If the Kentucky Wildcats were to build a house, they would start by building man cave. The blueprints would be huge and the 3D rendering would make it look lavish and everyone would want that house. When the construction crew went to begin building, they wouldn’t know where to start because there is no foundation included in the blueprint. John Calipari builds his basketball team the same way.
For a team that started the year ranked #1 on the preseason rankings they have dropped two games, both of which were against other ranked teams, and now sit with a record of 8-2 and are ranked #11. Expect them to continue falling before the calendar flips over to 2014.
To fully put this premise of “lack of foundation” into perspective, we have to look at the make up of this team. Of the teams 16 players, nine are freshmen. Of those 16 players, only 10 have played in every game so far this season, six freshmen and two sophomores. They also only have three juniors and two seniors. That is like building a snow fort on a warm day; unless the foundation is made of ice, the whole thing will melt away and be forgotten.
This team lacks veteran leadership. The two seniors they have don’t see a lot of action and are not leading by example; they also aren’t getting the opportunity. Jon Hood and Jarrod Polson are averaging less than five minutes a game and they have only played in four and six games respectively. On the bright side, they are getting quite the performance from the freshmen.
Led by Julius Randle, who is averaging a double-double in points and rebounds, four of their top five scorers are freshmen. This is great if you were considering how amazing this team would be next year or the year after but knowing this team is one-and-done not only affects the fans but the players.
These players, while extremely talented and have the potential to carry this team to a national championship, are not just thinking about March and the tournament. These players are thinking about the NBA draft and where they will go. Randle, along with James Young and Andrew Harrison, are projected to go in the first round. This is not how you win a championship. While I like the idea of players having to go to college before entering the NBA, I feel as though they should have to go for more than a year. But that is just one mans opinion.
Kentucky still has a tough 2013 with a road trip to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina on Saturday and then they host powerhouse Louisville in a matinee on December 28. The Cardinals are showing they are a contender again this season and the Tar Heels don’t seem to decide which team they want to be until game time. Both will be games you won’t want to miss.
Kentucky must start winning the important games against ranked opponents. If they continue the losing trend, look for the Wildcats snow fort to be hit by a warm front.
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