The Kentucky Wildcats have ended their 2022-23 campaign with a second-round defeat to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. The loss marked the end of a disappointing season for the Wildcats, who started the year as a top-five squad and the odds-on favorite to win the SEC. Despite the return of reigning unanimous player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe, experienced complementary pieces around him, and another stellar recruiting class, the team battled injuries throughout the season and suffered stunning losses to South Carolina and Georgia. There just wasn’t enough gas in the tank for these Wildcats.
This season’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament adds to a string of disappointing performances for the Wildcats. In the 2021 tournament, they lost to Saint Peter’s in a 15-over-2 upset in the first round, and they failed to qualify for the Big Dance during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16 was in 2019.
Kansas State started the 2022-23 season as a team picked to finish last in the 10-team Big 12. However, led by a first-year coach, the team proved to be better than Kentucky, clinching a spot in the East Region’s Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday against the winner of Sunday’s Michigan State-Marquette game.
Kansas State’s victory was led by 5’8″ star point guard Markquis Nowell, who posted game-highs in points (27) and assists (nine), stealing the show from Tshiebwe and freshmen Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston. Wallace had 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and showcased his NBA talent in the second half, sparking UK’s 13-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half, turning what had been a three-point deficit (29-26) to an eight-point advantage (39-31).
However, K-State did not flinch, erasing UK’s eight-point edge and scoring 44 of the contest’s final 74 points to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018. Kentucky trailed at the half, 29-26, despite K-State missing all 12 3-pointers it attempted in the opening 20 minutes. UK struggled immensely on offense in the final 5:22 of the half, connecting on just one of its last 10 field goals, with a streak of nine straight errant attempts.
Overall, it was a disappointing season for Kentucky, who were unable to reach their high expectations.
With Cal having a top 5 recruiting class coming in next year BBN nation is going to be on edge. Can Cal pull together a team that can compete? Or will BBN decide it has had enough and ask for Cal to be removed?
If nothing else, Coach Cal will likely get another year and BBN will have to wait to see if next year Calipari can bring home a 9th NCAA championship for a fanbase that is growing increasingly uneasy with the results of Calipari led Kentucky Wildcats teams.
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