Kentucky Basketball did not form much of an identity throughout non-conference play. The Wildcats leaped out of the gate, beating then #1-ranked Michigan State, only to be embarrassed in perhaps the (statistically speaking) worse loss in the Calipari era – a three-point defeat to Evansville in Rupp Arena.
Then, until late December, the Cats flirted with – but ultimately avoided – disaster against weak non-conference opponents, the toughest of which was KenPom #94-ranked Georgia Tech. After this, the Wildcats lost two straight: a poor performance against Utah and a battle ultimately decided by the charity strike against then #5 Ohio State.