John Calipari could have been livid with his Kentucky Wildcats after they blew a 17-point lead in a home loss to Tennessee on Tuesday. Instead, he kept things in perspective and credited the Vols for their effort.
Calipari praised Tennessee for coming back from a big deficit in the second half, even calling the accomplishment “impressive.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari: For Tennessee to come into this building tonight and come back the way they did and, I hate to say it, to run away with it, I mean, come on, man. That’s impressive.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 4, 2020
The Kentucky coach also complimented John Fulkerson, who scored 27 points for Tennessee, and said the Vols were the more physical team.
Kentucky coach John Calipari: This is more about Tennessee than us. They were more physical than us. Fulkerson killed us. He was unbelievable. We threw everything at him. Didn’t matter.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 4, 2020
This is the kind of game that Calipari just wants to flush, put it behind them, and not watch the video.
Kentucky coach John Calipari: We got manhandled tonight. I got manhandled tonight. I don’t want to watch this tape.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 4, 2020
The loss has to be a huge disappointment for Calipari and Kentucky fans. They had won eight in a row, including a road win at Tennessee, prior to the loss. The Cats are now 24-6 and have Saturday’s regular season finale at Florida before the SEC Tournament. Their case for a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament will depend on how the conference tournament goes.
