There are no moral victories when it comes to Kentucky basketball. Not when you’re dealing with arguably the nation’s most storied program.
But if there was ever a time to walk away from a loss feeling encouraged, Tuesday’s loss in the Champions Classic to Kansas was that time. Did Kentucky play a perfect game? Absolutely not. Radio shows and message boards will spend the next 24 hours banging the drum about the 14-point second-half lead the Wildcats allowed to evaporate, execution on some key late-game possessions and John Calipari’s substitution patterns. But Kentucky also showed why Calipari has been outwardly optimistic about his young Wildcats team, even in the face of offseason adversity.
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