“Top 2 in NCAA Tournament history, that’s how big this loss was” - Stephen A. Smith questions how we should look at John Calipari after Kentucky’s shocking loss to Saint Peter’s
John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats headed into the NCAA Tournament as popular picks for many. The Wildcats were positioned as the second overall seed in their region and were facing the 15th-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks. It seemed as if it was going to be a warmup game for the Wildcats before advancing to the next round. But the Peacocks had other plans in mind.
Saint Peter's beat seventh-ranked Kentucky 85-79 in overtime. It was one of the most shocking losses in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
On ESPN's "First Take" on Friday, analyst Stephen A. Smith said the loss was one of the top two in tournament history.
"This is one of the biggest losses. ... I think it's like top two in NCAA Tournament history, that's how big this loss was," Smith said.
A disappointing loss for Kentucky and John Calipari
Throughout the season, the Wildcats looked like they could make a deep run during March Madness. The roster featured a number of talented players who looked to have the potential to give the basketball powerhouse its ninth national championship.
One of those was freshman guard TyTy Washington. The crafty guard is a potential lottery selection in the NBA draft because of his playmaking ability and outside shooting stroke. Washington averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 45.1%, including 35.0% from 3-point range.
Rewatching the Kentucky loss and this play stood out. TyTy Washington turns the corner out of PNR...and runs into 4 opponents, as both non-shooting Kentucky bigs are clogging the paint. Almost no one (successful) plays this style of cramped offense anymore, anywhere in the world. https://t.co/mv7tr3WeCR
The team also had junior big man Oscar Thsiebwe, who had become one of the most productive centers in college basketball. Throughout the regular season, Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points, 15.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 60.6%.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats (26-8), March Madness can be an unpredictable time of the year that can bring forth a number of chaotic events. After a season that featured the Wildcats looking like a serious contender in the NCAA, John Calipari and company are heading home after their eye-opening first-round loss to the Peacocks.
It was the 10th time a No. 2 seed has beaten a No. 15 seed in the tournament.
Saint Peter's (20-11) won its first NCAA Tournament game in four appearances.
Saint Peter’s (20-11) will play 20th-ranked Murray State (21-2) on Saturday in Indianapolis in the second round of the East Region.