[Hoot Gibson]

If Kentucky gets a bid now, there are going to be thousands of angry fans of teams across the country who deserved a bid but were denied. If an NIT bid comes its way, UK should be thankful and graciously accept it. Calipari needs to explain to all of the potential NBA draftees that none of them are ready to move up to play the men yet.

The truth is, if Cal tells these guys that there is no room on next season's roster, then recruiting will suffer down the road. I still remember how Eddie Sutton and UK through Eric Manuel under the bus and how shabbily Rick Pitino treated Roderick Rhodes when he decided that he was not ready for the NBA. Rhodes played as hard as any UK player ever has but he choked late in several games and cost UK some wins, so bye-bye Rhodes. You can bet that the folks in Macon, GA, and Jersey City have not forgotten how those guys were cast aside after being given what were expected four-year rides.

Anybody who thinks that UK should wipe the roster clean and just forget this season is not thinking clearly. What I remember is that Michigan's Fab Five never even won a Big Ten title during their days in Ann Arbor. Maybe UK can win a title with the incoming recruits, but ask yourself this, "If you were the son of one of the top high school players in the country, would you want them to accept a UK scholarship knowing that if he struggled as a freshman, he would have the option of rolling the dice on the draft and finding a new school after one season?"

Young players at all levels tend to get too comfortable after big wins and too down after big losses That is why teams who rely on them often struggle on the road. This UK team has no depth and very little experience. The players who return next season will face competition for playing time in every practice and every game because of the influx of new talent - and that will help next season's freshmen as much as it will help this season's under performers.