John Calipari says his team needs more assists, fewer turnovers and more fight late in games. (SEC Photo)
Kentucky has to win the SEC Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. Everyone, including UK players, knows that. However, coach John Calipari said his team has to “stay in the moment” going into today’s game against South Carolina and not worry about what might happen next week.
“You don’t worry about what else is going on around you. All you’re trying to do is be at your best at the end of the year, which I’ve done every year that I’ve been here. I’ve pushed the same message whether it’s, ‘Look all of this is for seeding, so let’s be at our best.’ Now it’s become, ‘All right we’re going to have to go and do something unique and special, which we can if we continue to climb,'” Calipari said Friday.
Calipari said that UK needs 16 to 18 assists per game with no more than 12 turnovers. More importantly, his team has to “fight,” something the Cats have not done well in back-to-back losses to Florida and Ole Miss.
“If we do those things, you all know we’ll be right there and with our chances to win. We have to shoot the ball a little better than we have the last couple of games. Then it all becomes a mindset,” Calipari said.
“In the NCAA Tournament, we’re playing weekends and you don’t even know who your second game is unless they played before you. You may think it’s this team, but they lost. It’s the same thing in Nashville (for the SEC Tournament). We’re going to play a game first. All we worry about is that game. The next game will probably be played after. We don’t even know who it’s going to be. So, stay in the moment.”
Calipari said Thursday’s practice was good and “rough” with a couple of players getting “busted-up lips.”
The coach added there was a “little freak thing (injury)” to one player that he doesn’t think will impact today’s game.
“We had a guy come down on an ankle funny. It didn’t really step on anybody; it just came down funny. Nothing crazy, but he’ll be fine, I believe,” Calipari said without identifying the player.
Calipari once again said his team has “never stopped fighting” despite UK’s record.
“We’ve just got to understand there’s only one path for us. Fight. If you get banged on the boards, you’re not winning. Two, create shots for each other with 16 to 18 assists. Three, keep those turnovers down because they lead to baskets for them. We do those things we can go on a run,” Calipari said. “But it’s all of them.
“We were doing them for a while but then what happens — the last piece of this becomes when a team makes a run, you can bow your neck and say, ‘That’s it,’ or you can drop your head. We’ve been dropping our heads. Stop it. Bow your neck. Let’s go. Again, the spirit of the team has been good.”
