Kentucky's loaded -- with expectations
Kentucky’s recruiting class for the ages is in place. Now the real challenge begins.
Kentucky added John Wall, the nation’s top recruit, to a class that already featured three other five-star recruits. Throw in a new coach who’s won 137 games in the last four seasons and it’s enough to make Big Blue Nation throw up their hands and shout Hallelujah!
That salivating is from hoops pundits around the country who are proclaiming Kentucky the team to beat in 2009-10. They may not be wrong.
Incoming freshmen Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Eric Bledsoe and Jon Hood will team with junior forward Patrick Patterson and possibly senior guard Jodie Meeks (if he withdraws from the NBA draft) to form one of if not the most talented rosters in the country.
It’s a little scary to see just what John Calipari can do when it comes to recruiting at a premier program.
"I think right now everybody’s on notice," Scout.com reporter Dave Telep told the Raleigh News & Observer. "This is old school Kentucky right now, and the rest of the country has been served notice. This is the real deal. These guys are coming after players, they're getting guys, and they have a powerful product to sell."
The only thing scarier than the loaded roster? The sky-high expectations heaped upon the ‘Cats.
You won’t hear Calipari or the players complain. Even some of the local writers aren’t worried about it. But those expectations are very real, and very daunting.
Kentucky missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly 20 years last season. It hasn’t been to the Final Four since 1998 or won an SEC title since 2004. And North Carolina is just five wins shy of passing Kentucky on the all-time list (don’t scoff, that one matters to the Kentucky faithful).
All of that stuff piles up. Next year, if the Wildcats start to struggle, it’ll get hairy in Lexington. How will the young roster hold up to criticism? How much leeway will fans give the new coach if UK doesn’t win enough?
Don’t misunderstand – Kentucky’s going to be good next season. It could be the nation’s best team.
But if the ‘Cats do cut do reach the Final Four or even win it all, they’ll have earned it because winning under massive expectations isn’t easy.
An experienced, talented North Carolina team had similar expectations heaped upon it this season, and managed to live up to them. Other schools – UNLV in ’91, UNC in ’94, Arizona in ’98 or Duke in ’99 – were similarly talented, but fell short.
One thing’s for sure: I’m excited to see what Kentucky can do.
