Taking the pulse of the BBN ahead of the Tennessee game

Needless to say, over halfway into the season, things aren’t going as well for Kentucky Basketball. The Cats are 10-6, 1-3 in the SEC; that latter figure marks Kentucky’s worst start to conference play since 1986-87. Coming off back-to-back embarrassing losses to Alabama and South Carolina, morale may be at an all-time low in the John Calipari era.

After the loss to Missouri two weeks ago, I wrote about how apathy was trending in the Big Blue Nation, an unthinkable thought, especially during a season many projected would end with a championship. The mood in the fanbase improved slightly with wins over Louisville and LSU but has since plummeted following the losses to Alabama and South Carolina. Alarming comments from Oscar Tshiebwe, behind-the-scenes drama between John Calipari and Mitch Barnhart, and uncertainty about Calipari’s future in Lexington have only fueled the fire.

Tomorrow, Kentucky plays No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville, potentially without Jacob Toppin (we’re hearing Cason Wallace will play). Even before the season, this game was circled as one of the most difficult on the schedule. Since Rick Barnes took over at Tennessee in 2015, Kentucky is 2-5 in Thompson-Boling Arena. Combine that with the Cats’ current struggles and a top-five Tennessee team with the best defense according to KenPom and, well, tomorrow could get really ugly. So ugly some fans might not watch.

As a lifelong Kentucky fan, that last sentence was really hard to write but in talking to fans, I believe it to be true. Wednesday, I posted the five stages of grief on Twitter and asked fans to share where they are when it comes to the current state of Kentucky Basketball. Now, I realize comparing the grieving process to sports is heavy-handed, but Kentucky Basketball is a heavy fandom. Few fanbases are as emotionally invested as this one, and the exercise yielded some interesting results.

#BBN, where are you with the current state of Kentucky Basketball? pic.twitter.com/cpVp2BrNzs

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) January 11, 2023

“BBN, where are you with the current state of Kentucky Basketball?”

• Denial: This can’t be happening.
• Anger: Why did this happen? Who is to blame?
• Bargaining: Make this not happen and I will…
• Depression: I can’t bear this; I’m too sad to do anything
• Acceptance: I acknowledge that this has happened, and I cannot change it.

Responses

There were over 180 replies to that tweet. “Acceptance” was the most common response, followed by depression and anger. Some fans admitted to experiencing all five emotions in the span of one game. Here’s a sample:

“Acceptance, unfortunately” – Michelle Hurst

“Acceptance. Whatever happens will happen. I’ll still watch unless anything else is going on and hope for the best without thinking it is going to change” – Stacy H

“This will sound very bad, but I hardly check into games when they happen, and last night’s loss didn’t really affect me. I mostly felt bad for those who still feel these games. I used to feel nervous before games and angry in losses, but everything is numb now” – Suns DWJ Stan

“Back and forth between Anger and Acceptance. Last night was a good example… I accepted it, then we got within on… then anger set in again post-defeat. Sigh.” – Josiah Spann

“Depressed for sure. Just sad that this is what we have.” – Brandon Samuels

“Just left depression and moved to acceptance after last night” – Danny Pierce

“I jumped straight from denial to acceptance last night. Going through everything in like 2 hours is rough lol” – Matt Slusser

“I feel most all to a degree but I’d say acceptance.” – Kevin Feltner

“All of the above” – Dean Behrendt

“Acceptance. But I’m going to be in my seat every home game, going to the TN game, and the SEC Tournament. As long as we have players taking the court, I’m cheering them on.” – ValerieBotkin

“Acceptance. And that’s a problem.” – BRADCA~1.EXE

On a larger scale, this response really hit home for some:

Denial: Kansas State
Anger: Auburn
Bargaining: 9-16
Depression: St. Peters
Acceptance: South Carolina

— CalipariToTexas (@Dubsaholic) January 11, 2023

So, about that Tennessee game…

That brings us back to tomorrow’s game in Knoxville. Kentucky opened as a 14-point underdog, the largest betting line against the Cats in the Calipari era. Tennessee is firing on all cylinders right now, beating the South Carolina team that Kentucky just lost to by 43 points in Columbia last week. Chris Lofton is having his jersey retired. The momentum is all in for a Tennessee rout, which would drop Kentucky to 1-4 in SEC play for the first time since the 1966-67 season.

So, how will you approach the game? A win is the best outcome, of course. It could turn this season around. A win over a top-five team would cure a lot of ails, even if temporarily. But at noon, where will you be? On the couch, remote in hand, ready to sit through it all, win or lose? Tuning in to see how things go, then adjusting if need be? Following along on your phone? Or, just not watching at all?

I asked on Twitter, but social media isn’t always an accurate representation of life, so please chime in with your plans in the comments.

Kentucky fans: How are you approaching tomorrow's game vs. No. 5 Tennessee?

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) January 13, 2023

If you do watch, I highly encourage you to join the KSR LIVE BLOG. Win or lose, we’ll be sharing our feelings.