Kentucky Basketball

When his teams struggled, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson was fond of saying, "Not all sickness is death." The basketball problems that lead to losses can be solved, and teams can revive themselves like a phoenix (not the Suns, but the mythological bird that arises from its own ashes to live again).

Before the tournament began, UCLA Coach Ben Howland noted how humbling the event would be. Not could be, but would be.

"All of us realize how difficult it is to play three really good games in three successive days against teams you don't really know that much about," he said. "Two very good teams are going to leave here 1-2."

Kentucky became one of those teams with losses Tuesday and Wednesday to No. 5 UCLA and No. 12 Memphis, respectively.

To make his point, Howland noted the two teams that went 1-2 in Maui last year. Kansas went on to tie for the Big 12 championship. Arizona finished tied for fourth in the Pac-10. Each made the NCAA Tournament with Kansas tabbed a dark horse to win the national championship.

More history to consider: Since the Maui Invitational expanded to eight teams in 1986, 38 teams have lost two of three games (we don't count non-Division I Chaminade). Of those teams, 17 received NCAA Tournament bids the next spring. One, Kansas in 1987-88, won the national championship.

"I never came here and had a bad season," said Rick Majerus, who had two Utah teams lose twice in the Maui Invitational. Each received an NCAA Tournament bid.

"I wouldn't let that deter me," Majerus said of UK's losses. "There's so much basketball to be played."

Rather than panic, Majerus prescribed getting the ball to Randolph Morris more and religiously following Coach Tubby Smith's instructions on playing defense.

After the loss to Memphis, Smith spoke of getting back to practice.

"You maintain perspective," Bilas said. "You attack the problem and you're very honest with your players. 'Look, we're not doing this well and we're going to do this well.' Getting them to realize this is not a sort of want-to. This is a have-to. 'You're going to do it or I'll find someone else who will.'"