I don’t see how you can rationally argue that Ohio State and Texas are better programs than Kentucky. They talk about commitment to the program from the administration and fans… those two schools don’t have it.

Hell, Duke can’t sell out non-conference home games in a 10,000 seat arena… and they sure as hell don’t have football as a distraction.

What I mean when I describe something as a “top 10 program” is that it should be one of the top 10 programs in America when everything is going the right way.

Uhh, no. But if what you meant was that Texas is a Top 10 program right now, then I would surely agree with you.

- We’re coming off consecutive seasons where we’ve had the best freshman of all-time and a thisclose experience to getting to the final four.
- We return a top 10 team next year that’s about a starting point guard short of an uberdeep tourney run.
- Mack Brown (umm, excuse me…Rick Barnes) is creating a recruiting powerhouse (see Avery Bradley, Jordan Hamilton, Shawn Williams, Daniel Bejarano, Tristan Thompson, OHMYGOD that’s a lot of stars!).
- Combine that with a campus that’s actually starting to give a crap about basketball and one of the finest college cities in all the land, and you’ve got yourself a perennial bonafide top 10 basketball program for the next decade or so.

But that’s about Texas’ optimal efficiency right there. Yes, we’re a top 10 team now. Will we be 10 years from now? 20? 30? Kentucky’s a top 10 team (if not 1) of ALL-TIME. Kentucky’s optimal efficiency is dominating the SEC. Winning championships. #1 All-Time Wins. Billy Gillispie is about 2 years away from creating a team like his Acie Law-led A&M one. From being a top tier SEC team like Texas is a top tier Big XII team. From being a perennial championship contender like Kansas is a perennial championship contender. From being the most respected CBB team in the nation like, well, Kentucky was once the most respected CBB team in the nation. So Texas is better…how?

Here’s a nifty analogy.

Texas football : LSU football
Kentucky basketball : Texas basketball in 10 years (god willing)

Texas basketball is trying to reach the top. We’re about as high as we can go, and we’re still not even close to Kentucky. But we’re trying. Just like LSU football has broken into that upper echelon and looks like it’ll remain there, that’s what Rick Barnes is trying to do at Texas. We’re hoping to just get close to Kentucky.

He is trying to describe what the “current” Top 10 (thanks Mr Letterman, thanks a lot!) programs if you were up for any coaching gig in the nation. I am thinking that OhSta and Tejas get the nod over UK primarily because of the recruiting base locally. Easier to field a consistent Top 10 team just based on that. Admins and facilities being what they are, as long as your boss stays out of your hair and gives you Top 10 equipment to train your men, you can interchange the mascots.

I won’t even get into the fans and other intangibles that come with being a UK coach, but face it, Gary was right when he said you could lose to a Gardner-Webb at programs like one of the other six teams ahead of UK and there wouldn’t be stories about Williams boning a delightful sorority admirer. If you wanted a job with a billion critcs in this age of internet you just might be special. And luckily UK got the man just special enough for this gig. He doesn’t give a damn what we say. He’s still going to give some underpriviliged UK fans a chance at a better life. He’s still going to expect a strong work ethic out of his players and his staff.

So eff these damn Top 10 lists. As Gary said, “Again, this is all subjective, I know.” So even he doesn’t take these things seriously. Why he writes them is to lure feedback from the man on the street (or keyboard in this case.) Maybe not from UK fans specifically but from anyone in general. Helps him keep his job.

CBSSportline editor: Great job Gary! I see you’ve been getting a million hits a week. Keep up those numbers young (?) man and you’ll see a nice bonus at the Final Four!

Parrish: Thanks boss!!! I feel I’m really reaching out to my readers. They are really excited by my perspective. You should see the lists I let them debate over! Ha ha ha!!! Soooooo…..uh, what kind of bonus did you have in mind? Free massages?

Bugs Bunny- “What an ultramaroon.”