Calipari Team Facing Rare Top 5 Opponent on the Road (BTI's Rants and Ramblings)

John Calipari teams have played in some amazing regular season games over his tenure. But because of the scheduling philosophy that Cal has implemented, plus the mediocrity of SEC basketball historically during his tenure, there haven’t been many games like the one UK faces tomorrow.

This will be just the 5th true road game for Kentucky against a Top 5 opponent and the first since 2016. Kentucky is just 1-3 under Calipari in such games, the win being the Tyler Ulis bloody game in 2014-15.

2015-16: #4 Kansas 90, Kentucky 84 (ot)
2014-15: Kentucky 58, #4 Louisville 50
2013-14: #1 Florida 84, Kentucky 65
2012-13: #4 Louisville 80, Kentucky 77

Pre-Calipari Games Not Much Better

The Cats haven’t had much more luck in previous administrations either, winning just 2 of 7 games since the year 2000. Interestingly enough, those 2 wins were back to back years in Gainesville.

2008-09: #1 North Carolina 77, Kentucky 58
2007-08: #1 Tennessee 63, Kentucky 60
2006-07: #5 Florida 85, Kentucky 72
2002-03: Kentucky 69, #3 Florida 67
2001-02: Kentucky 70, #5 Florida 68
2000-01: #2 Michigan State 46, Kentucky 45
1999-00: #4 Auburn 66, Kentucky 63

So what does this all mean? Well, obviously it is difficult to beat one of the best teams in the country on their home floor, no matter who that opponent is. By no means is having a 3-8 record in this kind of game unusual. I would bet almost any program in the country has a similar or worse winning percentage in the same time frame as Calipari has had.

The thing that is interesting to me is the three teams who were able to accomplish a win. The 2015 squad was obviously an all-time great team. The 2003 team also went undefeated in league play. The ’02 team wasn’t one of the best at UK, reaching just the Sweet 16 as a 4-seed. But it had Prince and Bogans in their primes.

On the other hand, some UK teams, including Calipari teams, got trashed in their opportunities. I would be shocked if that happens tomorrow in Auburn. But the Cats will need to play significantly better than they did against Texas A&M or a sizable defeat could be at hand. I think this squad has shown a top ability to step up to whatever challenges they face so I think they have the rare ability to win a game such as this.

If they are able to accomplish a win tomorrow, they would put themselves in rare company in recent UK history and potentially stamp themselves as one of the best teams of the Calipari era.