Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

It is championship-or-bust for the Kentucky Wildcats every season, and expectations are high for a reason.

After all, the program has 17 Final Fours and eight national championships and consistently lands highly regarded recruits, especially under head coach John Calipari. That's what makes this season's 9-16 mark so shocking.

"I'm disappointed in the record, but not disappointed in these kids," Calipari told reporters following Thursday's 74-73 loss to Mississippi State in the SEC tournament. "We weren't what we thought we could be in different spots, but we'll address that when this winds down."

Kentucky had an opportunity to win and prolong its NCAA tourney chances, but two free throws from Mississippi State's Iverson Molinar and a missed three-pointer from Dontaie Allen on the other end sealed its fate.

Coming close but falling short was a theme for the Wildcats this season.

"We were a couple of wins away from being a team; even with a bad record, we were right there," Calipari said. "But at the end of the day, you've gotta win games and you've gotta be tough and you've got to play winning basketball. ... We were never able to get fully engaged in that."

Kentucky lost critical practice time before the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have helped a team that returned only sophomore forward Keion Brooks Jr. develop together.

Brooks and Terrence Clarke also missed significant time with injuries.

Still, the Wildcats were an ugly 1-6 before SEC play even started and lost to rival Louisville for just the third time in 14 games since the 2008-09 campaign. It was inconsistent during the conference season with an 8-9 record, which was nowhere near good enough to make up for the slow start.

Kentucky will miss the Big Dance for the first time since 2013 (not counting last season when it was canceled) and ends the season as arguably the biggest disappointment in all of college basketball.

The debut season of Kentucky guard Terrence Clarke has likely come to an end. 

According to Kyle Tucker of The Athletic, head coach John Calipari said on his radio show Monday that Clarke will "likely miss the remainder of the season" because of injury. 

"There were tears today," he said. "His and mine. It's crushing." 

The Boston native hasn't played since Dec. 26 as he deals with an ankle injury, per Jon Hale of the Louisville Courier Journal.

A five-star recruit, he was quiet even before he was hurt, having averaged 10.7 points on 43.1 percent shooting from the field (22.7 percent from three) and three rebounds in seven games, though those stats had him ranked second on a Wildcats team that is trudging through mud in 2021 with a 5-12 record.

Clarke did not appear in any SEC games. 

"You know, Terrence wants to play so bad, we want him to play, I want him to play. I want to coach him and get him on that court," Calipari said (h/t Jack Pilgrim of Kentucky Sports Radio). 

He told reporters last week that he wouldn't force the freshman to play if he was still in pain.

"After five weeks, you’re still limping? And there’s nothing wrong, there’s no MRI—there’s nothing there," Calipari said, per The Athletic. "But players know their pain and what their pain threshold is, so if he’s limping around, I’m not going to play him."

A McDonald's All-American, Clarke was previously slated to be a top-10 pick in next year's NBA draft, but he was ranked No. 44 in ESPN's latest mock draft as of Sunday, according to Chris Fisher of 247 Sports. 

Saturday's scheduled men's college basketball game between Kentucky and Texas has been canceled because of COVID-19 issues.

The University of Kentucky announced that its program is on a 48-hour pause because of positive tests, contact tracing and quarantining:

Since Kentucky vs. Texas was a nonconference game set to be played in the midst of the conference schedule, it will not be made up this season.

Kentucky entered the 2020-21 season as the No. 10 team in the nation, but the Wildcats have struggled since the start, as they were upset by Richmond in their second game of the season.

Coach John Calipari's team has now lost four of its past five games, and it owns a 5-10 record on the season. With a winning percentage of .333, the Wildcats are on pace for their worst season since 1926-27 when they went 3-13.

The Wildcats reached the NCAA tournament in six straight seasons from 2013-14 through 2018-19 and would have made it last year as well with a 25-6 record if not for the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the tourney.

Calipari is famous for his ability to reload with top-flight freshmen year after year, but the chemistry simply hasn't been there in 2020-21.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns are off to one of their best starts in years and are the No. 5-ranked team in the nation with an 11-3 record.

Texas has won seven of its past eight games and owns victories over ranked teams such as Kansas and West Virginia.

Shaka Smart's squad missed the tournament in 2018-19 and likely would have missed it last season as well with a 19-12 record, but based on how well the Longhorns are playing currently, they could enter the 2020-21 NCAA tourney as one of the top teams to beat.

With Kentucky vs. Texas no longer on tap, the Wildcats will prepare for their next game against No. 12 Missouri on Tuesday, while the Longhorns will get ready to host undefeated No. 2 Baylor on Tuesday.

Brandon Boston Jr. posted 18 points and six rebounds as the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the LSU Tigers 82-69 at home in Rupp Arena on Saturday.

The Wildcats never trailed after Keion Brooks Jr. hit a pair of free throws to put UK up 6-4 with 17:29 remaining in the first half.

UK led 49-36 at halftime and never saw its advantage creep below five points for the remainder of the game.

LSU forward Trendon Watford led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and Tigers guard Cameron Thomas added 18 points. However, LSU shot just 15-of-45 (33.3 percent) from the field outside Watford's effort, leading to its poor offensive showing.

Eight Wildcats scored six or more points, and the team outrebounded LSU 46-31. Isaiah Jackson grabbed 15 of those boards off the bench.

Elsewhere, Brooks added 15 points and nine boards, and Olivier Sarr pitched in 13 points and five rebounds.

UK improved to 5-9 overall and 4-3 in SEC play. LSU fell to 10-4 and 5-3 in the SEC.

Kentucky, which broke a three-game losing streak, will visit Alabama on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide sit atop the SEC with an 8-0 conference mark.

The Tigers, who have lost two straight, will look to bounce back against the Texas A&M Aggies on the road Tuesday.    

Kentucky basketball's woes continue to grow this year, and it's getting harder for head coach John Calipari to defend some of the decisions he's made in an attempt to correct course. 

After Saturday's 66-59 road loss at Auburn, the coach tried to explain why Jacob Toppin and Dontaie Allen were conspicuously absent late in the game as the Tigers took control. 

Toppin finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, while Allen scored just eight points in 35 minutes. 

The loss dropped Kentucky to 4-8 (3-2 SEC) and gave it the most losses for a Wildcats team since 2017-18, when they went 26-11. 

After a three-game winning streak saw Kentucky knock off Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Florida, the Wildcats lost two in a row to Alabama and Auburn—both unranked schools. 

In Allen's case, regaining Calipari's trust may be harder after a lackluster showing Saturday. 

“At the end of the day, we were running stuff for Dontaie, and he wouldn’t shoot the ball," Calipari said. "So I took him out."

The freshman guard was 3-of-7 from the field and made two of six three-pointers, but his passiveness was apparent as he only got to the line once. Toppin, meanwhile, was 3-of-4 from the floor but still began the second half on the bench as top recruits Brandon Boston Jr. (five points, five rebounds) and Devin Askew (five points, three rebounds) received prolonged opportunities to find their games.

Whatever has made Calipari's formula work in recent years will need to be retooled if the program is going to have any chance at salvaging its season. 

If not, the Wildcats will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012-13, when Robert Morris knocked out a team that featured Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein from the NIT.

Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari knelt alongside his players when they decided to make a statement during the national anthem ahead of their game against Florida on Saturday, a move they made in part to protest the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob last week.

But on Wednesday, he took a step back from his team's decision.

"They're 18 years old," he told reporters. "They're learning. These kids are good kids. They've got good hearts. This political time, probably not a real good time to do it."

Calipari said he was unaware of the protest until 90 minutes before the game.

"I think the message pretty much stands for itself," Kentucky forward Keion Brooks said after the game. "We just came together as leaders of the team and decided this is something we want to do to take a stand to what we're seeing in the world today. Coach (Calipari) was with us. It's great to have the man in charge backing you with everything you do."

The protest drew criticism from people around the state.

A Kentucky sheriff and county jailer posted videos on social media of them burning their Kentucky gear in response to the team's demonstration, saying fans could trade in their Kentucky apparel for a "back the badge" shirt at a local detention center.

Elsewhere, a fiscal court requested that the university's public funding be reallocated "from unpatriotic recipients to hard working Kentucky [taxpayers]."

The University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto and athletic director Mitch Barnhart issued a joint statement in support of the players.

In Kentucky, 62.1 percent of voters cast their ballots for President Donald Trump, according to CNN. In Fayette County, where the University of Kentucky is located (in Lexington), 59.2 percent of ballots favored President-elect Joe Biden.

Kentucky basketball players all donned T-shirts with the No. 33 printed on the front in honor of former Wildcats pitcher Ben Jordan, who died at the age of 22 on Monday. Jordan played for the men's basketball team last season, appearing in two games.

Players wore the shirts throughout their warm-ups against Alabama at Rupp Arena on Tuesday as the UK community continued to mourn.

In a statement, Wildcats head coach John Calipari spoke about Jordan's impact on the program:

"Our hearts are broken today. We learned early this morning that we have lost Ben Jordan. It is difficult for me to express and to put into words what a tragedy it is to lose a young person too early. Ben impacted our team last season in so many ways with his kind heart, his big smile and his wonderful personality. He cared so deeply about this place and it meant so much to him to be a part of this team. We are grieving today over the loss of a teammate and a brother, but Ben will not be forgotten. We ask that everyone keep Ben and his family in their thoughts and prayers during this time as we try to find a way forward. Ben, may you rest in peace."

The 6'9", 250-pound Kentucky native pitched in 10 games during the 2019 season, allowing eight hits and seven runs over 8.2 innings with eight strikeouts.

No cause of death was listed.

Ben Jordan, who played basketball and baseball at the University of Kentucky, died Monday at the age of 22.

The University of Kentucky announced the news Tuesday and provided a statement from head men's basketball coach John Calipari:

"Our hearts are broken today. We learned early this morning that we have lost Ben Jordan. It is difficult for me to express and to put into words what a tragedy it is to lose a young person too early. Ben impacted our team last season in so many ways with his kind heart, his big smile and his wonderful personality. He cared so deeply about this place and it meant so much to him to be a part of this team. We are grieving today over the loss of a teammate and a brother, but Ben will not be forgotten. We ask that everyone keep Ben and his family in their thoughts and prayers during this time as we try to find a way forward. Ben, may you rest in peace."

After redshirting on the baseball team in 2018, Jordan appeared in 10 games during the 2019 season as a pitcher. He then walked on to the basketball team and appeared in two contests last season.

The 6'9", 250-pound native of Olive Hill, Kentucky, allowed eight hits and seven runs over 8.2 innings pitched, while striking out eight for the baseball team in 2019.

Jordan received multiple accolades, including being named first-team All-Cal Ripken Collegiate League in 2019 and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors twice.

He sat out the entire 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but made his way back onto the mound for the 2019 campaign and was listed on the Wildcats' 2021 roster after the 2020 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kentucky head baseball coach Nick Mingione had the following to say about Jordan on Tuesday:

"We are devastated to learn of Ben Jordan's tragic passing last night. There are no words to express the shock and heartache our team is feeling with the loss of Ben. He was an absolute joy to coach and be around. His coaches, teammates and brothers loved him dearly. His smile, his sense of humor and love for this university will never be forgotten. He will be missed beyond measure. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ben's family and we will support them in any way we can during this extremely difficult time. We are all hurting and will find a way carry Ben's legacy forward and keep him in our heart always."

Jordan, who starred in both baseball and basketball at West Carter High School, made brief cameos in games against Eastern Kentucky and Mount St. Mary's for the Wildcats basketball team last season as well.

He didn't register any stats in less than two minutes on the floor and went 0-of-1 on field-goal attempts for a Kentucky team that was 25-6 when COVID-19 ended the season prematurely. 

University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto and athletic director Mitch Barnhart issued a joint statement Monday in support of the Wildcats' basketball team, led by head coach John Calipari, taking a knee during the national anthem before Saturday's game against Florida.

ESPN's Myron Medcalf provided the full statement after there were calls from some local officials in Kentucky to defund the university:

"A value we all hold dear in our country is the right of free speech and self-expression. That right for young students such as these is important, too, as they learn, grow, and find out who they are and what they believe. We won't always agree on every issue. However, we hope to agree about the right of self-expression, which is so fundamental to who we are as an institution of higher learning. We live in a polarized and deeply divided country. Our hope—and that of our players and our coaches—is to find ways to bridge divides and unify."

Calipari said on his weekly radio show Monday the decision to kneel was a player-led effort after a pro-Donald Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. He also clarified that kneeling for the anthem is not anti-military, per Medcalf:

"It was all the images that they saw and they wanted to have their voice heard, and I said, well, 'Tell me what it's about.' They talked to me about it. Then they said, 'We'd like you to kneel with us,' which I did. I held my heart, but I did kneel with them because I support the guys. But it wasn't about military. Six of these players come from military families. ... This wasn't about the military."

Taking a knee as a form of protest became prominent after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started doing it in 2016, and it became part of the Black Lives Matter cause throughout 2020 as part of the continued push for social justice and racial equality.

Former NFL long snapper Nate Boyer, who served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret and helped Kaepernick formulate the protest, denounced notions that kneeling is unpatriotic in June:

Kentucky forward Olivier Sarr was among the players to say Monday they expected backlash but still felt it was important to make their feelings known, per Medcalf:

"I think our action speaks for itself. What happened in the past few days, few weeks and even during quarantine, we just want to show support for our community and raise awareness on the things that happened lately. It comes from a place of understanding peaceful conversations and being open-minded. That's it."

The Wildcats, who scored a 76-58 victory over the Gators to extended their winning streak to three games, are back in action Tuesday night to face off with Alabama. It's a nationally broadcast game with tipoff at Rupp Arena scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Former 5-star recruit Oscar Tshiebwe said he intends to transfer to Kentucky following 41 games with West Virginia.

"I just love Kentucky and I just feel like it's the perfect place for me," Tshiebwe told Travis Branham of 247Sports. "I think I am going to get better. I like the way they play and everything."

The sophomore center averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds through 10 games this season after a standout freshman year that saw him collect 11.2 points and 9.3 boards.

Tshiebwe was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team heading into the 2020-21 campaign, but his contributions were limited behind junior Derek Culver. Culver has averaged 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while playing 28.4 minutes per game, compared to 19.9 minutes per game from Tshiebwe.

According to Branham, Tshiebwe entered the NCAA transfer portal less than a week ago. While exploring his options, he had Zoom meetings with Miami, Illinois and NC State.

"[Kentucky coach John Calipari] told me that this is going to be my home," Tshiebwe said. "He said, I am going to come here and I am going to help them team and they are going to help me become good."

The Wildcats struggled through the start of the season, dropping to 1-6, though they have won their last three games. With three seasons of eligibility remaining, Tshiebwe could prove to be a helpful addition when eligible next season.