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The Morning After: Kentucky vs. Ole Miss

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On Tuesday, Kentucky went to Oxford and faced off against a quality Ole Miss team in desperate need of a win, with the opportunity to prove that Saturday was a fluke. Despite not playing their best defense and some poor mistakes down the stretch, the Cats proved just that with an 80-76 win.

On Monday, Immanuel Quickley talked about the importance of coming out with energy and a “sense of urgency”, and that was on full display against the Rebels. The Rebels played one of their best games of the season in front of a very rowdy environment, but the Cats were able to feed off that energy and punch back on offense. Lets take a closer look at the Cat’s statement win.

Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro Bounced Back

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After each playing their worst game of the season on Saturday, Herro and Johnson had a BIG bounce back game and were the source of most of Kentucky’s offense. After combining for 8 turnovers and 13 points on 20% FG against Tennessee, they responded by combining for 42 points on 57% FG, 12 rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

Herro regained his road-warrior persona but it was an even better sign going forward that Johnson was as aggressive as he has been all season and was finally able to see the ball go through the hoop efficiently.

Herro and Johnson also bounced back on the defensive end with a much-improved intensity and were able to make an impact by being able to get into passing lanes and not giving up the straight-line drives they did against Jordan Bone.

Mean Muggin’ PJ Is Back

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Reid Travis’ absence has affected PJ Washington a lot, as opponent’s defenses can put more pressure and more focus towards PJ. In last week’s match-ups, PJ averaged some underwhelming numbers with 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, 31% FG, 0% 3P.

In the first half, PJ struggled with foul trouble and didn’t even score. The second half was a different story as dominant PJ made a return, finishing with 13 points, 54.5% FG, four assists, and two blocks. PJ’s right hand hook is as money as a Tyler Herro free throw.

EJ Montgomery and Sophomore Nick Richards

With Reid out, Montgomery and Richards have had to try to pick up the slack and together they have been able to match Travis’s numbers.

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EJ finished with 2 points (1-4 FG), 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks and was absolutely crucial down the stretch. During the final 10 minutes Ole Miss was making runs and trying to make it a one possession game, but Montgomery had different plans. Montgomery recorded three of his blocks in the last ten minutes, including two crucial blocks in the final two minutes. Montgomery’s defense definitely helped cover some of the Cat’s late mental errors in route to a win.

Sophomore Nick Richards made a solid appearance and in just 18 minutes, finished with 6 points (2-3 FG), 4 rebounds, 1 block. Richards still has hands of rock and makes mental mistakes, he was able to make plays when it mattered most. Richards fouled out with 2:36 left, but was consistent and gave an energy boost when was on the floor.

Tweaks

Get yer ‘Tweak’ shirts back out guys. In the post-game press conference Calipari said he made two tweaks following the 19-point loss to Tennessee.

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1.More Movement for PJ

“We’ve got to get PJ on the other side of the floor. So, instead of just the left side facing, I wanted him on the other side. So, we did something to get him over there. Now, if you go back and watch the tape, you’ll know what I did and had the players do.”

In the second half, it was noticeably more apparent that PJ put himself in different positions and got the ball a lot more in the high, left, and right posts, giving him more freedom to score and to pass out for better looks. 2Small Ball Lineup.

2. Small Ball Lineup

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While Calipari didn’t specifically mention this in the press conference a small ball lineup was definitely implemented on Tuesday night. With PJ going to the bench with foul trouble and with Reid still out this game, Kentucky was given the perfect opportunity to test it out. While the lineup wasn’t the best defensively, the Cats, and more specifically Keldon Johnson were more aggressive and drove it to the basket more frequently. “We worked on it in practice,” Keldon said after the game.

Naps

During the telecast, ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge made a note that Kentucky players are now taking “30-minute naps” to recover from the gruesome schedule. “Trying to deal with it, they’ve all decided they need to sleep a little bit more,” said Rutledge, late in Tuesday night’s game. Ashton Hagans responded, “I never really took naps until I got to college, but I’ve learned that any type of rest is helpful.”

With the good win against Ole Miss, Calipari reached 300 wins and will look to make 301 on Saturday against the Florida Gators on Senior Day. Let’s home the Cats take a quality nap and get a good win in the last game of the regular season.

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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Highlights Changes for Next Season

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John Calipari draws up a play at Kentucky's season opener. Said he made a "tweak".
UK Athletics

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.

Many Kentucky fans have referred to this quote over the last few days, expressing a desire for a change from John Calipari. However, Calipari will be back on the sidelines for the Kentucky Wildcats next season for his 16th season, confirmed by Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

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On Monday, John Calipari went on his season-ending radio show, giving his first comments to fans since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last Thursday. It was easy to see why is a good recruiter, as he said all the right things.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place.

“We’ve got to evaluate everything,” Calipari said. Here are some changes that have been outlined.

Getting Back to “Grinding”

Kentucky basketball offseason has often consisted of international trips to the Bahamas, or Canada last season, but not this year. Calipari emphasized a desire to get back to what his early Kentucky teams were characterized by, defense and physicality.

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“What about in the summers, instead of the Bahmas or Toronto, we’re grinding,” Calipari proposed. “We’ve got to get back to where we’ve been defensively and with physicality. Your defense steadies you.”

Those trips are good for team bonding and chemistry, but it’s clear that time can be used better for getting into the weight room and instilling defensive principles. Calipari did note that he does not want to take a step back on offense.

Getting Older

Calipari is the coach who made the “one-and-done” approach popular, relying heavily on elite freshmen. However, with college basketball getting older, he has expressed a willingness to get older.

“We’re relying on freshmen too much. In those kinds of games, you better have some vets,” Calipari said of his takeaway from Oakland. “For us, we need to get older.”

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It should be noted that Calipari relied on transfers in 2022 and 2023, albeit most not being the elite transfers, but more supporting pieces (i.e. CJ Fredrick) and developmental players (i.e. Jacob Toppin). That said, two transfers have been the leading scorer for Kentucky in three straight seasons, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.

Calipari is looking more for a middle ground between young talent and transfers. “I like the combination of both. We just got to get the right transfers.”

Program Changes

When you are winning, you have more freedom, but when you have just one NCAA Tournament win in the last four seasons, you’re not going to have that luxury. This was not publicly said by Calipari, but more oversight will come as a result of his meeting with Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon.

Expect 1-2 staff changes and likely a support staff change. One of the staff changes should be filled with a defensive mind, and the support staff should be (suggestion) filled with someone in a general manager-type role. There will also be some operation changes such as having a more definitive practice schedule, rather than getting a text the day before/of, and some changes with the NIL model.

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Mitch Barnhart Speaks On John Calipari Coming Back As Kentucky Basketball Coach, “He Will Return”

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Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will return as Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach.
Mike Weaver/Special to the Courier Journal

After days of speculation, Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will be back, coaching his 16th season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two had a conversation at Barnhart’s farm on Tuesday afternoon.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said in a statement.

While there was some fan outcry for a head coaching change, there was no real indication that a change would be made.

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Barnhart was put in a difficult situation. Calipari has not led the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but he is one of just a few active Hall of Fame coaches. With no clear option as a replacement, Barnhart decided to retain Calipari for another season.

Kentucky Insider has been told that Tuesday’s meeting between the two was “good”, despite some disagreement. As a result of the meeting, there will be some expected changes in the program, specifically some staff changes, and changes in day-to-day operations.

On Monday, Calipari recognized his shortcomings and closed out his show with a commitment to the Kentucky fans:

“That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on. The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work… That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

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Calipari is set to meet with players individually on Wednesday to discuss their stay/go decisions. The process of rebuilding next year’s roster (and staff) begins now.

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John Calipari Makes A Commitment to Kentucky Fans, “I’m Going to Work”

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John Calipari at Kentucky men’s basketball practice.
Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

Since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last week, there has been speculation on whether the program would move on from head coach John Calipari, who has failed to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019.

Now four days later, there has still been no official statement from either Calipari or the Athletic Department. That said, Calipari spoke on his season-ending radio show on Monday and it certainly sounded like a man who expects and wants to be coaching at Kentucky next season.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place. Of course, to many, those are empty words when the results have not been there.

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Calipari closed his show by making a commitment to the fanbase. “That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on,” Calipari said. “The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work. That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

Calipari is expected to meet with Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon, as he does annually after the season. A lot still weighs on the meeting, but it is expected that Calipari will return. It seems to be heading for a be-all-end-all season for Calipari.

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