In what’s been a disappointing season for Kentucky basketball, the Wildcats and John Calipari hit a low point against Alabama on Saturday.
After yet another top-5 recruiting class, what started as a very promising Kentucky season has turned into a nightmare before our very eyes. The Wildcats 10-4 record is slightly misleading, as they’ve lost every tough test against a ranked opponent this season. This made facing a No. 7-ranked Alabama on the road a daunting feat, and one they surely did not pass.
John Calipari owed UK fans answers after losing to St. Peter’s — a No. 15 seed — in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Despite a fabulous run by the Peacocks, it does not change the fact that Kentucky has spent much of the past few seasons underachieving when it matters most.
Two straight wins against a dumpster fire in Louisville and LSU at home provided some level of hope that perhaps Calipari had righted the ship. Saturday changed that sentiment permanently. This team, as currently constructed, is not built for a Final Four run.
Can Kentucky basketball fire John Calipari?
John Calipari signed a lifetime contract with Kentucky, so any buyout will severely limit who the Wildcats would be able to hire to replace Coach Cal. FanSided’s Alicia de Artola outlined Calipari’s buyout process shortly after Kentucky lost to St. Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament.
“Calipari’s buyout is $52 million this year, according to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio. The buyout will decrease by around $6 million per year during the remainder of his 10-year ‘lifetime contract.’
How did the Wildcats go from extending Calipari for the remainder of his career to talking over his buyout? He hasn’t led his team back to a Final Four since 2015. They’ve made two Elite Eight appearances since but they haven’t sniffed another title. The longer the drought extends, the more pressure lands on the head coach.”
de Artola is right in her assessment. The pressure is on Calipari to make a run to the Final Four. In the end, it’s what a coach of his stature is judged on. It’s been nearly a decade. The time is now to put up or shut up.
