Mitch Barnhart: Kentucky basketball needs to return to 'championship-level performance'

LEXINGTON - For almost an hour Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and radio play-by-play man Tom Leach broke down the implications of UK's shocking season-ending loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's.

But it was the final seven-minute segment of the Calipari radio show in which athletic director Mitch Barnhart made an appearance that may have been most telling.

"We have built the foundational pieces of Kentucky athletics and specifically Kentucky basketball to layer upon layer give us an opportunity to celebrate championship-level performance," Barnhart said. "We need to return to that. Our fans deserve that. I am deeply disappointed, as they are, that we didn’t have a chance to experience that this year."

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The comments were Barnhart's first public assessment of the athletic department's flagship program losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, one year after posting its worst record since the Great Depression.

Nothing about Barnhart's comments suggested Calipari is on the hot seat -- his massive buyout essentially assures his job is safe -- but Calipari's boss made it clear expectations are higher than the program's performance the last two years.

"We have a responsibility to the tradition, the rich tradition, the history of this program to make sure that we make runs in March and we provide those memories that everybody wants to cling to," Barnhart said. "We’ll work diligently to get that done. I lead the department in that way, and our coaches believe that and they carry that banner."

The radio show, which normally airs live across the state to allow for calls from fans, was recorded earlier Monday because Calipari was on the road recruiting. Leach took fan questions from social media while asking about many of the hot-button talking points from the Saint Peter's loss.

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Among the high points of Calipari's appearance:

• While acknowledging the strategy did not work, Calipari defended his decision not to call a timeout before Kentucky's final possession of regulation. That is generally Calipari's strategy in similar situations to prevent the opponent from setting its defense.

• Calipari agreed with a fan's suggesting that junior forward Jacob Toppin, who totaled eight points, one rebound, one assist and one block in 13 first-half minutes, should have played more than three minutes in the second half.

• When Calipari announced freshman guard Shaedon Sharpe would not play this season in early February, he expressed confidence Sharpe would be at UK next season. That tone changed Monday with Calipari saying the projected lottery pick needed to explore his options. "I hope I get a chance to coach him in real games because I’ve really enjoyed him in practice," Calipari said.

• Calipari said Sharpe, Oscar Tshiebwe and TyTy Washington have not made a decision about entering the NBA draft. He responded to a report that freshman forward Daimion Collins will return to UK by saying Collins could be one of the best players in the country next season if he makes the most of the offseason.

• Dipping back into the transfer portal this offseason is an option, but Calipari cautioned it is not as simple as finding players with gaudy statistics at their former schools. "The other piece is that will to win, that competitive spirit that you must have to succeed here," he said.

Calipari reiterated the message he posted to social media Saturday, encouraging fans to direct their unhappiness about the Saint Peter's loss at him, not players.

"We had fans after the game that were crying and consoling our players," Calipari said. "Now, I imagine there were other people mad and angry. You have a right.

"You have a right, we're Kentucky. I would say I have the resolve, just like I did last year, to say, 'All right, I can't wait. (Next season) can't come soon enough.'"

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The Hall of Fame coach plans to "take stock in everything we're doing" after the abrupt ending to the season. That offseason evaluation is normal, even after deep NCAA Tournament runs, Calipari said.

Kentucky is planning another summer trip to the Bahamas, something Calipari hopes will help next season's team get a jumpstart on figuring out its identity. Asked about possible changes to his offensive system, Calipari said he constantly solicits input from coaching peers, but he said the style next season's team plays with will depend on the personnel.

The process of building that roster is underway.

"As much as I want to be down – I was under the covers a couple days – as much as I want to be angry and all that stuff, as long as I want to be in despair – and I told you I was for a little while – it is now, all right, it happened, it stinks, it's even worse than stinks," Calipari said. "Now, where's the resolve?"

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Mitch Barnhart calls for improvement in program