John Calipari helped the official call a walk against Tennessee during Saturday's game. (Vicky Graff Photo)
John Calipari knew there was a lot of criticism being aimed at him and the University of Kentucky basketball team.
He constantly tells his players to avoid the clutter and not be distracted.
After UK’s upset win at Tennessee Saturday that might have saved UK’s season, Calipari emphasized that he doesn’t read the criticism or listen to critics.
“I watch Alaska shows (on TV). You know the one I’m on right now, ‘The Waltons.’ Does anybody watch ‘The Waltons?’ That’s a great show, it’s 50 years old, but I watch ‘The Waltons.’” Calipari told media members after the win.
“I mean, I don’t pay attention (to the criticism). And you know who I’ve apologized to for the last week? My wife. I said ‘Honey, I am so sorry you’re going through this.’ She said I don’t worry about you, I’m fine. I don’t want you… you know, you got family and stuff. My kids are calling me: ‘You okay dad?’ ‘Yeah. I’m okay. You okay?’”
Actually Calipari was better than good Saturday. He was back to the old John Calipari. He was emotional and animated during the game, something that had been missing in recent weeks.
After the game, his celebration in the locker room with his players was priceless. The smiles that had been missing all season were everywhere. It reminded me of a NCAA Tournament type of celebration or the kind of celebration UK football had when it finally won at Florida in 2018.
However, Calipari knew not to be fooled into a sense of complacency by one win. Kentucky is still just 2-3 and probably will still not be ranked this week.
“This is a war. We won one. We got another tough one on Tuesday. And they’re (Georgia) playing great,” Calipari said. “But this was one that you can get in a building like this and against a Hall of Fame coach like Rick Barnes and steal one like this, and I say steal one.
“You know we got down early. But you know what? I haven’t lost any faith in these guys. I got good guys and I’ve got some talented guys, just different than some of my other teams.
“We can’t get our own like I’ve had teams be able to, just throw to a guy go get a basket. We’re not that team. So we have to play a little more traditional.”
Calipari insisted he’s continued to focus on the next game no matter what has already happened this season. Kentucky fans might have panicked, but not him.
“I’m not worried about what happened, and I did ask the guys: Would you have rather beaten South Carolina and lost here, or done what happened?,” Calipari said. “‘Oh we’re good, we’re good.’ I said great, move by that game, move by it. We had two starters out. Move by it. Let’s go.”
2 Responses
The two starters who were out need to stay on the bench and accept reserve roles when called upon. Will Coach have the stones to do this?
Fans haven’t panicked. Fans know that this guys had been leading this program from the pinnacle into mediocrity for several years. That is not panick, it is clear observation, based on facts and data.
Yesterday’s win was refreshing. It was welcomed. But, one game does not a turnaround make. If this is indeed a moment of great epiphany for this team, then it will retain that focus, that determination, that aggression, that winning way from this point forward. If it is yet another flash in the pan, that too will be revealed in due course.
We have all witnessed UK teams in the past that seemed to turn a season around on a dime. The earliest one in my memory was the 1974-75 team that got embarrassed by Knight’s Indiana in Bloomington, and then at Freedom Hall against UNC, delivered a shockingly strong game to beat a very good UNC team. That season changed. We all remember the accounts of a Tubby Smith team that was not playing so well, fell behind Vanderbilt in the first half in Nashville, and came out for the second half a new and different team. That team changed on the dime. Then there was Tubby’s 1998 championship team that appeared to make a huge change following an embarrassing home loss to Ole Miss.
So, it is entirely possible that this team has experienced such a change.
It is also possible that it has not.
I believe we will know the answer to this riddle by the end of January when Kansas comes to town.