After making 4 Last 4 appearances and main Kentucky to its eighth nationwide championship in 2012, John Calipari formally introduced he can be departing Lexington to grow to be the top coach at Arkansas shortly after the 2023-24 season concluded.
Whereas the accolades at Kentucky appeared countless, the latter years of his tenure with the Wildcats couldn’t have worsened.
Following an Elite Eight loss to Auburn to shut out the 2018-19 season, the Wildcats went 25-6 the next season. Nevertheless, they have been despatched residence from the SEC Event as a result of COVID-19 outbreak.
With the cancellation of some video games and a shortened schedule that ended with a 9-16 document in 2020-21, Kentucky did not make it out of the primary weekend of every of Calipari’s remaining three seasons on the helm. A second-round loss to Kansas State (2022-23) was sandwiched in between a pair of surprising first-round losses to 15-seed Saint Peter’s (2021-22) and 14-seed Oakland (2023-24).
Kentucky’s eight nationwide titles rank second behind UCLA’s 11 for probably the most in NCAA Division I historical past. Thus, the early NCAA Event exits of the final three years are unacceptable within the eyes of Kentucky followers who’ve come to count on success.
After Calipari’s departure, the choice was made to rent Mark Pope, the previous captain of the 1996 nationwide championship group below Rick Pitino, because the group’s subsequent head coach.
Regardless of inheriting a group with zero returning scholarship gamers, Pope created a roster by using the switch portal very quickly. Former Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh (16.2 PPG) has led the group in scoring all season. As compared, San Diego State switch Lamont Butler (11.5 PPG, 4.3 APG) has introduced his toughness and courtroom imaginative and prescient and Dayton switch Koby Brea (11.5 PPG) has shot 43.9% from three-point vary, good for ninth in the country.
To not point out, senior Amari Williams, the Drexel switch, has posted 9 double-doubles and recorded a triple-double towards Ole Miss on Feb. 4, placing his versatility on full show.
This group has battled accidents all season, together with dropping guards Kerr Kriisa (foot) and Jaxson Robinson (proper wrist) for the remainder of the season. Butler (left shoulder) has missed a number of video games however is anticipated to play within the NCAA Event.
Kentucky enters the primary spherical because the three-seed towards 14-seed Troy. The Trojans — champions of the Solar Belt — rank 30th in rebounds (38.58 RPG), an space the Wildcats have struggled in all season.
Kentucky has additionally had points defending, however the fourth-highest-scoring offense in Division I (85.3 PPG), and the expertise ought to be sufficient to get previous the primary spherical.
If Kentucky reaches the second spherical, it’s going to face the six-seed Illinois or one of many 11-seeds matching up in Wednesday evening’s First 4 — Texas or Xavier. The Preventing Illini have one of many youngest groups within the nation and have been inconsistent on protection all season.
The Wildcats misplaced a nail-biter to Texas, 82-78, on Feb. 15, and Xavier struggles on the boards, which might bode nicely for Kentucky if that’s the second-round matchup it will get.
As stacked because the SEC has been this season, with a document 14 groups making the NCAA Event, Kentucky brings an NCAA-record eight wins over the top 15 opponents.
If that kind of efficiency interprets to the Large Dance, Pope and the Wildcats might have the ability to go on a run, which is one thing Calipari’s groups didn’t do on the finish of his tenure because the group’s head coach.
