On Monday, the sky kept falling around Kentucky men’s basketball when coach John Calipari announced that he has asked freshman Cam’Ron Fletcher to “step away” from the team after the four-star recruit was visibly upset toward the end of the team’s Saturday loss to North Carolina.
In a series of tweets, Calipari said he made the decision to preserve a culture that “will not change.”
We have asked Cam Fletcher to take some time and step away from the team. He needs to reflect and do some soul searching to get his priorities in order. Any attitude or actions that are detrimental to this team will not be tolerated – and that goes for everyone on the team.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 21, 2020
I talked to Cam and his mother and they know I care about him and I love him, but they also understand that there are changes that need to be made. It’s his job to decide whether he can perform within this culture both on and off the court.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 21, 2020
After the 75-63 loss to the Tar Heels — which punctuated the first 1-5 start for Kentucky since 1927 and the first five-game losing streak under Calipari at Kentucky — Calipari said Fletcher, who played two minutes in the loss, had apologized for his demeanor on the sideline.
Fletcher later posted an apology to Kentucky fans after his “emotions peaked” because of the team’s ongoing struggles.
LOVE BBN 💙 pic.twitter.com/udaLo0Cygf
— 21 (@CamRonFletcher1) December 20, 2020
Following Saturday’s loss, Keion Brooks spoke to the media even though he didn’t play in the game because of injury. Brooks said his teammates weren’t “up to” speaking to reporters after the historic loss. He also said he had concerns 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 unprecedented low for this generation of Kentucky supporters who watched Calipari win a national title in 2012 during a run of four Final Four appearances in five seasons from 2011 to 2015.
Saturday’s loss highlighted the distance — eight years and counting — from that national championship run.
Kentucky entered Monday ranked 50th by KenPom. The team hasn’t finished in the 50s on KenPom 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.