Vicky Graff Photo
This was perhaps the only way this Kentucky basketball season could end.
A year filled with so many improbable things and mixed with unknown lows and u unexpected highs came to a close with a 75-69 loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament East Region second round.
For a team that started the season ranked in the top five and expected to be a national title contender. It was UK’s 12th loss of the season and another early postseason exit.
Kentucky lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament last week. It did beat Providence in the NCAA tourney opener but Sunday’s loss means the Cats have not been to the second weekend of NCAA play since 2019 and not to a Final Four since 2015.
Kentucky didn’t even qualify for the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and then was stunned by St. Peter’s in the first round last year.
There needs to be soul-searching from Kentucky coach John Calipari about the direction of his program and what needs to be done. Kentucky not only no longer is the gold standard in college basketball, it’s not the gold standard in SEC basketball.
Maybe that’s just the trend for blue bloods. Or maybe there are no more blue bloods with the transfer portal and NIL money changing the college athletics landscape so dramatically.
But something just is not right. Kentucky returned the national player of the year in Oscar Tshiebwe, who had 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field and 9-for-11 at the foul line along with 18 rebounds (nine offensive) against Kansas State. He had 25 rebounds against Providence. He’s a generational player who won one postseason game in two years at UK.
The team returned Sahvir Wheeler, the SEC assists leader the past two years, and Jacob Toppin, a player Calipari said could be a NBA first-round draft pick. It added a scorer in Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves and two top 15 freshmen in Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston.
However, the Cats never really clicked in non-conference play in big games and lost to South Carolina and Georgia, two of the SEC’s worst teams, in conference play. But Kentucky also swept Tennessee, went to Arkansas and won, and had Auburn down 40 points in Rupp Arena.
Injuries hurt the team. Wheeler was out from Feb. 4 with an ankle injury, tailbone surgery or who knows what else after he lost his starting job. Tshiebwe had preseason knee surgery just before the season started and no one ever explained why it didn’t have it earlier in the summer. CJ Fredrick had a variety of injuries and tried to play with broken ribs. Wallace had ankle and back issues.
But against Kansas State the Cats had ample chances to advance. They had a 13-0 run to open the second half. They outrebounded Kansas State 44-25.
Problem was Reeves had his worst game at the worst time. He missed his first 14 shots, including nine from 3-point range, before hitting a meaningless 3 in the final minute. The Cats turned the ball over 16 times, including 11 in the first half when they had a chance to create separation. Toppin went 1-for-7 from the field and had just four rebounds before fouling out.
It was the sixth straight NCAA Tournament game where UK scored 71 or fewer points — the first time that has happened since 1980-83.
On the other side, Kansas State did not make a 3-pointer in the first half but buried two key treys late in the game to take control of the game. And point guard Marquis Nowell, a Tyler Ulis-type player, had 27 points and nine assists. He went 10-for-11 at the foul line and had three 3-pointers in the second half.
It was just a disappointing end to a frustrating season for UK players, coaches and especially UK fans.
13 Responses
Great article Larry. Pretty much sums it up for many of us out here. 1. This season, KY has not played well against teams with aggressive and fast defenses. 2. Unless you have at least two players who can consistently hit from downtown and can get them open, you are not going to win big games anymore. As you stated , NIL and the portal has changed college athletics for the foreseeable future. 3. Lastly, you are never going to win big games with 16 turnovers.
I know before long that professor, Brian Pritchett and 1998 champs will be on here only because the cats loss. I have been on Cal myself at times today wasn’t on him or at times this season. This team or the last 2 years hasn’t been up the caliper of a teams that we had back in 2019 or before hand. Do I think Cal needs to go at times I do and at times no. But I will say this if Cal doesn’t deliver next year with the class and maybe some the present players come back . I really do think that team can be special.
That will be our new school motto…wait till next year. We have been waiting ever since Calipari threw the game in the loss to Wisconsin because he didn’t want to take Andrew Harrison’s heart. He has had plenty of chances to get things right since then and has not. Only losers say wait till next year; winners celebrate the year’s accomplishments by winning and then start the process all over again the next season. We are no longer a national contender…we can’t even win the SEC anymore. Enough is enough and my name is BARRY not BRIAN!
Man I thought they all played really hard..but the bottom line is you have to sink shots. UK obviously struggled with shots from outside the paint. I wish them all good luck.
Every team in America must contend with the transfer portal, NIL, and building a team designed to win. The problem with UK is not the transfer portal or the NIL. The problem is Calipari’s players’ first priority that places program success too far down the list of priorities. He builds his teams to expand his list of NBA children he has touched on their way from high school to the riches the NBA offers. Nothing else matters to this man.
Other coaches build their teams to be competitive at this level, and these other coaches do so successfully and put teams on the floor that play at a high level. UK no longer is in that group. It has been slipping out of that status for too many years, and Calipari will continue to allow this program to slip into mediocrity so long as he remains in that position.
The new standard is getting into the tournament, and tournament worthiness is satisfied now with a first round win. Then, we can all take a collective sigh of relief on cue from Calipari himself.
Didn’t you feel the breeze on Friday night about 9:30?
SAD.. "we havent had all players healthy and our subs don’t have experience to play" qoute Cal.
Why don’t we have experienced bench. we have 12 scholarships but only play 7. too many minutes and by end of game they are bushed . and ake mistakes
Why? did you not develop Collins . who can score. block Reebie but less than 20 minutes total all season.
Why? did you not develop the block master 7 footer Owensyo. these two should have been standouts all seeason, and Owensyo played a total of 4 minutes all season. Why? this is inexcusable.
Talk about how good incoming class is,OMG, AFTER them seeing how they will never get to play look for a few decommits.. if this happens. Adios entire coaching staff.
Cal said this week. the year of the multiple platoon A n B squads hurt KY, BS they won more games than any Cat team. you have 12 scholarships play and develop all of them into a team. not like you never played Sharpe because you didint want to get him hurt and mess up his NBA career.
here’s the deal
YOU PLAY FOR THE NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE JERSEY NOT THE BACK
PERIOD
From an outside perspective, as a fan I would have liked to have seen onyenso more. But what do I know. I am not at practice.
I thought based on what he did early that we would say Onyenso more
Can’t have that much talent on a team and do so poorly. Wheeler was an above average PG but was never coached to be better. Wallace ended up being PG but wasn’t coached to to fully embrace the role. You could see it Sunday where he was trying to do too much (but was what kept us in the game). Toppin came into his own through sheer will.
Oscar’s injury hurt us at the beginning of the season. Wheeler’s had an impact but not as great as you might think. CJ never was the shooter he was supposed to be (even before his injury)
Calipari (maybe always) has recruited excellent talent and let them figure it out. The times the team has been in Final Four there was always a Junior or Senior leader. I thought that would happen this year but thinking back that leader has always been a PG not a PF.
Not Calipari’s fault that Reeves had a bad day shooting. If he had they’d have moved to the next round. Unfortunately they would have made Final Four if they had for better or worse.
I feel sorry for this group coming in next year. It’s a huge group of talent that isn’t going to be coached into being much of anything except raw potential for the NBA.
Cal is an excellent recruiter. His stubborn attitude to only play Man defense hurts the team. You have to mix things up and give different looks. Zones man traps so opponents can’t beat you the same way every trip down the floor. Rupp was no slouch using the 1-3-1 and Pitino was great with Zones and traps and man D. Cal is way to predictable. He said he wants Ky bball to be like Al football. We’ll look how coach Saben has evolved and not stayed the same Cal needs to really evaluate his coaching philosophy if he wishes to remain with the Cats. Your article is on spot Larry. Coach H
Does seem at times that Cal just won’t try anything new Don
Calipari’s philosophy is his downfall. He is a "player’s first " coach. Which means he has lost the motivation to puts wins first.
It was first demonstrated in the Wisconsin loss. Rather than hurt a player’s feeling he would rather take the loss.
Each season since he has placed emphasis on team performance rather than individual performance. That attitude will restrict the best player from performing his best because he wants others players to feel included. Calipari is a good 20 win season coach. He is not a consistent championship coach.
Winning 20 games when you play 30 or more doesn’t cut it at Kentucky. It’s time for Calipari to go!