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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Says This Kentucky Team Is the Hardest Working Team He Has Ever Coached

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9 months ago

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John Calipari says this Kentucky team is playing with "supreme confidence" and he has never had this many players "live in the gym".
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

When Kentucky battled then No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic back at the beginning of the season, taking them to the wire, most came away from that game with the thought “Kentucky is back”. Despite the loss, the Wildcats displayed a star power and exciting style of play that had been absent in recent seasons under John Calipari.

This doesn’t just happen overnight, this happens because of the hard work and repetitions put in over time, building self-confidence, and collectively a team confidence, to be able to run with anyone as young as they are according to Calipari.

“You have to have so much supreme confidence that no one can take it away,” Calipari said after Kentucky’s win over Arkansas. “The only way you get that way is if you live in the gym.”

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There is no better example of that than Justin Edwards.

Back in early January, Edwards was visibly in a low. Hitting the side of the backboard on a wide-open three against Missouri, Edwards was subbed out and put his head down on the bench. The support system was there from the staff and teammates and he was putting in the work in the gym, but things didn’t immediately get better. Over the next five games, Edwards averaged just 3.6 points on 35 percent shooting. Against Arkansas, he played just nine minutes.

Then a gradual improvement took place. First, it was grabbing four rebounds in a physical Tennessee game. Then it was putting up a career-high against Vanderbilt. Then playing some of his best defense in a loss against Gonzaga.

Now Edwards is playing with supreme self-confidence. Over the month of February, Edwwards averaged 10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds on 58.5 percent shooting from the field and 47.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. This past Saturday against Arkansas, he was big down the stretch, recording three steals and hitting two straight baskets in just over 90 seconds to seal the win.

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It’s not just Edwards, it’s the whole team.

“I’ve had players live in the gym. I’ve not had this many that live in the gym,” Calipari said.

Over the last few weeks, there have been breakout performances from multiple players (i.e. Edwards, Bradshaw, Burks, Ivisic) and that does not come without hard work. The bottom line is the guys on this team get it, from the star-studded freshman class to the elite veteran transfers. This team puts the work in, and hopefully, that will pay off in a big run in March.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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