Kentucky coach John Calipari on season success: 'This is who we are'

Kentucky men’s basketball’s 2020-21 season is one it wishes it could remove from the record books forever. In an unprecedented college basketball season that was affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Wildcats significantly struggled – going just 9-16 overall and missing out on the NCAA Tournament.

After a year of hardship, Kentucky is back to its normal self this season. Through 17 games in the 2021-22 campaign, the Wildcats are 14-3 overall, 4-1 in SEC play and ranked inside the AP Top 25 at No. 18. John Calipari’s club is also riding a three-game winning streak, which has been highlighted by a dominant 107-79 win over No. 22 Tennessee on Saturday inside a packed Rupp Arena in Lexington.

Following UK’s victory over Tennessee, Calipari met with the media for his postgame press conference and was asked how good it feels to be back to being successful and having a normal season after the way last year went.

“I come back to last year. Last year was a throwaway year,” Calipari said. “I mean, you think about what it was. I felt so bad for the kids that they could not experience what Kentucky basketball’s about. We still coached them, but we never got any advantage here [at Rupp Arena]. None. It was playing like we were playing pickup. I watched some West Coast games and they brought back some bad memories when I saw no one in the stands.

“This is who we are. This is how we coach. This is us. Last year was a throwaway and, again, some people jumped on it – I’m fine with that. But this, this is what it’s about, and I want these kids to experience this. That’s why you come here.”

Fresh off its win over Tennessee, Kentucky next faces Texas A&M on Wednesday in College Station. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

Calipari dedicates win to Joe B. Hall, plans to honor Kentucky coach

Following a 107-79 blowout victory for Kentucky over Tennessee, John Calipari spoke about what the late Joe B. Hall meant not only to him, but to the Kentucky basketball program as a whole.

“The greatest thing in all this, he knew what people thought and how much he was appreciated and beloved before he passed,” Calipari said. “Our fans have been so great to him. All I can tell you is he was a mentor and a friend to me. He had a radio show. And you know, he’s a former coach so he’s evaluating stuff as a coach. He was in my practices four days a week, so he knew what we were doing. His support and what he did to explain what we were doing, there’s no question it helped. I remember going to lunch with him at Wheeler’s and breakfast at the Methodist church and making him pay. I’m just gonna miss him. And I’ll say this, to the very end, he smiled. It was 93 good years. That’s all I can say.”