The comparisons between this year’s basketball team and last year’s were flying fast before the season started. Which was bigger, which shot better, which had the potential to go farther in March.

A new comparison has emerged: does this team have the “it” factor, that overriding sense that they will not lose?

According to the man who coached both teams, the answer – as of now – is no.

“We don’t have that will to win we did a year ago,” head coach John Calipari said of last year’s 35-3 team.

UK’s will to win wasn’t strong enough Tuesday night, when it climbed from a 20-point deficit to within a single point before falling by two.

UK had two chances to take a lead within the final minute. On the first, Brandon Knight was called for a charge. On the second, a handoff from Knight to Doron Lamb on the perimeter was deflected and stolen.

“We didn’t execute it,” Knight said. “We didn’t sprint hard enough, me or him. And it resulted in a turnover.”

But those types of plays are often the difference between winning and losing.

“This is why you lose close games. And we’re going to be in a lot of close games,” Calipari said. “This is what we are.”

Calipari said that four times UK came down and broke off plays, meaning they didn’t run the designed play and instead took their own shots. And when the game gets down to the last shots, this team hasn’t established a go-to guy.

“I’m still learning, who do I go to?” Calipari said. “I went to the wrong guys. We’re trying to figure it out. Obviously we’re not running pistol (the playcall that resulted in a turnover) to Doron.”

Last year, the end of games swung UK’s way more often that not, starting with John Wall’s game winner in his first eligible game against Miami of Ohio.

“When we got it close, we made the plays we were supposed to make,” Calipari said of last year’s team. “Made the plays we were supposed to, came up with the balls we were supposed to. We’re not seeing that.”

As troubling is that UK has been thoroughly dominated physically in both road losses, to Georgia and Alabama, two teams that rely on talented forward duos.

“We had some guys who couldn’t play in this game,” Calipari said. “They just couldn’t play in this game.”

Going forward, UK faces a duality. How troubling is this loss, really? And can they learn enough from it to overcome the setback of the loss as the season progresses?

It’s up to the players to decide.

“Guys are getting minutes and shots, and they’re content,” Calipari said. “Either you accept it and are content with it, or you say no, this is not happening.”