But it was over in less than 10 minutes. Starting 4 of 21 from the field, they fell behind, 27-11, on the way to a 103-62 defeat before 19,635 fans Monday.
It was their worst loss since Zach Edey and Purdue toyed with them in a 96-52 blowout on Nov. 16, 2021.
“The official job started on Monday,” the first-year coach said. “After you get beat by 41, you’ve got a locker room (to address). I have my expectations. I’ve got a team full of guys with their expectations. And then you’re just trying to get them to embrace some of the negativity, some of the criticism, some of the (anguish) when you fail.
“I just know how good that’s been for me as a man, how much growth has come from that,” Sargent added, referring to humility. “If we can embrace some of that — and it’s coming at us right from the get-go — I feel like, for our team, it’s going to be critical.”
Sargent played for coach Scott Nagy at South Dakota State, and they made annual trips to face Minnesota. They went 0-4, and were once pounded, 92-62. That couldn’t have been fun.
“Our guys need to embrace failure. It’s going happen. Learn from it,” he said.
“That’s my job. That’s the most important part of my job — to get our guys ready to play, get their hearts right and make sure that the motivational piece is there.”
Senior guard Alex Huibregtse had 16 points against UK and seemed to be the least-intimidated Raider on the floor.
“They’re a really good team, really well coached. That atmosphere is one of the best in the country, so it was fun to play there. But we definitely didn’t come out and perform the way we wanted to by any means,” he said.
“There’s a million excuses we could throw out there, but we didn’t perform the way we should have. We were prepared and just didn’t execute.”
The Raiders fell to 6-26 all-time against ranked teams, including NCAA tourney games.
Four of the wins were against Butler in the Horizon League. The others were a conquest of Xavier and the momentous 53-49 upset of No. 6 Michigan State at the Nutter Center on Dec. 30, 1999 — still the program’s greatest win.
“I’m looking forward to going to Miami,” Huibregtse said of Saturday’s game. “We’ve got a little rivalry going. It’ll be fun to get out there and compete.”
The Raiders are 18-21 in the series with the RedHawks. But since the teams starting playing regularly in 1999, they’re 14-11 and will head to Millett Hall having won the last five meetings.
“It’s hard to take a lot (strategically) from that Kentucky game — just because they blitzed us, and we weren’t ready to handle that. But I think our guys are ready to go play a like opponent,” said Sargent, meaning a fellow mid-major.
“We’re very understanding of how good Miami is. They had a great win (beating Appalachian State, 77-63, on the road Monday). We’re trying to turn the page now and get ready to face a very good opponent.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Miami, 1 p.m., 101.5, 1410
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