Bruiser Flint says UK players often do not know the significance of a particular game. (UK Athletics Photo)
Before Kentucky went to Arkansas to play a game it had to win to be assured of a double bye in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, associate coach Bruiser Flint said that would not be a big factor in the game.
“I don’t think our guys even pay attention to that. Like Cal said, they just go out and play,” Flint said. “If you ask the guys if they know what this game means, they would probably say no.
“We don’t harp on it as a staff. We don’t sit and talk in meetings about that. For us it is more about getting on and winning.”
Kentucky did win at Arkansas even with point guards Cason Wallace and Sahvir Wheeler out with injuries and guard CJ Fredrick playing just 15 minutes because of his rib injury.
It has been an up and down season with losses to South Carolina and Georgia, two of the bottom four teams in the SEC, and a home loss to Vanderbilt — something that had not happened in 16 years. But UK also swept Tennessee and Florida before winning at Arkansas after losing to the Razorbacks in Rupp Arena.
“Kentucky is one of those places where fans can be high or low. As a coach, you try to keep your players on the same message. John Calipari, that’s his speciality. Keep looking forward,” Flint said.
“He talks about the outside noise and you get a lot of that here. Whether than fans are high or low, you keep players on an even keel and keep progressing. We don’t get into roller coaster emotions like everybody else. If you do, you will lose a lot more games.
“We have had unfortunate things in terms of injuries and had to adjust and the team handled that great. For us, if we get the emotional highs and lows of fans, you are never going to win.”
Kentucky opens SEC Tournament play Friday night in Nashville.
2 Responses
I refuse to allow game-to-game outcomes to affect my view and urge everyone I know to do the same.
What a crock of nothing! Kentucky teams don’t lose to the caliber of teams like South Carolina, Georgia, and Vandy. Oh, let’s not forget the collapse against Arkansas in the second half at Rupp or the embarrassing losses to Gonzaga, Missouri, and Alabama. All of those losses were a result of us being outplayed and outcoached by teams with less talent. OAD and NIL have made players complacent the same as a lifetime contract has made Calipari feel untouchable. BBN has the attention of both players and coach in demanding deep runs in the SEC and NCAA tourneys. Kentucky wins championships; we aren’t just glad to be there. Coaches and teams at Kentucky should know that BBN will hold them accountable for lackluster seasons such as this double digit loss season. Kentucky is not for everyone…players and coaches too!
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