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The Kentucky Wildcats have been considered college basketball royalty over the years. Each season, fans expect the Wildcats to somehow find themselves in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament.
With legendary coach John Calipari in command, the Wildcats always seem to have some of the country's most talented teams.
But after starting 7-2, the Wildcats (10-6, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) have gone in the wrong direction. Kentucky has won just three of its last seven games. That included a disappointing 71-68 loss at home on Tuesday night to the South Carolina Gamecocks (8-8, 1-2), who were previously under .500.
Kentucky has some fascinating young talent, but it hasn't translated into a potential contender. Recently on "The Field of 68" show, former NBA player and collegiate star Tyler Hansbrough said he doubts Kentucky can turn its season around.
“I don’t know how you flip the season around at this point," said Hansbrough, the national college player of the year in 2008 and a national champion in 2009 at North Carolina. "Not that they can’t, but with the way they’ve looked effort-wise … I think it’s needless to say that Coach Cal is on the hot seat.”
Kentucky Wildcats going in wrong direction after upset loss
It's been a disappointing recent stretch for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky came into the 2022-23 season with a fascinating roster.
One of the team's most impressive players has been freshman guard Cason Wallace. The 19-year-old floor general is a potential Top 10 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. He is averaging 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 41.9% from 3-point range.
Kentucky also had an intriguing mix of veteran players who were going to be leaned on this year. That included players such as senior big man Oscar Tshiebwe (the national college player of the year last season), senior guard Sahvir Wheeler and senior forward Jacob Toppin.
While the Wildcats have plenty of talent, it hasn't been enough to push the needle forward. Kentucky will have to forget about its previous loss quickly, as they are set for a daunting upcoming challenge. The Wildcats will take on the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (14-2, 4-0) on the road on Saturday.
Of UK's six losses, three have come against ranked teams that are in the top eight: No. 8 Gonzaga, No. 7 UCLA and No. 4 Alabama. The other three losses were to Michigan State, Missouri and South Carolina.
