John Calipari Sounds Off on Controversial UK-LSU Finish

Coming into Tuesday's night game between UK and LSU, I wondered how the 'Cats would handle what I consider the best team they've faced since December.

Yes, I believe the Tigers ARE better than Auburn, Mississippi State, and Kansas (at the time of that game)--the three ranked teams that Kentucky beat in consecutive tilts in January.

That it was tied until the final moments of regulation didn't really surprise me.

What DISAPPOINTED me was a rule that doesn't allow a basket interference call or non-call to be overturned upon review at the end of a game.

It sure does seem like everything ELSE is reviewable.

The no-call gave LSU the 73-71 win.

I hate laying a game's result at the feet of the officials. It's not fair to them. It's not fair to the winning team.

But that LSU basket that gave the Bayou Bengals a rare Rupp road win and only their second road victory over a top five team in 37 tries shouldn't have counted.

I have no idea who would've won in overtime, and nobody else will either. It's in the books as a monster win for LSU and, all things considered, a mere minor setback for the Wildcats.

These are smart guys and they'll study this game and, as PJ Washington said, they'll learn from the mistakes that put them in a position they never should have been in in the first place.

In the post-game press conference, that controversial basket interference no-call was the first question asked:

Time to move on. A monster match-up is headed our way Saturday between number five Kentucky and top-ranked Tennessee--the 10th such tilt in SEC history. The last time two top five teams from the SEC played each other was way back in 2003 when number two Kentucky beat number three Florida.

This creative group of 'Cats will learn from the LSU game and then erase the result from their minds and prepare for what I consider to be one of the two best--if not THE best-- Tennessee team in Vols history.