Kentucky has had a terrible season. One of the worst in literally 100 years.
But luck was not on their side either.
The Cats are in the lead of second place in so many of the 13 defeats. For some reason, the ball often doesn’t bounce in your direction, resulting in a historically bad season.
Another area of misfortune was the whistle. Or the lack of a painful 81-80 defeat by the UK to the Razorbacks on Tuesday night.
With Kentucky losing by three, with just under two minutes to go, Arkansas freshman striker Jaylin Williams hit the ground at Devin Askew. Instead of calling what appeared to be a trip, the referee rewarded Williams with a trip to the line.
Was he soiled? Maybe, but you can see for yourself what steps were taken long before any contact was made. Calipari was livid at not being asked to walk.
ESPN commentator Jimmy Dykes was not a fan of the exploded call and even mentioned that Williams may have taken four steps.
Needless to say, a call could have changed the outcome of the game, considering it was a point loss.
To make matters worse, it was the ‘foul’ on Jacob Toppin after Kentucky gained an 80-79 lead in the final seconds. It looks like he hit the entire ball, but the foul was called when Jalen Tate hit two free throws to win the game.
BJ Boston probably said it best about the call.
BJ Boston on the Toppin foul: “I honestly don’t think it was a foul. I think the referees gave them that game.”
– Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) February 10, 2021
Again, if one or two minor things happen in the UK, they may perform considerably better overall.
Instead, Kentucky is now tainted with an abysmal record of 5-13, leaving the Big Blue Nation as frustrated as ever. Saturday’s loss to Tennessee was especially disheartening because of how well the guys performed for 30 minutes.
So tonight, it looked like the UK had enough in the tank to steal a win at the Rupp Arena, but, again, it just didn’t work out.
Despite questionable calls, this team has failed to seize opportunities at the end of the games.
It looked like tonight would be the night that Calipari’s team would finally end with one.
Maybe next time?