What an emotional moment if you bleed purple and gold

What an emotional moment it was if you bleed purple and gold when Jodie Meeks last second three pointer didn't even draw iron. Cast the memory back to the spring of 1999 when the Tigers were completing their sixth straight losing season with draconian NCAA sanctions looming. It would have been very difficult to envision the coming decade would bring more SEC titles than any other decade in the program's history. Getting the program back to a competitive level seemed a monumental task in itself.

That this program would ascend to a level of participating in a Final Four and Sweet 16 was incomprehensible. Winning three SEC titles in the decade, only one less than Kentucky is testament to what can be achieved.

It is fitting the decade had bookend titles which is a tribute to all of the players who had the faith to join a program which had struggled after so many years of success under Dale Brown.

The titles are also a tribute to John Brady, the architecht of the three title teams who along with Butch Pierre recruited all except one of the players on those title teams. It is also a tribute to Trent Johnson who put the final nails in the structure and got a veteran team to buy into a new system and shake off the frustrations of the past two injury plagued seasons after reaching the Final For.

The vision in the spring of 2009 is a lot bettter than it was in the spring of 1999. While we all want a consistent winner and championship contender that may not happen unless great players stick around for three or for years. The foundation has been laid and if the right things occur Trent Johnson has a chance to coach the most succesful decade ever. Support him and the Tigers no matter what happens and we may have many more emotional moments including raising that long sought national championship banner to the rafters of the PMAC.