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Kentucky Gets Stunned In Loss At LSU

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9 months ago

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© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky was stunned in an upset road loss on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, where they fell to a 75-74 loss to LSU. Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham both carried the Cats, but a 15-point lead slipped away, and an unlucky tip-in by LSU in the final seconds was the game after a go-ahead jumper by Rob Dillingham with a few seconds left.

Kentucky had a rough 2nd half, and it led to a stunning loss. Let’s look at what went down throughout the game that cost the Cats the game.

Rob Dillingham, Antonio Reeves Will Kentucky

It was these two that combined for 48 of Kentucky’s 74 points, with big shots by Dillingham in the final minutes, and one of those put Kentucky up by 1 point with 13 seconds left, but a last-second tip-in by LSU wasted the terrific clutch performance.

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Reeves led Kentucky in scoring with 25 points, and Dillingham finished with 23, and 21 of his points were in the 2nd half. Those performances ultimately couldn’t get it done, thanks to a 2nd half collapse and a last-second tip-in.

Kentucky Has 2nd Half Collapse

Kentucky started the 2nd half on a run to give them a comfortable 15-point lead. That lead turned out to be not so comfortable, as Kentucky let the lead slip away, getting down by as much as 5 points. From there it was back-and-forth, with Kentucky having to fight back. Defense was struggling during this time, with Kentucky not able to stop LSU from attacking the basket. Thanks to a clutch shot with 13 seconds left by Rob Dillingham, the Cats led by 1-point, but an LSU tip-in goes in for a tough road loss for the Cats

This was the story of the game to put it simply. It was a 6-minute stretch of a collapsing lead.

Calipari Says “Fifty-Fifty Balls” Cost Kentucky

After the game, Calipari spoke with the media (very briefly, discussing his thoughts on the loss. He stressed that “Fifty-fifty balls” and defensive issues cost them the game. “Fifty-fifty balls cost us the game. It’s all we talk about. Fifty-fifty balls,” Calipari said. “Don’t tell me about your offense. If you’re not going to come up with 50/50 balls, you can’t win.” Kentucky’s lead collapse was definitely a reason for the game being in the position it was, but getting loose balls was also part of that collapse. Calipari said that communication was an issue during Kentucky’s collapse of the 15-point lead.

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Calipari said he was proud, though, of how they fought back after collapsing. “I was proud of these guys, in this environment, doing what they did,” Calipari said. “Fought to get back, made baskets, (Rob) Dillingham made some unbelievable plays. He did what he does.”

It was another tough loss that puts Kentucky at 18-8 overall, 8-5 in SEC play, with 5 games left on the season. Kentucky brings in No. 13 Alabama to Rupp Arena on Saturday, a big opportunity to bounce-back after the tough road loss. Tip-off will be at 4 p.m., televised on CBS.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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