Kentucky basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 early preview

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 25: Guard Ashton Hagans #0 and head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of the college basketball game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on January 25, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

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Tyrese Maxey #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

John Calipari and Kentucky basketball were hitting their stride as coronavirus cut the season short but it’s still a year well worth remembering.

Under head coach John Calipari, the formula has been simple for Kentucky basketball: Recruit at a high level and hope that the young players can hit their stride at the right time in order to carry the team to a national championship. And while it wasn’t a strict adherence to that formula in the 2019-20 college basketball season, it was close and seemingly headed in the desired direction.

Rather than being almost completely guided by one-and-done freshmen, Kentucky had just one first-year player (Tyrese Maxey) joining their top-five players in minutes played. However, only one of their leaders in that category, forward Nick Richards, was an upperclassman. It was still a young team that needed to gel together in their roles to make serious damage.

There were, without question, some serious trip-ups throughout the regular season for the Wildcats. But amidst some truly horrendous losses, Coach Cal’s club came into their own down the stretch. Not only did that allow them to clinch the SEC before the end of February, ultimately finishing the regular season with a three-game lead, but it had them slated for a No. 2 seed in the 2020 NCAA Tournament with a 25-6 overall record.

How deep of a run Kentucky would’ve been able to make in March Madness is impossible to know with 100 percent certainty. But with the way they finished the season and how the team was fitting together down the stretch, it’s hard to think they wouldn’t have been one of the toughest outs in the field of 68.

But alas, we’ll never know exactly how the NCAA Tournament would’ve transpired for Kentucky or any other team. However, we can look at the year that was for the Wildcats and what lies ahead in Lexington for Calipari in the 2020-21 season.