Man, we were looking good three of weeks ago, weren't we? 11 straight wins, playing pretty good basketball, turnovers starting to swing to normal, Bradley shooting free throws and three-pointers with confidence.
Yet now, we find ourselves having lost 5 of the last 8 games in league, and on a downward spiral for which no end seems in sight. At it's zenith, this team seemed like a welcome rebound from the under-performance of last year. Now, at it's nadir(so far, at least), the team must be near collapse. None of these players are used to this, and neither are UK fans.
But leaving the fans aside for now, is there any hope to salvage this season? I don't know, but I must say I'm extremely dubious. Is it possible for Kentucky to extricate itself from this grave it is digging? Sure. We have seen it before, but never (to my knowledge) this late in the season. But, then again, "nevers" are made to be broken.
Generally, teams are supposed to be playing their best basketball now. Freshmen are nearly sophomores, juniors nearly seniors, and the added maturity of a long season is supposed to create the best basketball of the season. But I think it is safe to say that this team has actually devolved from promising to piteous.
Kentucky's display of futility today at Alabama was fitting, in a way. They were a team at a crossroads - win this, and many things seem possible. Despite a loss to Florida and a tough loss to Tennessee, Alabama, after a long season of losses, seemed ready for the taking. But instead, the Wildcats came out as if the game was just a drudge to be tolerated, as if the only good thing that could come out of it was it's ending. If that's what they thought, they ultimately turned out to be right.
So where do we go from here? Well, for us intrepid, die-hard supporters, hope must spring eternal or we must lose all sense of perspective from the current frustration foisted on us by our beloved 'Cats. Railing against the coach is but a symptom of the futility of our frustration, as even his replacement is months away at best. If the last three games are any indicator, we may be on our way to eclipsing the mediocrity of last season with a downright slovenly one.
There is an old saying by an unknown author, "Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working." The "tired and discouraged" part must surely reflect our young men right now, so I guess the good news is we are half way to proving that formula true. Will we stop there, like we have all season - 50% of the way to our goal?
Don't ask me, I've been wrong all season. If I were living in Vegas, I'd be looking for a $2 breakfast.