LEXINGTON — John Calipari is having fun again.
Nearly a year removed from a disastrous campaign that featured Kentucky’s first losing season since 1988-89, the Wildcats’ coach is expecting bigger and better things from his squad this season.
kAm“xVG6 8@E 2 3F?49 @7 8FJD E92E H2?E E@ 36 4@24965[ E92E H2?E E@ 492==6?86 6249 @E96C[ E92E 2C6 6?82865[” 96 D2:5 (65?6D52J] “(6VG6 8@E G6E6C2?D] (96? J@F 92G6 G6E6C2?D[ E96JVC6 @? E:>6] xE DE2CED E@ =625 — H:E9@FE 6G6? D2J:?8 2?JE9:?8[ E96J =625] %92EVD 366? 7F?]”k^Am
kAm%96 C@DE6C F?56CH6?E 2 EJA:42= EFC?@G6C[ 3FE E9:D E:>6 r2=:A2C: C6G2>A65 3J 5:AA:?8 :?E@ E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= 2?5 8C23365 E9C66 6IA6C:6?465 4@==68:2E6 A=2J6CD — ry uC65C:4<[ z6==2? vC25J 2?5 $29G:C (966=6C — E@ 8:G6 E96 (:=542ED >@C6 6IA6C:6?46 E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%96 E9C66 A=2J6CD 2C6 ;@:?65 3J 7:G6 C6EFC?66D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C>6C !6?5=6E@? r@F?EJ DE2?5@FE 2?5 |C] q2D<6E32== s@?E2:6 p==6?[ 2?5 E9C66 ?6H4@>6CD 8:G6 r2=:A2C: 2 DBF25 C6>:?:D46?E @7 E96 a_`h\a_ E62> E92E 7:?:D965 b_\f 2?5 =@DE E@ pF3FC? :? E96 }rpp $@FE9 #68:@?2= 7:?2=D]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6?VE 925 >2?J E62>D H:E9 G6E6C2? <:?5 @7 A=2J6CD @? :E[ D@ x <:?5 @7 7@C86E E92E :E E2<6D @?6 E9:?8 @77 J@FC A=2E6[” r2=:A2C: D2:5] “qFE :EVD 8@@5] %96JVC6 D9@@E:?8 E96 32==] %96JVC6 A=2J:?8] %96JVC6 4@>A6E:?8]”k^Am
kAmp J62C 28@[ r2=:A2C: 32EE=65 E96 F?46CE2:?EJ @7 2 C68F=2C D62D@? 3642FD6 @7 E96 A2?56>:4[ 3FE 25>:EE65 “:E’D =:<6 2 ?@C>2= D62D@? 7@C FD” 2?5 25565 E92E =2DE J62C :D 2 “3=:A” 2?5 “D@ 72C 369:?5 >6]”k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 ?@E 925 2 325 AC24E:46 J6E[” r2=:A2C: D2:5] “x D2:5[ H6 8@ E9C@F89 D62D@?D H:E9@FE 2 325 AC24E:46 96C6] $62D@?D] %9@D6 2C6 E96 E62>D E92E 2C6 H:??:?8 bg[ bd[ ba[ E9@D6 2C6 E9@D6 E62>D] %96C6VD 2 3F?49 @7 E96>]”k^Am
kAm(92E r2=:A2C: =:<6D :D E96 4@>A6E:E:@? =6G6= :? AC24E:46 E9FD 72C[ 2 D:8? E92E E9:?8D H:== 36 36EE6C E92? 2 J62C 28@ 2?5 2?2=JDED 92G6 E2<6? ?@E:46] z6?EF4<J H2D C2?<65 }@] `_ :? E96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD !C6D62D@? %@A\ad A@== C6=62D65 62C=:6C E9:D H66<]k^Am
kAm“(92E x =:<6 23@FE E9:D 8C@FA[ E96JVC6 4@>A6E:?8 282:?DE 6249 @E96C[” 96 D2:5] “*6D[ H6 5@ 92G6 56AE9] $@ ?@H J@F 92G6 8FJD E92E 2C6 D:>:=2C D<:==D @776?D:G6=J] (9@ H@F=5 J@F A=2J ?@Hn xEVD J@F] %96JVC6 G6CJ D:>:=2C @776?D:G6=J] (9@ 2C6 J@F 8@:?8 E@ A=2Jn xEVD 5@?6 :? AC24E:46 3FE 9@H 23@FE H9@ 5676?5D 36EE6C[ C63@F?5D 36EE6C[ E2<6D 42C6 @7 E96 32== 36EE6C] %9@D6 8FJD 86E 2 =68 FA[ 2?5 x <66A E6==:?8 E96>[ J@FVC6 4@>A6E:?8 H:E9 6249 @E96C[ J6E xV== A=2J 2D >2?J 2D 56D6CG6 E@ A=2J]”k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 96 92D A=6?EJ E@ H@C< H:E9[ r2=:A2C: 5@6D?’E A=2? @? 2 q=F6 !=2E@@? C@E2E:@? D:>:=2C E@ E96 DJDE6> 96 FD65 5FC:?8 E96 a_`c\`d D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 A=2J65 `_ 367@C6[ W3FEX xV5 C2E96C ?@E[” 96 D2:5] “x’G6 A=2J65 7:G6 367@C6 2?5 D:I] !C@323=J ?@E 6?@F89[ 3FE x H@F=5 5@ :E :7 A6@A=6 D6A2C2E6 2D H6 8@ 7@CH2C5] #:89E ?@H[ :7 J@F H2=<65 :?E@ AC24E:46 2?5 H2E4965[ J@FV5 D2J[ E96J 2C6 C62==J 4@>A6E:?8]”k^Am
kAmq642FD6 @7 E96 6IA6C:6?46 @? 9:D E62>’D C@DE6C[ r2=:A2C: 92D 7@4FD65 =6DD @? 5C:==D 2?5 >@C6 @? D4C:>>28:?8 :? 2? 677@CE E@ 86E 9:D DBF25 >@C6 72>:=:2C H:E9 6249 @E96C]k^Am
kAm“w@A67F==J H6 86E >@C6 @7 E92E 3642FD6 E96JVG6 8@E E@ 86E E@ 766= 6249 @E96C 2?5 9@H E96JVC6 A=2J:?8[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 E96 q=F6\(9:E6 82>6 uC:52J[ E96C6 2C6 2 A2:C @7 6I9:3:E:@? 82>6D 5FC:?8 E96 ?6IE EH@ H66<D] r2=:A2C: 9@A6D E@ 92G6 2 766= 7@C 9:D E62> 2?5 H92E DE6AD E@ E2<6 >@G:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm“(6V== 92G6 2? :562[” 96 D2:5] “xEVD FD A=2J:?8 282:?DE 6249 @E96C] %96J <?@H 6249 @E96C] (6V== A=2J 2 4@FA=6 @7 6I9:3:E:@?D 2?5 E96? H6 DE2CE E96 C68F=2C D62D@?] (6V== 92G6 :E 7:8FC65 @FE 3J E96?]”k^Am
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(1) comment
Wonder if the Coach has mandated that the team be fully vaccinated, including all assistant coaches, trainers and other staff? No doubt about it, Rupp to the rafters is a sure Super-spreader event every game. How exciting, wondering if your team is gonna win, and if you are going to transmit COVID!
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.