This has not been the year we expected from the Florida basketball team and there are plenty of reasons (not excuses) for it.
But this isn’t about that. This is about how it can happen at a lot of places.
Gosh, we just recently saw Kentucky have its worst season in school history.
Some people are appalled when that happens to a blueblood. Of course, defining a blueblood is not that easy. Florida had a run at being a blue blood, but has only been to one career Final Four that didn’t include Billy Donovan.
So, no blueblood for you.
The point of all this is to point out in this week’s High Five, how some of the mighty have fallen. They aren’t necessarily bluebloods, but they will likely not be playing in the Big Dance.
1. Ohio State 11-17
The Buckeyes prompted this list because I was watching them lose Thursday night and saw their record. I hadn’t been paying that much attention. Remember when Florida and Ohio State were so good they were actually rivals in basketball?
2. Louisville 4-24
Um, didn’t you used to be Louisville? We’re talking about one of the great programs here and it has turned into a train wreck. Where’s Rick Pitino when you need him?
3. UNLV 16-11
I include the Runnin’ Rebels because they were once a blueblood, stayed on the fringes for a while and are now 5-10 in the Mountain West.
4. FSU 8-20
The Seminoles are certainly not bluebloods but Leonard Hamilton has been to the tournament eight times and won 14 games. Nobody saw this coming.
5. Oklahoma 13-15
Not a blueblood, but there has been a shade of blue around this program. And I thought they were going to be good early in the season. But the Sooners have been chewed up and spit out in the Big 12.