They put up with it but do they like it? I'll bet there's a mix of negative and positive opinions. I don't like it and I dismiss UK as a college team. They're not designed to be one and they're not one. What I think doesn't matter but I don't recognize them regardless of what they win.
Yeah, there is some ambivalence about the super highway to the NBA, even among UK fans and ex-players.
http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article44037912.html
Five of his players being selected in the first round of last week's NBA Draft moved Kentucky Coach
John Calipari to make an all-encompassing statement. "I'd like to say it is the biggest day in the history of Kentucky's program," he told ESPN's
Heather Coxduring the network's telecast of the draft. "... the biggest day for the University of Kentucky."
Calipari's statement led to another sweeping comment.
"The dumbest thing I've ever heard," said
Dan Issel, UK basketball's career scoring leader.
After all, Kentucky has won seven national championships, amassed more victories than any other program and participated in some of the greatest games (think
Christian Laettner) and some of the most significant games (think Texas Western).
When radio host
Dan Patrick asked Calipari on Friday whether the draft surpassed national championships on a biggest-day scale, Calipari hedged. "It depends on your reference," the UK coach said before acknowledging that his draft-night comment might upset "the old guard" (aka the players, coaches and fans who made Kentucky basketball what it is).
Issel did not sound upset. He sounded amused.
"If the goal is to be a feeder team for the NBA, maybe that was the greatest day," Issel said. "I thought the goal was to win a national championship."
In talking to five former Wildcats and ex-coach
Joe B. Hall, not one agreed with Calipari that this year's NBA Draft deserved a biggest-day proclamation.
"For sure the championship is what everybody looks forward to," All-American
Cotton Nash said.
"The greatest day is whenever a program wins a national championship," said
Kyle Macy, who led UK to one in 1978.
"There's no question about that," All-American
Kevin Grevey said. "(The draft) was special, but it doesn't top a championship."
**note, this article goes back to 2010, so maybe the Big Blue faithful have adjusted to this new way of Wildcat basketball.