It used to be that John Calipari’s Kentucky teams were perpetual contenders — that included a national title in 2012.
But as of late, it’s been a string of disappointments. No NCAA men’s tournament in 2021, a first-round loss in 2022, and a second-round loss last year.
Now? He’s watched his No. 3 seed team lose to Jack Gohlke and Oakland, and now everyone’s talking about how much it would take to buy him out.
So what gives? The answer may be in the way he recruits and puts together teams — there are a lot of players who are one-and-done freshmen with the program who leave for the NBA after one year. So, as former Villanova head coach Jay Wright pointed out, that’s why playing older, more experienced teams is much harder:
"The era of taking these young freshmen and trying to play against older players is over," – Jay Wright. pic.twitter.com/xvrR2toEZx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2024