What another NCAA tournament first-round exit means for Kentucky and Calipari

When it all began, Kentucky was dancing. Literally. John Wall, the five-star freshman and anchor of John Calipari’s first recruiting class at Kentucky during the 2009-10 season, had gone viral with a dance that fans around the country mimicked. From there, it was the run to the national title in 2012 with future NBA superstar Anthony Davis. The 2014-15 squad made the Final Four after a 38-0 start. And then, the glory stopped.

The No. 3 seed Wildcats’ 80-76 loss to 14-seed Oakland in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament Thursday night extended an ongoing trend for blue-blood program that continues to recruit some of the best players in America but has failed to translate that talent into significant postseason wins over the past decade. Give the Golden Grizzlies credit for outplaying Kentucky for 40 minutes, and for Jack Gohlke‘s explosive 32-point performance.

Yet, for a team that has one NCAA tournament win since the 2019 edition, the future seems uncertain after its latest loss. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, John Gasaway and Jeff Borzello discuss the significance of this loss for Kentucky and the win for Oakland.

What was the most important moment of the game?

John Gasaway: With apologies to the amazing Jack Gohlke, the corner 3 DQ Cole hit with 37 seconds left in the game was absolutely crucial. Kentucky had pulled within one, and it looked like maybe the Wildcats were going to win after all. Then Cole nailed the shot that sealed UK’s fate.

Myron Medcalf: From the 8:14 mark until the 4:43 mark of the second half, Oakland had just one field goal. That was the stretch that allowed Kentucky to finally make a run and cut Oakland’s lead to 64-62. Ninety seconds later, though, the Wildcats were down by six again. They had a shot, and then they let it slip away again. They hit shots down the stretch to keep the game close, but the earlier run had been an opportunity to strike — and they just couldn’t.

Jeff Borzello: The moment Gohlke checked into the game with 15:55 left in the first half. He attempted two 3-pointers in his first 32 seconds on the floor — missing them both — but brought a confidence and energy that never disappeared. He ended up producing one of the legendary performances in recent NCAA tournament history, finishing with 32 points off the bench on 10-for-20 3-point shooting. He didn’t attempt a 2-point field goal. It was in line with the rest of his season, as he attempted 327 3s and just eight…