Vicky Graff Photo
You knew at halftime that something had changed about this Kentucky basketball team.
Kentucky had a surprising 33-26 lead over No. 5 Tennessee after falling behind 8-0 to start the game in Knoxville.
But coach John Calipari’s halftime interview with ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe was the old swaggy Calipari who had been missing. He told her he told his team when he took an early timeout things would be fine.
“When you get throw you to the floor you have got to hold your ground,” Calipari told Rowe. “When you get a bloody mouth, you probably didn’t do it to yourself. This is a roughhouse game. I have that kind of team.”
He had not had that kind of team in a 26-point loss at Alabama or home loss to South Carolina but he had that kind of team Saturday in the 63-56 win over Tennessee. But he had that against the best team Kentucky has played this season, a team that was averaging close to 80 points per game and leading the Southeastern Conference in defense.
It was the first time in school history an unranked Kentucky had beat a top five opponent in a true road game. Of course, Kentucky was a top 10 team when the season started but the season had been going the wrong way until Saturday in Knoxville when UK showed a fight and toughness it has lacked all season.
“We found out we have some right. If I put guys in who just fight, we have a chance,” Calipari said. “My teams defensively, that’s what they look like.”
He said this team had been too consumed with what went wrong on offense to play that kind of dog defense it did against Tennessee.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas praised Kentucky’s toughness.
“This has been a grinding fistfight. This has been a really physical game,” Bilas said late in the game. “The physicality in this game has been really incredible.”
It was but Kentucky kept coming back for more — something it had not done. When push came to shove, Kentucky shoved back.
Kentucky had a 58-50 lead with 3:26 to play after a 7-0 run that included an Antonio Reeves runner and a put-back of a missed free throw by Oscar Tshiebwe. The Cats ended up without a field goal the final 3:48 but went 7-for-8 at the foul line (they were 22 of 25 in the game).
“I said stay strong and is everybody still okay to be in the game,” Calipari said when asked what he told his team in a late timeout. “I thought they were right (mentally to play).”
They were and proved to the doubters/skeptics that this season was not over and not headed to the NIT as it looked like it might be after the South Carolina loss.
Even ESPN/SEC Network personality Tom Hart tweeted at halftime that “Tennessee is in good shape” even with UK leading because of how Kentucky had been playing. Then Hart saw Calipari do the halftime interview with Rowe.
“Tennessee is in good shape. Ziegler isn’t gonna miss two layups in the second half. If Vescovi is healthy, they’re gonna get him some better looks. Plavsic and the UT 5’s have to take away Oscar’s mid range jumper.
“Swaggy Cal just walked to the locker room. Is the switch flipped?” Hart posted on Twitter.
Yes, the switch flipped and Kentucky basketball — at least for one day — is back where almost everyone expected it to be when this season started.
6 Responses
Big time Kentucky win. It is good to see that arrogant bunch in Knoxville crying the blues today. The "Big Blue" came in there and went to war, especially on the boards. It is good to beat UT anytime, but this win is one to remember. I suggest Calipari stick with this starting five. I thought Wallace did a great job at point guard, and the team played with heart and grit. Good to see. I hope this continues, and if so UK can do some damage in the SEC.
I’m glad we won but hate the term Swaggy Cal. He needs to be humbled with his coaching the past few seasons.
Happy and humble is ok. Swaggy gets us back to being basketball bennies.
If swaggy equals winning, let him be swaggy
Not playing Wheeler, team rebounding, and making free throws were the difference in this game. Wheeler can’t play hatchet ball. Wallace is playing hurt as he has not scored in two games. I would rest him more and let Theiro get more minutes. Toppin looks like he is still hurting. Livingston should get more minutes so Jacob can rest. Collins being absent was ok too; he doesn’t fare well with physicality. I would like to see Onyenso get some of Toppin’s minutes too. He needs to learn how to play through contact and give us some rim protection. Today Calipari looked like the UMass Calipari. He can coach when he is not trying to favor a pet. Wheeler should be limited to single digit minutes from here on as the team plays better without him.
The shorter the rotation, sometimes the better Calipari coaches. But I agree on Thiero. He has to play
Let’s just call him Coach or Cal. He is who he is and it’s only about him to a point. The kids fought and won. That needs to remain each time out.