knife a little deeper and sign for millions more at Rhode Island, Boston College or Connecticut.

The Cats mixed in a couple hard-fought victories (aren’t they all ugly?) at LSU and against Georgia. But Dusty Mills got the boot, a story that is gaining legs each day through Jerry Tipton’s continuing coverage.

Unlike others, I think the coverage has been competely fair, I just think it’s a bit overkill. Dusty got to speak his mind, Gillispie stands by his principles and actions, the fans got an explanation. End of story. I want to know why the midget is no longer on the team, but I’m not going to lose sleep over Dusty Mills regardless of how or why Billy G gave him the boot.

And the explanation Mills got from Gillispie, which he admitted was accurate, is a good enough reason for me. Mills was told to quit screwing off and making jokes on the bench, yet he continued to not appreciate his amazing opportunity. He laughed it up in two of the most inappropriate times — when a teammate got hurt and when his teammates were down by 40 agaisnt Vandy. The first may have been an innocent misunderstanding. The second was inexcusable.

Look, Dusty may be a UK fan, but it’s not like he grew up in the Bluegrass. Cats fans aren’t going to sympathize with him. And Morakinyo Williams should probably have his bags packed and ready just in case. I have no problem with Gillispie ecouraging him to transfer and free up a scholarship in May.

But this continued spotlight on Gillispie’s coaching style and his apparent lack of comfortability in Lexington continues to generate rumors that he’s not staying beyond his first year. My friend Brett Dawson totally debunked the perception that Gillispie is still working without a contract, but there’s still the wild rumors that Oklahoma State will go after Gillispie if Sean Sutton (groan) is fired.

And, I laugh. We’re talking about a guy whose every breath and waking moments have been spent striving to achieve the coaching status he has finally reached. Gillispie has wanted to be the head coach at a program like Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Indiana, North Carolina or Duke since he started dribbling a basketball.

And I’m to believe he’d give that up just because Cats fans are a tad impatient and he’s lost his privacy?

With all due respect to Hank Iba, Oklahoma State ain’t no Kentucky. Let’s not forget, Sean Sutton’s dad didn’t go back to his alma mater willingly.

If Gillispie is out of Lexington before Patrick Patterson, then it won’t be by his choosing.

But amid all the headlines and chat, not much has changed for the Cats in terms of NCAA qualifications. The loss to Vanderbilt probably hurt more in perception than their actual resume because of the spread. Barring a spotless record the rest of the regular season — Arkansas, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at South Carolina, Florida — and at least one win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Cats can’t get an automatic bid.

But I wouldn’t rule them out for an automatic bid if they finish the last five games 4-1 and make it to the SEC title game. They’d sit no worse than 20-12 with potentially five more wins over RPI Top 50 teams. But their best odds are to just win the SEC Tournament. And, Tennessee aside, I don’t see a team with a better chance to win the conference title, which makes finishing second in the SEC East all the more important because of the first-round bye and starting the tournament on the opposite side of the bracket from the Vols.

And getting in the NCAA Tournament that way might be all the more satisfying given the long road these Cats traveled.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Blue Goggles, College Basketball, UK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.