Kentucky's defense will try to put the pressure on Louisville Saturday. (SEC Photo)
Kentucky has lost five straight games going into Saturday’s game against Louisville. Seems the perfect Christmas present for the Cats and UK fans would be a win over the Cardinals. However, Kentucky coach John Calipari said on Christmas Eve this is not a must win game at Louisville Saturday.
Calipari said since most of his players are not from Kentucky — Dontaie Allen is the only scholarship player from the state — that he’s not sure his is the “end all game” it is for fans.
“Its not a league game but because it is so close that creates that rivalry with us,” Calipari said. “I am not looking at it like this is a game we have to win. This is a game we have to start playing better and finish the last four minutes like we have been coached.”
He also said “most of this comes back to me” and not the players.
“I am not trying to make it about me but I am the coach. If behavior is not acceptable then it is something they think I will accept. That comes back to me,” he said Thursday. “If they are playing selfishly that comes back to me. If not finishing games, that comes back to me. If they are not playing with energy and fighting, then that is things they have to do.”
Freshman Lance Ware understood what is coach meant.
“This is us against ourselves. We have to fix mistakes we have been making in past games,” he said.
Calipari said he’s still trying to figure how to get his team to finish games better. He said the last four minutes players have “panicked and that’s on me” to figure out why. He also said he remains confident the team will shoot better despite what the numbers are like after six games.
“This has just been unrelenting because the competition has not given us a chance to just play okay and win a game,” he said.
That won’t change Saturday, either.
