Coach John Calipari’s summary of the Kentucky Wildcats’ sixth straight loss (a 62-59 loss to Louisville on Saturday) was simple and to the point: “Lose stink.”
“Let me say this again, losing stink,” Calipari said. “We had our chances and we had some breakdowns.”
Kentucky fell to 1-6 for the third time in program history, coinciding with the Wildcats in 1911 and 1926, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Wildcats had their chances at the end of the match, but were left without a field goal for the final 3:22. Devin Askew missed a 3-point mark that would have given Kentucky the lead with 23 seconds left, and Olivier Sarr’s jumper with eight seconds left hit all parts of the edge before falling. Brandon Boston Jr. a tiebreaker failed in the final seconds.
Typical Kentucky offensive performers battled Saturday, with Sarr and Terrence Clarke combined to lose all eight attempts on the field. Clarke was suffering an ankle injury (he didn’t start, and Calipari said he only had 80% health), while Sarr hasn’t scored a field goal in the last two games since scoring 22 points against Notre Dame .
“We went into the game,‘ As many times as we can throw the ball to him, we’ll do it, ’” Calipari said. “That was our game plan. They did a good job fighting, directing and doing some things. And he missed a few shots. When you start missing shots, start playing with your confidence. It’s not like we don’t go to him, We are. “
Saturday’s loss gave Kentucky its first six-loss streak since the 1988-89 season, while this is also the first 1-6 start for any SEC team since Miss Ole in 1989-90. , according to Elias.
Perhaps most troubling is the fact that no team that has started a season with a 1-6 mark has ever received a general offer in the NCAA tournament.
“I don’t think it’s over,” Calipari said. “We haven’t played any league games yet. We’re going to do what we do. I’m not changing, I’m not cracking.”
The SEC opening scheduled for Kentucky against South Carolina on Tuesday was postponed due to COVID-19 issues, so the Wildcats will not play again until a trip to the state of Mississippi next Saturday.
“Suddenly, they punch you in the mouth and you start tasting blood, how do you react?” Calipari said.
“How do we limit some of the breakdowns? … Where is the leadership right now where we had chances? We’ve had our chances and dropped them all.”
Kentucky entered the season with only one player who saw the court last season for the Wildcats, second striker Keion Brooks, who has yet to play this season due to injury. After an opening win of the season against Morehead State, Kentucky has lost to Richmond, Kansas and four consecutive opponents.
Calipari questioned his decision to schedule such a difficult start for a young and inexperienced team after an abbreviated preseason.
“We need more time for all the things we form here all the time,” Calipari said. “We build teams in the summer. We build teams in the fall. We’re gaining time. Not where we need to be, but recovering time.
“You have to play games to gain confidence. … That was the dumbest schedule I’ve ever prepared. I’d like to give it a try.”