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Topic: Experience matters!
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 07-22-2014 03:05 PM
The Cats are back practicing and it sounds like thing are really going great already and it should be a very special team with tons of experience.
If you’ve been following John Calipari on Twitter the past couple of weeks – and if you haven’t been, why not? – you know the sixth-year Kentucky coach is particularly giddy about the group of guys he has for the for 2014-15 season.
Among the things he’s gushed about is this group’s love for the game, its overall athleticism and the rapid chemistry the players are building with one another. He’s so – to borrow a word from Coach Cal himself – “juiced” about this team that a brief skill instruction session on Monday afternoon was all he could think about Sunday night after a weekend full of recruiting and mingling with stars like LeBron James, Hillary Clinton, Dave Winfield and Desmond Tutu.
The Cats, who are allowed two hours of team skill instruction per week at this time of the year, went about an hour and a half on Monday. After some of the comments Calipari has made over the last couple of weeks, and with the Big Blue Bahamas tour on the horizon, what kind of behind-the-scenes coach’s website would we be if we didn’t provide you with a practice report? After all, we know how much the Big Blue Nation loves them.
Please note that all observations and opinions are only that of Eric Lindsey.
I’ve said this before in past practice reports and I’ll say it again: If you’ve seen the first 20 minutes of a Coach Cal practice once, you’ve seen them all. And that’s not said negatively. Every practice begins with the same set of drills, especially what the coaches call the “perfection” drill (you can see that here). Calipari uses the same structure for every practice because everything the Cats do throughout the year builds off those drills. Obviously things get more complicated as the season wears on, but the beginning of each practice is the foundation for everything else.
To be able to practice at this time of the year, ahead of the Bahamas trip, is huge. Instituting some of the basics now ensures that Calipari isn’t wasting time even in late July and early August with those preseason practices. As we’ve learned over the last five seasons, the more time Calipari gets with these guys the better they become, evidenced by the Cats’ success in March. With what this team will be able to do over the month, that process should only accelerate.
The perfection drill I alluded to above went extremely well. It’s a timed drill that the players have to complete in a certain amount of time, and the team completed it with 15 seconds to spare. The credit for the efficiency should go to the veterans. There’s something to be said about guys who have done this for a year or two. Although it’s been a few months since they’ve been in an organized practice, it’s obvious that, after you’ve had something drilled into your head hundreds of times over a year or two, repetition becomes habit.
Speaking of the veterans, their improved play was my biggest takeaway from the practice. Don’t get me wrong, the freshmen look very talented, but having seen the first few practices of the last several teams and the growing pains that each of those freshman-laden teams had to endure, this one seems like it’s ahead of those previous groups just because of the chemistry that’s already been built. The older guys are confident in what they’re doing, if for nothing else because they understand what they are doing and what Calipari is asking of them. It’s only natural for the freshmen to be a little hesitant because they are learning everything for the first time.
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Green-Bean
Player
Member # 13551
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posted 07-23-2014 01:10 AM
IMO all them people cal mingled with are bleeding heart LIBERALS, and Hes telling Lebron I will be coming to coach u next year, and we can lose together. Cleveland aint winning nothing. enjoy cal this year he be gone next year. just wait and see. bring on Sean Miller.
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I was Born A Wildcat!
That's All I'll Ever Be!
Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014
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SCWC
Player
Member # 2464
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posted 07-23-2014 04:17 AM
Green Bean, you and I both picked up on that writer name dropping in his article which I felt was totally uncalled for. We all know Cal is a big time democrat, he had to cancel the fund raiser for Kentucky democrats two tears ago when much of the state of Ky were unhappy with him playing such a role in politics. He is famous in his own right and I guess he is happy in that elitist circle of well known people. If it helps our basketball program I don't mind, just wish the writer had left that name dropping portion out of his article. It was not needed.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 07-23-2014 09:22 AM
I wouldn't be surprised that at some point in Cal's life if he doesn't get into politics. He seems like a person that thrives on having big name friends and his name in the lime light. That said it sure has been fun having all the talent he has brought to Kentucky and hope he stay a lot longer but I am also afraid the call of a NBA title with Lebron is awfully strong too. I guess we will just have to wait to see what the future brings.
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Bama Cat
Player
Member # 153
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posted 07-23-2014 10:30 AM
He's not going anywhere.
Posts: 14173 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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Old Norm
Administrator
Member # 1482
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posted 07-23-2014 12:02 PM
Agree totally with Bama.
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Pray For Our Country!
Posts: 36271 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001
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