What no one expected was a Cardinal team that looked like the team ranked preseason top 10. Had the Cards not gotten back to full strength, were Caracter and/or Sosa still sulking; any number of variables could have not improved and the Cards don't have the depth to run down the Cats.

My take on it: congratulate the Cats on a hard fight and encourage them to keep giving 100%.

That my friends is a dual-edged sword. All or nothing! WHEW!

I am not sure how many of us today could, or even would, commit so totally to our philosophy in day to day life. Some might even venture the word psychopathic in his determination. I'm not quite there yet, but I am keeping a close watch.

And really this is the stubbornness that Rupp had... Which is nearly terrifying because whether we Kentucky fans want to admit it - The Baron as a new coach coming into this program wouldn't make it today.

The most appropriate observation you make is that the UK fans do not have the patience to wait for the new system to work.  They want proof of performance now.  Question is......will Barnhart be able to weather the storm and wait for results?

I suspect with the conflict on the contract, that
Barnhart will support a "one and out" scenerio.  If only 1/2 of all of the rumors on the off court behavior of BCG is true, then he won't have any support from the aministration to give him the time he needs to recruits that will adopt his style.

A new coach is a certainty.  Can you imagine then how difficult it will be to get anyone to come and coach at UK?  It would only be a past player that would risk coming to this environment.  

We are in deep trouble.

But there was no Internet then so he was allowed time to implement his system and style.

After that 6-7 start, he finished 213-43 (83+ %) those 8 seasons.

I think he is as profound as you say. I do think "former player" is correct; if Billy Gillispie doesn't work out, we will see Travis Ford on the UK sideline, and he will be an incredible success.

Don't like Ford and want Pelphrey instead? Fine. I just don't think that the situation is as dire as you say with those two waiting in the wings.  

As for his insistence on man to man: every team needs it's "go to" defense and offense. This team hasn't learned to play Billy's man to man yet. I believe once Billy has players who have played his man to man successfully for a year or two, he will teach a one three one or a matchup zone. But he has to have ONE defense that players play well.

I've said this all over the internet and I'll say it here. We were left a team of four or five two guards, a "point forward" and some leftovers on the front line. We aren't quick, and we aren't good shooters from the outside. We don't really have a point guard or a center. Who will win with a team without a point guard or a center, without quickness, ball handling or shooting skills?

If healthy, the 2008 team CAN win 10 SEC games.

I am not one to sacrifice a season to instill an offence either, however we seem to forget that the coach we once worshiped used many very similar tactics...dedication to the offence, Game day practices, sparing with the compliments.  

I liked how that guys term as coach turned out... I am willing to bet that the new guy knows what he is doing.

I am willing to wait and see.

07 UK roster left over 2 C (if Morris back) 3 F - 5 G. Recruits included 1 C - 1 F with F and G added.

You know maybe, just maybe I could beat myself in the head with a hammer long enough that I could persuade any reasoning I have remaining to induldge this argument but I just have one glaring fly in the ointment so to speak.

I am to believe the genius of BCG and also accept the fact that his genius will not allow him to start Joe Crawford but his geniusness can play him for 35 minutes. His genius can play Meeks and Jasper when they're "available". Explain this psychobable first and then possibly I can make this ride to la la land and along the way say hello to the sugar plum fairy.  

Ya don't need 100,000 (or a million) assistants.

i think tru hits some great points and i agree with much, but i am a little more optimistic.

quick points:

1. apparently BCG's method of teaching his system is like training a wild animal. he seems to be trying to bend the team to his will. we all need to realize that this team will most likely not pull out of the tailspin this season.
2. the cats will, if BCG history is true to form, be good next year. bradley and crawford will move on and the team will be young and better able to adjust to his system.
3. it is apparent now why tubby chose the end of last season to leave. if he was getting the beat down over 22 win seasons, what would he do with a team that was headed for a .500 record? the fact is that this team would not excel under any coach.
4. the cats will win a couple that will surprise us this year. no matter if they are a little down on talent, they are starting to learn BCG's system. and although there are not NBA players on the team, they show some talent and heart from time to time. the last 10 minutes of the first half were wonderful.

Myself, like the rest of the crowd need to be reminded to step back look at what is truly going on.  Folks, it isn't "my way or the highway."  BCG is not a riverboat gambler and he hasn't gone "all-in."  Makes for good reading but it is void of reality.

The Present & Future:  DeCourcy said it best in an article we all loved and held to (until a couple more losses brought out the short sightedness of UK fans once again):  "Winning any particular game is not as important, in the long term, as establishing a method by which championships can be won. If Gillispie had his players running stairs on the day of the Gardner-Webb game, he likely had a reason. If the reinforcement of whatever principle moved him on that day eventually leads to a victory in some Elite Eight game, we'll never know. He will, though. And Kentucky will find itself back in the Final Four for the first time since 1998."  If he were to write this today, he would have added something about playing m2m every minute of every game.

The Past:  Again, I will defer to a man much more capable of verbalizing this than I am: "Kentucky did not get to where it is now in one off-season. It took years of mismanaging the program by the previous coach -- and the bosses who failed to properly direct him -- to get the Wildcats to the position where they could lose five of their first nine games. It took some stunningly uninspired recruiting and some dumb scheduling to get them here. It is going to require energetic recruiting and smart scheduling to move them forward. Most of all, though, this process demands patience. But that appears to be in shorter supply than elite talent."  Remember my friends, BCG has already singed more talent in less than a year than Tubby did his previous four.

I applaud BCG for what he is doing.  He is doing it the right way.  Elite coaches are driven by the will to win and building a legacy.  BCG is no different.  

He didn't accept the UK job to come in and go 20-12 and get beat in the second round of the NCAAs year after year.  He didn't come to UK to become another 10-loss-Tubby.  He came to UK to rebuild a crumbling empire; to make it what it once was--the dominating force in college basketball.  

Why do I say BCG is doing it the right way?  He has tunnel vision of building long-term dominating success at UK and he is not going to let a wonderful & very vocal fan base or local media bantar change this.  BCG is certainly not going to let short-term woes change what he knows it is going to take for UK to become dominate once again.  Fellow Wildcats, do not buy in to this "my way or the highway" bantar.

This season is about the future.  If UK plays every minute of every game in man-to-man defense it is because that is what is needed to rebuild UK into long-term domination of the SEC.  It is not about being stubborn.  It is not about "my way or the highway."  It is about rebuilding; it is about changing a deteriorating program; it is about developing long-term success.

Folks, read DeCourcy's article again..  then read it again.  Then email it to every UK fan you know.  It is truly insightful; it is written by someone who truly understands Billy Gillispie and what is going on.  

Lastly, I want to encourage my UK brethren with this.  It is always darkest before the dawn.  The prior regime drove us into this dark night.  A new regime with proven success and ability to recruit elite talent is now at UK.  They will bring us into the new dawn.  UK is in the midst of a necessary yet painful transformation.  When the metamorphosis is complete what you are going to see is the most athletic, talented and dynamic program in college basketball.

I expected some adjustment difficulties, but after 13 games, dangnabit, this team should be showing some improvement.  As of yet, I have seen absolutely NO IMPROVEMENT in the team or BCG's ability to bench coach.

I want to be patient, but patient for what? More of the same?  His flippant answers in interviews provide little insight into what his strategy is and what he is doing  to solve these problems so we can win games ASAP.

I am frustrated more than just with BCG's win-loss record at UK right now.  His relations with the media and the fans are strained at best.  He seems to be stubborn, pompous and flippant when dealing with the media and the fans. He needs to realize that the fans are an important and knowledgable part of UK basketball and they need to be informed and treated with respect.

I'm a diehard fan and nothing will sway my allegiance.  But I hope BCG will become more UK-friendly the longer he is here.

Take a deep breath, Tru. We cannot afford to have those as knowledgable and passionate as you give up too early.

I, for one, will be glad when UK basketball becomes fun again.  One of my favorite seasons was the 1990 season.  We played .500 ball, but were a blast to watch.  That team knew what it was like to have the snot pounded out of them, as evidenced by the 13-19 record the year before.  The players on this year's team have had nothing of that to motivate them.  All of BCG's rebuilding projects have started from the trash heap.  Give him time and, if you can't, go join those who questioned Barnhart about keeping Brooks.  Perhaps those people should fire up www.firerichbrooks.com to go along with their www.firebcg.com sites.  Oh, wait, that Ditch Rich movement has already been tried.  We see how that worked out when someone has a bit of patience.

Folks - the man is a winner - period.  I know that many of us think we are basketball geniuses, but I highly doubt any of us are being paid millions to coach basketball.

Let it ride, see if we feel this way by the end of the season or the end of next season.

"One and out" has to be the dumbest premise I have heard to date.  BCG will get several years to right the ship.  UK would not be able to withstand the backlash if he were released after this year.

I think Bilas said it better - You Wanted Change, You Got, Now Give Him Time (words to that effect).

BCG knows waht he is doing and the whining I hear about BCG not pouring out all his thoughts to the fans is pathetic.  Upset at BCG?  Cry a river, build a bridge and get over it.

For those reading my take, I want you to remember back to when Morris signed with the Knicks. It was the day Tubby left. If you are like me you instantly pondered the upcoming season. Thinking, "who do we have coming back, and who do we have coming in?"

My initial thoughts were that we were going to be in for a long season. Undersized with Morris leaving, and with a short bench. I honestly thought 15-16 wins would be a nice number to shoot for.

Then Clyde is hired, and he miraculously saves Patterson. If you are like me, you had your computer tuned to KentuckySportsRadio to listen to the annoncement live. I was giving a friend blow by blow updates ove