"We're Back, Baby!!!"

"What are you, using my baby's?"...This classic line from Seinfeld seems appropriate since it feels like the last time Kentucky basketball has seen this much excitement was back when Seinfeld was still on the air. Of course, this is an exaggeration and isn't meant to diminish the joy we've all shared in watching players like Tayshaun, Bogans, E.D., Chuck Hayes, G Fitch, Cliff Hawkins, Azubuike, Ravi Moss, Sparks, Ramel, Joe Crawford, Rondo, Meeks, Patterson, and all of the other players who gave their all to the Big Blue Nation only to come up empty (in terms of Final Fours and Championships) over the past 10+ years...

Thanks to the arrival of Coach Calipari and what could possibly be the best recruiting class ever (John Wall (above), Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Jon Hood, Darnell Dodson, and Daniel Orton), excitement is at NCAA Tournament level and it's only May. But even if they don't turn out to be the best class ever, they have already succeeded in something perhaps more important --- they have combined to make Kentucky relevant again. At UK, championships matter (SEC championships, SEC tournament championships, National Championships), being the winningest basketball program in the country matters, but deep down most Wildcat fans want a team they can be proud of, a team that is in the discussion for the Final Four...That's all we really want...A team that is in the mix...a contender...a team that matters. With this class plus Patterson, Miller, and probably Meeks, this team matters. That's enough for now.

This quote from an ESPN.com article by Dana O'Neil accurately sums up the views of the majority of UK fans:

"Kentucky is Kentucky because of its fan base. Capturing their hearts and loyalty is vital to a coach's success. Rick Pitino mastered it. Tubby Smith only partially did.
Gillispie's gravest miscalculation was that he failed to recognize how much all the non-basketball stuff mattered."

Now we have a coach who completely gets it...He knows what's important to Kentucky fans and he seems to genuinely enjoy and respect their passion. All that's left to be seen is if he can get these guys to buy into a team first approach, to sometimes put their individual success on hold for the greater good of the team. I'm confident he's the right man for the job.

I can't wait to see this team play. I'm sure at times it won't be pretty since they will be really young, but the athleticism and collection of raw talent certainly reminds me of the heyday of the Pitino era, when he trotted out teams loaded with talent --- DA, Antoine, Mercer, Delk, McCarty, Sheppard. Those teams destroyed everything in their path. I don't know if this team will be able to recreate the success of the mid-1990's Wildcats, but the pieces are in place and I can't wait to find out!!