It was a game in which the outcome was never in doubt, but Kentucky’s blowout of Chattanooga did little to satisfy a fan base still smarting from that loss to Indiana. And that’s likely to be the case against Samford, Loyola and Lamar. That game won’t come until December 31, when the Cats host Louisville and the next couple of weeks of practice will be just as important as those next three games in getting Kentucky ready to meet that challenge.
When John Calipari talks about his team needing to be tougher, you know the comments are made with an eye toward that UofL game as well as tough SEC matchups that will follow. As he noted in his postgame interview Saturday, the book on beating Kentucky includes being physical with the Cats.
With classes out of session, the Cats will get plenty of extra practice time and Calipari will do his best to build that tougher mindset into his young team. But how soon it “takes” is hard to say. You’re talking about changing a mentality instead of learning a skill or a play. UK may not ever master that mindset, but winning championships comes down to maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.
One thing we do know from what we saw in the three biggest games the Cats have had this season—Kansas, North Carolina and Indiana—is this team is more about winning than the numbers they might post individually.
And freshman Anthony Davis deserves some credit for that. He’s the player that most say will be the number one pick in the next draft and you see playing just as hard when he’s scored six points in a game as he does when he’s scored 16. Against Chattanooga, Davis was a beast on the boards, soaring above the crowd to snatch rebounds with both hands. When your best player sets that kind of example, it sends a strong message.
You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.
–Tom Leach
