Add Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes to the checklist of skippers that are not taking the visible downfall of Kentucky basketball with no few grains of salt. 

After Barnes’ Volunteers scuffled their approach to a 77-68 victory over Vanderbilt at residence on Tuesday evening, the eighth-year coach down in Rocky Prime did not go judgement upon seeing that the once-heralded Wildcats had fell 71-68 to South Carolina in a staggering upset inside Rupp Enviornment, pushing UK’s report in convention play right down to 1-3: 

“I didn’t see the (South Carolina) recreation,” Barnes mentioned. “I don’t know what occurred there and I do know (Kentucky’s) handled some accidents too. Somebody did inform me that Cason Wallace did get damage tonight.”

Kentucky and coach John Calipari nonetheless is probably not positive what occurred on Tuesday in Rupp Enviornment, both. Gamecock guard Meechie Johnson dropped 26 large factors thanks to 6 3-pointers, whereas star freshman GG Jackson added 16 factors on 6-10 capturing to assist SC stave off a late comeback try by the determined Cats, who sprinted to the end line due to a 10-0 run, however ultimately fell brief. 

That late stretch was one thing that first-year South Carolina coach Lamont Paris was ready for, as he is nicely conscious of what Calipari and Kentucky are — supposedly — able to. 

“We knew they had been going to make a run; they’re a very good crew. They don’t do the issues they’ve performed accidentally, that’s for positive,” he mentioned after touchdown his first marquee win. 

Kentucky’s newest defeat was the sixth of the season in addition to the brand new low-point of the 12 months in Lexington, one thing that was already thought to have been reached on a number of events for the reason that common season started on Nov. 7. 

Nearly each loss this season has then seen the opposing coach on the profitable facet give some type of reward to Calipari and Kentucky, beginning with fellow Corridor of Famer Tom Izzo, after Michigan State escaped the Champions Basic with a win over the Cats in double-overtime on Nov. 15:

“I actually do love Kentucky’s crew,” he mentioned. “They’ll be actually good as they get these guys enjoying collectively.”

An early season exhibiting of respect to the blue-blood, in fact. There was no actual trigger for concern popping out of Lexington simply but, because it was the third recreation of the season, and whereas UK choked away an opportunity for a stable victory to kickstart a résumé — one thing that also hasn’t occurred in the course of January — there have been nonetheless loads of passes to be handed out. 

Then got here the throttling in Spokane on Nov. 20, as Gonzaga spanked Kentucky 88-72 in a recreation that felt nowhere close to as shut because the rating indicated. Longtime coach Mark Few did not have a lot to say about UK, however the mutual respect was clearly there — as affirmed by the six-year sequence that can witness the varsity play one another very often for the remainder of the last decade. 

The win for the Bulldogs got here proper after a troublesome loss to Texas — a program that has since garnered some consideration up within the Bluegrass. 

“We wanted some constructive issues to occur, to do it towards that caliber of an opponent, I believe actually helps gasoline our confidence much more,” Few mentioned of beating the Wildcats. 

Okay, so there’s been a few unhealthy showings. It is a lengthy season, proper? 

Enter the CBS Sports activities Basic in Madison Sq. Backyard, the place Kentucky would put up one of many clunkier performances of the Calipari period in a 63-53 loss to Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins on Dec. 17.

As Calipari gave postgame claims that weren’t backed up by statistics within the slightest, Cronin talked about grilling out throughout Christmas again residence in Westwood, then giving the Cats some props on what he noticed from them within the lead-up. 

“Watching Kentucky on movie, they’re simply so good defensively. They’re so large, so sturdy. They’re at all times so well-prepared,” he mentioned.

Getting into SEC play, hopes continued to get crushed because the Missouri Tigers laid the wooden in an 89-75 win on Dec. 28. First-year coach Dennis Gates did not be a part of the flower-giving posse postgame. 

Kentucky would then win two video games in a row, defeating superbly-subpar Louisville and now Quadrant 3 opponent LSU, the latter coming by simply three factors. There was a tiny little bit of momentum heading into Tuscaloosa for a big-time tilt towards the then-No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 7.

How concerning the worst loss to the Tide in program historical past and the third-fewest factors in a recreation within the Calipari period, dropping 78-52? The Coleman Coliseum crowd chanted “NIT!” in the course of the drubbing, one thing coach Nate Oats would go on to refute:

“Kentucky’s not gonna go to the NIT. They’re gonna be an NCAA Match crew. It’s faculty college students being faculty college students. They’ve bought loads of expertise over there. Cal’s performed a very good job assembling some expertise. They’ve bought actually good gamers. They simply didn’t shoot the ball nicely tonight.”

Oats seemingly did not foresee a loss to South Carolina in UK’s future, however neither did anyone else not sporting garnet and black. All indicators now level in direction of the Alabama pupil part being relatively correct, simply ask Joe Lunardi and his newest projections. 

However in fact, no coach goes to go to the rostrum and dunk on Kentucky after defeating them. Principally as a result of their gamers simply bought performed doing that for 40 minutes, however there’s nonetheless a respect stage that almost all all seem to have for Calipari and what he is constructed. Barnes echoed that on Tuesday evening: 

“The actual fact is, I’ve a lot respect for John. I’ve identified him for a lifetime on this enterprise, he’ll have this crew prepared. I believe our guys actually know that,” he mentioned. “They’re going to maintain getting higher.”

This comes from the coach of the crew that simply defeated South Carolina 85-42 on the highway. That is a 43-point victory. Those self same Gamecocks would come to Lexington three days later and handle 42 factors within the first half alone. 

The difficulty with all of those statements, is none of them appear to be true. Coachspeak at its best, in fact. 

It seems that Kentucky is probably not so good defensively. Did Cronin really suppose it will be? 

It seems that Kentucky could not make the NCAA Match. Did Oats really suppose it will make the 68-team area? 

In a column printed by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, an nameless coach instructed Goodman what he actually considered Calipari and Kentucky:

“I believe he’s misplaced the gamers,” one head coach mentioned after going through Kentucky this season. “Their offense is so shitty. He doesn’t run something for his or her guards. He has no concept easy methods to use Cason Wallace.”

-Jeff Goodman – “Calipari and Kentucky: It is Time for the Marriage to Finish

There are very clear points which can be plaguing the Wildcats. As issues proceed to spiral uncontrolled, opposing coaches proceed to provide the good thing about the doubt, however ought to they? 

Tennessee will seemingly defeat Kentucky this Saturday inside Thompson-Boling Enviornment, and Barnes will seemingly hit the rostrum postgame and utter one thing alongside the traces of “Kentucky shall be fantastic” or “Calipari will determine it out.” 

However by now, Barnes has taken a peak on the South Carolina movie. He is seen what Alabama was in a position to do on its residence courtroom. What motive does he need to imagine that the ship goes to miraculously flip in the appropriate path? Clearly a win on the highway over a top-five crew can be a pleasant place to start out, however who of their proper thoughts is selecting this model of Kentucky to win in Knoxville? 

Let’s reduce the coachspeak and name a spade a spade: Kentucky basketball is abominable. 

They are saying all roads result in Lexington, however the roads that result in victory and satisfaction have to be underneath development. It is unclear once they’ll be completed, but it surely would not appear to be it’s going to be earlier than March. 

Extra on Cason Wallace’s damage HERE.

Extra on Oscar Tshiebwe’s postgame phrases HERE.

The whole lot John Calipari mentioned after the loss HERE.

WATCH: Tshiebwe, Fredrick and Collins post-SC loss

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