By LARRY VAUGHT
John Calipari has faced a lot of challenges at Kentucky but after going 9-16 during the 2020-21 season and then losing to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s last week to end this season he has a major challenge awaiting him.
Can he win back the Kentucky fan base?
No, the fan base is not abandoning Kentucky basketball. However, many UK fans are either questioning the coach or have at least lost some faith in him.
Calipari might already have been sensing that not long after the NCAA Tournament upset loss when when he posted this message to BBN on Twitter:
“I feel for our team, our fans and our staff. This team deserved something good to happen because of how they worked and what great teammates they became. Our fans deserved it too. We were all ready for this year. This team didn’t disappoint and I remain proud and fond of each of these players,” Calipari posted.
“Please steer your disappointment and anger toward me. These kids did this for all of the BBN and I wish I could have dragged them over the finish line. My focus is on these kids and recruiting so we continue being a program that has a chance to do something special EVERY YEAR. The culture we’ve built in this program expects that and demands it.”
Problem is Kentucky is having a hard time doing those special things recently.
Kentucky became just the 10th No. 2 seed out of 145 in NCAA play to lose to a 15 seed and it was the first time since 1986 — and only third time ever — that UK lost to a double-digit seed in NCAA play. Saint Peter’s was an 18.5-point underdog making it the fourth-largest betting upset since the NCAA expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
It’s a huge turnaround for how Calipari’s NCAA run started when he came to UK in 2009. HIs first years at UK the Cats won a national title, reached the Final Four four teams and had a 22-4 NCAA tourney record. Since the 2015 Final Four loss to Wisconsin, UK is 9-5 in NCAA play and has not made it past the Elite Eight.
That means no NCAA Tournament wins since 2019, no SEC Tournament championships since 2018 and no Final Fours since 2015 for the program Calipari calls the “gold standard” for college basketball. But what frustrated UK fans so much is that UK beat North Carolina by 29 points, Tennessee by 28 and Kansas by 18 — on the road. North Carolina and Kansas both are in the Sweet 16.
After freshman TyTy Washington injured his leg against Florida on Feb. 12, Kentucky went 5-4, including 0-3 against ranked teams, and was never the same team.
This was a beloved Kentucky team due in large part to Oscar Tshiebwe, the likely consensus national player of the year. After many fans felt disengaged with players during the 9-16 season a year ago, the BBN embraced the Cats and the fanbase could sense a potential national championship run.
After Kentucky lost to Saint Peter’s there was a huge reaction from Kentucky fans on social media, including my website where comments exceeded anything during the season. The majority of the comments showed the lack of faith fans have in Calipari and his system and it was more of the same on Sunday Morning Sports on WLAP-AM in Lexington.
— Douglas Smith: “Our program is in worse shape now than before he came on board. Just a simple fact. With the talent we’ve had, underachiever is correct.”
— Kim Curtsinger: “I have been off the Cal bandwagon for a few years. Finally people are joining me. If Cal can’t adapt to the changes needed, then he needs to go. And all the maniac yelling, and jerking guys out the second they make a mistake only hurts the team. I don’t see why anyone would want to play for him.”
— Jon Hart: “It’s all about getting his players ready for the NBA and not the present. Maybe Cal needs to humble himself this summer and brainstorm with his assistants to right the ship again. He hired them for a reason, so listen to them.”
— Dave Turpin: “Always thinking he is the smartest guy in the room. When he loses, it’s the players fault. If he had an ounce of integrity he would resign.”
Others staunchly defend Calipari. They say it is not his fault players made mistakes or missed shots.
Still others might have the most realistic approach.
“Coach Calipari is the right guy for UK. Not the popular opinion right now but I believe it. He has to learn from errors, bend a little on his offensive scheme and focus on defense,” UK fan Dana Skaggs said.
Calipari did try to change some of his thinking after the 9-16 finish in 2020-21. He went with experience through the transfer portal and had the oldest team he’s had at UK. He added shooters Kellan Grady and C.J. Fredrick through the transfer portal but Fredrick never played due to an injury. He found a true post presence with Oscar Tshiebwe, another transfer. He got an experienced point guard in Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. He changed his coaching staff and brought in former UK assistant Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman.
However, his basic offensive and defensive philosophies have not changed. He won’t play zone defense. He won’t call timeout at the end of a game. He will control the pace in the second half if his team has the lead.
Off the court, Calipari does a lot. His team helped with a telethon to raise money for western Kentucky tornado victims. He was at the SEC Tournament title game when the UK women won. He visited Dick Vitale before his team played in the SEC tourney knowing he was recovering from cancer surgery.
Calipari genuinely enjoyed coaching this team. That was obvious during the season and also after the final loss when he was perhaps the most remorseful he’s been since the 2015 Final Four loss to Wisconsin when UK was 38-0.
“This was probably something they never felt in their lives. And that’s why I wish I had some answers with three minutes to go to help them through it to get by the first one,” Calipari said after the loss. “Obviously I didn’t do a very good job with it.”
Calipari is not going to be fired — he has a lifetime contract — and I can’t see him walking away. However, once next season gets here, he’s got to find a way to reconnect with the fan base and next March he has to find a way to win games.
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