Having trouble getting registered or subscribing? Email us at info@kysportsreport.com or Private Message CitizenBBN and we'll get you set up!

  • Calipari: Cats need to show more grit, battle and fight

    by
    Darrell KSR
    Published on 12-09-2015 08:17 AM
    3 Comments Comments
    By: LARRY VAUGHT

    For weeks Kentucky coach John Calipari has been pleading for his team to play tougher and be more aggressive. Freshman center Skal Labissiere was a non factor against UCLA with one rebound in only 16 minutes of play.

    Teams are knocking Labissiere and his slender build around inside, but Calipari says that is no reason for him to not show more fight.

    “What I would tell you is, I've seen skinny guys battle. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean, 'Well, OK.' I've seen them battle. You just have to have that mentality. Some of it's gotta be your inner dialogue. What are you exactly saying to yourself when a shot goes up? Or what are you saying when it's transition and you're flying? What are you saying to yourself when another team is starting to beat you to balls? What's your inner dialogue?" Calipari said Monday.

    "And this is all new to these guys. You talk in terms of that to them and they're like, 'What're you…' Well, you're saying something to yourself, and right now whatever you're saying we got to change that, get you in a different mentality."

    Calipari said he has "great kids" who are good players. They all just need to show more grit, battle, fight.

    “They can all do that. It's just hard. And it's really hard when the other guy comes in playing for their lives. Like, they're playing for their life, and you know they're going to play well and they're playing like it's the biggest game for them this century, then you don't battle. That's where we are right now," Calipari said.

    "How we were even in the game (at UCLA) the way we played, without Marcus (Lee), I don't even know. But we had our chances. In that game, we never got a run. My friends came up and said, 'Your teams always have runs.' Well, you've got to stop somebody five, six times in a row — one. Then you can't shoot reverse layups and floating runners when you're right there. Just make that basket and now it's six, seven. 'Why'd you do that?' 'I don't know. Eh. I just tried.'

    "That's what we were — like, what in the world — but that's what happens when you have young teams and you go on the road.”
    1. Categories:
    2. Basketball
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. KSRBEvans's Avatar
      KSRBEvans - 12-09-2015, 09:10 AM
      Skal needs to watch lots of film of AD in his freshman year. I don't think I've ever seen a skinny player hold his position and make use of what size he had like AD did. It might be unfair to compare Skal to him at this point, but he can still learn from him.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat - 12-09-2015, 10:20 AM
      Cal is great with the mental approach and teaching effort and fundamentals but I would love to hear more about the x and o plans even though he thinks the fans are prob below that.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 12-09-2015, 10:49 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Padukacat View Post
      Cal is great with the mental approach and teaching effort and fundamentals but I would love to hear more about the x and o plans even though he thinks the fans are prob below that.
      Ditto. We will see it, most likely, but would like to hear it too. Not like it will be invisible if they move Skal to the high post or something, so you're not giving away any state secrets.

      Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

  • KSR Twitter Feed