LEXINGTON, Ky. _ That thud you may have heard late Tuesday night around High Street came from approximately 20,000 jaws collectively hitting the Rupp Arena floor.
Up 17 points in the second half, Kentucky lost to Tennessee 81-73. Perhaps you've heard. It was not the preferred way to close out the home season. The visiting Vols outscored UK 50-25 over the final 17 minutes. They shot 52.8% from the floor. They crushed the Cats on the boards over the final 20 minutes.
Ultimately, for the first time in the John Calipari era, Kentucky lost a game it led by double digits at halftime _ 42-31 in this case. Cal's previous UK record in such circumstances: 144-0.
"We just didn't bring it," lamented guard Immanuel Quickley afterward.
Obvious question: Why not? Obvious theory: A letdown, considering the Cats had clinched the SEC regular-season title and No. 1 seed in next week's league tournament. Popular theory: After playing with fire, UK was burned by the bad habit of allowing comfortable leads to become tight finishes.
Better question: What did the not-so-Super Tuesday mean for the future? The postseason is close at hand, after all. Was the loss to Tennessee a one-off, a lesson the Cats needed before March matters? Or was it a scary sign of things to come?
I cast my ballot for the former. After all, Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes is now 7-5 versus John Calipari at UK. Barnes knows his old friend Cal better than most coaches. And while roller-coaster riding this season, the Volunteers are 9-8 in the SEC with back-to-back wins over Florida and the Cats.
That said, I do have a couple of concerns. One is in the middle. The other is at the point. You know, Nick Richards and Ashton Hagans, the junior center and sophomore point guard seen exchanging words in a fit of frustration Tuesday as Kentucky's lead slipped into the darkness.
As so often happens, Richards hasn't quite been the same player since the school launched its "Pick Nick" postseason awards campaign. It's probably a coincidence, but the 7-footer is averaging just 9.8 points and six rebounds over his last four games. He had 12 points and nine rebounds against Tennessee, but just one offensive rebound, while at the other end of the floor Vols center John Fulkerson was scoring a career-high 27 points.
Meanwhile, Hagans has made just six of 23 shots over his last two games. I know, Calipari said Hagans' 2-for-13 afternoon in the win over Auburn last Saturday was no big deal considering the other areas in which Hagans made essential contributions. But over his last four games, his assist-to-turnover ratio is 20-to-15. Tuesday night, he committed a key turnover with 40 seconds remaining.
"If we don't play physical, we're not going to win," said Calipari. "Second thing is, this team is tied to each other. When one or two guys don't play well, it affects everybody."
It says here the Cats will bounce back. Even if it meant nothing in the standings _ NCAA seeds notwithstanding _ Tuesday had to be a shock to the system. The Cats had won eight straight. They had climbed to No. 6 in the rankings. Coaches like Barnes and Auburn's Bruce Pearl were making the case UK was "undervalued" as a national championship contender. "I still believe that," Barnes reiterated Tuesday.
Besides, history says this has happened before. Last year's team lost by 19 at Tennessee on March 2 and still made the Elite Eight. The 2018 team lost at Florida by 13 in March and reached the Sweet 16. The 2014 team lost by 19 at Florida in the regular-season finale and, after a "tweak" or two, reached the national title game. The 2012 team did not let a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament finals keep it from winning the NCAA Tournament.
Not saying that's going to happen this year, but, seriously, who knows in this mixed-up college basketball season? More surprises are surely in store.
