Back on Top...

As expected, Kentucky moved up to the top spot in both major polls today, which leads me to a very simple question... What does a return to the number one ranking actually mean for Big Blue Nation? Well, some will say it doesn't mean very much; but sorry, I just don't believe that... not in Kentucky, where basketball isn't just everything, it's the only thing (Sorry Joker).

No, in Kentucky, it means a whole lot more than it does anywhere else. That's especially true right now, because for the past several seasons, UK hasn't been relevant in college basketball at all. Matter of fact, it was just last year that Kentucky finished a mediocre 8-8 in the SEC, missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years, and then took an early exit from the NIT. I can remember watching the final seconds tick off the clock in Kentucky's season ending loss to Notre Dame, wondering what the future held... would Clyde return, if not would the next coach fare any better, is Kentucky basketball as we knew it gone forever?

For most of us, something we enjoyed and cherished was being trashed and forsaken, and it was horrible to watch. Thankfully, Mitch pulled the trigger and sent Clyde packing, and then hired the best possible choice for the job, John Calipari. What Cal has done is simply remarkable. He has pulled Kentucky out of the mediocrity it was mired in and has resurrected it back to not only respectable status, but downright domination. Saturday's dismantling of Arkansas was a throw back to when Kentucky did this almost every game to every opponent, no matter when or where the contest was being played. It was also a glimpse of what is to come for Kentucky fans.

And now today, to see Kentucky with that "1" beside our team's name only solidifies what Big Blue Nation has felt all season long...

It feels really good being back on top.