catmandoo
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posted 01-10-2021 12:37 PM
Like the classic horror film, rusted hinges creak ominously as the lid of the casket begins to open ever so slowly. At long last, a figure emerges from the shadows. Dracula? The Mummy?
Nope. John Calipari.
“I know there were probably some people who put dirt on the coffin,” Calipari said Saturday. “But we pushed the coffin back open and said, ‘Hey, you ain’t putting that dirt on this.’”
“Dirt on this” is Kentucky’s 2020-21 basketball season.
The college program with the most wins in history opened this new season at a historic low – 1-6 and losers of six straight. It was the worst start since 1926, five years before Bela Lugosi would famously bring Dracula to black-and-white life on the big screen.
But then came a new year as the COVID-ravaged 2020 calendar flipped to 2021. With Southeastern Conference play beginning, Kentucky beat Mississippi State in double overtime on Jan. 2, clipped Vanderbilt on Jan. 5 and, in its most impressive performance to date, thrashed Florida 76-58 on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.
“A lot of people couldn’t wait for us to have a down year,” said sophomore Keion Brooks, who made his debut Saturday after missing the first nine games to a lower calf injury.
“They started to write us off,” he said, “but we’re going to keep fighting. We’re not going to go away.”
Instead of going away, Kentucky is going to the top of the SEC standings with a 3-0 record that trails only Alabama at 4-0.
“We needed to let them know that if you defend and you execute and you pass to each other, you will beat people by 20,” Calipari said. “But you can’t be selfish offensively, break down defensively and then have to make plays at the end of the game.”
Fans have witnessed the light come on for a player. Rarely has it happened for an entire team as was the case against Florida.
Kentucky shot 55.8 percent, including 66.7 in the second half. They had 18 assists, 10 steals, seven blocked shots and made 12-of-13 free throws.
“This was a great win for these kids,” Calipari said. “Moving in the right direction.”
Link
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
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