DeMarcus Cousins can be the poison and the cure, the fire and the extinguisher.When Cousins is clicking, Kentucky generally rolls. When he’s frustrated and riddled in foul trouble, which generally lands him on the bench, UK sputters to an alarming halt.The two sides – good and bad – of Cousins were on full display Wednesday afternoon in Kentucky’s 86-73 win over Long Beach State in Rupp Arena. In the first half when Cousins picked up a silly personal foul for mauling a player and an ensuing technical for a retaliating shove to Larry Anderson, one had to wonder what was going through his head. In the second half when he went for 13 points and nine rebounds and basically dragged UK past Long Beach State for good, one had to wonder why Cousins is ever on the bench.Cousins, who was unavailable for comment after Wednesday’s game because of travel plans, finished the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the year. He did it all in a season-low 13 minutes. “He’s growing up. He’s getting better,” head coach John Calipari said. “He knows, but he’s never been held to a standard, which he is now. You’ve just got to hold him to that standard. This reaction is going to get this reaction from me – every single time. Every once in a while you’re out, and we’ll win without you.”He was the best player on the floor.”The best player after a freshman mistake in the first half when he was forced to the bench with two instant fouls. Cousins let his emotions get the best of him after Anderson shoved him, so he decided to retaliate.”The kid did hit him,” Calipari said. “Just walk away. You hit him and now you’re out the rest of the second half, but what do you do to your team? He wanted to argue the point and I’m not buying it. It was a great lesson for him because he went back in the second half and he was tremendous.”The first-half exit, second-half eruption has been a rather steady trend during UK’s 13-0 start. Ten times this season Cousins has headed to the bench in the first half with two or more fouls. As a result, he’s averaged just 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds before halftime. When he gets on the court and stays in the game in the second half, he’s averaging a robust 9.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.Imagine if he could stay out of foul trouble. Well, no need to. If Cousins were to play 40 minutes a game, his average at his current pace would be 31.9 points and 18.8 rebounds per game. Yikes!Calipari said he’s entertained the notion of bringing Cousins off the bench because he gets too juiced up for games. During his transition from high school and AAU ball, Cousins hasn’t learned how to prepare himself during a 40-minute college basketball pregame, Calipari said.
He gets too emotional, but when it comes down to it, Calipari said he’s still one of the best five players he has, therefore he needs to start.”This is his first year of college basketball,” senior guard Ramon Harris said. “He’s probably been waiting for this all his life. Now the opportunity is here, he’s going to try to make the best of it.”But Cousins’ emotions are the key to his game. He is a living, breathing catch-22. When he lets his emotions get too fired up, he generally picks up fouls and heads to the bench. When he settles in and contains them, he rivals John Wall for the most dominant player on the court. The players and the crowd feed off him, as was the case Wednesday afternoon. During one sequence in the second half, Cousins, with one player pulling his right arm and another draped over his left shoulder, grabbed an offensive board, collected himself and went back up for a shot, drawing a foul in the process.Just second later, he and junior forward Patrick Patterson played hot potato on the offensive glass, tipping the ball back and forth some 2,347 times. UK didn’t score on that possession, but it was a supreme effort that fired up the crowd and the Cats. It was no coincidence UK finally pulled away at that point.”My thing to him is he has to learn from Muhammad Ali,” Calipari said. “If you want to talk, you better back it up. Don’t expect your teammates to back it up; you back it up. If you want to back it up, you’re going to train better than anybody else trains so you’re ready to back it up.”Cousins’ emotions are no different on or off the court. It’s the same fuel that has ignited the legend of “Big Cuz” and “Boogie,” names affectionately thrown Cousins’ way for his immature, good-hearted humor. “He’s a fun-loving (guy),” Calipari said. “I love the kid. He just has a lot of growing up to do, but I’ve coached a lot of kids like him. At the end of the day when he leaves us, if I need a kidney I can get one from him. That’s what it’ll be like. There’s some grinding of the teeth, some anxious times, he’s mad, I’m mad, but at the end of the day, when those guys look back, a guy like him will say, ‘I needed this in the worst way.’ “Sometimes he acts like a 12-year-old kid. Other times he looks like a 12-year NBA veteran.”He just brings toughness,” Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson said. “I think, as a coach, the two hardest things to go out and recruit are an inside presence and a point guard. Mission accomplished at Kentucky. They’ve got those two things down pat as good as anybody in the country. That’s what they’re going to keep getting better and be there at the end of the year.”It’s pretty evident that Calipari won’t have to worry about John Wall. He’s in for the long haul. But if Calipari can contain the fire in Cousins’ head and heart and keep his emotions in check, he may have found the perfect spark for this magical run.