Hello HOB. I'll be following along with Coach Cal's weekly radio show again tonight as he reviews the Cats' loss last night at Tennessee. Stay tuned...
* Calipari starts with trying to get BBN's spirits back up: I've got a really good team. They've got to be healthy, but it's a really good team and good guys. Not down on them today.
* Before you ask, I have not seen TyTy Washington or any of the other guys yet, Cal says. No update on injury status, but might know more later tonight about TyTy (leg), Sahvir (wrist).
* UT defense made it hard to get open, hard to catch passes, hard to get off screens. On UT's offensive end, Cal suggested some of them were not legal screens but said if those weren't being called, UK should have been setting them, too. Simply put: Cats weren't physical enough in a game where it was being allowed.
* Cal says he was trying to protect Oscar when he picked up his technical early in the game. "We're playing not to foul, and that should not be a disadvantage. Not everybody teaches that." ... Not real happy with the whistle, you can tell. "When we drove, we got body-checked."
* Too many "live-ball" turnovers that turned into easy buckets for Vols, Cal said. Other than that, the defense was not too bad. Needs Oscar to be better defending out on the floor. Says that's what a lot of pro scouts will be looking at as they continue to evaluate him.
* Caller asks if Cal will reconsider playing Shaedon Sharpe now with injury issues popping up. "No. We've already made that decision."
* Cal says UK will face a team (Alabama) that shoots 30 teams this weekend. Gotta be ready to defend the arc. They may make a bunch, but you can't get outworked, can't let them play harder. Cats have to be ready to compete.
* Biggest play of the game last night was a one-hand rebound attempt (didn't say who) when it was an 8-point game and UK had a chance to make it 6 or 5. But UT got the rebound after a one-handed attempt by the Cats, then hit a 3. Then hit another 3. Next thing you know, it's 14 again.
* Funny moment. Cal talking about former coaches and how they worked in a time before social media, the internet, and radio talk shows. Leach tells Cal that Joe B. Hall actually started the very radio show that Cal is one now. Cal sounds stunned, laughs, and says why didn't you tell me that (earlier), I would have got mad at him!"
* Caller asks if this UK team reminds him of any of his other UK teams... Cal says not really. So much experience, veteran leadership. Some of the individual players are similar, but the team is unique, and playing faster than most of his teams played.
* Caller asks what the most important thing UK needs going into March... Cal says good health. "If we're not healthy, we've got some holes." Can't panic if they lose a couple while guys get healthy. The nation knows what kind of team they have when they're at full health.
* Losses are harder than they used to be, Cal says. (He's officially a Kentuckian now. Ha.)
* Caller asks about Wheeler over-penetrating at times and forcing some things... Cal acknowledges that, but also says he's got the green light because he has the ability to change games with that. Cal noted he was initially upset at the shot he took last night when it was an 8-point game, looked like a forced shot, "but, oh my gosh, he was clubbed."
* On the physical nature of play UK has seen of late, Cal reminds fans that you won't see that in the tournament because the officials are evaluated in tourney play and can't get away with missing so much if they want to keep working. "If you don't call fouls and the game is physical... you're not advancing (to call later rounds)."
* Calipari starts with trying to get BBN's spirits back up: I've got a really good team. They've got to be healthy, but it's a really good team and good guys. Not down on them today.
* Before you ask, I have not seen TyTy Washington or any of the other guys yet, Cal says. No update on injury status, but might know more later tonight about TyTy (leg), Sahvir (wrist).
* UT defense made it hard to get open, hard to catch passes, hard to get off screens. On UT's offensive end, Cal suggested some of them were not legal screens but said if those weren't being called, UK should have been setting them, too. Simply put: Cats weren't physical enough in a game where it was being allowed.
* Cal says he was trying to protect Oscar when he picked up his technical early in the game. "We're playing not to foul, and that should not be a disadvantage. Not everybody teaches that." ... Not real happy with the whistle, you can tell. "When we drove, we got body-checked."
* Too many "live-ball" turnovers that turned into easy buckets for Vols, Cal said. Other than that, the defense was not too bad. Needs Oscar to be better defending out on the floor. Says that's what a lot of pro scouts will be looking at as they continue to evaluate him.
* Caller asks if Cal will reconsider playing Shaedon Sharpe now with injury issues popping up. "No. We've already made that decision."
* Cal says UK will face a team (Alabama) that shoots 30 teams this weekend. Gotta be ready to defend the arc. They may make a bunch, but you can't get outworked, can't let them play harder. Cats have to be ready to compete.
* Biggest play of the game last night was a one-hand rebound attempt (didn't say who) when it was an 8-point game and UK had a chance to make it 6 or 5. But UT got the rebound after a one-handed attempt by the Cats, then hit a 3. Then hit another 3. Next thing you know, it's 14 again.
* Funny moment. Cal talking about former coaches and how they worked in a time before social media, the internet, and radio talk shows. Leach tells Cal that Joe B. Hall actually started the very radio show that Cal is one now. Cal sounds stunned, laughs, and says why didn't you tell me that (earlier), I would have got mad at him!"
* Caller asks if this UK team reminds him of any of his other UK teams... Cal says not really. So much experience, veteran leadership. Some of the individual players are similar, but the team is unique, and playing faster than most of his teams played.
* Caller asks what the most important thing UK needs going into March... Cal says good health. "If we're not healthy, we've got some holes." Can't panic if they lose a couple while guys get healthy. The nation knows what kind of team they have when they're at full health.
* Losses are harder than they used to be, Cal says. (He's officially a Kentuckian now. Ha.)
* Caller asks about Wheeler over-penetrating at times and forcing some things... Cal acknowledges that, but also says he's got the green light because he has the ability to change games with that. Cal noted he was initially upset at the shot he took last night when it was an 8-point game, looked like a forced shot, "but, oh my gosh, he was clubbed."
* On the physical nature of play UK has seen of late, Cal reminds fans that you won't see that in the tournament because the officials are evaluated in tourney play and can't get away with missing so much if they want to keep working. "If you don't call fouls and the game is physical... you're not advancing (to call later rounds)."
