Update: Here’s my column from this event.
Just left the Kentucky International Convention Center where Billy Gillispie spoke before 1,200 people at The UK Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon, sponsored by the University of Kentucky Alumni Association Greater Louisville Club.
No breaking news, but here are five notables from the luncheon:
- 1. Gillispie became choked up when talking about the late Bill Keightley. After re-gaining his composure, Gillispie quipped, “That’s a good way to get started, isn’t it?”
- 2. UK president Lee Todd remarked “I see a lot more smiles than two years ago when there was quite a bit of pain here.”
- 3. After five days of seeing a “healthy Jodie Meeks,” Gillispie said he can see what UK fans had been talking about.
- 4. Gillispie described transfer Josh Harrellson as “a guy who’s going to surprise a ton of people.”
- 5. Gillispie said that Jared Carter got more defensive rebounds in Tuesday’s practice than he had gotten the previous year combined.
Any updates on his contract status?
Billy has got to be careful. He does not realize what it would take for us overzealous UK fans to be “suprised”. He really is pumping up my expectations for this team. A month ago I was think that a sweetsixteen/elite eight team would be a step in the right direction. Now, I am thinking this team could be something special by UK standards. I keep telling myself this is wrong but everytime I talk myself back down he says stuff like this. I hope somebody has warned him about the time Tubby declared a team “most talented” only to see it thrown back in his face when it underachieved, in our view. Not that Billy has went that far but it is better to tell us to wait and see. Otherwise he is wetting the appetite of blood thirsty dogs.
No updates on contract other than both sides claim to be working on it. Gillispie said back in the summer he expected a signed contract in short order, but that hasn’t happened. He has a prior history of not signing contracts, so we’ll see.