A couple of thoughts.
On the positive: One thing that is different from this years team compared to last year is the hustle. It has taken some time for the players to buy into Gillispie's system and his workout routines, but he is demanding their respect and they are busting their asses for him. Last year's team would have given up and likely would have been blown out by the second half, and there are still signs of it, but nowhere near on the same level.
Once this team gets some quality depth and another big man to complement Patterson, I believe that Kentucky will be on the rise again not only in the SEC, but also nationally.
Now for the negative: Last night's Kentucky-Florida game was the tale of a veteran laden Kentucky squad versus a rebuilding Florida team that featured no seniors and seven freshman. In these types of battles, senior leadership generally wins out. Not at Kentucky. When two of your top senior leaders are playing like freshman at times(not just this game, but the entire season), you will not win many games.
Injuries have been crucial, especially since Jodie Meeks, Derrick Jasper, and to a lesser extent, Patrick Patterson, haven't been playing at 100% health all season. However, if Kentucky is ever going to win on the road in the SEC, they are going to have to learn to accept the adversity and the home-cooking that comes with SEC road games. I'm not making excuses for the Florida and Mississippi State losses, and if the games had been played at Rupp, fans of the said schools would have been claiming worse.
That being said, I do believe Florida is a year or two away from being dangerous again. I do not think we will see anything similar to the "Band of Brothers" again (btw, nice to see Joakim Noah getting some "brotherly love" from his teammates in Chicago), but Florida has the pieces to make a deep title run in a year or two. Nick Calathes I believe will eventually go down as one of the most hated Florida players by Kentucky fans in the same category as Noah and Matt Walsh.
One thing that I am optimistic on, I do believe that the losing streak to Florida will end on Senior Night. Florida will not get the same calls that they got last night in Gainesville and the stakes are going to be too high for Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford to let the crowd down at Rupp. The youth of Florida will show up at Rupp Arena and I look for Kentucky to come out on top.
Cheyne
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2 comments:
I totally agree with about every thing you said in your statement but,of course there is one thing.Yes its true on senior night Kentucky players will fight to the death at Rupp arena,but you forgot one thing, through that period of time in between now and then,UF will also be alot more seasoned,refined,detailed,washed and waxed when we meet you guys again.It is the reason why you guys wanted BILLY so bad.HE is without a doubt the best coach in the country and im not surprised this team is already showing its head out of its coccoon so early.GO GATORS
I believe Florida will be seasoned and in top condition barring injury when we play again, but I don't believe we will see the full effects until next season. Add in Kenny Kadji in the post and Florida is going to be tougher next year.
Playing in Rupp though, unless you have absolute nerves of steel, which the last two Florida teams did, is not a cakewalk, and I really cannot see a young team like Florida coming out on senior night with a win. It is possible, but Kentucky bias aside, Florida will have their hands full. Keep in mind in 2004 when Florida was ranked no 1 and came into Rupp, it's definitely one of the hardest places to play with the O-Dome and Thompson-Boling Arena included.
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