Calipari eager to see Cats 'on that stage'
John Calipari is set to open his 13th season as head coach of the Wildcats. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
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@JDrumUK
Unknowns abound as Kentucky and Duke tip off the college basketball season on Tuesday in the Champions Classic.
Both the No. 10 Wildcats and No. 9 Blue Devils feature revamped rosters coming off difficult seasons which saw the tradition-rich national powers fail to make the NCAA Tournament during a year marred by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kentucky features seven new players on the roster, including four veteran transfers that give coach John Calipari his most experienced team during his 13 years in Lexington. Duke has eight new players, including elite freshman big man Paolo Banchero, highlighting Mike Krzyzewski's 42nd and final season in Durham.
With all the new faces, no one is quite sure what to expect, but it's a game commanding the sport's full attention on its biggest stage, New York's Madison Square Garden.
Calipari is eager to see who responds under the bright lights.
"That's what you'll learn from this," he said. "You think this guy, that guy, (but) you don't know until the game is over and you look and say, 'He loved that moment.'"
Former Cats like John Wall, Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, and Tyrese Maxey passed the early tests with flying colors. Others showed they weren't quite ready for the moment.
"The biggest part of it is, guys like that aren't afraid to look bad," Calipari said. "They don't care; they're going to go play. They're not afraid to miss a shot or take a tough shot or a game-winning shot. It's not going to change how they see it."
The UK boss hinted that he will likely be using a smaller rotation than the one fans saw in the Cats' two exhibition games. Barring foul trouble or injuries, he says "seven or eight" players will see the bulk of the minutes against Duke.
Kentucky is expected to start junior transfer point guard Sahbir Wheeler alongside freshman TyTy Washington and senior transfer wing Kellan Grady in the backcourt. Junior forward Keion Brooks and junior transfer center/forward Oscar Tshiebwe will likely get the nod in the frontcourt.
Calipari indicated that junior forward Jacob Toppin could be a key figure in this matchup, citing his energy and defensive ability in the post against talented bigs like the 6-10, 250-pound Banchero and 7-footer Mark Williams.
"Jacob is jumping into the rotation because of his energy," Calipari said of the extremely athletic 6-foot-8 Brooklyn native. "...The energy, the toughness, the attacking -- he's playing."
That means grad senior guard Davion Mintz, sophomore wing Dantaie Allen, sophomore forward Lance Ware, freshman wing Bryce Hopkins, and freshman center/forward Daimion Collings will likely need to take full advantage of any minutes they earn in the opener.
"There are some guys that, when you put them on the stage, they’ll blossom," Calipari said, "that you’re not sure about them in practice. When they get on the stage, they do it."
Junior transfer guard CJ Fredrick is also available after returning from injury, but the Iowa transfer and sharpshooter is unlikely to play in this matchup, Calipari suggested.
The Cats and Blue Devils are slated to tip-off at approximately 9:30 ET on ESPN. They will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game in the Champions Classic pitting Kansas against Michigan State.