Kentucky basketball: Game preview, 3 keys vs Alabama
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team is on a 4-game losing streak. Can the Cats turn things around against Collin Sexton and the Alabama Crimson Tide?
Being the Kentucky basketball coach comes with adversity. It’s part of the job. However, John Calipari hasn’t faced adversity like this with his team in quite some time. The Wildcats have lost 4 straight games and the Alabama Crimson Tide, led by talented freshman Collin Sexton, are coming to town.
It feels like forever since Kentucky rallied from 17 points down on the road in Morgantown to come back and upset the West Virginia Mountaineers. That was, at the time, a signature for Calipari’s team and Big Blue Nation thought these young Cats had finally turned the corner. Wrong!
Since Kentucky basketball’s 83-76 win over Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers, the Wildcats are 1-4 and could easily be riding a 5-game losing streak coming into Saturday’s contest at Rupp Arena. The Cats are a silly foul and 2 clutch free throws away from a 16-10 record.
The Wildcats are barely keeping their head above water and a 5th consecutive loss on Saturday will definitely start the “bubble watch” chatter from the pundits and talking heads. The Kentucky basketball team is in a funk right now and Calipari, so far, does not appear to have the answers.
Talent is not the problem for this team. Their lack of experience, while an accurate evaluation, is an excuse. This team is lacking leadership, trust and accountability. A lineup change against Auburn this past Wednesday was a step in the right direction, but it still didn’t fix the problem. Let’s see if Cal has an ace up his sleeve as we preview the 3 keys to a UK victory over the Tide.