The Five Best Quotes from the John Calipari Show

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - JANUARY 11: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena on January 11, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - JANUARY 11: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena on January 11, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Monday night, Coach Cal sat down for his weekly radio show with Tom Leach. This week he discussed Kentucky’s recent success, EJ Montgomery, and more. Here are Wildcat Blue Nation’s five best quotes from his show:

1. EJ Montgomery

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – DECEMBER 28: EJ Montgomery #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates after 78-70 OT win against the Louisville Cardinals at Rupp Arena on December 28, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – DECEMBER 28: EJ Montgomery #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates after 78-70 OT win against the Louisville Cardinals at Rupp Arena on December 28, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

This enigma is a tough one to figure out, unlock EJ Montgomery and these Wildcats are close to unstoppable. People said it last year, and the point holds true to this day. The problem with that? He has seen little to no progression, even halfway through his sophomore year.

Of EJ, Calipari said:

“EJ, it’s really important. We’re trying to the anxiety of ‘How am I playing? What am I doing?’ gone and have him stay in the moment. The thing for him is, conditioning, and then some toughness. We want him to get where he wants to get bumped. I come back to focusing on one thing and doing it over and over again. If you don’t like to get bumped? Drive in there and get bumped. Like, purposely, I’m going to get bumped. And then you’ll want to drive in there in games and get and-ones. And then all of a sudden, we see a confident player.”

Calipari knows what type of player EJ can be:

“He is a terrific player. He led us in shooting today. He made 65 out of 75-80 shots today. You should be shooting the ball with great confidence. I’ve seen it, so I know he’s capable of it. It’s just about confidence. He’s one of the best kids I’ve ever coached, one of the nicest.”