Billy Gillispie Awaits Fate After Kentucky NIT Loss

Billy Gillispie was supposed to take the Kentucky Wildcats back to college basketball prominence. After leading Texas A&M, of all schools, to several NCAA Tournament berths, Billy Gillispie was dubbed the newfound savior of Kentucky before even coaching a game. Indeed, Billy Gillispie got the Wildcats in the Elite 8 in March. Problem is, the Elite 8 the Wildcats were in is the NIT Elite 8. While the Sweet 16 gets under way tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats are out of the NIT after losing at Notre Dame. For this, Billy Gillispie's head is in danger of being put on a pike.

Billy Gillispie finished his second year as Kentucky Wildcats' coach with the Wildcats loss at Notre Dame last night, 77-67. The Irish move on to the NIT Final Four at New York, while the Billy Gillispie hot seat officially gets turned up.

The Kentucky Wildcat faithful already ran Tubby Smith out of town for far less. Smith took the Wildcats to two national championships, but the Wildcats were no longer a basketball powerhouse by the end. But at the very least, Kentucky kept going back to the NCAA Tournament.

Since Billy Gillispie took over, the Wildcats have lost to terms like Gardner Webb and VMI at Rupp Arena, and fallen completely off the college basketball map. Kentucky lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season, and missed it altogether this year.

No Kentucky team missed the NCAA Tournament when not on probation for over 20 years, but Gillispie made that history this year. Despite an ultra-weak SEC, and despite having one of the country's leading scorers in Jodi Meeks, the Wildcats never got close to the bubble.

Kentucky started trying to go out with a bang by beating UNLV, and then Creighton on the road, to start the NIT. But a loss last night to Notre Dame, in a game that wasn't all that close, may be the final straw for the faithful.

Gillispie has a lot of years left in his contract and will probably have to stay as a result. But Kentucky fans have already lost patience with Gillispie, after two years of the Wildcats only getting worse. But Gillispie may only be a scapegoat for the fact that the Kentucky Wildcats aren't a prominent name in college basketball anymore.

The Kentucky struggles started well before Gillispie took over, and have unfortunately bottomed out on his watch. More will be needed to turn the Wildcats back into a national power than Gillispie's firing, even if fans do get that wish.

For now, there will be no word on Gillispie's fate before Friday, according to the administration. While Kentucky deals with that, the NCAA Tournament goes on without them tonight, while the NIT moves on next week with Notre Dame, Baylor, Penn State and San Diego State.

Sources

Baltimore Sun- "N. Dame holds off Ky. in NIT" www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horseracing/bal-sp.ncaanotes26mar26,0,3120835.story

Lex18.com- "Report: No Announcement On Gillispie's Future Before Friday" www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp