KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 28: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats speaks with the media at a press conference during a practice session ahead of the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at Sprint Center on March 28, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)After a dreadful start to the season, Kentucky basketball is trying to claw its way back into NCAA Tournament consideration, or at least round into form ahead of a potential must-win SEC Tournament. After a huge win over Tennessee today, John Calipari announced that the team will no longer be facing Texas A&M on Tuesday.
The Aggies have been absolutely bludgeoned by COVID-19 issues within the program. The team, which sits at 8-7, last played all the way back on Jan. 30 against Kansas State.
Games against Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas have all been postponed. Now, you can add Tuesday night’s at Kentucky to the list. That puts Kentucky basketball’s next scheduled game on Feb. 27 against the Florida football.
Calipari broke the news about Tuesday’s Texas A&M game in an interview with Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio after today’s pivotal win over the No. 19 Vols.
John Calipari just told me and @MedcalfByESPN on ESPN Radio that the UK-Texas A&M game on Tuesday has been cancelled
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) February 20, 2021
John Calipari said that he believes the Wildcats will wind up playing three times during the final week of the season. He outlined how he’d like to see things wrap up as well. He doesn’t think the team will add a game between now and next Saturday, when they play Florida.
“Yeah (we could add new games), but the gauntlet that these kids have just been through, I’m not sure we don’t take a couple days and catch our breath,” Calipari said. “Then try to play both A&M and South Carolina both that last week where we get three games. Play at Mississippi, then two home games before our conference tournament. That’s what I’d like to do. These kids need a breath, come on. They’ve been through a gauntlet.”
The Wildcats have won three straight against Auburn, at Vanderbilt, and now at Tennessee. At 8-13, there is still a ton of work to be done, though a strong SEC gives them a number of opportunities come SEC Tournament time. Kentucky is 7-7 in conference, and in eighth place at the moment.
