UK Basketball: John Calipari previews Tennessee Volunteers

The Kentucky Wildcats are set for a big road test when they face the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

Prior to the game, head coach John Calipari met with the media to preview the showdown in Knoxville. There, he discussed the state of his team, the flu bug going around, and why he’s changed up the practice routine for Kevin Knox.

Here’s a recap of everything Cal said, courtesy of UK Athletics.

On the situation with the flu going around the team …

“I’m good. No flu. I don’t ever take flu shots because I don’t like needles so there’s nobody giving me a flu shot unless you held me down, knocked me out and then stuck it in my arm. But they have pills now. They have flu pills, and I said, ‘I’ll take a flu pill.’ So I’ve taken flu pills, but we’ll see. We still, one guy will not practice today. So he’s still out, but we’ll see. One guy.”

On playing at Tennessee …

“Yeah, this will be hard. You know Rick (Barnes), what a job he’s done. Villanova, they had them down 15, 16. North Carolina they had down 10 and were leading most of the game. Auburn they had down 16, 15 I believe. Arkansas they led the whole game, matter of fact they were up nine with three minutes to go. What I just told you is they could easily be 13-0. The second thing is they got no students on campus. So they opened up the dorms so they could get in tomorrow by 3 p.m. to be able to be in the dorms and be at the game and the game is sold out. So it’s going to be a war. It’ll be good for these guys to feel this. Playing on the road last game was good, and now you go here and it’s always a difficult game for us. Great environment, but it’s going to be hard.”

On what he learned after the LSU game …

“The second half that we played with some fight. That we posted the ball. That we would get up and then we started shooting jumpers again. And you’ve got to understand that by posting the ball doesn’t mean you’re trying to score next to the basket all the time, but you’re making them do something that you can play of off – the other team. It was great seeing Kevin (Knox) get 11 rebounds and get a double-double. Kevin is no longer working with our guards. He works with the big guys, so that’s where he will be the rest of the way. You get over there with those big guys and we’ll worry about guard play later, but I was happy for him. And then we just made the plays down the stretch and made the free throws. Still a lot of breakdowns. Just a lot of young player moves, but it was a great finish to a game just hanging around and then having a chance to win.”

On why Knox is working with the big men …

“Just to be more aggressive, go to the goal more, rebound more, play like you’re a forward who can really shoot. Play like you’re a big man who can really shoot and score. So I’m just trying to get his mentality – most cases it’s trying to get guys to think different. You’re trying to help them create new habits. You’re not trying to break old habits – you just won’t. You’re trying to create new habits when they’re in situations this is how they’ll react. You have to put them in those environments daily to get them to react the way you want them to react.”

On getting the players to create new habits …

“Well, it’s hard. It’s easier to just – ‘We’re gonna create new habits. Forget about those, those will pop up once in a while, but here’s the habits we want you to have.’ It’s just how I’ve done it over the years.”

On the team developing a will to win the last few games …

“They’ve had a will to win. They’ve had a couple of guys out there, and again it’s not playing. It’s not Hollywood. It is I am playing to win. I’m either getting fouled or I’m making plays that I can make. I’m doing it for my team, and they’re learning all that. I love what I’m seeing out of PJ (Washington), and I told him and Kevin, ‘You’re not stepping back now. This is what you build on.’ It wasn’t long ago that PJ was in that hole. Now all of a sudden he’s a different player and he’s just getting better. Now we’ve gotta get Nick (Richards) playing better. Sacha (Killeya-Jones) is playing out of his mind right now. It’s kind of like we get a couple guys playing – these two, and then you shuffle the deck a little bit. I like what I’m seeing from them. I just told them, ‘Hey guys, this is your fourth game in eight days.’ Two of them on the road. One of them was just another game. We played Louisville after a day and a half for Christmas where I gave them three days, which means we had a day and a half to prepare. This is what’s it’s about. It’s going to be sold out, they’re desperate, they gotta have it, we gotta have it. Let’s see what happens. Well, you fight. The thing these kids have to learn is it’s not what it looks like. It’s not like, ‘I gotta go do this to show …’ No, it’s will you battle and fight? Our teams historically will do that. Anytime you do that you’re losing because the other team is going to play. They’re playing you. They’re playing you. They’re going to show up and it’s going to mean something and they’re going to have a little extra. But, you know, we had some film this morning. We’re going to practice a little bit before we travel up there. Have a meal and get ready for our midnight game. [Laughter.] What? What happened? What? Oh, 9? Midnight, 9, it’s all the same.”

On what he thinks of his post defense and if opponents are looking to do some work there …

“Well, they haven’t hurt us with that, but they did in this game. And the kid (Duop Reath) just battled. The baskets he made were just toughness kind of baskets. He played great. I mean, he’s a kid that’s averaging eight points and four or five rebounds and he comes up with whatever he did and had a big-time game against us.”

On what’s his advice to Kenny Payne or any assistant coach looking for a head coaching job …

“Well, let me just say it: When you’re looking for a job or you’re chasing jobs, you’re not getting them. You’ve gotta have people that want you, and in Kenny’s case there are people that want him and now it’s just, what is a good job for him? The greatest thing for Kenny is this university has made it so that he doesn’t have to leave unless it’s a really good job. He’s done a great thing for us here and me personally. Aside from coaching, in this profession you’ve got to be like brothers. Like, I got you, you got me, because it’s just too hard. And then what he does to challenge these kids. Look, they can’t hear my voice (all the time). I mean, I don’t go to many of the film sessions. I let the staff do that. I’m not at the pregame meals. They can’t hear me (all the time). And then I can’t always be the tough guy. You’ve gotta have people that are willing to be hard on them, yet let them know that you care about them. Whatever happens for him, you know, he’s going to be in good shape. The only thing is, I’m kind of disappointed because I think David (Padgett) is doing a great job (at Louisville), and it’s not fair to have all this stuff. Let him coach his team. David may be the guy for the job. Well, let the season play out. Why would you throw any – and who would be out there throwing landmines in front of this guy? I don’t know, but it’s certainly not us and me and my staff. But let him do his job. He had our game. OK. How about if he wins the rest and wins the national title? ‘But he lost to Kentucky.’ Stop it. I try to tell our fans, it’s one game. I’m glad it’s over, but it’s one game. And you know, I think, again, watching the tape and what he’s done and how he’s done it, I think he’s doing great work; and this season, you know, he was thrown into a tough situation. I mean, think about it. And then there’s always, he has to answer questions and they just continue. The same questions. And his players are answering, I mean, and this guy is still doing the job. What’s their record? Anybody know? [Reporter: They have three losses.] And other than our game, they should have won the other two. So, that’s disappointing to me. But, in the case of Kenny, I’m going to support and help like all of my guys. Tony (Barbee) is ready to be a head coach, and that’s, again, if he chooses to do that. There are going to be opportunities for him. You know, so, let those guys – it’s like anything else we’d figure out what’s next.”

On if playing Rick Barnes every year gets easier since they’re friends …

“The only thing that is easier is if you do get dinged I can walk up and seriously say, ‘I’m happy for you.’ And I am happy for him and he knows it. There are other games that I just say, ‘Good job,’ and I’m not happy for you without saying it. At all. ‘You jagoff.’ That’s my Pittsburgh coming out. But, you know I hate playing friends. I hate it. But, there are certain games – like Bob Huggins and I are on the phone hating that we have to go down there. But, he’s doing a function for his mother’s charity. So, we were talking about it today and you go down and you play the game and you want to win. You coach to win. You’re not looking down the sideline at him. You’re not worried about it. It’s just – let me just say when you talk Rick and friends of mine, we’ve all survived, which is amazing. We’re still like coaching after all these years, like 30. And still, I’m still enjoying it. I know they are. They’ll do this a lot longer than I will. But, you know, being able to go to Tennessee – I just keep telling myself, because this becomes a grind, that I just need to be grateful that I’m having an opportunity to coach here and coach in these kinds of games. How many people would want to coach in that game? ‘Well, we may lose.’ And I told the team the same thing. You only know if you’re going to win or lose when you win or lose. So why worry about it? Go prepare your team and get ready. You’re not going to change the outcome by worrying more. You only know if you’re going to win or lose when you win or lose. So, as I get into the season what happens for me is I forget how hard this is. I mean, this is really hard doing what I’m doing with these young kids and then having – I’m not going to say the whole world’s against us. I’d say most of it though. Like you don’t have anybody like cheering you on. It’s like every game I’d imagine most people watching on TV are not saying, ‘Go Kentucky.’ Unless you live in Kentucky. Unless you’re a part of the Big Blue Nation, the blue dust that’s out there. And it’s hard. But, for all of us and those players included, just grateful that I have the opportunity to coach here and coach this team and – I’ve got great kids. Every day I walk in and I see them and I know how good they are and how they want to please me, but the other side is it’s not easy. It’s tough.”