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  • Undefeated? Cross says realistic

    By: LARRY VAUGHT






    LEXINGTON — Texas-Arlington coach Scott Cross said the idea of Kentucky going undefeated this year seems very realistic to him.

    Kentucky beat his team 92-44 Tuesday night and forced his team to miss 28 of 32 shots in the first half and 17 of 21 3-pointers in the game.

    "It is very possible that they could go undefeated, if they play the way they did tonight playing together as a team, going inside and when they keep hitting shots they are not going to lose for sure,” Cross said.

    Cross said it would take a “really poor shooting night” for Kentucky to lose.

    “And somebody would have to have great size. It would have to be one of the powerhouse teams having an unbelievable night to knock them off,” Cross said.

    “They would need a great night to knock them down,” Cross said. “The way they are playing right now, I have a hard time believing anbody could beat them.”

    Cross doesn’t plan to even show his players video of the game.

    “We won't face another team like this, their size is absolutely unbelievable and you can't simulate it. We could have guys standing on chairs and not even simulate it, they take up so much space and they close up gaps very impressively,” Cross said. “I thought we would be able to get up a couple open looks, but in the first half we got zero open looks, that's what is really amazing about what they are doing is what they are doing defensively."

    Cross was the third coach this year to suggest that UK could go undefeated, only adding to the clutter UK coach John Calipari has warned his team to avoid.

    “(Former UK) Coach (Joe B.) Hall told me when I said the 100-pound jacket, he said, ‘Coaches wear that 100-pound jacket, too, and you've got to deal with all that same stuff.’ All I'm doing is focusing on this team. I'm focusing on individuals. What can I keep adding to their game?” Calipari said. “And then I'm looking at a team, how do we become a better execution team offensively, how do we continue to play with this kind of energy, and what other tweaks can we give the defense?

    “What can we do, because folks, I'm going to have to keep this team engaged all year, and right now we're ahead defensively, so I need to start adding stuff, and even if it's little things to make them think so that they don't get into that rut of just hearing the buzz, like I'm making them think, I'm making them be engaged, those are the kind of things we're going to have to do as the year goes on.”

    Freshman Devin Booker, who had 19 points and has now made three or more 3-pointers in three straight games by hitting 12 of 17 shots in that span, doesn’t mind coaches putting that kind of pressure on UK.

    “Every time we step on the floor we try to win,” Booker said. “I see that as a sign of respect to actually think we can do something like that.”

    Freshman Karl-Antony Towns, who had his first collegiate double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, said the key is staying focused.

    “The only team that can beat us is ourselves. That’s the biggest problem we have to face every game,” Towns said. “We just have to make sure we execute and bring the energy and effort. We just have to play as a team, stay as a family. Don’t worry about everything that is being said around us. Just worry about what we can control.”

    From what Cross has seen, UK has already figured out how to do that.

    “They played the game the right way, that's what is really impressive, to be able to get all of those NCAA All-Americans to play together as a team with 10 different guys, that is impressive,” Cross said. “I don't know how Coach Cal gets those guys to do it, but it is really impressive to see what they do."
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