Kentucky Wildcat Basketball: Wherefore Art Thou?

Here's what I know. The Cats have gone from great to dismal in two years time. For the second straight year, our basketball team has become an embarrassment to the UK fan base and a laughing stock across our once great nation. We've been out-played in most of our games this year, even the games we've won. The other teams have played harder, but just didn't have our talent. Is this year's team any better than last year's? You have to wonder. Does it matter if you lose in the first round of the NIT or the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

How, with so much talent, are we looking worse with each passing game? Why do we not see leadership on the floor or the sideline? Why are the fans of opposing teams celebrating how hard their teams have played against Kentucky and Kentucky fans not able to do the same?

Why did I turn off the game when the South Carolina fans began to chant "OVER- RATED." I think it was because I agreed with them. Kentucky, I am sad to say, is overrated. It is a hard pill to swallow, but swallow we must.

Does anyone remember this?

How did we go from that to this?

How did we go from that to what we've seen last year and this year? How did we do that? How did it happen? How is it even possible?

If you can watch the two videos above without your eyes welling up with Kentucky pride, you have no emotion and I feel sorry for you. Today and tomorrow and the next day and maybe the following day, we will be licking our wounds and we cry for a totally different reason. Tears are no longer coming from joy, but from sadness, frustration and anger.

For those who want to use the excuse, "They're just kids", I would like to point out that those players in the two videos were "just kids" as well. I also might remind you that those dying in the combat zones are "just kids" too. Those kids are in a life or death struggle where mistakes and a lack of teamwork can get them killed. I don't think our basketball team has to worry about any of that. They won't show up in a Wounded Warrior Project commercial, but they may wind up in a shoe commercial in a couple of years. So, don't give me the "They're just kids" stuff. It is a false flag argument.

How can five straight number one recruiting classes be so different? How can three of those classes have played for each other and for the name on the front of the jersey as opposed to the name on the back of the jersey? What has changed?

For those insisting that we'll be alright, where do you get that opinion? Do you believe that your eyes are deceiving you or is it something else? Did you make the same predictions last year? How did that work out? The Kentucky basketball tradition doesn't play on the floor and that tradition doesn't contain the word, "ME" or "I."

Maybe my eyes are deceiving me. However, the stats say otherwise. My eyes tell me that this is a very difficult team to watch and I wonder what happened to the joy of playing basketball? Where's the love of the game? Are my eyes deceiving me?

For those who say, don't give up on this team, I agree. At the same time, one has to accept the fact that this year's team, like those teams of the past, are what they are or were. We've all seen some great teams, some good teams and some awful teams wear the blue and white over the years. All I know is watching two straight awful teams is not a pleasant experience.

What has happened to Kentucky Basketball? I have my own ideas, but I'd rather read yours.