Kentucky’s only hope of making the NCAA tournament will be to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament this week in Tampa, Fla.

Considering the Wildcats have lost eight of their last 11 games, thinking they can win four games in four days seems like a huge stretch even for a die-hard Kentucky fan.

Area readers continue to be distressed by what they are seeing from coach Billy Gillispie’s team and are less and less supportive of the second-year coach.

Here are some of the thoughts readers wanted to share on the Cats going into Thursday’s game with Mississippi:

* Bill Jurgensen of Danville, like most readers, admits he “rarely” agrees with everything in my column. However, the one after UK lost to Georgia last week was the exception.

“I realize that on the stage of life how the Wildcats do is of little real consequence. Having said that, I can’t help but be very disappointed in this team, yes, but in the leadership that does not appear to be coming from the head coach.

“I see a team that began the season with some fairly high but reasonable ambitions – compete for the SEC title, get to the NCAA Tournament and get better from start to finish.

“With the available players, those were reasonable goals. But I see a team that is not one bit better than they were in their first exhibition game.

“Gillispie is too much into ‘mind games’ with the media, the fans and the players. I don’t care how he treats the media. As for the fans, it is they who are allowing him to live in a palace and have no money worries. He owes the fans more than they’re getting.

“As for the players, I truly believe most of them don’t know whether they’re in or out of the doghouse, whether the good game they had today will translate into more playing time in the next game. The new players can’t get comfortable. How can they?

“Take (DeAndre) Liggins. I think he has the natural ability to be a very good player. As a Louisville fan, I’d love to see what Rick Pitino could do with him.

“But when Liggins comes into a game he doesn’t know if it’s for the rest of the game or the next 30 seconds. So he tries to make the spectacular play to impress instantly rather than settling down and playing good, fundamental basketball and, as the players are fond of saying, letting the game come to him.

“I think Gillispie went from off-Broadway (Texas A&M) to the bright lights of Broadway and is simply not capable of dealing with the scrutiny and the historically high expectations of UK’s devoted fans. I’m afraid Gillispie will get another year to see what he can do with his highly rated incoming players.

“Regardless of who goes, stays or comes in, I see so many fundamental problems with his handling of his team that, in the absence of a complete change in his approach to how he handles players and the game itself, the next year could see more frustration in Big Blue Country. I wonder if Travis Ford is interested in a new job?”

Obviously, I agree that players have no real way of knowing what their roles are and anyone who can figure out Gillispie’s substitution pattern is far smarter than me. And if Gillispie continues to be UK’s coach, he is going to have to be more flexible and learn to make adjustments far better than he has his first two years.

* Mac Yocum of Frankfort has an idea about what is wrong, or missing, at Kentucky.

“It’s not a point guard or substitutions or anything else. This team is suffering from not having Bill Keightley sitting on the bench. He was the one person who kept the ship on an even keel. Players could go to him. Coaches went to him.

“Coach Gillispie can’t spend his time doing ego boost for each kid. Mr. Wildcat could and did. He kept kids from leaving and encouraged those that needed to. His absence is being felt now more than ever.”

Kentucky had some tumultuous years even with Keightley on the bench. Remember Team Turmoil? However, Yocum’s point is valid. Keightley had a knack for making players feel better even when he was blunt honest in his assessment of their abilities or problems. I suspect the players have missed that grandfatherly touch more than we’ll ever know.

* Steve Snell of Stanford thinks a 37-25 record at Kentucky by Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie is far from acceptable.

“Michael Porter’s continuous ridiculous starting streak (and yes, I noticed the 15 points he put up against Georgia, but what stuck out mostly was an undefended air ball for a game-tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds) while we have better talent on the bench at most times than on the floor.

“His players, and I mean the ones that belong in Division 1 basketball (not Perry Stevenson, Ramon Harris and Porter) would not and should not be inexperienced this time of year had he used them wisely rather than stubbornly. Thanks for the opportunity to rate the worst coach we have ever had.”

While Porter is not an All-American, he’s not the only reason UK has struggled. However, I wrote in November that the key to UK’s potential March success would be the development of freshmen Darius Miller and Liggins along with junior college transfers Kevin Galloway and Josh Harrellson.

To me, at least two had to develop into solid players to go with Patrick Patterson and Meeks for UK to be a good team. That has not happened as Liggins, Galloway and Harrellson were never given consistent minutes to show if they could improve. That’s why UK paid the price of playing players that had limitations in SEC play.

* Arlen Finke of Danville is puzzled that Tennessee won the SEC Eastern Division.

“How in the world did Tennessee get first place (in the SEC East) when UK beat them twice? Billy Gillispie still practices hard on game days. That explains no energy in their systems. They looks so disoriented, etc. You know from your observations. I hope they go to NIT to get more game experience.”

Finke, a former coach at Kentucky School for the Deaf, is right to wonder how a team UK beat fairly easily twice could regroup and win the conference while the Cats went in the tank.

As for game day practices, Gillispie insists his team is not “fatigued” and that he has no plans to change. Again, the coach has no flexibility.

As for the NIT, the Cats will accept a bid and lose their first game because this is a team that just is not having fun playing basketball. Just wait and see.

* Travis Hemlepp of New York is a longtime Kentucky fan who is bitterly disappointed with UK’s drop in play this year.

“Has anyone thought for a minute that the talent the Wildcats practiced against before each game, may not be as good as the talent they play against in a game. Billy Gillispie’s practice by the whole (if good) has not transferred to the real thing at game time. Even if you don’t practice well, you just might be one hell of a game player.

“I watched my first game at Alumni Gym in 1948, have been to or watched both the NCAA and NIT games in the past. I don’t know this team. Could it be coaching? It is difficult to believe that the name ‘Kentucky’ is on the front of Gillispie’s kids. While I believe these kids want to win, I don’t see the confidence in their faces.

“There seems to be a lot of ‘if I make a little mistake I’m out, back to the bench.’ By March, a coach should know what the starting five is. It has been a good run, but ‘Kentucky’ on the front of a uniform just doesn’t mean that much today. Sad.”

The word “sad” is one more and more UK fans are using today. No doubt the overall talent at UK is down, and that especially doesn’t help Patterson and Meeks in practice. The rest of the players? They are so equal I am not sure it matters.

Hemlepp is right about the confidence level. This team has none. You can see that any time the team plays, and the coach has to take responsibility for that.

* Mary Ann Little of Stanford believes it is time for Gillispie to go.

“I’ve been a UK fan all my life, stuck with them through the good and bad times, but this is the lowest point ever in Kentucky basketball in my opinion. I lay the responsibility for this solely at the feet of Billy Gillispie.

“What did he ever do that was so fantastic that (UK athletic director Mitch) Barnhart would even dream that he would fit here? I agree with many others that Gillispie is in over his head and just is not the ‘class act’ we need for Kentucky basketball.

“At the beginning of the Georgia game we played pretty well, then the first timeout was called and the team was not focused the rest of the game. It makes me wonder just exactly what was said in the huddle to rattle so many players. If we do not have players that can play as a team, whose fault is it? Is it not the coach’s job to make that happen?

“Gillispie has spent most of the year blaming one player or another for his own failures and I am sick of his excuses. I am particularly offended by his sarcastic manner with many of the media. His non-answers to the most direct questions is very irritating and the phrase, ‘I’m sure you know more about that than I do,’ needs to be permanently dropped from his vocabulary.

“Gillispie’s gotta go! And while we’re at it, let Barnhart go with him!”

Gillispie did produce a nationally competitive team at Texas A&M and was regarded as one of college basketball’s rising stars when Kentucky hired him. Remember, Arkansas also wanted him at the time before going with John Pelphrey.

As for his dealings with the media, he may actually be getting unfairly criticized there. He’s been remarkably consistent in how he works with the press. He’s often sarcastic, but that’s just his personality and it’s nothing personal with the media. The more I’ve been around him, the more I’ve learned that and I have no major issues with his availability or answers.

But this team has clearly regressed as the year has gone on. No, this is not a Final Four team. No, this is not a top 25 team. But 8-8 in a weak SEC after a 5-0 start? This team should be much better than that and Gillispie deserves his share of blame for the team’s collapse.

* Richard Arnold of Garrard County thinks Kentucky needs to cut ties with Gillispie now.

“A few years ago, I said get off (UK football coach Rich) Brooks’ back and he would build a decent football team. Three bowls in three years, not bad for Kentucky. Now I say, get rid of Billy G., hire Pelphrey.

“Billy is in way over his head. I don’t believe he understands how big Kentucky basketball is. Hire Pelphrey, give him a six-year contract, tell him you understand Kentucky basketball, recruit, coach and build Kentucky back up to a respectable program. The program is his for six years, no pressure on him, just let him do what needs to be done.”

A year ago, Pelphrey probably looked like a better hire than he would today considering he now has the SEC’s worst team at Arkansas. However, Pelphrey does understand Kentucky basketball, something that Gillispie may yet to have grasped.

Arnold’s frustration with Gillispie is one more and more fans are expressing. Can the coach survive? I don’t know.

* Jack Johnson describes himself as “a dedicated Big Blue fan since 1965,” and he has a suggestion for when the season ends.

“All I can say about Gillispie is this. I hope Mitch Barnhart has the foresight and intelligence to sit down with the Wildcat players after the season and talk to them and get their view of what is/has been wrong. Of course, he should give Billy Gillispie the same chance.

“But both these meetings should take place separately. If this is done, I’m sure we’ll have some insight then into what’s wrong with this program and what needs/will be done to fix it.”

Coaches normally don’t like athletic directors going to the players to evaluate the program. However, in this case Johnson is right. It has to be done.

Patterson’s mother, Tywanna, talked to Barnhart after UK’s disappointing loss to Georgia and she’s made it clear she’s not happy with how things have gone this year. And who can blame her?

It’s also important for Gillispie to explain what he thinks has gone wrong and how it can be fixed. Actually, it would be nice for the coach to explain that publicly.

* Terry Orcutt of Danville had no comment, just a question for me.

“How do you rate Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie’s performance? Should he return for next season? You asked us the same question a week ago and now us Kentucky fans want your opinion if you can?”

Opinions are easy to offer because we all have one.

Should he be back? Maybe, because two years is normally not enough time to fairly evaluate a coach. However, here’s the risk. If Gillispie is back, Patterson and Meeks may both try the NBA no matter what just to get away from the Wildcats.

It’s also likely at least two players will transfer. And it could be three.

That could leave UK with a roster headed by seniors Porter, Stevenson and Harris next year and other first-year players. That’s not exactly a roster to make Kentucky nationally competitive again.

Even though Barnhart gave Gillispie a strong vote of confidence two weeks ago, don’t be fooled. Gillispie’s return is far from a done deal.

Copyright:The Advocate-Messenger 2009