Finally, something to show for all the pain

[WildcatRick]

They've been beaten on by everyone.

By the fans. By the media. By their new head coach, maybe not publicly, but certainly in private -- and in practice, where questioning their toughness and their manhood is a daily devotional.

And oh yeah, these Kentucky Wildcats have been beaten on by their opponents, too: by the likes of Gardner-Webb, UAB and San Diego.

All those breaks and bruises, mentally and physically, with nothing to show for it.

Until yesterday.

Until these black-and-blue Cats, the team so beaten up, rose up and beat the unbeatens.

UK 79, Vanderbilt 73.

http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/284634.html

[SamKat]

John Clay has a good one here, Rick. Thanks!

[Rockober]

Who knows? There's a long way to go. But maybe the team that has been beaten upon for so long learned the very thing that Crawford said he was thinking as he walked off the court with his coach's arm draped around his neck.

Said Crawford, "I was thinking, 'We can do this.'"

I love that quote. I BELIEVE they can make a huge turn around. Go CATS!!

[Stucat]

I also believe this team can make a huge turn around. They proved as much yesterday. Maybe just maybe we will begin to win and just maybe we will actually get in the NCAA tournament in March. I am hoping that I saw the light at the end of the tunnel yesterday.

[KYISSUPREME]

We may look back on this game and say, "that's the one that started it all". The players finally seemed like they got it. It was sloppy, and sometimes it almost gave us a heart attack, but we got the win. I'm not going to place undo pressure on them. I don't see 20 wins this year. But this could be the start to those better days I keep saying are coming.

[Gunsmoke]

One thing was we played at a high speed and very aggressively. You could say we were relentless. Very impressive effort. 50 minutes by Ramel and Patrick is unreal. 48 minutes by Joe who has been fighting injuries leaves my head shaking. It was a big-time game performance by these young men.

[WildcatDan]

I seem to remember a Vandy win a few years ago that turned a UK team around and sparked an undefeated run through the SEC.... Not sure I am ready to predict THAT yet, but hope that at the end of the year we can say that this game was the beginning of the upswing for this team!

[poodoo]

Then there were all those pre-season injuries, and then the loss to Gardner-Webb, and then all those who said that, well, Tubby Smith didn't leave any talent. That's not an abstract notion. That's talk about real people, real kids with real eyes and real ears, and real feelings. QUOTE
***********

Ironically, I had once posted that laying all the blame on our former coach bothered me for just that reason. By taking that jab at the former coach, some UK fans were insulting our players' talent level. :thumbdn::thumbdn: to such, and may we stop hearing that!

NO ONE has to be be blamed for losses. May our players remain more CONFIDENT, and may they continue TO WIN games. :) GO CATS! GO COACH G!

[poodoo]

I seem to remember a Vandy win a few years ago that turned a UK team around and sparked an undefeated run through the SEC.... Not sure I am ready to predict THAT yet, but hope that at the end of the year we can say that this game was the beginning of the upswing for this team!
So do I, WildcatDan, and I have hoped for the same--"an upswing for this team." :)

[poodoo]

One thing was we played at a high speed and very aggressively. You could say we were relentless. Very impressive effort. 50 minutes by Ramel and Patrick is unreal. 48 minutes by Joe who has been fighting injuries leaves my head shaking. It was a big-time game performance by these young men.

Exactly, Gunsmoke! :icon_smile:

[poodoo]

Who knows? There's a long way to go. But maybe the team that has been beaten upon for so long learned the very thing that Crawford said he was thinking as he walked off the court with his coach's arm draped around his neck.

Said Crawford, "I was thinking, 'We can do this.'"

I love that quote. I BELIEVE they can make a huge turn around. Go CATS!!

Thanks for the link, WildcatRick. I must admit that John Clay did well on this one. :) Also, I have responded four times on this thread, which reflects positively on Clay's piece.

Too, I particularly liked that Coach G had his arm draped around Joe's neck as they had walked off the court. Yes, I'm the sentimental type, but picturing that scene in my mind brought tears tp my eyes.

THAT, folks, is certainly what this team needs, REWARD for their hard work and such CLOSENESS between the players and that coach who has worked them so hard. GO CATS! GO COACH G!