John Calipari might have just recorded the worst loss in his lengthy tenure at Kentucky.
The Wildcats fell 71-68 to previously 7-8 South Carolina at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night. The brutal loss, yet another in a series of defeats this season for the Wildcats, dropped Kentucky down to 10-6 on the season. It’s also UK’s second straight loss after they ate one 78-52 to No. 4 Alabama.
The South Carolina’s men’s basketball account excitedly tweeted, “Wire-to-wire at Rupp!?!? YUP!”
𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆-✌️-𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆 at Rupp!?!? YUP#Gamecocks // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/xGiFbUwfvT
— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) January 11, 2023
Related: Fear, loathing, and losing in the commonwealth of college basketball
The hits will keep coming for Kentucky too; they will face No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday.
Kentucky could still conceivably turn it around. But, thus far the likelihood of that continues to take hit after hit, as does Coach Cal, whose job has come under heavy scrutiny. And the college basketball world wasn’t shy in discussing this brutal defeat.
Rush The Court tweeted, “By KenPom metrics this is the 2nd worst loss of the Calipari era in Lexington. SC is ranked 214th nationally. Evansville ended up 294th in the ’20 season, but to be fair, they were ranked 169th at the time they beat UK in November. So maybe this is the worst?” Certainly, that puts it into perspective.
By @kenpom metrics this is the 2nd worst loss of the Calipari era in Lexington. SC is ranked 214th nationally.
Evansville ended up 294th in the '20 season, but to be fair, they were ranked 169th at the time they beat UK in November. So maybe this is the worst?
— Rush the Court (@rushthecourt) January 11, 2023
Mid-Major Madness joked that the Rider Broncs were better than Kentucky this season.
Rider > Kentucky https://t.co/3rDDiG6je7
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) January 11, 2023
Anonymous Eagle quipped that Coach Cal was set to be on the sidelines at Georgetown.
Georgetown Head Coach John Calipari
— Anonymous Eagle (@AnonymousEagle) January 11, 2023
And Bill DiFilippo of Uproxx tweeted, “Oh John Calipari’s REAL checked out, then” in response to the terrible loss.
oh john calipari's REAL checked out, then
— Bill DiFilippo (@billdifilippo) January 11, 2023
