JUST WIN, CATS!
No more tradition with fans and Nba-bound stars
NEW ORLEANS — The rich history of Kentucky basketball has always been defined by the fact so many of their beloved teams were made up of four-year players from the commonwealth or neighboring states. Rarely did the late Adolph Rupp or Joe B. Hall venture out of the deep South.
The Fabulous Five i n 1948, the Fiddlin’ Five in 1958, Rupp’s Runts in 1966 and the Unforgettables in 1992 have all been immortalized. And players such as Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Wah Wah Jones, Bill Spivey, Vern Hatton, Johnny Cox, Louie Dampier, Pat Riley, Richie Farmer and John J Pelphrey p y have their jerseys j y retired at Rupp Arena.
But if Kentucky defeats Kansas Monday night to win the national championship, these top Cats, it could be argued, will be the most beloved team in the program’s history.
The Wildcats’ rabid fan base has embraced this young team — a nd really, John Calipar i’s first three teams — because he made Kentucky relevant on the national stage again after it was relegated to the NIT in 2009 for the first time in 33 years.
This new generation of Kentucky fans seems less interested in tradition and more with winning. They could care less about where the players come from or how long they remain in college as long as they can celebrate March Madness. The fact this team has been entertaining, humble and unselfish has been an added bonus.
Some fans became so excited after their team defeated hated rival Louisville in the national semis Saturday, they rioted in Lexington
“I heard they y were f lipping pp g cars and burning cars and shutting down blocks,” sophomore guard Doron Lamb said.
Who knows what will happen if the ’Cats win their first national championship in 14 years?
“Fans are crazy,” Calipari said. “They’re burning couches in the semifinals. Hopefully, they’re in their houses and they hug their wives and kiss their dogs, just not go crazy.”
Interestingly, the nucleus of Calipari’s current 37-2 team is a melting pot of stars from around the country. Freshman 6-10 6- 10 center Anthony Davis hails from Chicago, 6-8 freshman forward Michael Kidd-gilchrist is from St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth, N.J., freshman point guard Marquis Teague comes from Indianapolis and freshman forward Kyle Wiltjer is from Portland. And don’t forget sophomores Terrence Jones (Seattle) and Lamb (Queens) who round out a rotation of potential first-round picks.
There is only one player who sees significant minutes — 6-6 senior guard Darius Miller — from the state of Kentucky, which has seen its talent well dry up.
“He’s one of Kentucky’s own,” Calipari acknowledged “They love him. If he wants to get into politics, he could run for governor. Probably have to wait a couple years but . . . He’s beloved. He’s going to be one of those guys 50 years from now, they’re going to be talking about.”
Calipari inherited Miller, who was recruited by Billy Gillispie and has played with 40 different teammates.
But the hometown player is becoming a dinosaur at this school. Marquis Estill, Rajon Rondo, transfer Patrick Sparks and Miller have been the only impact scholarship players from the commonwealth since 2000.
At least Miller gets it. He is a four-year college player. The rest of the Kentucky players are one-and-done stars waiting to be called on draft night. With that in mind, it is hard to tell whether an NCAA championship will be a significant acheivement to them or just the culmination of another giant travel team tournament.
Players at elite programs such as Kentucky, Duke, Carolina and UCLA are so different now than they were 20 years ago. Nobody from Duke’s 1992 national championship team left early, and hanging a banner in the rafters in Cameron for a second consecutive season seemed more important than collecting that first NBA paycheck.
When Kentucky had fou r freshmen and a junior (forward Patrick Patterson) selected in the 2010 draft, Calipari called it “the greatest day in the history of Kentucky basketball.”
The sound bite did not resonate well with some Kentucky alums. “The greatest day is when a team wins a championship,” said All- American point guard Kyle Macy, who won his in 1978.
“The dumbest thing I ever heard,” former UK All-american T center Dan Issel added. he NCAA championship is still the holy grail for most coaches. But Calipari continues to suggest that winning this tournament would mean more to him than to his marquee players who have one foot out the door.
Calipari would like to be included among the coaching greats of the game. His players, most likely, will have moved on by next week, win or lose.