John Calipari Laments Kentucky's 6-Game Losing Streak After Louisville Defeat

Kentucky men's basketball dropped its sixth straight game after losing to rival Louisville 62-59 on Saturday.

After the matchup, Kentucky head coach John Calipari spoke with reporters about the skid.

"Let me just say this again, losing stinks," Calipari said. "We had our chances, and we had some breakdowns."

UK big man Isaiah Jackson tied the game at 59 thanks to a free throw with 1:05 remaining, but Louisville got to the line and sunk three free throws of its own en route to the three-point win. Kentucky missed three field goals in the final minute.

With the loss, Kentucky fell to 1-6 for just the third time in program history, per ESPN Stats & Information.

Kentucky, which ranked 10th in the Associated Press preseason poll, opened the 2020-21 campaign with an 81-45 win over Morehead State. However, the Wildcats then fell to unranked Richmond 76-64 at home before losing five more, capped by the Louisville loss.

The talent is there for Calipari's Wildcats to turn their season around.

Kentucky ranked first on 247Sports' class of 2020 recruit rankings. Calipari brought in a pair of 5-star talents in Brandon Boston Jr. and Terrence Clarke in addition to four 4-star players, including Jackson and guard Devin Askew.

In addition, time is currently on the Wildcats' side, as SEC play hasn't started yet. Kentucky is scheduled to begin its conference slate Jan. 2 at Mississippi State.

"I don't believe it's over," Calipari said regarding his team's season. "We haven't played a league game yet. Let's go do what we do. I'm not budging, I'm not cracking."

However, Calipari noted that his team has squandered some opportunities to turn its season around.

"All of a sudden, you get punched in the mouth and you start tasting blood, how do you react?" Calipari said.

"How do we limit some of the breakdowns? ... Where's the leadership right now where we had chances? We've had our chances and we've dropped them all."

Four of Kentucky's six defeats have been against unranked teams, although the Wildcats have faced off against four ACC opponents (including No. 17 UNC) and No. 3 Kansas.

It's been a tough stretch for the Wildcats, and Calipari wondered aloud whether he should have constructed an easier schedule to open the year.

"We need more time for all the team-building stuff that we do here all the time," Calipari said. "We team-build in the summer. We team-build in the fall. We're making up time. Not where we need to be, but making up time.

"You gotta play games you can win to build confidence. ... This was the stupidest schedule I've ever put together. I'd like to smack myself in the mouth."

For now, the Wildcats have the rest of the calendar year off before traveling to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs.