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And the hits keep coming for the Kentucky Wildcats, who just dropped their second-straight game and their ninth of the season, putting them officially on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament, as they fall to the Georgia Bulldogs, 75-68.
Again, it was another horrid offensive performance from the ‘Cats and just all-around sloppy play to begin with.
No help from Cason Wallace, who was held to just two points, hurt Kentucky, as they were carried by two 20-point performances from Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.
Kentucky now has zero margin for error heading towards the end of the season, as they’re in danger of missing the tournament for the second time in three years, something that is simply unacceptable here.
John Calipari has tons to answer for, especially considering how the season has unfolded with the amount of talent on this season's team.
Things are not trending positively for the head coach in Lexington right now and the writing could very well be on the wall.
Then again, the lifetime contract Mitch Barnhart gave Calipari will very likely lead to no changes being made. Thanks, Mitch.
Here’s what Twitter had to say after yet another horrible loss for the ‘Cats:
Final from Athens. pic.twitter.com/rf5yhOPBdV
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 11, 2023
— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) February 11, 2023
— Barstool Kentucky (@BarstoolUK) February 11, 2023
Will be a crushing loss for Kentucky. Cats are left with a single Quadrant 1 win. This game is currently Q2 but borderline Q3. Zero margin for error moving forward.
— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) February 11, 2023
With Fredrick/Wheeler out, UK needed a big day from Wallace. Got zero points til final minute after consecutive 20-point games. Didn’t seem right to me. Has missed time with back/knee issues, so maybe less than 100%. Not winning SEC road games with 3/4 of backcourt not scoring.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) February 11, 2023
Well that’s a terrible loss. Such a disappointment of a season all the way around
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) February 11, 2023
That’ll do it in Athens.
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) February 11, 2023
Kentucky firmly outside of the NCAA Tournament field with ninth loss on the season.
Shorthanded, sure, but no excuse to come out — AGAIN — with no fight. Wildcats more talented, Bulldogs wanted it more.
Story of this season.
After thinking UK had turned the corner, they are again projected to be out of the tournament.
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) February 11, 2023
Short handed or not, that is now two sub-100 NET losses, still with just one quad-one win.
Going to have to win out, including wins over Tenn and at Ark to even have a shot.
— Jay (@7YearsNoPlayoff) February 11, 2023
Let’s put this game behind us. Stay positive and do something productive with our day. Oh look it’s sunny outside.
— Łukasz Obrzut (@lukasz_obrzut) February 11, 2023
— Berkley’s Pops ™️ (@BrandoAKing) February 11, 2023
Next year is going to be a make-or-break year for Cal. If he can’t win with a top-5 recruiting class that includes Reed Sheppard, DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards, then I sadly think it’ll be time to move on.
— Mohammad Ahmad (@MohammadAhmadTV) February 11, 2023
This Kentucky team has no business being in a situation where it is on the outside looking in for the tournament with zero margin for error if it even wants a chance at making it.
— Tyler Greever (@Tyler_Greever) February 11, 2023
There is too much talent to lose to Georgia and South Carolina while getting a single Quad 1 win.
Jacob Toppin’s favorite shot. https://t.co/a7j85ramRM
— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) February 11, 2023
Thanks to Covid (2020), a 9-16 season (2021) and Saint Peter's (2022), missing the dance this year would mean Kentucky will go at least FIVE YEARS between NCAA Tournament wins.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) February 11, 2023
I think the cats need to take a few more long 2s. 38% against the Kenpom #120 D is good, but I feel like with some more mid range stuff we can get that under 30%. We like games to be rock fight remember? pic.twitter.com/M3Bbavq22s
— Ricky (@BluegrassLefty) February 11, 2023
This is just the 3rd time ever that @KentuckyMBB has lost to both Georgia and South Carolina in the same regular season (1993-1994, 2008-2009, 2022-2023)
— Corey Price (@coreyp08) February 11, 2023
Possibly missing the tournament for the second time in three seasons. A first round loss to a #15 seed sandwiched between those. Not sure how a coach survives that, especially at a place like Kentucky.
— Shawn Smith (@gbbcountry) February 11, 2023
Hey, if you're gonna suck, at least be comically bad.
— Jason Marcum (@marcum89) February 11, 2023
Kentucky is comically bad given what it has vs. what it does.
It’s been 1,415 days since John Calipari and Kentucky won an NCAA tourney game.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 11, 2023
I was in school for Tubby's last two and Billy's only two and I feel bad for current UK seniors
— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) February 11, 2023
The never ending cycle pic.twitter.com/uLsnHKFw3h
— Barstool Kentucky (@BarstoolUK) February 11, 2023
When you are a poor defensive team, you have to outscore your opponent.
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) February 11, 2023
Kentucky erased a 10-point halftime deficit, to take a 52-48 lead with 11:54 to go in the game.
Kentucky scored just 6 points over the next ten minutes… Scored 10 points in the final 1:28.
Little too late
Marriage is the only remotely sensible "lifetime contract." #UKbasketball
— Kal Oakes (@oaksie72) February 11, 2023
I've spent two of the last three seasons and the days after their NCAA Tournament loss last year doing exactly that. There's not much new to say. He's owed $40 million if they fire him, so they won't. We'll see if his No. 1 class can fix it next season. Then a decision. https://t.co/iUXFpQAc0V
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) February 11, 2023
Remember that Mitch Barnhart cannot be allowed to make the next hire by himself. He's put UK Basketball in the gutter twice now. First with the worst hire in the history of the program (BG), then the worst contract in all of college sports.
— Jason Marcum (@marcum89) February 11, 2023
If this were the first three years of the Calipari era, he wouldn’t make it to year 4. Those first 6 seasons were special and people have held onto that, even during recent years. Nothing to show for in the what have you done for me lately category. Tough spot to be. https://t.co/CNWGymNpn9
— Shawn Smith (@gbbcountry) February 11, 2023
It is a very, very, very simple (if unsatisfactory) answer: the lifetime contract.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) February 11, 2023
You sign a 60-year-old guy who is four years removed from his last Final Four to a 10-year, $86 million deal that owes him 75% if you fire him at any point without cause, because UCLA flirted ... https://t.co/X1du0Pi64x
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