Quick thoughts on Coach Gillispie and a chance to chat with Jodie Meeks

I’ve linked to UK Athletics Cat Scratches blog a few times since it got up and running last month, and I’m doing so again because Cat Scratches is making star Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks available to the masses in a live chat tomorrow (Friday) at 1 pm:

On Friday, fans will even be able to talk to the man himself. Starting at 1 p.m., Meeks has agreed to sit down with Cat Scratches for a live chat with UK fans. For about 30-45 minutes Friday, Meeks will answer questions and comments from you all.

I’m sure UK will be policing the questions pretty closely, but it will still be very interesting to gain some insight into Jodie’s mood and the team’s state of mind after yesterday’s shellacking.

I’ll be honest, I’m still reeling a little bit after last night. One thing I’ve learned as a UK fan is to NOT go to message boards to try to gain perspective and calm down after a loss like that. I realize that this SEC season has been very trying, and I cannot justify four losses in which the ‘Cats got straight up spanked (@Ole Miss, Mississippi State, @Vandy, South Carolina) or Coach Gillispie’s inconsistent decision making and seeming inflexiblity.

What I can do is remind you that Billy Gillispie was Co-SEC Coach of the Year last year and that we have some SERIOUS impact players coming in next year. I still believe Coach Gillispie is building (or at least trying to) a culture around UK Basketball that will sustain excellence. You cannot chalk all of his questionable decisions up to that, but the guy deserves time.

Gillispie’s biggest mistake in his tenure so far has been his decision to pin his hopes for this season on Michael Porter and DeAndre Liggins at point guard. They just aren’t capable right now.  I don’t think you can underestimate the harm done by Derrick Jasper’s transfer.  His presence would have addressed a lot of problems this team has (not only ball handling, but also DJ’s defensive rebounding would have been huge).  I don’t know all of the circumstances surrounding his departure, but I have to believe that Billy Gillispie did play a role in one way or another.

Missing the NCAA Tournament would be a very tough pill to swallow, but I’m confident that our administration has the fortitude to stick with Gillispie IFF (for you guys who aren’t as big of nerds as I am, that means “if and only if” in math, it’s not a mispelling) they believe he’s the guy. They proved that with the way they handled Rich Brooks (and that can’t be praised enough). With that said, an SEC season like this one will give them pause and make them seriously evaluate Gillispie, but I’m convinced they still believe he is the guy.

Make no mistake, Gillispie has a lot of growing to do as a coach and as THE coach of UK if he is going to live up to the expectations levied on him by the tradition and fans of the University he became a part of nearly 2 years ago. 

First, a coach who has lost 22 games in two seasons is not afforded the luxury of stubborness. If Gillispie cannot learn that there is more than one way to win a basketball game, he’s never going to be a great coach at UK.

Second, he has got to improve his public image. A big part of how a coach makes his reputation is the way he deals with the media. People who poo poo the idea that his negative dealings with the media are important are flat out wrong. Its one thing to be a little smug with press members when you’re winning games, but when you’re losing games, you can’t just make fun of a question for being a bad one if you don’t want to answer it.

I didn’t mean for this to turn into my manifesto on Billy Clyde Gillispie, but I guess it has, so in that case, here’s my thesis. I’m no Gillispie apologist, because he certainly deserves a large share of the blame for these losses, but the man is trying to build something, and I still am behind him.