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  • Calipari challenges Wiltjer

    by
    LarryVaught1
    Published on 01-11-2013 09:16 AM
    1 Comment Comments
    By LARRY VAUGHT
    larry@amnews.com


    NASHVILLE — Just in case Kentucky sophomore Kyle Wiltjer may not have understood how upset John Calipari was with his defense here Thursday night against Vanderbilt, the UK coach left no doubt during his postgame press conference about his feelings.

    “Defensively, they went right at Kyle. It did not matter who we put on Kyle,” said Calipari after the 60-58 win where UK blew a 47-31 lead before rallying to win. “Either we play zone or you (Wiltjer) don’t play or you figure it out. They had 24 first-half points and 14 came on Kyle. We are not accepting that.”

    He was not the only player that Calipari criticized.

    “We had 16 turnovers. Alex (Poythress) had four running people over. Archie (Goodwin) has five. That’s nine between two guys. You cannot win that way,” Calipari said.

    Calipari said his whole team got “tentative” when Vanderbilt went to a second-half zone defense.

    “All of a sudden guys did not want to take shots. Our best shooter (Wiltjer) caught it and passed it like it was a hot potato,” Calipari said. “They beat us to 50-50 balls. The beat us on long rebounds. Alex gets no offensive rebounds (actually he had two).”

    But Wiltjer caught the brunt of Calipari’s frustration. Wiltjer was 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range. He had one rebound, one assist and one turnover in 14 points. However, he did hit a field goal with under two minutes to play that broke a 54-54 tie.

    What does Calipari want Wiltjer to do to improve?

    “Figure it out. Either don’t stay in the game or figure it out,” Calipari said. “A fighter will figure it out. Play lower or rougher. Do anything you can to stay in the game. You can sit and sugar-coat it, but you watched it. They went at Kyle every single possession. I told him don’t think anybody is not watching the tape. Don’t think every team now is not going right at you. Good luck.

    “I think he can do it. He has got to make up his mind to not settle for things. A couple of plays he broke down and did not rebound and they scored on him. Fight man.”
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    Comments 16 Comments
    1. akaukswoosh's Avatar
      akaukswoosh - 01-11-2013, 05:08 AM
      Don’t think every team now is not going right at you. Good luck

      Yep.
    1. UKFlounder's Avatar
      UKFlounder - 01-11-2013, 06:13 AM
      I hope it works out better than how he's challenged Poythress virtually all season (On the other hand, kudos to Cal for figuring out how to work with Harrow - he has improved. Some of it may be just getting back to playing, but Cal has apparently handled him correctly)
    1. cattails's Avatar
      cattails - 01-11-2013, 06:58 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by UKFlounder View Post
      I hope it works out better than how he's challenged Poythress virtually all season (On the other hand, kudos to Cal for figuring out how to work with Harrow - he has improved. Some of it may be just getting back to playing, but Cal has apparently handled him correctly)
      Poythress ran over some people but at least he was agressive, I'll take that over what we have been seeing. I believe he will get better. Have not seen Wiltjer play this bad IIRC. But we still got the win with some late game defense, hats off to that.
    1. Philly Cat's Avatar
      Philly Cat - 01-11-2013, 07:42 AM
      Maybe it's a West Coast, Tayshaun-type personality, but Kyle rarely seems to be "bringing it." He seems to just float through the game. I look forward to seeing him get low & dig in, as Cal said.
    1. Jeeepcat's Avatar
      Jeeepcat - 01-11-2013, 09:30 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Philly Cat View Post
      Maybe it's a West Coast, Tayshaun-type personality, but Kyle rarely seems to be "bringing it." He seems to just float through the game. I look forward to seeing him get low & dig in, as Cal said.
      Sometimes so much so that it pisses me off LOL
    1. KentuckyWildcat's Avatar
      KentuckyWildcat - 01-11-2013, 09:32 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Jeeepcat View Post
      Sometimes so much so that it pisses me off LOL
      I'm pulling for him, but one of my least favorite cats to watch...
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 01-11-2013, 09:47 AM
      He better get better quick or the Ole Miss front will destroy him. Buckner and Holloway are playing very well in pts and boards.
    1. suncat05's Avatar
      suncat05 - 01-11-2013, 10:15 AM
      I don't know what it is, but a lot of kids from out west have that 'laid-back' approach and attitude about whatever it is they're doing. I also realize that I might be wrapped a little "tight" sometimes, but when I'm at work I know what time it is, it's time to do my job. Kyle hasn't figured that out yet, and from all appearances it may be awhile before he actually does. Bottom line, he's still a kid trying to figure it all out, and I don't think he's listening to his coaches like he should. JMHO.
    1. LakeCat's Avatar
      LakeCat - 01-11-2013, 10:21 AM
      Kyle is looking more like a four year player which maybe the best for he and the Cats.
    1. tbradg's Avatar
      tbradg - 01-11-2013, 10:28 AM
      Can someone explain to me why this year's team lacks fire and passion? I keep hearing these two words again and again in posts and from our coach.

      How is it that an elite athlete with millions of dollars at stake would not do everything asked of him? Why wouldn't he be in the gym after hours without being told to?

      I would run through a brick wall for Cal and I'm just a fan...
    1. UKFlounder's Avatar
      UKFlounder - 01-11-2013, 10:31 AM
      Personality types? Or just typical 18 (+/-) year old young men instead of the exceptional ones we've been used to? Immaturity?

      Quote Originally Posted by tbradg View Post
      Can someone explain to me why this year's team lacks fire and passion? I keep hearing these two words again and again in posts and from our coach.

      How is it that an elite athlete with millions of dollars at stake would not do everything asked of him? Why wouldn't he be in the gym after hours without being told to?

      I would run through a brick wall for Cal and I'm just a fan...
    1. LakeCat's Avatar
      LakeCat - 01-11-2013, 10:33 AM
      When your ONLY returning player is Wiltjer, who is soft personafied, it should be understandable that these freshmen don't know what it takes. We forget the experience Miller, Jones & Lamb brought to those freshmen last year and we just don't have it this year. Good news, next year's team will have Harrow, Wiltjer and Poythress experience.
    1. suncat05's Avatar
      suncat05 - 01-11-2013, 10:57 AM
      One other thought that crosses my mind about Wiltjer sometimes is that last season his shooting prowess was needed, not so much his defense. Maybe, just maybe, KW still hasn't figured out, even with Cal telling him, that he needs to play defense better. Maybe he's still living in last season's terms, which are certainly different from this year.
      Love the kid to death, but he needs to get his head "unscrewed" ASAP.
      I'm not the coach, and do not profess to be one, but I think it might be a good idea to make KW sit for a game or two so that Cal may then have his undivided attention.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN - 01-11-2013, 12:49 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by LakeCat View Post
      When your ONLY returning player is Wiltjer, who is soft personafied, it should be understandable that these freshmen don't know what it takes. We forget the experience Miller, Jones & Lamb brought to those freshmen last year and we just don't have it this year. Good news, next year's team will have Harrow, Wiltjer and Poythress experience.
      this.

      being told what hard work is like is different from seeing what hard work is like, and these guys have no one to watch and lack the MKG ability to push that ceiling even without an example.

      i wouldn't count on Harrow at this point, he's playing sharp ball. bank on Kyle, and if Poythress doesn't figure out how to go full bore and how to drive the ball he needs to come back no matter where he is projected.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 01-11-2013, 12:53 PM
      Last year there was Lamb, TJ and Miller to show the way on hard work for the freshmen. This year you have Wilt coming back from a NC team and he is not showing the way, he already said he is 'busy' so other freshmen see him and maybe figure that is the way to go.

      Wilt is a 4 yr player who better have a good major because right now there is no way he plays in the NBA
    1. uklandrn's Avatar
      uklandrn - 01-11-2013, 01:22 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by jazyd View Post
      Last year there was Lamb, TJ and Miller to show the way on hard work for the freshmen. This year you have Wilt coming back from a NC team and he is not showing the way, he already said he is 'busy' so other freshmen see him and maybe figure that is the way to go.

      Wilt is a 4 yr player who better have a good major because right now there is no way he plays in the NBA
      If Wilt goes to the NBA I am declaring for the draft the same year.

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