John Calipari on Kentucky's team chemistry: "They're becoming empowered"

Kentucky winning a massive game on national television; John Calipari talking in strange metaphors trying to explain why they just demolished another top-10 team in the country — It all feels like a return to normalcy.

Calipari also gave us some words on how this team may be ready to take over by themselves.

Calipari feels the team coming together

*yawn* 17 points and 14 rebounds from Oscar is just a normal day. Keion Brooks had his career night with 27 points in an incredibly hostile environment. Kentucky blew out the number five team in the nation with a whole nine points coming from their two top guards. This game showcased so much of what Kentucky is, and can continue to evolve into for the future — more important than any number or stat on a piece of paper is this teams’ comradery and ability to be one fluid unit.

“Today Jacob [Toppin], this is when you know you’re becoming a good team. We were dying, we were struggling. Keion made basket, made basket, made free throw, free throw and I walk down and Jacob says ‘Coach just leave him in. Don’t take him out.'” John Calipari said after the game. “I’m only saying this rhetorically, but Jacob people will probably say ‘Put Jacob in! C’mon!’ because Jacob, how did he play? He played well. And as a teammate, he’s telling me to leave him [Keion] in. That’s when I know they’re becoming empowered.”

If being empowered leads to this? Oh buddy, we’re all here for it.

One of the really good things Calipari has been able to do while at Kentucky is relatively keep teams together as a unit. It’s something none of us really understand, but having to control and maintain the egos of multiple future NBA players every single year must be ridiculously hard to manage. Calipari makes it seem effortless though. Like other teams from Kentucky in the past, we’ve clearly seen all year that this team genuinely loves each other and is pulling for everybody. It makes watching and rooting for them such an enjoyable experience, regardless of the outcome.

“We share a common purpose. This is a selfless team,” Kellan Grady, the current college basketball player born in 1997 and appropriately dubbed “Granddad”, said in an interview after the game. “You can see, it was evident in our game today and in every one of our games, you can just see the spirit on the bench and the excitement when every person scores on the court. And I think that, a lot of times, can be truly indicative of how close a team actually is.

“There are no egos here, it can be anybody’s night. Tonight Was Keion’s (Brooks) night, he was sensational and we all couldn’t have been happier for him. We truly are a close team, the chemistry has been great, and I think that has a lot to do with why we’re playing so well and just a well-together bunch.”

John Calipari wants his players to keep people up

So, what’s the point of team chemistry and comradery if it doesn’t apply to everyone? Well, John Calipari is trying to make sure that doesn’t occur here. For a team to truly gel and work as a unit, it takes everybody’s full effort, even if it might mean sitting down instead of playing on the court. For guys such as Daimion Collins, Dontaie Allen, and Bryce Hopkins, this just means being the best teammate and human possible until it’s their opportunity. And it’ll come at some point.

“I said after the game Bryce, Daimion and Dontaie did not get in. And I said, one, you gotta be happy for this team. To do what we did today, you have to be happy.” Calipari said. “Second thing, you guys that are happy, you gotta keep picking them up so they’re ready for their opportunity… It tells you how happy they are for each other. And how happy they are that [Keion] broke through.”

Kentucky is going to have to show a little more and keep this type of play at a consistent pace in order to prove themselves once again this year. We know that fully healthy they can play against anyone. It’s all about making sure that the team stays together. And well, maybe a little ankle tape too.