Following No. 3 Kentucky men’s basketball’s first round NCAA Tournament exit versus No. 14 Oakland, Kentucky fans and followers alike have aired their frustrations with the program and its recent woes.

At the buzzer: No. 3 Kentucky loses to No. 14 Oakland in NCAA Tournament first round

PHOTOS: Kentucky loses to Oakland first round of NCAA Tournament

COLUMN: 2024 NCAA Tournament success will make or break Calipari’s legacy

Kentucky men bow out in first SEC Tournament game for second consecutive season

Had the upset been a one-off, perhaps things would be different, but it wasn’t. Rather, it’s been indicative of a recurring trend or, rather, a downward spiral that the famed Kentucky program has taken in recent years.

From 2010-2019, the first half of John Calipari’s tenure at UK, Lexington was, without a doubt, the “gold standard.”

In year one Calipari brought in fan favorites like John Wall, Eric Blesdsoe and DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins and reminded Kentucky fans what it was like to expect that standard after down years with Tubby Smith and Billy Gillispie.

Just a few years later, in 2012, led by likely future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis, the Wildcats lifted their eighth national championship, the second most of any collegiate program.

While the 2012 championship would be the only of Calipari’s tenure thus far, it was far from the end of his success with an off year in 2013 being followed by a national championship appearance in 2014 after a miracle run.

Then, in 2015, led by Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT), Tyler Ulis and the Harrison Twins — with future NBA All Star Devin Booker on the bench — the Cats nearly did the impossible. Entering the Final Four 38-0, the Cats were two wins away from immortality … but ultimately proved mortal as the Wisconsin Badgers ended those dreams.

The defeat was crushing for Kentucky fans, even more so when it would prove to be the final Final Four appearance to date. Despite that, Kentucky continued to succeed and bring in phenomenal recruiting classes, going to the Elite Eight in 2017 and 2019.

Nobody could have predicted how far things would fall after that.

With Calipari being awarded a “lifetime contract” at Kentucky, he was given a 10-year coaching extension with a lifetime ambassadorship role in 2019.

The next year, the Hall of Fame coach was admittedly robbed of what could have been a phenomenal run when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament.

In 2021, though? 9-16. The worst season Kentucky basketball had since 1988-89 — the worst winning percentage since 1926-27 — and the worst for Calipari since his first year as head coach of UMass (1988-89).

Fans thought this would be a one-off in 2022 when the Cats were propelled by consensus National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe and blew out eventual national champions Kansas in Lawrence, but this would all come crashing down when UK was stunned by No. 15 Saint Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed.

Running it back, the 2023 season was nothing short of a massive failure when, with nearly the same roster with highly touted freshman and transfers added, Kentucky never clicked, earning a No. 6 seed in the “Big Dance” and being a second round exit.

Fans were sold on the concept of the insane recruiting class that the Cats were bringing in with the 2024 season seeming like it will surely be the year UK returns to the apex of college basketball. Now, in hindsight, we know that not to be the case.

Since his lifetime contract, Calipari is 1-4 in the SEC Tournament and 1-3 in the NCAA Tournament with half of the total number of top three seed first round exits in all of college basketball in the last three tournaments — top three seeds are 32-4 in the last three years in the first round … Kentucky is 0-2.

While this would normally seem like an easy decision — Calipari has got to go — there is one thing holding people back: a $33 million dollar buyout. If it were to happen, it would be, by far, the largest in college basketball history.

While this is, understandably, a massive limiting factor, Calipari’s recent tenure has been far from acceptable. It’s hard to get excited about future recruiting classes and preseason rankings after this 2024 season, too.

For Calipari, surely these seasons can’t be enjoyable. A competitive head coach with a stunning career history, surely he can’t want this to be his legacy.

For Kentucky, fans can roll their eyes and scoff with the mindset of, “We will always be Kentucky,” but once great programs have fallen before. Lest anyone forget, the program with the most national titles (11) is UCLA, which hasn’t lifted the trophy since 1995 and hasn’t been to the Final Four but once since 2008.

Or how about the Indiana Hoosiers, which, at one time, was clearly in the running if not in the category of being called a “Blue Blood.” That’s hardly the case anymore.

With programs like UConn claiming five national titles, all since 1999, and Kansas only falling off the line of winningest college basketball program because of IARP violations vacating wins, Kentucky, which claims to have “the greatest tradition in college basketball” is hardly alone at the top — if it’s even at the top at all anymore.

Whether or not UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart elects to make a move or not is to be decided but, for the sake of both parties, a split, and an amicable one if possible, seems like the best path forward.

This couple was once so young and had all the potential in the world but, two decades later, after years of hardship and turmoil, it’s clear the compatibility isn’t quite there anymore. Remember, sometimes goodbye is a second chance.