John Calipari explains early timeout, reveals keys to Kentucky's halftime lead vs Tennessee
Early in Saturday’s game against Tennessee, Kentucky found itself in an early 8-0 hole. That’s when John Calipari called a timeout — and he offered a candid explanation during his halftime interview.
“Like many times, did we miss three wide open shots?” Calipari asked ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “We did. That’s why we were down 8-0. Not while we were running and all that. And then, you get in the huddle and say, ‘We’re alright. You just missed open shots. Just keep playing.'”
Kentucky righted the ship shortly after that and ended up taking a 33-26 lead into halftime. The Wildcats also played stronger defense, and Calipari credited that while acknowledging that’s what Rowe was asking him about.
He also pointed to CJ Fredrick’s play after he left with a bloody mouth, ending the half with 10 points. Calipari was proud of that response and said that speaks to the team he has this year.
“Your whole point in this is defense. … When they throw you to the floor and do that to you, you’ve got to hold your ground,” Calipari said. “When you get a bloody mouth, you probably didn’t do it to yourself. This is a roughhouse game. I got that kind of team. We can play this.”
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Kentucky is playing without Sahvir Wheeler and Daimion Collins vs Tennessee
Sahvir Wheeler and Daimion Collins were ruled out for Kentucky Saturday against Tennessee due to injury, the program announced. They’re both listed as day to day after going through warmups.
Wheeler is dealing with a shoulder injury and Collins is out with a foot injury. Both players played in this week’s loss to South Carolina. Wheeler played 40 minutes, totaling 10 points and three rebounds, while Collins had two points and four boards in 10 minutes of action.
In his senior season, Wheeler has seen his scoring production dip a bit, averaging 9.5 points per game compared to 10.1 points per contest a year ago. However, he leads the SEC with 6.3 assists per game — a number that could loom large against Tennessee. Collins, a sophomore, is averaging 1.6 points per game this year.