“The children finally fought. “
John Calipari’s team did not win on Tuesday night at the Rupp Arena, but they fought hard.
Losing 12 points with just over six minutes to play, Kentucky still looked like the same Kentucky team that we saw many times before. They just didn’t have the strength to go back and win. You could feel it.
“We were losing eight or ten and then we made a try and I had to catch them because they were doing that hanging head again,” Calipari recalled on the UK Sports Radio Network’s post-game program. “I think we lost four baskets. Five minutes to go. Come on! Touch! Throw some daggers. Today, we launch daggers. “
Calipari begged his team this week to launch daggers. He pleaded with them throughout the season to come together as a team. He has struggled to push the right buttons so that each individual can fully trust each other. Tonight, Calipari could see this team united as one, manifesting itself in something simple that is often overlooked: huddled together.
“If you’re playing badly, what are you doing to help our team win? Maybe it’s conversation. Maybe it’s to block. Perhaps you will dive into the ground. Maybe you will fly and give an extra pass because you know I can’t shoot now. What do you do to help us win? Or do you hang your head because of the way you are playing? Today they started so they reversed.
“I loved it – we’ve been talking about heaps. It’s hard to get together if two guys don’t want to come in because they’re very upset about the way they’re playing. Did you see those huddles today? These are like my teams from the past, the past 30 years. “
Calipari then started to shout: “They huddled together! They clung! They were in each other! They challenged themselves. Finally! They need each other, FINALLY! Now we have to build from there. “
Kentucky is running out of time to develop what Calipari saw today. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game, they have finally achieved some important goals
“Our team fought like hell and finally won the last four minutes of the game,” said Calipari. “This team had to trust each other instead of trying to be one on one both in attack and defense. Finally, we were together because we knew we needed each other.“