Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Kentucky Now Lone Unbeaten, More Than Half Way to 40-0
With Virginia’s loss to Duke Saturday night, No. 1 Kentucky is now the lone unbeaten men’s Division 1 team in the nation.
And at 21-0 after their win over Alabama, the Wildcats are more than half way to a potential perfect 40-0 season.
“I told them last night, we lose today, we’re 20-1. So?,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said Saturday after his team’s 70-55 win. “I said, ‘You lose in March, your season’s over.'”
March is only a month away at this point, and coming fast.
For now, Kentucky has 10 more SEC games, followed by potentially three SEC Tournament games and as many as six NCAA Tournament games — with the first two in nearby Louisville.
Calipari said he’s not thinking about becoming the first team since Indiana in 1976 to go undefeated, only about his team improving on a daily basis.
“Right now, you should just try to find out how good you can be,” he said. “And that’s all we’re doing. I’ve had a team at Massachusetts that was started the season like this, I had a team at Memphis that started the season like this, both of those teams took an L and by the end of the year were the best version of themselves. By the end of the year.
“Whether that happens to this team or not, one way or another, I would rather them win it all or win them all, but if they don’t, this doesn’t. Just as long as we’re getting better.”
Poll: Will Kentucky go undefeated?
Photo: USA Today Sports
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
With Virginia’s loss to Duke Saturday night, No. 1 Kentucky is now the lone unbeaten men’s Division 1 team in the nation.
And at 21-0 after their win over Alabama, the Wildcats are more than half way to a potential perfect 40-0 season.
“I told them last night, we lose today, we’re 20-1. So?,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said Saturday after his team’s 70-55 win. “I said, ‘You lose in March, your season’s over.'”
March is only a month away at this point, and coming fast.
For now, Kentucky has 10 more SEC games, followed by potentially three SEC Tournament games and as many as six NCAA Tournament games — with the first two in nearby Louisville.
Calipari said he’s not thinking about becoming the first team since Indiana in 1976 to go undefeated, only about his team improving on a daily basis.
“Right now, you should just try to find out how good you can be,” he said. “And that’s all we’re doing. I’ve had a team at Massachusetts that was started the season like this, I had a team at Memphis that started the season like this, both of those teams took an L and by the end of the year were the best version of themselves. By the end of the year.
“Whether that happens to this team or not, one way or another, I would rather them win it all or win them all, but if they don’t, this doesn’t. Just as long as we’re getting better.”
Poll: Will Kentucky go undefeated?
Photo: USA Today Sports
