UKWildcats4Ever

A personal assessment.

Hmmm...Yes it is an opinion....that can be backed up by plenty of facts. However just like anything else, the facts can always be adjusted to support what it is you want to support, or discourage something you don't want to.

The post is not about not getting Billy Donovan, nor is it about Pitino not being here. The post is about the direction of our program and my take on it. Nowhere in the post does it say that I wish Donovan was here, nor does it say that I wish Pitino never left. Changes take place. That is what happens. I expressed concern as to whether our program was heading in the direction we as fans want it to. Some may think it is, currently I do not think it is. Coach Gillispie may have us heading in the right direction in the near future. Only time will tell.

You are right. I question in game adjustments, including defensive and offensive schemes. Especially games like VMI, and Georgia last year in the SEC Tourney. Coach Pitino had the ability during his post-game press conferences as well as radio shows to motivate you, as he would his own assistants. The game plan may not be discussed in detail, but he provided oratory skills that motivated fans to feel like they were working alongside him. I agree that PP would probably have ended up somewhere else. This would have caused issues at the present. However, I believe that the coaching search should have come first. PP is a great player and will end up playing professionally. However, the long-term success of our program hinges on the hire that we make now. It will ultimately influence future hires. I think more time should have been devoted to the process to see how it would have panned out. As far as motivation for Coach Gillispie, I do not see the passion and intensity. No doubt he cares about the job and his career as a coach, but I don't see that passion that is deep within someone. The kind that needs no fuel to fire it. Every game for me would be the national championship. That's the way Kentucky does it.

Do I think he would have changed his mind? Maybe. The reason being is that there was a lot of pressure riding on him, especially coming off back to back national championships. Would he have excelled here? Who knows. I think that in his heart there was a huge struggle. Do you stay for what you have created, or do you leave for the greatest program ever?

I do not want all people to agree with me, nor do I want everyone to disagree with me. That to me is not the point. I think of the post as expressing what I am thinking at the time. That's why I started the blog. A great man told me that was what made fans the best, they always said exactly what they were thinking. However, sometimes what was being said didn't reflect what was being thought. I just wanted to express what I was thinking.

No, I thought this forum was open to opinion based commentary, without all the negativity I found on many other boards. I'll keep my piece on my personal blog.

I understand there will be disagreements and differences of opinions. However, having this board blow up is not worth the piece.

Yes I am the author.

There was no agenda, just a personal assessment. Since the board could not handle it I took it down. Why would I have an agenda? What would there be for me to gain?

It is too early to judge whether he will be deemed a good hire or not. However, it is not too early to critique the current state.

The purpose of the post is to express that there is more that goes into college basketball, especially at the University of Kentucky. Public relations is key to winning over a fan base that will scrutinize your every move. I for one agree that basketball at the collegiate level should be about coaching and teaching players. However, there is a subtle obligation to relate to fans and the community.

A personal assessment.

Regional titles does not necessarily equate to strength. As a whole the field looks pretty weak. Congrats to South Laurel for their recent success. But to look at that field and say it is top notch competition is exaggerating quite a bit.

Congrats to Corbin. However, most people in the tenth region do not take into account the talent shortage of the region. Over the past several years with the exception of Mason Co. the region has been down. The talent is not the same as in past years, and the players lack the grit. I know you cannot compare different eras, but this has to be one of the worst as a whole for the tenth region. Yes, there have been two state champs, and a runner-up, but any decade prior to the current one, I highly doubt these teams make it out of the region.

There are some very good players listed in the top 25. However, the whole ranking of players is political and unjust. Just because a player signs or is recruited by a major school does not make him/her top tier material. Many of our smaller school players go unnoticed or overlooked. That is the problem I see with player rankings. There is no way to compare players because each have differing skill sets and abilities. Some strengths may be another's weakness, and vice versa. Don't weigh too much one's ranking.

I think you should play the best players, no matter what the grade level. I started varsity as an eighth grader, albeit it was at a small school. However, you must play who the kids who are going to give you the best opportunity to be successful. Playing up at the j.v. and varsity level is not too much too soon. It truly depends on the level of maturity and the basketball IQ the kid has. It is in no way detrimental, as the experience gained from playing more advanced ball far exceeds any downfalls.

Bracken Co. will get better as the season progresses. However, I think that Bracken has really dropped the ball over the last few years in terms of finding and retaining a consistent head coach. There have been a couple of individuals who were interested in the head coaching job who would excellent coaches who were passed up. Poor decision making. Hopefully consistency will eventually find its way.

Should be a close game. Which Deming/Augusta game(s) do you think was the best over the years?

Seemed like a really weak field of teams. Is this by invite only?

Word is that there was a late name thrown into the mix that was fairly interesting.....

I think it was 1991......last year of old Maysville High School I believe.

I might be biased but it seems to me that the great teams in this region are those from the 'old' school days. 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's. I know that you can argue the Mason county squad from the Lofton era, but it appears that great team play was in years past. The guys that played seemed more fundamentally sound and were more hard-nosed.

Knowles' performance last year in the region was a fantastic one. It was a pretty good duel between two good teams, and two good players (Miller).

If I can remember correctly Joe Bane was a freshman and led Tollesboro to a stunning upset of the Maysville Bulldogs..........another fantastic game.