Cheer Up Cat Fans! Good Times are Ahead!

As I am finally getting over the current skid the Cats are on, I began thinking about some things. I wanted to know how big time coaches fared their first few years at a new job at a big time program. Here is what I found:

Roy Williams: From Kansans to North Carolina

First Season at UNC: 19-11, NCAA Second Round

Second Season: 33-4, National Champs

Third Season: 23-8, NCAA Second Round

*Williams also won a title in 2008-2009 and has been to one other Final Four in 2007-2008

Bill Self: From Illinois to Kansas

First Season at Kansas: 24-9, Elite Eight

Second Season: 23-7, NCAA First Round

Third Season: NCAA First Round

*Self won a championship at Kansas in 2007-2008, his fifth season at KU

Ricky "Three Stacks" Pitino: Kentucky to Boston Celtics to Duh Ville

First Season at Duh Ville: 19-13, NIT Second Round

Second Season: 25-7, NCAA Second Round

Third Season: 20-10, NCAA First Round

*Rick Pitino has been at Louisville for 10 seasons and has been to only one Final Four. But he did bring shame to the university, contracted multiple STD's, had affairs with Patty Swope and Karen Sypher, and alienated his entire family. Not too shabby!

Besides Roy Williams' second season at Carolina, the trend seems to be that the first few years are a little rough. Granted, Ricky P's early career at Louisville was, shall we say, crap, he did get them to a Final Four by the fourth season. It took Self a long time to get Kansas to the promised land. And once Williams one that first title it took him a few years to get back there and went to an NIT along the way.

So cheer up Cats fans! We have an elite coach and an elite program. It's not like we have fallen on hard times. We lost games back to back for the first time in Cal's tenure at UK but it's not the end of the world. The team is young and the fact that we are ranked as well as the fact that we have beaten some very tough teams is a good accomplishment despite losing five players last year and having really only 6 players on the team.

Next year's class might be the one to put us over the edge. I am of the thought that the only key player that might go pro, and he probably will, is Terrence Jones. Other than that, everybody will be back along with another stud class. If it doesn't happen next year then it will happen very soon.

But this season isn't over. I still believe these Cats have some fight left in them and we didn't win 16 games by accident. Losing now is hard to handle but losing in March is what counts. Let's get them out of the way early.

It's Tennessee Eve and I'm ready for bed. It'll be a late night tomorrow so I better get some shuteye. If I dwell on the Dirty Vols too much, images of Bruce Pearl's fat face and orange painted chest will haunt my dreams.