Cason Wallace won't be able to miss practice this week and start against Providence according to coach John Calipari. (Vicky Graff Photo)
There should not be any guesswork about who Kentucky will have ready to play Friday night against Providence when it opens NCAA Tournament play.
Kentucky coach John Calipari said Sunday that after having four players not miss practice last week before UK lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament, he told players they would practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week or they would not start against Providence.
“You will come off the bench if you’re a starter. And if you’re on the bench, you’re going to be deeper on the bench (if you miss practice). When you’re just doing scripting, and you’re not competing, it takes an edge away. We have to compete before we go in,” Calipari said.
Guards Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick and Sahvir Wheeler have all been hurt. However, Calipari noted again that senior forward Jacob Toppin missed practice with a hamstring injury even though Toppin said after the game he was not injured.
“Someone said Jacob said he wasn’t hurt. Well, Jacob knows not to make an excuse when someone beats us. He knows we give them all the credit. We don’t take away from their win, and we weren’t going to and that’s why he said what he said,” Calipari said.
“But like I said, we’ve got to make some adjustments in how we’re preparing, what we’re doing.”
Calipari insisted Sunday night he would not start a player if he did not practice every day this week before the game in Greensboro, N.C. He said he made that mistake last week and Uk was not “the same” against Vandy.
“You gotta be here practicing, or you’re coming off the bench and you’re not gonna play as much, unless you get in there and we need you and you play well? Okay, we’ll leave you in,” Calipari said.
Kentucky has had only two players — Antonio Reeves and Chris Livingston — play in all 32 games. Wheeler has missed 11 games overall, including the last 11 because of an ankle injury and tailbone surgery. Fredrick has missed seven with a finger injury and now a rib injury. Wallace has missed two games, including the win over Arkansas to end the regular season. Toppin missed one game with a shoulder injury.
Calipari said he might make an exception to his practice rule, the SEC assists leader the two previous seasons.
“The only guy I’ll give some dispensation, will be Sahvir because of the injury that he has. But I just told him, ‘If it gets rough and you want to step off, I’m okay with you.’ Because he wouldn’t, in all likelihood, be starting anyway. But he practiced a little bit, but wasn’t live up in Nashville,” Calipari said.
Wheeler could be the wild card in the NCAA Tournament. He’s often frustrated UK fans with his decision making but has remained a Calipari favorite.
The Kentucky coach said because Wheeler has not played for six weeks, he has to “show” in practice he’s ready to help the Cats.
“There’s nothing that would make me happier than him to impact the game. And then everybody say, ‘Man, if we had this dude all year, what would we have been?’” Calipari said.
“Because, when we struggled, a lot of it was guard play. I tried to put (associate coach) Bruiser (Flint) in one game. He said ‘I can’t, I can’t run anymore.’”
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Here is an excerpt from a streaming article this morning:
2023’s March Madness could also mean the end of John Calipari’s tenure as head coach of Kentucky, after another underwhelming campaign. At 64 years old, it’s reasonable to think the man might retire as well, leaving behind a legacy of championship highs and multiple program-violation lows.
“After nearly 14 seasons, he’s low on energy, out of ideas and coaching a team that has underperformed so profoundly any other Kentucky coach would be fired by the end of the month,” wrote Dan Woken in a USA Today column in February. “The funky COVID year was a complete mess at 9-16. Last year looked like a potential rebound, but getting popped by St. Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament made it a failure. And this year, despite loads of experience returning and more highly-ranked recruits, the advanced metrics rate Kentucky somewhere between the 40th and 50th best team in the country. That’s unacceptable. That’s fireable.”
But Calipari has a “lifetime contract” with Kentucky, so he probably won’t be fired. However, his name has been (very, very loosely) connected to Texas, and in college sports coaching, strange things happen.
That pretty much sums up the mess we have in Lexington. A Final 4 run would most likely keep Calipari here for at least one more year, but I don’t think they will get past the first weekend. Cooley knows how to coach and Hopkins wants to make a statement against UK. We SHOULD win this game, but after the South Carolina loss in Rupp, nothing will surprise me again. Should we beat the Friars, we should be fired up to give K State an asswhooping, but I doubt that our OAD roster couldn’t care less any payback. Even if we could win both games, there is no way we could get past Purdue. The best possible outcome would be a second weekend exit that would result in Calipari moving on to Texas. I am so done with Calipari and his never ending rants of excuses.
STFU no body wants to hear your mouth I hope Cal stays for 10 more years!!!
What a stupid statment Cal, you complain being short experienced players. Well your the guy who doesn’t play them. You have 2 of the very best blockers in Basketball n u haven’t used them at all. Collins should hae been at the top pf the team this year in Reeebies. blocks and yes he can score. U got a 7 footer who was born blocking n hasnt seen one minute of playing time all year. Teams have scored most of their points in the paint. Cats have no basket defense against drive as Cal lets Oscar mess up on pick n roll out by the 3 point line. STUPID. If Collins or Owensyo was in there with Oscar no easy points in paint PERIOD.
My starting 5 is Oscar-Toppin-Collins-Reeves-Wallace
Toppin is the most under rated guy on the team
alternate first off the bench break
bring in Owensyo to give Oscar a quick rest.
Try it Cal everything I have pushed has worked when you do agree
Already all the pundits have Providence winning. Insulting.Cal and all you have to say if you don’t practice you don’t start.
WHOOPIE DO
Your the Coach if it aint working fix it. Don’t talk about it.
Prrez
Cry baby!!! Everyone knows better than Cal what a joke you people are! Must really be Duke fans on a Uk site!!!
Cal wants no excuses but gives plenty
I find it hard to believe, the 7 footer sitting on the bench couldn’t be of use.
He’s full of excuses.
Wheeler could have helped this team the last couple weeks. All the media wants to do is keep things stirred up. Calipari is not going anywhere. He has elite players coming and he’s not going to walk away from the possibilities they bring.
He has a team this season that is top 5 talent wise in this weak season. He is a terrible coach and can’t utilize it. I suspect next season to be just as bad or worse.
He needs to retire.
But I don’t expect him to retire. He will try to hang on through 2029 and continue milking that 9 million per year from UK.
Thank you finally someone with some since that doesn’t think he knows better than a Hall of Fame coach! Some people don’t have a clue they just want to tear the team down with their gloom and doom! If you go back and look I guarantee these people were the same ones calling for Cal to step down after he allowed his players to take a knee during the national anthem! Trumpers in Kentucky have damn near tore our program apart!!!
Amazing. every time I plead for Cal to do what I comment on he does it
R;E; Been pleading ..for him to play Collins and lo n behold headlines today..
CAL THINKS HE SHOULD PLAY COLLINS MORE TO PLUG THE PAINT
UNBELIEVABLE, NOW WILL HE PLAY 7 FOOTER BLOCK MASTER OWENSYO??
Where have you coached at? You think you know better than Cal you better have one hell of a resume or you look like a total dumb azz!!!
Don’t hold our breath waiting for Collins to play 15 minutes Friday