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By: LARRY VAUGHT
Kentucky coach John Calipari is not sure when or if 6-9 Tai Wynyard of New Zealand will play this year, but he’s glad to have him in Lexington and ready to join the team as the Cats prepare to play Ohio State Saturday in Brooklyn.
“I think he’ll have a chance maybe that he can practice tomorrow before we travel. And if he’s cleared to play, who knows? I may stick him in the game,” said Calipari.
He recalls when he was coaching the New Jersey Nets and the team made a trade that included bringing Joe Kleine to the Nets. Calipari said after Kleine got to the arena, he did not have time to talk to him before a trainer came in wanting to know if he should give Kleine a uniform.
“He just walked in the arena, give him a uniform. And we’re playing the game. And Joe Kleine, he’s been in the league for 12 years. I mean, come on. So I looked and I said, ‘Joe, why don’t you get in there?’ And it’s in the second half. ‘Get in there and play some.’ So he walks up to me and he says, ‘Hi, by the way, I’m Joe Kleine.’ He shook my hand and then he went in the game. So, I might (play Wynyard),” Calipari said.
Calipari said he had no idea about Wynyard’s conditioning.
“Don’t know anything right now other than he’s pretty big,” Calipari said. “He was so excited (to be here). He was hitting his leg. We hugged. He was happy to be here. He flew overnight to get here. He just wants to be a part of it. I don’t know what that will mean right away or what it will mean this year. But, you know me, if he’s going to help us win he’ll be on that floor.”
Calipari said adding Wynyard to the team should not be a problem since “we have no team chemistry” at this point.
“We’re still trying to figure out who we are. It may prolong it. But, if it helps us, if he gives us a physical presence and he’s able to go in there and bang and changes who we are and what we’re about and puts guys in better positions, then he’s going to have that opportunity,” Calipari said. “We’re literally, like, trying – offensively, defensively – we’re trying different things.
“They’re trying. I keep telling my staff, ‘They’re listening.’ We just hope we’re telling them the right things because they’re listening and trying. There’s no push-back. There is the will, the drive, the inner strength, the mental toughness, that is lacking in most young teams is lacking in this team to this point. And a lot of times – it was like Alex (Poythress) after UCLA. I said, ‘How’d you feel?’ He said, ‘I was embarrassed.’ I said, ‘Did you like the feeling?’ ‘No.’ ‘Well, then don’t ever feel that way again. If you don’t like that feeling, then run from that feeling, because in the next game, you dominated. You dunked. You could have been 9 for 9 from the floor. You were 9-for-12. You rebounded. Did you like that?’ ‘Oh, I really liked it.’
“Well, how about we chase that feeling? And so, this team right now we’re trying to figure out who we are. We’re trying to – I like my team. I like the talent. They’re great kids. They’re trying. But, they are really connected more than any team I’ve had.”
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