Good time to be a UK fan

[mrmeeks]

I haven't had the chance to post much on these boards, but I have seen some of the passion that is UK Basketball. I have to tell you it was absolutely amazing how many folks support our program. I hate losing. OK that is a fact. I will say however this team is not a loser. We were very close to winning this tourney. I believe if we find a way to beat UCLA we win this tourney and the fan base would be doing backflips.

We didn't win. We went 1-2. We also played the number 1 seed in the tourney and then came back the next day and played the number 2 seed. I for one am not about to give up on these guys. Tubby Smith is a very good coach. He will make all of the adjustments he needs in order for us to win in March. I saw up close that there is not a dime's worth of difference between us and UCLA. The biggest difference is they had much better ball movement, almost always hit the open man and seemed to have their roles defined. Their point guard was fantastic. Given all of these variables, we still went down to the wire with them.

I spoke with Jodie at length last night. He is very focused on winning and getting better. I told him I would ALWAYS be there for him. I feel that way about all of these kids.

I saw UNC, UT, and Duke lose. I went to their websites. They were not happy, but they were not throwing their team and coach under the bus.

As a parent and a BIG UK fan, let's support these guys and see what happens. Remember this is a whole new team and they are young and impressionable. Just my opinion. No better than anyone else's.

On my way to play golf..........Go CATS!!!!!

[DCWildcat]

God it's good to hear this, while nursing my hangover from last night.

Go Cats!!

[Terry L. Wildcat]

:cool:mrmeeks, I, too, will always be there for these kids, our team and our school...I also hate losing but as a fan the only thing I can do is root harder and put out positive energy for our team...and you can count on that happening.

[Josh]

Thanks for taking the time to post this up, Mr. Meeks. I'm behind this team 100% and believe they can do great things this year. Tubby is a great coach, has brought in good players, and this season looks to be a fun one!

[ukbob]

We are definitely behind them. I am enjoying watching the youngsters like Jodie grow from game to game. :thumbup

[BigBlueLuke]

Im with you guys.

When we make the final four THIS year, somebody bring this thread up.

[BigBlue75]

Thanks, mrmeeks, for your comments. Your thoughts are spot on. Let's get on with the rest of the season and GO CATS!

[freethrow]

Thanks for dropping in, MrMeeks. The largest majority of us do "support" this team and always will. Some of us get frustrated and respond in ways we shouldn't from time to time. I think we have a fine group too and Jodie is certainly one of them. And as you said, we were "right there" in Maui. Not bad at all for a team with so many new players and this early in the season. If this team can realy get good ball movement down the sky is the limit.

[ukwebfan]

I agree completely. I like them all but looking at these frosh, the future seems quite bright indeed.

[catlovercardhater]

Look at the freshman this year and tell me tubby doesn't know how to recruit anymore.

[she~cat]

I will always support the Wildcats!:wildcatface......and Tubby has been my favorite coach since Joe B. Hall:cool:....we have got a fantastic group of kids this year! I'm behind them all the way!

[DenCat]

I too get frustrated at times, but will always be behind our team 100%. I see some special things out of this group, not only the frosh.

[Bombastic Blue]

Mr. Meeks, One thing you have to get used too with our fans is that small segment that insists on shooting our own wounded. All teams have them, it's just that ours is soooo mouthy. I'm sure the team already knows this, but, tell Jodie to remind them anyway. Thanks.

[BigBlueAngus]

I for one love this team, I think we will get better with every game. One thing I know about Tubby is the man can coach Defense (he will get them in position), This is probably the best early offense I've seen from a UK team since 1998. The Freshman IMO are just what we needed and they will really push our upper classmen. I'm really interested in seeing their mental state after a tough loss and a butt kickin'. If they get good and mad, and come out with something to prove after each loss, then the skys the limit....Did I say sky? I meant The Big Blue.

[VIIBanners]

Bombastic Blue wrote: Mr. Meeks, One thing you have to get used too with our fans is that small segment that insists on shooting our own wounded. All teams have them, it's just that ours is soooo mouthy. I'm sure the team already knows this, but, tell Jodie to remind them anyway. Thanks.

THis is so true. The negativity is magnified by the relatively small portion of the fan base that live in the illusion that Kentucky should win the national chamionship every year going away. Go back and watch the '96 team and you will see why, mrmeeks. You were at Big Blue Madness I assume, so you heard what we (the people who show up and scream) think about our team and coach.

I thought this team played a helluva ballgame against UCLA... we should have won, but stuff happens.

[audacious1]

mrmeeks wrote: I saw UNC, UT, and Duke lose. I went to their websites. They were not happy, but they were not throwing their team and coach under the bus.

And that's the unfortunate difference between our fans. Sad and counter-productive.

Thanks for the post Mr. Meeks, keep posting, we love to hear your views.

[boomdaddy]

I don't see any need to push the panic button, because of the losses in Maui. UK is a young but very athaletic squad. This team has a much better upside, imho, than last year's team. TheCats aregoing to be very good by seasons end. If this team can keep the losses down to6 or 7, theywill get a decent seed andhave a good run in the tourney.

[kybuc]

Great thread! ! ! ! ! The Cats went head to head with the Bruins and just came up short. They came our flat the next day but hey.......I have a flat day every once in awhile.


:)

[bluegrassking]

I think less would be hitting the ole panic button if A) We didn't have almost the exact same concerns this year as foiled us last season and B) If these flaws appeared to be fixable.

"The biggest difference is they had much better ball movement, almost always hit the open man and seemed to have their roles defined."

This has been a Smith bug-a-boo for almost every year of his tenure.

"Their point guard was fantastic. Given all of these variables, we still went down to the wire with them." But wouldn't be close if they hit freethrows or open threes. UCLA did not play well but managed a win.



We are too unathletic up front, have just Morris to score inside, struggle to rebound mightily, and because of poor ball and player movement and one inside scorer are prone to long offensive draughts.

[trublue4life]

mr meeks., thanks for the thread. I saw so much upside in Maui, starting with the way our freshmen responded under the bright lights, that I feel like we are going to have a great year. The thing this team needs the most is practice time - 5 games in 8 days was really too much, IMO - and I feel like the trip to Maui against strong competition will really help the team focus on the things that most need to improve. Unfortunately, we do have some fans who seem unable to see anything beyond a win and can't see how close we really are to elite staus.

[TrueblueCATfan]

Mr Meeks..let me start off sayingI love watching your boy Jodie play..I can tell by looking at him that he has passion for the game.........so glad he is a wildcat

I will always support the Kentucky wildcats and Tubby Smith

[reggis]

After the Maui trip i am even more excited about this team. This team is only a shadow of what it will be very soon.

[bleedbluelady]

mrmeeks wrote: I for one am not about to give up on these guys.

As a parent and a BIG UK fan, let's support these guys and see what happens. Remember this is a whole new team and they are young and impressionable. Just my opinion. No better than anyone else's.

Go CATS!!!!!

:thumbupI'm not giving up either. It's just not in me. Good advice. :thumbup

[PeachtreeCat]

bleedbluelady wrote: mrmeeks wrote: I for one am not about to give up on these guys.

As a parent and a BIG UK fan, let's support these guys and see what happens. Remember this is a whole new team and they are young and impressionable. Just my opinion. No better than anyone else's.

Go CATS!!!!!

:thumbupI'm not giving up either. It's just not in me. Good advice. :thumbup
DITTO!!!

[RaleighCat]

Mr. Meeks, thanks for sharing your thoughts- and those of your son, Jodie. He's an exceptional player and has a tremendous future in front of him.

The frustration you've read is born from the expectation of excellence. This expectation wasn't created in '98, or '96, or under just one coach. Kentucky Basketball has been defined by one thing for the greater part of a century- the pursuit of excellence.

I personally am frustrated by the notion that Kentucky Basketball has the foundation for a dynamic run, but can't seem to build upon that foundation consistently. Our current freshmen class is one of the best in the country- as was our current junior class- and we need to add enough pieces around them to ensure we compete at the highest level for several more seasons.

Every player at Kentucky should expect to compete for the National Championship within their career. Every player should expect to be surrounded by outstanding talent each and every season. When this happens, games like the one with Memphis don't happen very often at all. Unfortunately, we have seen that game several times in the recent past. None of us have experienced it like your son Jodie and his teammates. No Kentucky fan wants them to experience it at all.

[ukgrad]

Thanks for the post Mr. Meeks.

I'm dissapointed we went 1-2, but I am far far from writing this team off this early in the year. Matter of fact, i'll never write of a UK team... I LOVE 'EM, thru good and bad! And I foresee A LOT of good this year...

Earlyand tough losses are much more beneficial to this team than most people think, especially with a core of great freshman and the veterans sliding into roles that they aren't totally accustomed to (i'm referring mostly to Bradley as the starting PG). This is a big big learning experience for our team, especially not giving up and really taking it to UCLA in the second half. They showed tremendous heart in that game. I see this team doing great things THIS year, and this tournament has not changed my opinion on that. I too, would like to see more ball movement, and I might be wrong here, but we flat out looked tired in the second half of the Memphis game and maybe a little less confident after losing the night before. I can only imagine how hard it is to play 3 tough games in 3 days... anyway, thanks again for posting!!! GO CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stucat]

I see a lot of good things in this team too especially in the freshman squad. This team has the potential to go far this year. Our losses to UCLA and Memphis will only make us stronger. Most other ranked teams are getting beat too.

I have supported the Wildcats for over forty years now and I will keep on supporting them in good times and in bad times and through five different coaches--Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, and Smith. I see this year as a potential good time to be a Wildcat supporter.:thumbup

[catfan043]

It's weird how much everybody changes when somebody with some credability says something positive about the team, i'm pretty sure you all know what i'm talking about so i will leave it at that...On to the bigger picture, glad your on the bandwagon of true blue cat fans MRMEEKS...once you get the blue in your systemit never leaves.

[phoenix]

You know my feelings on this. Tubby and his teams have earned my respect over a number of years, and I have also learned that November, December teams turn into January teams and usually show a nice improvement.

I generally see the bright side and am quite optimistic about this team, particularly on the perimeter.

this may not be THE team, but I see one or two pieces fully capable of making this THE team. Not much off from an extremely good team to a medicore team, and coaching takes you halfway to good by itself and we will have that.

[hoosierhateruklover]

catlovercardhater wrote: Look at the freshman this year and tell me tubby doesn't know how to recruit anymore.

Thaddeus Young? Brandon Wright? Deon Thompson? All could've been here with this freshman class and all were ready to head to Lexington. Factor in Willie Kemp vs Porter as well.. Whether a person likes Tubby or not, the fact is that recruiting has been terrible for some time now. But what to do about it is the question. Is it Tubby's fault or the assistants? Thats the problem.

[mrmeeks]

hoosierhateruklover wrote: catlovercardhater wrote: Look at the freshman this year and tell me tubby doesn't know how to recruit anymore.

Thaddeus Young? Brandon Wright? Deon Thompson? All could've been here with this freshman class and all were ready to head to Lexington. Factor in Willie Kemp vs Porter as well.. Whether a person likes Tubby or not, the fact is that recruiting has been terrible for some time now. But what to do about it is the question. Is it Tubby's fault or the assistants? Thats the problem.

I understand what you are saying, but if a player doesn't want to come to UK, then what do you do? It is easy to say we can't get this or that, but remember we are talking about a different world these days. Many of these guys have one foot in college and the other int he NBA and they don't care where they go because they believe they will make it anyway, ala OJ Mayo. ESPN with their lazy journalism, and I shouldn't just pick on them, most of the folks who write those articles are just plain lazy. You can read one basketball preview and read them all. Jay Bilas came to watch the team practice and had a better feel for our team. Most of the national guys just warm the same old gravy over and over again. What I am saying is, they are all counting us out right now. They are hyping all of these 'other' recruits. I have seen the top kids from 2006 play and most are good, some are mostly hype. Those kinds of things will balance themselves out in the wash. It is still very early to throw in the towel. Let's see where we are after the next 3 week span which will see us play CofC who scored 90+ points in their last game, UNC, IU, and UL. We will know by then where we are with our team. I refuse to give up this early.....Just my opinion.

[Terry L. Wildcat]

:cool:mrmeeks...thanks and as I'm sure you know, WE never give up...GO BIG BLUE!!!

[ukjp72]

Its good to have you here mrmeeks and i enjoy reading your two cents. Its good to have a source of news that so close to the action and im looking forward to watching Jodys progress over the season. I believe this years class could be a memorable one and the best thing we could all do is just sit back and watch these boys mature into an exciting team to watch and possibly even make some of those sports writers eat their words.

[poodoo]

mrmeeks wrote: I haven't had the chance to post much on these boards, but I have seen some of the passion that is UK Basketball. I have to tell you it was absolutely amazing how many folks support our program. I hate losing. OK that is a fact. I will say however this team is not a loser. We were very close to winning this tourney. I believe if we find a way to beat UCLA we win this tourney and the fan base would be doing backflips.

We didn't win. We went 1-2. We also played the number 1 seed in the tourney and then came back the next day and played the number 2 seed. I for one am not about to give up on these guys. Tubby Smith is a very good coach. He will make all of the adjustments he needs in order for us to win in March. I saw up close that there is not a dime's worth of difference between us and UCLA. The biggest difference is they had much better ball movement, almost always hit the open man and seemed to have their roles defined. Their point guard was fantastic. Given all of these variables, we still went down to the wire with them.

I spoke with Jodie at length last night. He is very focused on winning and getting better. I told him I would ALWAYS be there for him. I feel that way about all of these kids.

I saw UNC, UT, and Duke lose. I went to their websites. They were not happy, but they were not throwing their team and coach under the bus.

As a parent and a BIG UK fan, let's support these guys and see what happens. Remember this is a whole new team and they are young and impressionable. Just my opinion. No better than anyone else's.

On my way to play golf..........Go CATS!!!!!


Thank you for this post, Mr. Meeks. Too, I have been out of town for the holidays and have just gotten here today to read on our site since the second loss in Maui. Some of what I have read here has been disturbing. However, I shouldn't have been surprised as some fans were ready to run Tubby off after an exhibition loss several years ago. Tubby went on to win all the national Coach of the Year awards that year, and the team went undefeated after Christmas until they lost in the NCAA with an injured key player.

So I guess I'm saying that Jodie, thankfully, has his head on straight and is properly focused on getting better and winning, and will have to ignore some of our fans who sometimes tend to overreact. Most of us fans support these guys and are there for them and are NOT throwing the team and its coach "under the bus." Some who are doing that are quite vocal, but may your son and the other players listen, instead, to those who are cheering their heads off for the team in Rupp and being supportive of this team and UK basketball withits CURRENT coach.

As you said, we took UCLA to the wire, a team that is currently ranked number one in the nation. I saw PROMISE in Maui, and a lot of that was in your son and the other freshmen. Unlike some, I also see promise because of who is over there on the sidelines, a coach who has proven himself many more years than that one in which he won all the awards. I believe, and please let Jodie know that MOST of us fans are believers in this team AND its coach. Thanks again for speaking up. GO CATS!

[poodoo]

As a parent and a BIG UK fan, let's support these guys and see what happens. Remember this is a whole new team and they are young and impressionable. Just my opinion. No better than anyone else's.QUOTE by mrmeeks

_________

While I amnot a parent of a UK basketball player, I am surely a BIG (well, then again, more than a little short :ggrin:) UK fan. Like Jodie's dad, I ask all the other UK fans here to SUPPORT THESE GUYS and see what happens.

We were disappointed last season, but this is a WHOLE NEW TEAM, as Mr. Meeks says. Many of them are very young and impressionable. FWIW, whatMr. Meeks(someone who is actually close to the team and knows a lot more than we do in that regard) seems to be saying is that many of these guys are YOUNG and IMPRESSIONABLE. How about us fans'BELIEVING in them and ENCOURAGING THEM, helping them to believe even more in themselves after the disappointing losses and falling out of the top 25!

Just a suggestion from this BIG UK fan who isnot a parent of a UK basketball player. :)GO CATS!

[ukwebfan]

Merely another opportunity to drop down the negatives.

bttt