What If This Kentucky Team Mirrors Any Previous Calipari Teams?

BryantheIntern

John Calipari and Kentucky fans know that every college basketball season is unique, even those that end in national championships. The teams of 1996, 1998, and 2012 were vastly different situations. Even the bad teams have different reasons for their seasons going sideways. But I thought an interesting thing we could try and do is assess this year’s team if they were to have identical seasons to each of Cal’s 14 teams. Would how we view those teams match how we would view this team? My opinion:

2010: 35-3 (14-2 SEC)

SEC Champions
SEC Tournament Champions
Elite 8

Our Reaction: Obviously if this year’s team goes 35-3, it’s going to be considered one of Cal’s best teams. But, if the team is that good, the class of the SEC, and likely a No. 1 seed, and then doesn’t make the Final Four, this fanbase will still be edgy. It will then be nine years that Kentucky hasn’t made a Final Four.

2011: 29-9 (10-6 SEC)

SEC 2nd Place (East)
SEC Tournament Champions
Final Four

Our Reaction: The regular season would be touch and go if Kentucky loses 8-9 games. But winning the SEC Tournament and making the Final Four would certainly satisfy most fans and Cal’s seat would cool off tremendously. I think fans are clamoring for an elite regular season but ultimately, it’s always what happens in March that decides the fate of how a team is labeled.

2012: 38-2 (16-0 SEC)

SEC Champions
SEC Tournament Runner-Up
National Champions

Our Reaction: Of course, all would be forgiven. Swaggy Cal would be back. The previous four seasons would all be forgotten. And Calipari’s exit from Kentucky would entirely be up to him again.

2013: 21-12 (12-6 SEC)

SEC 2nd Place
SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
NIT

Our Reaction: Let’s assume this kind of season doesn’t happen because a star player gets hurt. This season would likely see a fan revolt. I’m not sure how Cal would find it tenable to continue as coach if they go to an NIT. Remember too, even when Nerlens Noel was healthy, that team was brutal to watch play. If this team is hard to watch, fans might check out really quickly.

2014: 29-11 (12-6 SEC)

SEC 2nd Place
SEC Tournament Runner-Up
National Runner-Up

Our Reaction: Much like 2011, if this team has a regular season like the 2014 squad, there will be some upset people going into March. But a memorable Final Four run would likely squash most fan displeasure with Calipari. It would be a rough four months but good tournament runs have saved several Cal teams.

2015: 38-1 (18-0 SEC)

SEC Champions
SEC Tournament Champions
Final Four

Our Reaction: Well, this is a weird one. It’s hard to call a 38-1 season a disappointment. But if Calipari had a SECOND team go undefeated in the regular season and not win the title, it would actually be embarrassing. And I’m not sure fans would be thrilled. Obviously, you couldn’t push Cal out after a season like this. But it wouldn’t be as if everything was solved either. It would just feel like another wasted chance to bring home Title No. 9.

2016: 27-9 (13-5 SEC)

Co-SEC Champions
SEC Tournament Champions
2nd Round

Our Reaction: This would be considered another “forgettable” season. And another 2nd round NCAA Tournament exit would likely lead to a final exodus from UK fans. I think this would be a final nail that Calipari no longer has Kentucky at an elite level.

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2017: 32-6 (16-2 SEC)

SEC Champions
SEC Tournament Champions
Elite 8

Our Reaction: This was a fan-favorite team that lost in the NCAA Tournament in heartbreaking fashion. If the exact same season happened this year, fans would enjoy it. And UK would be relevant again. But another exit before a Final Four just wouldn’t be acceptable for some. Fans want a nationally relevant team to make a Final Four.

2018: 26-11 (10-8 SEC)

SEC 4th Place
SEC Tournament Champions
Sweet 16

Our Reaction: Wouldn’t be good enough. A fourth-place finish in the SEC, losing eight league games, would be unacceptable. Fans would be done with Calipari if this kind of season happened.

2019: 30-7 (15-3 SEC)

SEC 2nd Place
SEC Tournament Semifinals
Elite 8

Our Reaction: Again, like so many seasons before, UK fans would be pretty thrilled with this season but then wildly disappointed that it doesn’t finish in a Final Four berth. Let’s put it this way. If Calipari has an elite team this year (1 or 2 seed), they have to go to the Final Four to please the fans. It’s been that long.

2020: 25-6 (15-3 SEC)

SEC Champions
No Tournaments Take Place

Our Reaction: Tough to compare because that season ended prematurely. But if this team becomes SEC Champions, that would be Step 1 in recovering the reputation of Calipari and UK basketball.

2021: 9-16 (8-9 SEC)

SEC 8th Place
SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

Our Reaction: I would have to think a losing season would lead to Cal’s forcing out or termination.

2022: 26-8 (14-4 SEC)

SEC 2nd Place
SEC Tournament Semifinals
1st Round

Our reaction: A first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, no matter how the regular season goes, would lead to a very bad offseason. I think it would be another scenario where it might not be tenable for Calipari to remain the coach.