The 2020-2021 basketball season was a Kentucky fan’s worst nightmare. In almost every game, they played at best mediocre, or at worst, an absolutely terrible basketball to finish 9-17.
Who is to blame? This is not important. This is a normal part of college basketball. Each team goes through this.
Last season, as in Kentucky this year, Nebraska brought back just one player and ended with 7-25. One of the harsh truths of college basketball is this: you can’t be great every year, no matter what. If you lose all your players, you can’t just magically replace them with a great team, even if you subscribe to class number 1.
Kentucky fared better than Nebraska because of that class and John Calipari’s training, but not by much. In short: this was a year of reconstruction.
Rebuilding! But Kentucky is blue blood! They never rebuild, right?
Wrong. Everyone does it in all sports, even if they spend 50 years between reconstructions. Fortunately for us, Duke is also going through one.
Here’s the good news: they’ll be back. I can say with almost 100% confidence that next year’s Kentucky team will be back in old Kentucky and not this 2020-2021 nightmare team.
Why? Because of the simple logic of basketball: you return talented players, they get better, making you better. Experience is the best medicine for basketball teams. That is why Gonzaga, Baylor and Illinois are the best: they have returned almost all of their last great team.
Kentucky and John Calipari, one of the sport’s greatest coaches, will not let that happen again next year. Let’s get old Kentucky back.
In the meantime, let’s cheer and support the great teams that have had remarkable seasons, like the undefeated Gonzaga and the sizzling Illinois. Let’s take the focus off Kentucky for a while.
The reconstructions always end. Ask the Chicago Cubs. Be patient.
Kentucky will be back soon.