Kentucky basketball: All-time win lead safe for now but for how long

It must change now with the vultures circling

If Kentucky wants to keep Kansas, North Carolina, and Duke off their heels and watching them go past the Wildcats then Calipari must have players who want to play for this University and not just a ticket to the NBA with a mandated one-year detour in Lexington.

Oh and that is on Calipari to develop instead of just wanting to make it a pit stop in the Bluegrass.

This is coming at a price of no championships since 2012, and the best winning program ever something Big Blue Nation hangs its hat on and boasts about.

The UK head coach is taking it personally as he should and had a message.

"“It’s unacceptable what we went through. We all know why we’re here: to compete and win national titles. I’m not satisfied. My whole mission now is, ‘Let’s put this behind us and let’s continue to say, ‘This is Kentucky. This is a standard.’ And there are a lot of happy people out there that we had this kind of year. And you know what? Enjoy your time now, next year is going to come soon enough.”"

Self in his 18 seasons at the helm of the Kansas program and has won more games than the coaches at Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke have won in that same time frame.

The Jayhawks are 521-117 in the Self era. Our much-hated other blue teams to the east on tobacco road have Duke being 507-127 under Mike Krzyzewski while the Roy Williams has amassed a 485-162 record in those18 years.

Conversely, Kentucky, which has been under the direction of four coaches during that span in Calipari, Billy Gillispie, and Tubby Smith is just 478-156.

Championships to show for that have UNC winning three, Duke has won two, and Kansas and Kentucky have one each.

Kentucky’s advantage seems to be dwindling and Self knows it and is ready to pounce.

Self said in a zoom call with reporters just before the NCAA Tournament began and described in the Kansas City Star.

"“I will tell you this, I think Kentucky has, rightfully so, used that as a recruiting tool for decades: ‘We are the winningest program in the history of college basketball,’ and rightfully so. We’ve said, ‘We are the second-winningest program in the history of college basketball.’ I don’t know that either one of those statements actually gets you a player (in recruiting) in today’s time. I do think it adds interest and it certainly adds pride with your loyal fanbases and your alums.”"

Calipari sent a message to BBN and the nation that this season and the style of play are not acceptable and now it’s time to pony up and make it happen by widening that lead once more.

The clock is ticking.