Kentucky basketball players criticized by Calipari for soft play

Kentucky basketball players criticized by Calipari for soft play

By Brett Dawson • bdawson@courier-journal.com • November 4, 2010


LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky basketball players missed rebounds in Monday’s exhibition win against Pikeville. They took defensive plays off and got pushed around on the perimeter.

John Calipari showed his players video evidence of what he considered soft play, and he didn’t mince words in breaking down the tape.

Asked on Thursday what Calipari’s message was, freshman guard Jarrod Polson replied, “If an NAIA school’s pushing us around, how are we going to survive in the SEC?”

The Wildcats get one last chance to toughen up in the preseason on Friday, when they host Dillard in the second of two exhibition games.

Calipari wants his team to look tougher than it did on Monday night, when he and his staff saw ample examples of soft plays.

“Instead of blocking out, you just stood there, he throws you into the cheerleaders, you slide along the floor and – boom – into her, and there’s sprinkles on your face,” Calipari said. “That happened about three times. We had towels over there (on the bench) wiping sprinkles off faces.”

Calipari said his freshmen were “shellshocked” by how hard they had to play against Pikeville, and by the intensity with which he criticized them during the game.

“We went through some of this last year,” Calipari said. “The only difference is, when we were able to practice, I didn’t have to do what I have to now, which is manufacture the environment of toughness. We had it. We just threw the ball up and we beat the crap out of each other, and we had 15 guys. Here, I’m going to have to manufacture it a little bit, and I’ve done it before.