Kentucky Basketball. year 10 of the Tubby Regime

The past year has been such a strain on the UK fans.

The season began with high aspirations. Randolph Morris was back for a full year. UK had hired a new strength and conditioning coach. Crawford was back. Bradley would get his chance to lead. There wasnt any more enfighting with Patrick Sparks and Rajon Rondo. The new incoming class, while short of a power forward, was one of the best and the guards were second to none as a group.

Then we lost to UCLA. OK, no big deal to an extent, UCLA was just off of playing in the title game to Florida and had most of their roster back and a better PG (lead guard) than what they had in the scoring PG (Jordan Farmar). We only lost by 5.

Then the third game in three days (OK that isnt an excuse, it is the fact of the schedule). We lost bad to Memphis who out-athleticized us. And Calipari to an extent out-maneuvered Tubby Smith.

So OK. No big deal. Both teams were ranked and in the UCLA game we played well.

Then after a cupcake, we played North Carolina. This is when the "shortcomings" began to show. We didnt shoot well and although we really took the Tar Heels out of their game, the lack of a scorer or definitive scorer showed that UK might struggle if Randolph Morris is out or Joe or Ramel werent hitting. Again UNC was ranked so this was "OK".

We revenged a sore spot from last year by beating Indiana.

We also beat our arch rival Louisville. and win 11 games in a row... so all is well right?

Wrong.

After a couple of non-discript wins (at the time, later they showed that the teams WERE good and the wins GOOD also), we lost two in a row. One to Vanderbilt at home. When we played just dreadful. Defense didnt do a darn thing that they had been charged to do. Then we shot bad again.

Then the next game, playing in Athens, run rough-shod over the dawgs for 16:00 minutes then inexplicibly go in the tank or "coasted" and lost focus and allowed Georgia to get momentum and come back and tie the game in regulation and for Georgia to win in OT.

The whole time the team is playing basically 2 distinctly different halves each game. Either they come out like gangbusters and the coast... or they come out flatter than a flitter (a good old term given to me by my grandmother) and then rise like a Phoenix to almost come back and win.

As the season progressed this continues. Even on Gameday Night against Florida. we let Florida get out to big lead only to come back and fall short because we were too far back and there was no margin for error on the comeback.

Then two more just absolutely heart reamers. The game in Vandy where UK leads for 39 minutes and 27 seconds. AND if Joe blocks out correctly and gets rebound... but he doesnt and Byars gets rebound and sticks it back for the win. and the game in Tennessee. Also getting down but returning and falling short.

Then to ice the cake we play maybe our best half of the season in Gainesville only to have Morris get his third foul early in the second half. Then with Morris on the bench on no presence underneath we start settling again for jumpers and fall short again.

Team Turnover with Icing as one tremendous poster calls us.

This team has talent.

This team has a good coach.

What this team doesnt have is focus and heart.

If they find it we can be a legitimate team. If they keep playing like they are... More heartbreak.