Sunday, April 3, 2011

What a season

This team started the season playing as individuals, but ended it as a team. I have never seen a team grow, improve, and come together like this one did. When the season started we had no inside game what so ever, and we had freshman that played a me first type basketball. But as the season went on you could see this team coming together, and playing as one. It didn't happen as quickly as the fans or coaches would have liked, but it did happen at just the right time.


If you would have told me when the brackets were announced that Kentucky would have been in the Final Four, I would have told you that you were crazy. Not that I didn't think this team wasn't capable of coming out of that region, it was just the fact that the region was so loaded. But they proved me and everyone else wrong on their way to the schools first Final Four in 13 longs years. The most impressive part, of all the teams expected to end the Final Four drought, it wasn't supposed to be this one. And that is just a testament to the hard work and dedication the coaching staff and players put into this season.


Speaking of coaching, this has to be one of the best coaching jobs of Calipari's career. On his way to the Final Four, Cal completely out coached Bob Huggins, Thad Matta, and Roy Williams. He made this team believe in itself when no one else did, he brought the best out of them at the right time. The turn around of Josh Harrellson just speaks volumes of the capabilities of John Calipari as a coach. What he done with DeAndre Liggins is just as impressive, but what he done for the team is just amazing. When this team was 1-6 on the road in SEC play, and setting at as low as tied for 5th in the Eastern Division of the SEC, all Cal would say is "I really like this team". He saw something no one else did, he saw the potential in this team to achieve something remarkable.


The Final Four didn't go the way we wanted, but that is no reason to take away from what this team accomplished. They made it to the last weekend of college basketball for the first time in what seems like forever. They lost to a UCONN team that has just been on fire in the post season, not to mention a team being led by a potential player of the year in Kemba Walker. Sure it's true, if Kentucky would have hit their free throws they would have won, but thats in the past. What we have now are the memories of one of the greatest seasons that Big Blue Nation has seen in over a decade.


Now that the off season is here, get ready for all kinds of rumors. There is already rumors of Cal going to the NBA(not going to happen)again, and rumors of players entering the draft(more likely than the last rumor). Some will enter the draft, and I don't blame them if they can get drafted high enough. But you gotta get past all the media BS and just enjoy what we witnessed. Because if there is one thing we have learned over the years, it's that this kind of season doesn't happen often, and should appreciated when it's accomplished.

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