Photo - Vicky Graff
Overcoming a 13-point deficit to beat Alabama with two starting guards out due to injuries certainly energized the Kentucky basketball fan base even more. Kentucky had a 107-79 win over Tennessee in Rupp Arena on Jan. 15 and then won 80-62 at Kansas on Jan. 29. Kentucky also won 66-55 at Alabama before beating the Crimson Tide 90-81 last Saturday.
Not that Calipari was not ecstatic to get the short-handed win, but he also did not want anyone to forget what this team had done previously, either.
“I mean, doing what we did at Kansas, that was done before at Kansas. I think it was 1942,” the Kentucky coach joked. “So, I would tell you what we did there was pretty big.
“What we did to Tennessee when you see how good they are, like they’re really, really good, and what we did here — but this game was doing a different thing. Now you’re shorthanded, and guys have to step up.”
Calipari, though, is not going to change some things. He’s heard the chatter about Alabama’s playing style and the freedom coach Nate Oats gives his players to fire away from 3-point range.
“They took 40 (3’s on Saturday). I know there’s people that want me to coach that way. I’m fine. Nate is an unbelievable coach, does a great job, has turned that thing into a monster. There’s all kinds of ways of doing this,” Calipari said.
“I’ve done this for a lot of years, and I’ve changed and tweaked and brought in the dribble drive and then talked positionless basketball and played three point guards different times and had some 3-point shooting teams, but 30 percent of the shots will be 3’s for us. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.
“But when you look at (Kansas coach) Bill Self, pretty good coach. His numbers are about the same … 28, 30 percent. Wow, we should take 60 percent … should be threes and play all guards — come on, man, we’re Kentucky.
“We’re playing for March, to put ourselves in a position to win national titles. That’s what we do here.”
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“We’re playing for March, to put ourselves in a position to win national titles. That’s what we do here.”—a statement from John Calipari who has led Kentucky to just ONE national title in 12 seasons. Coach K and Jay Wright have both won 2 titles each in that time and are poised to win it all this year. I like that Coach has stopped talking about players first, but he actually needs to win at least one more national title before he anoints himself as the next John Wooden.
Calipari has changed his rhetoric in recent months.
Championships is what it is about here, and he threw away the best chance for #9 in 2015 when he failed in the semifinals due to his players’ first mania.