Photo by Vicki Graff
Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops and his team have taken the Big Blue Nation, and the SEC, by storm en route to their 5-1 start this fall. As they’re in the midst of their bye week, Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari and his players held their annual media day on Thursday afternoon.
Needless to say, October to March has been “that time of year” for the Wildcats on the hardwood. While football will receive it’s hard-earned spotlight, all eyes are fixed on Calipari’s team and when they’ll begin competition on the basketball court.
With Kentucky’s annual Big Blue Madness looming for Friday night, fans will see their team in action for the fifth time this season. The Wildcats, similar to their 38-1 finish in the 2014-2015 season, began their year with four blowout wins in the Bahamas.
There are many new faces lacing up for the Kentucky blue but a veteran transfer and several veterans making their return to the team is certainly comforting for Kentucky.
Jemarl Baker (redshirt), Nick Richards, PJ Washington and Quade Green are all now in their second year at Kentucky. Newcomers Ashton Hagans (reclassification), EJ Montgomery, Immanuel Quickley, Keldon Johnson, Reid Travis (graduate transfer) and Tyler Herro received their first full-on media experience on Thursday.
Specifically, Baker is coming off multiple nicks and Johnson apparently suffered a tweak to his ankle last weekend during UK’s pro day. During Thursday’s presser, Calipari said Baker has made improvements.
“The year off has hurt him. But he’s making strides and he’s getting better,” Calipari said.
Calipari also provided clarification on Johnson’s ankle injury.
“No, he’s full to go today,” he said.
As for the pro day last week, Calipari said Montgomery shined in front of scouts.
“He played out of his mind, like shooting hooks, blocking, like who is this guy, and they were all intrigued by him,” Calipari said. “Obviously, oh, so when the scouts are here you decided to play a little bit,” he said.
One aspect that Montgomery and the rest of the team brings to the table is grit and toughness. Hagans and Johnson are considered to be two of the better on-ball defenders in the country while Travis and Washington present major bulk inside the paint.
When Calipari was asked if he is enamored with this team, the head coach didn’t hold back.
“Well, when you don’t have to coach effort, when you don’t have to coach the enthusiasm, the passion you have to play with, when you don’t have to coach a competitive spirit, fight, go, come on, dive on that, I don’t have to coach that with this team,” Calipari said. “So now you know what you’re coaching? Basketball. So now you coach basketball, and I love coaching basketball,” he said.
With such a deep roster and remanences of the Bahamas in 2014, many anticipate to see a “platoon” system by the end of the season. Whatever Calipari decides, he has arguably as much talent as ever to work with. While there isn’t a bonafide superstar like Karl-Anthony Towns, this team may have much more efficient chemistry in a league of which such is a necessity.
The Wildcats will tip-off their season with a relatively surprising opponent: the Duke Blue Devils. In most polls, Duke and Kentucky are ranked both first and second atop the pre-season national rankings. Their showdown will be held at Bankers Life FieldHouse in Indianapolis, IN on Nov. 6.
In the meantime, Calipari’s Cats’ will take part in Big Blue Madness (Oct. 12), the annual Blue-White game (Oct. 21), as well as two exhibition games against Transylvania (Oct. 26) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Nov. 2).
