"I'm the adult in the room": Kentucky HC John Calipari defends Wildcats' squad following disappointing March Madness run 

John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats have endured a tough season as it came to a close with the first-round loss to Oakland. This was Calipari's third straight early exit in March Madness. Many fans and experts have criticized Kentucky's lottery-pick NBA prospects for the failure.

However, coach Calipari came to their defense as he said:

"I'm the adult in the room. I'm the leader of all this. My job is to lead them."

At the same time, Reed Sheppard came to his coach's defense after the loss as he said:

“None of that is on Coach. Coach isn’t out there playing the game. He’s not out there shooting the shots, he’s not guarding, he’s not out there doing anything.”

Sheppard further said:

“None of this is on the coaches, I don’t care what anybody says. We have the best coach in the world. We have the best coaching staff in the world."(via On3)

Is there a possibility of John Calipari's firing?

For now, no. Coach John Calipari and the Kentucky athletic director, Mitch Barnhart, are set to meet on Tuesday. CBS Analyst Matt Norlander reported:

"Intent of the meeting will be to focus on significant program improvements, not necessarily separation."

The Wildcats would owe John Calipari roughly $35 million in buyout if they were to fire him. During a radio show appearance on Monday, Calipari talked about the meeting with Barnhart:

"We do it every year. We haven’t, but it’ll be done in the next couple of days. Every year, we share thoughts with each other. I was on the plane back (with him) and he’s hurting. I look forward to hearing his thoughts on how we can be better.”

For now, it is highly unlikely that Kentucky would fire its coach. However, it could be looking at losing some of its players, especially point guards to the transfer portal.

With those said point guards being Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham and DJ Wagner, it'll be interesting to see which of those players stay. Antonio Reeves wrapped his final season with the Wildcats.

Calipari has pointed at a talented recruiting class joining the team for the next season. Only time will tell if they will be able to get Kentucky out of this rut.

What are your thoughts on the Wildcats' season this year? Do you think coach Calipari can revive the spirits next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.