UK Basketball: Cal expects war against Indiana

UK Basketball: Cal expects war against Indiana

John Calipari doesn’t think Tom Crean is a good coach.
“He’s is a great coach,” the Kentucky coach said following the Wildcats’ 72-58 win over Notre Dame Wednesday night at Freedom Hall in Louisville. “He’s going to come in with a thousand plays and scheme to beat us and it’s going to be an absolute war at home.”
Calipari knows what he’s in for when the two teams meet at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Rupp Arena in the annual border battle between the two rivals. Although Kentucky has won the last two games against the Hoosiers, including a 90-73 rout a year ago in Bloomington.
Indiana is off to a 7-1 start, but Kentucky will be the first ranked opponent the Hoosiers have faced this season. The team’s lone loss was an 88-76 loss to Boston College on Dec. 1 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Indiana coach said the Wildcats are a “different team” compared to last year, but said Kentucky is just as good as last year’s Elite Eight squad that featured five first-round draft picks.
“I think they still operate the same system with a few more set plays than what he has run in the past,” he said. “You can see John (Calipari) is getting closer to the offense he wants. They have high-level players and that is what Kentucky is going to be about with John there. They are going to have great players from year-to-year whether the players are there one, two, three, or four years. It's the same system and he's not putting anyone out on the court that cannot play.
“There is nowhere to cheat off a guy. There is nowhere to hide anyone. They are a high-level team.”
Crean has been impressed with Kentucky’s freshman duo of Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. The two players combined for 47 points in the team’s win over the Irish earlier this week.
“I think they are fearless,” he said. “(That’s how) I would characterize them. The freshmen are a huge part of the team. At Kentucky, the players don't wait their turn, learn their roles, and worry about it later. They get put to the task right away and they are handling their tasks very well. I thought Terrance Jones was phenomenal (Wednesday) night. There are not very many players in the country, let alone freshmen who are averaging a double-double like he is. Certainly Brandon Knight is making plays.”
Indiana hasn’t played in a week, while Kentucky has played two games this week, with a loss at North Carolina, followed by a win over Notre Dame. Crean hopes the week to prepare helps his team in terms of preparation.
“I don't know if it's an advantage or not,” he said. “They are playing a lot of games. You try to make each situation you are in advantageous to your team. When we are playing several games in a row, we talk about being in a rhythm.
“In preparing, we are talking about not only getting ready for a game, but about getting better. I am sure John Calipari is doing the same thing. There is a good rhythm to their team right now.”

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