Calipari enjoying winning more than losing

By: LARRY VAUGHT



At this time last season, Kentucky coach John Calipari was not always a happy camper.

Not only was his young team wildly inconsistent and continuing to lose games, but he also had a painful hip that eventually needed offseason surgery.

Today his team has been No. 1 since the preseason poll and has tied a school record with its 25-0 start going into Tuesday night’s game at Tennessee.

So after Saturday’s win over South Carolina, I asked Calipari if he was enjoying this a lot more than he was a year ago even though that team eventually reached the national championship game.

“I'm telling you, winning, is so much more fun than losing. You have no idea. It just is. Losing stinks,” said Calipari. “So we had to learn from a lot of stuff last year. It was frustrating that they weren't getting it quick enough. But by the end of the year, we got it. By the end of the year, everyone was happy. I was extremely happy for those guys.”

So how much fun is Calipari having?

Go back to last week before the LSU game when he started his "Where Is Trey" Twitter prank. Freshman Trey Lyles made the trip to LSU afer missing two games with strep throat but Calipari put on Twitter that he was missing.

He explained he knew UK fans were “nutty” and needed to “loosen” up. So Calipari tweeted that Lyles was issing.

“We had people camped out at the (team) hotel. We had people camped out as we got off the bus. Scouts. It was just stupid,” Calipari explained.

Then go back to Friday and his pre-South Carolina press conference when he revealed he tried to do different things to avoid his daily workout.

When asked what his workout consists of, he joked, “I have a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it. I eat light. Soon as it turns light, I start eating."

Again, not knew jokes but that’s the Calipari swag that was missing most of last season when his highly-touted team was struggling.

Even former player Julius Randle poked Calpari by asking him during the press conference if Julius Randle was the best player he had ever coached.

"No. So happy the Lakers have to deal with him," Calipari joked back.

Kentucky’s current freshmen are enjoying the playful Calipari — and getting a bit playful themselves.

After the LSU game, it was Karl-Anthony Towns who sneaked up behind Calipari when he was being interviewed by ESPN’s Shannon Spake and photobombed him at the same time Calipari was criticizing him for hanging on the rim and getting a technical foul during the game.

Call it a big-time rookie mistake. Lyles said Towns was a “playful guy, so it was funny when he done it” Friday.

But guess what? Lyles did it Saturday after the South Carolina win.

Calipari was talking to Kaylee Hartung when Lyles walked by on his way off the court and photobombed the coach again, something that didn’t happen a single time last season.

Sophomore point guard Andrew Harrison often felt the wrath of Calipari — and UK fans — last year before the Cats regrouped at tournament time. He admitted Saturday he’s not only enjoyed the winning, but the more lovable Calipari.

“He’s always about the same, but I think he enjoys the winning a lot more just like we do,” Harrison said. “Just certain little things. He joked a little more, maybe doesn’t yell as much. He still pushes us, and we want that, but I think everybody, including Coach, is just enjoying this year more.”