John Calipari had a different sort of motivational pitch to his Kentucky basketball team before it played North Carolina Saturday in Las Vegas. Kentucky had lost a week earlier at Notre Dame but Calipari said his team had three “great days of practice” before playing in Las Vegas.
“I told them this. Feel good that you are playing. All kinds of teams not playing. Feel good you are playing basketball,” Calipari said.
“We don’t know where all this (COVID) stuff is going but my hope is we can mitigate it. Wear the mask. Get a (COVID) booster (shot).”
Numerous collegiate basketball games were canceled this weekend, including Ohio State-Kentucky and UCLA-North Carolina, due to COVID protocols. That led to UK and North Carolina playing in Las Vegas.
Point guard Sahvir Wheeler had 26 points to lead UK and had his own perspective on the game.
“Some of us were like, man this could be our last game for a while, so just go out there and give it your all and play your hardest. At this level there is only one game a day, so why not play your hardest,” Wheeler said.
Calipari is proud that Kentucky did not have a player or coach get COVID last year and has not this season, either. He also indicated Kentucky would not bail out on a game if it had enough healthy players — the same attitude UK football coach Mark Stoops has had.
“If you have eight guys (cleared to play), play. I don’t want to hear I have three starters out (and can’t play). If we have got eight healthy guys and a coach, we will play,” Calipari said. “If guys are out, let’s just keep coaching and playing.
“Last year was the most miserable thing I have ever been through. My whole worry was with mental health. We went a whole year without a player or staff member getting the virus.
“Basketball, we were not very good for us but I was not worried about basketball (as much as the mental health of his players/staff).”
Calipari would like for his players to get COVID booster shots but is not sure how many, if any, have taken the extra COVID shot so far.
“I want them to do it. We just have to do it. I can’t force them,” Calipari said. “If anybody chooses not to do it, they don’t do it.”
The Kentucky coach said if he has to separate players at time this year due to contact tracing, it will work better than last year when the team was separated most of the year for COVID protocols and finished 9-16.
“At least this year if we separate, we will be fine,” Calipari said. “Last year we never got close (as a team). This is a good group.”
6 Responses
Hopefully this new outbreak will run its course quickly and it will be the last we have. Only God knows and all we can do the best we can. Go Cats!!
Very true Cats79
we are each born, live, and then die. Life is for living, not hiding in fear.
I agree with Coach, play the games if you have enough healthy players. The Professor got it right, quit hiding in fear. If you can’t field a team, then forfeit the game, and move on. It makes it fair for everybody. Count the wins and losses at the end of the year, and someway figure it out.
Kind of like Calipari knew what was coming with Louisville
Yes it does.
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