National media weighs in on what's wrong with Kentucky
The college basketball world is talking about Kentucky today, and not for a good reason. Last night’s 71-68 loss to South Carolina brought more national attention to the Cats’ struggles, which were punctuated by the “Please go to Texas” sign behind the Kentucky bench. Pundits from across the interwebs are weighing in with their thoughts on the Wildcats. Here’s a roundup.
Mike DeCourcy
Over at The Sporting News, Mike DeCourcy shared his five midseason storylines, one of them being that Oscar Tshiebwe no longer looks like the National Player of the Year.
Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe rampaged through the 2021-22 season seeming almost to grab rebounds in games where he wasn’t playing. He averaged 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds, the first player in four decades to top 15 a game in the latter category.
His return to Kentucky was celebrated across the Bluegrass State, but Tshiebwe has not seemed like the same player as the season has advanced. He experienced a preseason knee problem that required a procedure in the second week of October. Tshiebwe returned to play against Michigan State in the Champions Classic and delivered 22 points and 18 rebounds, and that would have produced a win had his teammates made a clutch free throw or paid attention to the scouting report and stayed with Michigan State’s 3-point shooters.
In a one-sided loss Saturday at Alabama, he went 1-of-7 from the field. Against UCLA in Madison Square Garden, he had 8 points on 4-of-12 shooting. There’s little doubt opponents scouted him during the offseason and learned to attack his offensive limitations, but it also appears he is playing without the level of energy that made him such a force a year ago.
Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News
BBN’s old pal Jeff Goodman wrote a feature explaining that it’s time for the marriage between John Calipari and Kentucky to end.
Jeff Goodman
The ‘Cats have now gone from the team everyone wanted to watch for entertainment value into one that people now want to watch for comedic value.
The offense is antiquated and it’s clear that Calipari misses his old X’s and O’s guy, John Robic.
“I think he’s lost the players,” one head coach said after facing Kentucky this season. “Their offense is so shitty. He doesn’t run anything for their guards. He has no idea how to use Cason Wallace.”
“They should still be getting the best talent,” another coach added. “And they have enough talent right now to finish in the top three or four of the SEC.”
…
I’ve never had much of a relationship with Calipari, but I’ve defended him against the critics the last couple of years, warning those to be careful what they wish for, because there was once a guy named Billy Clyde Gillespie in Lexington who’s tenure lasted two seasons, with a total of 40 wins and sans a tourney win.
But it’s time. It’s time for Kentucky, and it’s time for Calipari.
Jeff Goodman, Stadium
Goodman and Doug Gottlieb, his new cohost on Inside College Hoops, went more in-depth on Kentucky’s issues today.
ESPN
ESPN’s panel of college basketball writers unveiled their “midseason check-in” today, which includes updated Final Four picks and other predictions. In October, Kentucky was ESPN’s favorite to win the national championship. Now, Myron Medcalf and Joe Lunardi picked the Cats as the most underwhelming team thus far.
Medcalf: I think it’s Kentucky. It has to be. The Wildcats aren’t the only squad falling short of expectations. But they’re doing it with the reigning Wooden Award winner, Oscar Tshiebwe, with a projected lottery pick (Cason Wallace), and with a bunch of veterans in Sahvir Wheeler and Jacob Toppin. The lopsided 78-52 loss to Alabama on Saturday showcased the serious challenges Kentucky is trying to overcome. Its offense is sloppy and limited. Its defensive performance is listed as “average” on Synergy Sports. It’s also inconsistent. You could make the case Kentucky enters the week without an NCAA tournament guarantee. The Wildcats are 1-4 against Quad I and Quad II opponents this season. And their best win — against Michigan in London — looks worse by the day as the Wolverines continue to struggle (2-3 in their past five games). The truth is, Kentucky is just not a good team right now, and John Calipari’s squad is playing below its potential.
Lunardi: My top three disappointments, in order, are Kentucky, Kentucky and Kentucky. The Wildcats have been stunningly average on the court and the sidelines, and it’s hard to envision a major turnaround given the level of competition in the SEC. The ‘Cats are halfway through the season and haven’t beaten a single team that’s in any projected NCAA field, which should be impossible. Kentucky’s best performance of the year was probably in its overtime loss to Michigan State at the Champions Classic. Nothing else comes close to moving the needle, which more than explains the heightened distress in Lexington and throughout the Commonwealth.
The Worldwide Leader even has another roundtable today entitled, “Can Kentucky’s program be salvaged?”. Most of it covers similar ground, but John Gasaway says the Cats can improve by getting healthy and playing some perimeter defense.
Assuming everyone is healthy, Kentucky needs better performance on defense from, well, everyone. The entire roster needs to step up on that side of the ball. In SEC play, the Wildcats have allowed opponents to ring up 309 points in just 253 possessions. Part of that has been bad luck, to be sure, as the league has shot 43% on its 3s against UK in the early going. Nevertheless, Kentucky can and must do better not only in limiting the sheer number of perimeter attempts but also on the interior, where opponents are connecting 52% of the time.
John Gasaway, ESPN
Medcalf chose “Calipari leaving Kentucky” as his bold prediction in the midseason roundtable. In the second column, he offered a more nuanced take on Calipari’s future, writing that it feels like the beginning of an end.
The big decision Kentucky has to make is this: Is there someone out there who will do better in this climate? Or do you challenge Calipari to overhaul everything — his staff, his playing style, his approach to players — this offseason and then make a decision next summer? We might not get to that point. This feels like the beginning of a divorce.
Myron Medcalf, ESPN
CBS Sports
CBS Sports’ panel of college basketball writers came up with four scenarios for the remainder of Kentucky’s season. All include the Cats making the NCAA Tournament but in a variety of ways. Here is Gary Parrish’s case for Kentucky being a bubble team but making the Big Dance.
Predicted conference record: 10-8
Predicted NCAA Tournament seed: No. 9
Kentucky has been unimpressive all season and doesn’t seem on the verge of turning things around. The Wildcats just got blasted at Alabama by 26 points. They’re 3-3 in their past six games, still in possession of zero Quadrant 1 wins and down to 45th in the NET, 56th at BartTorvik.com and 62nd at KPI.
UK looks like a possible bubble team.
At this point, I’m skeptical the Wildcats will ever live up to the preseason expectations that had them ranked No. 1 at KenPom.com, in the top five basically everywhere and labeled as SEC favorites — but I still think they’ll land on the right side of the bubble and make the NCAA Tournament. And then … who knows? A year ago, UK had a great regular season followed by a terrible NCAA Tournament. This year could conceivably be the opposite — a disappointing regular season followed by a nice NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats still have the reigning CBS Sports National Player of the Year (Oscar Tshiebwe) and a projected lottery pick (Cason Wallace). It’s not the most talented roster John Calipari has ever assembled, but it’s still a more talented roster than most coaches have. Now it’s just a matter of figuring some things out, doing enough to make the field of 68, and then seeing if things can break the right way when that single-elimination tournament gets underway.
Gary Parrish, CBS
The three other scenarios: Kentucky’s season stays bumpy, but big wins will come; Kentucky hits its stride by February; and Kentucky being in the First Four. For the exercise’s sake, I can’t believe they didn’t include Kentucky not making the tournament.
FWIW, in Matt Norlander’s weekly “Court Report” column, he says he doesn’t expect Calipari to be Texas’ top target in its coaching search.
Do I think Texas will kick the tires on Calipari? Sure, but Calipari’s in PR hell right now. Do I think he’s Texas’ top target? No. Calipari (who’s recruited 2023’s No. 1 class to UK) will be 64 in February and has seemingly lost his fastball. While he’d be on the short list of top candidates, guys like Royal Ivey, Eric Musselman, Nate Oats, Scott Drew and Bruce Pearl seem more likely than Cal to head to Austin — if Terry isn’t the guy.
Matt Norlander, CBS
Tyler Hansbrough on Field of 68: After Dark
If you really want to torture yourself, you can watch former North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough talk about the Cats on the Field of 68’s After Dark show last night. Hansbrough shared his thoughts on fellow National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, Calipari on the hot seat, and whether or not the Cats can turn it around. Fun stuff!
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard