Kentucky basketball: when will Fletcher and Brooks return plus Allen’s wait over

Kentucky basketball needs Cam’ron Fletcher and Keion Brooks back while John Calipari says Dontaie Allen‘s playing time is now.

It has been a turbulent start to the 2020-21 Kentucky basketball season thus far, but Wildcat fans must decide are they ready to abandon the ship or put their trust in Captian Calipari and his mates to weather the storm for sunnier skies.

Cam’Ron Fletcher was placed in a dingy and sent home for some soul searching before Christmas after an outburst at the end of the North Carolina game and missed the Louisville game. The good news is he returned to the team yesterday.

Calipari made some interesting and contradictory comments in his post game media conference after the Louisville game regarding the readiness of Dontaie Allen and his mistake of again not playing him.

"There were two times I thought about putting him in. Once in the first half, which I wish I would have because then I would have been able to play him in the second half.  If I don’t play a guy in the first half and it goes on — then he is going to have a chance.  It just wasn’t tonight. I coach the game to win. That is all I did."

After outcries and frustration, that too may have passed and it appears that Allen will finally get to check into Saturday’s game at Mississippi State.

Supposedly. We’ll see.

A 1-6 start is not something that Big Blue Nation has experienced in 109 years, but even the extreme fanatical supporter knows that while they expect a national championship they are hard to come by.

Of the top traditional powers, each is experiencing some struggles. Duke is just 3-2 with wins over Coppin State, Notre Dame, and Bellarmine, who is in their first year of NCAA eligibility. North Carolina is just 5-3, Michigan State (6-3) has dropped three straight to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Northwestern.

Kansas (8-1) is the lone standout and is closing the gap (2,310) to overtake Kentucky (2,319) as the winningest program in NCAA history.

Pride is on the line for Kentucky fans here and without a doubt gives them the bitterest pill to swallow.

They, unfortunately, don’t have the 23,000 strong in Rupp Arena to pick them up and will them to victory in close games or mired in a scoring drought. Just the 3,000 fans who should be as vocal as can be because this team needs you more than ever.

No, the steadiness they must find can only be found inside themselves.

Calipari always gives them the tools they need, and they wouldn’t be at UK if they didn’t have all the talent in the world.

But a weak Southeastern Conference may be just what this team needs to steady things. That begins on Saturday with a 6 pm tip in Starkville, MS. against the 5-1 Bulldogs.

Kentucky was slated to open conference play on Tuesday but that game has been postponed due to Covid-19. The only ranked teams are No. 7 Tennessee and No. 12 Missouri.