| Kentucky basketball tickets have been | | | | 1998. However, even that didn't quell |
| cherished for generations in the Bluegrass | | | | critics who claimed he won the title with |
| State, and the team has long been rewarding | | | | someone else's players. The nucleus of the |
| its rabid fan base with victories in bushels. | | | | 1998 team was recruited by former coach Rick |
| The Wildcats have won more Division I | | | | Pittino, a revered figure in the state. |
| basketball games than any other school in the | | | | |
| United States, and everything about Rupp | | | | Since then, statistics and results have shown |
| Arena reeks of tradition and legendary | | | | that Kentucky hasn't lived up to its |
| figures. | | | | tradition. The team hasn't returned to the |
| | | | Final Four since that year, and if they don't |
| However, the team, at least by Kentucky's | | | | qualify this season, it'll mark the longest |
| nearly unmatched standards, has struggled in | | | | Final Four "drought" in program history. |
| recent years, and the heat is being turned up | | | | This fact above all others is what's adding |
| on the program and Coach Tubby Smith. A look | | | | volume to the fans' complaints. |
| at the overall health of Kentucky basketball | | | | |
| should tell us if fans can expect the team to | | | | Proposed reasons for this "slump" are many in |
| regain its expected form, or if these | | | | number. Kentucky's recent recruiting classes |
| expectations are simply unrealistic. | | | | have been seen by many as not being up to par |
| | | | with traditional recruiting hauls, and even |
| Historical Context | | | | opposing coaches have noted a drop off in |
| | | | Kentucky's overall talent level. Smith's |
| Kentucky is considered by some, most of those | | | | style of play is also turning fans off, as |
| being Kentucky fans, to be the most | | | | his style is a departure from the run-and-gun |
| successful college basketball program of all | | | | teams of the mid-1990's that had so much |
| time. The Wildcats have won nearly 2,000 | | | | success. Smith prides himself on defense and |
| games overall and seven NCAA championships as | | | | a deliberate pace, and that'd be fine if it |
| of this writing. The team has had a slew of | | | | resulted in championships every year, but it |
| All Americans and Hall of Fame coaches, and | | | | hasn't, so by logical result, the style is |
| many in the area consider Kentucky to be the | | | | criticized. |
| gold standard by which all over programs are | | | | |
| measured. | | | | Outlook |
| | | | |
| Although there's no way to quantitatively | | | | This is a critical season for Kentucky and |
| decide who really is the "best" program ever, | | | | Smith. The program in many ways is a victim |
| and fans of North Carolina, Duke and UCLA | | | | of its own success, as every year the bar is |
| would all have strong opinions of their own | | | | set extremely high, but this year carries a |
| on the subject, the fact remains that | | | | different mandate - restore "pride" to UK |
| expectations in Lexington are always | | | | basketball or else. This "pride" will only |
| sky-high. Kentucky basketball tickets are | | | | be restored with a run towards the SEC title |
| always used with the expectation of watching | | | | and the Final Four. If Kentucky doesn't make |
| a team that should contend for the national | | | | it that far in the spring, the cries and |
| title that season, and that never changes. | | | | howls will only grow louder, and Smith's |
| | | | position will only become more tenuous. |
| Current State | | | | |
| | | | Regardless of how it all plays out, Kentucky |
| Coach Tubby Smith was a bit of a | | | | basketball tickets will provide fans with an |
| controversial hire when he came to Lexington, | | | | interesting show this season for several |
| but he had early success that included a | | | | reasons, as things are sure to be interesting |
| national championship in his first season in | | | | in Lexington over the winter. |