“Please go to Texas.”
One sign perfectly sums up the frustrating start to the season for John Calipari and Kentucky this year. A Wildcats fan was escorted out of the team’s stunning 71-68 loss to South Carolina on Tuesday night for holding a sign with the aforementioned message, according to the SEC Network’s Sophie Meadors.
The defeat dropped Kentucky to 10-6 on the season and 1-3 in SEC play. That is not catastrophic at some jobs — especially for a coach with Calipari’s pedigree — but it is in Lexington. And it comes as 247Sports reported Monday that Texas reached out to the 63-year-old Calipari after Chris Beard was fired last week following a domestic violence arrest.
“Stick with these kids,” Calipari told reporters afterward. “If you want to get on me, that’s fine; I’m the coach. If we weren’t ready to play then I’ve got to look at me and say, ‘Well, what, why? Where were we mentally?’
“And I was trying things today to get them in a positive mindset. Because it’s hard. It’s hard here. I mean, I always say this isn’t for everybody, including coaches. It’s not for everybody, when things go bad like this. So if you want to be mad, be mad at me. These kids, they’re trying.”
The win was just the third for the 8-8 Gamecocks in 31 games at Kentucky and the first at Rupp Arena since January 2009.
Kentucky had its SEC-leading 28-game home win streak snapped in what has been a decidedly disappointing start to the season, with its worst start in SEC play since 1986-87.
John Calipari (right) talks with Sahvir Wheeler during Kentucky’ loss to South Carolina.APGregory “GG” Jackson II added 16 points for the Gamecocks, who shot 48%, making 11 of 20 3-point attempts, outscoring the Wildcats 21-12 on second-chance points and surviving 15 turnovers.
Oscar Tshiebwe scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, his ninth double-double this season for Kentucky. CJ Fredrick added 14 points and Antonio Reeves 13, both off the bench. The Wildcats shot 51% but made just 3 of 10 from the arc and 7 of 14 from the line.
Kentucky was missing forward Jacob Toppin with a right shoulder injury and guard Cason Wallace left midway through the first half with a lower back issue. Both are double-figure scorers. Toppin’s status is day-to-day.
South Carolina led throughout and was up by 12 with 13 minutes remaining. Kentucky made a couple of runs at the Gamecocks and got within a point with 51 seconds to go after a 10-0 surge with Reeves and Fredrick hitting 3-pointers. Johnson then lost an inbounds pass out of bounds with 20.2 left, the fourth turnover during the Wildcats’ run. But Kentucky missed a pair of 3-point attempts to end the game.
Kentucky and South Carolina players fight for a loose ball.Getty Images
Sahvir Wheeler shoots during game against South Carolina.AP Both teams were coming off lopsided losses to top-10 teams, Kentucky falling to Alabama 78-52 and South Carolina losing to Tennessee 85-42. But only the Gamecocks responded at the start, taking a 21-6 lead in the first seven minutes and a 42-32 halftime edge after shooting 57% with Johnson scoring 16 points.
— With AP
