Vicky Graff Photo
If you like what you have seen from coach John Calipari’s team so far this season, you think the same way as Kentucky assistant coach John Welch.
“We have a great group of guys. I hope next year’s team is like this. But I somehow have a feeling this is a special group. If the group’s like this every year, what a treat that would be,” said Welch, a new addition to Calipari’s staff this year who was added to improve UK’s offensive efficiency.
Kentucky is 11-2 going into tonight’s SEC matchup with Missouri in Rupp Arena. The No. 6 Cats opened SEC play Saturday with a win at Florida.
Welch was a late addition to Calipari’s staff after this season’s recruiting class had already been finalized. He said he watched film of UK’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class but did not know the players nearly as well as the coaches who recruited them.
“I kind of learned on the fly,” he said Monday. “In college now you get to spend so much time with the players. It’s crazy right now we have three months left (in the season) and have been going at it for seven months.
“The last month we had one game a week and five practices. Now we will see practices limited with two games a week. I think coach Cal said we may have eight practices when we can go hard that are not directly before or after a game.”
However, one senses that it will not be a huge obstacle for this team because of its unique team chemistry.
“Usually, every group has a couple guys that just — not bad guys, but they’re just difficult,” he said. “And we just don’t have that. And part of it, coach Cal has set this up in such a way that I think everyone conforms to the group, and I feel like it’s a great situation.”
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Teams like this one are few and far between. It doesn’t mean they will win it all, but it does mean they have a shot at beating anyone on a given night.
Thank Jeff Sheppard
24/7 interviewed this guy and he states that the NBA is young and there is little difference between our guards compared to the guys in the NBA. What a crock of bull. Maybe in the G. Even in the G there are some games that the score is above 130 point range. Yeah they get to play another 8 minutes but I’m not seeing it. These guys bodies are still growing. The only reason Wallace & Livingston made it is because they had the bodies for it. Theiro does and like Wallace is experiencing back spasms. Another point, they don’t play nearly as many games. Why is everything is about the NBA? Is it supposed to stoke a players confidence? Why not compare them to teams that have win the conference or NCAA championships over the last 25 years. He coached with Tarkanian. Most UK fans do not care for the 3 ball NBA. 500,000k a year for this guy. Larry, with Ulis you could be a bench coach.
Nobody interviewed him specifically Greg. He was talking at a press conference and I took his comment to mean age-wise and skill-wise they are like players that came into the NBA and he coached as they were playing their first season. Just enjoy the team is my advice
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