Let’s begin with a state-of-the-club message delivered Saturday from the head basketball coach.
“If you’re a coach, you understand the mental part of this is as big as all the other stuff,” said Kentucky’s John Calipari, a firm believer in the importance of the mental stuff. “So, making sure they continue to believe in each other and themselves, yet holding them accountable. I’m not accepting something that’s lack of effort, not taking a charge, not diving on the ball, making a crazy play when you have a teammate wide-open. I’m not settling for that. But everything else, I’m good with this group. I’m good with them.”
This was Cal after his Cats had won their third straight game by snapping Texas A&M’s seven-game win streak by handing the Aggies their first SEC loss in six games. The final score was 76-67. Kentucky is now 13-6 overall, 4-3 in the SEC and in a much different headspace than it was less than two weeks ago.
“We’re good,” UK center Oscar Tshiebwe said Saturday. “We’re on the same page now.”
Calipari’s critics have hit the pause button. There is less talk of an antiquated offense or a “run its course” coaching tenure. “Please Go To Texas” now sounds more like a country music song title than a protest sign at Rupp Arena. In fact, the building on High Street was as close to full on Saturday as it has been all season. Announced attendance: 20,017.
In other words, there has been quite the turnaround in the past two weeks. UK’s humbling 78-52 loss at Alabama on Jan. 7 was followed by the embarrassing home loss to lowly South Carolina three days later. Rock bottom. Nowhere to go but up. So up the Cats went. They upset No. 5-ranked Tennessee 63-56 in Knoxville on Jan. 14, rallied to beat Georgia 85-71 at Rupp on Tuesday, then outfought the feisty Aggies on Saturday.
What changed? And can the Cats keep it going?
By all reports, the South Carolina loss was followed by a soul-searching airing of grievances. Meetings were held. Emotions ran high. Air was cleared. Example: When asked about Kentucky’s improved defense at Tennessee, Jacob Toppin answered, “We were talking on defense, but not everyone was listening. Today, everyone listened.”
And just when you thought Calipari was about to call off the search party, he found a lineup he likes. One that works. The shoulder injury that kept point guard Sahvir Wheeler out of the Tennessee game forced the coach to commit to a rotation of Tshiebwe, Toppin, Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves, with others sprinkled in as needed
Even with Wheeler’s return, Calipari has stuck to those five. Chris Livingston started Saturday, but he played just 13 minutes. Wheeler played eight. Coming off the bench, Reeves played 28 minutes. And scored a game-high 23 points.
“The biggest thing this is: You gotta guard all five guys,” Calipari said Saturday.
Wins beat spin. And other nothing boosts confidence like a big win. The Tennessee game was the turnaround. The difference in Kentucky’s confidence pre-Rocky Top to post-Rocky Top is palatable. As Yogi Berra supposedly once said, “Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”
Can Kentucky keep the confidence going? This is an interesting week. The Cats are in Nashville on Tuesday night to play Vanderbilt. Jerry Stackhouse’s Commodores are 3-3 in the league after an 85-82 win at Georgia on Saturday. Two of Vandy’s three losses came against arguably the SEC’s two best teams — 77-68 at Tennessee and 78-66 at home to Alabama.
Then Saturday, Kansas comes to Rupp Arena for the final SEC/Big 12 Challenge. (The SEC/ACC Challenge begins next season.) The No. 2-ranked Jayhawks had a rough week. They lost an overtime thriller 83-82 at No. 13 Kansas State on Tuesday, then were pounded 83-60 by No. 14 TCU at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. Bill Self’s team is at Baylor on Monday before Saturday’s battle of blue bloods. The Jayhawks are no doubt looking for a turnaround of their own.
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