Kyle Wiltjer

MOON, Pa. - Unless you win the national championship like Kentucky did last season, there's never a perfect way for a team to end a season. However, sometimes there can be a fitting way - and that's just what happened to Kentucky. A team that lacked toughness, cohesiveness, playmakers and focus got dominated early, battled back and then made crucial mistakes at the end to fill 59-57 to Robert Morris on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT. “They deserved to win. If we had won at the buzzer, it would have been a shame.

KNOXVILLE - His team is still not listening to him the way he wants or playing with the overall intensity he wants - problems Kentucky had well before Nerlens Noel went down with a season-ending injury. Now Kentucky coach John Calipari says the Cats have to know they better start listening or else. Those weaknesses and many more were exploited by Tennessee here Saturday when the Vols started UK's No-Noel era with an 88-58 victory, the biggest win ever by the Vols over UK. “We won the game.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky may not have liked the game plan Auburn had, but it was one the Cats better get used to see more of in the weeks ahead. The Tigers used what UK coach John Calipari called a “let's be physical game plan” and switching defenses to confound UK¿at times here Saturday before the Wildcats finally won 72-62. The game had a flagrant technical foul on Auburn guard Frankie Sullivan for throwing Kyle Wiltjer into the front row on a fast break and another flagrant foul on Jordan Granger for throwing a punch at Archie Goodwin that led to the Auburn player's ejection.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky may not have liked the game plan Auburn had, but it was one the Cats better get used to see more of in the weeks ahead. The Tigers used what UK coach John Calipari called a “let's be physical game plan” and switching defenses to confound UK at times here Saturday before the Wildcats finally won 72-62. The game had a flagrant technical foul on Auburn guard Frankie Sullivan for throwing Kyle Wiltjer into the front row on a fast break and another flagrant foul on Jordan Granger for throwing a punch at Archie Goodwin that led to the Auburn player's ejection.

LEXINGTON - John Calipari really doesn't want to be mean to his basketball team - or at least that's what he said Tuesday night after admitting “I got mean” in the second half. He insists he's tired of coaching emotion, intensity, toughness. If his team won't play tougher and with more effort, then he'll concentrate on strategy. Yet after beating South Carolina 77-55 Tuesday in a game that was only close after a 16-6 run gave South Carolina an 18-17 lead midway of the first half, the Wildcats are only one game behind Florida in the Southeastern Conference standings.

Kyle Wiltjer has been used to growing pains since he's been at Kentucky. A freshman season roller coaster ride ended smoothly last season after the Wildcats won their eighth national championship with a mixture of veterans and newcomers. This year, Wiltjer admits the journey has been “overall similar” but added the team has experienced more bumps along the way than last year's squad. “There has been a different approach this year, just trying to find the way we're going to play so it has taken a little longer,” he said.

For weeks John Calipari has been almost begging for his team to do two things: Show more fight and have fun doing it. Kentucky did both Tuesday night at Mississippi, and the Wildcats helped convince those who questioned whether they could make the NCAA tournament, including me, that this team might have time to regroup and blossom by March. No, the 87-74 victory over No. 16 Mississippi won't vault UK into the national rankings or into the Southeastern Conference lead. What it did do, though, was give the Cats their first win over a top-50 team this year and give them a huge dose of confidence.

LEXINGTON - Once again Kentucky seemed determined to prove that it is an average basketball team, not one worthy of making a late-season push to be a factor in the NCAA Tournament  - or even make sure it is in the tournament. The Cats squandered most of a comfortable lead as they have done several times this season before holding off LSU here 75-70 Saturday that left even coach John Calipari grasping for positives. “We have to get this thing right, right now. You saw, I mean, we are still not - you've got to get out of your own self's way, so you can bust through,” said Calipari.

LEXINGTON - This has been such a strange season for Kentucky that there was no way coach John Calipari was going to let LSU get off a potential game-tying, 3-point shot. Who could blame him considering that it might have takens a heads-up move by associate coach John Robic seconds before to keep UK in position to claim a 75-70 win. Calipari had Archie Goodwin foul Anthony Hickey before he could take a shot after Kyle Wiltjer hit two free throws with 3.1 seconds left to play to give UK a 73-70 lead.

What do Kentucky fans and coach John Calipari have in common? Easy. They are all disappointed with the Wildcats' loss Tuesday at Alabama. “To be honest, I'm disappointed, but my disappointment is more with me than it is with the individual players on this team,” Calipari posted Thursday on www.coachcal.com. “Over the years, we have always taken great pride in getting guys to accept roles, to play for their teammates and to play to win versus playing not to lose. Our teams have always played tough both mentally and physically.