Cats Working Hard in Preparation for SEC Opener Against Missouri
No one will ever accuse John Calipari of being a hands-off coach, but Coach Cal says he has been extra tough as Kentucky prepares for Southeastern Conference play.
In fact, he says he’s revisiting a previous version of his coaching self.
“I’m like my UMass days the last couple days,” Calipari said earlier this week.
Now an assistant at UK, Barbee can fact-check that. He spent four seasons playing for Calipari at UMass.
“He needs to revisit his visiting of his UMass days because it wasn’t quite close to how he was back then,” Barbee said with a wry smile, “but they’ve been intense and physical.”
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| Kentucky vs. Missouri | ||
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Sat., Jan. 4 – 2 p.m. ET |
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| Coverage | ||
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TV: SEC Network |
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| UK | Stats | MU |
| 9-3 | Record | 8-4 |
| 0-0 | Conference Record | 0-0 |
| 74.8 | PPG | 68.0 |
| 61.9 | Opp PPG | 55.7 |
| .464 | FG% | .437 |
| .387 | Opp FG% | .361 |
| 37.2 | RPG | 37.0 |
| .293 | 3PT FG% | .299 |
| .301 | Opp 3PT FG% | .260 |
| .790 | FT% | .746 |
| 15.3 | APG | 12.3 |
| 5.4 | SPG | 7.6 |
| 4.3 | BPG | 3.0 |
Assessing exactly how close Calipari is to coaching like he did in his early 30s might be a source of amusement, but the root of what he’s saying remains relevant regardless. As the No. 17/14 Wildcats (9-3) prepare to host Missouri (8-4) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in both teams’ conference opener, Calipari is turning up the heat for a clear reason.
“You’re starting fresh,” Barbee said. “What you did in the nonconference does not matter when you start conference play. Doesn’t matter who you played, doesn’t matter their records, the schedules. You throw them out the window and anybody can beat anybody on any night on any court, home or away.”
That will be true this weekend in Rupp Arena against Cuonzo Martin’s team, which has won four straight games.
“They’re very physical,” Tyrese Maxey said. “They play really hard. They’re never going to give up. Coach said if we get up 15, get up 12 they’re not going to go away. They’re very resilient.”
The Tigers have been one of the nation’s best defensive squads through nonconference play. They have held opponents to 55.7 points per game (seventh nationally) and 36.1% field-goal shooting (eighth nationally).
“They’re collapsing on defense,” Calipari said. “They’ll block shots. You’re not getting, like, open, clear looks. That’s not how they play. They’re running good stuff. They’re moving the ball. Their multiple pick-and-roll actions. Coach Martin is good now. He’s as good as they get. They play to his personality, which is grit, ‘Let’s go, we’re bringing it. We’re not afraid. Let’s do this.’ It’ll be a really hard game for us to win.”
UK is coming off another similar game, but the Cats managed to take down their rivals in a top-five ranked Louisville squad in a hard-fought overtime battle. That has generated some much-needed momentum, but success doesn’t come without pitfalls.
Therein lies another reason why Camp Cal has been a little more intense these last few days.
“I think it’s always been his kind of philosophy that after a win like we had, you don’t want to let the guys rest on their laurels and get too comfortable,” Barbee said. “So, he wanted to maintain their attention as we head into conference play, and I think that was the biggest thing he was trying to get across. We’ve got to move on from that last game and now focus on what’s ahead and not get carried away with reading our news clips, so to speak.”
It’s a coach’s job to raise the bar. The players’ job is clear it.
“He always says the plan in practice is not to just get through it,” Maxey said. “It’s to beat the practice. So I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing these last couple days, is beating the practice. He puts together a tough practice plan and we just go at it and we go out and attack it and try to beat it.”
UK will be faced with the same task 18 times in league play. Success in the SEC isn’t the ultimate goal for this team, but how the Cats navigate the challenges the conference has to offer will determine how ready they are for the ones to come in March and April.
“I mean, league play is totally different,” Calipari said. “But I’m trying to keep these kids thinking about, are you getting better? Are you listening? Are you becoming a better teammate? Are you playing the way the team needs you to play? Are you so concerned with yourself you can’t play for us? All those kinds of things that—kids gotta grow up fast.”
Kentucky Tops Rival Louisville in Overtime Thriller
Nick Richards did whatever heavy lifting No. 19 Kentucky needed against rival Louisville, intensity that put him on the brink of fouling out.
He eventually harnessed his energy into clutch contributions on both ends of the floor and celebrated big stops in the Wildcats’ much-needed victory by punching the air.
Richards had 13 points, including seven in a row in overtime, and Kentucky scored the final eight points for a 78-70 victory over No. 3/4 Louisville on Saturday in a thrilling Bluegrass rivalry showdown.
Louisville led 68-65 on Jordan Nwora’s 3-pointer with 2:20 left before Richards converted a traditional 3-point play and added a layup to make it 70-68 with 1:23 remaining. The junior forward added two more foul shots for a 72-70 lead before Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey provided a six-point cushion from the line. Ashton Hagans’ dunk with 4.9 seconds left sealed the tense win for the Wildcats (9-3) before 20,437 at Rupp Arena.
“I just played smarter,” said Richards, who also had 10 rebounds, a block and took a couple of charges in the extra session. “I noticed that when they were driving on me they were lowering their shoulders on me, so I just tried to take charges on those. I was really happy that they called those charges. If he (the official) had called a block, I don’t know what would have happened.”
While Richards provided the post presence, Maxey helped out with big baskets.
The freshman guard’s free throws capped a career-best 27-point performance that topped his previous high by one in his collegiate debut against then top-ranked Michigan State. For a while he seemed destined for all the praise with clutch shots during a back-and-forth second half before his teammate picked up the load in the extra session.
“I was just saying, ‘We’re good,” said Maxey, who made 9 of 14 shots with four 3-pointers. “Trailing by three points with two minutes left, we had a lot of time and a lot of possessions. We just had to get stops.”
The overtime was the first in a regular-season game between the schools and the first since Louisville won 80-68 on March 26, 1983 in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats ended a two-game losing streak in which Utah and Ohio State both shot 50% or better against them in Las Vegas. Quickley had 18 points for Kentucky, which shot 46% for its 11th win over Louisville in 13 meetings.
“This was a great win for us,” Wildcats coach John Calipari said.
Steven Enoch had 18 points and Dwayne Sutton 10 for the Cardinals (11-2). Louisville shot just 40% and made just 3 of 9 in overtime. The Cards were also dreadful from the line, making just 9 of 20.
“If we ring the bell from the free throw line, I think the game is different,” coach Chris Mack said. “You could probably pick out a few plays down the stretch or overtime. Make a few of those maybe the ending is different.
Kentucky had two potential game-winning chances in the final seconds of regulation, but Maxey’s shot missed and Keion Brooks Jr.’s tip rolled around the basket and out to force OT.
UK limited Nwora to a season-low eight points with one 3-pointer after entering the game averaging 21.2 points per contest.
Of note …
• Kentucky improved to 37-16 in the rivalry and 11-2 under Calipari, including three straight victories. The Wildcats are 20-5 vs. Louisville in Lexington and 6-0 in Rupp Arena under Calipari
• Maxey was named the Bluegrass Sports Commission Most Valuable Player with his career day. His 27 points were not only a career high, he made a career-best nine field goals, tied a career high with four 3-pointers and tied a career best with seven rebounds. His 27 points are the most by a Kentucky freshman vs. Louisville and the most by a Wildcat vs. Louisville, regardless of class, since Jodie Meeks scored 28 on Jan. 4, 2009, a 74-71 victory for the Cardinals
• Richards’ double-double was his fifth of the season and the sixth of his career. He also drew 11 fouls on Louisville
• Quickely’s 18 points were not only a career high, he also went 8 of 8 at the free-throw line, including two late in overtime to seal the win
• Hagans pitched in with eight points and eight assists. His streak of nine games with six or more assists is the best such streak since Tyler Ulis posted at least six in nine straight games from Feb. 9, 2016, to March 5, 2016
• UK is now 60-49 all-time in overtime games. It was the Wildcats’ first overtime victory since beating Vanderbilt on Jan. 30, 2018 (83-81)
• Transition was key in this one. The Wildcats outscored the Cardinals 20-4 in fastbreak points
• Another key difference: free throws. The Wildcats made 21 of 25 and Louisville went 9 of 20. UK made 11 of 13 (.846) with five minutes to play and in overtime. The Wildcats are 35 of 43 (.814) from the line in a single-digit game with five minutes to play and in overtime this season
• Kentucky improved to 61-32 vs. Associated Press Top 25 competition under Calipari and 2-1 against such foes this season (all top five)
• UK avoided its second three-game losing streak under Calipari (four straight losses during the 2017-18 season) with the win vs. Louisville. The Wildcats are now 52-13 under Calipari in bounce-back games after a loss
• There were 13 lead changes and 10 ties in the game, a season high for UK in both categories
S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!
Kentucky has the unquestionable reputation as the league’s gold standard. Since the SEC’s inception in 1932-33, the Wildcats are the most dominant team in the league, recording a 997-281 mark (.780) in regular-season conference play. Only one other team has won more than 750 regular-season SEC games (Alabama), and no other team owns a better winning percentage.
• Kentucky has averaged 11.6 wins and only 3.3 losses per season in 86 seasons in the SEC
• UK has won 48 SEC titles and 31 SEC Tournament championships
• The Wildcats have won 16 of the last 28 SEC Tournament titles
• Kentucky has captured at least a share of five of the last 10 SEC regular-season championships under head coach John Calipari
• UK has played in the championship game of the SEC Tournament in eight of Calipari’s 10 seasons, winning the tournament six times
• Seven teams made the 2019 NCAA Tournament field, tied for the second most of any league in the country
• The SEC had two teams in the Elite Eight, one in the Final Four and went 12-7 in NCAA Tournament games in 2019
• As of the Dec. 30 rankings, two SEC teams are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. In addition to UK, Auburn is ranked No. 8. Arkansas and Florida sit just outside the top 25 and received votes
• Eleven SEC schools ranked in the top 100 of the NCAA’s Net Evaluation Tool rankings on Dec. 30
• Kentucky is 8-2 in SEC openers under Calipari and 9-1 in its first SEC home game of the season
• UK is 66-19 in SEC openers all-time (the Wildcats did not play an SEC regular-season game during the 1943-44 season)
Kentucky Picked to Win 49th SEC Title
Eleventh-year head coach John Calipari has often described Kentucky as the hunted within the ranks of the Southeastern Conference. With more regular-season and tournament titles than the entire league combined, it’s not a far-fetched mantra. If the 2019-20 preseason media poll conducted by the league’s media proves true, Kentucky will once again be the pursued.
UK was voted to win their sixth regular-season title under Calipari by the league’s media members. Should Kentucky achieve the feat, it would mark the program’s 49th overall regular-season title.
It’s the 15th time since the 1998-99 season the Wildcats are the overall preseason favorite. Calipari has directed his teams to regular-season SEC crowns in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Kentucky has claimed the SEC Tournament title six times under his direction in 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Each school selected media members that cover their team and additional media from across the nation were selected by the conference office to comprise the voting panel. Points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4- 3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for two All-SEC teams.
Richards, Maxey Earn National, SEC Awards
After playing leading roles in another signature victory over archrival Louisville on Saturday, Kentucky men’s basketball players Nick Richards and Tyrese Maxey were awarded national and conference honors this week.
Richards was tabbed the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and Maxey was named both the USBWA Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Week and NCAA March Madness National Player of the Week. The Southeastern Conference picked Richards as one of two winners of the SEC Player of the Week award — along with Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe — and Maxey won SEC Freshman of the Week.
Maxey scored a game- and career-high 27 points with career-high-tying numbers for 3-pointers (four) and rebounds (seven), and Richards notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, including scoring seven straight points in overtime with the game on the line.
The national honors are the first for any Wildcat this season. Richards becomes the sixth all-time winner of the USBWA award and the first since PJ Washington on Feb. 17. Maxey is the first UK winner of the Tisdale award since Tyler Herro won it on Jan. 2, 2019, following last season’s victory over Louisville.
It’s the first time Kentucky players have swept both USBWA awards since Kevin Knox won both honors on Jan. 30, 2018.
The SEC awards marked Richards’ first career conference honor and Maxey’s second. Maxey won the season’s first SEC Freshman of the Week award after scoring 26 points in the victory over then-No. 1 Michigan State in Madison Square Garden in early November, his college debut.
As John Calipari’s teams have dominated the Southeastern Conference during his tenure, so too have his players.
UK has won more weekly SEC honors (103) than any other school during the Calipari era, including 82 SEC Freshman of the Week honors and 21 SEC Player of the Week awards
