LEXINGTON, Ky. – John Calipari wrote the words on the white board inside the Kentucky locker room just prior to the No. 18 Wildcats’ home game against No. 6 and defending national champion Louisville on Saturday.
“Look like a team,” he wrote. “Play like a team. Fight like a team.”
If it seems as if that should be easy, it hasn’t been for UK’s latest crop of projected one-and-done freshmen. They entered the Louisville game with three losses by a total of 14 points in 12 games. All had come to ranked foes: Michigan State, North Carolina and Baylor. All had seen the Cats tie or lead at one point or another.
But they had ultimately lost them all, and when Louisville grabbed a one-point lead with 11:01 to go after UK had led by seven, Calipari thought he might be overseeing another close defeat.
“That look,” he said of at least a few of his players, “like we were going to lose again.”