Chin Coleman, right, celebrated at Tennessee with players Lance Ware and CJ Fredrick. (UK Athletics Photo)
Maybe it has happened at Kentucky before but I cannot remember seeing a UK coach so happy over a win that he cried on the bench like assistant coach Chin Coleman did at Tennessee last week.
Maybe it was releasing pressure the UK staff and players had to be feeling after that unexplainable loss to South Carolina. Maybe it was pure joy for going on the road as a double digit underdog against No. 5 Tennessee and winning.
Whatever it was, it was an emotional, memorable moment.
“It has been tough just because we want to win so bad,” senior guard CJ Fredrick said. “We understand that is part of the game. You are going to have slumps. We were able to come together (and beat Tennessee).
“I think that was just emotional for him the way we came together and did what we did. We found a way to keep pushing and get after it.”
Maybe it was a carryover from the team meeting after the South Carolina loss that UK assistants, including Coleman, attended to hear what the players had to say.
“It has been very tough this year considering we were losing a lot of games. Nobody likes to lose. We were just trying to figure it out,” freshman Adou Thiero said.
“One of the meetings Chin and Orlando (Antigua) were there and they were listening to us. It was a pretty emotional meeting so I can understand why he was emotional on the bench. It was great for our coaches to get that feeling again.”
Thiero said celebrating and pouring water on coach John Calipari in the locker room after the Tennessee win was also fun and helped the team.
“The locker room was very fun. We were all hyped. It was a great road win and great to get that feeling,” Thiero said. “Everyone was like we are going to pour water on Cal, so I got my water bottle and threw it up on him, too.”
Thiero could not remember exactly who had the idea to douse Calipari — or maybe he just didn’t want to say.
“We were all jumping around and someone said it and I got water. I wanted to be part of that,” Thiero said.
