John Calipari is Still playing the Negativity card
John Calipari is still playing the “We’re not very good” card with his young team despite a dominating second half against 11th ranked Kansas on Tuesday night. Here is a little of what he had to say on Kentucky’s performance: “We don’t believe we have to play together yet. It’s not talent that wins, it’s good teams that win. This is not a good team. We’re not bad, but we’re not a good team yet. We’ve got good players.”
I get what Cal is doing and I have to agree (partially) with his statement. I do think that the Cats played a little too much one on one in the first half against the Jayhawks, but I chalk that up to nerves and youth. This team is still trying to find their way and figure out how to play together. It clicked for most of the second half. Once it clicks for the game, watch out.
I think this is a good team. You can tell they like each other and that they love to play together. But Calipari knows his team better than anyone, and if being a little negative is the way to motivate them, then I am all for it.
2. Louisville’s “Tradition” Does not Translate
The Louisville Cardinals have a basketball game at Butler on Saturday and there are still 1,500 tickets left for the game. If you talk to a Louisville fan they will tell you that they have the best fans around and that they travel better than any team, but the proof is in the pudding. The tickets are only $30 and Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is about an hour and twenty minutes from Louisville. The next time a Louisville fan talks about his loyalty and dedication, don’t forget to mention this little factoid.
It is possible that Louisville fans are afraid they may lose to Butler. Butler lost an exhibition game to Northern State by 3 and then lost their first regular season game to Evansville by 3. No way Louisville loses, right? It turns out that starting point guard Peyton Siva is highly unlikely to play against the Bulldogs due to an ankle injury. The Cardinals are about 10 times worse without Siva, his back up is Elisha Justice. A walk on.
So I guess staying home may be the right thing to do in this situation.
3. Where was Wiltjer?
Something that I feel that was lost in the big victory on Tuesday night was the absence of Kyle Wiltjer in the game. Wiltjer had been playing great during the exhibition games and played very well against Marist, scoring 14 points in the season opener, yet he say very limited minutes versus Kansas.
Many of the Kentucky fans that I watched the game with were constantly asking, “Why isn’t Cal playing Wiltjer?”, and that my friends I cannot fully explain, but maybe I can try. Could it be that Calipair is trying to build a cohesive unit with what will be his starters, including Darius Miller who will probably start some this season? Or was it that he did not like the effort of Wiltjer or that he was making mistakes that Calipari just couldn’t stand to watch.
The last time Wiltjer was in was late in the second half. He made a silly behind the back foul and found himself immediately back on the bench beside Jarrod Polson. I think all the explanation we need is right there. Wiltjer will get his minutes but he needs to be ready first.
4. Football or Basketball?
As you are well aware by now, the Wildcat football team plays at the same time as the Wildcat basketball team does on Saturday. Which will you tune into watch? I have already made my decision and I am going with Kentucky vs. Penn State over Kentucky at Georgia.
I just looked up the Kentucky at Georgia spread. It’s -31 Kentucky. I just poured bourbon into my coffee.
It was an easy decision. I would rather not watch a team I love get absolutely crushed and embarrassed in front of thousands of people. It’s logic, folks.
5. Double Dip Basketball Weekend
Not only do you get Kentucky basketball versus Penn State on Saturday, you will also get Kentucky basketball versus Old Dominion or South Florida on Sunday. It’s all part of this “Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament” that’s been going on since UK first tipped off against Marist.
Here’s my beef with this “tournament”. Whatever happened to having a tournament in one building over a period of two to three days? Why, now all of a sudden, do tournaments last for over a week and span over multiple venues? I remember when the Maui Invitational was just in Maui. Now, the Maui Invitational apparently is in Memphis. The Memphis Tigers defeated Belmont in Memphis and that was considered a part of the Maui Invitational.
Not only was the Maui Invitational in Memphis, but it was also in North Carolina (Duke), Kansas, Michigan, California, etc… Has it always been this way? I don’t think so. Call me old fashioned, but I like the classic tournament set up.
Sorry for the rant. It just kind of happens sometimes. Have a lovely day.