Hope springs eternal at Kentucky

[WildcatRick]

By Darrell Laurant

It's not fair. In years past, as the University of Kentucky football team absorbed loss after loss to SEC opponents, at least the Wildcat fans could look at each other knowingly and say: "Wait until basketball season."

Not this time. There were two SEC teams in the Final Four, but the perennially powerful Wildcats weren't among them. And now, its spring football time again.

The problem is not so much that Kentucky has a bad football program as that it's misplaced. Geographically, the Wildcats are probably an ACC school, or perhaps Big East (Louisville and West Virginia are natural rivals). Instead, they find themselves competing against the likes of Florida, Alabama and LSU -- schools with long traditions and frequent appearances on national TV. Plus, the talent pool in the Bluegrass State isn't what it is in, say, Georgia or Florida, or even South Carolina.


http://www.realfootball365.com/college/articles/kentucky/kentucky-wildcats-football040406.php

[MthrBtch]

I guess he sort of reiterated his point when he called Tommy -> Tony.

[baldcat]

He does speak some truth.

It's hard to build a program and maintain it playing the perpetual murderer's row that we do.

If we played in the Big Least and ACC we'd be bowling every year.

[gerntz]

Yes, about whom we're up against.

But ain't no way we're in ACC country - wrong side of the mountains - nor BE - wrong side again. As far as that goes, LV & CN are in wrong place too.

If we belong anywhere else its the B11 - border states with 5 of the schools.

[johnkyblue]

We sure are on national TV a lot because we play those teams too.

[SCBlu]

baldcat wrote: He does speak some truth.

It's hard to build a program and maintain it playing the perpetual murderer's row that we do.

If we played in the Big Least and ACC we'd be bowling every year.

The ACC, eh? Yeah right. We'd only have to hold our own against Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, G. Tech, Virginia, Maryland....... not to worry!

[baldcat]

Fear is the biggest enemy young grasshopper.

LMAO

SCBlu wrote:
baldcat wrote: He does speak some truth.

It's hard to build a program and maintain it playing the perpetual murderer's row that we do.

If we played in the Big Least and ACC we'd be bowling every year.

The ACC, eh? Yeah right. We'd only have to hold our own against Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, G. Tech, Virginia, Maryland....... not to worry!

[Stretch]

I happen to believe that if UK can avoid NCAA sanctions gutting us every decade or so, we can build a very respectable and competitive SEC football progam.

[Kentucky_Blue]

My thoughts are..

Kentucky will always be in the SEC, so..We can sit here and whine about being in this conference, and always use that as an excuse why we can't win....

or..

We could just get better,make a stronger commitment, spend more money.. whatever it takes to be competitive on aregular basis.

There has been quite a few SEC "football" schools that have excelled at basketball..Matter of fact, our newly crowned basketball champ, is from a so-called "football school"..Another, "football school" in LSU just went to the final four..So why can't a "basketball" school like Kentucky be successful in football? We have the foundation..strong resources and a strong fan base.. we just have to capitalize on it..

I am as big a SEC fan as you will ever meet, but I believe the football conference has been down, and a little overrated recently.

[Doug Hardin]

Kentucky_Blue wrote: There has been quite a few SEC "football" schools that have excelled at basketball..Matter of fact, our newly crowned basketball champ, is from a so-called "football school"..Another, "football school" in LSU just went to the final four..So why can't a "basketball" school like Kentucky be successful in football? We have the foundation..strong resources and a strong fan base.. we just have to capitalize on it..


It's a lot harder to build a good basketball program from scratch than it is to build a good football program. You need to sign and/or develop 15-20 star players to turn around a football program, whereas with basketball, you only need two or three.

This why we've seen a lot of traditionally labeled "football schools" like LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, andWashington, develop good basketball programs over the last 10 years. Signing or developing a few good players like Mike Miller, T.J. Ford, or Nate Robinson can help turn a program around in a hurry. It'll be the same situation at Kansas State if Huggins can bring Mayo and Walker to Manhattan.

Meanwhile, schools like Kentucky, Duke, Indiana, and Kansas still struggle on the football field (though KU is improving and did win a bowl game last year). Louisville is the only "basketballschool" I can think of off the top of my head to develop a good football program from nothing in recent years. A school like UK can sign a great player like Tim Couch, Dennis Johnson, or Micah Johnson, but one guy (or a small group of players, likeif Micah, Minton, Pulley, and Moncell Allen all end up being really good) isn't going to turn a program around the way a similar number of them could turn around a basketball program.

But good programs have been built from scratch before, like Virginia Tech and Kansas State. That's why I keep buying season tickets.

[Classof93]

Doug Hardin wrote: Kentucky_Blue wrote: There has been quite a few SEC "football" schools that have excelled at basketball..Matter of fact, our newly crowned basketball champ, is from a so-called "football school"..Another, "football school" in LSU just went to the final four..So why can't a "basketball" school like Kentucky be successful in football? We have the foundation..strong resources and a strong fan base.. we just have to capitalize on it..


It's a lot harder to build a good basketball program from scratch than it is to build a good football program. You need to sign and/or develop 15-20 star players to turn around a football program, whereas with basketball, you only need two or three.

This why we've seen a lot of traditionally labeled "football schools" like LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, andWashington, develop good basketball programs over the last 10 years. Signing or developing a few good players like Mike Miller, T.J. Ford, or Nate Robinson can help turn a program around in a hurry. It'll be the same situation at Kansas State if Huggins can bring Mayo and Walker to Manhattan.

Meanwhile, schools like Kentucky, Duke, Indiana, and Kansas still struggle on the football field (though KU is improving and did win a bowl game last year). Louisville is the only "basketballschool" I can think of off the top of my head to develop a good football program from nothing in recent years. A school like UK can sign a great player like Tim Couch, Dennis Johnson, or Micah Johnson, but one guy (or a small group of players, likeif Micah, Minton, Pulley, and Moncell Allen all end up being really good) isn't going to turn a program around the way a similar number of them could turn around a basketball program.

But good programs have been built from scratch before, like Virginia Tech and Kansas State. That's why I keep buying season tickets.

Don't you mean it's harder to build a good football program than a good basketball program?

[T75]

You could also have titled this thread "Spring hopes eternal at Kentucky". I'm back to that spring stage where I'm believing we can have a winning season this year.

[poodoo]

Don't you mean it's harder to build a good football program than a good basketball program? QUOTE by Classof93

______

Yes, I think I can safely speak for Doug on this one. :cool:That is exactly what he meant to say. It was funny, for when I had read the statement as he had written it, I had thought, "Say what!" and checked to see who had written the post before I even finished reading it. Anyway, when I saw Doug's name, I knew it was an intelligent, mature poster, so something was wrong. Ironically, Doug is young but did something this "old lady" so often does, which is to say something backwards. :ggrin:Anyway, he is so correct in his post, besides that little mess-up.