John Calipari raves about Kentucky players after win vs. Alabama

Many fans came into the 2023-24 college basketball season with the mindset that consensus five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American Justin Edwards was going to be Kentucky‘s most productive freshman this year.

While that turned out to be the case looking back at the whole season, he lived up to his ranking and proved that he can take over a game when his number is called during UK’s 117-95 win over Alabama.

Shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor with 28 points to show for it — head coach John Calipari gushed over his true freshman guard during the postgame press conference.

“I kept saying [Edwards] was going to break through, I believe in you. He said coach, I believe in you. And I said you just got to stay the course. That’s I said to the team today,” Calipari said. “He has lived in the gym. He made every shot. I took him out because he reverted back and he was going to spin and move and throw the ball. I took him out because I said you’re playing a perfect game. I’m not going to let you screw it up.”

Kentucky has been reliant of the front court presence of Ugonna Onyenso, but Calipari elected to split time between him and Zvonimir Ivisic — who would have stole the show if it wasn’t for Edwards’ heroics on the evening. He finished with 18 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.

Antonio Reeves kept his hot hand going with 24 points while freshmen ball handlers Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham held up their end of things with a combined 24 points off the bench. Alabama’s total bench combined for 23 points on the afternoon.

“And even [Ivisic]. I made a decision yesterday that I was going to play Z. I did get some pushback, but I said nope, when I wake up and in my gut says that’s what I should do, then I’m doing it. He’s waited his turn. He and Aaron [Bradshaw]— none of it is their skill. It’s all physical play. Are you physical enough to stay in games? And in this game they were. But look, we had a different lineup.

“I was going to play Justin at the four today. And that worked out really well because now you have four guards out there with a big. That’s why I keep coming back to, we can do this all kind of different ways. We just have to have everybody ready when their opportunity comes up. Rob was good, Reed was good, Antonio was good.”

Kentucky looks to continue this momentum as they have a quick, 72-hour turn around between the Alabama blowout and Tuesday’s road trip at Mississippi State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN.