Almost 24 hours removed from the display Elston Turner put on in Rupp Arena, Kentucky fans are left wondering, what's to come for the rest of the season. They are left wondering if there is any hope at all for this years edition of Kentucky basketball. The good news is yes, there is hope for this team. The bad news is, they are running out of time. With the SEC down this year, there isn't very many opportunities for Kentucky to get a quality win on their resume outside of Florida and Missouri. For Kentucky to get a decent seed in the NCAA tournament they will need to win both games against the Gators, and their one chance at Missouri. With the way they are playing as of late, that doesn't seem very likely. If they drop all three of those game, which right now seems very likely, Kentucky very well could find its self sweating it out on Selection Sunday if they don't at least win the conference tournament.
It's hard to imagine that Kentucky fans have any right to gripe or complain being that they are one year removed from a National Championship. But one thing we know about Kentucky fans, is that they are the most fickle fanbase in the country. They think it is their right, their born right, as Kentucky fans to be in the hunt for a National Championship every year. While this is unrealistic, that's honestly the way they feel. The reason for that are seasons like the last year.
Last season you had Anthony Davis, the National Player of The Year, the National Defensive Player of the Year, the National Freshman of the year, the MOP of the Final Four, the #1 pick in the NBA Draft and an Olympic gold medalist. Players like that come along once a decade or longer.
Then you had Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the kid that just never seemed to quit. When Kentucky needed a defensive stop or a basket Gilchrist was the one to answer the call. He never thought twice about putting the team on his shoulders and carrying them to victory. Again, players like this are hard to find, especially as a freshman.
Then there was Marquis Teague, the point guard that at the begining of the season looked like he couldn't handle the pressure of playing at Kentucky, but by seasons end was one of the main reasons for Kentucky's title run. He bought into what Calipari was teaching, applied that to his game and became one of the best point guards in the country by seasons end.
I know there was more to that team than the three I mentioned, but without them last year doesn't happen. The point is, this years team doesn't have freshman like that, that's not a knock towards them, they are excellent players in their own right. The point is, if Kentucky fans continue to compare this years team to last, they are going to continue to be disappointed. A season like 2012 doesn't happen often, but when it does it should be enjoyed and remembered. But it should never be used as a measuring stick for future teams. If that was the case, Kentucky fans have not truly been happy since the 1996 season.
So fans should sit back, relax and let the season play itself out. There's a lot of basketball yet to be played and anything could happen. This team will get things figured out, it's just going to take them a little longer than last years team. But for Kentucky fans to enjoy this season at all, they have got to stop comparing this years team to last. This is a totally different team, one that will surprise you once things come together.
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