Kentucky Wildcats Farmer's Almanac for Saturday (2/26/11)

How bad do you want it? That is the question that John Calipari has set before the Cats before today’s match up against Florida. Cal wants his guys to want to win more than any other player on the floor and play until the clock stops. Cal mentioned having a recent conversation with Terrence Jones about trying harder and it looks like Jones appeared weak. So this week to make his guys tougher he has brought the punching bags out again. This method has worked in the past and Cal is hoping for success again.

“Just compete,” Cal said on Friday. “Let’s just execute. Let’s play 40 minutes and see what happens. If that’s not enough, I’m fine.”

I completely agree I would rather my team be tough and willing to compete and lose because the other team was just better than them playing up until the final few minutes and not being tough enough to complete the game. This topic is a reoccurring subject with this group of guys.

In the past four games DeAndre Liggins has received two technical fouls. This is something that has to end according to Cal.

“We’ve talk to him,” Cal said. “You’ve got to stop with any kind of arm-waving.”

Liggins needs to start playing the game and let Cal do the defending of him. If Calipari thinks it’s a bad call you know he will be in the ear of the officials but if you Liggins just play. You just have to keep in mind officals are humans too they will make a call you don’t like from time to time but you have to keep your head in the game and relax.

While Liggins is one of the only guys who has shown the emotion to win and the toughness that Cal wants some times it shows a little too much on the court. But when ask how he feels about losing he said this.

“Me myself, I’m pissed off.” Liggins said on Friday. “I play to win. I make winning plays. I’m not selfish. I play to win. I’m pissed. We’ve just go to get it together, and I’ve got to step my game up another notch,”

It looks like Josh Harrellson made some comments about the team “feel let down.” Well that wasn’t enough of a comment for Liggins as he went on to say.

“They should be pissed, because I’m pissed.” He continued by saying. “We’ve just got to come out tomorrow(against Florida) and be aggressive.”

So as you can tell Liggins is playing with anger today, let’s hope that doesn’t lead to any technical fouls today.

This time last season coach Cal was encouraging several players to enter the draft, this season not so much. I looks like Calipari is suggesting that no one enters the draft early this year that they just aren’t prepared for the next level as of yet. Everyone know that part of the reason players come to Cal is that he prepares them quickly to play in the NBA. But so far this season these guys just aren’t ready and when ask if he would encourage the he said “If today, probably not. But we’re still a month away (from deciding if they want to enter the draft).”

For coach Cal’s comments on the Florida game here is the interview:

The Bat Cats took the field again yesterday which ended in a disappointing 10-8 loss against Illinois-Chicago. The Cats held a six-run lead going into the seventh but just gave it up and couldn’t hold on.

In other news it looks like former Wildcat Tayshaun Prince is having some problems in the NBA. It looks like sever
al veteran players on the Pistons including Prince wanted to be traded out of Detroit and since that didn’t happen attempted a boycott during shootaround. It looks like all of those guys was benched for last night’s game against the 76ers which led to a loss. It looks like the boycott has been scheduled since before the all-star break but called it off once and since not being traded or the coach being fired called it on again. This is a tough situation and I hate to see a talented player like Prince involved in such actions.

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