This is why us WILDCAT fans believe the Big Blue will rise again. 

Billy Gillispie Named SEC Coach of the Year. Patrick Patterson named Freshman of the Year; Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford All-SEC

UK head coach Gillispie was named the SEC Co-Coach of the Year, along with Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl, by league coaches. He was also given the honor by Rivals.com.

The Gillispie-led Wildcats overcame numerous injuries to tie for the SEC’s second-best league record (12-4) and second-place in the SEC East.

It is fifth-straight year Gillispie has been named his league’s conference coach of the year. In 2004, he was the WAC Coach of the Year honor at UTEP. He then won similar recognition by either coaches or a media outlet for each of the three seasons he was at Texas A&M.

It is the 15th time that a Kentucky coach received the league’s coach of the year honor as voted on by SEC coaches.

Patterson, along with Florida’s Nick Calathes, was named the SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Year by league coaches, despite missing the final three conference games with a stress fracture in his left foot. He was also given the honor outright by Rivals.com.

Patterson finished the regular season as one of two freshmen to rank in the SEC’s top 10 in both scoring (8th) and rebounding (7th), and is one of two players in the league’s top 10 in points, rebounds, field goal percentage (5th) and free throw percentage (9th).

It marks the first time that a Wildcat has been named the league’s freshman of the year.

Bradley, Crawford and Patterson were all named All-SEC by league coaches.

Bradley was a first team All-SEC selection, while Crawford and Patterson were both second team selections.

Patterson was also voted to the SEC All-Freshman team, while Bradley was named to the SEC All-Defensive team.