'Code Gold': Kentucky coaches preaching togetherness through body language film sessions

Bad body language, if not handled quickly, can potentially snowball into a much deeper team-wide issue. Kentucky associate head coach Alvin Brooks has implemented ways to crack down on hanging heads and slumped shoulders before it becomes a detriment to a locker room.

“Coach AB, he calls it Code Gold,” Fifth-year guard Lamont Butler said on Monday about how Brooks preaches positive body language. “He shows a bunch of clips of us picking up each other, high-fiving after every free throw — I forgot what he calls it, but when someone is flexing, he shows all that, the bench. The more we do that, it just shows how together we are. Just brings energy for us throughout the game. It’s really important that we’re able to see that and try to continue that throughout the year.”

A lot of coaches will use time in the film to showcase bad body language and how to avoid it. Brooks showcases good body language as a way to reinforce it.

“I’ve seen a video of bad body language, but I’ve never seen everybody in that positive light,” Butler added. “It just makes you want to be on the video next time they show it in film.”

Kentucky’s on-court body language this season, for the most part, has been generally positive. The bench, in particular, has never been short on energy. When guys aren’t in the game — even the very end of the bench guys — they do a tremendous job of encouraging and cheering on their teammates. It translates onto the court as well. Even a hobbled Kerr Kriisa will find ways to make an impact on his team’s energy.

“I feel like our younger guys have been the best at it,” Butler said. “Seeing them on the bench, every play they’re up clapping, just showing emotion for us. They bring us a lot of energy.”

There have been brief moments of “bad” body language though. Jaxson Robinson even admitted his attitude wasn’t great during and after Kentucky’s comeback win over Duke early in the season. That outing was still Robinson’s worst scoring game of the season: just one point on 0-4 shooting. Robinson dropped 20 points the next time out against Lipscomb.

Those individual moments have usually been few and far between though.

Once the SEC gauntlet begins on Saturday with a Top 10 showdown against undefeated Florida, there won’t be much time — if any — for sulking. Kentucky could get by with some upside-down smiles against the mid-majors of the world. That won’t be the case against Tennessee, Auburn, etc. Those teams will smell the blood in the water.

“We’re only together for a year. Every second, every possession counts,” Robinson said. “Those little moments on the court where we don’t huddle, where we don’t dap each other up, don’t pick each other up off the ground, that stuff matters. The connectivity of this team has been really great thus far during the season. Just trying to keep finding ways to improve.”

This isn’t the first time this season we’ve heard Brooks create unique ways to coach his players. He installed “Ball of Duty” back in November as a game within the game to count defensive stops. Code Gold is just the latest way he’s looking to build even more connectivity throughout the team. Most of the Kentucky players have been taught body language at their previous college spots, but not in the way that Brooks does.

“Not like AB,” Robinson said. “Everybody loves AB, he’s a special individual. He teaches us something different every day. And it’s not necessarily always having to do with basketball. But just different ways to be effective as a human being also.”

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