How Low Can Coach Cal And Kentucky Go? Apparently, Even Lower Than Before

Last week, we noted how Kentucky got off to its worst start since 1926. Well, guess what? Things are even worse today.

That's because the Wildcats lost yet again, dropping a 62-59 decision to rival Louisville on Saturday. Kentucky is now 1-6 and hasn't won since Thanksgiving. It feels like longer.

As for the six-game losing streak, this is Kentucky's first since 1988-89. Basically, it's a record-setting season for Big Blue Nation, and not in a good way.

"We had our chances, but we had some breakdowns," Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters. "You know, when you're this kind of team, to have a mental lapse on two or three plays in a row ..."

This is a weird year all the way around for the Wildcats. Calipari takes great pride in replacing every freshmen class with another gem, after helping the previous season's freshman class to make its way to the pros.

In other words, the unofficial motto at Kentucky is usually, "Come spend a season with us, then we'll get you to the NBA." That's often accurate and often doesn't end up impacting the Wildcats' success. This year, though, it seems to have caught up with Calipari, because the wheels are almost totally off the train.

"We're trying, we're getting better," Calipari said. "But, losing stinks. It just stinks. We gotta right the ship at some point. Right now we just gotta steal one, win one, dominant somebody, and then start moving on."

Kentucky will next move on to the SEC portion of the schedule, starting Jan. 2 at Mississippi State. For the first time in about 100 years, there is nowhere to go but up for Wildcats basketball.

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.