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Kentucky

Chris Livingston shares in-game message John Calipari gave him against Mississippi State

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater•02/16/23•

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Kentucky F Chris Livingston
Michael Hickey | Getty Images

Chris Livingston was an instrumental part in last night’s season-saving win for Kentucky at Mississippi State. However, that wasn’t the case for a bit as, in the first half, he earned quite a few earfuls from John Calipari.

Livingston broke down those interactions following the Wildcat’s 71-68 win inside Humphrey Coliseum. He said Calipari was just trying to hold him to the standard that he expects from him on both ends. Based on how he finished the game, Livington got that message loud and clear.

“That’s just how Cal is. He’s holding me to a high standard, being hard on me, expecting much more out of myself than I’m doing in the game. That’s his job,” said Livingston. “In the second half, I just knew I had to play harder and make some plays to make up for how I played in the first half.”

“He was just telling me to step it up. Saying I’ve got to be better for the team in order for us to get this win. That I’ve gotta be better defensively and to lock in offensively,” Livingston said. “That’s what he told me and I think I did that in the second half.”

Although Kentucky went to the halftime locker room up one, Livingston wasn’t a factor in the first 20 minutes. He scored zero points, grabbed two rebounds, committed a turnover, and had several defensive lapses that evidently caught Calipari’s eye.

In the second half, though, Livingston’s potential shined through. He finished the game with 13 points, including several clutch buckets and free throws, as well as a crucial offensive rebound in the final seconds that allowed Kentucky to close the game out with some trips to the charity stripe.

Livingston came out with a different energy, filled the box score, and helped the Wildcats earn this massive road win. It was the kind of performance that Calipari and the fanbase have been waiting to see more consistently from him and, if he can keep it rolling, will be a major plus in helping Kentucky finish the season within the NCAA Tournament field.