Kentucky and coach John Calipari didn't get through the first round of the NCAA Tournament again. For the second time in three years, the Wildcats were bounced by a double-digit seed. Oakland's Jack Gohlke made 10 3-pointers and Oakland shocked Kentucky 80-76 in the opening round of the Midwest Region at Pittsburgh.
Kentucky coach John Calipari, center, stands in front of the bench late in the second half of the team’s basketball game against Oakland in the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 21, 2024. Oakland won 80-76. The Kentucy bench watches the final minutes of the team’s loss to Oakland in a college basketball game in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Pittsburgh.
Still, the Wildcats, with their usual bevy of high school All-Americans, had been a popular pick to make a deep run this March and maybe even make the Final Four for the first time since 2015. Sure, they were flawed. There were some major questions about their defense, and they lacked the kind of experienced, go-to player who can make big plays in crunch time.
When the door to Kentucky’s locker room door finally opened following a cooling-off period, Tre Mitchell, who transferred for a chance to play for Calipari, walked out with a towel covering his eyes. “This time around, last year I was in tears, I was bumming,” he said. “This time it’s like I have so many emotions going on that I can’t feel them. I’m just kind of numb right now, and I’m sure it’ll hit me, but this one hurts a lot. You know, it hurts. It’s obviously not the desired outcome, and you’re on the headlines of a Cinderella story when you know that we had the potential to make a really deep run in this thing.”He praised Oakland, which had the better night.
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