This one finally counts.
After seven long months since John Calipari was hired as the 22nd coach in Kentucky basketball history – in what likely seems like seven years for some of the players and fans in anticipation of getting things underway – the new-look Wildcats will finally take the court for the regular season when they tip off against Morehead State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Rupp Arena.
“We’ve been playing against each other since May,” junior forward Josh Harrellson said. “We’re all ready to play against somebody else that counts.”
And as we all know, every game matters in this state. Whether it’s Morehead State, Gardner-Webb, Louisville or North Carolina, every win or loss is scrutinized when it comes to UK basketball. Win and you’re doing your job; lose, and well, you’ve got problems.
As Calipari gets ready to kick off his campaign at Kentucky, he said he’s well aware of the titanic expectations that lie ahead of him. However, Calipari is placing more importance on improving his team for the long haul than the final numbers on the Rupp Arena scoreboard Friday.
“The most important thing for me, and it always has been in November and December, is I must learn about my team,” Calipari said. “Now we want to win every game we play, but the most important thing is you learn. You cannot learn against Popcorn State. What you learn against Popcorn State is you’re better than Popcorn State. That’s all you learn. Now when you play Morehead … we’re going to learn about our team because this is an NCAA Tournament team, and that’s what you want.”
Morehead State, an aforementioned NCAA tourney team that gave Louisville first-half fits in last year’s Big Dance, will certainly pose problems for the Cats. The Eagles return four of their five starters from last seaon’s 20-16 team, including junior Kenneth Faried (13.9 ppg, 13.0 rpg), a bulldog in the post, and their high-scoring sixth man Maze Stallworth (12.1 ppg, 2.6 3-pointers a game).
But Morehead State could put three 7-footers on the floor that all shoot 50 percent from 3-point range and it won’t matter – this fan base expects a win and nothing less.
“The issue becomes ‘You better learn quick, son.’ But the only way you can learn is against teams that you risk losing games to. It’s the only way,” Calipari said. “Our first two games we could be 0-2 and me feel wonderful that I’ve learned enough to know what I’ve got to do.”
Calipari, despite a much-improved effort against Clarion in the final exhibition game, still isn’t pleased with his team’s progress. Instead of moving forward with the 177-52 rout of his alma mater, he’s actually laid off a bit in practice because he’s worried he is thr`wing too much at the players.
“We did some stuff yesterday that I just burst out laughing,” Calipari said. “I was just like, ‘Why would you do that?’ “
Calipari and the players are anxious to get the season started, but they’re not throwing all their chips in on the first game. It’s only November, five months separated from their ultimate goal and hopeful destination.
“This isn’t football,” Calipari said. “You lose your first two and you’re out of the race for the national title. That’s not what this is.”
That’s why the early season letdowns of the past two seasons, most notably a November loss to Gardner-Webb in 2007, an upset to San Diego in December 2007 and a season-opening loss to VMI last year, have not been brought up among the team in any meetings or practices.
“Who is that?” Harrellson joked when a reporter brought up Gardner-Webb.
Calipari made sure to note that UK is playing an entirely different beast in Morehead State on Friday.
“Did those teams make it to the NCAA Tournament? Well, this is a different team. This is totally a different deal,” Calipari said. “We’re going in with an attitude of let’s play our best. Let’s play and do what we do and whatever comes out let’s learn from it. I do not want these kids feeling that they have to win. No, you have to prepare to win and let it go. We’re going to create our own happiness. If I see a great effort and an experienced team beats us because we couldn’t do X, Y, Z, we’ll learn and move on.”
Calipari said that if they fall victim to another November nightmare – oddly enough, the season opener starts on Friday the 13th – it won’t shake his confidence about his team.
“I don’t live and die with every game, because if you do you die a lot,” Calipari said.
If Calipari still needs to learn something, it’s maybe that this fan base does indeed live and die with every game.
On second thought, that’s why he wanted this job so badly. As the John Calipari era officially gets underway, expectations are at an all-time high.
“That’s why you come here,” Calipari said. “I looked at our team and I said ‘You guys know why you came to Kentucky. You weren’t afraid of it. You came here because you wanted to do something special.’ I obviously accepted this position because I understand what the expectations are.”
Now it’s time to live up to them. Now is when it finally counts.Bledsoe, Cousins to play: Freshman guard Eric Bledsoe (ankle) and freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins (chest) are expected to play against Morehead State.
