Calipari: Kentucky 'may be 2 months away' after narrow win

Kentucky let an 18-point second-half lead evaporate at Mississippi State on Tuesday, and despite the fact they still emerged victorious, coach John Calipari was not pleased after the game.

When asked how long it will be before the Wildcats are a contender, the legendary coach offered a very frank assessment

"We may be two months away," Calipari said after the contest, as per Kyle Tucker of SEC Country. "We go into the AAU mode. When you're playing all freshmen and sophomores, there's a point in the game that they just think it's like, 'Ok, watch this.' You're never going to be that team if that's what your mindset is."

Calipari's biggest concern was with star scorer Malik Monk, who finished just 5-of-14 from the field, with no 3-pointers and five turnovers. Due to his struggles, the Wildcats rode the performance of De'Aaron Fox to victory. The freshman point guard finished with 21 points, five assists, and five rebounds on the day.

"I just said, 'you know what? Malik's not playing as well as he's played. He's struggling,'" Calipari said. "'So we just said, 'Here you go, De'Aaron, go do your thing.'"

As is usually the case, the bulk of Kentucky's team is all freshmen and sophomores, so games like this happen on an annual basis for the Wildcats. Luckily they were able to overcome the second half collapse and still emerge with the win.

A difficult test against No. 24 South Carolina awaits this weekend, and it's a safe bet Calipari will lead a more-focused Kentucky team on to the floor at Rupp Arena.