John Calipari changed Kentucky’s pregame routine ahead of Texas A&M game

The Kentucky Wildcats are starting to play their best basketball of the season after a very rough start.

Following their hard-fought win over the Texas A&M Aggies, John Calipari revealed a change to the team’s pregame routine.

Calipari decided to check the team into a Lexington hotel the night before the game so that they are together more. On top of that, the team had their pregame shootaround in Rupp Arena for the first time.

“In my past life on weekend games, I always put my team in a hotel. I did that because all I was trying to do is get them together more. I wanted to be in a hotel room, not one in their own room,” Calipari said.

“And as the season went on, and we had what everybody used to call Camp Cal, every weekend game and weekday game if there was no class, we stayed in the hotel. We had dinner together and breakfast together, did everything (together), wanting them to be with us.”

“I did it last night. And you say, ‘Why did you do it?’ I don’t know. Something popped in my head and said why don’t we stay at the Hyatt? We have never shot in Rupp Arena prior to a game since I’ve been here.”

Calipari intends to do it again for the Cats’ next home game against the Kansas Jayhawks, which will be next Saturday at 8 pm on ESPN.

“The whole idea was, weekend games...why not be together? Why not have a meal together? Why not go through a walkthrough together? Why not have breakfast together? Why not walk to a shootaround together?

“It’s something that I’ve done with different teams. I just never did it here.”

It appears that this team is starting to turn the corner and Calipari is doing everything he can to make sure they keep progressing in the right direction.

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