I can rest easier in Lexington today after the Vols held on to defeat the Cats Sunday in TBA. As always a win is a win, and like most of you I feel incredibly honored to watch this basketball team continue to make history. The fact that I now expect a win when the Wildcats visit Knoxville speaks volumes about how far our program has come. As the Volnation gears up for a likely number 1 seed in the tournament and the cats hold on for dear life to tournament hopes, I cannot help but look at the parallels between the UK basketball team and the UT football team.
In the past, I have made several references to the similarities between the two programs. Both have a proud history (though on a national scale UK basketball is indisputably more relevant) and recently both have had winning unprecedented championship droughts. For those that are interested here is a closer look at the common ground that the programs have shared over the last 10 years.
Championship appearances:
Beginning with the most obvious comparison, both teams won national championships in 1998. In dramatic fashion, both Tubby Smith and Phil Fulmer won it all in 1998. Though arguments could be made that neither of those teams were the most talented teams for that particular year, they were scrappy and full of fight. In the end they had the ingredients of champions.
Since then neither team has lived up to the expectations of their respective fan base. The Cats have not made a final four appearance in the last ten years, and the Vols football team has a goose egg in the SEC championship column.
Recruiting disadvantages:
Some of Fulmer’s biggest supporters often point to the natural recruiting disadvantages that Phil faces on the hill. This year, as many have pointed out, Saban, Richt, and Meyer have all taken advantage of talent rich states that are home to their universities. It is no secret that UT is not a Mecca for high school football.
It may come as a surprise to UT fans that Kentucky shares that same disadvantage in high school basketball. There are only a handful of great prospects from the state of Kentucky every few years, and it is often very difficult to evaluate the talent because the competition is simply not that good.
Procuring talent was Tubby’s most glaring weakness, and with the competition by the aforementioned football coaches in the SEC, it is becoming more of an issue than ever for Phil Fulmer.
Spoiled in the 1990’s:
Both of these programs were packed with talented players in the latter part of the last decade. Tennessee sent scores of players to the NFL, and UK’s 1996 basketball team was as loaded as any basketball team of that decade.
As the rest of the SEC began to realize their revenue potential, they hired coaches to capitalize on the natural recruiting disadvantages of both schools. No one likes to hear this, but in such a model complacency is a killer. More to the point, regardless of where you coach, recruiting is now a year-around business. If you snooze, you lose.
Tubby’s refusal to tap the AAU coaches hindered his ability to land players suitable for the Wildcat nation. The result is the product that UT fans saw Sunday. Sure, Crawford and Bradley are decent college basketball players, but I have news for you. They would have been “mop ups†on UK’s 1996 team.
Following that logic, I am struggling to find a starter on last year’s UT football team that may have seen the field in 1998.
Calling Phil and Tubby “lazy†draws the ire of fans on both sides of the aisle. At times, I am at a loss to find any further explanation of their programs struggles. After their championships, both seemed happy to rest on their laurels.
The Fans:
The fans really aren’t that different in either place. Both expect championships, and both have a portion (at least 30%) of fans that EXPECT to be nationally relevant all the time. For those 30% the recent struggles of their respective programs have led them to an apathetic place.
The UK and UT fans are also typically pretty patient with coaches. Historically, neither program has been a revolving door for coaches. That can be a good or a bad thing depending on the person you ask and day you ask it. If he had not resigned, Tubby would still be on the sidelines at UK.
By in large, each fan base also deeply understands their respective sport. Because of that, they know a good product when they see it. That is where our paths diverge.
UK fans are gearing up for another championship run in the near future. Their recruiting is improving and the product will soon follow. They know, regardless of what national perception is right now, that Billy Clyde is going to have them competing in the near future.
Coming off a poor recruiting effort and all of the expulsions, suspensions and arrests most UT fans aren’t quite as hopeful. That doesn’t mean UT fans shouldn’t have any hope at all. The coming season could be another coming out party for the rest of the ballyhooed 2007 recruiting class and a showcase for a new offensive staff with something to prove. That would restore a little hope. Go Vols!