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Kentucky’s two lone seniors, Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford, had to have had some serious doubts about their senior season when Tubby Smith left to take the head coaching job in Minnesota, and a new coach was named on Good Friday, 2007 edition.
By all accounts, Ramel bought into the new coach’s philosophy immediately. Joe resisted, however, and despite the lack of dire scenarios surfacing to the media, it’s clear now post-season that Joe and new coach Billy Gillispie had not hit it off.
They didn’t even like each other.
Gillispie’s practices were brutal. Ramel and Joe sometimes had to convince each other to even show up. But they persevered, and Ramel predicted, prior to the start of conference play, that the dismal preconference season was over, and the Cats were starting a fresh slate. Fresh hope.
His words proved prophetic. In their conference opener, the Cats beat a 16-0 Vandy team. First suspicion of a possible turnaround to a season that had begun hideously. Joe was playing great defense and liking it! Snapshot: Joe and Coach Gilispie walk off the court, arms around the other’s shoulder.
Joe then took the team on his back. He had help from Patrick and Ramel, but he basically was the Prodigal Son who came back into the fold and finally believed in the coach. He led the younger members of the team into a full validation of the coach’s philosophy: play tough, hard, EVERY play. Joe is Kentucky’s Most Valuable Player.
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