Kentucky coach John Calipari said on the SEC Coaches Teleconference today that he doesn’t anticipate any long-term problems with P.J. Washington after he missed most of the second half at Tennessee Saturday night with leg cramps.
Kentucky got “manhandled” by the Vols after Washington went out with about 12 1/2 minutes to play and did not return.
“It was the cramps. We will watch today but my point being that’s as hard as he has played since he has been here and his body may just have revolted. What are you doing?” Calipari said. “I am trying to get them to understand why at practice you have to push yourself to the limit. You beat workouts, they don’t beat you.
“All the stuff we continue to talk about is a process.”
He said Kentucky just not have veteran players to spread that message about the learning process in the dorm or team hotel.
“My job is to stay in the moment and not worry about tomorrow,” Calipari said. “If we are not ready for a physical battle, then move on to the next game. At some point to survive you fight or you keep dying. I can’t fight for you.”
Calipari said when Washington went down and then Wenyen Gabriel fouled out at Tennessee that it was “going to be tough” for UK to win.
“But the thing that disappointed me with Tennessee is it was a tie game and we had guys acting like the game was over. Fight to win the game. Fight to keep it close. That is something we are still learning,” the UK coach said today.
