UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CALIPARI WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
DEC. 21, 2021
JOE CRAFT CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY.
 
Head Coach John Calipari
 
Opening statement …
“Let me do one thing first: We’re doing this Zoom and we’re going to do after the game tomorrow, Zoom. The kids get to go home for Christmas. We’re trying to mitigate what we can. They’ve all gotten booster shots. So, just knowing that it’s about being a great teammate. Like, there were many of them that didn’t want to do it, but they did it for each other and they did it for their families at home. So, we’re just going to try and mitigate. Maybe we’re going to do this for the next week or two. This week and maybe the following one when we get back, just like, unless things start lightening up and then we’ll be fine. And you know how I’d rather be in your company than doing this this way.”
 
On goals of scoring a certain amount of points …
“Well, when I say 75 or 80, it’s an efficiency thing. If they’re playing a game that makes the game, instead of 40 minute, it’s 32 minutes., all right, let’s go 75 and say its 75% of 75 or 80% of 75. If they’re going to shorten the game, I get that. But it’s just that you, if you’re a team that’s scoring in the 60s, you’re going to face somebody who can get 70 even if you play great defense, even when you shorten the game. It’s just hard. Now there are going to be games and we’ve already had one where you score 65 points. Well, why did that happen, Darrell (Bird)? [Bird: Not a lot of passing.] How about we went 2 for 19 from the 3-point line? You go 2 for 25 from (the 3-point line), you know stuff like that happens. Where normally we like to take with this team 20 to 22 (3s a game). Sometimes we take a little less because we have driving opportunities, which we’ll take. Sometimes you’re playing and taking a little bit more. But we want to be able to play whether we are making 3s or not. The problem is if you’re not making 3s you better be defending to keep them in the same area as you are.”
 
On having a second straight game canceled with a new opponent and how confident he is in the season continuing …
“I don’t know what you mean by normal, but here’s what I would say: I’m worried, just like I was last year, of mitigating and having every opportunity for our team to play basketball games. I have enough friends that, if we have games canceled, that we can fill them in with other games and against good opponents. This one was such a quick turn. We did start calling teams Saturday night. So, we did after the game start calling teams. But you just didn’t have the time to get something together. But you know there are a lot of teams that want to play us. They want to say, ‘All right we’ll come to you, but next year you’ve got to come to us.’ And it becomes a home-and-home. There’s a lot of teams, so I think if we do this right and I think there’s got to be some–like, if you have eight scholarship players and a coach, you must play the game. I mean, there’s got to be that. This is not going to be perfect. I like the fact that we’ve had our vaccines, 100%. We’ve had the booster. And what it means to me is that if someone gets it, it’s not going to (make them real sick). I’ve got people’s children under my care, and that’s my first thing that I worry about. I did it last year. Last year was about as much mental health to make sure that you know we didn’t have any issues there either.”
 
On Western Kentucky’s challenge …
“Well, there are two things that happened. I first of all said, ‘We’ve got to have (fans). This building is sold out. We have to try and get the best team that we can get. We can make it about West Kentucky with another big-time opponent.’ But as you went through the list, there were none that were willing. Then it became, well, what level do we do all of this? And is there a chance we say we’re going to postpone the game and not play anybody? Well, that kind of went out the window right away if we could get a good opponent. Now, with Western, the history of their program in our state, the respect they get within our state and even nationally. People still remember Western Kentucky and Coach (E.A.) Diddle and the red towel and all of the stuff. I mean,, you’re talking about a top program, and what they’re doing now is, they’ve got a good team. I mean, they beat Mississippi good. They beat Louisville good. Louisville made some 3s to make it close. I mean, this is a team with the leading shot blocker, shooters. They’re well coached. Rick (Stansbury) does a great job. He always has. And you’re right, this is a dangerous (game). I don’t want it to call a no-win because it’s a win. Playing the game is a win. We’re playing basketball. The other thing that’s a win, let’s really bring light and honor to West Kentucky and do it in a way where the country is watching. So, I don’t know. Someone is going to lose the game unless we can go tie. I’d take a tie. But it’s still going to be something special, and I think whoever is in the arena, those people are going to say, ‘Wow. This was special. I’m so happy I’m here and maybe this worked out for the best.’ “
 
On rescheduling the Louisville game …
“Well, if there’s cancellations and there’s an opportunity, obviously we’d play it. But we just don’t know where this is all going.”
 
On where the Louisville game should be played next season if they can’t play this season …
“Yeah, it should be played here. I mean, didn’t we do that in football? So, I imagine we can do it in basketball.”
 
On the process of scheduling Western Kentucky …
“Look, when I called the people that I called, I had to make that available (future home-and-homes). And I also told them, ‘You understand we don’t just take this program to anywhere on the road? We don’t do that, and I’m willing to come to you now next year if you’ll come to us this year.’ Now, what was the other fly in the ointment? [Jerry Tipton: You beat North Carolina by 30.] Yes. That was the fly in the ointment. Now, I told the guys, ‘You screwed this up.’ ‘What?’ ‘You screwed this up. You beat them so good no one will play us now. They think that’s who we are. I sent them tape of Notre Dame. They didn’t want to see it.’ “
 
 
On ranking high in the league on free-throw percentage but last on attempts …
“Well, I’m going to tell you there is two pieces to that: Yes, we do (shoot a high percentage). As you know, we want to make more than the other team shoots. That isn’t the case this year. But, we’re shooting one of the highest percentages of any of my teams. All right, so we’ve added a shot that I never had added before. That floater, and I’ve got every player including our big guys shooting it for us, but more for them because it is where the game is going. So that leaves you to stop short of the body contact, which means you’re not going to make or shoot as many fouls. You’re giving up something and gaining something, you know? The other reason, I’m trying to think like do I really mind it? Like, things happen and you have to think them through. If there’s not free throws, or a lot of them, what happens with that Darrell (Bird)? What does the game look like? [Darrell Bird: It’s a lot faster.] Wooooo! It doesn’t stop. Some of you had no idea what I was talking about, but that’s OK. The game doesn’t stop and it keeps going. So, that isn’t all bad. So, we’ll just have to gauge it. I’d like to get more free throws, but I like the high percentage we’re shooting.”
 
On WKU’s Jamarion Sharp …
“He’s 7-foot-5 too, Jerry. ‘We’re saying he’s 7-foot-5.’ No, he’s 7-foot-5 leading the nation in blocked shots.”
 
On what challenges Sharp presents …
“Let me tell you, the games that I’ve watched he’s like Casper. He’s like the ghost that’s in there when you start driving. He’s in there. Look, they have a terrific team. This is going to be a hard game for us to win. I don’t care that we’re at home. I’ve got a 7-foot-5 guy and they’ve got two guys that can really shoot the ball, and they’ve got their leading scorer who is an attack dog. And so, when you watch them, you’re like, wow. They run good stuff. And let me say this, the guy that stirs the drink is their point guard. He might be the most effective player in controlling the game and scoring baskets. I mean, I’ve gotten to watch tape and again. If you want to know about Ohio State, you ask me. I’ve got all that I need to know. How about Louisville? Oh yeah. I watched about five tapes of theirs. I can tell you about Louisville. I’m just now catching up with Western. But, when I’m watching it, I’m like, ‘We’re just going to have to play well.’ You can’t come into this game and not play well, or you’ll lose.”
 
On Kellan Grady being more aggressive against North Carolina …
“We’ve been working really hard on all of these guards of not catching the ball, dropping it and then trying to shoot. That’s high school. We’ve been working on catch, wherever you catch it and then you’re shooting from there. If I catch it here, I shoot it from there [demonstrates with hands]. I catch it here; it goes from there and I shoot it. So, if you watch the tape of his shots, he got them off, which means they’re clean shots. Now, you have to practice that way. And we had a couple of guys practicing all of our shooting drills like they were playing HORSE. So, now they can’t get them off. Now, Kellan, I took him out one part of that game because he passed up on two shots. ‘You’re out. You’re not playing. Sit down. I need somebody that will get shots up and do it in a confident way. If you’re not confident, you sit.’ Now, so what it says is, ‘Why’d he take you out?’ Then you’ve got to respond. ‘Because I didn’t shoot it.’ ‘What are you talking about? He took you out. He doesn’t take dah-dah-dah out. He takes you out and not them.’ ‘No, he took me out because I passed on two shots.’ ‘That’s why you got subbed? Why wouldn’t you shoot the ball?’ ‘It’s not as easy as you think.’ And so, I’m trying to make it so I don’t want to hear, ‘I come out every time I make a mistake.’ That’s not true. You can say it. It’s a great line. ‘Man, every time you–.’ And that’s, again, around what they’ll say. But, I had a guy sitting next to me in Vegas who said, ‘Do you know how many times you yelled at guys to shoot the ball today? A hundred.’ Yeah. Oh yeah. And they know if they don’t and they walk or charge or step out of bounds in a corner, they’re coming out. It isn’t the mistake; you’re not shooting the ball. There’s a reason you’re open. Shoot the ball.”
 
On if North Carolina tried to play Sahvir Wheeler different than Notre Dame or played him the same way and he adjusted …
“The biggest thing in the game is we passed the ball and no one was catching it and holding it. So, the ball moved, which meant the court was open for him to do what he does. That was the difference. Against Notre Dame, everybody was going to make the play because they got the phone calls. Now all of a sudden, you caught it and you ripped to your hip because I have to make the play. Versus catch it, swing it, swing it, he attacks, me to him. I got three or four calls on how we passed the ball to each other. Now, part of that is we spent three days really driving it. And, again, if you’re a guy that keeps holding the ball, you can’t be in. You can’t be in. Move that ball. Again, guys are getting better. I think they did some of the same stuff, or at least had planned on it, including what they did in their press attack. So, you knew they watched the tape. But, the other thing that happened, we made a couple shots. Like, you don’t have to make them all. [Reporter: You can’t miss them all.] Yeah, all of them. You can’t miss them all. And now all of a sudden it becomes contagious. You make one and the next guy–all of a sudden there’s a gap and you’re up 16 vs. the whole game is four or five points because every time you’re wide open you’re missing badly. And so, that was a big piece of it. By us making shots, what did it do to their defense? They’ve got to go out here now. Well, if you don’t make shots, they’re saying let him shoot. ‘If he shoots, he plays for us.’ You want that on the scouting report if you’re a player? So, I’m proud of these guys how they came back because they imposed their will, and that’s what we’ve done here. They had a swagger. That’s who we are here. But, now you have to verify it by doing it again. That’s how you verify it. I like the bounce back from Notre Dame. I like what I saw. I like this team. I thought they would trap Oscar (Tshiebwe) and they really didn’t. So, that showed respect of other guys. It’ll be interesting to see what Western does. Part of the thing is, great game for us because we’re going against a zone. And you guys know when I say I don’t mind playing against zone because it makes you do what? Pass the ball. It makes you pass the ball. I don’t even have to yell pass. What, are you going to hold it and let them zone? Hold it, let them set. Hold it, let them set. That ball’s got to move and bounce and in and skip and over. Drive. Find somebody. I love it. So, we’re going to play zone. They play 2-3. They play some 1-3-1. Try to keep the big kid near the basket. Smart move. But, again, for us, it’s what we need to face right now.”