Vicky Graff Photo
With no foul trouble, an offense that was executing better and a close game, Kentucky coach John Calipari didn’t see a need to go deep into his bench.
He only used seven players in Tuesday’s 74-71 win over LSU and two — Cason Wallace and Oscar Tshiebwe played 40 minutes. Three more played 29 minutes or more.
Did that impact Kentucky having trouble finishing out the game and letting LSU back to where it almost had time to hit a game-tying 3-point shot?
“We’ve just got to be clearer in how we’re going to finish games. I’ve made it clear in how we’re playing offensively, the flow of the game. I’ve made it really clear and easy and narrow. We’ve got to do the same with that,” Calipari said after the game.
“So it’s all fixable. I mean, there are certain guys that can’t have the ball with eight, nine seconds on the clock. Is that clear to everybody? It can’t be them. They could be off the ball, and if you throw it to them, they are running in and doing something great. On the ball, some other — you know what I’m saying? It’s all fixable, it is.”
He wouldn’t name names about who he does not want with the ball but obviously Cason Wallace and Jacob Toppin seem to be good offensive options. And I don’t think his team would let him get the ball out of Sahvir Wheeler’s hands.
“I’m happy we won the game. If we’d have played this way and lost, I’d have been really disappointed but I would have said, we’re fine; the stuff we are not doing is fixable,” Calipari said. “Fouling a 3-point shooter? Are you kidding me? He’s a freshman (Chris Livingston). He didn’t know you can’t knock the guy down when he shoots. Played a good game, though.
“How about how hard Chris plays and how active he is? Like, and I’m saying it again, with all that we have, him playing that way, think of the difference he makes.”
7 Responses
How does he plan to fix a defense that has been giving up nearly 1 point per possession on the season, with a rising trend, and as evidence of this rising trend, against UL the Calipari defense allowed 63 points on 64 possessions (0.99 points per possession) to a team that only scores .95 points per possession against the 63 toughest schedule in the land. Or, the Calipari defense that allowed LSU to score 71 points on only 59 possession (1.20 points per possession) to a team that only scores 1.06 points per possession against the 289th toughest schedule.
Calipari’s vaughted defense made UL and LSU’s offenses look like well oiled machines, which neither is.
This is not an "end of game" situation, and if it is easily fixed, why hasn’t it been fixed.
These last two wins are nothing more than further confirmation of the round of 32 quality basketball this team has been playing all of this season.
A contender it is not, nor will it ever be, Calipari’s obfuscations to the contrary.
Let’s have this discussion on Feb. 1 and see what the numbers say.
Let’s just be honest. It doesn’t matter what Cal does. There are those who have been angry for so long that they don’t care what he does they want him gone. We could win out the rest of the season and win a championship and it will be in spite of not because of Cal.
You can’t please all of the people all of the time! ! ! and some people you can’t please at all! !
You are right. He could win a national title this year and I want him gone the next day.
Bet if he wins title you would be okay with more years from him Barry
Let’s be honest, this team’s quality of play is not championship quality, and it is in decline.
Calipari is the man with the name on the door, and it is his responsiblity.
Let’s be honest. Cal never leaving the locker room can fix the majority of our woes.