NEW YORK — Let’s begin with the optimistic half first, as a result of there’s loads not-so-pretty stuff that is going to observe. Kentucky has a dozen probabilities left on its schedule to show it is a high-level basketball group, so it isn’t like Saturday’s putrid offensive efficiency in a 63-53 loss to UCLA is destined to price the Wildcats one thing bigger down the street. 

What transpired right here inside Madison Sq. Backyard could possibly be merely one dangerous loss, paving room for redemption within the weeks and months to return. There’s that risk.

That in thoughts, let’s deal in actuality per week out from Christmas. Here is the place the Thirteenth-ranked Wildcats stand after shedding within the CBS Sports activities Traditional to No. 16 UCLA. 

• They’re 7-3 and do not have a win over a top-50 opponent (per a number of predictive metrics)
• The losses to good groups are none UK would/might attempt to declare moral-victory standing over: in double-OT to Michigan State, by 16 factors towards Gonzaga, Saturday’s pallid efficiency vs. UCLA
• The offense is regressing — aggressively 

Certain, there would be the inevitable destruction of lowly Louisville coming in lower than two weeks, and another large nonconference alternative will land in January when UK hosts Kansas within the ultimate go-round of the SEC-Large 12 Problem. Because of the SEC having an particularly sturdy higher third of groups, Kentucky goes to have time and alternative to strengthen its résumé. And it higher. 

As a result of John Calipari can’t appear to get himself out of criticism’s method. 

Extra actuality: Calipari entered this season beneath extra scrutiny than he’d ever skilled as a university coach. Kentucky was a nine-win group two seasons in the past, one of many worst years within the storied historical past of Large Blue Nation. Flatly unacceptable, COVID-impacted season or not. The Cats bounced again final season, getting a No. 2 seed within the NCAA Event and a Naismith Nationwide Participant of the 12 months efficiency out of Oscar Tshiebwe … just for that to be blown up by Saint Peter’s within the first spherical. 

This introduced urgency to Calipari’s workplace in a method he’d by no means skilled earlier than. It is not that his job’s at risk. After all it isn’t. However Kentucky followers maintain their coach accountable as a lot, if no more, than some other base in faculty sports activities. Ten video games in, it is laborious to say there’s loads to really feel cheery about. Kentucky continues to stumble towards reputable competitors. A 7-3 file with the caveat of that mark together with a 1-3 file towards power-conference applications just isn’t going to chop it.

Calipari talked up his group’s offensive prowess within the preseason. There was plausible promise there. He recruited to enhance UK’s offensive blueprint. Nevertheless, so far, that proclamation is spotty at finest. The Wildcats solely managing 53 factors towards an excellent UCLA group enjoying three time zones away from the place it’ll have a good time Christmas is alarming. 

The Cats appeared incompetent on offense, and that falls squarely on Calipari. In truth, Kentucky hadn’t carried out this poorly, offensively, since its notorious and traditionally abysmal showing against UConn in the 2011 Final Four. 

“You’ll be able to’t go 5 for 13 from the road, not in a sport like this,” Calipari stated. “You’ll be able to’t go 4 entrance finish one-and-ones, so actually you are 5 for 17. You do not have to make each free throw, however you may’t go these numbers.”

Kentucky’s offense was so poor, it dropped kind nineteenth to twenty eighth at KenPom.com in a matter of two hours. 

Bruins coach Mick Cronin appeared to be loving it. 

“It grew to become a massacre,” he stated. “Sooner or later that grew to become a Large East sport. Again within the Backyard, it was nice to be again.”

One man’s fiasco is one other man’s Picasso. Calipari tried to spin it afterward. Give him this: He is as prepared to indicate optimism within the face of incontrovertible proof as a lot as any coach within the sport.

“We miss so many open pictures, it turns into demoralizing, and the loopy factor is we nonetheless might have received the sport,” he stated.

Kentucky did minimize it to a two-point distinction with 4:31 to go. Then UCLA turned off the water and it was goodnight. Kentucky by no means scored once more. UCLA was harder, extra assured. It received by 10 factors and deserved that double-digit margin. Kentucky is misplaced offensively and nonetheless would not have lineup solutions practically a 3rd of the best way into the season. With this a lot veteran presence, that is a purple flag. Jacob Toppin just isn’t the breakout participant that was promised. CJ Frederick, the 3-point shooter this group wants, scored zero factors in six minutes. Antonio Reeves floated out and in of the movement of the sport all night. 

The offense wants a jolt, and towards bodily groups with dimension and expertise, Calipari remains to be looking for solutions.

“We have now good shooters,” Calipari stated. “We’re one of many higher 3-point capturing groups, and we missed.”

Not completely true. In truth, the nice capturing is likely to be some fools’ gold so far. In opposition to the 4 high-major groups Kentucky has confronted this season, it is gone 1-3 and solely scored higher than 1.0 factors per possession in a kind of video games, its 73-69 win over Michigan. On Saturday, it was a rotten 0.79 PPP. From 3-point vary towards Michigan State, Michigan, Gonzaga and UCLA, Kentucky shot a mixed 29.1% (25 for 86.) 

There is a stagnancy. There is a predictable halt of movement late in video games. It looks as if good groups are in a position to determine Kentucky out, and with no dynamic alpha scorer on the roster, it places a ceiling on Kentucky’s creativity. I did not count on this; in early November, I picked the Wildcats to win the nationwide title. There’s little to counsel that is potential with this group.

“We’re not a foul free-throw capturing group. We had been as we speak,” Calpari stated.

Objectively not true at this level. With a 10-game pattern dimension, Kentucky ranks 304th nationally on a 66.3% success price from the foul line. 

“That stuff is contagious,” Calipari stated. “Once you watch one man miss and the following man misses and also you stand up and it is in your thoughts, that is a part of it.” 

I am not right here to declare Kentucky’s season is over. If something, it hasn’t actually begun. UK cannot get out of third gear towards good groups more often than not. Calipari’s had initiatives over time which have taken two months or extra to determine, however that wasn’t alleged to be the best way with this group, which is not reliant on a heavy subset of freshmen. As an alternative, Kentucky appears a great distance from the preseason top-five group it was billed to be. When’s that group going to indicate up? Calipari would possibly declare to have that reply, however even when so, it might be laborious to imagine him at this level.