UK’s latest loss leaves usually loquacious Calipari at a loss for words
In the depths of this quite literally lost season, Kentucky Coach John Calipari spoke about how tantalizing a dramatic turnaround would be. He wished aloud for what he suggested would be an unforgettable capstone to his coaching career.
Winning three straight games made such a reversal of fortune plausible. Then Kentucky “reverted,” he said in last weekend’s loss to Florida.
Then Kentucky lost 70-62 at Ole Miss on Tuesday night in an achingly familiar way. Calipari turned from wishful to wistful.
When asked what was most disappointing about yet another possession-by-possession test of nerves and fate, the UK coach said, “That we were right on the edge of pushing over the edge to go the right way and be right there and do some crazy stuff.”
Instead, Kentucky lost a 15th game in a season for only the second time in the proud program’s history. The Cats in Eddie Sutton’s final season of 1988-89 finished with a 13-19 record. That’s it for 15 or more losses in a season.
Calipari said he was literally at a loss for words. After pointing out that reporters have not heard what he’d told the players after any of the last-minute disappointments, he said, “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m saying right or wrong because I’ve not been there for 35 years.”
The only losing season in Calipari’s Hall of Fame coaching career came in his debut as a head coach: 10-18 for UMass in as fate would have it Sutton’s lost season as Kentucky coach (1988-89).
UK, 8-15 overall and 7-9 in the Southeastern Conference, got pounded on the boards 42-28. That was the worst beating Kentucky has taken since the identical numbers in a 75-66 loss at Auburn on Feb. 1 of last season. That helped limit UK to only two fast-break points and nullified a 16-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“That was the game,” Calipari said.
Ole Miss, 14-10 overall and 9-8 in the SEC, came into the game with the second-best rebound margin in league play.
“It was kind of they wanted it more than us at the end of the day,” said Keion Brooks, who had a team-high eight rebounds. “They were more physical at the point of attack. Kind of knocked us out of the way a little bit. It came down to us against you. Who’s going to get the ball? They got the majority of them, not all of them.”
Kentucky also came up woefully short of daggers. Davion Mintz and Olivier Sarr missed potentially momentum-changing threes inside the final 90 seconds.
Missing three free throws in the final 91 seconds did not help and capped a 15-for-25 game at the foul line.
“We had some where the ball hit the rim five times and popped out,” Brooks said. “… Literally just roll out of the rim.”
Speaking of luck, Ken Pomeroy’s rating of Kentucky at No. 346 in good fortune came to mind yet again.
Ole Miss forward Sammy Hunter personified the luck factor. He came into the game having made two of 12 three-point shots. The sophomore from Nassau, Bahamas, made a career-high three shots from beyond the arc and scored a career-high 11 points.
“You know, it sucks that he decided to play well against us,” Brooks said. “But you can’t do anything but tap him on the butt (and) say good shot.”
Ole Miss stayed alive for a double-bye in next week’s SEC Tournament, while Kentucky was mathematically eliminated from that possibility.
On Monday, Ole Miss Coach Kermit Davis spoke of both teams being “desperate” to make playing in the NCAA Tournament at least plausible.
“I hope our guys will come out with great, great juice,” he said.
The Rebels had more such juice in the first half. Kentucky never led in the opening 20 minutes. Although trailing by as much as 10 points, UK closed within 32-29 at halftime.
Thanks to KJ Buffen outplaying Sarr, Ole Miss had the more productive half-court offense. Buffen finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Teammate Romello White also had a double-double: 11 and 10.
Sarr came on in the second half and finished with 15 points and three rebounds.
When asked what gave him hope going forward, Brooks spoke of the players’ work ethic.
Calipari lamented how the team was not empowered. He also lamented for the umpteenth time that his players get consumed by personal setbacks.
“We’re getting mauled (on the boards), ‘Yeah, but I missed two shots … ,’” Calipari said. “It ain’t over.”
But Calipari acknowledged that he’s not a miracle worker.
“I’ve said how many times, I don’t have a magic wand,” he said. “Now, everybody believes me. I don’t have a magic wand. If I had one, I’d be using it.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 1:24 AM.
