Calipari still unsure with 3 games in 5 days
Kentucky Wildcats guard Jon Hood (4) blocks the ball during the second half of men’s basketball vs. Transylvania at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, November 1, 2013. Photo by Emily Wuetcher
November 8, 2013
By Nick Gray
Before the matchup Tuesday against No. 2 Michigan State University in Chicago, UK head coach John Calipari is not sure about his basketball team.
The Cats are embarking on three games in five days, starting with the season opener against the University of North Carolina at Asheville at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Calipari spoke cautiously and optimistically about his team a day before the five-day stretch.
“I drove in today and I smiled. I said, ‘I’ve got four months, don’t be panicking.’ Because I had both feet on the panic button,” Calipari said.
UK senior forward Jon Hood has been a part of these stretches of three games in five days and feels confident in the freshmen-laden team to navigate the first week of the season.
“Six months ago, half of these guys were playing AAU ball. I think they’re ready (for the stretch),” Hood said.
Calipari, panic button or not, will have his point guard back in the lineup for the first time against another team.
Freshman guard Andrew Harrison practiced on Wednesday after the team took Tuesday off, and Calipari said Harrison will play Friday.
“(Having your point guard is) like you’re playing your football game and your wide receiver is your quarterback. Now you’re quarterback comes back and you’re like, ‘OK, now guys are in the right spots,’” Calipari said.
Freshman guard James Young injured his ankle during Monday’s exhibition game against the University of Montevallo, and Calipari said Thursday that he did not know if Young will play against UNC Asheville.
With Young’s status unknown, sophomore forward Alex Poythress could be his replacement in the starting lineup according to the Cats’ head coach.
Also unknown is the rotation UK will employ, both in regards to who plays and how much they play.
“We’ll start having a group of seven. And then is that the right seven?” Calipari said. “Does that change? Does that subtract? There’s foul troubles, there’s injuries. But, we have a nice grouping of players that we have enough guys that we can start narrowing.”
UK’s opponent, UNC Asheville (16-16, 10-6 Big South Conference), returns two players who played more than 18 games from last season and has six upperclassmen on a 17-man roster.
Calipari is not focused on his opponent, but is worried on how his players compete as a team going into the opening weekend.
“We don’t help each other the way we should,” Calipari said. “We don’t have each other’s back the way we should. We don’t create enough easy shots. We don’t make the easy play; we’re trying to make an extra (move), which makes it tougher on my teammate when I get him the ball.”
