On Monday, the sky continued to fall over Kentucky men’s basketball as coach John Calipari announced he had asked freshman Cam’Ron Fletcher to “step away” from the team after the four-star recruit was visibly upset towards the end of the team’s loss on Saturday . to North Carolina.
In a series of tweets, Calipari said he made the decision to preserve a culture that “will not change.”
We asked Cam Fletcher to take some time and step away from the team. He needs to think and do some soul searching to get his priorities right. Any attitude or action that is detrimental to this team will not be tolerated – and that applies to everyone on the team.
– John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 21, 2020
I’ve talked to Cam and his mom and they know that I care and love him, but they also understand that changes need to be made. His job is to decide whether he can perform both on and off the field within this culture.
– John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 21, 2020
After the 75-63 defeat to the Tar Heels – which underscored the first 1-5 start for Kentucky since 1927 and the first five-game lost streak under Calipari in Kentucky – Calipari said that Fletcher, who played two minutes into the defeat, had apologized for his attitude on the sidelines.
Fletcher later posted an apology to Kentucky fans after his “emotions peaked” due to the team’s ongoing struggles.
LOVE BBN 💙 pic.twitter.com/udaLo0Cygf
– 21 (@ CamRonFletcher1) December 20, 2020
After Saturday’s loss, Keion Brooks spoke to the media, even though he didn’t play in the game due to an injury. Brooks said his teammates were not “able” to talk to reporters after the historic loss. He also said he was concerned about his team’s “swagger” and “confidence” after the loss.
The last time Kentucky started 1-5 was three years before the school hired Adolph Rupp. It’s an all-time low for this generation of Kentucky supporters who saw Calipari win a national title in 2012 in a run of four Final Four appearances in five seasons from 2011 to 2015.
Saturday’s loss underscored the distance – eight years and counting – from that national championship round.
Kentucky came in on Monday in 50th place from KenPom. The team hasn’t finished at KenPom in the 50s since the 2012-13 campaign, which ended with a first-round loss to Robert Morris in the NIT. The program reached the Final Four the following season.