Cross posted over at a perpetual state of bliss

In response to the excellent posts of JL Blue and Truzenzuzex I wanted to put forth my opinion on the subject for what it's worth, and attempt to convey and parallel their eloquence.  So without further ado...

For some reason unknown to all UK fans, the Cats have a problem with motivation for the big games.  As Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal noted:

Let's get this straight. The biggest crowd in Rupp Arena history, 24,465, is going crazy. ESPN has been broadcasting since early morning. The A-team announcers are here.

In fact, everyone in the building but the Wildcats seemed to have that energy.

How can we account for this?  For one, Tubby Smith may be many things, but he certainly does not appear to have that grand oratory ability of Vince Lombardi, seeming more akin to that of George W. Bush.   Still, one cannot deny his intensity on the sidelines of the game.  One can only watch a game for several moments before seeing the Tubby death stare.  But why can he not motivate the players before the game?  Consistently for the past few years, when the big teams come to town, we simply seem complacent until the lead reaches double digits before suddenly springing to life.  

Perhaps Tubby should bring in someone to help motivate the team.  I nominate Matt Foley.  Sure he can be downright creepy at times, he used to live in a van down the river, and lord knows what he would do to the 30 million dollar Craft Center.  But one cannot deny the fact that he brings the energy that these Cats have seemingly lacked for the first 12 minutes per game.  Maybe this team's new nickname, which could probably be given to the past several teams without much objection, would be the Complacent Cats.

But I digress from my initial point.  I have been pondering over this question for the past 24 hours, and honestly I can only come up with one thought.  Though it may not necessarily be popular, but it nonetheless should let the conversation begin.  Fans, and I am right there with them, openly, and rightly so, criticize the lack of production from the Senior class.  My question however is this: What if part of the fault was because of the Junior class?  

Coming into their freshman year, this class was the #1 rated recruiting class in America, and armchair coaches and pundits across the country believed that this was the much needed boost in Tubby's arsenal to get him back to the top.  The class of Rondo, Bradley, Crawford, and Morris were immediately designated the saviors of UK basketball, and before they even set foot on campus, expectations grew and grew.

As time has gone on, however, our best hopes and dreams have not panned out.  With some exceptions, I would even contend that this crop has vastly underestimated and not lived up to their hype.  In fact, I would even go as far to say as that as a group, these players have an amazingly low basketball IQ.  If you don't believe me, simply watch the freshman this year.  Not only do they never stop moving, but they do something else that I have yelled at Joe Crawford through the television screen for years to do more of:  cut to the basket.  Every time Jasper or Meeks dish the ball inside, they immediately cut towards the goal, and on numerous occasions has led to a layup or dunk.  Our Juniors, however, haven't quite learned the intricacies of moving without the ball.  Instead, at times both Bradley and Crawford seem to have been relegated to product testers for Nike, making sure that there is in fact enough air in the basketballs so that it can withstand dribbling over extended periods of time.

When our Junior class finally realizes that standing around may not be the most efficient means of running an offense, the entire game turns around.  We become more of a scoring threat, with assists galore.  Unfortunately, this takes a toll on our defensive production.  All too often when we get a big basket to start a run, the other team beats us down the floor for an uncontested layup.  

Is it that the Junior class was initially too high on itself, and after perhaps realizing that they are not as good as they were in their own head, have had problems trying to cope with that reality?  I don't know, and nor do I claim to be a psychiatrist.  I'm just a measly law student who probably overanalyzes everything. There is one thing that I do know, however.

When the Freshman come in, save for a few understandable Freshman mistakes, they play with heart and desire for every second that they are on the floor.

It's just something to think about.