John Calipari says Kentucky is still 'a work in progress
On paper, Kentucky is having a nice start to the 2022-2023 season, opening with an 8-3 record. However, once you dive into the schedule a little more and see who the wins and losses have come against, there could be a concern for head coach John Calipari.
However, he doesn’t view it that way.
Calipari admitted Kentucky is “still a work in progress.” A recent loss against UCLA was an example of that, being just the latest defeat against a big-name program. But Calipari then did his best Aaron Rodgers impression, telling everyone to R-E-L-A-X.
“We’re still a work in progress,” Calipari said. “I would tell everybody — just be patient. If you’ve watched me work and coach in the past, it takes time to get it all together. I’m not panicked. I’m the biggest proponent for guys in that room.”
This came after defeating Florida A&M by 20 and right before SEC play begins. An in-state showdown against the Louisville Cardinals will take place on New Year’s Eve and Kansas is the Big 12/SEC Challenge opponent. Outside of those two, it’s a full conference slate for the Cats.
Of the eight wins on the record, Michigan is the most and only impressive one for Kentucky. Gonzaga, Michigan State, and UCLA have all been able to take care of business against Calipari’s squad, winning by just under 12 points per game.
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“We got work to do now, we do,” Calipari said.
Kentucky will travel to Missouri on Wednesday, hoping to kick off its SEC schedule on a positive note. In a year where it’s national championship or bust, Calipari needs to start stacking up some quality wins to give the fans some kind of hope.
But patience is being preached by the head coach. Injuries have kept some key guys out of the lineup at different points of the season. Peaking at the right time is crucial in college basketball, just asked North Carolina last month.
Results have not been too overly favorable for Kentucky thus far but Calipari is confident things will get going in a positive direction here soon.